Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...There's a very impressive 4-Disc Collector's Edition of WEST SIDE STORY (1961) coming out on Blu-ray November 15th. It will include all the extras from the marvelous 2003 Special Edition DVD set, as well as many more new extras, including cast members commenting on the dances and Stephen Sondheim offering scene-specific commentary on the songs. This set and the Blu-ray Collector's Edition of THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965) are almost enough to make one contemplate getting a Blu-ray player. I really wish these sets would be released on standard DVD.

...Fabulous movie star home photo tours: Here's Elizabeth Taylor's estate -- I want her garden! -- and here's James Cagney's farm on Martha's Vineyard. The Cagney photos are thanks to a Twitter link from Raquelle.

...I'm delighted that a review I posted a couple years ago of I'D CLIMB THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN (1951) led Audrey to locate this movie a number of years after she last saw it. I'm also glad that, like me, she found this film to be as good as she remembered it; her review is at Fedoras and High Heels.

...The New York Times recently ran an interesting article on job prospects for film school graduates in the current economy. I'm happy to say that after a year of working as a background extra and a production assistant, my oldest daughter is now employed full-time in the script development field which interests her most.

...A statue of Ronald Reagan was unveiled outside the U.S. Embassy in London on Independence Day.

...The 50 Greatest Sci-Fi Posters Countdown continues at Where Danger Lives with Numbers 31-40. Some of the movie titles are downright hilarious -- DEVIL GIRL FROM MARS?

...At Riding the High Country, Colin recently reviewed BLACK ANGEL (1946), which I thoroughly enjoyed a few weeks ago.

...At Noir and Chick Flicks Dawn has an interesting description of the Ann Todd film MADELEINE (1950), which recently aired on Turner Classic Movies.

...Susan King of the L.A. Times had a wonderful article on William Schallert, who is still acting -- and attending STAR TREK conventions! -- as he nears age 89.

...Reviews, reviews, and more reviews: Clifton Webb and Ruth Hussey in STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER (1952) at Kevin's Movie Corner...Greer Garson and Gregory Peck in VALLEY OF DECISION (1945) reviewed by Cliff at Immortal Ephemera...Kristina reviewed Joan Blondell in THREE GIRLS ABOUT TOWN (1941) at Kristina's Kinema...Ferdy on Films reviews James Mason in ODD MAN OUT (1947)...Karen wrote about THE UNSUSPECTED (1947), with Claude Rains and Audrey Totter, at Shadows and Satin...Noir of the Week features a review of BORN TO KILL (1947) by Adam Lounsbery...and Tom reviews DARLING, HOW COULD YOU! (1951), starring Joan Fontaine and John Lund, at Olivia and Joan: Sisters of the Silver Screen.

...Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, and Linda Gray in a new DALLAS TV series? I loved the original, but really, once was enough.

...I love cilantro, but apparently it tastes like soap to some people due to genetics.

...At Dear Old Hollywood Robby has a great photo post on the locations for WITNESS TO MURDER (1954) starring Barbara Stanwyck and George Sanders. Robby does an amazing job hunting down movie locations!

...Jennifer Baldwin shares her thoughts on AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951) at Libertas Film Magazine.

...I didn't know about DVD projectors before seeing Clara's post...very nice!

...There are some great recent discussions about the Westerns of Fred MacMurray and Robert Mitchum in the comments at 50 Westerns From the 50s, as well as the eternal question, as part of the Mitchum discussion, "What is film noir?"

...Notable Passing: Film historian Robert Sklar has died at the age of 74. Ironically I'm not familiar with Sklar's film-related work, but I knew his name as the brother of Disney Imagineering legend Marty Sklar and as the coauthor (with Glen Waggoner) of books on Rotisserie League Baseball. My husband and I won our Rotisserie League's championship in 1988. That was particularly memorable as we couldn't attend the party to claim our prize in person as I went into labor with our first child that day. We enjoyed participating in Rotisserie for several years until we became too busy with other things, such as four children!

...Sending best wishes to classic film reviewer Barrie Maxwell of The Digital Bits, who is recovering from brain surgery. I've been a fan of Barrie's for many years now, and I wish him the very best.

Have a great week!