Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...McFarland Books is having a pop culture sale at the McFarland website through May 17th (code: POP40). Sale titles I have heading my way are WILD BILL ELLIOTT: A COMPLETE FILMOGRAPHY by Gene Blottner, RADIO RIDES THE RANGE edited by Jack French and David S. Siegel, and CLARK GABLE by Chrystopher J. Spicer.

...I continue to regularly revisit favorite movie titles; last week's rewatch, for the first time in a decade, was THE MYSTERY OF MR. X (1934) starring Robert Montgomery, Elizabeth Allan, and Lewis Stone. It's a very entertaining film which unlike numerous other Montgomery titles has never come out on DVD; the print shown on TCM has some significant flaws though it's entirely watchable, so I wonder if print condition may be the reason it's not been released for home viewing.

...Coming to Blu-ray this month via the Warner Archive: SUNDAY IN NEW YORK (1963), a delightful film I first reviewed in 2009, and THE RELUCTANT DEBUTANTE (1958), also originally reviewed in 2009.

...Next week the Warner Archive also has a Blu-ray release of THE MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM (1933). This UCLA restoration is unusual for the Warner Archive in that they are releasing it with impressive extras including two separate commentary tracks, by Alan K. Rode and UCLA's Scott MacQueen, and two featurettes. A review is now up at Blu-ray.com.

...A pair of good articles read in the past week: "Jean Arthur: The Nonconformist" by Kim Morgan for the Criterion website, and "The Anguish of Zachary Scott" by Marya Gates. The latter article, which is richly illustrated, details Scott's experience when his wife left him for John Steinbeck.

...Disney is remaking THE RIGHT STUFF (1983) as a drama series for its Disney+ streaming service. It's hard for me to see the point in remaking something which was done perfectly...

...The Television Academy has some great new pics of the Turner Classic Movies hosts, shot at the American Legion Hollywood Post 43. The photos are accompanied by interviews.

...I'm looking forward to checking out an April NitrateVille podcast interview with film historian Jeanine Basinger.

...A brand-new book: MORE THAN LOVE: AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT OF MY MOTHER, NATALIE WOOD by Natasha Gregson Wagner. Wagner also produced the new documentary NATALIE WOOD: WHAT REMAINS BEHIND (2020), which began running on cable's HBO last week.

...Notable Passing: Actor John Ericson has passed on at the age of 93. Ericson, reviewed here in TERESA (1951), BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK (1955), and OREGON PASSAGE (1957), also appeared in MGM's RHAPSODY (1954), THE STUDENT PRINCE (1954), and GREEN FIRE (1954). He was also in FORTY GUNS (1957) and TV's HONEY WEST (1965-66), along with his BLACK ROCK costar Anne Francis.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please check out my May 2nd roundup.

Have a great week!