Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...This week Turner Classic Movies announced that Leonard Maltin will be the recipient of the third annual Robert Osborne Award at this year's TCM Classic Film Festival. Maltin follows in the footsteps of prior honorees Martin Scorsese and Kevin Brownlow. The award honors "an individual who has helped keep the cultural heritage of classic film alive for future generations." TCM couldn't have chosen a more appropriate recipient than Mr. Maltin, whose books have been part of my life for decades.

...Mr. Maltin will be honored at a nitrate 35mm screening of William Wyler's COUNSELLOR AT LAW (1933) at the festival. I was very fortunate to see that nitrate print at UCLA in 2018. It's a terrific movie and I would certainly enjoy the chance to see it again.

...TCM and Fathom Events are hosting a nationwide digital screening of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951) on January 19th and 22nd. Here's a new interview with Leslie Caron, given in conjunction with the screenings. It's hard to believe it's been close to ten years since I was fortunate to meet her at a screening of the film at the Egyptian Theatre.

...Very interesting news this week: Warner Bros. and Universal announced a joint venture with the goal of keeping the DVD and Blu-ray market viable. With the sales of home discs declining, the two companies will pool resources to handle North American distribution of "new releases, library titles and television shows." Per the Los Angeles Times, "The idea is to combine resources to continue selling discs — while saving money." This is good news for those of us who believe in the importance of owning physical media we control ourselves, rather than relying on the whims of the companies and programmers who run streaming services. The big questions now: 1) Will the "library titles" include the pre-1949 Paramount titles which have been unavailable to consumers for many years, not to mention not-on-DVD Universal films? 2) What, if anything, will this mean for the Warner Archive?

...Kristina of Speakeasy and Ruth of Silver Screenings have announced the 2020 edition of their great O Canada Blogathon. It will take place from March 6th through the 8th.

...Arrow Academy is releasing a movie I really love, BLACK ANGEL (1946) on January 28th. Glenn Erickson (aka Cinesavant) has an early look posted at Trailers From Hell. The disc includes a commentary track by Alan K. Rode of the Film Noir Foundation. (Update: My screener just arrived, so look for a review here in the near future.)

...Kino Lorber also has some interesting releases coming: BLUEBEARD'S EIGHTH WIFE (1938), THE SONG OF SONGS (1933), and THE FLAME OF NEW ORLEANS are all due out on March 31st. BLUEBEARD'S EIGHTH WIFE is an Ernst Lubitsch film starring Claudette Colbert and Gary Cooper, while the latter two films star Marlene Dietrich.

...And speaking of Dietrich -- who has turned up in my viewing with increasing frequency in recent months -- the Criterion Collection will be releasing DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (1939) on Blu-ray April 14th. I don't think I've seen this film, costarring James Stewart, since I was a teenager and look forward to checking it out again.

...Here's Leonard Maltin on additional recent Blu-ray and DVD releases. I'm happy to note that I have several of the titles he recommends.

...There is currently a fundraiser to provide gravestones for the unmarked graves of eight Hollywood pioneers at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Samantha (aka Classic Film Geek) has information on the careers of those involved in this Twitter thread. My husband and I have made numerous visits to Hollywood Forever and were happy to make a contribution toward honoring these individuals and helping to preserve their -- and Hollywood's -- history. (January 23rd Update: The fundraising goal has been met!)

...I'm missing a great series of IB Tech prints at the Egyptian this weekend, but I'm hoping to see a 35mm screening of NIGHT TRAIN TO MUNICH (1940) there a week from Sunday afternoon. I've never seen that one on a big screen. The showing celebrates the film's 80th anniversary. Margaret Lockwood, Rex Harrison, and Paul Henreid star in this film directed by Carol Reed, with appearances by the Charters (Basil Radford) and Caldicott (Naunton Wayne) characters from Hithcock's THE LADY VANISHES (1938).

...Attention fans of THE MANDALORIAN: iPhone stickers are newly available. "This is the way!"

...For readers who may be interested and unaware of the book's publication last fall, check out MGM STYLE: CEDRIC GIBBONS AND THE ART OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD by Howard Gutner. I've just taken a peek inside so far, but it looks like the book is as gorgeous as one would hope. For more on the book, here's an article which ran in THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER in October.

...Here's Marc Myers on Hoagy Carmichael music at JazzWax. This made me realize I don't have any of Carmichael's recordings in my collection, which I plan to rectify very soon.

...Notable Passings: Cathy Crawford LaLonde, daughter of Joan Crawford, has passed on at the age of 72. Cathy disputed her sister Christina's negative book about their mother, saying, among other things, that Joan was "very loving."

...For additional links of interest to classic film (and TV!) fans, please check out the January 11th roundup.

Have a great week!