Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...It's really exciting to see other bloggers picking up my idea of setting a goal to watch 10 previously unseen classics this year! So far I've seen lists at Speakeasy, Now Voyaging, and Coolsville. They have many great titles on their lists. If you have a list of 10 Classics to see in 2015, please feel free to share the link in the comments, I'm happy to see this idea spread!

...This week I'm working on writing my final reviews of films seen from my 2014 list -- so many posts to write, so little time! -- and I'll also be posting my 2015 list. My goal for 2015 is to try to spread out watching and writing about the films on my list a bit more than in the past! The photo above is from STARS IN MY CROWN (1950), one of the films on my 2014 list.

...Congratulations to Terry of the blog A Shroud of Thoughts for completing a decade of blogging last year! I'll hit that milestone this summer, so it was a lovely surprise when I clicked on Terry's post "Old Blogs" and discovered that it was a tribute to a few bloggers who have been around roughly a decade, including yours truly.

...This is the time of year for lists, and one I especially enjoyed was "50s Western Discoveries of 2014" at 50 Westerns From the 50s. Toby's also got a list of the Best '50s Western DVDs of 2014.

...And here's Elisabeth's Top 10 Movies of 2014 at The Second Sentence. A great list!

..."Midnight Movies and Canonical Classics: A Guide to Los Angeles's Revival Cinemas" at Eric's Blog. (Via Ariel.)

...Greenbriar Picture Shows takes a look at CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945) and its obsession with food in the years of war rationing...John also wrote about RATON PASS (1951) -- it was fun to learn it was filmed on the sets for Gary Cooper's DALLAS (1950).

...The Blonde at the Film always has very nicely illustrated posts; here's her latest, on Esther Williams and Van Johnson in THE DUCHESS OF IDAHO (1950). I reviewed it about 18 months ago; it's one of my favorite Williams movies.

...A new novel by Anne Morse, BEDFORD FALLS, is a sequel to IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946). You can read an interview with the author at National Review Online.

...Here's Ivan's list of Favorite Discoveries of 2014 at Rupert Pupkin Speaks. I love to see more people spreading the good word on REPEAT PERFORMANCE (1947)! I saw it twice in 2013 and if I could see it on a big screen in a gorgeous print again I'd do it in a flash. The rest of Ivan's list is great too!

...Caftan Woman writes about "A Cozy for Christmas," COVER UP (1949) with Dennis O'Keefe and Barbara Britton. I've recorded this from TCM and definitely need to make time to watch it soon!

...Given my recent dabbling in viewing Japanese cinema, the new Criterion Eclipse set on Japanese movies made during WWII sounds rather interesting and different. Glenn Erickson has reviewed the set at DVD Savant.

...When I was growing up Cassell's Hamburgers was a favorite place to eat on trips to Los Angeles. It closed a while back, but it's just reopened on 6th Street. Here's the Yelp page.

...Here are photos of Jacques and Gabriella, the twins born to Prince Albert of Monaco and his wife Charlene just before Christmas. The twins were born at Princess Grace Hospital, named for Albert's mother, the former Grace Kelly.

...Please visit my new review of the WWII patriotic film MANILA CALLING (1942) at ClassicFlix. MANILA CALLING stars Lloyd Nolan, Carole Landis, and Cornel Wilde.

...I'm also happy to announce that I'm honored to have a piece in the forthcoming issue of The Dark Pages which will focus on MILDRED PIERCE (1945). I'm in fine company, including Alan K. Rode, Kristina Dijan, Jacqueline Lynch, Aurora Bugallo, and many more fine bloggers and film historians.

...Loved checking out Colin's year-end stats at Riding the High Country. Colin's recent posts include DAY OF THE OUTLAW (1959) and ONE-EYED JACKS (1961).

...The University of Oregon stunned Florida State in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, winning 59-20 and setting several Rose Bowl records in the process. The Ducks play Ohio State for the national championship a week from today, and my daughter will have a great view along with the rest of the Oregon Marching Band! If you missed it, here are photos of the band performing at Disneyland last week.

...Notable Passings: Donna Douglas of THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES has passed on at the age of 81...Director Joseph Sargent has died at 89. Sargent worked mainly in television; I have fond memories of a number of his films including a FRIENDLY PERSUASION (1975) remake with Richard Kiley and CAROLINE? (1990), a Hallmark Hall of Fame film with Stephanie Zimbalist...Actress Rosella Towne, who had over 30 credits in the late '30s and early '40s, has passed on at the age of 96. Towne, seen in this photo, mainly had small roles or bit parts, but she had larger roles in a handful of films and starred in the Warner Bros. "B" film THE ADVENTURES OF JANE ARDEN (1939) which was shown at her memorial service in Connecticut.

Have a great week, and Happy New Year!