Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Turner Classic Movies has announced its second movie course, "Ouch! A Salute to Slapstick," which will take place in September. Here is the course site. I'll share more info on this in my preview of TCM in September.

...Last weekend a number of my friends attended Capitolfest in Rome, New York. Capitolfest focuses on silents and early talkies; this year the festival included a number of films starring the young Gary Cooper. Next year's honoree will be Fay Wray. The festival sounds like a wonderful experience; I'd love to visit one day!

...Happy birthday to Ann Blyth (seen at right), 88 today, and Julie Newmar, who turned 83.

...Before he was an actor, Bruce Bennett was a star of the 1928 Olympics. Jessica has the story at Comet Over Hollywood.

...I found this story on DeMille's Lost City fascinating.

...Jocelyn pays tribute to the Carey family -- Harry Sr., Olive, and Harry Jr. -- at Classic Film Observations & Obsessions.

...Vienna has reviewed INTO THE DARK: THE HIDDEN WORLD OF FILM NOIR 1941-1950 at Vienna's Classic Hollywood, and there's more at the Los Angeles Times.

...Coming in October from Turner Classic Movies and Running Press: NATALIE WOOD: REFLECTIONS ON A LEGENDARY LIFE by Manoah Bowman. The book will include a foreward by Robert Wagner and an afterword by Robert Redford.

...Reviews, reviews, and more reviews: Here's R. Emmet Sweeney of Movie Morlocks on Deanna Durbin in IT'S A DATE (1940), reviewed here last month...Karen Burroughs Hannsberry writes about THE DAMNED DON'T CRY (1950), a Joan Crawford film I really enjoyed at the L.A. County Museum of Art a few summers ago...Jessica wrote about Jane Powell and Walter Pidgeon in HOLIDAY IN MEXICO (1946) at Comet Over Hollywood...John McElwee of Greenbriar Picture Shows was as impressed by the Warner Archive Blu-ray of SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (1949) as I recently was...

...I'm thrilled that my friend Toby Roan of 50 Westerns from the 50s has contributed to two upcoming DVD/Blu-ray releases! He provides a commentary track for the upcoming Olive Films release of THE NIGHT OF THE GRIZZLY (1966), starring Clint Walker, and he also contributed to a video essay for the forthcoming Criterion release of ONE-EYED JACKS (1961). A big congrats to Toby, and I hope he'll be sharing more of his knowledge on Westerns on future releases!

...Here's Cinema Cities on "Olivia de Havilland and the Decision That Reformed Hollywood."

...A history of Larry Edmunds Cinema Bookshop.

...In my last roundup I mentioned that the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood will be receiving a special projection booth allowing them to screen nitrate films. It's now been announced that even more funds are on the way for a needed makeover which includes new carpeting, recovering seats, and a brand-new concession stand.

...Coming soon from the Warner Archive, a Blu-ray of Doris Day and James Cagney in LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME (1955). Archivist Robert Harris offers a preview at Home Theater Forum.

...The Warner Archive Facebook page says that the Warner Archive Instant streaming service will be "getting a makeover." A preview site is here.

...Some lucky folks at an L.A. area Denny's were serenaded by Dick Van Dyke the other morning!

...IRON MAN's Robert Downey Jr. plans to star as Perry Mason for HBO.

...I wasn't wholly satisfied with the 1958 production of DUNKIRK, which I reviewed in 2012, and I must say this trailer for next year's film directed by Christopher Nolan got my attention:



...More interesting trailers: ALLIED (2016) starring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard as spies in WWII, and HIDDEN FIGURES (2017), about black women breaking barriers working as mathematicians at NASA. The cast includes Octavia Spencer and Kevin Costner.

...Has anyone seen ITHACA (2015)? IMDb says it came out last fall. Meg Ryan directed this remake of THE HUMAN COMEDY (1943). The trailer is here.

...I briefly mentioned the TV series THE GOOD WIFE a couple months ago. I've been gradually catching up on it via DVD and want to mention again what an excellent series it is, with an amazing cast of recurring characters including Carrie Preston, Nathan Lane, and Rita Wilson. Highly recommended viewing for anyone who's not yet seen it. In addition to DVD, it can be streamed on Amazon Watch Instantly, free for Amazon Prime members.

...Notable Passings: Character actor David Huddleston has passed away at 85. He played Sheriff Ep Bridges in THE HOMECOMING: A CHRISTMAS STORY (1971), the film which preceded THE WALTONS...Kenny Baker, who operated R2-D2 in the STAR WARS MOVIES, died at 81. Mark Hamill Tweeted "He WAS the droid I was looking for!"...Dean Martin's son Ricci has died at 62...Theatrical producer Norman Twain has died at 85. When I was young I was fortunate to see some Twain productions in Long Beach, California, which included a production of AS YOU LIKE IT directed by Tony Richardson, starring Stockard Channing and Ian McShane, and a version of OUR TOWN directed by Gower Champion...Queen Anne of Romania has died at 92...and the Duke of Westminster, one of the wealthiest men in England and a close friend of the royal family, died unexpectedly at the age of 64.

...For even more recent classic film, TV, and theater links, please visit my last link roundup.

Have a great week!