Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the internet...an extra-long edition, as I didn't post last week due to being out of town at the Lone Pine Film Festival. You can find all my Lone Pine coverage linked here!

...Here's a great-looking new book coming for Christmas: CECIL B. DEMILLE: THE ART OF THE HOLLYWOOD EPIC. It's by DeMille's granddaughter Cecilia DeMille Presley, who I had the pleasure of seeing introduce a 2010 screening of CLEOPATRA (1934), and Mark Vieira, author of many excellent coffee table books including HARLOW IN HOLLYWOOD, HOLLYWOOD DREAMS MADE REAL: IRVING THALBERG AND THE RISE OF MGM, and MAJESTIC HOLLYWOOD: THE GREATEST FILMS OF HOLLYWOOD, which I reviewed earlier this year.

...Speaking of new film books, at her blog Out of the Past Raquel has put together a really fantastic long list of upcoming books on classic films. There are many titles I'm looking forward to learning more about and possibly adding to my shelves! CHARLES WALTERS: THE DIRECTOR WHO MADE HOLLYWOOD DANCE is a must, as is WILD BILL WELLMAN: HOLLYWOOD REBEL. I heard William Wellman Jr. speak about his father at last weekend's Lone Pine Film Festival; more on that soon! Many thanks to Raquel for providing so many tantalizing previews and a great resource to use in the months to come.

...My appearance yesterday on the online radio show Hollywood Time Machine can be heard at the program's archive page; scroll down and click the arrow for Show 6. It was a lot of fun, and I really appreciate Alicia Mayer and Will McKinley inviting me to be on the program.

...Attention Southern Californians: This year's centennial of the birth of Tyrone Power will be celebrated by A Century of Power on November 14th and 15th. Two Power films, ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND (1938) and CAPTAIN FROM CASTILE (1947), will be screened at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. The Friday night screening will be attended by Taryn and Tyrone Power Jr., along with Coleen Gray, Terry Moore, and Jane Withers.

...That same weekend, November 14-17, I'll be contributing a piece on Power and Moore in KING OF THE KHYBER RIFLES (1953) to the British Empire in Film Blogathon hosted at The Stalking Moon and Phantom Empires.

...So cool: A sphinx from DeMille's THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1923) has been unearthed in dunes where location filming took place near Guadalupe, California.

...A book review by Robby at Dear Old Hollywood: HOLLYWOOD FRAME BY FRAME: THE UNSEEN SILVER SCREEN IN CONTACT SHEETS, 1951-1997 by Karina Longworth. The book looks quite interesting; thanks to Robby for calling it to my attention!

...Over at Speakeasy, Kristina has a gallery of vintage advertising with movie stars. So much smoking going on! My favorite ad is Alexis Smith sitting on a diving board singing the praises of Royal Crown Cola.

...And if you missed it during the O Canada Blogathon, here's Kristina's tribute to the great Yvonne DeCarlo, born in British Columbia.

...Exciting news from Kimberly Truhler at GlamAmor: She's begun work on an authorized biography of designer Jean Louis, with the cooperation of his family, including the family of Loretta Young, who married him a few years before his passing.

...At the Classic Film and TV Cafe, Rick had a very interesting post on the Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield, North Carolina.

...Here's an interview with Paula Guthat all about @TCM_Party on Twitter, by Kimberly Lindbergs of the TCM Movie Morlocks.

...Here's a fun map showing in graphic form how the U.S. roots for college football.

...A Broadway revival of the musical ON THE TOWN has drawn positive reviews.

...Cliff has a very interesting post on MEN AGAINST THE SKY (1940) at Immortal Ephemera; I reviewed the film with Richard Dix, Wendy Barrie, and Kent Taylor in June. Cliff provides extensive background information as well as his critical perspective.

...Anyone who loves brightly colored Fiestaware, as I do, will enjoy this article. (Via a Tweet from Constance.)

...This week Raquel paid a visit to two classic film related exhibits at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. She shares photos at Out of the Past.

...Coming from the Criterion Collection in January: One of the funniest movies ever made, Preston Sturges' THE PALM BEACH STORY (1942) starring Joel McCrea, Claudette Colbert, Rudy Vallee, and Mary Astor.

...I'm sad that Joan Fontaine's family is auctioning off her 1941 Oscar, among other items. The proceeds will benefit the SPCA, an organization dear to Fontaine's heart.

...Anyone who's ever tried to work with a cat in the way will chuckle over this video.

...Reviews, reviews, and more reviews: Cameron reviews HIT THE DECK (1955) at The Blonde at the Film, a movie I enjoyed last May...Toby reviewed Randolph Scott and James Garner in SHOOT-OUT AT MEDICINE BEND (1957) at 50 Westerns From the 50s...Aurora reviewed the new Olive Films release of DRAGONFLY SQUADRON (1954) at Once Upon a Screen. It has a great cast including John Hodiak and Bruce Bennett, which John McElwee referred to as a "comfort cast" in his post on the film at Greenbriar Picture Shows...and Glenn Erickson also reviewed DRAGONFLY SQUADRON at DVD Savant.

...I love newspaper movies so I enjoyed Kendahl's post on newspaper pre-Codes for ClassicFlix!

...Have you checked out the great posts in the Jack Webb Blogathon at The Hannibal 8 yet? Click here to head on over to Dispatch for links.

...Attention Southern Californians: The Crest Theater on Westwood Boulevard will be screening Alfred Hitchcock's silent film THE LODGER (1927) with live music on October 25th at 5:00 p.m.

...Notable Passings: Sad news this week that Tim Hauser, founder of the Manhattan Transfer, has passed away at the age of 72. That group has brought me a lot of listening pleasure over the years, starting with their short-lived TV series back in my childhood. I especially like their 2005 Christmas Album...Actress Elizabeth Pena, who was in the very enjoyable TORTILLA SOUP (2001), has died at 55. She was the voice of Mirage in THE INCREDIBLES (2004).

Have a great week!