Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...with quite a bit of Disney news mixed in this week.

...The Self-Styled Siren recently called attention to a hard-to-find Joan Fontaine-Ray Milland-Teresa Wright film, SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (1952), currently available on YouTube. (Yes, it's another Paramount title!) It was directed by George Stevens.

...Another YouTube treasure which might be worth checking out: WHEN TOMORROW COMES (1939) starring Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer. Of course, any films on YouTube are subject to disappearing at any moment...

...And there's quite a few episodes of THE HIGH CHAPARRAL posted to YouTube. When will this show come out on DVD? The music is right up there with THE VIRGINIAN as one of my all-time favorite TV themes.

...For the second week in a row, I noticed a trailer for a new movie which looks interesting: UNSTOPPABLE, which received a good review from the L.A. Times. There's a classic film tie-in: leading man Chris Pine is the grandson of Anne Gwynne, whose films included NICE GIRL? (1941) and WASHINGTON MELODRAMA (1941).

...At TCM's Movie Morlocks blog, "davidkalat" writes about coming to an appreciation of RIO BRAVO, EL DORADO, and John Wayne relatively late in his movie-going life. After noting "I grew up with moral ambiguity and anti-heroism in my movies, and I never questioned it," he goes on to say, "What struck me most about these films was John Wayne’s confident heroism. He’s not an unambiguously perfect character in either film, as I had once assumed. He has flaws. But those flaws do not extend to his unwavering sense of right and wrong. The dramatic question isn’t whether he will do the right thing, but what doing the right thing will cost him... There’s something truly inspirational about John Wayne in these two movies — something aspirational. We’d be a better country if we still believed in this kind of heroism."

...True Classics takes a close look at Disney's SONG OF THE SOUTH (1946). I saw this film as a child; I remember going to see it and the animated sequences but otherwise don't recall it well. I have a copy released in the UK a while back in my "to watch" stack. It's beyond silly that Disney won't release the film in the United States. Whatever the issues -- I don't remember it well enough to comment -- it's a significant part of American cinema history for multiple reasons, and Disney should simply make it available and let viewers make their own judgments. (Via Classic Film Reader.)

...Sidewalk Crossings reviewed QUO VADIS (1951). I haven't seen it yet but love the lead actors so it will be interesting to compare opinions when I catch up with it.

...I enjoyed a close-up look at the set design in DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954) at Alfred Hitchcock Geek.

...There's more Hitchcock at True Classics, where there's a post about STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951).

...Last week in B&N I spotted two titles mentioned in previous roundups: NIGELLA KITCHEN from Nigella Lawson and BEAUTIFUL: THE LIFE OF HEDY LAMARR by Stephen Shearer. Both look very interesting and have gone on my Christmas wish list.

...Metroland considers Kay Francis. (And for the record, I rather liked 1935's THE GOOSE AND THE GANDER.)

...This month it's a chance to better know Monty, the host at All Good Things.

...Congress completely overhauled healthcare to insure a mere 8,000 additional people? I personally don't think the issue was ever about finding a way to provide healthcare where it was needed...it was about government control.

...The Walt Disney Family Museum remembers the late James MacArthur. (Via Leonard Maltin.)

...This week Silver Screen Oasis hosted an interesting visit from Disney historian J.B. Kaufman, author of SOUTH OF THE BORDER WITH DISNEY.

...There's a new WINNIE-THE-POOH movie on the way from Disney next year...but there's a rather noticeable absence of Sherman Brothers music from this trailer, which instead utilizes a Muzak-y, syrupy song. Let's hope the soundtrack for the actual film is better.

...A movie inspired by Disneyland's Enchanted Tiki Room?

...In more Disney news, there's a rumor Disneyland is considering charging extra for the Christmas parade and fireworks next year, as they did this year for Halloween Time fireworks. I do not think that would go over well with Southern Californians...

...Classic Movies Digest reviews THE SILVER CORD (1933), which I enjoyed seeing earlier this year.

...Notable Passing: Michelle Nicastro, who played Eponine in the original Los Angeles cast of LES MISERABLES at the Shubert Theatre in the late '80s, has passed away due to cancer, age 50. She was a fine singer in a brilliant production.

Have a good week!