Hi, all! Hope you enjoyed our first day on the red carpet, and welcome to Day Two of our Tony Award extravaganza. If you're just joining us, here are Day One's entries. On to Day Two and more posts from our lovely bloggers: Silver Screenings has a look at the wonderful film, The Heiress, starring Olivia de … Continue reading Broadway Bound 2021: Day Two
That’s Entertainment
One of the distinctive things about the Freed Unit at MGM was that they didn't just mine Broadway for film material; Arthur Freed brought Broadway talent to Hollywood. One of these was Tony-winning actor, dancer, and choreographer Michael Kidd. Born Milton Greenwald to Russian Jewish refugees on August 12, 1915, Brooklynite Kidd briefly studied engineering … Continue reading That’s Entertainment
The Fourth Broadway Bound Blogathon Has Arrived
It's here, y'all! We're back on Broadway. Let's raise this roof! Oh, wait, we're also on the red carpet this year. Guess any roof-raising will have to be sedate. Wouldn't want to see all that borrowed bling go flying into the stratosphere, ya know? 😉 All right, without further ado, let's talk about some Tony … Continue reading The Fourth Broadway Bound Blogathon Has Arrived
Morocco Bound
On the road again... Few Golden Age comedy teams have worn better than Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. Bob was the zany comic. Bing was the suave crooner who always got the girl. Whenever these guys were together they played off each other, they trolled each other, and they had a ball. Thankfully for those … Continue reading Morocco Bound
And Then There Was Agatha Christie
Building a mystery... One of the first Agatha Christie films I ever saw was 1945's And Then There Were None. It's got an all-star cast and an effective bait-and-switch structure that I would hate to spoil, so it's probably best to just dive right in without much of a build-up. Here we go... The movie opens … Continue reading And Then There Was Agatha Christie
One Week Until the Fourth Broadway Bound Blogathon
(Yes, that's Christopher Plummer, rest his soul.) Seven days, now, friends. Seven days until the curtain rises, those coveted shiny statuettes get one last polish, and we go back to Broadway. Who else is getting excited? I know I am--I think we're going to have another fun event this year. Our Broadway has a mighty … Continue reading One Week Until the Fourth Broadway Bound Blogathon
We Are Mishpokhe
Eh, what's up, Doc? Few studios are as influential as Warner Bros. Over its long history it's pioneered sound film, refused to tiptoe around the Nazis or any other pressing social issue, and has never shied away from presenting a grittier, more realistic view of life. What's amazing is that its history is largely unknown. … Continue reading We Are Mishpokhe
Oh, It’s You, Mr. Lee
Hello, all... One of the interesting things about Sir Christopher Lee is that he never turned his nose up at a good part whether it was large or small, and over the course of his career he amassed quite a selection of bit roles in various films and TV shows. There wasn't a lot of … Continue reading Oh, It’s You, Mr. Lee
My Favorite Movies By Decade
Rick's annual National Classic Movie Day 'dos have been part of things on Taking Up Room from the get-go, and every year we film bloggers always wait with bated breath to see what angle we'll be working. Whatever it is, we all know it's going to agitate the brain cells nicely because it often involves … Continue reading My Favorite Movies By Decade
Take Me To Your Leader
Drum roll, please... Remember when chinoiserie was huge in the late nineties and early 2000s? It's always been a thing in Western culture, but it seemed like it was in every magazine and fashion trend in some way at the turn of the twentieth-first century. Of course, those of us who were around then remember … Continue reading Take Me To Your Leader
One Month Until the Fourth Broadway Bound Blogathon
Broadway calls, people. Thirty-one days and counting. We're off book, our shows are blocked, and things are coming together. In one month the curtain will rise and the show will begin. And this year we've got an awards show to get to, so we'll also need to get dressed to the nines. Tie those bow … Continue reading One Month Until the Fourth Broadway Bound Blogathon
A Surfeit of Weirdness
Virtually everyone has seen their share of weird movies. I know I have (Birdemic, anyone?). So when Ronyell asked us bloggers to name ten of our personal weirdest, it was a hard choice. There's a lot of strange stuff out there. It's kind of disturbing that I was able to compile this list in about … Continue reading A Surfeit of Weirdness
Verne’s Extraordinary Voyage
Back with another page-turner... What Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is to crime fiction and forensics, Jules Verne is to sci-fi, and next to Around the World In Eighty Days, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is probably his most well-known work. First published in France in 1870, then translated into English in 1873, it's filmmaker bait because a … Continue reading Verne’s Extraordinary Voyage
A Woman’s Touch
Ms. Day is back... Doris Day was, of course, typically cast as a plucky, elegant songstress or would-be songstress, but few roles she played were as unique as 1953's Calamity Jane, a musical very loosely based on the life of the famous Wild West figure. Well, unique to Doris Day, anyway. The movie opens with Calamity … Continue reading A Woman’s Touch
Rudy, Rudy, Rudy…
"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed...Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20, NIV) Mention 1993's Rudy and a lot of sports fans will get misty-eyed. My dad is one of 'em. Based on a true story, the movie follows Rudy Ruettiger, a guy who flew in the … Continue reading Rudy, Rudy, Rudy…
Announcing the Fourth Broadway Bound Blogathon
Who's up for a trip to Broadway? It's hard to believe that this is our fourth jaunt to the Great White Way, but here we are. In the past this blogathon has always focused on four main categories: Movies made from Broadway shows, Movies about Broadway, Actors, writers, composers, etc. who have worked in both … Continue reading Announcing the Fourth Broadway Bound Blogathon
Five Reasons To See “The General”
Mr. Keaton is back... The General is one of Buster Keaton's most iconic films. Released in 1927, it was mostly filmed in Oregon with great attention to detail, using real Civil War-era locomotives. Keaton directed, produced, and starred in the movie, which didn't have the impact he was hoping for on its first release. The story begins … Continue reading Five Reasons To See “The General”
Taking Up Room 