Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Great news from the Warner Archive Collection: One of my favorite Jeanette MacDonald-Nelson Eddy musicals, SWEETHEARTS (1938), will be released on Blu-ray in October.

...Other Warner Archive titles coming in October include the TV series A MAN CALLED SHENANDOAH (1965-66), starring Robert Horton; THE RETURN OF DR. X (1936); THE WALKING DEAD (1936); and THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS (1946).

...A brand-new book from McFarland: KING VIDOR IN FOCUS: ON THE FILMMAKER'S ARTISTRY AND VISION by Kevin L. Stoehr and Cullen Gallagher.

...Coming from Kino Lorber in October: A two-film set of Cab Calloway films, HI DE HO (1947) and BOARDING HOUSE BLUES (1948). The Blu-ray set contains 4K restorations from original negatives.

...And coming to Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics: THE COURT-MARTIAL OF BILLY MITCHELL (1955) will be out in October, with CALIFORNIA (1947) to follow in November.

...From the Associated Press: "What's Hot in Theaters? Old Movies - and Some That Aren't So Old." Topics include Fathom Events screenings; Fathom will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year.

...I've been reading Ed Morrissey's columns for a couple decades or so now and was interested to read his take on the new film REAGAN (2024). The cast includes Dennis Quaid in the title role and Lesley-Anne Down as Margaret Thatcher.

...I enjoyed "Crimson Kimono: A Little Tokyo Time Capsule," by J.K. Yamamoto, a story inspired by a recent screening of THE CRIMSON KIMONO (1959) at the Academy Museum. James Shigeta is seen here in a still from the film.

...Attention Southern Californians: In September Leonard Maltin will be hosting half a dozen rarely shown 1930s Universal Pictures films at the New Beverly Cinema. All six films will be screened in 35mm. Maltin shares details on the titles here.

...It's a great classic movie weekend in the Los Angeles area. Although I'm not attending Cinecon over Labor Day Weekend this year, today I saw THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938) in 35mm at the Egyptian Theatre, and tomorrow I'll be seeing a digital presentation of STAGECOACH (1939) at the Academy Museum. This will be my first time to see a film in the museum's David Geffen Theater.

...Last month I shared info on an upcoming screening of THE TIME MACHINE (1960) and animated Puppetoons shorts at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills; the screening takes place on October 5th. I've also learned that the following day, October 6th, The Frida Cinema in Santa Ana will screen THE WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953) along with Puppetoons. I had a great time at a similar WAR OF THE WORLDS screening in May and highly recommend going. Both "Flights of Fantasy" screenings include discussions with Arnold Leibovit, who to date has released three volumes of restored Puppetoons on Blu-ray.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my August 24th column.

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New at Classic Movie Hub: Westerns for Young Viewers

This month my Western RoundUp column for Classic Movie Hub focuses on "Westerns for Young Viewers."

I suggest eight films which might particularly appeal to children, including favorite Western titles such as RIO GRANDE (1950), CATTLE DRIVE (1951), and HONDO (1953).

Please click over to Classic Movie Hub to check it out, and thanks, as always, 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; November 2023; December 2023; January 2024; February 2024; March 2024; April 2024; May 2024; June 2024; July 2024.

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Tonight's Movie: Act of Violence (1948) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The outstanding ACT OF VIOLENCE (1948) has been released on a beautiful Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection.

I first saw this film in 2018 at the Noir City Film Festival. Revisiting it at home half a dozen years later, I found myself just as impressed as I was on my initial big screen viewing.

ACT OF VIOLENCE is very well written, with a compact screenplay by Robert L. Richards based on a story by Collier Young. The movie runs a crisp 82 minutes and is all the better for the short running time. Virtually every scene packs a punch.

Everything else about the film fires on all cylinders, with the entire cast superb under the direction of Fred Zinnemann.

World War II veteran Frank Enley (Van Heflin) lives in the California suburb of Santa Lisa. He has a charming young wife (Janet Leigh), a baby boy (Larry and Leslie Holt), a lovely home, and a thriving construction business.

Everything turns on its head when a limping stranger, Joe Parkson (Robert Ryan), comes calling one day while Frank is out of town. Edith tells the stranger that Frank has gone fishing. Joe follows Frank to the lake, with murder clearly on his mind...he's carrying a gun. But why?

