The phrase, "sophomore slump" is common among public figures. When one's debut venture is excellent and celebrated, there's always a danger that anything following it will be a letdown. When one's debut film is Citizen Kane, the stakes are even higher. Orson Welles followed up that infamous firestorm with 1942's The Magnificent Ambersons. Based on the Booth Tarkington novel, … Continue reading After Citizen Kane
Dinner and Serendipity
When I reviewed Christmas In Connecticut, Kristina from Speakeasy recommended 1944's Sunday Dinner For A Soldier to me. It just so happened that the film was already on my Amazon list, and lo and behold, I got it for Christmas. Funny how things work out. Anyway, the film is the story of a poor family who want to do their … Continue reading Dinner and Serendipity
Thicker Than Water
Monday was the seventy-fifth anniversary of the sinking of the U.S.S. Juneau, and among its dead were the five Sullivan brothers. The news horrified the American public, and caused the United States to officially ban immediate family members from serving in the same units in the Armed Forces, known as the Sole Survivor Act. The loss became … Continue reading Thicker Than Water
Taking Up Room 