TCM in December: Christmas Movies

It's time for my annual look at the Christmas movies playing on Turner Classic Movies this December!

Christmas films are scattered throughout the schedule in the earlier part of the month, with double bills of Christmas movies on Saturdays and Sundays.

TCM's Christmas movie marathon will launch on the evening of December 17th and continue through Christmas Day.

As always, there's a small fluctuation in the Christmas films shown on TCM from year to year; for instance, this year you won't find LADY ON A TRAIN (1945), COVER UP (1949), or THE HOLLY AND THE IVY (1952). (I'd add that all three films are available from Kino Lorber and would make great additions to any film lover's Christmas movie shelf.)

On the other hand, some films which weren't shown last year have returned to this year's Christmas lineup, including THE CHEATERS (1945) and GOOD SAM (1948).

I'm very happy about this year's inclusion of THE MAN I LOVE (1947), in which Ida Lupino makes a Christmas visit to her family in the city of my birth, Long Beach, California.

I'm especially excited about the TCM premiere of the "B" movie MIRACLE ON MAIN STREET (1939) which I first read about in Jeremy Arnold's book CHRISTMAS IN THE MOVIES. Jeremy shared with me that it's a remastered print and should look good! The interesting cast includes Margo, Walter Abel, Jane Darwell, Lyle Talbot, and Jean Brooks.

Please note that I've included films with general religious themes and New Year's settings on the schedule, along with Christmas titles.

Click any hyperlinked title for a complete review. For movies which are shown multiple times, the review is only linked at the first mention.

December 2nd

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1938)

FITZWILLY (1967)

December 3rd

BEN-HUR (1959)

THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER (1942)

THE BISHOP'S WIFE (1947)

December 5th

OCEAN'S ELEVEN (1960) (New Year's)

December 9th

IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE (1947)

REMEMBER THE NIGHT (1950)

December 10th

IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME (1949)

CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945)

December 11th

ON MOONLIGHT BAY (1951)

December 16th

STAR IN THE NIGHT (1945) (short)

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944) (Musical Matinee)

LITTLE WOMEN (1949)

THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940)

HOLIDAY AFFAIR (1949)

BEWARE, MY LOVELY (1952) (Noir Alley)

December 17th

BEWARE, MY LOVELY (1952) (Noir Alley)

3 GODFATHERS (1948)

KING OF KINGS (1961)

IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE (1957)

BEN-HUR: A TALE OF THE CHRIST (1925)

MON ONCLE ANTOINE (1971)

FANNY AND ALEXANDER (1982)

December 18th

TENTH AVENUE ANGEL (1948)

KIND LADY (1935)

ROOM FOR ONE MORE (1952)

BUNDLE OF JOY (1956)

BACHELOR MOTHER (1939)

THE GREAT RUPERT (1950)

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1938)

MIRACLE ON MAIN STREET (1939) (TCM Premiere)

BLAST OF SILENCE (1951)

CASH ON DEMAND (1961)

THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE (1944)

MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR. LAWRENCE (1983)

STAR IN THE NIGHT (1945) (short)

December 19th

MRS. PARKINGTON (1944)

AND SO THEY WERE MARRIED (1936)

LOVE FINDS ANDY HARDY (1938)

THE DAUGHTER OF ROSIE O'GRADY (1950)

ON MOONLIGHT BAY (1951)

MEET JOHN DOE (1941)

THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940)

GOING MY WAY (1944)

THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S (1945)

O. HENRY'S FULL HOUSE (1952)

PERIOD OF ADJUSTMENT (1962)

METROPOLITAN (1990)

December 20th

MY NIGHT AT MAUD'S (1969)

THE MAN I LOVE (1947)

MIRACLE ON MAIN STREET (1939)

THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS (1956)

NEVER SAY GOODBYE (1946)

SUSAN SLEPT HERE (1954)

CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945)

REMEMBER THE NIGHT (1940)

THE CHEATERS (1945)

WE'RE NO ANGELS (1955)

LADY IN THE LAKE (1947)

ROADBLOCK (1951)

CHRISTMAS PAST (1925)

December 21st

HELL'S HEROES (1929)

THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE (1944)

THE ROCKING HORSE WINNER (1949)

MY REPUTATION (1946)

BACKFIRE (1950)

