Tonight's Movie: Shack Out on 101 (1955) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

The Dark Side of Cinema sets are coming out at a great clip from Kino Lorber!

I have films from multiple Dark Side of Cinema sets in line to review. First up is SHACK OUT ON 101 (1955) from the Kino Lorber Dark Side of Cinema XXI collection.

I first saw SHACK OUT ON 101 in 2013 when it was released on DVD by the late, lamented Olive Films.

I absolutely adored this crazy movie when I first saw it and felt the same way over a decade later. An IMDb review has it right, saying it "feels like it was shot on break from a really fun beach party."

SHACK OUT ON 101 was directed by Edward Dein, from a story and script he cowrote with his wife Mildred Dein.

For the most part it's a one-set wonder which takes place in the title "shack," a little diner on the Pacific Coast. A handful of beach exteriors were shot at Malibu.

The diner's denizens include genial owner George (Keenan Wynn); comely waitress "Kotty" (Terry Moore), who's studying for the civil service exam; the aptly named cook "Slob" (Lee Marvin), who hates pretty much everyone; and George's war buddy Eddie (Whit Bissell), a traveling salesman who's a frequent customer.

Also on hand is the mild-mannered Sam Bastion (Frank Lovejoy), a university professor who's Kotty's boyfriend -- their scenes generate some real heat -- but we soon realize he's much more than he initially seems to be. So, for that matter, are a pair of mysterious poultry truck drivers (Jess Barker and Donald Murphy).

There's no end to the strange goings-on at the diner, which also involve Commies, microfilm, seashells, and a harpoon, but it's best to leave it to viewers to discover this joyously weird 80-minute bundle of fun for the first time.

For anyone wanting to dig deeper, my 2013 review goes into additional detail.

The other films in the Dark Side XXI collection are CLOAK AND DAGGER (1946) with Gary Cooper and Lilli Palmer and SHORT CUT TO HELL (1957), directed by James Cagney.

Kino Lorber's Blu-ray print for SHACK OUT ON 101 is from an HD master from a 4K scan. There's nothing particularly distinctive about Floyd Crosby's black and white cinematography, but it's a fine-looking disc with excellent sound.

Disc extras consist of a commentary track by Jason A. Ney plus three trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber.

SHACK OUT ON 101 is highly recommended. It may not be great "art" but it is great, great fun.

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

Tweet

New Western RoundUp Column at Classic Movie Hub

My latest Western RoundUp column has just been published at Classic Movie Hub.

My annual "B" Western Sampler covers four films from Lippert Pictures: DEPUTY MARSHAL (1949), COLORADO RANGER (1950), THREE DESPERATE MEN (1951), and OUTLAW WOMEN (1952).

Marie Windsor is seen here in OUTLAW WOMEN.

Please click over to Classic Movie Hub to read it, and thanks, as always, for your support of my Western RoundUp column!

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; August 2024.

Tweet

Tonight's Movie: Bwana Devil (1952) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

The first feature-length 3D film, BWANA DEVIL (1952), was released on Blu-ray this summer by Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

This impressive Blu-ray set includes three different versions of the film, including the 3D Film Archive's restoration of the 3D print from 4K scans of the original 35mm Ansco Color negatives.

The set features one 3D version for 3D Blu-ray players; another 3D print which can be viewed with anaglyphic red and blue glasses included in the set, as seen in the photograph below; and a "flat" 2D print.

This 79-minute film about man-eating lions in Kenya, written and directed by Arch Oboler, has many similarities to MAN-EATER OF KUMAON (1948), another Kino Lorber release I reviewed earlier this year.

Robert Stack, a champion skeet shooter offscreen, seems apt casting as lion hunter Bob Hayward. Hayward is supervising the building of a railroad in Africa, but the construction is disrupted by workers being killed by fearsome lions.

Bob and his friend Dr. McLean (Nigel Bruce) try to come up with ways to find and kill the lions, but things keep going from bad to worse, with an increasingly high body count.

Bob's bride Alice (Barbara Britton) shows up in Africa unexpectedly just as things are coming to a climax. After a terrible attack on the railroad camp, it's Bob and Alice against the lions, and only one side will survive.

