Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Happy Spring! Here's a link to my 2017 photo post celebrating the new season.

...I usually post a brief overview of Academy Award nominations, most recently last year, but this year I haven't bothered. Given theater closures of the past year, many of the films, like MANK (2020), are far better known as streaming content than for originally playing in theaters. For anyone interested, the full list is at the Academy website.  The ceremony is April 25th.

...New announcements of upcoming Blu-ray releases from Kino Lorber Studio Classics: BLUE SKIES (1946), with Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby, is "coming soon," while SHENANDOAH (1965), starring James Stewart, will be released in July.

...PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET (1951), previously available from the Criterion Collection on DVD, will be released on Blu-ray in late June. It will also be rereleased on DVD. Some extras from the original DVD will be included, along with a new interview with Imogen Sara Smith.

...CineSavant Glenn Erickson reports that the new Warner Archive Blu-ray release on CROSSFIRE (1947) is "a stunning remastering." I'll also be reviewing that release here at a future date.

...Earlier this month Steven Cerra posted an interesting article at Jazz Profiles on jazz interpretation albums of Broadway music from Shelly Manne and Andre Previn.

...Jacqueline Lynch looks at an episode of Beverly Garland's DECOY TV series at Another Old Movie Blog. I picked up this DVD set a while back and look forward to trying it out. Jacqueline's post is part of the 7th Annual Favorite TV Episode Blogathon at A Shroud of Thoughts.

...At The Hannibal 8 Toby has info on an upcoming Blu-ray release of FLIGHT TO MARS (1951), starring Cameron Mitchell and Marguerite Chapman, directed by Lesley Selander. A 4K restoration will be out from the Film Detective this July.

...There's a sale on Shout Select Blu-rays at the Shout! Factory site through March 24th. It's a relatively short list but some good titles with nice extras are included.

...On Monday, March 22nd, Retroformat Films will be streaming John Ford's THE IRON HORSE (1924) at 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time. It will feature new accompaniment by Cliff Retallick; after the movie there will be an interview with Ford historian Joseph McBride.

...Streaming Sunday, March 21st, at 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time: Kimberly Truhler's latest entry in her "Style of Sin" series on Zoom will look at pre-Code fashions for Barbara Stanwyck. Sign up here. Kim also has an Oscars fashion event coming April 18th.

... Notable Passings: Henry Darrow, a fan favorite as Manolito Montoya on TV's THE HIGH CHAPARRAL (1967-71), has died at the age of 87. Actress Linda Cristal, who played Darrow's sister Victoria on the show, died less than a year ago. A few years ago Darrow wrote a memoir (with Jan Pippins) titled LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE...Yaphet Kotto, memorable as the villain in the James Bond film LIVE AND LET DIE (1973), has passed away at 81...Author-Illustrator Joan Walsh Anglund has died at 95. Her classic A FRIEND IS SOMEONE WHO LIKES YOU is one of the first books I remember receiving as a gift.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please check out my March 13th roundup.

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Tonight's Movie: Fly Away Baby (1937)

A month ago I watched SMART BLONDE (1937), the first film in the Warner Bros. Torchy Blane series starring Glenda Farrell and Barton MacLane.

I've now watched the second movie, FLY AWAY BABY (1937), which I found equally enjoyable.

The film begins as police detective Steve (MacLane) stands up reporter Torchy (Farrell) at the marriage license bureau due to investigating a murder case.

Torchy isn't particularly upset, as she's equally interested in murder cases, and we're off and running on a case involving murder, diamond smuggling, and an around-the-world race, culminating in Torchy and Steve solving the murder while on a Europe-to-U.S. zeppelin trip.

At the end Steve and Torchy are on the way to get a marriage license...but this time Torchy has to stop off first and check out a story!

There's nothing especially noteworthy about the series, other than Farrell's energetic performance as Torchy, but I've liked both films and look forward to more. I find it relaxing to sit down with familiar characters and have them in and out of a story in an hour flat.

