Around the Blogosphere This Week
Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the internet......I was delighted to learn that the esteemed film historian Foster Hirsch has a new book due out this fall. HOLLYWOOD AND THE MOVIES OF THE FIFTIES: THE COLLAPSE OF THE STUDIO SYSTEM, THE THRILL OF CINERAMA, AND THE INVASION OF THE ULTIMATE BODY SNATCHER - TELEVISION will be published by Knopf October 10th. (Thanks to Irish on Twitter for the tip.) Hirsch books in my collection include THE DARK SIDE OF THE SCREEN: FILM NOIR, EDWARD G. ROBINSON, and ELIZABETH TAYLOR.
...Coming to Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection this summer: THE RANOWN WESTERNS: FIVE FILMS DIRECTED BY BUDD BOETTICHER. The set, releasing July 18th, will include all of Boetticher's Westerns with Randolph Scott, excepting SEVEN MEN FROM NOW (1956) and WESTBOUND (1959). Extras will include a featurette on Scott by Farran Smith Nehme. (Would have been nice if they'd worked Scott's name into the set's title too...well, technically they did on the cover itself, though not the Criterion site listing.)
...Coming to Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics: The MR. WONG COLLECTION, starring Boris Karloff, will be out June 20th, and FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS (1943) is now announced as "coming soon." FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS stars Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman and is described as a 4K scan of the UCLA roadshow edition.
...Coming to Blu-ray in June from ClassicFlix: BLONDE ICE (1948), "beautifully restored from 35mm elements." It stars Leslie Brooks and Robert Paige.
...Upcoming Warner Archive releases for late May include KING SOLOMON'S MINES (1950), THE COURTSHIP OF EDDIE'S FATHER (1963), and QUEEN CHRISTINA (1932). Learn more at The Extras podcast.
...The Criterion Channel's May lineup includes all eight James Stewart-Anthony Mann films.
...There are a couple good classic film series on the way to Los Angeles this summer. The annual Last Remaining Seats series, hosted by the Los Angeles Conservancy in vintage L.A. theaters, will feature a half-dozen films in June. Hosts include Leonard Maltin and Kimberly Truhler of GlamAmor...Kim will also be hosting a Film Noir Style series for the American Cinematheque from May to September. She's the author of a fine book by the same name.
...Please note there will not be a roundup next weekend on April 29th, when I'll be traveling. The column will return on Saturday, May 6th.
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...Netflix is shutting down its discs-by-mail business this September and will henceforth focus solely on streaming. The owner of Redbox has indicated interest in buying that part of Netflix's business but Netflix says it will not be for sale.
...The Broadway production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA closed last weekend after a run of 35 years. Although I never saw it on Broadway, I have many happy memories of seeing it multiple times during its three-and-a-half-year Los Angeles run, and many years later I took our daughters to a touring production which I reviewed here.
...Also coming to Kino Lorber Blu-ray in June is CLASH OF THE WOLVES (1925), a delightful Rin-Tin-Tin film I saw on the closing night of the recent TCM Classic Film Festival. Charles Farrell stars along with the famed dog star. A second film starring the canine wonder, WHERE THE NORTH BEGINS (1923), will be included as an extra.
...Glenn Erickson has reviewed the new Kino Lorber Blu-ray release of THEY CAME TO CORDURA (1959) starring Gary Cooper and Rita Hayworth...and Dennis Seuling has reviewed the company's new Blu-ray release of YOU AND ME (1938) for The Digital Bits.
...Jeffrey Kauffman of Blu-ray.com has reviewed the new ClassicFlix release of the BLONDIE (1957) TV series
...Amazon Prime will be adding a feature allowing viewers to boost dialogue tracks over music and special effects. This has become a real issue in newer movies; for instance, I have zero problems understanding classic films seen on a big screen but now make it a practice to get a headset or closed captioning device at the theater for new films with noisy soundtracks, such as Marvel movies.
...Variety reports that both the Egyptian and Vista Theatres in Los Angeles will finally be reopening later in the year. Also reopening soon is the Vidiots store and theater in Eagle Rock.
...Reed Johnson of the Los Angeles Times wrote a nice article on Luis Reyes, author of the TCM-Running Press book VIVA HOLLYWOOD! I reviewed the book here in February. I first met Luis in Lone Pine last October, and it's been a pleasure getting to know him a little in the ensuing months.
...Tom Selleck's MAGNUM P.I. costar Larry Manetti recently guest-starred on BLUE BLOODS, and Daniel Levine of PopCulture interviewed Manetti.
...Daniel Levine also recently wrote about a visit to the Warner Bros. Archive.
...Over at Hollywood Comet, Jessica Pickens' recent Musical Monday reviews focused on a pair of Dick Powell films, HOLLYWOOD HOTEL (1937) and GOING PLACES (1938)...Tynan of Four Star Films has reviewed a trio of Claudette Colbert-Fred MacMurray films...At Silver Scenes, the Metzinger Sisters review a Cornel Wilde suspense film I liked, EDGE OF ETERNITY (1959), as part of the Shades of Shane Blogathon hosted by Hamlette's Soliloquy...and there are several other interesting reviews linked at Hamlette's Soliloquy as part of that blogathon.
...Notable Passings: Soap opera actress Elizabeth Hubbard (AS THE WORLD TURNS) has passed away at the age of 89...TV writer-creator Rita Lakin has died at 93. She created THE ROOKIES (1972-76) and FLAMINGO ROAD (1980-82).
...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please check out my April 8th roundup.
posted by Laura @ 6:30 PM
2 Comments:
I'm very excited about the restored version of BLONDE ICE from Jack Bernhard the director of cult item DECOY. I wish Leslie Brooks had made more movies I adored her in CITY WITHOUT MEN (sadly only available on a unwatchable Film Detective DVD) and SECRETS OF THE WHISTLER one of the best in a great series. Robert Paige I also enjoy a solid B leading man as well as Michael Whalen. I hope a decent copy of CITY WITHOUT MEN exists in Columbia's vaults as I love the film and the cast.
Sorry Criterion I cannot afford to "triple dip" on the Ranown series having got the Sony DVD set then upgrading to the Indicator Blu Ray set.
I wish Warners would release WESTBOUND on Blu Ray supported by the 3 Boetticher Maverick episodes what a lovely package that would make
I would much rather Criterion had released SEVEN MEN FROM NOW on Blu Ray
CRiterion's Ranown Collection. I will definitely not be making this purchase, and you are so right about the artwork and name. They must have snotty kids putting this stuff together. A similar lack of sense and taste closer to home was for Dance, Girl, Dance. A final thought: There is no Budd Boetticher without Randolph Scott.
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