Monday, May 20, 2013

Tonight's Movie: Kismet (1955) at the TCM Classic Film Festival

As I mentioned in my overview of the last day of the TCM Classic Film Festival, KISMET proved to be an unexpected highlight of the weekend. Of all the wonderful movies I enjoyed at the festival, KISMET was the one that moved me to tears of joy.

Ann Blyth discussed the film with Robert Osborne prior to the screening, as seen below in these photographs courtesy of TCM.

Ann said that on the set "There was beauty everywhere," yet she was surprised to find director Vincente Minnelli curiously disengaged from the making of KISMET. She had been excited to work with Minnelli, but she believed he had not been interested in KISMET and was very much focused instead on the upcoming LUST FOR LIFE (1956).


Ann said that it had been odd to play Howard Keel's daughter, especially as they had just played opposite each other in ROSE MARIE (1954), but she felt that he pulled off making the age difference believable thanks to makeup and his performance. I concur with her opinion.


She closed by saying that she's had a blessed life, and she expressed gratitude to the audience for all of their support over the years. She is truly a lovely person, inside and out.

Below, my own photograph taken from the audience.


At the press conference prior to the start of the festival, Robert Osborne had shared that KISMET wasn't his first choice to show at the festival as part of the tribute to Ann, but it was the only one of Ann's MGM musicals which could be obtained in a nice-looking print. He added that Ann really likes KISMET so it worked out well.

As I wrote previously, I'm an MGM musicals fan but had only seen KISMET once, years ago, and not been very impressed, other than enjoying the singing. However, when I saw it at the festival, it was the right movie at the right time. All it took was for the CinemaScope print to start running, with the gorgeous music playing during the opening credits, and I was moved to tears, something I would experience again more than once during the movie.

This story of a beggar (Keel) whose lovely daughter Marsinah (Blyth) marries a prince (Vic Damone) still isn't a perfect movie...it's hard to believe that the director of visually sumptuous films such as MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944), YOLANDA AND THE THIEF (1945), and many more created a film that looks pretty bland and "brown" much of the time. Blyth's comments about Minnelli's detachment seem to provide the explanation for that aspect.

Hugh Fordin's classic book on MGM's storied Freed Unit confirms Ann's account, providing the information that not only was Minnelli focused on LUST FOR LIFE, he had protested that he hated KISMET and didn't want to make the movie.

I'm also not a fan of Jack Cole's choreography in this film; it just doesn't work for me. Part of the issue may be that none of the lead characters dance, but I just didn't go for the style here. I'm hard-pressed to think of another film where I actually dislike the dance numbers.

That said, I was completely swept away by the singing of Keel, Blyth, and Damone, and this time around I also appreciated Dolores Gray's performance as Lalume. The music was absolutely glorious, with many highlights including "Baubles, Bangles and Beads," "Night of My Nights," "Not Since Nineveh," "And This is My Beloved," and especially my favorite, "Stranger in Paradise." For a musical fan such as myself, "Stranger in Paradise" is a deeply moving scene of musical beauty.

The movie left me with the unique "high" I get from MGM musicals. I was so glad I gave it another chance on a big screen! The entire viewing experience, including the preceding interview with Osborne and Blyth, was very special for me.

The supporting cast includes Ted de Corsia, Sebastian Cabot, Jay C. Flippen, Monty Woolley, Mike Mazurki, and Jack Elam.

IMDb indicates that Stanley Donen did uncredited directing work on the film, which runs 113 minutes. It was filmed by Joseph Ruttenberg.

KISMET was released on DVD in the set Classic Musicals From the Dream Factory, Vol. 3. It can be rented from ClassicFlix.

It also had a release on VHS.

KISMET will be shown on Turner Classic Movies on August 16, 2013. I believe this will be a day celebrating Ann Blyth as part of the annual Summer Under the Stars festival. The trailer is at the TCM website.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Around the Blogosphere This Week...

...will not appear this weekend.

I spent most of Sunday walking many miles at Disneyland as our family team competed in the MouseAdventure Musical game. We had a great time and are looking forward to the results being published later this week.

If you missed last week's big link roundup, it can be found here.  The roundup will return Memorial Day weekend!