LARCENY, INC. (1942)

MR. SOFT TOUCH (1948)

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944)

THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER (1952)

FITZWILLY (1967)

MEET JOHN DOE (1941)

BEYOND TOMORROW (1940)

December 22nd

BLOSSOMS IN THE DUST (1941)

BOYS TOWN (1938)

OUR VINES HAVE TENDER GRAPES (1945)

THE WORLD OF HENRY ORIENT (1964)

CAROL FOR ANOTHER CHRISTMAS (1964)

3 GODFATHERS (1948)

THE LION IN WINTER (1968)

THE BISHOP'S WIFE (1947) (Star of the Month)

AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER (1957) (Star of the Month)

ROOM FOR ONE MORE (1952) (Star of the Month)

PENNY SERENADE (1941) (Star of the Month)

IN NAME ONLY (1939) (Star of the Month)

December 23rd

DESTINATION TOKYO (1943) (Star of the Month)

LITTLE WOMEN (1933)

ALIAS BOSTON BLACKIE (1942)

THE THIN MAN (1934)

GOOD SAM (1948)

BELL BOOK AND CANDLE (1958)

POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES (1961)

THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940)

IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME (1949)

DESK SET (1957)

SUSAN SLEPT HERE (1954)

BUNDLE OF JOY (1956)

December 24th

THREE GODFATHERS (1936)

BEYOND TOMORROW (1940)

THE GREAT RUPERT (1950)

TENTH AVENUE ANGEL (1948)

LOVE FINDS ANDY HARDY (1938)

GOING MY WAY (1944)

IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE (1947)

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944)

CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945)

HOLIDAY AFFAIR (1949)

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1938)

LITTLE WOMEN (1949)

AUNTIE MAME (1958)

BIG BUSINESS (1929)

December 25th

BACHELOR MOTHER (1939)

ALL MINE TO GIVE (1957)

NEVER SAY GOODBYE (1946)

HOLIDAY AFFAIR (1949)

THE APARTMENT (1960)

THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER (1942)

IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME (1949)

December 30th

THE PUPS' CHRISTMAS (1936) (cartoon)

REPEAT PERFORMANCE (1947) (New Year's)

New Year's Eve will feature films set on New Year's, including OCEAN'S ELEVEN (1960) and AFTER THE THIN MAN (1936), followed by comedies of the '70s-'90s later in the evening.

For more on TCM in December 2023, please visit TCM's online schedule along with my Quick Preview of TCM in December, TCM Star of the Month: Cary Grant, and TCM in December: Highlights.

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New Western Roundup Column at Classic Movie Hub

My new Western RoundUp column has just been posted at Classic Movie Hub.

This month we pay tribute to a dozen Western filmmakers as we visit their final resting places.

Please click over to Classic Movie Hub to read my post, and thanks very much for reading.

Previous Classic Movie Hub Western RoundUp Column Links: June 2018; July 2018; August 2018; September 2018; October 2018; November 2018; December 2018; January 2019; February 2019; April 5, 2019; April 30, 2019; May 2019; June 2019; July 2019; August 2019; September 2019; October 2019; November 2019; December 2019; January 2020; February 2020; March 2020; April 2020; May 2020; June 2020; July 2020; August 2020; September 2020; October 2020; November 2020; December 2020; January 2021; February 2021; March 2021; May 2021; June 2021; June 2021 (No. 2); July 2021; August 2021; September 2021; November 2021; December 2021; December 2021 (No. 2); January 2022; February 2022; March 2022; April 2022; May 2022; June 2022; July 2022; August 2022; September 2022; November 2022; November 2022 (No. 2); January 2023 (No. 1); January 2023 (No. 2); March 2023; April 2023; May 2023 (No. 1); May 2023 (No. 2); June 2023; July 2023; September 2023; September 2023 (No. 2); October 2023.

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Tonight's Movies: The Doll (1919) and I Don't Want to Be a Man (1918) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

This has been a great year for admirers of director Ernst Lubitsch -- and who isn't? -- with Kino Lorber's releases of four of his silent comedies on Blu-ray.

I previously reviewed the set with THE OYSTER PRINCESS (1919) and MEYER FROM BERLIN (1919).

