Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Glenn Erickson reviews the new 6-film Esther Williams DVD set at DVD Savant. (Click the title of this post for the link.) THRILL OF A ROMANCE (1945) has some of MGM's most spectacular color of the 1940s. And the DVD chapter selections will be very handy for skipping to the great dancing by Ricardo Montalban and Cyd Charisse in FIESTA (1947). The set is a must for fans of Williams or MGM musicals.

...The return of UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS? Be still, my heart! Jean Marsh will once again play Rose, who is now the housekeeper at 165 Eaton Place; it will be set in 1936. Two episodes will be filmed next spring, with a complete series possibly to follow.

...I'm looking forward to seeing A BLUEPRINT FOR MURDER (1953) in the near future. Jacqueline analyzes the film at Another Old Movie Blog and offers an interesting comparison of the performances of lead actors Joseph Cotten and Jean Peters with the actors who played their parts in the Lux Radio Theater version, Dan Dailey and Dorothy McGuire.

...The Classic Hollywood Nerd pays tribute to actress Rochelle Hudson, who has turned up in the credits of a couple movies I've recorded recently, including LES MISERABLES (1935) and CONVICTED WOMAN (1940).

...Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond has posted some great-looking new recipes: Pan-Fried Pork Chops and Roasted Garlic and New Potatoes. Yum! Everything you need to know about making the recipes is provided in step-by-step photos.

...Raquelle recounts a great experience at Out of the Past: last night she attended a Harvard screening of my favorite movie, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (1954) with director Stanley Donen in attendance.

...Ten amusement parks, including the Sea World and Busch Gardens parks, were just sold for a whopping $2.3 billion. The sale included Sea World here in San Diego, California.

...My oldest daughter, who spent several months in London earlier this year, called my attention to an ongoing mail strike in Britain. To date the strikes have been "rolling" in various areas, but there will soon be a vote on the timing for a national mail strike. Hopefully the set of Region 2 James Mason DVDs I ordered from Amazon.UK last week will arrive here without incident! I certainly feel for the British if this strike goes forward.

...My favorite newspaper, USA TODAY, is having difficulty: they just announced a 17 percent drop in circulation.

...I recently treated myself to this adorable Martha Stewart Pie Plate when I saw it on sale. (Now I just need to make a pie!) The plate would make a wonderful gift idea for this time of year.

...The blog The Footnotes of Mad Men, which describes itself as a "cultural catalogue," may be of interest to fans of the series.

...Some counter service restaurants at Disney World's Magic Kindom are testing a new table reservation system. The restaurants include Pecos Bill's and Columbia Harbour House. (Hat tip: The Disney Blog.)

Have a great weekend!