Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Coming to Blu-ray next month from the Warner Archive Collection: SANTA FE TRAIL (1940) starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. Looking forward to seeing it in a nice print!

...Coming to Blu-ray from ClassicFlix this October: BLACK MAGIC (1949), starring Orson Welles and Nancy Guild (SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT).(Update: BLACK MAGIC will be released January 25, 2022.)

...Nora Fiore, the Nitrate Diva, recently discussed favorite "B" noirs with Eddie Muller. And speaking of Nora, she'll have a commentary track on 13 WASHINGTON SQUARE (1928), coming out on Blu-ray next month from Kino Lorber. I'm looking forward to reviewing that disc.

...At Riding the High Country, Colin has reviewed a John Hodiak Western I haven't seen yet, AMBUSH AT TOMAHAWK GAP (1953).

...I'm halfway through reviewing a big handful of this summer's Mae West Blu-ray releases from Kino Lorber. Last week the UK label Powerhouse Indicator announced a boxed set of West Blu-rays, containing the eight films I'm reviewing plus two additional West titles. Just an FYI on an additional source for West Blu-rays which might be of particular interest for my UK readers.

...When I was young my dad and I enjoyed driving down Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills, which was then home to Jimmy Stewart, Lucille Ball, Rosemary Clooney, and other big names. Here's a story on the street's history by Benjamin McVay from Cinema Scholars, "The Hollywood Ghosts of Roxbury Drive."

...Emily Blunt will be reteaming with her JUNGLE CRUISE (2021) costar Dwayne Johnson on an Amazon film about the first female Pinkerton agent. The movie will be produced by Johnson and star Blunt in a role based on a real person.

...Arlene Dahl turned 96 on August 11th. Vienna's Classic Hollywood put together a lovely photo tribute in Dahl's honor.

...Kino Lorber has announced November 2nd release dates and released the cover art for THE SECRET OF THE BLUE ROOM (1933) and THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD (1935). Both Blu-rays will be released with commentary tracks. Kino Lorber also has announced DOUBLE DOOR (1934) as "coming soon."

...Next week a podcast will debut about the infamous incident in which producer Walter Wanger shot his wife Joan Bennett's lover, agent Jennings Lang. Vanessa Hope, Bennett and Wanger's granddaughter, collaborated with Karina Longworth and Vanity Fair on the project. Jon Hamm and Zooey Deschanel will voice Wanger and Bennett, with Griffin Dunne as Lang.

...Leonard Maltin gives a rave review to the extras on the new Criterion Collection release of BRINGING UP BABY (1938).

...Last year I was thrilled by Kino Lorber's three-film Deanna Durbin Blu-ray set, but alas, it didn't sell well enough for Kino to release a second collection. Last month I mentioned that Universal has released the Durbin films THAT CERTAIN AGE (1938) and NICE GIRL? (1941) on Blu-ray. I'm happy to say that four more Durbin titles are coming to Blu-ray from Universal next month: CAN'T HELP SINGING (1944), BECAUSE OF HIM (1946), SOMETHING IN THE WIND (1947), and FOR THE LOVE OF MARY (1948). I anticipate that CAN'T HELP SINGING, Deanna's only Technicolor film, will look especially wonderful on Blu-ray. Thanks to my very helpful reader Ashley for the tip! Update: Thanks also to reader Peter for mentioning that Deanna's MAD ABOUT MUSIC (1938) is also now out on Blu-ray!

...Also coming to Blu-ray from Universal next month: Frank Capra's STATE OF THE UNION (1948), starring Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Van Johnson, and Angela Lansbury.

...The "Field of Dreams" game staged last week in Iowa between the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees was remarkable baseball, from the moment the players walked out of the cornfields behind Kevin Costner to the walk-off home run trot accompanied by fireworks.

...Linked here is the latest from John Bengtson on the Chaplin-Keaton-Lloyd Alley in Hollywood, including a fundraising project.

...Cookbooks due out next month: THE COMPLETE AUTUMN AND WINTER COOKBOOK from America's Test Kitchen and BAKING FOR THE HOLIDAYS by Sarah Kieffer. Kieffer's 100 COOKIES is one of the best cookbooks I've ever purchased, so I'll definitely be buying her latest.

...Notable Passings: There were a couple recent deaths which I found especially sad. Actress Jane Withers passed away in Burbank on August 7th, at the age of 95. By all accounts she was a lovely person; Leonard Maltin shared a touching remembrance, and there's another lovely story from Jacqueline at Another Old Movie Blog. I was very fortunate to see her present home movies at the 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival and was impressed by what a sweet woman she seemed to be...This week we also lost Patricia Hitchcock, who has died at the age of 93. Patricia was the only child of Alfred and Alma Reville Hitchcock, and she was absolutely wonderful in supporting roles in her father's STAGE FRIGHT (1950) and especially STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951)...Actress Markie Post of NIGHT COURT has passed away at the age of 70. Just last month I noted the passing of one of her NIGHT COURT costars, Charlie Robinson.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please check out my August 7th roundup.

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