This second Kino Lorber "double feature" set contains THE DOLL (1919) and I DON'T WANT TO BE A MAN (1918). Like the previously reviewed set, the films are quite short and thus are paired on a single Blu-ray disc. (I'll add I liked that the disc is a pretty pink, a nice touch to go with THE DOLL.)

I saw the short 45-minute I DON'T WANT TO BE A MAN at UCLA in 2018, while THE DOLL, which runs 66 minutes, was new to me.

The surviving prints of both films only have German intertitles, although the Blu-ray's English subtitles can be turned on. Revisiting I DON'T WANT TO BE A MAN brought back a fun memory of the UCLA screening where the former head of the UCLA Archive, Jan-Christopher Horak, translated the narrative cards for the audience as we watched.

THE DOLL is a fanciful tale ("Four Amusing Acts From a Toy Chest") which opens with director Lubitsch setting up toy-sized backgrounds.

The film stars Ossi Oswalda of THE OYSTER PRINCESS in the title role. Her father (Victor Janson) has created a lifelike doll in her image which young Lancelot (Hermann Thimig) decides to pretend to marry.

Lancelot must marry in order to inherit his uncle's fortune, but he's dismayed to be chased by 40 maidens all anxious to marry him.

Unknown to Lancelot, Ossi takes the doll's place...which leads to some amusing situations and the expected conclusion.

THE DOLL is what might be termed a comedic fairy tale, a feeling which is enhanced not only by the opening with Lubitsch putting together sets but with art used in certain situations, such as a cardboard sun.

Like Lubitsch's other films of the era, it's tonally an odd mixture of ribald and sometimes distasteful scenes along with some truly funny moments. The latter are thanks chiefly to the amusing Oswalda as the stiffly moving "doll."

Oswalda returns as the lead in I DON'T WANT TO BE A MAN which is, if possible, an even stranger film. Ossi yearns to have the freedom enjoyed by men so when her uncle leaves the country, Ossi dresses as a man and goes to a party.

At the party, she runs into her temporary guardian Dr. Kersten (Kurt Gotz), who is quite taken with the young "man," not realizing it's his ward.

Ossi ultimately decides she's happy not to be a man after all, and Dr. Kersten is also quite happy to learn the truth!

Both movies were filmed by Theodor Sparkuhl, with Kurt Washneck also credited on THE DOLL. The prints are in very good shape considering their age, with some nice tints in THE DOLL.

THE DOLL has a new score composed by Meg Morley, while I DON"T WANT TO BE A MAN includes a 2005 score composed by Neil Brand.

Both films have an audio commentary by Lubitsch biographer Joseph McBride. The commentaries are the only extras, but they're more than enough considering McBride's expertise.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray collection.

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Quick Preview of TCM in January

It's time for a quick look at what's ahead on Turner Classic Movies when we turn the corner into 2024!

A partial schedule is now available for review, and while it's still a work in progress, there's enough information to share for this preview.

The January Star of the Month will be Robert Mitchum. Mitchum was previously a Star of the Month in November 1996 and October 2005.

Roughly three dozen Mitchum films will be shown on Tuesday evenings in January, running all night and into the following day.

The January Noir Alley titles will be PICKUP (1951), I DIED A THOUSAND TIMES (1955), STAGE FRIGHT (1950), and WOMAN IN HIDING (1950). PICKUP, starring Hugo Haas and Beverly Michaels (WICKED WOMAN), will be a TCM premiere.

New Year's Day will be spent with Godzilla and other Japanese monster movies. 

TCM premieres in January will include the silent films THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD (1926) starring George O'Brien and ANNIE LAURIE (1927) starring Lillian Gish.

Additional daytime January programming themes will include 1950s musicals, adventure films, ice, New York City, dogs, artists, West Point, the Saint and Andy Hardy movie series, and California's Catalina Island.

Filmmakers honored with multifilm tributes in January will include Rod Taylor, Jane Wyman, Joan Leslie, Sidney Poitier, Deborah Kerr, Colleen Moore, and the Marx Brothers.

I'll have more details on the January schedule posted here around New Year's, and in the meantime enjoy Cary Grant as the December Star of the Month!

