Tonight's Movie: The Whole Truth (1958)

THE WHOLE TRUTH is a nifty murder mystery starring Stewart Granger, Donna Reed, and George Sanders.

The plot, about a movie producer (Granger) framed for the murder of an actress (Gianna Maria Canale) with whom he once had a brief affair, isn't anything particularly special, but it's a well-paced film with an engaging, polished trio of lead actors. The jazzy score performed by John Dankworth (billed as Johnny Dankworth) and his Orchestra gives the film an added jolt of energy and elevates it a notch above your run-of-the-mill whodunit.

Handsome Granger is sympathetic as the man who made a mistake while estranged from his wife (Reed) and is now caught in a nightmare. Reed is appealing as his spunky wife -- she has the best line in the movie -- and Sanders is quite creepy. The story zips along smoothly to a satisfying conclusion, although I must say the comedic final scene felt out of place.

As music buffs know, John Dankworth has been married to singer Cleo Laine for half a century. I saw them in concert quite a while back.

THE WHOLE TRUTH was directed by John Guillermin. It was filmed in black and white and runs 84 minutes. The movie was shot in England.

This movie can be seen on Turner Classic Movies.

August 2013 Update: This movie is now available on DVD-R from Sony/Columbia.

Dr. Krauthammer: "A Man of Seasonal Principles"

As I listened to Barack Obama say today that he would make decisions about withdrawing troops from Iraq based on consultations with the generals, I thought "Why couldn't he have said that in the first place, if his decisions were always open to being changed by information from those who are actually in Iraq?"

Of course, the answer is it wouldn't have pleased his leftwing base during the primaries. Now he's trying to court Middle America...while claiming once again that he hasn't changed positions. In fact, he seemingly has even tried to flip-flop on his flip-flop today, by calling a second press conference to say he hasn't changed his mind about withdrawing.

The man has absolutely no core principles.

Coming to DVD: Alfred Hitchcock Premiere Collection

October 14th is the release date for the latest ginormous collection of Alfred Hitchcock movies.

The Alfred Hitchcock Premiere Collection contains 8 Hitchcock titles. Some of the titles have been released previously -- for instance, REBECCA, NOTORIOUS, and SPELLBOUND were all past Criterion releases -- there are many new extras including brand-new commentaries and featurettes.

NOTORIOUS, which had commentaries by Rudy Behlmer and Marian Keane in its previous release, this time around has commentaries by USC cinema professors Drew Casper and Richard Jewell. The NOTORIOUS disc will also contain the American Film Institute Tribute to Alfred Hitchcock.

Richard Schickel does the commentary for REBECCA (Leonard J. Leff was on the Criterion release), and SPELLBOUND has a commentary by Thomas Schatz and Charles Ramirez Berg (Marian Keane did the honors for Criterion). LIFEBOAT retains the Drew Casper commentary from its previous release. Casper holds the Alfred & Alma Hitchcock Chair at USC.

The other titles in the set are THE PARADINE CASE (starring Gregory Peck), SABOTAGE, THE LODGER, and YOUNG AND INNOCENT. All have commentaries and many other extras.

REBECCA, NOTORIOUS, and SPELLBOUND will be released as single titles as well as in the boxed set.

Chris Wallace on Fox News and Media Bias

Chris Wallace in a recent interview: ""When I was in the mainstream media, when I was working at NBC and ABC [...] I thought we were fair and balanced. But since coming to Fox four and a half years ago, I have come to see things a little differently. And I, in fact, do believe there is a bias in the mainstream media and that is something I was only able to understand when I was outside of it."

I have to admit that I wasn't happy when Wallace first arrived at Fox and replaced Tony Snow as the moderator of Fox News Sunday, and I didn't particularly care for his work early on. But I've come to appreciate him and think he usually does a good job of being "fair and balanced."

(Hat tip: NewsBusters.)

George Washington's Childhood Home Excavated

This is really fascinating stuff.

A few years ago I loved the chance to see Washington's tent, which is under glass at Valley Forge.

The current excavation project appears to already be providing fresh insights into the early years of our greatest President.

The L.A. Times Keeps Shrinking

It's an interesting contrast: on the same day Rush Limbaugh announces a new multi-year, $400 million contract, we learn that the L.A. Times will reduce its page count by 15% and its editorial staff by 17%...with more cuts likely in the future.

