Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...a slightly delayed edition, due to a great weekend of movie-going in Los Angeles!

...New on DVD from TCM: Conversations With Robert Osborne, which consists of his interviews with Eva Marie Saint, Kim Novak, and Luise Rainer at the TCM Classic Film Festival, a PRIVATE SCREENINGS interview with Liza Minnelli, and the interview of Osborne himself -- conducted by Alec Baldwin -- which aired earlier this year.

...Last week Kristina shared some lovely photos of Kathryn Grayson at Speakeasy...she found several I'd never before seen.

...This new Warner Archive release of THE BIG HOUSE (1930) looks really interesting. Along with the U.S. version starring Chester Morris and Robert Montgomery, it includes simultaneously filmed French and Spanish versions. The French version stars Charles Boyer!

...A "live read" of GROUNDHOG DAY (1993) was performed at the L.A. County Museum of Art last week, with Jason Bateman as Phil and Stephen Tobolowsky repeating his film role as Ned.

...I enjoyed Cliff's detailed look at WINNER TAKE ALL (1932), starring James Cagney, Marian Nixon, and Virginia Bruce, at Immortal Ephemera.

...Congratulations to Lara on the third anniversary of her fine blog Backlots.

...Thanks to Raquel for sharing this interesting story about the new Vintage Movie Classics line from Random House. The plan is to republish books which inspired classic movies, with the initial titles including Edna Ferber's SHOW BOAT and CIMARRON and Booth Tarkington's ALICE ADAMS. I think this is a wonderful idea, as I often seek out these kinds of books for myself or my kids; I've read and enjoyed both the aforementioned Ferber books. Just the other night Marya recommended NOW, VOYAGER by Olive Higgins Prouty.

...Everyone's talking about Sunday night's shocking plot twist on THE GOOD WIFE. One of these days I need to resume watching my DVDs and catch up!

...Speaking of TV, here's a collection of commercials for the final season of MAD MEN, which begins on April 13th.

...Coming to the Hollywood Bowl on August 31st: THE BIG PICTURE: HITCHCOCK! with David Newman conducting Hitchcock film scores and Eva Marie hosting. I need to look into possibly attending that!

...Jeff did a nice write up on MGM's Sloane Mystery series at The Stalking Moon. I really enjoyed these movies as well, and I look forward to revisiting them via the Warner Archive's triple feature DVD set.

...This is fun: "Playing the President," a visual look back at the actors who have played various Presidents.

...Java's Journey provides an overview of the various film versions of THE SECRET GARDEN, which was one of my favorite childhood novels. I'm very fond of the 1949 Margaret O'Brien version, and in fact I own an original still of the photo shown on Java's site, also seen here. That said, I also really liked the 1975 BBC version which I watched as a child on the PBS show ONCE UPON A CLASSIC. ONCE UPON A CLASSIC is also where I first met the story of LORNA DOONE and then fell in love with the Blackmore book.

...Glenn Erickson reviews one of my very favorite film noir titles, CRY DANGER (1951). CRY DANGER stars Dick Powell and was filmed in great L.A. locations including Union Station and Bunker Hill; a couple of the locations are featured in the new TCM Los Angeles Movie Locations Bus Tour.

...Toby has profiled Guy Madison as part of his "The Old Corral" series at ClassicFlix.

...Ryan Gosling may be making a biopic on Busby Berkeley. Seriously?!

...Scott Eyman's new book on JOHN WAYNE will be out in a few days, and the New York Times has given it an excellent review. I expect to be reviewing it here at some point in the future.

...Notable Passings: Actress Patrice Wymore has passed on at the age of 87. She was the widow of Errol Flynn, with whom she starred in ROCKY MOUNTAIN (1950) and KING'S RHAPSODY (1955). She was the saloon girl Kirk Douglas strings along in THE BIG TREES (1952), and she also costarred in several Warner Bros. musicals, including I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS (1951), SHE'S WORKING HER WAY THROUGH COLLEGE (1952), and SHE'S BACK ON BROADWAY (1953)...James Rebhorn, who worked steadily in episodic television for decades, has died at the age of 65. He wrote his own obituary, which is quite lovely...Cinematographer Oswald Morris has died at 98. He won the Academy Award for FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (1971). One of his earliest films was CIRCLE OF DANGER (1951), a Ray Milland film made in the UK which I liked very much. Other work included THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS (1956), HEAVEN KNOWS, MR. ALLISON (1957), COME FLY WITH ME (1963), THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD (1965), and OLIVER! (1968).

Have a great week!