TCM in August: Summer Under the Stars Highlights

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

The annual August festival takes place from the 1st through the 31st, as usual. During August the regular franchises, including Noir Alley, Silent Sunday Nights, and TCM Imports, will have the month off, returning in September.

A different star will be featured every day of the month. For a quick overview of each day's stars, please visit my preview of a few weeks ago.

TCM has also provided a printable schedule.

Below are just a few of the month's highlights. Please click on any film title to read my extended review.

...The month kicks off with Lana Turner as the day's star on August 1st. I've seen all but two of the films, and this is one of my favorite days on the schedule. I particularly recommend an MGM "B" movie I enjoy, DANCING CO-ED (1939). The young Lana is very appealing, and she shows off her MGM training with credible dancing!

...Christopher Plummer has his debut as Star of the Month on August 2nd, and what's even better is that THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965) has its very first TCM showing that evening! It's one of my all-time favorite films, and I'm delighted it will be shown complete and uncut on TCM.

...Audrey Hepburn's day on August 3rd includes LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON (1957) with Gary Cooper. Billy Wilder directed and cowrote the screenplay. This film has its detractors, due chiefly to the leads' age difference, but I really enjoy it and try to recommend it often.

...I've seen all the movies showing on Howard Keel's day, August 4th, and it's a great day to watch the entire lineup! The movies include a personal favorite, LOVELY TO LOOK AT (1952), with Kathryn Grayson and a top MGM cast; another great favorite, CALAMITY JANE (1953) with Doris Day; and of course SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (1954) with Jane Powell and an amazing cast of dancers.

...There are several favorites on April 5th, Claude Rains day, including CASABLANCA (1942) and NOTORIOUS (1946), but I especially want to recommend a personal favorite, FOUR DAUGHTERS (1938), in which Rains is the father of Priscilla, Rosemary, and Lola Lane, plus Gale Page. ; It's the star of a series which also included FOUR WIVES (1939) and FOUR MOTHERS (1941); the identical cast also filmed an unrelated story, DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS (1939).

...Another great day is August 6th, Judy Garland Day. Again I've enjoyed virtually all the films on the schedule. I especially recommend THE CLOCK (1945) and THE HARVEY GIRLS (1946). The first is a moving black and white romance opposite Robert Walker; the second is a wildly colorful musical with a great cast.

...Ruby Dee has her Summer Under the Stars debut on August 7th. I love Anthony Mann's THE TALL TARGET (1951), in which she has a notable supporting role. Dick Powell stars as a New York police detective trying to prevent the assassination of Abraham Lincoln...in 1861, not 1865.

...One of my all-time favorite comedies, SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF! (1969), will be featured in prime time on August 8th, which is James Garner's special day.

...I love A DATE WITH JUDY (1948), in which the young Elizabeth Taylor, whose day is August 9th, costars with Jane Powell. This movie also just came out on Blu-ray, which I'll be reviewing here in August!

...Clark Gable was and is "The King," and he's celebrated by TCM this year on August 10th. This year I'll recommend a relatively little-known personal favorite, NEVER LET ME GO (1953), in which he plays an American reporter trying to get his wife (Gene Tierney), a Russian ballerina, out of the Soviet Union. Two favorite actors in a romantic, compelling story.

...Who doesn't love Glenda Farrell?! It's her day on August 11th. There are lots of fun movies that day. I especially recommend GIRL MISSING (1933) costarring Mary Brian. A dozen years ago I described it here as an "energetic, fast-paced comedy with an intriguing story and some great dialogue, much of it delivered at machine-gun pace by Farrell."

...August 12th Pedro Armendariz will be celebrated for the first time during Summer Under the Stars. The titles include John Ford's 3 GODFATHERS (1949), costarring John Wayne and Harry Carey Jr. Ford's FORT APACHE is also on the schedule!

...GAMBIT (1966) was an odd yet amusing film I saw for the first time at the 2024 TCM Classic Film Festival. It stars Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine; MacLaine is being celebrated on August 13th.