The movie itself is frankly not particularly good. The story takes a while to get rolling, and Stack's Bob is initially presented as an irresponsible drunk, making it hard to warm up to his character.

Rob also bullies his workers. I'm accepting of the fact that movies from earlier eras won't always mesh with modern sensitivities, but the treatment of the frightened Africans and Indians in this film, other than an orphaned little boy, struck me as pretty egregious.

The movie picks up interest when lovely Barbara Britton arrives just about half an hour before the ending, but it's too little too late. Stack grows more likeable once she arrives, but there's little time to spend on their relationship, as bodies keep stacking up until the film finally reaches its ending.

Like MAN-EATER OF KUMAON, the film is quite depressing due to almost the entire running time being focused on killings. Fortunately the film is not graphic, only showing the leads' reactions to finding the bodies, but that's quite enough, especially when it comes to one particular corpse discovered near movie's end. It's to the actors' credit that their faces alone are able to convey what they're seeing.

From an historic perspective, of course, the interest level is quite different. Joseph F. Biroc and the uncredited William D. Snyder shot the film with all sorts of interesting 3D moments, starting with the opening credits (which I'd add are nicely scored by Gordon Jenkins). Even a love scene is played toward the 3D camera!

The movie was shot in Southern California but also effectively incorporates safari footage shot in Africa.

The movie's technical achievements and importance as the film which started the brief 3D craze in the early '50s make this a valuable watch despite story deficiencies. Kino Lorber has done something special here in making this set of "film history in a box" available to home viewers, and they're to be applauded.

The movie is presented as it was theatrically, preceded by an original 1952 explanatory prologue hosted by Lloyd Nolan, along with puppets Cecil and Beany, and midway through the film the original 1952 intermission "snipe" appears. Both the introduction and the intermission snipe are in black and white.

BWANA DEVIL is presented by Kino Lorber as a Special Edition in a cardboard slipcase, which is seen in the photo near the top of this review. Extras consist of the featurette THE STORY OF BWANA DEVIL with 3D historian Mike Ballew, which can be viewed in either 3D or flat versions, and two different trailers.

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

Tweet

Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Great news from Kino Lorber Studio Classics: CATTLE DRIVE (1951), starring Joel McCrea, will be coming to Blu-ray on November 19th. Coincidentally I recommended this film in my latest Classic Movie Hub Western RoundUp column, "Westerns for Young Viewers."

...Also out on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber on November 19th: CALIFORNIA (1947) starring Barbara Stanwyck and Ray Milland.

...More Kino Lorber news: On November 26th they will release a seven-film Blu-ray set containing all of the Hope-Crosby-Lamour "Road" movies. Just in time for Christmas!

...And "coming soon" from Kino Lorber: THE CONQUEROR (1956) with John Wayne and Susan Hayward, directed by Dick Powell. Unfortunately it is best known today for the unfortunate effects filming at a radioactive location had on the health of cast and crew.

...Disney+ is now officially cracking down on family members outside the same household sharing passwords.

...The new book MOGULS: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HOLLYWOOD FILM PIONEERS NICHOLAS AND JOSEPH SCHENCK has been reviewed by Stephen Reginald at Classic Movie Man. The book was written by Michael Benson and Craig Singer, published by Citadel Press.

...Check out the latest "Noir Nook" columns by Karen Burroughs Hannsberry for Classic Movie Hub: "International Femmes" and "Uncommon Ladies of Noir: Rhonda Fleming."

...At Riding the High Country Colin writes about CRIPPLE CREEK (1952) and RIDE OUT FOR REVENGE (1957), starring George Montgomery and Rory Calhoun.

...Universal has announced 10 new titles it will be restoring, including PHANTOM LADY (1944), TILL WE MEET AGAIN (1944), BEND OF THE RIVER (1952), and CHARADE (1963). The full list is here. The inclusion of Frank Borzage's TILL WE MEET AGAIN, starring Ray Milland and Barbara Britton, is particularly exciting to me as it's a real rarity.

...Some of you who stopped by in the last few days received an inadvertent preview of my upcoming Western RoundUp Classic Movie Hub column. It's been a very hectic few days and I didn't even notice I'd accidentally published it here. It's been taken down, but watch for my new column on "B" Westerns from Lippert Pictures, coming soon to Classic Movie Hub!  (Update: Here is the article!)

