Around the Blogosphere This Week
Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the internet......There's no way to sugar-coat this week's news regarding Turner Classic Movies: The channel was gutted with the layoffs of all the top executives, including the head of programming and the head of the film festival; some sources report 70 of 90 staffers were let go by David Zaslav, head of Warner Bros. Discovery. Despite being profitable, TCM's future is clearly a giant question mark. After the news broke, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Paul Thomas Anderson initiated a meeting with Zaslav regarding the cuts; Zaslav says TCM will continue "as is" but logically one wonders how that's possible with a skeleton crew and the severe loss of institutional knowledge. It's also hard to imagine how the festival continues, though WBD says no decision has been made. #SaveTCM has been a trending hashtag on Twitter. This article at Indiewire has the latest through today.
...The UK version of TCM is shutting down, and Warner Bros. Discovery is also looking at selling off a big chunk of the studio's music library.
...Some good news from Powerhouse Indicator: The Region 2 Universal Noir #2 collection is on the way this September. The titles are LADY ON A TRAIN (1945), TIME OUT OF MIND (1947), SINGAPORE (1947), A WOMAN'S VENGEANCE (1948), AN ACT OF MURDER (1948), and THE LADY GAMBLES (1949). Collectors may notice that all of these titles are available from Kino Lorber in the United States -- I've reviewed all six here -- but I've found the Powerhouse Indicator unique extras, including new commentary tracks, 120-page booklets, and more, worth "double-dipping."
...The Criterion Channel's July schedule will include a "British Noir" series featuring a dozen films, along with a new introduction by the great Imogen Sara Smith.
...Notable Passings: Actor Paxton Whitehead has died at 85. I saw him on stage twice as the police sergeant in THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE at the Ahmanson Theatre in 1981...Broadway composer Sheldon Harnick has died at 99. My favorite of all his shows is SHE LOVES ME, which I've been fortunate to see in multiple incarnations, including twice theatrically starring Pam Dawber -- who I also saw on stage as Mabel in the previously mentioned production of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE. Harnick was also the lyricist for FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, among other credits.
...Colin's latest review at Riding the High Country is DOMINO KID (1957) starring Rory Calhoun and Kristine Miller. It's one I enjoyed quite well.
...Thanks to Will McKinley for alerting me to a new Mary Pickford release from VCI, JOHANNA ENLISTS (1918). It will be out July 11th.
...21 BEACON STREET: THE COMPLETE SERIES (1959), starring Dennis Morgan, is now shipping from ClassicFlix.
...Please note there will not be a news roundup next weekend, when I'll be traveling out of state. The column will return on Saturday, July 8th.
...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please check out my June 17th roundup.
posted by Laura @ 6:35 PM
2 Comments:
Laura, it's been a sad week for CLASSIC MOVIE fans, but I'm not at all surprised in what is happening to TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES. What's left of Warner Bros will probably be sold off piece by piece. I wonder where the huge film library will end up? There is always someone out there to take up the slack, especially if they see a good market and I think there is still a market for pre-1987 movies out here. I'm hopeful that TCM in whatever new name it will be under will find a good new home.
Sorry to hear about all the TCM troubles , but TCM in the U.K. won’t be missed - it is a mere shadow of what you see in America.
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