...Sterling Hayden, an all-time favorite, will have a day on August 14th. I especially recommend CRIME WAVE (1953), which has become one of my all-time favorite movies.

...Another great favorite, Janet Leigh, has her day on August 15th. You can't go wrong with HOLIDAY AFFAIR (1949), LITTLE WOMEN (1949), or ACT OF VIOLENCE (1949), all part of a remarkable year for Leigh when she was very new to movie acting.

...A young Charles Bronson appears in the Randolph Scott Western RIDING SHOTGUN (1954) on Bronson's August 16th Summer Under the Stars Day. It's Bronson's first time to have a day in the annual festival.

...Jennifer Jones will be celebrated on August 17th. I especially love PORTRAIT OF JENNIE (1948), which I revisited theatrically earlier this year, and Ernst Lubitsch's comedy CLUNY BROWN (1946).

...Character actor James Gleason debuts in the Summer Under the Stars lineup on August 18th. His films include a memorable role in the classic HERE COMES MR. JORDAN (1941).

...It's Hedy Lamarr Day on August 19th. I find her delightful in COMRADE X (1940) opposite Clark Gable. I've seen and enjoyed most of the lineup.

...LADY KILLER (1933) is a fun pre-Code showing on James Cagney's day, August 20th. Cagney plays a crook turned movie actor!

...I'm not a particular fan of Patricia Neal, but I really liked the Western RATON PASS (1951) in which she costars with Dennis Morgan and Steve Cochran. Neal's day is August 21st.

...It's Frank Sinatra Day on August 22nd! There are many great films but I'm going to recommend two favorites since my earliest childhood movie viewing days, HIGHER AND HIGHER (1943) and THE TENDER TRAP (1955). I love them both!

...August 23rd is a day of Gina Lollobrigida movies. I especially like the romantic comedy COME SEPTEMBER (1961) with Rock Hudson, Sandra Dee, and Bobby Darin.

...Henry Fonda's films on August 24th include SPENCER'S MOUNTAIN (1963), costarring Maureen O'Hara and James MacArthur.

...Shirley Jones Day on August 25th includes several musicals, including OKLAHOMA! (1955) and THE MUSIC MAN (1962).

...There's a fabulous day of Joan Crawford movies on August 27th. I especially like THE DAMNED DON'T CRY (1950) with Steve Cochran and David Brian.  It also features wonderful Palm Springs location filming.

...Donald O'Connor has his very first Summer Under the Stars Day on August 28th. I've seen most of the films on the schedule and especially recommend I LOVE MELVIN (1953) with Debbie Reynolds.

...I love the schedule for Alexis Smith Day on August 29th. It includes a favorite Clark Gable movie, ANY NUMBER CAN PLAY (1949), and the excellent Humphrey Bogart-Sydney Greenstreet murder mystery, CONFLICT (1945).

...Kirk Douglas Day kicks off on August 30th with the classic noir OUT OF THE PAST (1947), costarring Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer.

...The month concludes on August 31st with one of the very best days on the schedule, Irene Dunne Day! I've seen all but one of the movies showing that day and recommend them all. It's hard to name a favorite but I love MY FAVORITE WIFE (1940), a comedy with Cary Grant and Randolph Scott, and she's also great in I REMEMBER MAMA (1948). She really could do it all -- drama, comedy, musicals -- as this day's schedule demonstrates.

For more on TCM in August 2025, please visit my Quick Preview of TCM in August and TCM's Summer Under the Stars schedule.

Happy Summer Under the Stars month on TCM!

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Quick Preview of TCM in September

Here's a brief look ahead at what's coming to Turner Classic Movies in September!

There are still a number of blank spaces on the schedule, but enough has been announced to provide a preview.

Peter Sellers will be the September Star of the Month. His films will be shown on Mondays starting September 8th.

The Noir Alley films in September will be HE RAN ALL THE WAY (1951), SUDDEN FEAR (1952), THE MURDERERS ARE AMONG US (1946), and BERLIN EXPRESS (1948).

THE MURDERERS ARE AMONG US is a German film which will be a TCM premiere.

