Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...

...I rarely patronize Starbucks, but I never miss buying their annual Christmas mix CD, which always has a nice blend of well-chosen tracks. This year's CD includes songs by Crosby, Martin, Cole, Sinatra, Fitzgerald, Lee, Day, and even Julie London. (Click the title of this post for more details.) I'll be picking it up later today.

...Mark Steyn's centennial tribute to Johnny Mercer was published this week by Maclean's.

...TV Shows on DVD reports that the new BBC version of EMMA comes to DVD in the U.S. on February 9, 2010.

...The Wall Street Journal has posted an informative article on the unelected 15-member commission which would be responsible for rationing medical care under a Senate plan.

...Here's an interview with editor Ruth Reichl about life after the shutdown of Gourmet magazine.

...California has gone ahead with its ban on the sale of big-screen TVs, which takes effect a little over a year from now, with even more stringent rules going into effect in 2013. It's estimated that 75% of big-screen TVs currently on the market will be banned from legal sale in California as of 2013. California's government seems determined to kill the economy on the one hand, while refusing to face up to the need for more energy sources on the other. The government would rather restrict its citizens' freedom that create more energy.

...Sandra Bullock's new movie THE BLIND SIDE sounds really good. It's from John Lee Hancock, the director of THE ROOKIE (2002).

...Forbes analyzes whether Fox News Channel is truly "fair and balanced" in an interesting by-the-numbers article.

...Fred Barnes has a good piece on President Obama's inability to grasp economics and his disdain for business.

...Katie is gradually posting a list of her favorite 100 films of the '30s at Obscure Classics. I particularly enjoyed her thoughts on LOVERS COURAGEOUS (1932), which I reviewed here, and HISTORY IS MADE AT NIGHT (1937), reviewed by me here.

...Wish I had time to check out this interesting 1939 Festival at UCLA...they are showing some lesser-known films from Hollywood's Golden Year, including Deanna Durbin's FIRST LOVE, Ginger Rogers' 5TH AVE GIRL, and Tyrone Power's JESSE JAMES. They're also screening John Farrow's FIVE CAME BACK, a very creepy film which made a big impression when I first saw it as a teen at the L.A. County Museum of Art. (It was later remade as BACK FROM ETERNITY with Robert Ryan.)

...REMEMBER THE NIGHT (1940) is a Christmas film which has been rediscovered by many film fans over the past couple of years, thanks to screenings on TCM. The movie, which stars Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray, is now available on DVD as part of TCM's new Universal on Demand program. The movie is remastered and has extras. I'm definitely interested in adding this to our shelf of Christmas movies.

...The Classic Maiden is reviewing some of Claudette Colbert's early films. I'd sure like to see SECRETS OF A SECRETARY (1931), costarring Herbert Marshall.

...The 8th Annual San Francisco Film Noir Festival is coming in January. Details here. The scheduled films include a restored print of Dick Powell's CRY DANGER (1951).

Have a great weekend!

Read Every Word

Todd Beamer's father, David, has written an outstanding editorial about the Obama Administration's mind-boggling decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and others in New York courts.

Todd Beamer, of course, was one of the heroes who died aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on 9/11.

Among Mr. Beamer's points: "Mr. Holder said that he and his boss had not spoken in person about this decision. This matter only involves upholding the constitutional rights of Americans, establishing a precedent with battlefield impact, and the safety and security of our citizens in a time of war. What are the criteria to make something a priority with President Barack Obama? How can it be that this matter didn't make the cut?"

Mary Katharine Ham has more reactions from 9/11 families in an article at the Weekly Standard.

TCM Festival Update

This week Turner Classic Movies announced additional information about its TCM Classic Film Festival, which will be held next April in Hollywood.

Leonard Maltin, Peter Bogdanovich, and Douglas Trumbull are the first names announced to appear at the Festival.

The first films announced to be screened at the festival include a restored copy of A STAR IS BORN (1954) and a presentation of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) with Trumbull in attendance.

Unfortunately, the cost of passes is prohibitively expensive. Four-day passes start at $500 (temporarily discounted to $400) and go up from there.

According to a FAQ on the Festival site, no one-day passes will be sold. Tickets for individual events will only be sold at the box office on the date of the film's screening, with no advance online purchase available...which means you'll have no idea until you get there if making the drive to Hollywood for an individual screening will be worth the time and expense.

It also appears from the FAQ that children under the age of 13 are not allowed to attend the Festival. So much for cultivating the classic film fans of the future...my 11-year-old could teach some adults a thing or two about classic movies (grin).

