Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...I'm back from a great trip to the Lone Pine Film Festival, as well as spots further north on Highway 395, followed almost immediately by our oldest son's wedding and related events. Catching up on my day job, not to mention Dodgers postseason baseball, has meant it's taken me a while to get up and running here again. I'm looking forward to diving back into movie news and reviews! A few of the posts I have in the works are the 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival announcement, a preview of TCM's December schedule, and a tribute to the late Mitzi Gaynor. Later next week look for TCM's November highlights. (The photo is Mist Falls, found on the road to Lake Sabrina outside Bishop, California. Click on it to enlarge for a closer look.)

...Fantastic news from Kino Lorber Studio Classics: THE GREAT GATSBY (1949) starring Alan Ladd will have a U.S. home viewing release at long last! Kino Lorber says it's "coming soon"; the Blu-ray will be from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative. It will be available as a single-title release and will also be included in the upcoming Dark Side of Cinema XXVI collection. It's great news that the Dark Side of Cinema series is going on, and on, and on. Incidentally, I'll have a review of CLOAK AND DAGGER from a recent Dark Side of Cinema collection up here in the near future!

...But wait, there's more! Kino Lorber also just announced the release of the terrific Western LAW AND ORDER (1932), which I saw at this year's TCM Classic Film Festival. Like THE GREAT GATSBY, it will be a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative.

...Other upcoming Kino Lorber Blu-ray releases include THE KILLER IS LOOSE (1953), HATARI! (1962), FOR LOVE OR MONEY (1963), and THE BALLAD OF JOSIE (1968).

...Coming to Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection in January: The great WINCHESTER '73 (1950), directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart and an incredible cast. It's a new 4K digital restoration from Universal Pictures and will include an archival commentary including comments by James Stewart; a 1951 Lux Radio Theatre production; and an essay by Imogen Sara Smith.

...Contrasting Hallmark Channel news: Business continues to boom for the network, including an upcoming cruise, but there is controversy regarding employees and actors "aging out" of working for the channel.

...The November Criterion Channel streaming schedule will include "Columbia Noir," introduced by Imogen Sara Smith and Farran Smith Nehme, and "Starring Ida Lupino."

...Recent Blu-ray reviews from CineSavant Glenn Erickson for Trailers From Hell: PANDORA'S BOX (1929) from the Criterion Collection and a Columbia Horror collection from Powerhouse Indicator in the UK.

...Coming from Lyons Press next April: FIRST WOMEN OF HOLLYWOOD: FEMALE PIONEERS IN THE EARLY MOTION PICTURE BUSINESS by Mary Mallory, whose previous books include HOLLYWOOD CELEBRATES THE HOLIDAYS: 1920-1970. I expect to review it here next spring.

...Other recent books of interest: HOLLYWOOD SEX COMEDIES, 1953-1964: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF 25 FILMS by Hal Erickson from McFarland and PALM SPRINGS TIKI: POLYNESIA IN THE DESERT, just published by Gibbs Smith and written by Sven Kirsten and Peter Moruzzi. I have several books on mid-century Palm Springs and Los Angeles by Moruzzi which are all terrific.

...A new documentary, BOGART: LIFE COMES IN FLASHES, will have some theatrical screenings beginning in mid-November. I'll be watching for more information.

...Other new documentaries will include an upcoming Apple TV+ docuseries on the 2024 World Series; MUSIC BY JOHN WILLIAMS, coming to Disney+ November 1st; and a National Geographic documentary on the great survival story ENDURANCE which will be available on Disney+ the first week of November. Here's the ENDURANCE trailer.

...Congratulations to Virginie Pronovost on completing a decade blogging at The Wonderful World of Cinema.

...Happy 79th birthday to former "Charlie's Angel" Jaclyn Smith. I really enjoyed her in a series of '80s TV-movies and miniseries such as JACQUELINE BOUVIER KENNEDY (1981), GEORGE WASHINGTON (1984), FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE (1985), and WINDMILLS OF THE GODS (1988).

...Attention Southern Californians: I'm excited to have tickets for a 35mm showing of the rarely seen but excellent PERSONS IN HIDING (1939), a "B" film starring Patricia Morison and J. Carrol Naish, which I first saw in a poor DVD copy a decade ago. Jeremy Arnold will be presenting it at the American Cinematheque's Los Feliz Theatre on November 3rd.

...Thanks to reader Christine for alerting me that the first Los Angeles Silent Film Festival, originally slated to take place at Mt. St. Mary's University in November, has been postponed indefinitely. I'll be watching for more info on a new date.

...Coming to San Diego next month: Noirvember Nights at Cinema Under the Stars. The Friday night series kicks off with TOO LATE FOR TEARS (1948) introduced by Alan K. Rode.

...Notable Passings: Singer Jack Jones, the son of Allan Jones and Irene Hervey, has died at 86...TV's TARZAN, Ron Ely, has also passed on at 86...Writer-producer Lynda Obst has passed away at 74.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my October 5th column.

...And GO DODGERS!

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