September programming themes will include Tarzan, New York, gangsters, outer space, musical biographies, race relations, murder mysteries, pilots, teachers, WWII in Europe, and movies set in the mountains.

There's also a day celebrating films released a century ago, in 1925.

Director William Wyler will be celebrated on two evenings in September. A day of films costarring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn is also on the schedule.

Additional filmmakers receiving multifilm tributes this September will include Jacques Tourneur (posters for two of his films are seen here), Elsa Lanchester, Edmond O'Brien, Paddy Chayefsky, Doris Day, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Fernando Lamas, June Allyson, Carol Reed, Nicholas Ray, George Hamilton, and Orson Welles.

In the meantime, the August Summer Under the Stars schedule is right around the corner!

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Tonight's Movie: High Society (1956) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

HIGH SOCIETY (1956), the MGM musical remake of THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940), has just been released on Blu-ray and 4K by the Warner Archive Collection.

This film is one of the Warner Archive's rare 4K releases, and I've heard good things about it, which isn't surprising giving the typical Warner Archive quality.

As I've not adopted the 4K format, I reviewed the Blu-ray edition, which is absolutely lovely, scanned from the original VistaVision negative. To my understanding, this is one of only two MGM films which was shot in VistaVision.

As most classic film fans will be aware, HIGH SOCIETY is based on the play THE PHILADELPHIA STORY by Philip Barry. While the 1940 film version of the play was scripted by Donald Ogden Stewart, the 1956 version was written by John Patrick.

It's the story of Tracy Lord (Grace Kelly), who has recently divorced C.K. Dexter-Haven (Bing Crosby) and is about to marry stuffy George Kittredge (John Lund) on the rebound.

Over the course of a day various circumstances, including a very brief romantic fling with reporter Mike Connor (Frank Sinatra), cause Tracy to realize that marrying George would be a mistake...and maybe she had her choice of husband right the first time.

At 111 minutes HIGH SOCIETY is almost exactly the same length as THE PHILADELPHIA STORY's 112 minutes, but it necessarily excises some dialogue to make room for the musical numbers. I honestly think this makes the story a little less heavy-handed and maudlin when it comes to Tracy, though a couple of questionable lines about her so-called icy character -- chiefly from her philandering father (Sidney Blackmer) -- still make me wince uncomfortably today. I prefer the somewhat lighter, less edgy style of the remake to the film which opens with Tracy being shoved in the face.

As an aside I'll mention that the name of Tracy's little sister was inexplicably changed from Dinah in THE PHILADELPHIA STORY to Caroline (played by Lydia Reed) in HIGH SOCIETY.

It's fairly common in classic film circles to dismiss HIGH SOCIETY in comparison to the original film, which of course starred Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart, directed by George Cukor.

But as much as the 1940 film has going for it, including a superb supporting cast with names like Ruth Hussey, Roland Young, and Virginia Weidler, over the years I've increasingly come to realize and acknowledge that it's HIGH SOCIETY which truly has my heart.

I've seen HIGH SOCIETY countless times since earliest childhood, most recently at the 2019 TCM Classic Film Festival, and it grows more dear to me with the passage of time. When Bing and Louis Armstrong launch into "Now You Has Jazz" or Bing and Frank sing "Well, Did You Evah" it simply makes me happy, and you can't ask for more from a movie than that!

For that matter, I love the entire score, which I grew up listening to on LP. Perhaps they're not Cole Porter's very best songs, but I thoroughly enjoy hearing "True Love," "You're Sensational," "I Love You Samantha," and all the rest.

The acting is all perfectly on point, and I love the relaxed repartee between many of the characters. Bing in particular gets major style points for his line deliveries.

HIGH SOCIETY was directed by Charles Walters, who as I've shared here in the past I was fortunate to meet a few times. He was very nice to me, and that enhances my feelings toward his work.

The movie was filmed in Technicolor by Paul C. Vogel. The use of pastels in the set decorating are gorgeous, and I especially adore Kelly's wardrobe by the great Helen Rose. This was famously Kelly's last film before leaving for Monaco and marriage, and Rose also designed Kelly's perfect wedding gown for her wedding to Prince Rainier.