We eventually learn that Joe isn't necessarily the bad guy in this story; he wants revenge for something very bad Frank did in a POW camp.

The film is powerfully acted by its top cast. As one would expect, Heflin and Ryan are each outstanding, as is the great Mary Astor as a floozie who becomes involved in Frank's problems.

That said, as I noted in 2018 the standout among those experienced actors is the 21-year-old Leigh as the innocent young wife whose ideal world comes crashing down around her. I really feel that in many ways ACT OF VIOLENCE is Leigh's film, as we watch the tragedy unfold through her eyes. She's incredibly moving, particularly during her final scenes as she tries to assure her husband that she loves him despite his imperfections.

I went into considerable detail about the movie in my 2018 review, and I'd like to invite readers to click over to read it for additional thoughts on this very fine film.

The Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray print is a new 1080 HD master of a 4K scan of "best preservation elements." It beautifully shows off the haunting black and white cinematography of Robert Surtees. The shots of the dark streets of Los Angeles, including the Angels' Flight Railway, are quite memorable.

Disc extras consist of the trailer; the featurette "Act of Violence: Dealing With the Devil," which was part of the original 2007 DVD release; a 2007 commentary track by longtime University of Southern California cinema professor Drew Casper; and the cartoons GOGGLE FISHING BEAR (1949) and THE SHELL SHOCKED EGG (1948).

Highly recommended.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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Tonight's Movie: No Way Out (1987) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

One of the more memorable films of the '80s, NO WAY OUT (1987), has just been released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber.

A 4K edition packaged with the Blu-ray is also available.

Star Kevin Costner had a remarkable, star-making run of films in the late '80s, with this film preceded by SILVERADO (1985) and THE UNTOUCHABLES (1987); NO WAY OUT was then followed by BULL DURHAM (1988), FIELD OF DREAMS (1989), and DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990). He's been a favorite of mine for close to four decades now.

I first saw NO WAY OUT on its original theatrical release, then revisited it and reviewed it here in 2011. This was my first time to watch it in 13 years, and I thoroughly enjoyed it all over again.

NO WAY OUT's screenplay by Robert Garland is based on the Kenneth Fearing novel THE BIG CLOCK, which was filmed in 1948. My reviews of the excellent earlier film may be found here and here.

The 1987 film makes significant plot changes, including an oddball ending which will not be discussed here. I really like the creative way most of the story was reworked, including changing the setting from a stylish magazine publisher's office to the mazes of the Pentagon. This is one of those times when I feel a remake was more than justified.

Costner plays naval hero Tom Farrell, who's appointed to be an aide to prickly Secretary of Defense David Brice (Gene Hackman).

Shortly after arriving in Washington Farrell begins an affair with free-spirited Susan Atwell (Sean Young). Unfortunately Atwell is also the married Brice's mistress, but she loves Tom and pledges to break off the relationship with Brice. Brice kills Atwell in a jealous rage.

Brice and his overly devoted aide/"cleanup man" Scott Pritchard (Will Patton) plan to frame the mysterious other man in Atwell's life for her murder and Farrell is deputized to investigate.

Farrell, who has been stunned to learn of Atwell's death, has to find a way to prove that Brice is the murderer before the investigation closes in on...himself.

There's much more to the plot, with many twists and turns, but the less said the better; this film is great fun to discover while watching. It's a highly entertaining 114 minutes featuring strong performances all the way around.

NO WAY OUT is interesting to the modern viewer in another way; it's one of those movies like another film from the same year, BABY BOOM (1987), which is both "so near and yet so far." Other than the "big hair" it seems very modern...but computers are primitive and use floppy discs, and urgent secret phone calls must be made on pay phones. I've often reflected on how the advent of widespread cellphone use has changed plotting in movies.

For additional analysis of the characters and performances, I invite readers to click over to my detailed 2011 review.

NO WAY OUT was directed by Roger Donaldson and filmed by John Alcott. The supporting cast includes Fred Thompson, Howard Duff, George Dzunda, and Iman.

A side note for anyone who may be wondering: This film has no connection to the 1950 film of the same name which starred Sidney Poitier, Richard Widmark, and Linda Darnell.

