Welcome back, Miss Esther... Esther Williams was no stranger to hazards, naturally, since her movies typically involved dangerous stunts, but in the case of 1948's On An Island With You, things were just annoyingly blah. The movie was blah, the swimming scenes were blah, and spirits were blah. Still, the show must go on, and there's … Continue reading That’s Show Business
A Matter of Hormone Activity
Mr. Lawford's back... It's always nice to unearth a treasure or two in the movie blogging business, and it can be fun to find some turkeys, too. Then there are those movies that straddle both sides, like 1952's You For Me. A straight-ahead rom com, it's nothing if not ambitious. The tone of this movie is set … Continue reading A Matter of Hormone Activity
The Old College Try
Hello, Mr. Lawford... One of the quirks of the studio era was that very often actors were conscripted into parts. Unless a performer had a lot of clout with the public, they pretty much had to take whatever the studio threw at them. Even then the word, "suspension" got bandied around a lot, but that's … Continue reading The Old College Try
Ziegfeld-less Follies
Mr. Ziegfeld, I presume... For someone who was the pinnacle of Broadway success, Florenz Ziegfeld didn't actually appear onscreen all that much as an actual character. Maybe once or twice, but that was about it. Oftentimes he was just an offscreen presence and his show was aspriational for many hopefuls. Other than that, he was … Continue reading Ziegfeld-less Follies
Shamedown #5: The Longest Day
Time for my monthly dose of shame. If you've missed the previous Shamedown posts and want to know what it's all about, please visit Cinema Shame. Seventy-four years ago as of June sixth, the largest amphibious invasion in history took place. Officially called D-day, and codenamed Operation Overlord, it goes without saying that it was … Continue reading Shamedown #5: The Longest Day
Taking Up Room 