Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...New from the Warner Archive: A four-film collection of Danny Kaye's films for Samuel Goldwyn. These are wonderful films I grew up watching on KTLA Ch. 5 here in Southern California: UP IN ARMS (1944), WONDER MAN (1945), THE KID FROM BROOKLYN (1946), and A SONG IS BORN (1948). All but the first film costar Virginia Mayo, who does have a bit role in UP IN ARMS. Mayo's peaches and cream looks were made for Technicolor.

...VCI does a terrific job making British films available on DVD in the U.S. One of the latest releases in the VCI Rank Collection is BANK HOLIDAY (1938), starring Margaret Lockwood. I reviewed it in 2010.

...If you missed the news, Blockbuster Video will be closing all of its remaining stores. As was said at the /Film site, "This more or less marks the official end of the video store era."

...This weekend is the What a Character! blogathon, cohosted by Once Upon a Screen, Outspoken & Freckled, and Paula's Cinema Club. Visit these blogs for links to profiles of an amazing array of character actors. I'm going to be enjoying reading the many posts for the next week!

...There's an epic discussion of the best Western directors at Riding the High Country, running over 100 comments! Lots of great thoughts and recommendations shared, be sure to drop in and check it out.

...If it's November, that means it's time for the Hallmark Channel's "Countdown to Christmas." A list of this year's original holiday-themed TV movies is at the Hallmark site. I'm hopeful THE THANKSGIVING HOUSE (2013) will be enjoyable; the supporting cast includes Lindsay Wagner and Bruce Boxleitner.

...A biography of Maureen O'Hara was just published by the University Press of Kentucky, written by Aubrey Malone. KC has reviewed it at Classic Movies.

...Last week the Los Angeles Times published an article about the Anthony Quinn Public Library, a branch located on Cesar Chavez Avenue. There's interesting information about the need for preservation of Quinn's archives.

...Hedy Lamarr was born 99 or 100 years ago yesterday, depending on the reference source. There's what's said to be an official website, although there's not much there at present other than a handful of beautiful photos. Perhaps the site will be developed in the future.

...Deadline Hollywood has a first glimpse of the upcoming live NBC production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, starring Carrie Underwood.

...Susan King of the Los Angeles Times recently interviewed Robert Osborne, "a classic gentleman." Osborne's 85 YEARS OF THE OSCAR was just published.

...A few weeks ago Jessica of Comet Over Hollywood visited the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma; photos of the trip are posted at her site. I visited the museum as a child and would love to return. I'm all the more interested because of Will Rogers' close friendship with Joel McCrea; Rogers encouraged McCrea to buy the ranch which was his home for decades.

...I'd love to see CARAVAN (1934), which Will just saw at New York's Museum of Modern Art. It stars Loretta Young, Charles Boyer, and Jean Parker. He writes about it at Cinematically Insane. I'm hoping it will play at UCLA in the future!

...At Dear Old Hollywood, Robby looks at the Santa Rosa and Healdsburg, California locations for the 20th Century-Fox film HAPPY LAND (1943), which starred Don Ameche, Frances Dee, and Ann Rutherford.

...Here's Toby's look at Tim Holt in DYNAMITE PASS (1950) at 50 Westerns From the 50s. It's part of his new Tim Holt Tuesday series.

...Here's Glenn Erickson's review of the new Criterion release of I MARRIED A WITCH (1942).

...There's a fun series on "Breakfast in Classic Movies" at Java's Journey. Love the photo of the breakfast served in GIANT (1956) in Part 2 of the series!

...This week's YouTube find: Fred MacMurray and Madeleine Carroll in MY LOVE FOR YOURS (1939), also known as HONEYMOON IN BALI, which I reviewed in 2009.

...Dave Kehr's last DVD column for the New York Times is on the TCM Vault Collection's John Ford: The Columbia Films Collection.

Have a great week!