I've sometimes discussed enjoying when movies inspire additional reading and research, and the zeppelin setting gave this film an interesting angle. I started down the rabbit hole reading about zeppelins and discovered that the Hindenburg disaster had occurred only a little over a month before this film was released, so that tragedy would have been very fresh in contemporary viewers' minds.

It's interesting that just as this film was first being seen by audiences, the era of trans-Atlantic zeppelin travel, which took roughly four days from Europe to New Jersey, had come to a close. Historical details such as that so often make a seemingly innocuous little film all the more interesting.

The FLY AWAY BABY cast includes Harry Davenport, Gordon Oliver, Marcia Ralston, Hugh O'Connell, Tom Kennedy, Raymond Hatton, and Carlyle Moore Jr.

The film was directed by Frank McDonald and filmed in black and white by Warren Lynch. The script by Don Ryan and Kenneth Gamet was based on an idea by Dorothy Kilgallen, perhaps best known today for her appearances on TV's WHAT'S MY LINE?

FLY AWAY BABY is available in a nice DVD print as part of the Warner Archive's nine-film Torchy Blane Collection.

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

In honor of the day, here are photos of sheet music for "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That's an Irish Lullaby)," memorably sung by Bing Crosby in GOING MY WAY (1944):

You can currently listen to Crosby singing the song here.

Enjoy the day!

Previous St. Patrick's Day Posts: 2013 (Maureen O'Hara), 2014 (Angela Greene), 2015 (Actresses in Green), 2016 (Maureen O'Hara), 2017 (More Actresses in Green), 2018 (posters for Irish-themed movies), 2019 (Maureen O'Sullivan), and 2020 (THREE CHEERS FOR THE IRISH photo gallery).

Tonight's Movie: Prairie Chickens (1943) - A ClassicFlix DVD Review

I've been out of town the last few days on a short getaway to Lone Pine -- I should have some photos posted later in the week -- hence the "radio silence" here at the blog.

One of the movies I watched while I was away was PRAIRIE CHICKENS (1943), the third and final film in the ClassicFlix set The Complete Hal Roach Streamliners Collection, Vol. 2: The Westerns.

The collection originally came out last June, and I've previously reviewed the other two films, DUDES ARE PRETTY PEOPLE (1942) and CALABOOSE (1943).

This time around Jimmy (Jimmy Rogers) and Pidge (Noah Beery Jr.) are nursing their old jalopy down the road, in search of a new ranching job, when they're picked up by Farnsworth (Dudley Dickerson), the chauffeur to rich, nutty Henry Lewis Clark III (Jack Norton).

Clark owns a ranch he's never visited, and his foreman Albertson (Joe Sawyer) and the ranch hands (Mike Mazurki, Frank Faylen, Glenn Strange, and Ray Teal) are swindling him.

Albertson and his henchmen mistake Pidge for Clark, and before much running time has passed, the boys are spending the night at the ranch house with a bus load of college co-eds (including Marjorie Woodworth and Noel Neill) -- it's a long story -- with the crooked ranch hands trying to make everyone think it's a haunted house.

I got quite a kick out of PRAIRIE CHICKENS and thought it was the best film in the set. Although I tend not to go for overly goofy films, the set pieces in this one were staged really well, and it was so fast-paced at 47 minutes that there was no time for it to wear out its welcome. I suspect my fellow "B" fans will enjoy it also.

This amusing little "spooky old house" comedy, filled with slamming doors and people running around screaming, was in my view as well done as similar Bob Hope type films -- but on a much smaller budget!

A particularly funny sequence comes when hulking Mike Mazurki tries to scare Jimmy, Pidge, and the real Clark by serving them invisible food. The way the trio goes along with it gets funnier as the scene progresses, until the men are so into it that the tables turn and they end up scaring Mazurki.

The young ladies in the film also included Rosemary La Planche, who was Miss America in 1941. The cast also includes familiar faces like Milton Kibbee, Edward Gargan, William Farnum, and Si Jenks.

The movie was directed by Hal Roach Jr. and filmed by Robert Pittack.

