Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...a day later than usual due to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

...I had a wonderful experience seeing WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954) at the local Cinemark theater yesterday. Since I've read mixed things about the projection at these types of "retro" screenings in the past, I was very pleasantly surprised by how good the digital picture looked. Other than a couple of grainy minutes early in the film, the picture was sharp and the color was excellent. The movie is playing at Cinemark theaters again on December 4th, and I strongly recommend taking advantage of the opportunity to see this movie on a big screen. I'll be writing about WHITE CHRISTMAS for the Christmas Movie Blogathon at Family Friendly Reviews between December 20th and the 22nd.

...My thanks to Movies Unlimited for sharing my recent review of the Phil Carey Western WYOMING RENEGADES (1954) at their MovieFanFare site.

...Kristina has a terrific post up at Speakeasy about a show we both love, HOMEFRONT (1991-93). I've been waiting for it to come out on DVD for years. Hopefully at some point we'll see it from the Warner Archive.

...Over at ScreenSavers John DiLeo has written about a little Western I really liked, ROUGHSHOD (1949), starring Robert Sterling, Gloria Grahame, and Claude Jarman Jr., directed by Mark Robson. This RKO film has aired on TCM in the past and hopefully it will also be out one day from the Warner Archive.

...Amazon is talking up the possibility of delivery by drones and has a demonstration video up on their website. All sorts of questions about potential logistical problems come to mind -- and how would the company collect the yellow delivery boxes? -- but it's rather fascinating seeing what they're experimenting with.

...Samantha Barks of LES MISERABLES (2012) stars in THE CHRISTMAS CANDLE (2013), which received a favorable review from Martin Tsai of the Los Angeles Times.

...Jessica recently took a trip to the Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield, North Carolina, and shared her photos at Comet Over Hollywood. I'd love to visit the museum!

...At Shadows and Satin Karen writes about "Loretta Young: Pre-Code Paragon." As a big Loretta fan I really enjoyed Karen's post. My favorite Loretta pre-Code is MIDNIGHT MARY (1933) but she's great in all of them.

...Raquel of Out of the Past recently had the chance to see the silent PETER PAN (1924) with live musical accompaniment. It sounds like a great experience!

...Greenbriar Picture Shows has a short post on the "comfort Western" RED SUNDOWN (1956), a Universal film with Rory Calhoun, Martha Hyer, and James Millican. I need to put this one on my short list and see it soon. Incidentally, Greenbriar's John McElwee published a book this summer, SHOWMEN, SELL IT HOT! MOVIES AS MERCHANDISE IN GOLDEN ERA HOLLYWOOD.

...USC has hired former Pete Carroll assistant Steve Sarkisian as the new head football coach. Meh.

...Kimberly Lindbergs features "Holiday Cooking With the Stars" at the TCM Movie Morlocks site. I have to try Ben Johnson's biscuits! And Melvyn Douglas's buttermilk cornbread.

...Congratulations to Colin of Riding the High Country on his fine blog's sixth anniversary!

...At DVD Savant Glenn Erickson has reviewed the Warner Archive release LOVE IS A RACKET (1932), starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Frances Dee, Lee Tracy, and Ann Dvorak. For more on this movie, my 2008 review is here.

...Aurora is celebrating 90 years of Warner Bros. with a Forbidden Hollywood giveaway. Visit Once Upon a Screen for details.

...I'm not the only one who loves the "B" detective series of the '30s and '40s! Jeff has a great post on Tom Conway in the Falcon movies at The Stalking Moon, and Vienna writes about Walter Pidgeon's Nick Carter series at Vienna's Classic Hollywood.

...Notable Passing: British actress Jean Kent has passed on at 92. Kent was a staple in the '40s Gainsborough melodramas including MADONNA OF THE SEVEN MOONS (1945), THE WICKED LADY (1945), and CARAVAN (1946). I reviewed WATERLOO ROAD (1945), in which she costarred with Stewart Granger, in 2009.

...Fans and colleagues were shocked by the tragic death of 40-year-old actor Paul Walker in a horrific car accident this weekend. Although Walker was mainly known for action films like the FAST AND FURIOUS series, he was also in other types of movies, such as Disney's EIGHT BELOW (2006) and Clint Eastwood's FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS (2006). Here are appreciations from Betsy Sharkey at the L.A. Times, Mick La Salle at the San Francisco Chronicle, and Elizabeth Weitzman at the New York Daily News, as well as a New York Times obituary. By all accounts Mr. Walker was a very nice man. My deepest sympathy to his family and coworkers.

Have a great week!