Saturday, March 19, 2022

Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Alan K. Rode has confirmed the dates for this year's Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival, to be held in Palm Springs from May 12th through 15th. As usual, the festival will take place at the Palm Springs Cultural Center (formerly the Camelot Theatres). I had a fabulous time at the most recent edition of the festival, held last October, and plan to be there in May!

...The newest Kickstarter project from Ben Model's Undercrank Productions is a set of silent films starring Raymond Griffith. Ben's most recent Blu-ray project, Marion Davies in BEVERLY OF GRAUSTARK (1926), has started shipping.

...June's releases from the Criterion Collection will include Powell and Pressburger's THE TALES OF HOFFMANN (1951), which I've never seen. The cover art is lovely!

...Coming to Blu-ray from ClassicFlix in June: THE LITTLE RASCALS: THE CLASSICFLIX RESTORATIONS, VOLUME 6. It will feature shorts released from 1936 to 1938.

...The new version of DEATH ON THE NILE (2022), which I reviewed last month, arrives on DVD and Blu-ray on April 5th.

...Leonard Maltin has shared mini-reviews of several wonderful recent Blu-ray and DVD releases, including a couple titles I've recently reviewed here.

...Last week Jessica reviewed Bing Crosby and Ann Blyth in TOP O' THE MORNING (1949) at Comet Over Hollywood...KC has reviewed Joan Leslie in REPEAT PERFORMANCE (1947) at Watching Classic Movies...James L. Neibaur reviewed Brian Donlevy and Ella Raines in IMPACT (1949)...and Dan Stumpf reviewed Fred MacMurray and Jean Parker in THE TEXAS RANGERS (1936) for Mystery File.

...Thanks to my friend Donna I learned about the Film Preservation Society and its shop. Silent films available on Blu-ray include TOO MANY KISSES (1925) with Richard Dix and William Powell, THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1921) with Douglas Fairbanks (Sr.), and a double bill of Fairbanks' DOUBLE TROUBLE (1915) and MR. FIX-IT (1918).  THE THREE MUSKETEERS includes a soundtrack recorded by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra.

...Phyllis Loves Classic Movies takes a close-up look at a wedding gown worn by Anita Louise in CASANOVA BROWN (1944).

...Netflix is testing a plan to have subscribers pay a surcharge for users outside their physical household.

...CineSavant Glenn Erickson's latest Blu-ray reviews include the Warner Archive Collection's Blu-ray releases of A STAR IS BORN (1937) and THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM (1962).

...The last column posted by Caftan Woman before her recent passing was on a favorite episode of MAVERICK. Last week her daughter Janet shared a final post by her mother, this time on an episode of PERRY MASON. Please be sure to visit this post and read Janet's comments at the end.

...Notable Passings: I was very sorry to hear of the death of Jimmy Lydon, who was 98. He appeared with Elizabeth Taylor in CYNTHIA (1947) and LIFE WITH FATHER (1947); his busy career also included a couple of favorite "B" films, the comedy TWICE BLESSED (1945) and the Western THE DESPERADO (1954). He was married for 70 years to Betty Lou Nedell, whose mother, Olive Blakeney, played his mother in the HENRY ALDRICH movie series, which ran from 1941 to 1944...Oscar-winning actor William Hurt has died at the age of 71. His best-known films included BODY HEAT (1981), THE BIG CHILL (1983), CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD (1986), and BROADCAST NEWS (1987), along with the film for which he won the Academy Award, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN (1985). In more recent years Hurt played General (later Secretary of State) Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross in five Marvel films, ranging from THE INCREDIBLE HULK (2008) to BLACK WIDOW (2021).

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please check out my March 12th roundup.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Daniel Armstrong said...

William Hurt died at 71, one week short of 72, not 79. I've long enjoyed your posts, informative and well written.

2:01 AM  
Blogger Laura said...

Thank you so much for catching that typo, Daniel, I've now fixed it!

I remember thinking it was sad he was relatively young when I read his obituary, but the correct number didn't make it to my keyboard.

Thank you for reading and for the kind words.

Best wishes,
Laura

8:14 AM  

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