Update: For more on TCM in January 2024, please visit my posts TCM in January: Highlights and TCM Star of the Month: Robert Mitchum.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Coming to Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics on January 30th: HE WALKED BY NIGHT (1948). This Special Edition will have a new commentary track by the great Imogen Sara Smith and also include the commentary track with Alan K. Rode and Julie Kirgo which first appeared on the ClassicFlix release of this film a few years ago.

...Other titles coming soon from Kino Lorber: UNDERWORLD (1927), direced by Josef von Sternberg; BLOOD ON THE SUN (1945) starring James Cagney; and DAISY MILLER (1974), starring Cybill Shepherd.

...Here's a review from the blog Staircase Wit of the 2017 book WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE CASABLANCA by Noah Isenberg. Isenberg has also authored books on Edgar G. Ulmer and Billy Wilder.

...I have long owned a couple of books on my favorite TV series, MAVERICK, and just learned of a new book on the show from Bear Manor Media. MAVERICK: A HISTORY OF THE TELEVISION SERIES is by Linda Alexader, Steven Thompson, and Martin Grams, Jr. It was published last May. Alexander wrote a biography of MAVERICK star Jack Kelly which I reviewed here in 2012.

...At Another Old Movie Blog, Jacqueline shares brief thoughts on some lovely Christmas-themed scenes in OUR VINES HAVE TENDER GRAPES (1945), which starred Margaret O'Brien.

...Dave Filoni, producer of THE MANDALORIAN, has been named Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm.

...Erica of Poppity Talks Classic Film will be hosting a "Party Like It's 1899" blogathon at year end.

...The long-running CBS series BLUE BLOODS will come to an end with Season 14, which will be split into two parts, running in early 2024 and then concluding in the fall of 2024.

...The documentary CHRISTMAS WITH WALT DISNEY (2009) is currently streaming on Disney+ for the first time. It was originally created for the Walt Disney Family Museum, directed by Don Hahn.

...As a longtime GENERAL HOSPITAL fan I enjoyed this story on GH star Genie Francis and her husband, STAR TREK star Jonathan Frakes.

...Kendahl Cruver's e-book THE CLASSIC FILM FAN USA TRAVEL GUIDE is now available in a paperback edition! As of this writing the digital edition is on sale for .99 cents.

...Notable Passings: British actor Joss Ackland, whose screen career stretched for 65 years, has died at 93. His notable roles included Andrei Lysenko in THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER (1990)...TV producer Marty Krofft has died at 86. He and his brother Sid created children's programming including H.R. PUFFNSTUFF (1969-70) and THE BUGALOOS (1970-71). I liked the variety show he produced, BARBARA MANDRELL AND THE MANDRELL SISTERS (1980-82).

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

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Tonight's Movie: Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)

This week I revisited HANNAH AND HER SISTERS (1986) for the first time in decades. I'd only seen it once, as a videotape rental shortly after its release. Given the Thanksgiving scenes which bookend the film I thought this would be a good week to watch it.

The movie was written and directed by costar Woody Allen -- and yes, the storyline regarding Hannah (Mia Farrow) having her husband Elliot (Michael Caine) cheat on her with a relative seems awfully prescient. That said, I put "real life" aside in order to simply enjoy the film.

The movie opens on a Thanksgiving meal hosted by Hannah, the most "together" person in her family; she's recently had a theatrical triumph in A DOLL HOUSE after taking a break from acting to raise her family.

In addition to her financial advisor husband, Hannah's family also includes her sisters Holly (Dianne Wiest) and Lee (Barbara Hershey) and her actor parents Norma (Maureen O'Sullivan) and Evan (Lloyd Nolan).

Through a series of vignettes set at random points in time, we learn of Elliot's infatuation with Lee, who lives with cranky older artist Frederick (Max von Sydow), and we also follow the health travails of Hannah's first husband Mickey (Allen). Mickey goes on a disastrous date with his former sister-in-law Holly, and we also see flashback scenes of Mickey and Hannah dealing with infertility.

Everyone turns to Hannah for advice, money, holiday hostessing, and dealing with her mother's drinking, but what of Hannah's needs? Is her self-possession playing a role in driving her husband away? Or is he simply being an infantile jerk? (One guess on my opinion...)

While this film isn't a favorite, it's an absorbing 107 minutes and I was glad to see it again and refresh my faded memories. It has a nice autumnal tone, with scenes taking place at three separate Thanksgiving meals, and I found Hannah sympathetic amidst a conglomeration of immature characters. Holly's been addicted to cocaine and Lee's never quite grown up, while -- failed first marriage aside -- the warm and dignified Hannah is an island of stability.

