A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery (2022), Part 2
It's time for Part 2 of my recent visit to Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.
It's time for Part 2 of my recent visit to Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.
If the movie has a weak link, it's Peter Coe as Carla's jealous childhood love. I read that the role was originally slated for Turhan Bey, who would have been excellent.
Montez's colorful, eye-catching costumes by Vera West are also worth mentioning. Most of the wardrobe is designed in bright colors, but late in the movie she wears a black negligee with a design which is absolutely eye-popping. To some extent this is a movie which could even be enjoyed with the sound off, as Montez looks so amazing. Little surprise that her biographer chose the title THE QUEEN OF TECHNICOLOR.
GYPSY WILDCAT is a gorgeous Blu-ray print with excellent sound. The extras for this title are the trailer and a commentary track by David Del Valle.I'm so appreciative that Kino Lorber has made all of Montez and Hall's films available on Blu-ray! This set ranks as one of my favorite releases of the year.
Look for a review of SUDAN, the final film in this set, coming soon. I also plan to review the sixth Montez and Hall film, COBRA WOMAN (1944), which was released a couple of years ago.
Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray collection.
TweetActress Marjorie Reynolds, a bright presence in films and TV of the '30s through '50s, was born in Idaho on August 12, 1917.
Marjorie was raised in Los Angeles and appeared in a handful of silent films as a child, then returned to movies in bit parts as a teenager.
Marjorie's first roles as a leading lady were in "B" Westerns opposite stars such as Buck Jones, Tex Ritter, and George O'Brien; she also appeared opposite Ken Maynard, Roy Rogers, Tim Holt, and Bob Baker.
Here she is with O'Brien in RACKETEERS OF THE RANGE (1939):
Marjorie is always a fun, spunky presence in "B" Westerns and is someone I'm happy to see listed in the opening credits. Here she is with Holt in CYCLONE ON HORSEBACK (1941).
Today Marjorie is especially remembered for her role as Linda opposite Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire in the classic HOLIDAY INN (1942).
Marjorie, dubbed by Martha Mears, introduced the song "White Christmas" to the world alongside Bing.
Another of her most notable films was Fritz Lang's MINISTRY OF FEAR (1944) opposite Ray Milland.
I also particularly enjoyed Marjorie opposite Barry Sullivan in BAD MEN OF TOMBSTONE (1949).
Marjorie starred with William Bendix on TV's LIFE OF RILEY from 1953 to 1958.
Save for a couple brief TV appearances, she was retired from the screen after 1963.
Marjorie was married twice. She had one child from her first marriage to Jack Reynolds; her second husband, whom she survived, was actor-turned-editor John Whitney (THE BACHELOR'S DAUGHTERS).
Marjorie died in Manhattan Beach, California, on February 1, 1997.
Happily I still have many Marjorie Reynolds films ahead of me to see for the first time!
Links for Marjorie Reynolds films previously reviewed at Laura's Miscellaneous Musings: TIMBER STAMPEDE (1939) (also here), RACKETEERS OF THE RANGE (1939), CYCLONE ON HORSEBACK (1941), DUDE COWBOY (1941), MINISTRY OF FEAR (1944), MONSIEUR BEAUCAIRE (1946), BAD MEN OF TOMBSTONE (1949), HIS KIND OF WOMAN (1951).
Reviewed in my Western RoundUp column for Classic Movie Hub: OVERLAND EXPRESS (1938).
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Jake is very unhappy to have what he terms a "greeny" wife who doesn't understand the ways of her new country. Jakes wants Gitl to stop practicing Jewish orthodox traditions, such as covering her real hair with a wig or kerchief, but he's equally unhappy when Gitl makes changes to please him, because he really wants to be with Mamie.
In short, Jake is a jerk whose mind and heart are elsewhere, but Gitl is made of strong stuff -- and as she experiences the gradual disintegration of her marriage she also recognizes a quality man in their boarder, the scholar Mr. Bernstein (Mel Howard).
HESTER STREET is an interesting 89 minutes thanks chiefly to the wide-eyed, thoughtful performance of Carol Kane as Gitl. Kane is better known as a zany comedienne, but she's excellent here in an Academy Award nominated performance as a woman struggling to adapt to a new country without the support of her husband.Gitl may not say a great deal, but Kane conveys a world of emotion in her eyes as she's repeatedly rejected by the man who once loved her. Gitl is an observant and tenacious woman who almost instantly draws audience sympathy. When it becomes clear Gitl has no future with Jake, she quickly organizes a much happier future for herself and her little boy, and it's a wonderful thing to watch.
Alas, Keats as Jake is so annoying that I ended up fast-forwarding through a couple of his later scenes just to get back to Gitl. I don't think I felt an ounce of sympathy for Jake; his self-interest and lack of regard for his wife was just pathetic. Even if he no longer loved her after so many years apart, his inability to empathize with what she was experiencing in her new country was hard to watch. Jake was all about Jake.Howard is spot-on as the quiet, more traditional man who falls for Gitl and her little boy; there's a lovely scene where Gitl observes him teaching her son.
Also excellent is Doris Roberts (REMINGTON STEELE) as a helpful neighbor. The scene where she tells off Jake made me want to cheer.
The Blu-ray is an excellent 4K restoration. There are a number of extras including archival interviews with the late director; additional archival interviews with filmmakers; an archival commentary track with Silver and her husband, producer Raphael Silver; the trailer; and outtakes and an alternate opening title sequence with commentary by Silver biographer Daniel Kremer.As with another recent Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber and Cohen, LAST PASSENGER (2013), the main disc menu can only be reached after fast-forwarding through trailers. I love trailers, but I prefer mine under their own menu, not as a "must watch" feature which prevents immediate access to the movie's "play" button. That small issue is my only complaint regarding an excellent presentation.
Other than too many scenes with the annoying husband, I quite enjoyed HESTER STREET which was an enriching viewing experience. It would make a very interesting double bill with Silver's CROSSING DELANCEY, providing two portraits of Jewish life in New York just about a century apart.
Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.
The great Errol Flynn stars in ADVENTURES OF DON JUAN (1948), just released on a beautiful Blu-ray by the Warner Archive.
A few days ago we spent an afternoon in the Greater Los Angeles area, including a few hours visiting Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City.