...Florence Pugh (LITTLE WOMEN, BLACK WIDOW) will be starring in a remake of EAST OF EDEN for Netflix.

...Next month Fathom Events will host 35th anniversary screenings of KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE (1989) nationwide. I thoroughly enjoyed it last year and might go see it again.

...Attention Southern Californians: On Halloween night NOSFERATU (1922) will be screened at the Walt Disney Concert Disney Hall with live organ accompaniment by Clark Wilson.

...For anyone who may have missed it, check out my preview of next month's Lone Pine Film Festival!

...Notable Passing: The great Maggie Smith has passed on at 89. She had a long, great career but will always be DOWNTON ABBEY's Lady Violet to me. "What is a week-end?"

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my September 21st column.

Tweet

Tonight's Movie: Marie: A True Story (1985) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

MARIE: A TRUE STORY (1985), also known simply as MARIE, was released on Blu-ray last month by the Warner Archive Collection.

Sissy Spacek plays the title role in this real-life story. As the movie begins, Marie Ragghianti leaves an abusive marriage to Dave (Vincent Irizarry) and takes her three young children to live with her mother (Collin Wilcox Paxton).

Marie juggles college with a job and after graduation asks a former school friend, Eddie Sisk (Jeff Daniels), for a job in the Tennessee governor's office.

Marie is hired to be an extradition officer and ultimately is promoted to be a liaison to the state parole board; Governor Ray Blanton (Don Hood) then appoints her the head of the parole board.

Marie gradually realizes that there are many quid pro quo situations going on with pardons, leading to the release of some people who have no business being out of prison. When Eddie and the governor realize she's not going to play along with the corrupt system, Marie is fired, but she courageously fights back with a wrongful termination lawsuit.

Ultimately Marie is vindicated, with Eddie and Governor Blanton eventually heading for jail.

Spacek is very appealing as the hard-working, determined Marie, and as she's onscreen the vast majority of the movie, she carries the film along and makes it worth watching.

The screenplay by John Briley -- based on a book by Peter Maas, who also wrote SERPICO -- frankly isn't always the most scintillating; I think the same story could have been written with somewhat sharper dialogue and more concisely than the film's 102 minutes. All the right elements are there, the script simply needed a more fine-tuned draft, in my opinion.

A subplot about Marie's young son's mysterious health condition is worrisome and distracting, slowing the movie's pace, and the murder of her friend (Keith Szarabajka) was apparently made up for the film; I couldn't find any information on it via an internet search.

Still, I found the movie engrossing, most particularly when the last third or so of the movie becomes a courtroom drama. This coincides with the most interesting aspect of the movie for me: This was the film debut of one of my favorite character actors, Fred Thompson, also known as Fred Dalton Thompson.

Attorney Thompson, a former Watergate committee counsel, actually represented Marie in real life and then was cast to play himself in the movie. He does a fine job, with his charismatic personality attracting viewer interest.

The director of MARIE, Roger Donaldson, next cast Thompson in NO WAY OUT (1987), which I reviewed last month. Thompson would go on to appear in numerous films including THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER (1990), DAYS OF THUNDER (1990), and SECRETARIAT (2010), not to mention a lengthy run on TV's LAW & ORDER (2002-05).

Thompson also served as U.S. Senator from Tennessee from 1994 to 2003 and unsuccessfully ran for President in 2008. He had quite a life! He passed on in 2015 at the age of 73.

Daniels is appropriately annoying as someone who initially seems to be a good guy but turns out to be anything but. In a relatively small role, Morgan Freeman plays another not-so-good guy on the parole board. The attorney representing the state government in court is John Cullum, later known for TV's NORTHERN EXPOSURE (1990-95).

According to the end credits, famed MGM musical star Jane Powell has a bit role as a "rally singer"; I'm going to have to pop the disc back in when I have the time and see if I can find her!

Another interesting credit is that the movie was produced by Frank Capra Jr., whose father certainly knew about making movies about people crusading against corrupt government systems.

The movie was filmed by Chris Menges.

Parental Advisory: This movie is rated PG-13 for language and brief but intense scenes of violence.

