Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...This year's For the Love of Film Blogathon will raise funds to put the long-missing Alfred Hitchcock film THE WHITE SHADOW (1924) online for four months, where it will be accessible to all who wish to see it. For details visit the Self-Styled Siren. The blogathon will take place May 13th to 18th, 2012. I plan to participate! (Perhaps that will be the time I finally see THE BIRDS.) The donor page is already set up at the National Film Preservation Foundation.

...Actress Mary Carlisle, who appeared in over 60 films of the '30s and '40s, turned a century old on February 3rd. Her roles included serving as Gene Autry's leading lady in ROVIN' TUMBLEWEEDS (1939).

...Kevin wrote a neat review of John Wayne in OPERATION PACIFIC (1951) at Kevin's Movie Corner. I've got to pull my son's DVD down off the shelf and watch it.

...For those DOWNTON ABBEY fans who haven't yet heard the news, Shirley MacLaine has been cast in the upcoming third season. She'll play the American mother of Cora (Elizabeth McGovern), the Countess.

...Cliff wrote an extremely informative and interesting post on Edward G. Robinson and his art collection. Visit it at Immortal Ephemera. (Update: Cliff has posted a Part 2 about EDWARD G. ROBINSON'S WORLD OF ART. Fascinating stuff.)

...HOUSE BY THE RIVER (1950) has been sitting in my Netflix Instant queue. Here's an interesting assessment by Colin at Riding the High Country. The movie stars Louis Hayward, Jane Wyatt, Lee Bowman, and Dorothy Patrick; it was directed by Fritz Lang.

...We'll be spared Taylor Swift as Eponine in the film version of LES MISERABLES. The role went to West End musical actress Samantha Barks, who received the news during curtain calls of a Manchester performance of OLIVER! earlier this week.

...I agree with Tom of Motion Picture Gems: only two Best Song nominees, and yet no nomination for the catchy, singable "Life's a Happy Song" from THE MUPPETS (2011)? There's a link to the song at Tom's blog.

...Here's a cute video of a husband and wife learning they've been nominated for an Oscar for Best Live Action Short.

...Jacqueline reviews the very enjoyable noir TENSION (1949) at Another Old Movie Blog. I loved the drugstore, Cyd Charisse, and Audrey Totter. Definitely a good one to catch. It's on DVD.

...A new movie theater has opened at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian. It was christened with a showing of CASABLANCA (1942), with Humphrey Bogart's son Stephen in attendance.

...At Sittin' on a Backyard Fence, Jill reviewed HARLOW IN HOLLYWOOD by Mark Vieira and Darrell Rooney. I'm in complete agreement with her, this is a superb book which is a must for anyone who loves films of the '30s.

...Karen has a great post on Joan Crawford in OUR BLUSHING BRIDES (1930) at Shadows and Satin. I also recently loved her post on STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951), a film I just saw for the first time last fall.

...Thanks to Shadows and Satin I also learned about an interesting blogathon coming soon, sponsored by Jessica at Comet Over Hollywood: Gone Too Soon, focusing on actors who died before the age of 50. There are a number of bloggers signed up to participate, writing about actors including Linda Darnell, Tyrone Power, Steve Cochran, and more. It will take place March 9th and 10th.

...Notable Passings: Actor Ben Gazzara (ANATOMY OF A MURDER) has passed on at the age of 81...John D. Lowry, who has done important work restoring films for release on DVD, died at the age of 79. He is one of several people due to receive a technical Oscar on February 11th for the development of the Lowry System.

...For lots of recent Disney news, please visit last week's roundup In Disney News...

Have a great week!