Around the Blogosphere This Week
Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the internet......An interesting Blu-ray screener from ClassicFlix arrived in my mailbox today: A restored print of BLACK MAGIC (1949), starring Orson Welles and Nancy Guild. I first mentioned it here last summer; it was originally due out last fall but was pushed back to a January 25th release date. I'm particularly curious about it as it's one of a small handful of films starring Guild, who starred in SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT (1946) and THE BRASHER DOUBLOON (1947). Be watching for a review here at a future date.
..."Coming soon" to Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics: BY CANDLELIGHT (1933), starring Elissa Landi and Paul Lukas, directed by James Whale, and THE LAST TRAIN FROM MADRID (1937), with an impressive cast including Dorothy Lamour, Lew Ayres, Gilbert Roland, Anthony Quinn, and Robert Cummings, directed by James P. Hogan.
...Happiest birthday wishes to Piper Laurie, who turns 90 today, January 22nd.
...There's lots of interesting release news this week! Flicker Alley will be releasing THE WHISTLE AT EATON FALLS (1951), which was shown during last year's virtual TCM Classic Film Festival. Lloyd Bridges and Carleton Carpenter star, directed by Robert Siodmak. The supporting cast includes names such as Ernest Borgnine and Anne Francis. Alan K. Rode provides a commentary track, and there are a number of other interesting extras. It will be released on March 15th.
...Coming from the Criterion Collection in April: Jayne Mansfield, Edmond O'Brien, and Tom Ewell in THE GIRL CAN'T HELP IT (1956), directed by Frank Tashlin. The movie features an array of performances by musical stars including Julie London, Fats Domino, and the Platters.
...As mentioned here last September, Disney has scheduled its next D23 Expo for September 2022. I was happy to purchase my three-day Gold membership pass during a Visa presale on January 19th; tickets sold briskly both that day and when they went on sale to the general public on January 20th, with some pass levels already sold out.
...Last week Leonard Maltin wrote an intriguing review of EVENINGS FOR SALE (1932), a 61-minute film he said reminded him of a Lubitsch comedy. The cast includes Herbert Marshall, Charlie Ruggles, and Mary Boland, directed by Stuart Walker. It can be streamed online via the Internet Archive.
...The Film Detective has put out a number of interesting Blu-rays in the last few months which include lots of extras. Coming in February: DANCING PIRATE (1936), starring Charles Collins, Steffi Duna, and Frank Morgan; Rita Hayworth and Marjorie Reynolds appear as dancers, and future first lady Pat Nixon had a bit role. It was directed by Lloyd Corrigan, familiar to many for his work as a character actor. Media Play News says it will be a restoration from 35mm archival material.
...Raquel Stecher has reviewed a new biography of Charles Boyer by John Baxter at her blog Out of the Past.
...I was disappointed to hear that the next installments of Tom Cruise's MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE movie series have been delayed. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7 (2023), which was scheduled to come out this September, has been pushed back to a July 2023 release, with MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 8 (2024) coming out in June 2024.
...Netflix has raised prices for its streaming service this month.
...Disney's excellent animated film ENCANTO (2021), which I reviewed last November, will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on February 8th.
...Silent film accompanist and DVD producer Ben Model is having a Kickstarter fundraiser for a release of the Marion Davies film BEVERLY OF GRAUSTARK (1926). It will be restored and scanned from a 35mm nitrate print, with a 2-color Technicolor ending. Model will provide a new score. It will be released in late 2022 by Model's Undercrank Productions.
...Like many others, I began playing the online word game Wordle a few days ago. The L.A. Times ran a column on the very simple and wildly popular game, which is also what I think of as a great "brain sharpener." (Update: The creator has an MFA from the University of Oregon.)
...Dennis Seuling has reviewed the new 75th anniversary Blu-ray release of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) at the Digital Bits...Glenn Erickson's latest CineSavant reviews at Trailers From Hell include LAST TRAIN FROM GUN HILL (1959), an all-region Blu-ray release from Viavision, and ALL MY SONS (1948), on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber. LAST TRAIN FROM GUN HILL stars Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn, while ALL MY SONS stars Edward G. Robinson and Burt Lancaster...James L. Neibaur reviewed Kino Lorber's new Dark Side of Cinema set; I also enjoyed perusing his alphabetical list of all the movies he watched last year!...Rachel reviewed the 1995 Harrison Ford version of SABRINA at Hamlette's Soliloquy; I haven't seen it since shortly after it came out but recall it fondly...Colin has reviewed WHIRLPOOL (1950) with Richard Conte and Gene Tierney at Riding the High Country...and I was intrigued by Jessica's review of the 59-minute "B" film WATERFRONT (1939) at Comet Over Hollywood. WATERFRONT stars Dennis Morgan and Gloria Dickson.
...Sunday, January 23rd, Karie Bible will host Wyatt McCrea, the grandson of Joel McCrea and Frances Dee, on her Facebook program Hollywood Kitchen. The live show will be at 1:00; there will also be a tour and interview on YouTube debuting at noon that day.
