One obvious side effect of war, especially a global one, is the shortage of men at home, and World War Two was no different. Countless Hollywood fixtures, whether cast or crew, enlisted or were drafted into the armed forces, leaving studio rosters a little thin for the time being. Naturally, this gave rise to more … Continue reading The Fighting WACs
Adjustments, All Sorts
Well, hello, Ms. Bacall... When life is in turmoil, people need release wherever they can find it, and the 1957 film, Designing Woman was one such break for Lauren Bacall. She called it "a nice, light comedy," and though she didn't think so initially, it was just what she needed during one of the toughest times … Continue reading Adjustments, All Sorts
Shamedown #8: Like Water For Chocolate
Mmmmm...chocolate. Chocolate mixed with shame might be a different story, though. Here's the link to Cinema Shame for those of you who would like to know why this post is called a Shamedown. Previous Shamedowns can be found here. The idea of a cook's mood going into their food is certainly nothing new. It's a classic move … Continue reading Shamedown #8: Like Water For Chocolate
Announcing the Unexpected Blogathon!
Did you ever watch a film or a TV show that you knew nothing about, wasn't expecting to see, and ended up really liking? Or, were you ever disappointed in something you were expecting to love? I know I have. Now's your chance to tell the blogging world about it! Your picks can be from … Continue reading Announcing the Unexpected Blogathon!
Joseph Cotten and the Mercury Players
Mr. Cotten, I presume. Joseph Cotten was an unusual actor. Sure, he was handsome and funny and could play a variety of roles, but he was also a late bloomer. Born in 1905, he didn't make his stage debut until 1930 and his film debut in 1938. The latter is due, of course, to a … Continue reading Joseph Cotten and the Mercury Players
Stage To Screen: Fiddler On the Roof
This really ought to be a "Page To Stage To Screen" look, because Fiddler On the Roof is based on a collection of short stories entitled Tevye And His Daughters, or Tevye the Dairyman, written by Sholem Aleichem, whose real name was Solomon Naumovich Rabinovich. First published in Yiddish in 1894, they are set in the Ukranian village of … Continue reading Stage To Screen: Fiddler On the Roof
And Now For Something Completely Different
Who's up for a little classic intrigue? Sometimes when a chance presents itself, there's nothing to do but take it (Within reason, of course). In the early nineteen-forties, Fred MacMurray was a durable rom-com guy, but 1944 brought him a new kind of opportunity--a role in Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity. Based on a story by James M. … Continue reading And Now For Something Completely Different
Everybody Plays the Fool
The Cold War was a serious, intense time, but it was also ripe for parody and satire. By far, the most famous example of this is the 1964 Stanley Kubrick film, Dr. Strangelove, or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Starring Peter Sellers and George C. Scott, it's an infamous and uncomfortably compelling … Continue reading Everybody Plays the Fool
Ingrid’s Casablanca
Welcome back, Ms. Bergman! What hasn't been said about Casablanca? What hasn't been asked about Casablanca? This is a film that's been parsed, analyzed, memorialized, quoted, parodied, and collected more homage than most films in history, with the exception of Citizen Kane and The Wizard of Oz, of course. What's left to be said? Plenty. It's a classic film that we … Continue reading Ingrid’s Casablanca
Fun(!) With Eschatology
Lee's getting scary today... I read a book in college, The Thirteenth Generation, that said Hollywood produced a glut of anti-child horror movies during the nineteen-seventies as a way of telling Gen-Xers we weren't wanted. Rosemary's Baby. Children Of the Corn. It's Alive. Poltergeist. All featuring evil murderous poppets who annihilate anyone standing in their way. In the … Continue reading Fun(!) With Eschatology
Relationships 101
It's not uncommon for movies to be based on novels, or great events in history, but a movie based on a self-help book?! It's been done more than once, but it always seems a little weird. Even when the book is as successful and overly-accessible as Greg Behrendt and Liz Tucillo's He's Just Not That Into … Continue reading Relationships 101
Dinner Is Served
The Barrymores have returned, y'all. MGM had a thing for ensemble films in the early thirties. Why have one box office draw when more just makes everything better? John and Lionel Barrymore got to be in on a few of these extravaganzas, and one of the most well-known is 1933's Dinner At Eight. Like their earlier hit, Grand … Continue reading Dinner Is Served
Origins: Sharks, Sharks Everywhere
We all know how sinister predators seem to be a real thing in summertime flicks. Maybe it's because summer is when people go camping or to the beach or something--it's an imagined feeling of impending doom. There's not much that compares to watching a roller-coaster of a disaster movie, armed with popcorn and Milk Duds, … Continue reading Origins: Sharks, Sharks Everywhere
Clean With Breen
So it's come to this... As promised, I'm recapping all the Breen-friendly films I reviewed in July for Tiffany and Rebekah's #CleanMovieMonth blogathon. How did they meet the Breen Code standards? Let's find out: It's Love I'm After (1937) This film played it dangerously. Basil and Joyce were so passionate I thought they were a … Continue reading Clean With Breen
Wings On Our Heels
Off to the jolly olde sod... When the First World War ended, Great Britain was feeling worn-out. The loss of life had been heavy, and everyone, young men in particular, had to learn how to operate in a strange new world. In 1981, the world was reeling from the malaise of the 1970s. America had … Continue reading Wings On Our Heels
Shamedown #7: The Memphis Belle
Another month, another Shamedown. If anyone would like to know what a Shamedown is, please visit Cinema Shame here. Previous Shamedown posts can be found here. The 1990 film, Memphis Belle, is fairly widely known. An ensemble piece starring Matthew Modine, Sean Astin, Harry Connick, Jr., D.B. Sweeney, Tate Donovan, and John Lithgow, among others, the film was produced … Continue reading Shamedown #7: The Memphis Belle
Try To Remember
Filmmakers have always seemed to love using amnesia as a plot device. There's nothing like a fish being in water and out of it at the same time. One example of this is the 1943 film, Random Harvest, starring Ronald Colman and Greer Garson. It's a movie that genteely declares itself a "prestige picture," with an important … Continue reading Try To Remember
Taking Up Room 