Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Yesterday was the birth date of the wonderful British actress Margaret Lockwood, who was born in 1916 and passed on in 1990. Lockwood films reviewed here to date include BANK HOLIDAY (1938), THE LADY VANISHES (1938), RULERS OF THE SEA (1939), SUSANNAH OF THE MOUNTIES (1939), NIGHT TRAIN TO MUNICH (1940), THE MAN IN GREY (1943), and LOVE STORY (1944). She's terrific in all of them, with LOVE STORY, costarring Stewart Granger, Patricia Roc, and the memorable melody "Cornish Rhapsody," being a personal favorite. Lockwood will be featured in two films in the upcoming Criterion set Three Wicked Melodramas From Gainsborough Pictures.

...TV's MAVERICK star Jack Kelly was born 85 years ago today. He passed away far too young, just about two decades ago. There's a terrific new interview with Kelly's biographer, Linda Alexander, which I enjoyed reading today. I reviewed her fine book A MAVERICK LIFE: THE JACK KELLY STORY earlier this year.

...I loved reading that thanks to cable TV and DVD's, Clint Walker of CHEYENNE still has lots of young fans. Next weekend Walker will be part of a "Retro Action-Adventure-Thon" at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, cosponsored by the Warner Archive. The website includes the great news that the remaining seasons of CHEYENNE should be released by the Warner Archive by the end of this year.

...Over at Greenbriar Picture Shows, John muses on a lifetime projecting film and the positive changes of the digital revolution. While you're there, stick around for his latest minireviews which include some gorgeous photos from a movie I really liked, HOLD BACK THE DAWN (1941). HOLD BACK THE DAWN stars Charles Boyer, Olivia de Havilland, and Paulette Goddard, with a lovely supporting performance by Rosemary DeCamp.

...Reviews, reviews, and more reviews: Dorian takes a look at Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck in THE MAD MISS MANTON (1938) at Tales of the Easily Distracted. A couple years later they would go on to star in the classic THE LADY EVE (1941)...Anthony Quinn and his wife Katherine DeMille starred in BLACK GOLD (1947), reviewed at Kevin's Movie Corner...Moira reviews a "bad movie" she loves, WHERE LOVE HAS GONE (1964), at The Skeins. It stars Susan Hayward and Bette Davis...At 50 Westerns From the 50s Toby has the news that there's a new DVD of FURY AT SHOWDOWN (1957), starring John Derek and Nick Adams; sounds interesting...Films on the Box reviews Randolph Scott in RIDE LONESOME (1959), which I absolutely loved...and Colin writes about THE LAST HUNT (1956), starring Robert Taylor and Stewart Granger, at Riding the High Country. Taylor and Granger had previously starred in the colorful seagoing drama ALL THE BROTHERS WERE VALIANT (1953). Don't miss the long conversation in the comments, which includes contributions by my friend Blake Lucas.

...Have you seen the trailer for Daniel Day-Lewis in LINCOLN (2012)? The film opens this November, with Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field costarring. I'm tickled that Hal Holbrook plays one of my ancestors, Frances Preston Blair; Lincoln's Postmaster General Montgomery Blair, another of my ancestors, is played by Byron Jennings. My paternal grandmother was a Blair descended from this line.

...Is it currently harder being hired by Target than getting into Harvard? The headline caught my eye since my son was fortunate to have a summer job at Target this year, stocking shelves in the early morning hours.

...Speaking of stores, I was concerned to read that one of First Lady Michelle Obama's goals for their hoped-for second term is to "impact the nature of food in grocery stores," reducing sales of items with sugar, salt, and fat. Please...just no. Educate the public, but don't remove choices. Given the bans already taking place elsewhere in the country, I suspect the day is coming when the government is going to try to take away my whole milk, or at least heavily tax it. Or maybe follow the New York City model and only sell it in containers smaller than a gallon?! And what about butter? And bacon? And... A free people should be able to make their own food purchase decisions, free of governmental interference, and this strikes me as an issue which should cross party lines.

...One of the reasons I care about "food freedom" is I love to cook! And speaking of cooking, the fifth season of the PBS series COOK'S COUNTRY begins Friday, September 21st.

...TCM sponsors THE BIRDS (1962) playing nationwide Wednesday evening, September 19th. Here's a list of participating theaters.

...E.T. (1982) will return to theaters for one night, on October 3, 2012. And it will be the original theatrical version, not the one with the guns digitally excised. This movie had a profound impact on me when I first saw it three decades ago; I wonder how it holds up?

...Here's a heartwarming story about actor Christian Bale. The photos accompanying the article were taken in Disneyland's Club 33.

...The latest edition of Leonard Maltin's indispensable film guide is now available. There's more info on the new edition at Leonard's website.

...Notable Passings: Lance LeGault, a guest star on countless Universal TV shows of my childhood, has died, according to Boot Hill and LeGault's personal website. He appeared in BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, THE BLACK SHEEP SQUADRON, THE ROCKFORD FILES, and countless other shows. He was 77...Singer Dorothy McGuire has passed on at the age of 84.

...Good news for Southern Californians: There's a series of films directed by Mitchell Leisen coming to UCLA this November! Details as they become available.

Have a great week!