As a side note, I saw a theatrical production of the musical HIGH SOCIETY at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London in April 1987. The late Natasha Richardson played Tracy, with Trevor Eve as C.K. Dexter-Haven. (I knew Eve from a 1983 TV production of JAMAICA INN opposite Jane Seymour.) Stephen Rea and Angela Richards were Mike and Liz. And I'll add that the name Caroline was switched back to the original Dinah for this production!

The Warner Archive Blu-ray extras consist of trailers; the featurette "Cole Porter in Love" from the original DVD release; a premiere newsreel; the 7-minute CinemaScope cartoon MILLIONAIRE DROOPY (1956); audio promos; and, best of all, the original roadshow overture.

Unlike the majority of the Warner Archive's MGM musical Blu-ray releases, there is no song selection menu, which is my sole disappointment with this disc.

As I proofread the above I found I'd used the word "love" so many times in my first draft that I had to take a few repetitive uses of it out! But I think the fact that that word came naturally tumbling out of my mind several times in regard to this film does express how I feel about it. And thanks to this beautiful Blu-ray, it's now more enjoyable than ever.

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: The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

Following the release of THUNDERBOLTS* (2025) this past spring, Marvel continues its 2025 resurgence with the terrific THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS (2025).

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS, was directed by Matt Shakman, who also directed Marvel's outstanding WANDAVISION. I loved WANDAVISION and wrote about it briefly here (scroll down at the link).

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS is simultaneously big and intimate: It's a superhero story about saving the world and a small family story in one. It's funny, moving, visually gorgeous, and it all takes place in a spry-for-Marvel 115 minutes.

It's a film I'm already contemplating seeing again soon, and that's a rare thing for "new" movies of late, even those I've enjoyed. In short, I liked it tremendously.

The movie dumps viewers right into the lives of the titular characters, who live in the Baxter Building in New York City. It's a "retro-futuristic" '60s-style world which is familiar while also filled with things like cooking robots and flying cars. Very JETSONS, in fact!

The foursome, who gained superhero powers during a previous space mission, are scientific genius -- and very "stretchy" -- Reed Richards, aka "Mister Fantastic" (Pedro Pascal); his wife, "Invisible Woman" Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby); Sue's brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn), the "Human Torch"; and their close friend Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), the rock-like "Thing."

As the movie begins, Reed and Sue have just learned they are expecting their long-hoped-for first child. Then the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) arrives on earth to herald the news that giant being Galactus (Ralph Ineson) will soon be arriving and literally devouring the earth.

The Fantastic Four, as earth's protectors, head into space to find and stop Galactus. They find him, but if he is to leave earth alone, he insists on being given Reed and Sue's child.

That's obviously a no-go for our heroes, and they make their escape, with Sue giving birth to baby Franklin (Ada Scott) in their spaceship as they flee. Once back home, they'll need to come up with another plan to save the world.

Although several people worked on the story and script, too many cooks didn't spoil it in this case; it's a delightful, well-paced film with richly defined characters in a fascinating world we'd all like to visit. I especially loved that the movie was about people who had highly functional, positive, and loving relationships at the outset; it's about how they use that part of their lives, along with their skills, to deal with outside problems.

Pascal does a good job delineating a man who's so smart that it sometimes makes him emotionally awkward, as his mind plays out all potential options, even those he will discard. Having the ability to investigate so many things, including his unborn child's potential superpowers, can make him preoccupied and anxious, yet he never loses sight of his love for Sue and their son and his responsibility to protect them...and his body's ability to stretch gives him the ability to do that in unexpected ways.

Vanessa Kirby has become a favorite in films such as MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT (2018), and I would venture to say she's the center of this film as the fierce mama protecting her baby. I loved her combination of strength, intelligence, bravery, and feminine vulnerability as the precious cargo she's carrying -- whether inside her body or in her arms -- is threatened.