The Warner Archive Blu-ray's picture and sound are both very good. The lone disc extra is the movie's trailer.

While MARIE: A TRUE STORY falls into the "good but not great" category, it's nonetheless enjoyable, the type of mid-range drama we don't see released very often anymore. It certainly makes the viewer wish for more of these types of solid, well-acted movies. I enjoyed this film and believe many of my readers will find it equally worthwhile.

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.

Tweet

Tonight's Movie: Love at Sea (2018) - A Hallmark DVD Review

Having just returned from a cruise, it seems fitting that my first screener review is a movie about...a cruise!

The Hallmark Channel film LOVE AT SEA (2018) was just released on DVD at the end of August.

It's the story of Olivia (Alexa PenaVega), an event planner who constantly feels the need to prove herself, both because she comes from money and because her ex-boyfriend (Peyton Lee) fired her from her job at her family's hotel after it was sold to a corporation.

Olivia takes a job helping a lifestyle guru friend Alexandra (Melissa Carcache) who's running a special event on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Detail-oriented Olivia initially clashes with the looser cruise director Tony (Carlos PenaVega), but Tony also has the need to prove himself on this particular cruise. As the couple begin to cooperate in working together more closely to achieve their goals, they also start to feel a personal attraction.

Also along on the cruise is Olivia's wealthy widowed mother Maeve (Audrey Landers of DALLAS), along with her new boyfriend Wes (William R. Moses, FALCON CREST), a widower. Besides worrying about her job and her budding relationship with Tony, Olivia is concerned about whether Wes is the "real deal" or is after her mother for her money.

LOVE AT SEA was written by Nina Weinman Swift based on a novel by Barbara Oliverio. Script and storywise, this film is only so-so; there are some nicely insightful bits of dialogue mixed with scenes which are pure awkwardness, including the film's opening.

While I class the film as a "mid-range" Hallmark, it's redeemed by the charming PenaVegas, who have been married for a decade. I first reviewed them together in the film SPARE PARTS (2015). They have long worked in Hallmark films, both separately and in joint projects such as ENCHANTED CHRISTMAS (2017), the PICTURE PERFECT MYSTERIES (2019-2020), and LOVE IN THE LIMELIGHT (2022).

I find the PenaVegas very likeable and genuine in their characters' interactions with one another. Olivia and Tony are fully rounded characters, good people with a few flaws; the development of their relationship as they learn and grow plays out nicely before arriving at the expected ending. (And incidentally, that's the PenaVegas' son playing Alexandra's baby Tyler.)

One of the pleasures of Hallmark films is how many longtime TV stars "of a certain age" appear in supporting roles, such as Lindsay Wagner and Lee Majors in EAT, PLAY, LOVE (2017), to name one prior example. It was great fun to see Landers and Moses, a pair of familiar faces from '80s primetime soap operas, as Olivia's mother and her beau. Landers in particular looked great and was completely believable as a wealthy socialite widow.

In the end, while this film isn't a top-drawer Hallmark offering, I enjoyed it and believe fans of Hallmark movies and/or the PenaVegas will find it a pleasant 84 minutes.

LOVE AT SEA was directed by Mel Damski and filmed by Jonathan West. The movie was shot on the Royal Caribbean ship Harmony of the Seas, along with Florida, the Bahamas, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Hallmark's nice-looking DVD does not have any extras, but it does provide an English-language closed captioning option.

Thanks to Allied Vaughn and Hallmark for providing a review copy of this DVD. LOVE AT SEA may be purchased from Amazon and other online retailers.

Tweet

Tonight's Movie: The Fall Guy (2024) on the Carnival Luminosa

A little over a week ago, the first full sea day of our Alaskan cruise became increasingly blustery.

By that evening the pool water was madly sloshing out of the pool and running all over the Carnival Luminosa's Lido Deck, where crew members did their best to sweep it away.

With water running under the deck chairs, we thought the evening's poolside movie might be cancelled, but the show went on, and thus I experienced one of the more unusual movie screenings of my life!

First, some photos taken that night on our ship, starting with the water gushing over the sides of the pool as the ship rocked back and forth:

The Dive-In Movies are shown on a big screen poolside. Captioning is provided, which we found was a good thing given it's not the quietest environment, including the periodic sound of pool waves crashing.