Parental Advisory: NO WAY OUT is a strong R rating due to nudity, language, violence, and mature themes. The nude scenes are completely unnecessary and detract rather than add from the film. They are really my only significant complaint, other than That Ending.

Kino Lorber's print is from a new HD master from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative. The Blu-ray looks great.  I did notice I had to turn my TV sound up quite a bit higher than usual for the soundtrack to play at what I consider a normal level.

Disc extras consist of a new commentary track by Steve Mitchell and Richard Brewer, as well as an archival commentary by director Donaldson; an interview with Donaldson; and the trailer.

Recommended.

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

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...This week's roundup will be relatively brief, as I'm shorter on time than usual this weekend. My plans include participating in the first-ever Pixie Dust Dash game at Disneyland this evening. It's being put on by MouseAdventure, which also hosts the scavenger hunts our family has participated in for many years.

...Kino Lorber made more exciting Dark Side of Cinema announcements this week: Volumes XXIV and XXV are on the way! XXIV will include UNION STATION (1950), JENNIFER (1953), and THE CROOKED CIRCLE (1957), while XXV will contain THE FLAME (1947), CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS (1953), and HELL'S HALF ACRE (1954). Some of these titles were previously released by Olive Films, but I'm completely unfamiliar with THE CROOKED CIRCLE and THE FLAME.

...Glenn Erickson has reviewed the recent Kino Lorber release of HIGH NOON (1952). For anyone who might have missed my own take a few weeks ago, it was posted in my Western RoundUp column at Classic Movie Hub.

...Henry C. Parke has interviewed Rory Calhoun's daughter Athena for the Inspiration Channel. Thanks to longtime reader Ashley for passing on the link.

...Over at 50 Westerns From the 50s, Toby has news of new "double feature" Blu-rays and DVDs on the way from Kit Parker Films. These prints are upgraded prints from prior releases. The first set will feature Audie Murphy in APACHE RIFLES (1964) and Rod Cameron in the excellent PANHANDLE (1948). Toby will be providing intros!

...Attention Southern Californians: On October 17th the Academy Museum will host a 70mm screening of WEST SIDE STORY (1961), along with an in-person interview with Rita Moreno.

...Notable Passing: Actor John Aprea has died at 83. His many roles in film and television included playing the young Tessio in THE GODFATHER PART II (1974).

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my August 17th column.

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Quick Preview of TCM in October

Here's a brief look at what's coming to Turner Classic Movies this October!

The October Star of the Month will be horror film legend Bela Lugosi. Lugosi films, including DRACULA (1931), THE WOLF MAN (1941), and many more, will be shown on Wednesday evenings.

The TCM Spotlight on Tuesdays will focus on Period Dramas, with a Special Theme on Thursdays being Creepy Cinema, hosted by Mario Cantone.

I mentioned in my September preview that political films would be featured on Friday evenings next month. Today TCM announced in The Hollywood Reporter that those films are part of a two-month series running from September through October: "Making Change: The Most Important Political Films of All Time."

The full list of political films, as well as guest presenters, is included in the Hollywood Reporter article. TCM also Tweeted a short promo video today.

The October Noir Alley films are DETOUR (1945), THE CROOKED WAY (1949), and TOO LATE FOR TEARS (1949), with the last title of the month still to be announced.

TCM premieres in October include INVADERS FROM MARS (1953) and MYSTIC PIZZA (1988).

October programming themes include twins, lawyers, 1950s musicals, boxers, and sisters. In addition to the previously mentioned Creepy Cinema and Bela Lugosi programming, both October 30th and Halloween will feature suspense and horror films.

Filmmakers honored with multifilm tributes in October will include Robert Z. Leonard, Agnes Moorehead, Ricardo Montalban, Dennis Morgan, and Laurel and Hardy.

There are still a number of blanks on the schedule, so there may be more interesting announcements closer to October! I'll have much more information about TCM's October schedule posted here around October 1st.

In the meantime, Summer Under the Stars continues through August 31st, and Lauren Bacall will be the September Star of the Month.