Thanks to ClassicFlix for providing a review copy of this DVD.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

..This weekend is what's being described as the final "4 for $44" Warner Archive sale at the WBShop. Using the checkout code "SHOPWB15" provides additional savings. The sale ends on Monday the 15th, so don't delay! Although the Warner Archive Collection has announced April titles, listed in last week's roundup, it has not yet been announced what, if anything, will replace the WBShop.

...Also currently underway, through April 5th: The Kino Lorber March Madness sale.

...Coming this fall: WALT'S DISNEYLAND: A WALK IN THE PARK WITH WALT DISNEY by Marcy Carriker Smothers, author of the 2017 book EAT LIKE WALT: THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY FOOD.

...Here's "A (Big) Dig into the Roots of Boston Noir" by Luke Poling for CrimeReads.

...The April Academy Awards ceremony may take place in Los Angeles at...Union Station?! Deadline has the story.

...Loved this essay by Mary Katharine Ham on WANDAVISION (2021), grief, and processing the year that was.

...The Disney+ streaming service has now passed 100 million subscribers in just 16 months. Incidentally, we splurged on "Premier Access" to be able to watch RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON (2021) on Disney+ immediately; it opened theatrically in some parts of the country on March 5th. I've watched the first half and am enjoying it; it's visually stunning. I should have a review posted here in a few days. In the meantime, a trailer is here.

...At long last, California movie theaters begin reopening over the next few days. I hope to be fully vaccinated and in a theater to see Marvel's BLACK WIDOW (2021) when it opens May 7th. We'll see what happens! If I've learned anything in the last year it's to expect the unexpected.

...New Kino Lorber Studio Classics announcements: The British Noir Collection III is coming on DVD July 13th, featuring five films: THE FRIGHTENED LADY (1940), THE BRASS MONKEY (1948), THIRD TIME LUCKY (1949), TALL HEADLINES (1952), and BREAKAWAY (1956). Listed by Kino Lorber as "coming soon" are Blu-ray releases of VERA CRUZ (1954) with Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster and THE MAD DOCTOR (1941) with Basil Rathbone, Ellen Drew, and John Howard.

...And coming to Blu-ray on May 18th, from Kino Lorber and the Cohen Film Collection, is the charming IT HAPPENED TOMORROW (1944) starring Dick Powell and Linda Darnell. I reviewed the film back in 2009 and am really looking forward to revisiting it via the new Blu-ray.

...The Academy Museum has announced some of its initial programming. The long-awaited grand opening is scheduled for September 30th.

...There's a great-looking new book coming soon from historian James L. Neibaur: CLARK GABLE IN THE 1930S: THE FILMS THAT MADE HIM KING OF HOLLYWOOD, published by McFarland.

...The Santa Barbara Film Festival begins at the end of March and will be free this year. The festival will feature two ocean-front drive-in theaters as well as films shown online.

...I enjoyed this profile of Jennifer Garner in The Hollywood Reporter. There's a cute anecdote that her kids have noticed that when she's approached in public, people seem to feel she's a friend they already know.

...Colin has written about Barbara Stanwyck and John Lund in NO MAN OF HER OWN (1950) at his blog Riding the High Country. I really like that film and enjoyed revisiting it thanks to Colin's post.

...New "three-fer" DVDs in the Critics' Choice Collection: A William Holden Western Triple Feature with ARIZONA (1940), TEXAS (1941), and ALVAREZ KELLY (1966), and a Loretta Young Comedy Triple Feature with PLATINUM BLONDE (1931), THE DOCTOR TAKES A WIFE (1940), and A NIGHT TO REMEMBER (1943).

...Notable Passings: I recently learned of the December passing of silent movie actor Don Marion at the age of 103...Nikki Van der Zyl, who dubbed several actresses in James Bond films, died this month at the age of 85...STARGATE SG-1 actor Cliff Simon has died following a kiteboarding accident. He was 58...Norton Juster, author of THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH, has passed on at 91...Frank Lupo, a longtime colleague of TV producer-creator Stephen J. Cannell, died last month at 66.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please check out my March 6th roundup.

