Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Here's a wonderful find thanks to KC at Classic Movies, an interview with actress Virginia Patton, who played Ruth Dakin Bailey in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946). Her short career also included a small part in CANYON PASSAGE (1946), an excellent Dana Andrews-Susan Hayward Western, directed by Jacques Tourneur, which I hope to revisit in the near future.

...More titles have been announced for the 2013 TCM Classic Film Festival, including THE BIRDS (1963), which I reviewed in October, and THE RAZOR'S EDGE (1946), which I hope to review by the end of the year. The silent John Gilbert film THE BIG PARADE (1925) was also added to the schedule.

...I've previously looked at this list of the Top 25 film noir titles, as chosen by the Film Noir Foundation's Eddie Muller, but it was fun to revisit it, having seen six or seven of the titles for the first time in the past year or so. I hope to catch up with more of them in 2013! I recommend checking out both the list and the recommended movies. CRISS CROSS (1949) with Yvonne DeCarlo is No. 2 on the list.

...Colin reviews Robert Mitchum in BLOOD ON THE MOON (1948) at Riding the High Country. Love this movie, which I was able to revisit at UCLA in 2011. While at Colin's site, be sure to also check out his tribute to 10 favorite Western stars.

...There's lots of interesting news about upcoming DVD's in the latest DVD Extra column by Lou Lumenick, including the welcome news that Anthony Mann's early film noir STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT (1944) is coming to DVD in 2013.

...Speaking of upcoming DVD's, Toby and his commenters are compiling a DVD Wish List for 2013 at 50 Westerns From the 50s.

...Leonard Maltin's 2013 MOVIE GUIDE: THE MODERN ERA is available in a Kindle edition. I wish his CLASSIC MOVIE GUIDE were available in the same format.

...Here's a list of "New and Notable Film Books" from Mr. Maltin's site. The coffee table book on SNOW WHITE is a must for me; there's more info in my October Disney News roundup.

...This looks fun: CLASSIC DINING: DISCOVERING AMERICA'S FINEST MID-CENTURY RESTAURANTS by Peter Moruzzi. Moruzzi is also the author behind the wonderful PALM SPRINGS HOLIDAY.

...TRAILERAMA by Phil Noyes looks great too; I love his 2002 book TRAILER TRAVEL: A VISUAL HISTORY OF MOBILE AMERICA. Noyes was a producer for Huell Howser's CALIFORNIA'S GOLD on PBS.

...Raquel put together a fun video at Out of the Past highlighting some special movies, music, and books she's recently acquired. She scored some great deals, too.

...Will reviews the TCM Vault's Columbia Pictures Pre-Code Collection at Cinematically Insane.

...New from Cook's Illustrated: THE SCIENCE OF GOOD COOKING. And from the same group at Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen, there's also THE COMPLETE COOK'S COUNTRY TV SHOW COOKBOOK.

...Kim looks at Edith Head's costume designs for WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954) at GlamAmor, and Kay has more great photos of Vera-Ellen's costumes from the film at Movie Star Makeover.

...Notable Passing: Longtime soap producer Paul Rauch passed on last week at the age of 78. His shows included ANOTHER WORLD, SANTA BARBARA, THE GUIDING LIGHT, and THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.

...The new version of DALLAS airing on TNT plans to write J.R.'s funeral into the show.

Have a great week!