Quinn, as the hotheaded, funny Johnny, has the most unexpectedly moving line in the movie ("Tell Franklin his Uncle Johnny loves him") and also shows his smarts, establishing communication with the Silver Surfer which leads to a greater understanding -- and potential help -- with what's at stake.

Despite his bulky rock suit, Moss-Bachrach conveys the understanding and sad acceptance that while his superpowers give him great abilities, including flying and lifting huge objects, his current form possibly prevents a normal romance with a pretty teacher (Natasha Lyonne) from his old neighborhood.

I'll add that the baby is adorable, and my hopes for Franklin to have a sort of "Baby Yoda" moment showing off his powers (think Grogu from Pascal's THE MANDALORIAN) were met in the best way.

The movie's world, filmed by Jess Hall, is gorgeous; I could have spent a long time simply exploring the Four's home, with its colorful kitchen, arresting crescent-shaped bathroom counter, and more.

I liked the score by Michael Giacchino (THE INCREDIBLES) very much, while also admitting that I mourn the absence of hummable Williams-esque scores in modern movies. Are scores with truly memorable melodies gone forever?

Parental Advisory: This film is rated PG-13 for some foul language and non-graphic violence. It's a positive story of about hardworking people and their love for family and community.

A trailer is here.

Thumbs up!

August 8 Update: I enjoyed this movie so much I took the rare step of going to see it again, less than two weeks after my first viewing. It was absolutely the right call to see it again; I enjoyed it even more. I felt like I was able to absorb more of everything, including character interactions and the beautiful sets, and I was so moved I teared up a couple times. I definitely recommend this film.

Previous Marvel reviews: IRON MAN (2008), IRON MAN 2 (2010), CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011), THOR (2011), THE AVENGERS (2012), IRON MAN 3 (2013), THOR: THE DARK WORLD (2013), CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014), GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014), AGENT CARTER (2015), ANT-MAN (2015), AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (2015), CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016), DOCTOR STRANGE (2016), GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 (2017), SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (2017), THOR: RAGNAROK (2017), BLACK PANTHER (2018), AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (2018), ANT-MAN AND THE WASP (2018), CAPTAIN MARVEL (2019), AVENGERS: ENDGAME (2019), SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME (2019), BLACK WIDOW (2021), SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS (2021), SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (2021), and THUNDERBOLTS* (2025).

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...I was delighted to recently learn that a biography of Ben Johnson is on the way from the University Press of Mississippi. TALL IN THE SADDLE: THE LIFE OF BEN JOHNSON, HOLLYWOOD'S REAL COWBOY by Kathryn Jones will be out in the Hollywood Legends series in March 2026.

...The Warner Archive Collection has announced more multifilm Blu-ray collections. A four-film Greta Garbo set and a six-film Errol Flynn collection will be out in September.

...Kino Lorber Studio Classics has announced a release date of September 23, 2025, for FRENCH WITHOUT TEARS (1940) starring Ray Milland and Ellen Drew. The Blu-ray will include a commentary track by Gary Gerani.

...Here's the August lineup for the Criterion Channel streaming service.

...COYOTE VS. ACME (2026), the animated film which was deep-sixed by Warner Bros. Discovery after its completion in 2023, will be released on August 28, 2026. It's great to know this movie, which has been received enthusiastically by those who have seen it, will be seen by audiences after all.

...At 50 Westerns From the 50s, Toby Roan has reviewed Whip Wilson in NIGHT RAIDERS (1952). It's available on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

...Toby also discusses the new ClassicFlix release Hopalong Cassidy - The Legacy Collection, Volume 1. (He did one of the commentary tracks!) It's been reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman at Blu-ray.com.

...For fall cookbook season, a new title from Ree Drummond: THE PIONEER WOMAN COOKS: THE ESSENTIAL RECIPES.

...Here's an update on the five surviving children from THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965).

...Coming soon: A review of THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS (2025), which I very much enjoyed. (Update: Here is the review!)