It's really too bad they're not following the lead of an event like Disney's D23 Expo, which was much more affordable and allowed visitors to "test the waters" with a one-day pass. Granted, Disney has deep corporate pockets available to support its Expo, but TCM's Festival seems calculated to price out of the market all but those with plenty of disposable income, i.e., singles. For a couple or a family, that's a lot of money, especially these days.

'Tis a disappointment, but I wish TCM well. If the Festival is a success perhaps there will be more budget-friendly options in future years.

Warner Archive Plans Improvements

Lou Lumenick of the New York Post has interviewed George Feltenstein of Warner Home Video.

Feltenstein reports that the company is going to be setting "a higher bar for quality" for Archive releases due to fan complaints.

The lovely film OUR VINES HAVE TENDER GRAPES (1945), starring Margaret O'Brien and Edward G. Robinson in one of MGM's finest pieces of mid-'40s Americana, was released to the Archive yesterday in a remastered print which Feltenstein says is "beautiful."

Curiously, the Archive listing for this film says it has not been remastered.

Which leads me to wonder A) if in the future remastered films will be labeled on the Archive website so that consumers know what's what (they need to fix that inaccurate OUR VINES listing!); and B) if they will be overhauling their dreadful website, which is hard to navigate and at times is slow as molasses.

One also wonders if the planned changes are in response to TCM's new Universal On Demand program, which promises remastered prints and extras.

I continue to believe the Archive's goal of making everything in their vault available to consumers is a good idea, but especially for the high prices they're charging, it just doesn't make sense to purchase many of their unremastered films. I have bought four Archive films this year -- three at a discounted price -- of hard-to-find movies I really wanted to see which have not aired on TCM recently. Otherwise, if I already have recorded a movie from TCM to tape, I can't see a reason to buy the DVD since it's probably going to look just like what I recorded from TV; the DVD's don't even have the convenience of chapter selections, which are a must for musicals, in particular.

Feltenstein says again that Warner has a "robust" schedule planned for regular DVD releases, but all that's mentioned in this particular article are projects which were disclosed many months ago, such as the long-awaited Film Noir Volume 5 and another set of Errol Flynn films.

I think the fact that the program for regular DVD releases has been dramatically scaled back needs to be addressed honestly. Warner's regular customers aren't blind (or "myopic," a curious comment which appeared in quotes in the article). We also know the current DVD market is undergoing changes. So why not simply address what's going on directly rather than continue to pretend things are still "robust"?

Circling back to the beginning of this post, I applaud Warner for taking steps to remaster more films. Mr. Feltenstein is a great friend to classic movies on DVD, and that fact should not be lost amidst the constructive criticism.

Tonight's Movie: Vacation From Marriage (1945)

Robert (Robert Donat), a mousy accountant, and timid, sickly Cathy (Deborah Kerr) have settled into a dull marriage in their drab London flat. Robert joins the Royal Navy in 1940, and Cathy thereafter joins the Wrens, leading to a separation of three years. During their military service, Robert and Cathy each blossom into new people thanks to this VACATION FROM MARRIAGE.

This film is a wonderful mood piece, capturing rainy wartime London as well as the interesting evolution of two staid, quiet people into bold new personalities. The film tells Robert and Cathy's parallel stories as they settle into their new jobs, uneasily at first and then with growing confidence. Each serves their country with heroism, and they also come to realize they are desirable, thanks to the interest of Richard (Roland Culver) in Cathy and Elena (Ann Todd) in Robert. As time passes, Robert and Cathy are each increasingly certain they don't want to return to their old way of life.

The movie should be seen in one sitting to fully appreciate the gradual transformation of the characters. It's almost difficult to watch them in the early scenes, between Cathy's endless sneezing and Robert's vacant stares. The characters of the movie's first scenes bear no resemblance to the dashing Robert and Cathy of the final reel.

My one quibble is that I would have liked to see a bit more of Cathy and Robert's new relationship developed when they meet on leave near the end of the film. What exists in the film is wonderful, but the ending was just a little abrupt.

The U.S. version shown on Turner Classic Movies is 93 minutes, whereas the version shown in England ran 102 minutes. I'm curious to know if the British version -- called PERFECT STRANGERS -- is available and what was left out of the U.S. print. Incidentally, according to IMDb, U.S. prints originally featured an introduction by Peter Lawford; it was not included in the print I recorded from TCM some time ago.