Update: For more on TCM in October 2024, please visit TCM in October: Highlights.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...I had a wonderful four days at the D23 Expo and D23 Day at Disneyland. The most memorable Expo moments for me revolved around seeing Hayley Mills in person! Watching her duet "Let's Get Together" from THE PARENT TRAP (1961) live with Lesley Ann "Cinderella" Warren was almost an out-of-body experience, steeped in nostalgia. (Click on the photo to enlarge for a closer look.) I came home to a very heavy workload which has prevented me from resuming blogging before today, but I hope to share more about it here before long.

...By the way, did you know that Hayley stars as an FBI profiler in a brand-new M. Night Shyamalan film, TRAP (2024)?

...Coming to Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection this November: SCARFACE (1932), starring Paul Muni, Boris Karloff, George Raft, and Ann Dvorak, directed by Howard Hawks.

...Here's an overview of "New and Notable Books" from Leonard Maltin.

...Another new book is out next month from Disney Editions: DREAM CHASING: MY FOUR DECADES OF SUCCESS AND FAILURE WITH WALT DISNEY IMAGINEERING by Bob Weis.

...The latest film reviews from some of my favorite sites: Colin reviews Tony Curtis and Gilbert Roland in THE MIDNIGHT STORY (1957) at Riding the High Country...Jessica reviewed OKLAHOMA! (1955) at her site Comet Over Hollywood...This week CineSavant Glenn Erickson has reviewed NORTHWEST PASSAGE (1940) and MARIE: A TRUE STORY (1985) at Trailers From Hell. Both films are new Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray releases. I expect to review MARIE here in a few weeks.

...Check out the fun "Film Friday" post by Kristina at Speakeasy. She's also recently reviewed the "B" films ISLE OF MISSING MEN (1942) and IDENTITY UNKNOWN (1945); the latter film was also recommended to me by historian Jeremy Arnold.

...The Criterion Channel's September streaming lineup includes "Courtroom Dramas" and "Rebels at the Typewriter: Women Screenwriters of the 1930s."

...Exciting news from Kino Lorber Studio Classics: The previously announced Dark Side of Cinema XXII collection now has a release date of October 15th, and Volume XXIII was just announced! Volume XXII will feature commentary tracks by Alan K. Rode for THE ENFORCER (1951) and THE SCARLET HOUR (1956), while Jeremy Arnold does the honors for PLUNDER ROAD (1957); this is especially exciting for me as I first saw both THE ENFORCER and THE SCARLET HOUR at Rode's Arthur Lyons Film Noir Fest. Volume XXIII promises some wonderful exploration with the lesser-known titles ROPE OF SAND (1949), KISS TOMORROW GOODBYE (1950), and NEVER LOVE A STRANGER (1958).

...I spoke with historian J.B. Kaufman briefly at last weekend's D23 Expo and had the chance to tell him how much I enjoy his "Movie of the Month" column. For August he's reviewed Francis Ford in THE CRAVING (1918), which is available from Ben Model's Undercrank Productions. As mentioned here in June, Kaufman most recently co-authored a new book from the Hyperion Historical Alliance, WALT DISNEY & EL GRUPO IN LATIN AMERICA. My copy recently arrived and it's beautiful!

...Notable Passings: NCIS producer George Schenck, the son of classic film producer Aubrey Schenck and great-nephew of classic era studio heads Nicholas and Joseph Schenck, has passed away at 82...Famed agent Jay Kanter has died at 97. Kanter's storied life is recounted in this interesting obituary by Mike Barnes...Actor Robert Logan (77 SUNSET STRIP) has passed on at 82...Game show host Peter Marshall (THE HOLLYWOOD SQUARES), the brother of the late actress Joanne Dru, has died at 98. Early in his career Marshall had a comedy act with Tommy Noonan, who was the half-brother of Dru's husband John Ireland...LASSIE trainer Bob Weatherwax, the son of original Lassie trainer Rudd Weatherwax, has passed away at 83. Weatherwax came from a family of animal trainers; his uncle Jack trained "Toto" for THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939).

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my August 3rd column.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week...

...will not appear this weekend, as I'm attending the biannual D23 Expo in Anaheim.

The column will return on August 17th.

For recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my August 3rd column.

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Off to the 2024 D23 Expo!

It's hard to believe that two years have passed since the last Disney D23 Expo!

Today we attended the first-ever D23 Day at Disneyland, which included a brief parade with numerous Disney Legends. I'll be at the Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center all weekend, from Friday, August 9th, through Sunday the 11th.