The reactions I'd heard to THE FALL GUY from family and friends were all over the place, so I wasn't sure how much I'd enjoy it. As it turned out, I found it silly yet enjoyable, and it proved to be the perfect distraction from the rough seas.

Trying to fall asleep later that night, I was more than ready for the ship's rocking to end; thankfully I finally slept, and at sunrise next morning, the water was still as could be.

The rest of the cruise was smooth, although winds would later prevent us from docking at Skagway. Though I'd very much wanted to see Skagway, we ended up having our favorite day of the trip at Icy Strait Point in Hoonah instead, so it all worked out!

Back to the movie: THE FALL GUY stars two of our current biggest stars, Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a stuntman knocked out of commission when a stunt goes badly wrong. As he recovers, the depressed Colt drops contact with Jody Moreno (Blunt), a camera operator with whom he'd recently started a romance.

Time passes and producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) convinces Colt to return to work as the stunt double for movie star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Pietro of AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON). Ryder is currently filming a sci-fi movie in Australia, directed by none other than Jody, who's received her big break in the movie business.

Gail asks Colt to find the missing Tom, who's fallen in with some bad people. The search turns into a very wild ride indeed, involving murder, fights, chases, and a highly trained stunt dog, all while Colt is also attempting to rekindle his romance with the emotionally wounded Jody.

Some of the complaints I heard about THE FALL GUY were based on disappointment that it wasn't what viewers expected. And indeed, I agree it would have been a better movie if it had focused on being a romantic comedy set against the backdrop of the film business. We see flashes of that film in fun romantic banter and incisive, sarcastically funny glimpses of moviemaking, but that's all subsumed into the action movie aspect.

Instead what we get is a romantic comedy which is a relatively small part of what turned out to be a stuntman superhero-type movie. But while the ultimate film might have been sillier and less original, I have to say I nonetheless found it quite fun, holding my attention throughout its 126 minutes.

Gosling and Blunt are each charming, there's lots of amusing humor, and the stunts are impressive. There are also a few delightful cameos at movie's end.

There's not a great deal more insightful criticism to share about this funny thrill ride of a movie, other than would I watch it again? Sure. In a sentence, I liked it - and I'll always remember the first time I saw it!

THE FALL GUY was directed by David Leitch and filmed by Jonathan Sela.  It was written by Drew Pearce, loosely inspired by the TV series (1981-86) created by Glen Larson.

THE FALL GUY is available on Blu-ray and DVD.

Tweet

Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...I'm back from a fantastic one-week cruise where I achieved my longtime dream of visiting Alaska. It was everything I'd hoped and more! Seen here, sunset after a day cruising the Tracy Arm Fjord. I can't recommend an Alaskan trip enough.

...The October streaming lineup on the Criterion Channel is filled with spooky seasonal offerings.

...Coming to Blu-ray from VCI: A restoration of Mary Pickford in THE LOVE LIGHT (1921).

...Jennifer Lee has stepped down from being the Chief Creative Officer at Disney Animation. She will focus her work on the next two (!) FROZEN sequels.

...Coming for fall cookbook season from America's Test Kitchen: THE SKILLET.

...This weekend Leonard Maltin is hosting rarely screened Universal Pictures films at the New Beverly Cinema. I previously shared a column by Maltin on these films; here's more in a new article from Jim Hemphill at IndieWire.

...Glenn Erickson's latest CineSavant Blu-ray reviews at Trailers from Hell include THREE LITTLE WORDS (1950) from the Warner Archive Collection and Kino Lorber's Dark Side of Cinema XXII which features CLOAK AND DAGGER (1946), SHACK OUT ON 101 (1955), and SHORT CUT TO HELL (1957).

...Hallmark has unveiled its 2024 Christmas film schedule, featuring 47 films spread across its two cable channels and newly rebooted streaming service, now called Hallmark+. Vulture recently interviewed Hallmark execs about changes at the streaming service, including plans to eventually show some of the original streaming programming on their "linear" channels.

...Jessica's latest obscure musical review at Comet Over Hollywood is LOVE AND KISSES (1965), starring Rick and Kristin Nelson.