...Notable Passing: I was terribly sorry to learn of the passing of former child actor Jimmy Hunt at the age of 85. Two summers ago I had the great privilege of meeting him at a McCrea Ranch screening of THE LONE HAND (1953), which I wrote about in my column at Classic Movie Hub. He was absolutely lovely, and to top things off, we learned he had worked in the same field as my husband and they had mutual acquaintances. Small world! Over less than a decade he racked up extensive credits, including favorites such as THE MATING OF MILLIE (1948), SHADOW ON THE WALL (1950), SADDLE TRAMP (1950), CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN (1950), and more. His best-known film may be INVADERS FROM MARS (1953). My sincere condolences to his family.

...More Notable Passings: I was sorry to learn of the passing of singer Cleo Laine at the age of 97. I have a vivid memory of seeing Laine and her husband, John Dankworth, in concert when I was quite young. (Dankworth died in 2010.) Thanks to my late father, I had many unique musical experiences from an early age, including names like Maynard Ferguson, the Modern Jazz Quartet, and the Sons of the Pioneers, to name just a few...Very sad news this week that Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Theo of TV's THE COSBY SHOW (1984-92), died at the age of 54.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my July 19th column.

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Tonight's Movies: Hi De Ho (1947) and Boarding House Blues (1948) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

This weekend I caught up with Kino Lorber's terrific double feature collection of HI DE HO (1947) and BOARDING HOUSE BLUES (1948).

The set was released in conjunction with the Library of Congress. The first movie, HI DE HO, stars famed singer Cab Calloway, while the second film, BOARDING HOUSE BLUES, stars Jackie "Moms" Mabley.

These are '40s musicals which were produced and distributed by All-American for black audiences in big cities and the south. Many such films are now considered "lost," so those which survive are important pieces of both cinema and black history, especially as these films, such as the two in this set, often showcased famous black performers of the era.

Kino Lorber also provides a short yet insightful introduction to BOARDING HOUSE BLUES by Ina Archer, plus half a dozen Soundies, which are listed at the end of this review. For anyone unfamiliar with Soundies, I invite checking out my 2023 review of Kino Lorber's Soundies: The Ultimate Collection, for which Archer also provided some of the introductions.

In HI DE HO, written by Hal Seeger, Calloway plays a character with his own name. His girlfriend Minnie (Jeni Le Gon) suspects he's having an affair with his business manager Nettie (Ida James), but the truth is he's true blue. (That doesn't stop him from smacking her around...Minnie gets it from a couple different characters in the movie, which is shocking viewed from 2025.)

A mobster, Boss Mason (George Wiltshire), tries to get Cab to switch from performing at the nightclub where Nettie made a deal to his own place...and when Cab refuses, he sends a hired gun (James Dunmore) looking for him.

Calloway is reasonably believable in the lead role, but as for the rest of the cast, I've seen lines delivered with more panache in school plays. I was a bit surprised at the weakness of Le Gon's performance, given she was memorably amusing the following year as Ann Miller's maid Essie in EASTER PARADE (1948). James is likeable, and I enjoyed her role in the charming finale.

Despite the weak acting, the film's 72 minutes speed by. The flat acting and mostly bare bones sets really don't matter given that the vast majority of the film is music -- and terrific music, too. It's like turning on a nonstop jukebox!

I thoroughly enjoyed it, including numbers seen late in the film by the singing group the Peters Sisters and an absolutely terrific tap dancing routine by the "Miller Bros. and Lois."

Most of HI DE HO's black and white print, taken from a 35mm camera negative, is great; where necessary, there are some moments cut in from a rougher 16mm print. Audio is excellent.

BOARDING HOUSE BLUES, also written by Seegar, is a longer film, running 90 minutes. The plot and acting might be even flimsier, as Moms Mabley and her tenants are threatened with eviction from their boarding house -- the bill collector (Emory Richardson) showing up is straight out of old-school melodrama -- but once again, there's such a wealth of great music so that the plot and weak acting doesn't matter very much.

There are some wacky moments early on involving a man in a monkey suit, but as the movie goes on, many performers get a chance to shine. A couple times I paused the movie so I could look up the backgrounds of people such as singer Anistine Allen or pianist Una Mae Carlisle. I did wonder why pretty Marie Cooke, a boarding house resident introduced as a singer, never performed.