This is the eighth D23 Expo. After attending one day to "sample" the first Expo 15 years ago, in the years since I've attended all three days of every Expo.  The Expos are normally held every other year.

We count ourselves fortunate to have "floor" tickets for each day, as tickets for the most part sold out during the "pre-sales" for select groups, before going on sale to the general public. By the time we were able to purchase, the tickets for the evening panels at the Honda Center -- something new this year -- were completely sold out.

I'm not sure we'll mind missing out on the chaos of moving from the Anaheim Convention Center to the Honda Center at the end of each long day, though the panels will all be fun. But we've got plenty to do at the Convention Center!

Some of the panels of interest this year include "Disneyland Foods: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow"; "Walt Disney and El Grupo: A Journey Through Latin America"; "Jolly Holiday: A Musical Celebration of Richard M. Sherman"; and "Walt Disney Treasures: Personal Art and Artifacts from the Walt Disney Family Museum."

We're also hoping to go to the Friday night Princess Concert. We attended a similar concert last year and thought it was fantastic.

There is much, much more to see this weekend, including not just floor exhibits but lots of great shopping.

For "as it happens" photos this weekend, please follow my Twitter account. I hope to share more about the Expo here in the future.

Previously: Off to the 2015 D23 Expo!, Off to the 2017 D23 Expo!, Off to the 2019 D23 Expo!, Off to the 2022 D23 Expo!

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Cinecon Classic Film Festival Opens in Beverly Hills August 29th

The Cinecon Classic Film Festival opens in Beverly Hills on Thursday, August 29th, 2024.

The festival, which takes place this year at the Writers Guild of America Theater on South Doheny Drive, runs through Labor Day, September 2nd.

I very much enjoyed attending the festival in the years 2017-2019 -- coverage links may be found at the bottom of this post -- and while I'm not yet certain if and when I'll be attending this year, I wanted to alert my readers to the many interesting things taking place at the festival.

This is the 60th edition of Cinecon, which focuses on relatively rare, hard-to-find films. I've seen some real gems at past festivals! The movies are screened both digitally and on film.

This year's guests include former teen actor Tommy Cook, who I was fortunate to see at the Noir City Hollywood Festival last year; Russ Tamblyn (at a screening of THE KID FROM CLEVELAND); George Chakiris; Tina Cole; Stefanie Powers; Neile Adams McQueen; and former child actress Cora Sue Collins, who is now 97.

Some of the titles which I find especially intriguing:

*FORCED LANDING (1935), a Republic Pictures film with Esther Ralston, Onslow Stevens, and Toby Wing. I love aviation films!

*THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE (1940), a film version of the Rodgers & Hart musical starring Allan Jones, Irene Hervey, Martha Raye, Charles Butterworth, and Rosemary Lane.

*SONG OF ARIZONA (1946) with Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, and Tommy Cook.

*LANCER SPY (1937) starring George Sanders, Dolores Del Rio, and Peter Lorre.

*THE HARVESTER (1936), a Gene Stratton-Porter story filmed with Alice Brady, Ann Rutherford, and Cora Sue Collins.

*THE BRIDE WORE CRUTCHES (1941), a "B" film with Lynne Roberts and Ted North.

*HOTEL FOR WOMEN (1939) starring Linda Darnell, Ann Sothern, James Ellison, and Lynn Bari.

The last four films listed above are all shown on Labor Day, and I hope to be there if possible.

Sadly, a film I was especially interested in from the original schedule, MOON OVER BURMA (1940), appears to have fallen off the schedule, unless its omission was accidental. Robert Preston, Dorothy Lamour, and Preston Foster sounds like my kind of movie!

Festival tickets are being handled via Eventbrite. Both full festival passes and day passes are available.

Previously: Cinecon 53 (2017), Cinecon 54 (2018), Cinecon 55 (2019).

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Kino Lorber Studio Classics has now announced a September 24th release date for a pair of previously announced Alan Ladd films, RED MOUNTAIN (1951) and BOTANY BAY (1953). RED MOUNTAIN will be a scan of the original nitrate camera negative, with a commentary track by Samm Deighan. BOTANY BAY will have a commentary by Heath Holland of Cereal at Midnight.