There's lots of blogging coming in the near future, including reviews of more films from the TCM Classic Film Festival, a photo post on my recent visit to Monument Valley, a review of the new book THREE BAD MEN: JOHN FORD, JOHN WAYNE, WARD BOND, and a review of a new Blu-ray set, Ultimate Gangsters Collection: Classics.

Have a great week!

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Tonight's Movie: Alias Boston Blackie (1942)

ALIAS BOSTON BLACKIE is the third film in the long-running series starring Chester Morris as a reformed safecracker. It's an enjoyable mystery set during the yuletide season.

This time around Blackie takes a group of performers to entertain at a prison on Christmas Eve. The movie's off to a fun start when it becomes apparent that the bus driver is none other than Lloyd Bridges in a nonspeaking bit part -- one of 25 films Bridges appeared in which were released in 1942!

Having seen Lloyd Bridges this year in a very memorable role in TRY AND GET ME (1950), it's fun to see him when he was just starting out. It's also fun if the viewer knows that Larry Parks, who plays a prison inmate who escapes on the bus, was Bridges' closest friend. Bridges was best man when Parks married Betty Garrett, and she later became the godmother of Beau Bridges.

But enough trivia and back to the story! Parks plays Joe, who was sent up the river for a murder he didn't commit. Joe's sister Eve (Adele Mara) is one of the chorus girls Blackie takes to entertain at the prison. Needless to say, it's up to Boston Blackie to find the real murderer and clear Joe's name.

The movie is a well-paced 67 minutes, and the Christmas touches here and there make it a bit different from the usual series mystery. This would be a fun "outside the box" title for TCM to show at Christmastime. Jacqueline looked further at the Christmas angle in a post last December at Another Old Movie Blog.

Chester Morris gives another assured performance as Boston Blackie. Morris enjoyed doing magic tricks off the screen, and his abilities in that regard surely add an extra-smooth touch to Blackie's expertise removing handcuffs and pulling other sleight-of-hand tricks.

The usual series regulars are along for the adventure, including Richard Lane as Inspector Farraday, Walter Sande as Detective Matthews, Lloyd Corrigan as Blackie's friend Arthur, and George E. Stone as Blackie's sidekick, the runt.

Adele Mara appeared as Rita Hayworth's sister in YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER (1942) the same year ALIAS BOSTON BLACKIE was released; as a matter of fact, Larry Parks had a small role in that film too.  Mara is seen here at the right in a YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER still along with Hayworth, Leslie Brooks, and Catherine Craig. Mara later married TV writer-producer Roy Huggins of MAVERICK and THE ROCKFORD FILES. Her brother, Luis Delgado, was James Garner's longtime stand-in and assistant.

This is the first of three Boston Blackie films directed by "B" movie specialist Lew Landers. I've been enjoying catching up with Landers' films in recent months; a complete list of Landers reviews can be found at the end of this post. Landers keeps the story moving along, including an entertaining chase scene with cars careening around the city streets of the Columbia backlot.

A small number of BOSTON BLACKIE films have been released on MOD DVD-Rs from Sony/Columbia, but this does not appear to be one of them.

Previous BOSTON BLACKIE reviews: MEET BOSTON BLACKIE (1941) and CONFESSIONS OF BOSTON BLACKIE (1941).

Films directed by Lew Landers which have previously been reviewed at this site: NIGHT WAITRESS (1936), WITHOUT ORDERS (1936), FLIGHT FROM GLORY (1937), THEY WANTED TO MARRY (1937), THE MAN WHO FOUND HIMSELF (1937), DANGER PATROL (1937), DOUBLE DANGER (1938), CRASHING HOLLYWOOD (1938), SKY GIANT (1938), SMASHING THE RACKETS (1938), TWELVE CROWDED HOURS (1939), CONSPIRACY (1939), STAND BY ALL NETWORKS (1942), THUNDER MOUNTAIN (1947), DAVY CROCKETT, INDIAN SCOUT (1950), and MAN IN THE DARK (1952).

Thursday, May 16, 2013

The TCM Classic Film Festival: Day Four

All too soon it was Sunday, the final day of the TCM Classic Film Festival.

For me it was another great day spent with packed audiences...


...in the Chinese Multiplex theaters.