...Speaking of McCrea Ranch, my friend Annette Bochenek has a photo-filled column now up at her site Hometowns to Hollywood about her visit to the ranch last September. We were so glad to be able to organize the gathering of a number of bloggers that day; two of them, including Annette, flew in from out of state for the event!
...Notable Passings: I was sorry to learn of the passing of Yvette Mimieux at age 80. She was very special in LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA (1962), seen here with Olivia de Havilland, and she was also memorable in WHERE THE BOYS ARE (1960). Mimiuex was also known for THE TIME MACHINE (1960), JOY IN THE MORNING (1965), and Disney's THE BLACK HOLE (1979). Variety and Deadline published obituaries...Hardy Kruger has died at 93. His films included HATARI! (1962) and THE FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX (1965); he played Rommel in TV's epic WWII miniseries WAR AND REMEMBRANCE (1988-89)...Gloria McMillan, known for playing Harriet in OUR MISS BROOKS on radio and television, has died at 88. She also had a small role as Mrs. Brumbaugh in the TV miniseries CENTENNIAL (1978-79). (January 25th Update: Here's an obituary from the Hollywood Reporter.)...Longtime Los Angeles talk radio host Michael Jackson has passed away at 87. Of note for classic film fans: He was married to Alan Ladd's daughter Alana. They were in the audience at a Noir City screening of her father's THE GREAT GATSBY (1949) in 2012. Here are obituaries from the Los Angeles Times, Variety, and Deadline.
...Another Notable Passing: I was sad to learn of the death last month of former child actress Sharyn Moffett at the age of 85. Sharyn was extremely talented; her films reviewed here included MY PAL, WOLF (1944), THE FALCON IN SAN FRANCISCO (1945), THE LOCKET (1946), BANJO (1947), THE JUDGE STEPS OUT (1948), and MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE (1948). She was also in the very creepy THE BODY SNATCHER (1945) with Boris Karloff. I always enjoy her work and am grateful for the wonderful performances she has left us to enjoy. As an adult Sharyn served as a minister for decades. Sharyn's brother, former child actor Gregory Moffett (SADDLE TRAMP), is among her survivors.
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...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please check out my January 15th roundup.
posted by Laura @ 4:15 PM
6 Comments:
So sad to hear of Sharyn Moffatt's passing. She appeared in some movies that are very dear to me.
Michael Jackson was one of the most erudite radio hosts that I ever heard. When he and his family moved from the UK to South Africa in the early 1950s, he joined our infant commercial radio service, Springbok Radio. He was blessed with a golden stentorian voice, and he presented several programmes - interviews, musical topics and other items, with profound knowledge of just about any subject. We missed him when he returned to the UK in 1958. Soon after made his home in the US where he continued to broadcast on local radio stations. Our loss was your gain.
I was very sorry to learn of his passing a few days ago.
Both Hardy Kruger and Yvette Mimieux have been part of my life since my earliest years, so they both hit hard. Hardy Kruger also wrote, and I own one of his novels. Really enjoyed it. RIP.
BLACK MAGIC is quite a fun movie. Definitely worth seeing.
I just watched a restored HD version of "The Whistle at Eaton Falls". What a remarkable movie! There's some genuine Americana here that Robert Siodmak handles with great sensitivity and artistry. It's about the trauma that factory closures can cause for a community. Filmed on location in Southern New Hampshire, the cinematography by Joeseph C. Brun is very impressive. I can't think of another theatrical movie where Lloyd Bridges gets top billing and he is quite good. A young Maurry Hamilton plays a snide (what else?) trouble maker. Siodmak skillfully ratchets up the tension as the story unfolds and I found that my heart was pounding. The "Whistle at Eaton Falls" is a combination of "Our Town" and "On the Waterfront" -- I urge everyone to this undeservedly neglected film.
I first saw "The Girl Can't Help It" about 40 years ago at the Harvard-Epworth church in Cambridge MA of all places. The opening may be the funniest sequence in the history of film.
Thank you all for the comments!
Caftan Woman, Sharyn definitely had a wonderful career. A delightful young lady.
Mel, thank you so much for adding your memories of Michael Jackson's early life and career. I very much enjoyed that perspective. I surely heard him often here in So. California.
Deb, thank you for sharing your special memories of Yvette Mimieux and Hardy Kruger. It's hard to see more and more people pass on from the era of movies we love.
DforDoom, thank you for the recommendation of BLACK MAGIC! I pretty much know nothing about it so it will be interesting.
Frank, I very much enjoyed your description of THE WHISTLE AT EATON FALLS. What an intriguing description of OUR TOWN meeting ON THE WATERFRONT. I'm looking forward to it and also THE GIRL CAN'T HELP IT. Loved your memories of that one!!
Thank you all again for reading and commenting!
Best wishes,
Laura
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