The 1948 film, Enchantment has been on my Amazon watchlist so long that I kind of block it out, but this year I decided to take a chance on it. Put it this way: What seems familiar can still surprise us. Enchantment opens in London during the Second World War, with a towncar pulling up to a … Continue reading No Room Is Truly Empty
During World War Two: On the Air
The Second World War has been referred to as "a radio war," simply because radio was such an integral part of relaying information to the public about bond drives, rationing, the latest news, and other aspects of living on the home front, but radio was probably the most special for Americans on the frontlines. Imagine … Continue reading During World War Two: On the Air
Sergeant Dodo Goes To Camp
Nowadays, of course, B-pictures are not a thing, but at one time in Hollywood they were a staple. Also at one time in Hollywood, Hal Roach worked with the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, and Harold Lloyd. In the nineteen-thirties he was especially known for his Little Rascals series, also known as Our Gang, but … Continue reading Sergeant Dodo Goes To Camp
During World War Two: Women, Children And Animals First
We all know that the home front during the war was by no means idle and everything changed almost overnight. Women did the jobs that men left behind, often in addition to maintaining a household. Children sold war stamps and organized scrap drives. No one was ever supposed to quite forget the war, not that … Continue reading During World War Two: Women, Children And Animals First
During World War Two: Remember the Last War?
Believe it or not, World War One nostalgia was big during World War Two, or at least Hollywood tried to make it that way. Shocking, right? My parents were both little kids during the war and even they were shocked when I told them, but it was a legit thing, although it's not often talked … Continue reading During World War Two: Remember the Last War?
During World War Two: That’s Entertainment
As we all know, it's a tradition to send celebrities to entertain our troops. I can't speak to how it would feel to be deployed and suddenly see, say, Robin Williams or Gary Sinise, but I have a slight idea of how it feels to get an unexpected lift when one is exhausted, far from … Continue reading During World War Two: That’s Entertainment
Over the Target
Time travel, anyone? Happy New Year! Pat O'Brien, who was born on November 11, 1899 could always be counted on to play steady, reliable types with no shortage of toughness and bravery, and between 1930 and 1940 he made a staggering sixty-three movies. After Knute Rockne, All American, O'Brien was at loose ends, having left Warner … Continue reading Over the Target
During World War Two: Christmas Anytime
Due to wartime shortages, Christmas was leaner than it otherwise might have been. Kids were given toys made out of paper and wood instead of metal, and the public was encouraged to give war bonds as Christmas presents. Christmas movies, however, were not in short supply, only they could come out at any old time … Continue reading During World War Two: Christmas Anytime
During World War Two: All the Folks At Home
Those who were on American soil, and for that matter, Canadian soil during the war had a different kind of battle to face, as well as an odd kind of limbo. At first there were practice blackouts in major cities and fear that Japanese and German ships would make their way to our shores, but … Continue reading During World War Two: All the Folks At Home
During World War Two: Thirteen Wartime Shorts
Hollywood's involvement in the war effort went beyond movies, canteens, and bond tours. There were also quite a few shorts produced by Hollywood stars and studios because, to paraphrase something Frank Capra once said, films are excellent teaching tools. Americans were told all the time to buy war bonds, to be careful of what they … Continue reading During World War Two: Thirteen Wartime Shorts
During World War Two: The Good Neighbor Policy
One major aspect of the Second World War is the concept of the Good Neighbor, as Europe and Asia were closed off in more ways than one. Hollywood took advantage of this dynamic, of course, since all things south-of-the-border and tropical were huge trends with audiences, which brought on a shift in how Latin America … Continue reading During World War Two: The Good Neighbor Policy
During World War Two: My Little Pin-Up Girl
Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth weren't the only stars who sat for pin-ups during the war; their photos were simply the most popular. The idea of pin-ups (technically, they were just photos of women) were nothing new by the Second World War. Victorians and Edwardians, of course, had French postcards, which ranged from fully-clothed women … Continue reading During World War Two: My Little Pin-Up Girl
Noir By Numbers
Not everyone who came back from the Second World War was an angel, of course, and the 1946 film, Nobody Lives Forever is about a fictional less-than-squeaky-clean type. While the movie is supposed to be noir, it's more noir-ish than anything. It may also feel a wee bit familiar. It's the tail end of the Second … Continue reading Noir By Numbers
How To Make A Movie Out of A Pin Up (Or Not)
Here's Miss Betty... We all know Betty Grable's swimsuit pin-up got ginormously popular. It was a remarkably simple idea that took off because of its fun, playful mystery. Betty wanted all who saw her to follow her and see what she had in store. Even then, retouches were made; namely, the seaming on the back … Continue reading How To Make A Movie Out of A Pin Up (Or Not)
We’ve Just Begun To Fight
I don't know about anyone else, but discovering old-time radio was a real ear-opening experience. OK, yes, that's a lame pun, but I couldn't resist. Anyway, when I found the now sadly out-of-print Radio Spirits collection, America At War, I encountered a whole raft of Lux Radio Theatre versions of movies I had never heard … Continue reading We’ve Just Begun To Fight
During World War Two: Frank Capra
Frank Capra often stood alone. He was an underdog. He had no choice. He was, however, also a teacher of high ideals and human worth, and connected with his audience in ways the more cynical were always surprised at and maybe a little jealous. Born in 1897 in the Sicilian town of Palermo, Italy, Capra … Continue reading During World War Two: Frank Capra
During World War Two: William Wyler
William Wyler was born Willi Wyler on July 1, 1902 in Mülhausen in the Alsace-Lorraine region of what used to be Germany and is now France. He was initially not supposed to work in movies, as his apparent destiny was to inherit his father's haberdashery business. His training included college in Paris and a job … Continue reading During World War Two: William Wyler
Taking Up Room 