My absolute favorite number was Bull Moose Jackson (seen here) singing the moody "Yes I Do" with Lucky Millinder and His Band. Fantastic stuff, and now I want to find more of his work.

The BOARDING HOUSE BLUES print from the original negative is extremely good, and again, the sound quality is excellent.

Both films were directed by Josh Binney. HI DE HO was filmed by Don Malkames, with BOARDING HOUSE BLUES filmed by Sid Zucker.

The set contains half a dozen Soundies as extras, Three of the Soundies star Cab Calloway: MINNIE THE MOOCHER (1942), BLUES IN THE NIGHT (1942), and WE THE CATS SHALL HEP YA (1945). I especially enjoyed BLUES IN THE NIGHT, simply because I love the song.

The other three Soundies star Lucky Millinder from BOARDING HOUSE BLUES: SHOUT! SISTER, SHOUT! (1941), HELLO BILL (1946), and I WANT A MAN (1946).

Besides all the great music, I also very much enjoyed gaining greater understanding of so-called "black cinema" of its era.  I highly recommend this set, especially for anyone who loves '40s jazz.

For anyone who didn't yet pick up Kino Lorber's Soundies set, I recommend getting  the two collections together to enjoy hours of musical greatness.

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

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Tonight's Movie: Exclusive (1937) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

EXCLUSIVE (1937), a "newspaper movie" from Paramount Pictures, was released on Blu-ray last week by Kino Lorber.

Fred MacMurray plays Ralph Houston, a hardworking, honest newspaper reporter. Ralph's best friend is his editor, Tod Swain (Charlie Ruggles), and Ralph is in love with Tod's daughter Vina.

Vina, unfortunately, is not always a very nice young lady. She wants the finer things in life and, in essence, calls her father a financial loser early in the movie. Soon after, when she learns that Ralph lent her father money so she could go to college, she engages in unethical behavior to pay Ralph back.

Having tipped off gangster-turned-newspaper-publisher Charles Gillette (Lloyd Nolan) to a police raid in exchange for cash, Vina then goes to work for Gillette at his paper. She continues to turn a blind eye to ethical issues, including pretending to be a maid in order to steal documents out of the home of a politician (Ralph Morgan).

When Tod writes an article critical of his daughter, the family splits, with Vina and her mother (Fay Holden, later of the Andy Hardy series) moving out...

The story goes on from there, with Vina ultimately learning some hard lessons.

I was previously unfamiliar with this film, and while it's a watchable 85 minutes, it didn't quite live up to hopes. Still, as a huge fan of the newspaper movie subgenre, I was very glad to be able to see such a relatively little-known film.

The film's problems start with the screenplay, written by John C. Moffitt, Sidney Salkow, and Rian James based on Moffitt's play THE ROARING GIRL. The movie could have been an interesting examination of journalistic ethics and the impact of yellow journalism, but that's rather pushed to the side as the viewer simply gapes in amazement at the stupidity of the film's leading lady.

Vina is written as a hard-edged character who insults her father and makes bad choices, and that scripting is compounded by Farmer's frankly unappealing portrayal of a headstrong woman. It's entirely possible to write a character who's her "own woman," who also doesn't necessarily need a man, yet keep her likeable; a good example is Rosalind Russell in HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940). Unfortunately that didn't happen in EXCLUSIVE.

Farmer's Vina is unkind and immoral; she's completely unbothered that she aided a crook in return for cold, hard cash. It's really quite surprising that Paramount was willing to allow Farmer, in her second year in movies, to play a character who surely must have been a turnoff for some audiences.

Farmer also does not always photograph attractively; she looks great in some scenes, such as dolled up for an evening out, but not so much in others. (A couple stills seen above illustrate her inconsistent appearance; click on any photo to enlarge for a closer look.) That might not be surprising today, when actors are often photographed in a more naturalistic way, but it's unexpected in a '30s film, when more care was taken to achieve Hollywood glamour.

