Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...the Thanksgiving Week edition!

...I'm delighted to share the news that my recent review of the Warner Archive release SHORT GRASS (1950), starring Rod Cameron, has been cross-posted at Movies Unlimited's MovieFanFare site. It's a very well-done film, and I hope that even more film fans will become familiar with Rod Cameron's Westerns thanks to their availability from both the Warner Archive and VCI.

...I also missed mentioning that my review of the highly diverting PRINCESS OF THE NILE (1954) was posted at MovieFanFare last month. This Fox Cinema Archives release stars Debra Paget and Jeffrey Hunter. My thanks to MovieFanFare for sharing both posts with their readers! An index listing my reviews which have been posted at the MovieFanFare site can be found here.

...My latest post at the ClassicFlix site is on one of my favorite actors, Robert Taylor. There are many interesting articles and reviews by other writers up at ClassicFlix so be sure to poke around the site and check it out!

...Disney's FROZEN (2013) opened last Friday at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood; it opens at most theaters on Thanksgiving Eve. The advance buzz has been strong, such as this review from Leonard Maltin: "With its show-stopping renditions of soaring new songs, it evokes the best qualities of classic Disney musical fairy tales...Disney still reigns supreme when it comes to sweeping musical fairy tales." I hope to see FROZEN over the upcoming long holiday weekend.

...I loved Karen's article "Bad Boys: The Men of Pre-Code" at Shadows and Satin. She covers so many favorites, including Robert Montgomery, Chester Morris, Ricardo Cortez, Lyle Talbot, and Warren William.

...What better time of year to take a detailed photo tour through Kate Winslet's cottage from THE HOLIDAY (2006)? Here it is, thanks to Hooked on Houses. I'd love to explore this library! (The photo is from the linked post.) Incidentally, THE HOLIDAY will be part of this year's Christmas movie lineup on Turner Classic Movies, airing on December 17th.

...Movie lists are always fun; here's one from the Self-Styled Siren suggesting 10 films to show people who aren't classic film fans. It's a good list from a cross-section of genres. THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD and REAR WINDOW have gone over very well with my children's friends.

...I received my copy of THE PIONEER WOMAN COOKS: A YEAR OF HOLIDAYS, and it's a beauty, the biggest and heaviest of her three cookbooks to date. The first recipe I turned to was for her salsa, which I wrote about making back in 2010. Three years later my internet printout of the recipe is in tatters so I'm glad it's in the book! More on the author and the book can be found in this article from Parade.

...The new Barbara Stanwyck bio by Victoria Wilson certainly sounds as though it may be the classic film book of the year. Here's the review from the New York Times.

...The New York Times also recently published an interesting article about an upcoming Robert Mitchum documentary, NICE GIRLS DON'T STAY FOR BREAKFAST.

...The Family Friendly Reviews site will be hosting a Christmas blogathon from December 20th to December 22nd. Many wonderful bloggers have signed up to write about favorite holiday movies.

...Another interesting blogathon is coming to Backlots, where on December 22nd Lara is hosting her third annual Dueling Divas Blogathon.

...Java's Journey writes about THE RECKLESS MOMENT (1949), a really fantastic suspense film starring Joan Bennett and James Mason. Parts of it were filmed on Balboa Island, here in Orange County. As it happens, THE RECKLESS MOMENT makes great "outside the box" Christmastime viewing, as this story of murder and blackmail takes place as Bennett is preparing to celebrate the holiday with her family.

...Reviews, reviews, and more reviews: Over at 50 Westerns From the 50s, Toby writes about A DAY OF FURY (1956) with Dale Robertson, Jock Mahoney, and Mara Corday. It sounds great, I'm looking forward to catching it!...Toby's latest "Tim Holt Tuesday" entry is a post on BORDER TREASURE (1950), which I also enjoyed...At ScreenSavers, John DiLeo writes about Ray Milland, Ann Todd, and Geraldine Fitzgerald in the very creepy SO EVIL MY LOVE (1948)...Colin's most recent review at Riding the High Country is THE MAN WITH A CLOAK (1951), which I reviewed in 2010. THE MAN WITH A CLOAK stars Joseph Cotten, Barbara Stanwyck, and Leslie Caron...Glenn Erickson's latest reviews at DVD Savant include THE HITCH-HIKER (1953) and JANE EYRE (1944)...

...Charles Tranberg, the author of interesting books such as ROBERT TAYLOR: A BIOGRAPHY and FRED MACMURRAY: A BIOGRAPHY, has a new book out, FREDRIC MARCH: A CONSUMMATE ACTOR. It's from Bear Manor Media. You can read more about the book at the Silver Screen Oasis, where the author took part in a discussion over the course of this weekend.

...Speaking of film books, Jennifer Garlen has a list of "Six Books for Your Classic Movie Christmas List" at Virtual Virago, and Leonard Maltin also posted a list of "New and Notable Film Books."

...Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg have each donated $10 million to the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures coming to Wilshire Boulevard.

Have a great week, and Happy Thanksgiving!