Meanwhile the Times refuses to acknowledge that a significant percentage of the paper's readers have given it up due to the paper's unrelenting leftward bias.

Those of us who still subscribe do so, as Hugh Hewitt says, for the Sports and Calendar sections.

Rush Limbaugh Signs Through 2016

Rush Limbaugh, who will soon celebrate his show's 20th anniversary, has signed a new contract through 2016.

The deal is rumored to be worth $400 million, with a nine-figure signing bonus.

This is certainly the best politically related news I've heard in a long time...

Rush is profiled in the Sunday New York Times Magazine. It's already online. I haven't had time to read it yet so I have no idea about the article's tone or accuracy.

There's a nice slide show accompanying the article.

I have to add that Limbaugh's righthand man, James Golden (aka Bo Snerdley), has provided some of the funniest radio I've heard in ages, in his role as the "Official Obama Criticizer."

Update: I've now read the article and agree with J.C. and Dana's comments that it was a good piece.

One of the things I don't think the article quite captures is the sheer volume of interesting information and detailed analysis which Rush provides his listeners on a daily basis. I enjoy other radio hosts, but find they become repetitive after the first hour and tend not to cover as much territory in a single show; they will often focus on just one main topic. Rush is the only host who consistently holds the listener's attention for his entire three-hour broadcast, thoughtfully covering a remarkable number of subjects in a single program.

A 4th of July Picnic

The L.A. Times Food section has recipes for buttermilk fried chicken and Midnight Chocolate Brownies for your picnic pleasure later this week.

Print them before they disappear into the Times' archives...

A Barack Obama Roundup

John Hinderaker at Power Line notes that somehow Senator Obama equates dissent with the highest level of patriotism...which is interesting given his anti-American connections.

Something I've noticed about Senator Obama is that underneath the smooth oratory, he's a know-it-all, and I'm not sure that's going to wear well over the long haul...especially when he's a know-it-all who changes his positions at will. Regarding Obama's changing positions on gun control, Ed Morrissey asks "Obama Still Doesn't Get YouTube, Does He?"

Speaking of Obama's positions on guns, here's info on his record in Illinois...which does not match up with his stated approval of last week's 2nd Amendment decision from the Supreme Court.

Also of note: Robert Novak on "Obama's Dodge on Handguns."

Scott Johnson wonders about "the real Barack Obama"...and Charles Krauthammer notes that members of the press either ignore Obama's position changes, or offer admiration and sympathy for his political, er, flexibility.

Daniel Pipes examines the evidence and questions whether Senator Obama has been honest about his Muslim upbringing, and what this says about his character: "...if he was born and raised a Muslim and is now hiding that fact, this points to a major deceit, a fundamental misrepresentation about himself that has profound implications about his character and his suitability as president."

Most troubling of all, Peter Kirsanow notes Obama's "callous indifference," voting against the Induced Birth Infant Liability Act, which "was designed to extend the same medical care to babies who happen to survive an abortion attempt as is enjoyed by all babies born alive." In other words, if a baby survives an abortion, Senator Obama believes it's wrong to offer the baby medical care.

Kirsanow: "I suspect most people don't know about Obama's position on babies who survive abortion attempts and it's unlikely that they'll ever find out. The media seem more interested in reporting on the cultural implications of fist-bumps or the racial animus of those who question Obama's policies. I would wager, however, that if more people knew about Obama's disregard for babies who have the audacity to survive an abortion, there would be more scrutiny and less adulation."

Update: Jim Geraghty and Ed Morrissey on Obama's contradictory positions on gay marriage.

Living Large on the Taxpayers' Dimes

The stories about deadbeat Rep. Laura Richardson of Long Beach just keep getting worse.

The new Congresswoman has the single most expensive taxpayer-paid car lease in the entire U.S. Congress.

To its credit, an L.A. Times blog asks: "Would you pay $1,300/mo. to lease a car? You already do," and notes that taxpayers are footing the bill.

This is the same woman who used her Long Beach City Council car for thousands of miles of personal use, and the city has thus far not called her to account. The same woman who defaulted on three mortgages. The same woman who refused to pay printing and mechanic's bills until they were publicized in newspaper articles.

And yet the citizens of Long Beach just voted to give her the Democratic nomination to return to Congress, and she will run unopposed in the November election...and based on her history, she'll keep milking all of us -- not just the Long Beach citizens she represents -- to pay for the lifestyle to which she'd like to become accustomed.