It was a day for me to look with fresh eyes at three films I'd seen previously, and it was also a second opportunity for me to see both Norman Lloyd and Ann Blyth, who had made appearances on the previous day.

Sunday started off seeing Blyth in the MGM musical KISMET (1955).


Although I've been a huge fan of MGM musicals since childhood, I'd previously only seen KISMET once, and never on a big screen.

Prior to the movie Robert Osborne interviewed Ann Blyth, as seen in my own photo...


...and a pair of photos courtesy of TCM:



My previous viewing of KISMET, roughly 20 years ago, had not left me with very positive memories, other than the singing of Blyth, Vic Damone, and Howard Keel, but I wanted to take advantage of another opportunity to see Ann Blyth, as well as the chance to see this CinemaScope film as it was meant to be seen.

As it turned out, KISMET was an unexpected highlight of the festival for me, which left me with a real "movie musical high." I'm so glad I chose to see it!


I'll be sharing more about Ann's comments and my thoughts on the film in a full-length review of KISMET in the near future. (Update: Here it is.)

Right after KISMET I got in line for IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934). I'd seen this multi-Oscar winner many, many times over the years, including a big screen viewing at the Vagabond Theater when I was in my teens, but it had been a long time since I last saw it.


I honestly picked IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT without a great deal of enthusiasm, simply because I've seen it so many times in years past.  But there wasn't anything else in that particular time slot I wanted to see, and I could fit it in before the next movie on the schedule. It was introduced by a film historian whose remarks, in all honesty, did not impress me as particularly insightful; I felt every other introduction I saw at the festival was excellent.


As with KISMET, I ended up very happy I'd picked IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. I don't know when I've enjoyed it more! It had been long enough since I last watched it that the movie felt completely fresh to me, and I marveled at its perfect construction.  A real delight. Since I've never reviewed the film here on the blog, I plan a post about it in the near future, along with KISMET.

The last film of the day for me was DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954), which I previously reviewed here in 2009.


The pull for me at this screening was that it was being shown in a restored digital 3D print, and I was curious to see the film as it had originally been shot by Alfred Hitchcock.

As with Hitchcock's THE LADY VANISHES (1938) the day before, the movie was introduced by Leonard Maltin, who led off with background on the film's 3D history, and the very entertaining Norman Lloyd, who shared some general stories about his friend and colleague, Alfred Hitchcock.

These photos are courtesy of TCM:



The 3D effects were quite impressive; the opening credits seemed to be just a yard or so in front of me, and I was able to notice many interesting details, such as items on the tables in the apartment. It was a wonderful opportunity being able to see this film in 3D! I was delighted the screening was sold out, despite the competition of a restoration of Buster Keaton's THE GENERAL (1926), playing simultaneously with a live orchestra in the main Chinese Theatre.


All too soon it was time to head over to the closing night party at Club TCM at the Hollywood Roosevelt...


... where I had the chance to meet Robert Osborne and have him sign my pass:


I thanked Mr. Osborne for showing MARGIE (1946) on Christmas Eve a couple years ago and offered the suggestion that TCM obtain the rights to show 20th Century-Fox's CENTENNIAL SUMMER (1946). I was delighted when he said he'd love to show CENTENNIAL SUMMER if possible, and he mentioned the Jerome Kern score. CENTENNIAL SUMMER stars Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell, Cornel Wilde, and Constance Bennett, and it's long been on my viewing "wish list."

I sadly said farewell to my fellow classic film bloggers, who were all so much fun to enjoy movies with in person, with promises for us all to meet again in 2014!


My tally for the festival was 11 films plus the presentation of home movies from the Academy Archives. I saw three film noir titles, three Hitchcocks, a pre-Code, a musical, a romantic comedy, and two classic dramas (in fact, though I've put MILDRED PIERCE in this category, some might classify it as film noir).  If only I could have fit in a Western too!

The top titles I wish I'd had time to see: SUDDENLY IT'S SPRING (1947), I AM SUZANNE! (1933), THE DESERT SONG (1943), and THE TALL TARGET (1951).

As I mentioned in my introductory post, the TCM Classic Film Festival was one of the happiest movie experiences of my life. I feel very fortunate that I was able to attend the festival and share the experience with my readers in detail.