A scene where Hannah realizes Holly knows intimate details about her marriage is painful as Hannah is almost-but-not-quite tipped off to the fact that Elliot has been sharing information inappropriately with one of her sisters. By that point I felt protective of Hannah, hoping that Elliot would realize his folly and his true feelings for Hannah and she'd end up none the wiser about his infidelity.

It can be exasperating at times watching self-destructive people, but we often see the same types of bad choices in film noir, and there can certainly be entertainment value in watching and trying to understand imperfect characters, along with a funny sense of relief ("At least it's them and not me!"). And despite all the problematic characters and choices, the film has a genuine sense of warmth, particularly in the opening and closing sequences.

There are numerous touches in the film I enjoy, including the beautiful standards on the soundtrack and the appearance of Bobby Short, performing in a nightclub; the use of Farrow's real-life apartment as the cozy setting, with some of her actual children playing her movie children; and the appearances of Nolan and Farrow's real-life mother O'Sullivan as the bickering yet attached parents.

Caine and Wiest won Supporting Actor and Actress Academy Awards as the film's most troubled characters; in the rearview mirror I don't find them particularly remarkable, but they're fine, as is the entire cast. In addition to those previously mentioned, there are also nice turns by actors such as Carrie Fisher, Joanna Gleason, Daniel Stern, and Sam Waterston.

Parental Advisory: This film is rated PG-13. There is nothing graphic but I feel the behavior and language is only for adult viewers. I personally would treat the film as though it has more of an R rating.

HANNAH AND HER SISTERS is available on Blu-ray and DVD. A trailer is here.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here's one of several goofy Thanksgiving publicity photos Esther Williams posed for during her years at MGM.

Happiest Thanksgiving wishes to all my readers!

Previous Hollywood Thanksgiving photos: Jeanne Crain, Angela Greene, Ann Blyth, Marsha Hunt, Hedy Lamarr, Phyllis Thaxter, Loretta Young, Alan Ladd, Ginger Rogers, and Janis Paige.

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Tonight's Movie: Storm Fear (1955) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

STORM FEAR (1955) is part of the original Dark Side of Cinema collection from Kino Lorber.

Unlike the later collections, this set isn't numbered. It also contains five films instead of three. The other films in the set are HE RAN ALL THE WAY (1951), WITNESS TO MURDER (1954), A BULLET FOR JOEY (1955), and BIG HOUSE, U.S.A. (1955).

This set made its way to me in a shipping mix-up a while back, and Kino Lorber kindly invited me to hang on to it and review some of the titles whenever I had time. Needless to say, I was happy to do so; while I'm usually busy staying on top of more recent releases, an upcoming Noir Alley showing of STORM FEAR prompted me to get out the set.

I've written in the past about "Snowy Westerns"; there are also a few "Snowy Noirs," and I think we could say that this is one of them. ON DANGEROUS GROUND (1951) is another that comes readily to mind.

Another angle which makes this film especially interesting is that it was the first of several feature films directed by leading man Cornel Wilde. Wilde's longtime wife, Jean Wallace, plays the female lead. The same year STORM FEAR was released Wilde and Wallace both appeared in the great noir classic THE BIG COMBO (1955), on which Wilde also served as associate producer.

Some impressive behind-the-credits names on STORM FEAR include screenwriter Horton Foote (TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD), whose script was based on a novel by Clinton Seeley, and composer Elmer Bernstein. Cinematographer Joseph LaShelle beautifully captures the stark wintry setting, filmed on location in Idaho.

As STORM FEAR begins, little David Blake (David Stollery of THE ADVENTURES OF SPIN AND MARTY) returns to his isolated mountain home after a day fishing with neighbor Hank (Dennis Weaver).

It's Christmastime, but David's beaten-down parents Elizabeth (Wallace) and Fred (Dan Duryea) aren't very happy, and Fred is in poor health, coughing constantly.

Out of the blue three people invade the Blake home: Charlie (Wilde), Fred's brother, who's got a bullet in his leg, and his associates Edna (Lee Grant); and Benjie (Steven Hill). It quickly becomes apparent that the trio have been involved in a robbery and are looking for a hideout.