...September 21, 2024, is the centennial of the birth of ethereal actress Gail Russell.  Please visit my 2012 tribute to Russell in her honor.

...Attention Southern Californians: This October 26th The Autry will feature RAMROD (1947) in its ongoing "What is a Western?" series, introduced by Alan K. Rode. RAMROD stars Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake, directed by Andre de Toth. It will be screened in 35mm. Recommended!

...Notable Passings: Actor Chad McQueen, son of Steve McQueen, has died at 63. He was especially known for THE KARATE KID (1984) and THE KARATE KID PART II (1986). He was also a racecar driver and founder of McQueen Racing...British actress Cleo Sylvestre, the first black actress to be cast in a lead role at Britain's National Theatre, has passed away at 79. In recent years she played Anne in a few episodes of TV's ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL (2020-2023).

...Another Notable Passing: Actress Kathryn Grant Crosby, the widow of Bing Crosby, has passed on at 90. Her film roles included THE GUNS OF FORT PETTICOAT (1957) (seen here with Audie Murphy), THE NIGHT THE WORLD EXPLODED (1957), THE BROTHERS RICO (1957), GUNMAN'S WALK (1958), THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD (1958), THE BIG CIRCUS (1959), and ANATOMY OF A MURDER (1959). Those of us of a certain age grew up watching her on Crosby Family TV Christmas specials which included the Crosbys' children, Harry, Mary Frances, and Nathaniel. Mary is well-remembered for her role as Kristin, who shot J.R. on TV's DALLAS in 1980.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my September 7th column.

Tweet

Around the Blogosphere This Week...

...is taking the weekend off while I'm on vacation.

The column will return on Saturday, September 21st.

For recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my September 7th link roundup.

Tweet

34th Lone Pine Film Festival Coming In October

The 34th Lone Pine Film Festival returns next month!

The festival will take place in Lone Pine, California, on Columbus Day Weekend, October 10th through 13th.

The 2024 guests will include a mix of familiar festival visitors along with new faces. The list of actors, film historians, and relatives of filmmakers planning to attend includes Patrick Wayne, Robert Carradine, Bruce Boxleitner, Burton Gilliam, Rory Flynn, Cheryl Rogers Barnett, Wyatt McCrea, Alan K. Rode, Jeremy Arnold, Michael F. Blake, Rob Word, Darby Hinton, Diamond Farnsworth, Marc Wanamaker, and Tom Tyler's niece, Sandra Slepski, plus several more great names beyond these. It's going to be a very exciting festival!

Pianist J.C. Munns will once again be providing silent film accompaniment.

This year's films include:

*A 75th anniversary screening of SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (1949)

*An 80th anniversary screening of the Hopalong Cassidy film MYSTERY MAN (1944)

*THE TALL T (1957) starring Randolph Scott, directed by Budd Boetticher

*THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE (1936) with Errol Flynn

*ROCKY MOUNTAIN (1950) with Errol Flynn

*CATTLE EMPIRE (1958) starring Joel McCrea

*TRAIL OF ROBIN HOOD (1950) with Roy Roger and Jack Holt

*NEVADA (1944) with Robert Mitchum

*THE ARIZONA RANGER (1948) starring Tim Holt

And even more, including silent movies starring William S. Hart and Jack Hoxie!

This year's tours include locations for MYSTERY MAN, NEVADA, THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE, HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL, and more.

There are also tours focused on famed photographer Ansel Adams: Ansel Adams at the Alabama Hills and Ansel Adams at Manzanar. The Manzanar National Historic Site is north of Lone Pine on Highway 395. The annual Sunrise Tour will also take place.

There will also be three horseback location tours guided by my husband and McGee Creek Pack Station.

Many of the tours have already sold out. Anyone considering attending who doesn't yet have passes and tour tickets should book as soon as possible.

For those who are new to the festival, my coverage of previous festivals may be found at these links: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022. Each of these annual overview posts contains links to several additional posts covering that year's festival with lots of photos and information about the festival experience.

My schedule last fall was so heavy I only wrote briefly here about the 2023 festival. I also shared locations from last year's festival at Classic Movie Hub.

My 2021 Classic Movie Hub preview may be found here, and photos of film locations visited at the 2021 festival are at Classic Movie Hub here.