The movie was produced in Britain by MGM, which shortly thereafter brought Kerr to the United States to star opposite Clark Gable in THE HUCKSTERS (1947). Donat had had a big success at the same studio, winning the Best Actor Oscar for GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS (1939) -- an Oscar which, ironically, some feel should have gone to Clark Gable for GONE WITH THE WIND.

Alexander Korda directed VACATION FROM MARRIAGE. Clemence Dane won the Oscar for Best Original Story.

The supporting cast includes Glynis Johns as Cathy's friend in the Wrens and Caven Watson as Robert's friend Scotty.

This film does not appear to have had a video or DVD release in either Britain or the U.S.

TCM has the trailer available here.

FNC's Jennifer Griffin Fighting Cancer

Fox News Channel's Pentagon correspondent, Jennifer Griffin, has been off the air the last few weeks as she battles breast cancer.

Griffin, who previously reported for Fox from Israel, has three young children, including a baby born earlier this year.

I have admired Griffin's work for years and was sorry to learn this news. I'm sending prayers her way for strength and a successful outcome.

Tonight's Movie: The Jungle Princess (1936)

British explorer Christopher Powell (Ray Milland) injures his leg on a foray into the jungle. The rest of Chris's party gives him up for dead, but he's rescued by THE JUNGLE PRINCESS, Ulah (Dorothy Lamour).

When Chris is able to return to his friends' camp, lovestruck Ulah follows him, precipitating a showdown between Chris and his fiancee (Molly Lamont), as well as between the British explorers and the natives, who fear the mysterious Ulah and her pet tiger.

The film is pure escapism which requires the willing suspension of disbelief on multiple occasions, but it's fun. In essence the movie is a reverse of the TARZAN story, with the girl who has grown up alone with jungle animals rescuing the British man. The movie is marred only by an overly violent climax, although I did love the "flying monkeys."

The two leads, Lamour and Milland, throw themselves into their roles with enthusiasm; they're the reasons the movie works as well as it does. This was Lamour's first "sarong" role, and she became a star playing Ulah. Lamour is quite good, especially given that she must convey her role without the benefit of using much English. She gets to sing the haunting "Moonlight and Shadows" after Chris teaches her the words.

Milland, as always, is a charmer; I love his wry humor. It's fun to watch Chris's journey as he goes from jungle "outsider" to loving not only Ulah but her animals, who initially terrify him.

Lynne Overman, who plays Milland's friend, has some good lines as he meets Ulah. The cast also includes Akim Tamiroff and Hugh Buckler.

THE JUNGLE PRINCESS was directed by William Thiele. It was shot in black and white and runs 85 minutes.

This movie has not had a video or DVD release. A reasonably good copy of this hard-to-find film can be obtained from Free Classic Movies on DVD. The print has flaws and a couple brief blips and skips, but overall it's quite watchable. I've wanted to see this movie for years, so I was delighted to finally have the opportunity to watch it, even if it wasn't in pristine condition.

Turner Classic Movies will be showing more Paramount films next year -- Milland's THE UNINVITED and KITTY are coming to TCM in February -- so perhaps Paramount's THE JUNGLE PRINCESS will eventually make it to TCM as well.

Tonight's Movie: Sunday in New York (1963)

SUNDAY IN NEW YORK is a very funny early '60s romantic comedy somewhat in the tradition of Doris Day and Rock Hudson's films.

I liked this movie from the moment Mel Torme started singing the title song over the opening credits. The film has a good score by Peter Nero, who has a cameo late in the movie.

The film is set entirely on, you guessed it, a Sunday in New York. Eileen (Jane Fonda) arrives in the big city to visit her brother Adam (Cliff Robertson), an airline pilot. Eileen is getting over a breakup with a serious boyfriend, who dumped her because she wouldn't agree to premarital sex.

Later that day, Eileen and Mike (Rod Taylor) "meet cute" on a 5th Avenue bus when the pin on Eileen's jacket snags Mike's suit. After a bumpy start, Mike and Eileen hit it off and spend the day together, eventually getting caught in the rain.

Mike and Eileen head back to Adam's apartment to dry off, and lo and behold Eileen's ex-boyfriend Russ (Robert Culp) arrives to apologize and propose marriage; because Eileen and Mike are both in bathrobes, Russ immediately assumes Mike is Eileen's brother, as they've never met. And we're off to the races...the moment when the real brother (Robertson) shows up leads to a couple of the funniest laugh-out-loud scenes I've seen in a long time. The movie made me think of some of the funniest episodes of one of my favorite TV series, FRASIER.

There's also an amusing subplot concerning Adam's attempts to spend time with his girlfriend Mona (Jo Morrow), which builds to a nice conclusion. Jim Backus plays Adam's airline boss.