Elizabeth removes the bullet from Charlie's leg, but a storm prevents the gang from leaving as quickly as expected.

As pressure mounts, questions about David's parentage begin to come out. And like the girl played by Teresa Wright in SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943), young David eventually realizes that he can't trust his calculating, murderous "Uncle Charlie."

This is an involving film, which becomes increasingly harrowing as its 88 minutes plays out. The climactic trudge through the snow reminded me strongly of the later DAY OF THE OUTLAW (1959).

Young Stollery is front and center for much of the movie and holds his own alongside the film's seasoned pros. He occasionally gets a bit shrill but for the most part is quite good as a young boy in a confusing situation, with a bitter father who can't defend the family home and an uncle who is initially attractive but definitely not a good man.

Fortunately the Blakes' friend Hank, who harbors feelings for both Elizabeth and David, returns from a trip and realizes something is amiss at the Blake house. I really liked Weaver in this role, and the final shot as "The End" came on screen made me wonder what came next for his character.

Wallace is also very good as the worn woman who loves her son but is trapped in a frustrating marriage to an ineffectual, angry man...and who has complicated feelings for his irresponsible brother. Wallace looks decidedly less glamorous here than in THE BIG COMBO, though she's still a lovely woman.

Wilde does a nice job as a first-time film director. Duryea's whiny character could have had a little more nuance, but on the other hand we get plenty of nicely subtle playing from Weaver, in particular. Grant seems to be channeling Claire Trevor in KEY LARGO (1948), but she's entertaining.

The Blu-ray print is excellent, sharp and crisp with good sound. The lone extras are trailers for three other films available from Kino Lorber.

Those who are hard of hearing should be aware that this disc does not have captions. This was common on older Kino Lorber releases, but in recent years their regular practice is to provide captions.

I've seen HE RAN ALL THE WAY and WITNESS TO MURDER at film festivals and enjoyed them both, and given the casts of the other two movies in this collection, along with Kino Lorber's deserved reputation for quality prints, I think I can safely say this set is a worthwhile purchase for noir fans.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

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Tonight's Movie: Dance, Fools, Dance (1931) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The Joan Crawford pre-Code melodrama DANCE, FOOLS, DANCE (1931) has just been released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection.

Joan stars as Bonnie Jordan, who as the movie opens is a "wild child" living it up among high society. She even has a fling with Bob Townsend (Lester Vail) without benefit of marriage.

All too soon Bonnie's life is upended with her father (William Holden) loses his fortune in the stock market crash and dies.

Bob somewhat guiltily offers to marry Bonnie, but she senses he doesn't really want to and turns him down. Instead Bonnie and her brother Rod (William Bakewell) downsize from their mansion into a small apartment and Bonnie takes a job as a newspaper reporter.

Rod, on the other hand, doesn't have a work ethic and falls into easy money selling bootleg alcohol to his friends for gangster Jake Luva (Clark Gable). Rod ends up aiding and abetting Luva's men when they gun down several people, and he's also involved with the killing of Bonnie's reporter friend Bert (Cliff Edwards).

Bonnie goes undercover to find Bert's murderer, little dreaming where things will all end...

This is an entertaining film which I found an engrossing 80 minutes. Crawford had not entirely learned to tamp down on her facial expressions -- which would be used to great effect a couple decades later in SUDDEN FEAR (1952) -- but other than her tendency to overact with wild-eyes expressions in a couple spots, she's very good. Her Bonnie becomes increasingly sympathetic as she realizes the emptiness of her past life and works hard to build a respectable career.

There are some great little pre-Code moments, including Bonnie's boss telling her she has to be prepared to do anything when she goes undercover. The sharp look she gives him makes clear what "anything" means.

Vail is a milquetoast type as Bonnie's boyfriend, and given his previous attitudes toward Bonnie it's hard to understand why she eventually considers resuming their relationship.

This was Crawford's first film of several with Gable, and he's electrifying as quite an evil man. Without Gable this film would be more of a "run of the mill" tale, but with him it packs quite a punch. Even in relatively small early roles like this, Gable's star power was apparent -- all the more so in contrast to the film's ostensible leading man. Gable was truly "the King."

