When I started on Twitter, ahem...X, back in 2011, one of the first friends I made was a guy named Carl. He was older, a grandpa, a Christian, lived in Virginia, and seemed very down-to-earth. Somehow or other, we got to talking about movies, and Carl told me his favorite movie was 1963's Spencer's Mountain. Like, … Continue reading Carl’s Favorite Movie
Stage To Screen: 12 Angry Men
12 Angry Men is one of those stories that has to be seen at least once, whether it's the play or film, but no matter how many times it's seen, there's always something new to notice and something new to think about. It's fitting that the story can inspire such perennial freshness. As The Guardian once … Continue reading Stage To Screen: 12 Angry Men
Bogart’s First Movie
Here we go... Maybe it's hindsight talking, but some actors or actresses jump off the screen at us, even in their very early roles. While their parts might be small, we can see they're going to have a big future. One of these is Humphrey Bogart, whose first film was 1936's The Petrified Forest, which brought … Continue reading Bogart’s First Movie
During World War Two: You’re In the Armed Forces Now
Between 1941 and 1942 America's military went from approximately 1.8 million to almost four million, and by the end of the war around twelve million Americans were in the Armed Forces. The popular myth about the United States in the period immediately following Pearl Harbor is that recruitment offices were jammed with volunteers, but according … Continue reading During World War Two: You’re In the Armed Forces Now
Stage To Screen: On Golden Pond
Every family has its problems. We all know this. We also all know that whether or not a family deals with its problems is another matter, and Ernest Thompson's On Golden Pond is a rather gorgeous and slightly tempestuous look at aging and reconciliation. Yeah, we've had a lot of family movies and dysfunction type stories … Continue reading Stage To Screen: On Golden Pond
Crooked But Never Common
Good to see you, Miss Barbara... I have kind of a love-argh thing with Preston Sturges. I know he's revered among film buffs, but sometimes he bugs me. Not always, though. Sullivan's Travels excellently captures a time when men rode the rails to wherever the jobs were. Hail the Conquering Hero is a rollicking tale of … Continue reading Crooked But Never Common
Shore Is Awful
Brother, can you spare a dime? I've been on a John Steinbeck kick lately. In the last couple of months I've read Travels With Charley and Cannery Row (again), plus I have Sweet Thursday and The Pastures of Heaven lined up. I think the man was an absolute genius. We're all aware of one of … Continue reading Shore Is Awful
Stage To Screen: Mister Roberts
They say that truth is stranger than fiction, and some life experiences beg to be made into stories. Mister Roberts is one of those. Originally a novel by Thomas Heggen, it was published in 1946, premiered as a play in 1948, and released as a film in 1955. The story takes place very late in the war. … Continue reading Stage To Screen: Mister Roberts
Taking Up Room 