The film is well-played by the entire cast, with particular kudos to the charming Taylor, whose expressions during the film's funniest scenes are a riot. When Taylor gets wound up, he can't keep his native Aussie accent from sneaking out, which I thought inadvertently made the film even funnier. Robertson also had some excellent comedic moments.

The screenplay was by Norman Krasna, based on his own play. Given Krasna's track record, it shouldn't be a surprised this film was such fun. Krasna's credits include comedy classics such as THE RICHEST GIRL IN THE WORLD (1934), BACHELOR MOTHER (1939), MR. AND MRS. SMITH (1941), IT STARTED WITH EVE (1941), and PRINCESS O'ROURKE (1943), along with many other entertaining movies.

SUNDAY IN NEW YORK was directed by Peter Tewksbury. It runs 105 minutes.

IMDb credits Jim Hutton as being a man in a Central Park rowboat. I'll be watching for him next time.

Parental advisory: This movie was released a couple of years before the current movie rating system went into effect, and the dialogue is surprising for its era. I would consider it a PG-13 rating due to frank discussions about premarital sex, as well as a couple of references to streetwalkers. The film's ultimate message is positive: good things happen to those who wait. I found the film presented a nice starting point for discussion with one of my teens.

SUNDAY IN NEW YORK has been released on VHS. It has not had a DVD release.

It can be seen on Turner Classic Movies, which will be showing the movie on December 21, 2009, and January 11, 2010.

The trailer can be seen at the TCM website.

Tonight's Movie: The Power and the Prize (1956)

THE POWER AND THE PRIZE is a film about corporate warfare mixed with romance, in the tradition of other mid-'50s business-themed films such as EXECUTIVE SUITE (1954) and WOMAN'S WORLD (1954).

Cliff Barton (Robert Taylor) is the righthand man of George Salt (Burl Ives), chairman of Amalgamated World Metals. Cliff, as Salt's heir apparent, is also engaged to marry Salt's young niece Joanie (Nicola Michaels).

A business trip to London forces Cliff to confront his dissatisfaction with Salt's cutthroat business tactics. When Cliff meets and falls head over heels for a lovely war refugee pianist (Elisabeth Mueller), he also must face up to the fact that he is engaged to the wrong woman.

The film, which runs 98 minutes, moves a bit slowly at times, but it's nonetheless absorbing and is well worth seeing for the excellent cast. Robert Taylor fans will find it particularly enjoyable, as he appears in the vast majority of the scenes as the conflicted business executive whose core values are rock solid.

The attraction of the steady, mature Cliff to the excitable Miriam (Mueller) is somewhat perplexing at first, but it seems that the answer to their relationship must be, at least in part, that opposites attract. Maybe someone as passionate as Miriam, even though she could be a bit silly, was what Cliff needed in his life.

I found Elisabeth Mueller's character overdone, particularly in the early going, but the character improved as the film went on. I particularly liked her last few scenes. She has an interesting confrontation with Mary Astor, who plays Salt's wife. Astor makes the most of her very brief screen time.

Burl Ives plays the power-grabbing, ruthless tycoon Salt with an underlying layer of sadness which adds an interesting dimension. I particularly enjoyed Charles Coburn and Cedric Hardwicke as businessmen who see through Salt's machinations and realize which of Amalgamated's executives is made of the right stuff.

The film's supporting cast includes Cameron Prud'homme, Richard Deacon, Richard Erdman, and Ben Wright, who may be best known as Herr Zeller in THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965).

The film has a great look, thanks in large part to its cinematography and costume design. The movie was shot in black and white CinemaScope by the great George Folsey, a 13-time Oscar nominee. Folsey shot two of my favorite movies, MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944) and SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (1954). He also filmed EXECUTIVE SUITE.

Helen Rose was Oscar nominated for Best Costume Design for THE POWER AND THE PRIZE. Rose's most famous design was also created in 1956, but it wasn't for a film -- she designed Grace Kelly's wedding gown.

THE POWER AND THE PRIZE was directed by Henry Koster. If I see Koster's name on a movie, I know chances are excellent that I'm going to enjoy it. Koster directed some of Deanna Durbin's best films, including THREE SMART GIRLS (1936), FIRST LOVE (1939), and IT STARTED WITH EVE (1941); the somewhat overlooked romantic comedy THE RAGE OF PARIS (1938) starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Danielle Darrieux; the charming Irish fantasy THE LUCK OF THE IRISH (1948) starring Tyrone Power; and COME TO THE STABLE (1949), a lovely film about the power of Christian faith which deserves to find a much wider audience.