...Kino Lorber Studio Classics has also announced that THE BALLAD OF JOSIE (1967) starring Doris Day is "coming soon," and the new documentary MADE IN ENGLAND: THE FILMS OF POWELL AND PRESSBURGER (2024) will be coming out October 1st from the Kino Lorber/Cohen Media Group Contemporary Classics line.

...I'm very excited that Sony is following the excellent Blu-ray releases of the pre-Codes COCKTAIL HOUR (1933) and MAN'S CASTLE (1933) with ONCE TO EVERY WOMAN (1934). ONCE TO EVERY WOMAN stars Ralph Bellamy and Fay Wray. It will be released on September 10th.

...At Once Upon a Screen Aurora previews Capitolfest, which takes place in Rome, New York, this month. This year's festival celebrates Reginald Denny and Edward Everett Horton.

...Last week I revisited PARKLAND (2013) for the first time in a decade. I again found it a very interesting "procedural" on how medical staff and law enforcement handled the assassination of President Kennedy. I appreciate the movie's unique perspectives.

...Greenbriar Picture Shows has an interesting post on John Wayne and Raoul Walsh's THE BIG TRAIL (1930). I shared thoughts on THE BIG TRAIL here after revisiting it at the Lone Pine Film Festival in 2018.

...New book: MADE IN CALIFORNIA, VOLUME 2: THE CALIFORNIA-BORN BURGER JOINTS, DINERS, FAST FOOD & RESTAURANTS THAT CHANGED AMERICA, 1951-2010. I have three other California restaurant history books by author George Geary, including Volume 1, and they're all excellent, so I'll definitely be getting this.

...Notable Passings: Writer Gail Lumet Buckley, daughter of the late Lena Horne, has died at 86. She was the ex-wife of director Sidney Lumet...Dancer-Choreographer-Actor Bobby Banas has passed away at 90. His onscreen dance roles included Joyboy in WEST SIDE STORY (1961) and a chimney sweep in MARY POPPINS (1964)...Daniel Selznick, son of David O. and Irene Mayer Selznick, has died at 88. I saw him at a Noir City Hollywood screening in 2011; when I noticed him he was chatting with Ann Rutherford, who played Carreen O'Hara in his father's most famous film, GONE WITH THE WIND (1939). An important link to the Classic Hollywood era, now gone...

...Please note that Around the Blogosphere This Week will not appear next weekend, as I will be attending the Disney D23 Expo. The column will return on August 17th.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my July 27th column.

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Quick Preview of TCM in September

It's time for a brief look ahead at what's in store this September on Turner Classic Movies!

TCM will be honoring Lauren Bacall as the September Star of the Month. Her films will be shown on Monday evenings, including on the September 16th centennial of the actress's birth.

The September Noir Alley films are OUT OF THE PAST (1947), A LADY WITHOUT PASSPORT (1950), SPLIT SECOND (1953), and HIGH WALL (1947).

The TCM Spotlight on Wednesdays will focus on studio directors, while a "Special Theme" on Fridays will be political films.  (Update: Here's more on the political film series from The Hollywood Reporter.  The two-month series will continue in October.)

September programming themes include trains, James Stewart Westerns, Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals, animals, family secrets, prisons, and Mexico. National Silent Movie Day will be celebrated on the evening of September 29th.

September will feature memorial tributes to Barbara Rush and Donald Sutherland. Additional filmmakers receiving multifilm tributes in September include Alan Ladd, Virginia Mayo, Robert Wise, Val Lewton, Joseph Calleia, Brian Donlevy, Helen Morgan, Mickey Rooney, and Deborah Kerr.

I'll have more information about the September schedule posted here around September 1st. In the meantime, the annual Summer Under the Stars festival is now underway!

Update: For much more on TCM in September 2024, please visit TCM in September: Highlights.

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TCM in August: Summer Under the Stars Highlights

It's time for the annual August Summer Under the Stars festival on Turner Classic Movies!

For a quick overview of this month's 31 stars, please visit the list in my June preview post.  For the films themselves, TCM has a printable schedule available.

As always, TCM's regular franchises go on "summer vacation" in August, including Noir Alley and Silent Sunday Nights. The normal schedule will resume in September.

Below are just a few of this month's highlights. Please click on any hyperlinked title to read a complete review.

