Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Coming out this month from the University Press of Kentucky: THE QUEEN OF TECHNICOLOR: MARIA MONTEZ IN HOLLYWOOD by Tom Zimmerman. I'm looking forward to reading and reviewing this book. The timing couldn't be better, as just a few days before the book's release Kino Lorber Studio Classics will be releasing a three-film Blu-ray set, the Maria Montez and Jon Hall Collection. There should be plenty of Maria Montez content here later in the summer!

...Good news in Hollywood: The Cinerama Dome may be coming back to life. The former Arclight Hollywood and Cinerama Dome is said to be reopening at an unknown date as Cinerama Hollywood.

...Composer-Singer Hoagy Carmichael made every film in which he appeared better. Annette Bochenek has a nice biographical piece on Carmichael, including lots of photos, at Hometowns to Hollywood.

...Coming out next month from Lyons Press: THE MGM EFFECT: HOW A HOLLYWOOD STUDIO CHANGED THE WORLD. The description says the book "is a look at what made MGM the Mount Rushmore of studios, how it presented itself to the world, and how it influenced everything from set design to merchandising to music and dance." The author is Steven Bingen, who also wrote MGM: HOLLYWOOD'S GREATEST BACKLOT and many other interesting film books.

...Last month the Classic Movie Blog Association (CMBA) posted a short interview with Colin of Riding the High Country, which regular readers know is one of my favorite blogs. Colin's latest film reviews include THE TALL STRANGER (1957) with Joel McCrea and Virginia Mayo.

...CineSavant Glenn Erickson has reviewed the new Columbia Noir #5 set from Powerhouse Indicator which features the films of Humphrey Bogart. My set is on order and should be here in a few days.

...Also on the way to me: ELLA AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL: THE IRVING BERLIN SONGBOOK. These 1956 recordings are the only known "live" version of one of her peerless "songbooks," which are among my favorite music ever. Here's more info from Steven Cerra at Jazz Profiles. Fun fact: My dad is pretty sure he was at this concert!

...And while we're on the topic of Ella, here's a JazzWax post by Mark Myers on her great album ELLA SWINGS LIGHTLY, recorded in 1958.

...The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited Leonard Maltin -- and 396 other people -- to become members.

...Fritzi at Movies Silently has reviewed Marion Davies in BEVERLY OF GRAUSTARK (1926), now out on Blu-ray thanks to Ben Model's Undercrank Productions: "This is a strong Marion Davies vehicle and easily one of her most fun."

...Last November producer Walter Mirisch turned 100; he's currently the oldest living Oscar winner. I recently came across an interesting interview which ran last year at Deadline.

...Josh Shepherd ranks "7 Nostalgic '80s Remakes" for The Federalist. Top of his list, and deservedly so, is TOP GUN: MAVERICK (2022). My review of that film may be read here.

...A postscript to my May review of the first season of the British TV series ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL (2020): Season 2 was even better, especially the last two episodes. I cried several times during the season-ending Christmas episode out of pure happiness. This show is truly some of the best TV I've seen in years, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

...Notable Passings: Producer Duncan Henderson, whose films included MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL (2019), has died at the age of 72.  A third MALEFICENT film is currently in pre-production...Character actor Joe Turkel, whose film career of over four decades dated back to 1949, has passed on at 94. He played small roles in many familiar films including THE KILLING (1956).

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please check out my June 18th roundup.

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