THE POWER AND THE PRIZE has not had a VHS or DVD release. It can be seen on Turner Classic Movies, which has the trailer available online.

Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...

...I love Eric Tan's new posters for Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID and SLEEPING BEAUTY. Click the title of this post for more info about Tan's work, posted at Slashfilm.

...Speaking of Disney, this MiceChat Update has info on the executive job switch at the top of Disney theme parks management, as well as photos of Christmas decorations and the new Tiana's Showboat Jubilee. Looks like Disneyland parking will be a nightmare for some time to come...someone was asleep at the switch failing to think through the ramifications of shutting down the Timon lot to make way for Cars Land.

...Here's a nice spread on The Pioneer Woman from Southern Living, with thanks to J.C. at The Shelf.

...The L.A. Times recently ran an article on THE YOUNG VICTORIA as part of the run-up to the film's long-awaited U.S. release. It was due to come out yesterday but was pushed back to December 23rd.

...Current DVD sales for early Christmas shoppers: 50% Off Criterion DVDs at Barnes and Noble (I picked up THAT HAMILTON WOMAN)... 40% off the full retail price at Deep Discount through November 29th... A fabulous $5.79 per DVD sale at Amazon, with many classic titles available. Other titles are on sale for slightly higher prices.

...And some more movie shopping news, the Turner Classic Movies website has some cool stuff if you're shopping for a fan of classic movies and TCM.

...Season 4 of ADAM-12 is coming to DVD in February. My boys can't get enough of this show or another Jack Webb series, EMERGENCY!

...Last week the L.A. Times profiled Barbara Fairchild of Bon Appetit, the biggest food magazine left in business after the sudden demise of Gourmet.

...Here's a centennial tribute to Robert Ryan, and a nice photo spread on Ryan's BERLIN EXPRESS (1948).

...Margaret O'Brien, who starred as Tootie in the classic film MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944), appears in person at the 2:00 stage performance of Musical Theatre West's production of MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS on Sunday, November 15th, in Long Beach, California. I wish I had time to attend...but fortunately I was able to meet her when I was college age, and she very kindly signed a still from THE SECRET GARDEN (1949).

...This reissue of an old Ames Brothers Christmas CD was a great find for my Christmas music collection. It has some nice tracks, which can be sampled at Amazon.

...The L.A. Times published an overview of movie Scrooges through the years. My favorite CHRISTMAS CAROL movies are a tie between the sweet 1938 MGM version and what I consider the definitive production, which first aired in 1984, starring George C. Scott. Honorable mention goes to MICKEY'S CHRISTMAS CAROL (1983). Feel free to contribute your vote for your favorite CHRISTMAS CAROL in the comments!

...Notable passing: David Lloyd, the brilliant comedy writer who wrote many episodes of THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, CHEERS, and FRASIER, has passed away at the age of 75. Lloyd's best-known script was the MTM SHOW's "Chuckles Bites the Dust," which is regularly listed among the all-time great TV episodes. As a fan of FRASIER, in particular, I feel blessed by all the laughter Mr. Lloyd brought into my life.

Have a great weekend!

What is Wrong With This President?

President Obama bizarrely bowed deeply to another foreign head of state, in this case the Japanese Emperor -- undoing decades, if not centuries, of United States protocol.

As with the Saudi King, the bow was not returned. Instead we had the spectacle of the head of the U.S. government unilaterally humbling himself before another foreign dignitary.

Obama's bow was not normal, as demonstrated by an extensive photo series of heads of state meeting the Emperor, posted today at Free Republic.

Whatever else might be said about Obama -- and there is plenty -- it seems increasingly apparent that this man simply does not think as an American, or as an American President. There is something "off" in how he sees the United States and himself.

After this many months in office, one has to think he must be deliberately disregarding protocol advice from the State Department.

Will the "mainstream" media ignore it?

Meanwhile Obama also paid tribute to himself as the "first Pacific President" -- showing once more that he's a poor student of history.

Update: Jeff Jacoby on "Obama's Swelling Ego."

Update: More from Nathaniel Givens at America's Right.

Meanwhile, John Hinderaker at Power Line addresses Obama's dogged refusal to answer whether the United States was right to drop the atomic bomb to end World War II. Hinderaker concludes: "If Barack Obama can't stick up for the country he represents when he goes overseas, he should stay home."

Sunday Update: Paul Mirengoff of Power Line, writing in today's Washington Examiner: "Why Does He Hate Us? Barack Obama's America-Effacing Presidency."