Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...
...Very good
news this week: Hollywood's
Cinerama Dome, which opened in 1963 and has been closed since 2020, will be
reopened in 2026 by the Sony-owned
Alamo Drafthouse chain. Alamo
announced the Cinerama Dome will "retain its original name and branding." Particular kudos go to Ben Steinberg of
Save Your Cinema, who has tirelessly campaigned for this iconic Hollywood venue to reopen. I wonder if the Cinerama Dome might become a TCM Classic Film Festival venue again? This photo was provided to the press by TCM during a past festival.
...Additional good news: The
Bruin Theatre in Westwood, which opened in 1937 and closed in 2024, will
reopen this fall. It's across the street from the Fox Westwood Village Theater, which was purchased by a consortium of filmmakers after its 2024 closure and will reopen in 2027, programmed by the American Cinematheque. (Photo via the
Los Angeles Conservancy, where I just renewed my membership. I encourage those interested in preserving Los Angeles history and buildings to
join -- it's tax deductible.)
...Coming to
Blu-ray and
DVD in late August: THE SHEEP DETECTIVES (2026). My review may be read
here.
...Last week I
mentioned revisiting Jeanne Crain in
DANGEROUS CROSSING (1953). This week I revisited another Crain film released that year,
VICKI (1953). While not as good as the movie it remakes,
I WAKE UP SCREAMING (1941), VICKI has its own pleasures, especially the performances of Crain and Jean Peters as her sister, and is worthwhile.
...Here's the final
trailer for COYOTE VS. ACME (2026), due in theaters August 28th. This is the film which was infamously
shelved by Warner Bros. in 2023, despite good advance buzz, in favor of taking a tax deduction.
...I love the packaging of the "Retro VHS" Blu-ray collection.
MICKI AND MAUDE (1984), which I recall fondly despite not caring for Dudley Moore, will be released this week, and
NADINE (1987) comes out in September. MICKI AND MAUDE costars Amy Irving and Ann Reinking; Kim Basinger and Jeff Bridges star in NADINE.
...Tom Holland as Fred Astaire? No, thank you...
...Since the passing of Jeff Arnold, Bud and RR have been doing a great job maintaining and updating the beloved and very informative site Jeff Arnold's West. Thanks to them the posts all now have search labels.
...Ruth of Silver Screenings has reviewed the Joan Fontaine version of JANE EYRE (1943). I like the film but enjoyed Ruth's insights into Jane's character in the book (which I haven't reread for many years) and film.
...Disney+ has a
documentary on
Julie Andrews in the works.
...Here's an interview with actress-author Illeana Douglas on her upcoming book JUNGLE RED! THE MAKING OF THE WOMEN from Lyons Press. I'm looking forward to it!
...And just a reminder that Alison Macor, who wrote the excellent book on the making of THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946), has a book on THE WOMEN coming in the future from the University of Texas Press.
...Glenn Erickson's latest reviews include Kino Lorber's WALK A TIGHTROPE (1963), which I just reviewed myself, and A MAN NAMED ROCCA (1961).
...Over at Riding the High Country, Colin has reviewed THE RAWHIDE YEARS (1956) starring Tony Curtis, Colleen Miller, and Arthur Kennedy.
...I've increasingly been delving into the work of Jack Hawkins, with a rewatch of
NO HIGHWAY IN THE SKY (1951) among my upcoming Hawkins viewing. I so enjoyed him in
THE LONG ARM (1956), aka THE THIRD KEY, that I decided it was time to see the somewhat similarly themed John Ford film he starred in, GIDEON'S DAY (1958), also known as GIDEON OF SCOTLAND YARD. Although I own the DVD in the TCM Vault
John Ford: The Columbia Films collection, I decided to purchase the recent Powerhouse Indicator
Blu-ray release, as unlike the TCM DVD it has captions, which I find especially helpful with British films. The TCM release has a brief introduction by Leonard Maltin, and the Indicator edition also has comments from Maltin, along with an alternate title sequence, a commentary track (by Charles Barr), and numerous extras, including a brief featurette on the movie's locations. GIDEON'S DAY is also available from Indicator in their
John Ford at Columbia collection.
...Attention Southern Californians: The American Cinematheque has a wonderful upcoming
series of films directed by Douglas Sirk and filmed by Russell Metty. The series will be at the Los Feliz Theatre and runs from August 2nd to September 19th. Of particular note:
Two screenings of the charming
TAKE ME TO TOWN (1953), starring
Sterling Hayden and Ann Sheridan; I thought it had influences of other films I love such as
SADDLE TRAMP (1950) and
I'D CLIMB THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN (1951). I'll be at the
D23 Expo that weekend, but I hope that now that the movie has surfaced -- in a 35mm print! -- there is hope for other area screenings in the future.
...Notable Passing: Broadway and touring musical actress Anne Russell has passed away at the age of 103.
...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my July 18th column.
Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...
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