...I'm later than usual getting this posted due to a heavy workweek, but I'm not too late to note a couple very entertaining William Powell movies airing overnight! THE EX-MRS. BRADFORD (1936), costarring Jean Arthur, and JEWEL ROBBERY (1932), costarring Kay Francis, are part of the first Summer Under the Stars Day, which started on August 1st and carries over into the 2nd. Set those DVRs!

...August 2nd is Ida Lupino Day! There are many good films being shown, and I've recommended several in the past. For this day I'm particularly recommending THE MAN I LOVE (1947), which I just revisited for the first time in years and absolutely loved. Hopefully TCM will be showing the restored print with Ida singing "Bill."

...Another all-time favorite, John Wayne, will be celebrated on August 3rd. The day's movies range from Wayne's early B Westerns through a WWII film, classic Ford Westerns, and more. The evening features an interesting lineup including my two favOrite non-Ford, non-Hawks Wayne Westerns, ANGEL AND THE BADMAN (1947) and TALL IN THE SADDLE (1944).

...Gordon MacRae is one of the stars being featured for the first time. Primetime will have a double bill of his two big Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals, OKLAHOMA! (2955) and CAROUSEL (1956). Neither are shown frequently on TCM so be sure to catch them on August 5th.

...Jean Harlow is celebrated on August 6th. There are a number of great pre-Codes, including one of my favorites, HOLD YOUR MAN (1933) with Clark Gable. Seeing it at UCLA over a dozen years ago is a treasured memory.

...Eleanor Powell has her first-ever Summer Under the Stars Day on August 8th. All her musicals are worth seeing, including LADY BE GOOD (1941).

...August 11th is Cary Grant Day! I've seen all but the very last movie on his schedule, and they're all worth seeing. This month I'll particularly recommend TOPPER (1937) which might have been the first Cary Grant film I ever saw.

...Anita Page is another actress being celebrated for the very first time during this year's Summer Under the Stars festival. Her special day is August 12th. I've seen several of her films and especially enjoyed OUR MODERN MAIDENS (1929).

...Anne Bancroft's day on August 14th includes an Audie Murphy film I've not yet seen, WALK THE PROUD LAND (1956). I don't think I've seen a bad Murphy Western yet, so I'm assuming it's worth seeing!

...Joseph Cotten is celebrated on August 15th. Among the films shown are favorites PORTRAIT OF JENNIE (1948) and SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943). Very different movies and characters, and both very worthwhile.

...August 16th is Jane Russell Day. I especially enjoy THE LAS VEGAS STORY (1952) with Victor Mature and Vincent Price. It's just a fun film!

...I'm truly delighted that one of my favorite actresses, Jeanne Crain, will be honored on August 20th. I've seen most of the movies shown and am especially thrilled that all-time favorite MARGIE (1946) will be shown in prime time. Robert Osborne loved it so much that he showed it on TCM on Christmas Eve in 2011.

...It's hard to believe this is Grace Kelly's first time being honored during Summer Under the Stars. There's a great lineup of her films on August 24th, including everybody's favorite, REAR WINDOW (1954).

...There's a wonderfully diverse list of films being shown on August 25th, which is Fred MacMurray Day. Among the films is SWING HIGH, SWING LOW (1937) with Carole Lombard. I'll be interested to see what the print is like; I saw a great one at UCLA a dozen years ago but it's usually shown on TV looking kind of rough. Regardless, I'm really glad it's being shown.

...Donna Reed is on the schedule for August 26th! I recommend trying out the unusual, little-known Western GENTLE ANNIE (1944) with James Craig and Marjorie Main. It's very good.

...I'm a big Ginger Rogers fan so I'm delighted to see her films being shown on August 30th. I've seen all but one of the films being shown. I'll recommend SHALL WE DANCE (1937), one of her relatively lesser-known films with Fred Astaire which I revisited for the first time in years a couple years ago.

There are many, many more terrific films on this month's schedule! I highly recommend taking the time to explore the schedule in detail, and whenever possible take a "deep dive" on an actor's filmography. This month is a wonderful opportunity for both longtime movie fans and those newer to classic films.

For more on TCM in August 2024, please check out my Quick Preview of TCM in August and TCM's Summer Under the Stars schedule.

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