I encourage anyone who's considered attending the TCM Classic Film Festival to make 2014 the year to be there!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Tonight's Movie: They Live By Night (1948) at the TCM Classic Film Festival

On Day Three of the TCM Classic Film Festival I saw my third film noir of the weekend: THEY LIVE BY NIGHT (1948), the directorial debut of Nicholas Ray.

I wouldn't class the film as one of my favorites of the weekend -- it was too much of a heart-tugging downer for that -- yet I have found the movie has "stayed with me" and I'm really glad I saw it. It's a deeply memorable film with a number of unforgettable moments, anchored by the poignant performances of Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell as young lovers on the run.

Prior to the film, Eddie Muller of the Film Noir Foundation interviewed Susan Ray, Nicholas Ray's widow. A portion of the interview can be seen in the festival video gallery under the Saturday listings. (Photo courtesy of TCM.)


One of Susan Ray's more notable comments, simultaneously funny and poignant, was when she discussed her husband's fascination with young people, saying "He didn't like old people...he'd probably have nothing to do with me at this point." She said he "loved the juice and potential of youth."

They also discussed that Robert Mitchum wanted to play the older crook in the film, Chickamaw, but the studio decided he was too big a star for the supporting role, which went to Howard Da Silva.

Muller and Ray mentioned the film's unusual opening sequence, which can be seen on the TCM site; it moves from a gorgeous, too-brief prologue which sets up the film's love story to an exciting car chase shot from a helicopter.

Granger and O'Donnell play Bowie and Keechie, who according to the prologue "were never properly introduced to the world we live in." Bowie has escaped from a prison farm and meets Keechie, the niece of another escapee. After taking part in a robbery, Bowie goes on the run with Keechie; they marry and attempt to live a normal life, but the threat of Bowie being caught is ever-present. When Keechie announces she's having their baby, Bowie simply says "He'll have to take his chances same as us." Eventually, of course, the law catches up.

Granger and O'Donnell are achingly young and beautiful in this, particularly in their later scenes. This was one of the earliest roles for both actors; after production, the release was delayed for a couple of years. O'Donnell's best-known previous work was as Wilma, who marries disabled veteran Harold Russell in THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1945), while Granger had debuted in THE NORTH STAR (1943) and also appeared in THE PURPLE HEART (1944).

One of my favorite scenes was when Keechie wakes up and stretches, saying she feels like a kitten; it felt very "real" and was one of a number of simple yet memorable moments.

In addition to the unique opening, THEY LIVE BY NIGHT is notable as the leading man is sympathetic and sensitive, yet he's also a weak type who is far too willing to do the wrong thing. Granger's Bowie seemed to pave the way for John Dall's even more disturbed character in GUN CRAZY (1950). It's thus noteworthy that Granger and Dall costarred as a murderous team in Hitchcock's ROPE (1948).

The film is also interesting for its portrayal of a very poor, rural lifestyle; the superb black and white photography by George E. Diskant at times almost looks like a documentary of the Depression-era South. We were fortunate to see the film in a beautiful 35mm print at the festival.

The supporting cast includes Howard Da Silva (very creepy as the one-eyed Chickamaw), Jay C. Flippen, Helen Craig, Will Wright, Ian Wolfe, Byron Foulger and Teddy Infuhr.

THEY LIVE BY NIGHT was based on the book THIEVES LIKE US by Edward Anderson; the screenplay was by Charles Schnee. The film was produced by John Houseman. It runs 95 minutes.

THEY LIVE BY NIGHT is available on DVD in the 10-film Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4. It can also be purchased on a "double feature" disc with SIDE STREET (1949), which also starred Granger and O'Donnell. The THEY LIVE BY NIGHT DVD has a commentary by Eddie Muller along with Farley Granger; I just started listening to it and was interested to learn that Granger had recommended O'Donnell to Nicholas Ray.

THEY LIVE BY NIGHT has also been shown on Turner Classic Movies.

Five Underrated Comedies

I was delighted to recently be asked to contribute my list of Five Underrated Comedies to the movie blog Rupert Pupkin Speaks.

For those who may not already be familiar with Rupert Pupkin Speaks, it's "all about keeping older films in the public consciousness via lists and short reviews."

My list of comedies was posted today, and I hope you'll click over to Rupert Pupkin Speaks and check it out! I wrote about some really wonderful films I'd love for more classic film fans to discover.