Previously: May 28 and June 7, 2008.

Rich Lowry: "Our Worst Justice"

No, it's not Breyer...it's Anthony Kennedy, and I think Lowry is correct.

Lowry: "Why did the Founders bother toiling in the summer heat of Philadelphia in 1787 writing a Constitution when they could have relied on the consciences of Supreme Court justices like Anthony Kennedy instead?"

(Or as Mark Levin puts it: "...every time the Supreme Court meets in secret conference, it sits as a constitutional convention, rewriting the Constitution at will.")

Lowry writes that Kennedy's reliance on emotions over a clear judicial philosophy is deeply troubling, calling Kennedy "one self-important man who can't differentiate between his inner compass and the nation's fundamental law."

To quote Andy McCarthy: "There's got to be a better metric of how much say we have over our own lives than what side of the bed a justice happens to get up on that day, no?"

Tonight's Movie: Here Comes the Groom (1951)

HERE COMES THE GROOM...with a couple of French war orphans in tow. Bing Crosby plays the title role, a journalist returning from years working in post-WWII France with hopes of marrying his old flame (Jane Wyman) and adopting the children (Jacky Gencel and Beverly Washburn). It's essential that Crosby and Wyman marry within five days of his return to the States, or the children will be sent back to France. There's just one hitch: Wyman is set to marry her multimillionaire boss, played by dashing Franchot Tone.

That doesn't begin to cover the overstuffed plot. Wyman's costar in 1944's THE DOUGHGIRLS, Alexis Smith, plays Tone's kissing cousin who is secretly in love with him and resents Wyman. Wryly funny Robert Keith, who plays Crosby's newspaper publisher boss, conspires with Crosby to help Smith steal Tone from Wyman so that Crosby can have Wyman for himself.

The cast includes great character actors H.B. Warner, Ian Wolfe, and Adeline DeWalt Reynolds as Tone's wealthy aunt and uncles, while James Barton and Connie Gilchrist are Wyman's tough-as-nails parents. Charles Lane and Neal Dodd (more on Dodd here) are also in the film.

The film is very laid-back about plot progress, taking time out here and there for diverse specialty numbers by Anna Maria Alberghetti (playing a war orphan, in her second film) and a raucous group including Louis Armstrong, Dorothy Lamour, and Phil Harris. Armstrong and Co. just happen to be on Crosby's plane when he heads back to the United States with the children.

Although the film has a lot of ground to cover plotwise, it's amiable fun and has a breezy, witty script, which also manages to keep Crosby likeable despite a past history of having been commitment-phobic. Robert Riskin and Liam O'Brien were Oscar-nominated for Best Story.

The film is particularly notable for its classic Oscar-winning Best Song, "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," by Johnny Mercer and Hoagy Carmichael. In addition to being a great tune, the song is used well to move the story forward and depict the bond between Crosby and the children, and especially to establish Crosby and Wyman's longtime previous close relationship. Wyman doesn't appear until half an hour or so into the movie, but when she and Crosby launch into the song for old time's sake, it's a quick way for viewers to see their comfortable way with one another and be assured they would make a good couple.

The actors are all wonderful and make the film good fun. Particular kudos go to Franchot Tone and Robert Keith. Tone's "other man" role was written and played in a refreshingly non-cliched manner...no milquetoast "Ralph Bellamy" type here. One wonders at the end just which woman got the better deal. Keith is quite amusing, particularly in his one-sided telephone scenes, and tosses off some great one-liners. 1951 was a banner year for Keith, who also turned in fine performances in the dramas I WANT YOU and FOURTEEN HOURS.

HERE COMES THE GROOM was produced and directed by none other than Frank Capra. (I remember reading in his autobiography years ago that he shot Crosby and Wyman singing "live" during filming, rather than having them lip synch to a playback.) It was shot in black and white and runs 113 minutes.

HERE COMES THE GROOM is available on both video and DVD. The DVD is a "twofer" pairing HERE COMES THE GROOM with Crosby and Wyman's 1952 film JUST FOR YOU.

Fans of this film may enjoy visiting the Jane Wyman Official Family Website, the Anna Maria Alberghetti website, and the Beverly Washburn Official Website.

November 2014 Update: HERE COMES THE GROOM is now available on DVD from the Warner Archive.

January 2015 Update: Here is a review of the Warner Archive DVD.