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TCM Announces 2021 Virtual TCM Classic Film Festival

Today Turner Classic Movies announced plans for its virtual 2021 festival.

As was the case last year, the 2021 TCM Classic Film Festival will be entirely online. It will be held from May 6th through 9th, 2021.

New this year is that the festival will be held on two separate platforms; in addition to the TCM channel on cable television, there will be additional films and supplemental material at the "Classics Curated by TCM" hub on the HBO Max streaming service.

TCM's announcement regarding "How to Fest With Us" and what to expect on both TCM and HBO Max may be found here.

TCM's 12th festival will kick off on May 6th with a 60th anniversary showing of WEST SIDE STORY (1961) featuring guests Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, and Russ Tamblyn. 

More than 80 films will be shown over the course of the weekend. I'm especially enthused about a screening of the film noir THEY WON'T BELIEVE ME (1947), starring Robert Young, Jane Greer, and Susan Hayward. For years the movie has only been available in an 80-minute print, and Eddie Muller announced today that it will be shown with 15 minutes of long-missing footage restored, which is amazing news.

With plenty of time to plan this year's event, it sounds as though it will be quite comprehensive compared to last year's "Home Edition" of the festival, which had to be put together on short notice.

While last year's virtual fest consisted mainly of special introductions and replays of a few introductions and interviews from past TCM Fests, this year the festival will include tributes, themed programming, guest programmers, special presentations, panel discussions, and more.

TCM will be making additional announcements in advance of the festival.

Today TCM also confirmed on Twitter that there will be an online shop with festival merchandise.

Articles on TCM's announcement may be found at Indiewire, Nerdist, Entertainment Weekly, and The Hollywood Reporter.

It sounds like it will be an enjoyable weekend, and then hopefully we'll all meet again in Hollywood in 2022!

TCM fans may also want to know about two events on the eve of the festival which are not affiliated with TCM but which will celebrate the festival.

At 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time on May 5th Kimberly Truhler will be giving her annual "Fashion in Film of TCMFF" talk. Zoom registration is here.

And at 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time on the 5th Karie Bible will hold a special festival edition of her "Hollywood Kitchen" series which streams on Facebook. More will be announced closer to the date.

For more on the TCM schedule in May 2021, please visit my Quick Preview of TCM in May.

I'll have much more regarding the virtual TCM Festival posted here as news develops, and a more detailed look at the overall May schedule will be posted in late April.

Updates: TCM Announces the 2021 Virtual TCM Classic Film Festival Schedule and TCM in May: Highlights.

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Tonight's Movie: Caught in the Draft (1941) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour star in the comedy CAUGHT IN THE DRAFT (1941), just released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber.

CAUGHT IN THE DRAFT is one of a trio of Hope films released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber this month; the other titles are NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (1941), costarring Paulette Goddard, and MY FAVORITE BLONDE (1942), which also stars Madeleine Carroll.  Both those films will be reviewed here at a future date.

CAUGHT IN THE DRAFT was released in the summer of 1941, a few months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Hope plays movie star Don Bolton, who is terribly afraid of loud noises; he falls apart when gunshots are heard while he's filming a WWI movie.

Lovely Antoinette "Tony" Fairbanks (Lamour) and her father, Col. Peter Fairbanks (Clarence Kolb), meet Don on a tour of the studio. Ladies' man Don is smitten but he constantly manages to make a bad impression on Tony.

Don wants to avoid the military draft because of his noise phobia and decides marrying Tony will provide him with the perfect draft exemption, but when men his age are excluded from the draft he backs out of an engagement.

Don quickly regrets backtracking on his proposal and decides to impress Tony by enlisting...planning for an actor friend to "sit in" at the recruiting office and turn him down. I'm sure viewers won't be surprised when things don't go as planned and Don ends up in the military, determined to make Tony proud and be promoted from private to corporal.

This is a fairly amusing little movie as Hope films go; the plot is fun, and a set piece where Hope is on guard duty, afraid it will be discovered he's wearing pajamas under his military coat, is particularly good.