Please visit the Lone Pine Film Festival site for complete details.

I'll have more coverage of the festival here this fall! I highly recommend attending, it's always one of my favorite weeks of the entire year.

Update: Please visit my Western RoundUp column "Lone Pine Film Festival 2024" at Classic Movie Hub for a photo-filled look at this year's fest!

Tweet

Tonight's Movie: No Man of Her Own (1950) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

One of my very favorite Barbara Stanwyck movies, NO MAN OF HER OWN (1950), has recently been released on Blu-ray in the Kino Lorber Dark Side of Cinema XIX collection.

Every time I see this film, directed by Mitchell Leisen, I love it more. I first saw it streaming on Netflix back in 2011, then again at UCLA in 2012, and most recently at this year's Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival.

I already loved the movie, and my husband classed it as one of his top favorites at the Arthur Lyons Festival. It's extremely well done and, I would suggest, underrated. I think it says a lot about the movie that I was happy to sit down with it all over again just a handful of weeks later!

The story was written by Sally Benson and Catherine Turney from a Cornell Woolrich story. Coincidentally Turney also wrote the screenplay for Ida Lupino's THE MAN I LOVE (1946), another new Blu-ray release I recently reviewed.

Granted, it's a rather fantastical tale of mistaken identity, but it's so extremely well written, directed, and acted that the viewer is sucked in and willingly goes along for the ride. All questions of plausibility fade away in the face of this deeply moving, highly engrossing film.

It's the story of Helen Ferguson (Stanwyck) who is unmarried, pregnant, and broke. Her sleazy boyfriend (Lyle Bettger) wants nothing to do with her.

On a train Helen meets Hugh Harkness (Richard Denning) and his pregnant wife Patrice (Phyllis Thaxter). They take Helen under their wing, and during a bathroom chat Patrice even invites the admiring Helen to try on her wedding ring.

The Harknesses are killed when the train crashes, and given the ring on Helen's finger, doctors mistake her for Patrice.

The injured Helen gives birth while in the hospital, and she finds herself on the receiving end of baby gifts from the wealthy Harkness family, who are anxious for her and the baby to come to their home. Helen gradually loses the will to tell anyone the truth about her identity, seeing as how she suddenly has financial security for her newborn baby.

Helen/Patrice eventually arrives at the Harkness home, where she and the baby are enveloped in love and protection. The late Hugh's brother William (John Lund) gradually falls for Helen, even though he has a growing suspicion that she's not really Patrice.

And then the nasty father of Helen's baby comes to town...

Every performance in this film is outstanding, with Lund matching Stanwyck's excellence as he subtly communicates his thoughts without dialogue.

Kudos also go to Jane Cowl, who is deeply moving as William's mother; Henry O'Neill as his father; and Esther Dale as the loyal family maid. All are excellent and give this film's world considerable depth.

The supporting cast includes Griff Barnett, Dooley Wilson, Milburn Stone, and Thomas Browne Henry. Look for famed "dress extra" Bess Flowers in the country club scene.

NO MAN OF HER OWN was filmed by Daniel L. Fapp in black and white. It runs 98 minutes.

I wrote about NO MAN OF HER OWN quite extensively when I first saw it over a dozen years ago, and I'd like to invite readers to click over to that review for additional thoughts.

I'll also mention at this point that this movie has no relationship to another film of the same name available from Kino Lorber, NO MAN OF HER OWN (1932) starring Carole Lombard and Clark Gable.

Kino Lorber's Blu-ray print is from a new HD Master from a 4K scan. The Blu-ray looks great, and although I haven't watched my Olive Films DVD recently, it certainly couldn't be any better than this Blu-ray.

Extras consist of the trailer; two additional trailers for other Kino Lorber releases; and two commentary tracks, one by Imogen Sara Smith and the other by Julie Kirgo and Peter Hankoff. I've enjoyed commentary tracks by both Smith and Kirgo in the past and look forward to hearing these.

The other films in this set are DARK CITY (1950) and BEWARE, MY LOVELY (1952). Reviews will be coming soon, with reviews from the Dark Side of Cinema XX, XXI, and XXII sets also on the way in the coming weeks!

NO MAN OF HER OWN is highly recommended.

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

Tweet