November 2018 Update: HERE COMES THE GROOM is no longer listed as available at the Warner Archive website.

Disneyland: Storybook Land Canal

One of the most scenic spots in Disneyland is the Storybook Land Canal, where Disney Imagineers and gardeners have created detailed settings for several Disney classics in miniature.

On our trip a few days ago my younger daughter took some beautiful photos of this area from our vantage point on the Casey Jr. Circus Train. Click any of the photos to enlarge.


The Canal Boats and Circus Train are both original to the park; the train in particular has always been one of my favorite Disneyland rides.

Below, Pinocchio's village:


Alice in Wonderland's village:


From the Silly Symphony THE OLD MILL:


Toad Hall from Disney's version of THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS, as seen in THE ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD AND MR. TOAD:


Cinderella's Castle:


The setting for ALADDIN:


More about the ride and its history can be found here and here.

Disneyland Paris is the only Disney theme park, other than Disneyland, to have a Storybook Land Canal; it's called Le Pays des Contes de Fees. You can see a few photos of the Paris version here.

Dodgers Win Reverse No-Hitter

An unusual slice of baseball history tonight: The Los Angeles Dodgers were no-hit by the Anaheim Angels, yet the Dodgers won the game, 1-0.

Angels pitchers Jered Weaver and Jose Arredondo didn't allow the home team Dodgers a hit over 8 innings, but the Dodgers scored their single run on a sacrifice.

Vin Scully says technically the game isn't a no-hitter because the Angels didn't pitch the 9th inning.

This is only the 5th game since 1900 when a hitless team has won.

A photo gallery is here.

In other baseball news, here's an interesting story about former Angel Tim Salmon's visit to the troops in Afghanistan.

Update: Times columnist Bill Plaschke on the Dodgers' historically "bizarre" and "magical" win (adjectives courtesy of Dodgers manager Joe Torre).

Tonight's Movie: Pride of the Marines (1945)

PRIDE OF THE MARINES (1945) is a superbly acted true story about World War II hero Al Schmid (John Garfield), who was blinded at Guadalcanal, where as a machine gunner he killed at least 200 advancing Japanese soldiers.

Garfield is excellent in the lead role. He manages to portray the brash Al's hard edges while also making him sympathetic. Before making the movie, Garfield spent time living with the real Al Schmid; he also spent two weeks at the San Diego Naval Hospital learning about soldiers dealing with blindness. Garfield's performance is equalled by Eleanor Parker as Ruth, Al's fiancee, who had what it took to stand up to and tame a tough guy who claimed he didn't want a serious relationship, and later showed she had the spunk to stick with him when the going got rough. It's a surprise to me that neither Garfield nor Parker received acting nominations for this film. They are both realistic and deeply moving.

The supporting cast is also outstanding, including Dane Clark as Al's war buddy, Rosemary DeCamp as a Red Cross aide, and Ann Doran, John Ridgely, and Ann E. Todd as the friends who were as close to Al as family.

The film is almost three movies in one. The first quarter of the film is devoted to the courtship of Al and Ruth, whose initially antagonistic relationship evolves into friendship and then something much deeper. Watching Garfield and Parker spar and then make sparks is tremendously enjoyable. The next section of the film, depicting Al's experience at Guadalcanal holding off hundreds of Japanese soldiers, is nerve-wrackingly terrifying. The final hour or so of the movie concerns Al coming to emotional and practical terms with the loss of most of his vision. Al's initial denial that he might have permanent damage to his vision is heartbreakingly portrayed by Garfield.

The film is surprisingly undated; some of the dialogue, on topics like prejudice, patriotism, and sacrifice, is still very timely in today's world. Discussion about whether Mexicans would take jobs needed by returning soldiers sounds topical decades later, though in this particular case it was clear that at least some of the "Mexicans" were not illegal aliens, but those who had also served our nation in the war.

A biographical account and a photograph of Al Schmid's tombstone at Arlington National Cemetery can be found at Arlington Cemetery.net. The film sticks fairly close to the actual story.

According to IMDb, some location shooting was done in Philadelphia; although back projections are used in some of the Philadelphia scenes, it appeared to me that the actors were on location in at least some of the scenes, such as at the train station. Footage for establishing shots was also shot at the Naval Hospital in San Diego.

PRIDE OF THE MARINES was directed by Delmer Daves. It was filmed in black and white and runs 119 minutes.