Along with Farmer's changeable appearance, the movie itself also swings back and forth, never knowing if it's a drama or comedy. One minute a man is killing himself in someone's living room, and just a few minutes later there's crazy humor in the kitchen as a tipsy Tod (Ruggles) climbs into a refrigerator to see if the light goes off when the door is shut. In one scene Vina and Tod enact a comedic melodrama, but that's immediately followed by a gun battle with a shocking fatality.

Other than my feelings about Farmer's edgy performance, the rest of the cast is mostly fine. MacMurray is handsome and appealing; I suspect some may bristle at a couple of his bossier lines to Vina, but that said, her decisions were so poorly thought out that I applauded him. Overall he's likeable as a man who holds to journalistic ethics.

Ruggles and Holden are appealing, and Nolan always manages to imbue his characters with interest. The supporting cast includes Harlan Briggs, Willard Robertson, Edward H. Robins, Horace McMahon, and Irving Bacon.

This is said to be the first feature film for Cornel Wilde, playing a reporter, but although I scanned through several scenes with reporters after finishing the movie, I didn't spot him.

EXCLUSIVE was directed by Alexander Hall. It was filmed in black and white by William C. Mellor.

Kino Lorber's Blu-ray print looks and sounds terrific. What a great thing to have this previously unknown (at least to me!) film pop onto the radar looking so good.

Disc extras consist of a commentary track by Jason A. Ney, teamed with Frances Farmer expert Jeffrey Kauffman, plus a gallery of half a dozen trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber.

The movie may be somewhat iffy, but I suspect many will be as curious to see it as I was, and this disc is certainly the way to do it. Another interesting release from Kino Lorber.

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

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Tonight's Movie: The Cruel Sea (1953) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

THE CRUEL SEA (1953), an excellent World War II film, was recently released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber.

I decided to review this British production on the strength of the cast and what sounded like an interesting story. I'm happy to say I was not disappointed, and indeed, I found it to be an absolutely top-notch war movie.

Jack Hawkins is superb as Ericson, the commander of the Compass Rose, a convoy escort ship. He's the only man aboard with actual seafaring experience, an angle which called to mind the similar yet much more lighthearted Gary Cooper film YOU'RE IN THE NAVY NOW (1951).

Over the course of the film's 126 minutes Ericson's "Number 1," Lockhart (Donald Sinden), remains on hand, but other men come and go over time due to illness or death. Denholm Elliott and Stanley Baker are two of the best-known names among the actors playing the ship's crew; others are played by John Stratton, John Warner, Bruce Seton, and Liam Redmond.

The Oscar-nominated screenplay by Eric Ambler, based on a book by Nicholas Monsarrat, is forthright about the enormity of experiences and decisions faced by the crew -- especially Ericson -- yet it also presents the story in a refreshingly non-manipulative fashion.

There's no ominous foreshadowing, for example; events simply...happen...out of the blue, just as they would for anyone going through the experiences. To some extent the film feels like a naval procedural, showing the ins and outs of the hard work, but then every so often the men, and the viewers, are reminded of their work's very weighty consequences.

Although I was previously unfamiliar with THE CRUEL SEA, I've come to understand it's regarded as one of the best British war films, and I can certainly see why. I found it gripping and particularly enjoyed Hawkins, in a charismatic and nuanced performance as the dedicated commander who is both tough and fair. At times Ericson falls sway to emotion, but as the war goes on and he's faced with the constant specter of death, he steels himself against feelings in order to get on with the job.

The rest of the cast is likewise very good, including Virginia McKenna and a brief appearance by Megs Jenkins (GREEN FOR DANGER).

The movie was directed by Charles Frend and filmed in black and white by Gordon Dines.

The Blu-ray print is excellent, looking very sharp, with a strong soundtrack.

Kino Lorber has presented THE CRUEL SEA as a Special Edition release with a cardboard slipcase. Extras consist of the trailer; a gallery of four additional trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber; an interview with costar Donald Sinden, which runs just over half an hour; and a commentary track by Simon Abrams.

This is a fine film which deserves to be much better known, and I very much recommend this release.

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

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