Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...I was delighted to be able to share my recent post on IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA (1955) at MovieFanFare earlier this week. I enjoyed the recommendations of other sci-fi films which follow in the comments. Be sure to check out posts by other classic film fans at MovieFanFare! For links to my other posts which have appeared at that site, please visit this post on THE STALKING MOON (1969).

...Found on YouTube: a few minutes of Dick Powell, Yvonne DeCarlo, Dale Evans, and Danny Kaye entertaining the troops during WWII. What a bunch of talent in one place! Loved having the chance to see Yvonne perform "Babalu."

...I mentioned it in a roundup last month, but this fun news bears repeating: there's going to be a terrific Val Lewton Blogathon on Halloween this Wednesday! It's jointly sponsored by Speakeasy and Classic Movie Man. Over two dozen bloggers have signed up to contribute posts on a wide variety of Lewton films. It should be a very informative and interesting blog event.

...Over at Cinematically Insane, Will McKinley has posted about two very different screening experiences this week. He unfortunately saw a sub-par presentation of FRANKENSTEIN (1931) and BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935) at a recent TCM/Fathom Events screening in New York; until TCM and Fathom can overcome the issues with satellite transmission of the films, let the buyer beware. (And how cool is it that Roger Ebert Re-Tweeted Will's review of the experience?!) On the other hand, Will had a great time seeing a beautiful print of William Castle's HOMICIDAL (1961) in Jersey City. I enjoyed reading his account!

...Today's Long Beach Press-Telegram ran an interesting article about a teenage whiz who writes crossword puzzles for the New York Times.

...Last weekend I posted information on several films which have been reviewed here in years past which are now out on DVD in the Fox Cinema Archives line. A title I missed which just came out this month: MOTHER IS A FRESHMAN (1951) with Loretta Young and Van Johnson. My January 2011 review is here.

...This week Glenn Erickson reviewed the pre-Code BLESSED EVENT (1932) at DVD Savant. I really enjoyed that one; it has a great cast including Lee Tracy, Dick Powell, Ruth Donnelly, Allen Jenkins, and Ned Sparks.

...REAR WINDOW (1954) headed for Broadway?

...Found via Twitter: a detailed interview with actor Bruce Boxleitner. When I think of Boxleitner, I recall shows I enjoyed from very early in his career, the '70s TV version of HOW THE WEST WAS WON and the superb 1981 production of EAST OF EDEN which starred Jane Seymour.

...The latest "Watch List" at Greenbriar Picture Shows includes an interesting-sounding Frank Borzage film, CHINA DOLL (1958), starring Victor Mature.

...Last weekend I shared links for reviews of the new Criterion Eclipse set, Three Wicked Melodramas From Gainsborough Pictures. Here are two more reviews, by Matt Hough at Home Theater Forum and Sean Axmaker at Videodrone. I'm anxious for the next Criterion sale...rumor has it it might be this week. If that's the case I'll be sure to share the news.

...Since I recently saw THE BIRDS (1963) for the first time, I particularly enjoyed Brandie's piece on the meaning behind the movie at True Classics.

...Thanks to Raquelle of Out of the Past for pointing me in the direction of a very interesting book due out next month, THE ENTERTAINER: MOVIES, MAGIC, AND MY FATHER'S TWENTIETH CENTURY. It's by Margaret Talbot, the daughter of actor Lyle Talbot. Lyle Talbot's screen career ran for over 55 years, from 1931 to 1987. (My father recently told me that, as a child, he saw Talbot in a stage production in Long Beach, California.) Margaret has written for The New Yorker; one of her brothers, David, founded Salon.com and another brother, Stephen, is a documentary filmmaker. A fourth Talbot child, Cynthia, became a physician.

...Warner Bros. is dropping its four-week rental embargo for "bricks and mortar" video rental stores.

...Kristen shares her love for I MARRIED A WITCH (1942) at Journeys in Classic Film.

...New cookbook: SIMPLY SENSATIONAL COOKIES by Nancy Baggett. We like Baggett's ALL-AMERICAN COOKIE BOOK, which came out over a decade ago, so I suspect this book is worth checking out.

...Slate ran an article last week on Lillian Moller Gilbreth and how she helped design the "modern" kitchen. Gilbreth is better known to some as the mother in the books CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN and BELLES ON THEIR TOES; when the books were filmed, Myrna Loy played Gilbreth.

...Notable Passing: Actor-activist Russell Means passed away earlier this week at the age of 72. Means had a memorable film debut, playing Chingachgook, THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS, two decades ago. That modern-day classic is one of my favorite films, which I wrote about briefly in a roundup back in '09.

Have a great week!