More detailed reviews of each of the films mentioned in my guest post can be found by searching here at Laura's Miscellaneous Musings.

Along with many eclectic lists, some of the movies reviewed recently at Rupert Pupkin Speaks are the Warner Archive releases of "Fast and..." films and Walter Pidgeon's Nick Carter trilogy. Classic film fans should make it a point to check out this site regularly.

Thanks again to Rupert Pupkin Speaks for the opportunity to share my list of favorites!

Monday, May 13, 2013

Coming to DVD: Columbia Pictures Film Noir Classics, Vol. IV

There's fantastic news this weekend for fans of film noir: This summer the TCM Vault Collection will be releasing Columbia Pictures Film Noir Classics, Vol. IV.

I've seen all but one of the five titles, and it's a terrific set, including one of my very favorite Dick Powell movies. Mark this set down as a "must buy."

The films, with my reviews linked at each title:

*SO DARK THE NIGHT (1946) - This film was shown at the Noir City Hollywood festival this year but I was unable to see it. Steven Geray stars as a Parisian detective; the movie was actually filmed in Canoga Park.  It was directed by Joseph H. Lewis, the director of MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS (1945) and GUN CRAZY (1950).

*JOHNNY O'CLOCK (1947) - Dick Powell stars as Johnny, who runs a nightclub and is mixed up with a trio of women: hat check girl Harriet (Nina Foch); Harriet's sister Nancy (Evelyn Keyes); and the wife (Ellen Drew) of his partner (Thomas Gomez). The terrific cast also includes Lee J. Cobb and Jeff Chandler. It was written and directed by Robert Rossen and beautifully shot by Burnett Guffey.

*WALK A CROOKED MILE (1948) - This docunoir procedural stars Dennis O'Keefe as an L.A. FBI agent and Louis Hayward as a Scotland Yard agent who team up to break an international case regarding stolen top secret nuclear information. Raymond Burr costars. Directed by Gordon Douglas.

*BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND DAWN (1950) - A "docu-cop" title with Edmond O'Brien and Mark Stevens as police officer partners who are both in love with dispatcher Gale Storm. This film with procedural elements seems likely to have influenced later Jack Webb shows such as ADAM-12. Like WALK A CROOKED MILE, it was directed by Gordon Douglas.

*WALK EAST ON BEACON! (1952) - George Murphy in his last feature film, starring as an FBI man investigating a Soviet espionage ring. Finlay Currie and Virginia Gilmore costar, directed by Alfred L. Werker.

All five films have been restored and remastered. Director Martin Scorsese provides an introduction.

The set will be released August 5, 2013.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...a Mother's Day edition!

...This evening I've been rewatching Brian Aherne and Loretta Young in A NIGHT TO REMEMBER (1943), a delightful comedy. It's available with three other good comedies in a very affordable four-film DVD set. Recommended.

...At Another Old Movie Blog, Jacqueline recently revisited the very fine yet relatively little-known Christmas film I'LL BE SEEING YOU (1944), starring Ginger Rogers and Joseph Cotten. I recommend both the film and Jacqueline's essay!

...TCM has announced the third annual TCM Cruise, to take place this December. I've never wanted to cruise before, but this year TCM is sailing aboard the Disney Magic, which certainly sounds appealing!

...Speaking of TCM, Will McKinley of Cinematically Insane posted an excellent column this weekend, 10 Things I Learned at the TCM Classic Film Festival. He did a great job pulling together various bits of TCM-related information in one comprehensive post.

...Jessica shares how her mother helped turn her into a classic film fan at Comet Over Hollywood. Loved the photo of all the tapes Jessica's mom records for her off Turner Classic Movies!

...The latest Watch List at Greenbriar Picture shows includes Gable and Turner in HONKY TONK (1941) and the Mark Stevens-Richard Widmark docu-noir THE STREET WITH NO NAME (1948).

...There's a review of the new Warner Archive release of Joel and Garda Sloan mysteries at Rupert Pupkin Speaks.

...Thanks to Olivia and Joan: Sisters of the Silver Screen for linking to a recent interview with Joan from Carmel Magazine.

...The BBC apparently plans to remake POLDARK...unless the plans are to film some of Winston Graham's later POLDARK books which have never been filmed, then it's hard to see the point in this. The original series was perfect, so why not just re-air it?