Original 1945 reviews can be read at The New York Times and Time Magazine. A few snippets from Bosley Crowther of the Times: "...very real and affecting... A remarkably natural production... The performances are all unqualifiedly excellent... To say that this picture is entertaining to a truly surprising degree is an inadequate recommendation. It is inspiring and eloquent..."

PRIDE OF THE MARINES can be seen on Turner Classic Movies. It's not available on video or DVD. There have been rumors for many months of a forthcoming John Garfield DVD set; perhaps this film will be included if such a set is released. PRIDE OF THE MARINES certainly deserves a DVD release and exposure to a wider audience.

May 2009 Update: PRIDE OF THE MARINES is now available on DVD from the Warner Archive.

"Fine Dining at Disney World"

The New York Times reviews some of Disney World's most upscale restaurants.

I haven't eaten at any of the restaurants reviewed here, but I highly recommend Yachtsman Steakhouse at the Yacht Club Resort, where we had an amazing meal a few years ago.

Congratulations to the Coghlans at Life in a Shoe

Congratulations to Kim and family at the blog Life in a Shoe, who were joined today by a healthy baby girl.

As she did two years ago, Kim live-blogged during her labor for the baby's home birth.

I'd guess they'll be changing their blog header to "family of 11" in the next few hours!

Pixar Does It Again: Wall-E Opens Today

Looks like Pixar and Disney have another huge hit on their hands with WALL-E, which opens today.

USA Today gives the movie a four-star review (click the post title above), while the L.A. Times says the film is "Daring and traditional, groundbreaking and familiar, apocalyptic and sentimental..." and the print edition headline says "sweetly wonderful and full of wonder."

The New York Times: "The first 40 minutes or so of WALL-E...is a cinematic poem of such wit and beauty that its darker implications may take a while to sink in... We’ve grown accustomed to expecting surprises from Pixar, but WALL-E surely breaks new ground... a disarmingly sweet and simple love story, Chaplinesque in its emotional purity."

WALL-E is "voiced" by Ben Burtt, who created the sound effects behind R2-D2. John Ratzenberger, who has appeared in every Pixar film to date, plays a character named John.

I hadn't been sure about how interested I was in seeing a "robot movie," but then I wasn't quite sure about seeing a cooking rat, either (grin). Somehow Pixar always manages to pull it off.

Closings in California and Elsewhere

Collectors Bookstore, which has been selling movie memorabilia in Hollywood since 1965, closed its doors and went Internet-only half a dozen years ago. Now it is shutting down completely and auctioning off its remaining stock.

I shopped at Collectors in the late '70s and '80s, at three different locations. It wasn't my favorite movie memorabilia store, as its prices were higher than its competitors, but I found some wonderful treasures there. Thanks to Collectors I added to my extensive stills collections from SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS and THE SOUND OF MUSIC, and I acquired other neat odds and ends there as well.

Over in Long Beach, Ray Bradbury, the best-known regular customer of Acres of Books, has paid his last visit to the store. The store's location has been sold to a redevelopment agency.

Bradbury said, "I love this place. I love the smell of it. When it used to rain...I'd come to Long Beach, I'd come here to the Acres of Books and I'd go in the back."

I've been in the back myself when it was raining, and it was definitely a memorable experience. The back of the store is sort of a warehouse tucked onto the building. There are skylights but not much light. You'd hear the rain pounding away on the skylights, and it would be sort of gray and magical while you browsed the cavernous stacks. We were lucky to have the store while it lasted.

(Previous Acres of Books posts: April 7 and April 22, 2008.)

News from across the country: Highly regarded White Lily Flour will continue to be produced, but owner Smucker's is moving production from Tennessee to the Midwest.

The New York Times and Atlanta Journal-Constitution report on concerns about whether the flour's quality will remain the same.

My family members in North Carolina have sent me White Lily -- as well as other Southern flours -- which I enjoy using to make biscuits and pancakes. White Lily is wonderful stuff.

Something to Think About

The Supreme Court did the right thing today, issuing an opinion in support of the individual right to keep and bear arms.

It's disturbing, however, that this was a 5-4 decision, when the logical intent of the Founding Fathers -- the historical context is cited in the opinion -- was so clear.

Patterico gives us this sobering thought: "If the Democrats had appointed just one more Justice to the U.S. Supreme Court, there would be no individual right to possess firearms in the United States of America."