Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the internet...
...I usually post a brief overview of Academy Award nominations, most recently
last year, but this year I haven't bothered. Given theater closures of the past year, many of the films, like MANK (2020), are far better known as streaming content than for originally playing in theaters. For anyone interested, the full list is at the
Academy website. The ceremony is April 25th.
...New announcements of upcoming Blu-ray releases from Kino Lorber Studio Classics:
BLUE SKIES (1946), with Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby, is "coming soon," while
SHENANDOAH (1965), starring James Stewart, will be released in July.
...
PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET (1951), previously available from the Criterion Collection on
DVD, will be released on
Blu-ray in late June. It will also be rereleased on DVD. Some extras from the original DVD will be included, along with a new interview with Imogen Sara Smith.
...CineSavant Glenn Erickson
reports that the new Warner Archive Blu-ray release on
CROSSFIRE (1947) is "a stunning remastering." I'll also be reviewing that release here at a future date.
...Earlier this month Steven Cerra posted an interesting article at Jazz Profiles on jazz interpretation albums of Broadway music from Shelly Manne and Andre Previn.
...Jacqueline Lynch looks at an episode of Beverly Garland's DECOY TV series at Another Old Movie Blog. I picked up this DVD set a while back and look forward to trying it out. Jacqueline's post is part of the 7th Annual Favorite TV Episode Blogathon at A Shroud of Thoughts.
...At
The Hannibal 8 Toby has info on an upcoming Blu-ray release of FLIGHT TO MARS (1951), starring Cameron Mitchell and Marguerite Chapman, directed by Lesley Selander. A 4K restoration will be out from the Film Detective this July.
...There's a sale on Shout Select Blu-rays at the Shout! Factory site through March 24th. It's a relatively short list but some good titles with nice extras are included.
...On Monday, March 22nd, Retroformat Films will be streaming John Ford's THE IRON HORSE (1924) at 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time. It will feature new accompaniment by Cliff Retallick; after the movie there will be an interview with Ford historian Joseph McBride.
...Streaming Sunday, March 21st, at 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time: Kimberly Truhler's latest entry in her "Style of Sin" series on Zoom will look at pre-Code fashions for Barbara Stanwyck. Sign up here. Kim also has an Oscars fashion event coming April 18th.
...
Notable Passings:
Henry Darrow, a fan favorite as Manolito Montoya on TV's
THE HIGH CHAPARRAL (1967-71), has
died at the age of 87. Actress Linda Cristal, who played Darrow's sister Victoria on the show,
died less than a year ago. A few years ago Darrow wrote a memoir (with Jan Pippins) titled
LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE...
Yaphet Kotto, memorable as the villain in the James Bond film LIVE AND LET DIE (1973), has
passed away at 81...Author-Illustrator
Joan Walsh Anglund has
died at 95. Her classic
A FRIEND IS SOMEONE WHO LIKES YOU is one of the first books I remember receiving as a gift.
...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please check out my
March 13th roundup.
7 Comments:
Thank you for the mention, Laura. I look forward to your impressions of the series when you have a chance to have a look at DECOY. I've been delighted to discover how many fans there are of both Beverly Garland and the series.
You're very welcome! I've heard good things about the show and the set was a steal pricewise. Looking forward to it!
Best wishes,
Laura
Thanks for the heads up and link to Steven Cerra's article, Laura. The Previn-Manne series of Broadway show interpretations were possibly the most-played LPs in my jazz record collection during the 1960s and I still enjoy listening to them today.
Mel, I'm so glad you enjoyed the article! My dad had those LPs, and I am planning to pick up the CDs soon.
I'm guessing that you'll enjoy hearing that when my Dad was a teenager in the 50s he persuaded my grandfather to take him to see Shelly Manne playing at a Long Beach hotel. Sitting in the audience was Andre Previn, and Shelly had him sit in for a set. My dad says it was musical heaven!
Best wishes,
Laura
Also chiming in to say thanks for the article link, and that it's nice to see a mention of those Manne/Previn albums (and of those two musicians in general). Those CDs were among my first purchases when I got into jazz almost 20 (!) years ago. They weren't the usual gateway jazz albums for a newbie, but what can I say? (haha) "My Fair Lady" was probably the first one I bought, but goofy album cover aside, "Li'l Abner" might be my favorite of their soundtrack albums.
Laura, if you're going to get the CDs in new condition and if such things matter to you, I think most CDs on the Contemporary label (and many others) are reissued as CD-Rs these days. If you want the original pressed CDs from the late 1980s/early 1990s, eBay and asking questions of their sellers is probably the way to go.
I have tons of MOD DVD-Rs from Warner Archive, etc., because we have no other choice, but I'd probably buy a used CD in good condition instead of a new CD-R. But that's just me...
DECOY is a great series. I don't understand why Beverly Garland didn't become a bigger star.
It's interesting to compare DECOY to POLICE WOMAN. I think DECOY is by far the better series. There's not as much action but it's much more emotionally involving, and much more intelligent. And much more realistic. DECOY is all about people, and the messes they get themselves into - sometimes through their own weaknesses and sometimes through bad luck.
John, I'm very glad you enjoyed the article! Thanks so much for the great feedback on the CDs. I'm looking at reissues from the Avid label from the UK, which seem to be actual CDs; I've ordered a number of other CDs from Avid which I was happy with. (One of the most recent purchases was a collection of five Dinah Shore albums.) Good to be forewarned about the CD-Rs; I don't think I've ever bought that format. I think I'd buy a used CD over a CD-R as well.
DforDoom, thanks for adding your thoughts about DECOY. I haven't seen POLICE WOMAN yet either but I enjoyed reading your comparison.
Best wishes,
Laura
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