Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Kino Lorber Studio Classics has announced several exciting Blu-ray titles will be released on May 28th. They include THE HOUR BEFORE THE DAWN (1944) with Franchot Tone and Veronica Lake, THE CHASE (1946) with Steve Cochran and Michele Morgan, SAIGON (1947) starring Lake and Alan Ladd, and PURSUED (1947) with Robert Mitchum and Teresa Wright. All of the discs will have audio commentaries; PURSUED is especially notable, as the track will be by Imogen Sara Smith, author of IN LONELY PLACES: FILM NOIR BEYOND THE CITY. THE CHASE is a reissue of a 2016 release, with an improved print.

...Coming to Blu-ray April 30th from the Warner Archive Collection: DEVIL'S DOORWAY (1950) starring Robert Taylor, directed by Anthony Mann.

...Spellbound with Beth Ann and Critica Retro will be cohosting the 2024 Luso World Cinema Blogathon May 4-6. This is the blogathon's fourth year. Details are here.

...New film books of interest: JOAN CRAWFORD IN FILM NOIR: THE ACTRESS AS AUTEUR by David Meuel has been published by McFarland. Meuel's other books include THE NOIR WESTERN: DARKNESS ON THE RANGE, 1943-1962...There's a new book in the Reel West series from University of New Mexico Press: RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY by Robert Nott...Also published in March: THE CAVALRY TRILOGY: JOHN FORD, JOHN WAYNE, AND THE MAKING OF THREE CLASSIC WESTERNS by Michael Blake. It's published by Rowman & Littlefield's TwoDot imprint.

...Attention Southern Californians: Kim has a preview of the UCLA Festival of Preservation at her blog I See a Dark Theater. The festival takes place at the Billy Wilder Theater from April 5th through 7th...There's a terrific ongoing series at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, "Screwball Sundays." Comedy classics showing in April and May include THE PALM BEACH STORY (1942) and TROUBLE IN PARADISE (1932).

...Notable Passings: Louis Gossett Jr., who won the Oscar for AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN (1982), has died at 87. When I think of Gossett, the first thing that comes to mind is his two guest roles on THE ROCKFORD FILES in 1976 and '77...Jennifer Leak, who played daughter Colleen in YOURS, MINE AND OURS (1968), has passed away at 76. Her death was announced by her first husband, actor Tim Matheson, who was also in YOURS, MINE AND OURS. After leaving Hollywood in the '80s she became a real estate agent...Actor Ron Harper, of TV's PLANET OF THE APES (1974) and LAND OF THE LOST (1976), has died at 91...Eli Noyes, who worked in stop motion and clay animation, has died at 81.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my March 23rd column.

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