Natalie Moorhead plays Jake's moll, and I smiled during a scene where they light a cigarette, recognizing it from a montage in THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! (1974). The cast also includes Purnell Pratt, Joan Marsh, Hale Hamilton, Russell Hopton, and Sam McDaniel. Ann Dvorak is said to be a chorus girl, but I didn't spot her.

The movie was directed by Harry Beaumont from a screenplay by Aurania Rouverol. The cinematography was by Charles Rosher.

Warner Archive's Blu-ray is from a 1080p HD master of a 4K scan of the original nitrate negative. It looks wonderful for a film of its age, and sound quality is very good.

Disc extras include the 51-minute documentary HOLLYWOOD: THE DREAM FACTORY (1972), plus the cartoons ONE MORE TIME (1931 and SMILE, DARN YA, SMILE! (1931).

DANCE, FOOLS, DANCE isn't a classic, but I quite enjoyed both the film and the print quality. This release is particularly recommended for fans of Crawford, Gable, and pre-Codes.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, the Amazon Warner Archive Collection Store, or from any online retailers were Blu-rays are sold.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...I'm looking forward to a forthcoming book on actor John Hodiak by David C. Tucker. It will be published by McFarland. Tucker has previously written books on Rochelle Hudson and Gale Storm, as well as an interesting book on Pine-Thomas Productions.

...And speaking of the Gale Storm book, I just ordered it from McFarland, which is currently having a 40% off sale. The sale lasts through November 27th; use the checkout code HOLIDAY23. I also ordered COLUMBIA NOIR by Gene Blottner (author of a couple great books including UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL WESTERNS) and SILENT FILM'S LAST HURRAH by David Meuel (THE NOIR WESTERN).

...Turner Classic Movies has announced that the TCM Classic Cruise will return in the fall of 2024. The cruise will take place October 26-31, departing Fort Lauderdale for Cozumel and Disney's Castaway Cay.

...TCM has also announced a new podcast hosted by Ben Mankiewicz, "Talking Pictures: A Movie Memories Podcast." Variety has details.

...From the Hollywood Reporter: "Why the Dying DVD Business Could be Headed for a Resurrection."

...The Criterion Channel streaming service has an excellent December lineup with collections including "Holiday Noir," "MGM Musicals," "Hitchcock for the Holidays," and "Directed by Yasujiro Ozu."

...The Criterion Collection hasn't released many classic-era films recently, so it came as good news that Raoul Walsh's THE ROARING TWENTIES (1939) will be out from Criterion in late February. It stars James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Priscilla Lane, and Jeffrey Lynn.

...An intriguing forthcoming Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber Studio Classics: ALASKA SEAS (1954) starring Robert Ryan, Jan Sterling, Brian Keith, and Gene Barry.

...Kino Lorber has also announced January 16th Blu-ray releases of RUN SILENT RUN DEEP (1958) and THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING, THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING (1966). The print of RUN SILENT RUN DEEP is said to be an improvement over a previous Blu-ray release.

...From Vulture: "Nobody Told Hallmark Channel That Cable is Dead." Given the financial issues many streaming services are currently facing, Hallmark's continued investment in cable productions is looking quite prescient.

...As someone who's sometimes gone to movies alone since I got my driver's license, I enjoyed "Why I Go to Movie Theaters Alone: Solitude Meets Community."

...LAist takes a look at the history of the century-old Vista Theater in Los Angeles, which has just reopened under the ownership of Quentin Tarantino.

...Recent film reviews I've enjoyed: Ruth at Silver Screenings takes a look at Disney's classic tearjerker OLD YELLER (1957)...Colin has reviewed Alan Ladd in DRUM BEAT (1954) for his blog Riding the High Country...At Comet Over Hollywood Jessica reviewed the hard-to-find A WAVE, A WAC AND A MARINE (1944)...I love Karen's review of the B (C?) movie JAIL BAIT (1954) at her blog Shadows and Satin...At Out of the Past, Raquel has recently reviewed the Undercrank Productions Blu-ray set Raymond Griffith: The Silk Hat Comedian.

...Notable Passing: Roger Kastel, who created the posters for JAWS (1974) and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980), has died at the age of 92. I feel his EMPIRE STRIKES BACK poster is one of the greatest movie posters ever created; I can still remember how I felt when I first saw it and how much I wanted to see the movie.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please check out my November 11th roundup.

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