...Caftan Woman's "One for May on TCM" selection is WINCHESTER '73 (1950), starring James Stewart, Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea, and a terrific cast, including Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson deep down in the credits.

...The great Ray Harryhausen passed on while I was out of town last week. The special effects genius was 92. TCM's memorial tribute to Harryhausen is currently available on YouTube.

...Notable Passings: Actress Jeanne Cooper, whose career ranged from early '50s Universal Westerns to a long-running role on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, passed away at the age of 84. One of Cooper's children was actor Corbin Bernsen of L.A. LAW and PSYCH...Adolph Herseth, who played trumpet with the Chicago Symphony, has passed on at 91...British actor-director Bryan Forbes has died at 86. Forbes was married for decades to actress-writer Nanette Newman. Last year I reviewed two films in which Forbes appeared onscreen, THE WORLD IN HIS ARMS (1952) and SEA DEVILS (1953). Of the films Forbes directed, I was fond of INTERNATIONAL VELVET (1978), which I happened across on TV during my first visit to London when I was in college. This film with Tatum O'Neal, Christopher Plummer, and Nanette Newman stuck with me, and I found I still enjoyed it when I caught it again years later.

Have a great week!

Tonight's Movie: New Morals for Old (1932)

NEW MORALS FOR OLD is an interesting family drama released in the heart of the pre-Code era.

NEW MORALS FOR OLD was based on a short-lived 1931 John Van Druten play titled AFTER ALL. It concerns siblings Ralph (Robert Young) and Phyl (Margaret Perry, who was also in the Broadway cast), who want to live their own lives and make their own mistakes, to the consternation of their loving but "old-fashioned" and controlling parents (Lewis Stone and Laura Hope Crews).

Phyl is in love with a married man, Duff (David Newell), while Ralph dreams of leaving the family wallpaper business to study art in Paris.

This being a pre-Code film, the treatment of certain issues is quite a bit more frank than would be the case in films just a couple of years later. Phyl moves into her own apartment in order to have a love affair with Duff, whose wife won't divorce him, and when Ralph studies art in Paris, he has a fling with the charming lady in the apartment next door, played by Myrna Loy in a small but noticeable role. It's a bit of a surprise, for an "old" movie, to have Ralph and the young lady meet, then appear together in pajamas in the very next scene!

The film retains a theatrical feel, with the viewer having the sense of watching a filmed stage play much of the time. Along with the theatricality, however, some of the small moments and family relationships ring true, and the movie proves to be a satisfying 75 minutes as Ralph and Phyl "live and learn." As the film drew to a close, I reflected that I was glad I had watched it.

This was one of Robert Young's earliest films, and he acquits himself well, developing from a rather immature young man given to sleeping away most of his weekend to someone who can see that while his parents may have been overly possessive and rigid, struggling with him being an autonomous adult, they loved him and provided him with a good home and a good start in life. He also finds the truth in that old cliche, "There's no place like home."

Margaret Perry was the daughter of Antoinette Perry, for whom Broadway's Tony Awards were named. NEW MORALS FOR OLD was the first of Perry's three films. She's quite effective, so it's interesting she didn't develop a longer film career. An interesting side note is that she was briefly married to actor Burgess Meredith in the late '30s. Perry passed away in 2007.

It's also interesting to note that in the original Broadway production of the play, Perry played opposite Humphrey Bogart as her love interest.

NEW MORALS FOR OLD was directed by Charles Brabin and filmed by John Mescal, also known as John Mescall. The film's supporting cast includes Elizabeth Patterson, Louise Closser Hale, Jean Hersholt, Ruth Selwyn, and Lillian Harmer.

The church seen in the opening shot is the Hollywood United Methodist Church, located on Franklin Avenue near Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. The church has been seen in other films including ONE FOOT IN HEAVEN (1941). The church website even includes a locations photo page to recruit filming.

NEW MORALS FOR OLD has been shown on Turner Classic Movies.

This movie is also available on DVD-R from the Warner Archive.

I received a complimentary copy of this film from the Warner Archive while recently attending the TCM Classic Film Festival. It was very nice to meet the Warner Archive reps in person, and I appreciated the movie!

‹Older