I also found the film interesting from the perspective of seeing what U.S. audiences were watching regarding the military draft just a few months ahead of our entry into the war.  

I really enjoyed the 26-year-old Lamour, who is lovely and charming; the only strange thing is it's rather hard to understand why she wants to marry Hope, given how often they fight! Surely such a gorgeous young woman could have her pick of any number of men...so the viewer just has to go along with it.

Hope is well supported by Eddie Bracken and Lynne Overman as his assistants. Paul Hurst, Ferike Boros, Irving Bacon, Marie Blake, and Phyllis Ruth are also in the cast.

The movie was directed by David Butler and filmed in black and white by Karl Struss. The film, which was scripted by Harry Tugend, runs a brisk 82 minutes.

A few brief scenes in the Blu-ray print are on the soft side, but most of it looks quite good; Hope fans should be pleased with it. The print is from a new 4K master. The sound is excellent.

The disc includes the trailer, a gallery of trailers for four additional Bob Hope films, newsreels, shorts, and a commentary track by Michael Schlesinger and Stan Taffel.

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

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Tonight's Movie: Wings of the Hawk (1953) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

WINGS OF THE HAWK (1953), a Universal Pictures adventure film long unavailable for home viewing, has now been released on Blu-ray and DVD by Kino Lorber.

Even better news: The Blu-ray edition contains both the 2-D and 3-D versions of the film, along with some nice extras. The 3-D version was newly restored by the 3-D Film Archive.

Van Heflin, who also appeared in Universal's TOMAHAWK (1951), stars as "Irish" Gallagher, a mine owner in 1911 Mexico. 

Greedy Col. Paco Ruiz (George Dolenz, father of future Monkee Mickey Dolenz) takes possession of the mine.  Gallagher attempts to find off Ruiz and his soldiers, to no avail, and ultimately must make a run for it.

It's out of the frying pan and into the fire as Gallagher ends up in the midst of insurrectionists battling Ruiz and his men, unexpectedly led by the beautiful Raquel (Julie Adams).  Gallagher saves Raquel's life by digging a bullet out of her shoulder and earns the trust of the revolutionaries.

Gallagher and Raquel have a common adversary, as Col. Ruiz is responsible for killing Raquel's parents -- a situation complicated by the fact that Raquel's sister Elena (Abbe Lane, CHICAGO SYNDICATE) is in love with him.

A series of skirmishes and captures between the military and guerrillas take place, leading to an explosive showdown at the mine.

WINGS OF THE HAWK is a modestly entertaining film; it has appealing lead actors but their characters are underwritten, and the story is fairly bland.  Fans of Universal Westerns and the lead actors will find it worth a look, though it's not as interesting as the typical Western from that studio.

The unusual premise, with Adams' character leading men into battle, adds a little something different, but as much as I adore Julie Adams, it's a bit hard to believe her in this role, and her portrayal of what one might expect to be a fiery character is...quiet.  To an extent this might read as confidence or bravery, but in the end the character is simply too pallid.

Heflin may not have conventional matinee idol looks, but it's near impossible for him to be boring on screen, which helps, though it would have been nice to know more about his character.  He only has so much to work with from the script, written by James E. Moser from a story by Gerald Drayson Adams.

Lane adds interest with a flashier, more animated character, but her screen time is fairly limited.

WINGS OF THE HAWK was directed by Budd Boetticher and filmed by Clifford Stine.  This 81-minute film was shot in low-budget Simi Valley locations including Corriganville.

The supporting cast includes Rodolfo Acosta, Antonio Moreno, Noah Beery Jr., and Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez.

I reviewed the 2-D Blu-ray version, which is grainier and less impressive than the typical Kino Lorber Blu-ray, but I suspect this might be as good as the print gets. I look forward to viewing the 3-D print at some point in the future, which comes from a new 2K master.

The disc features two commentary tracks, a full-length commentary by the always excellent Jeremy Arnold, and a 20-minute track by 3-D expert Mike Ballew.  Arnold knew the director, and although the movie was only so-so, I'm sure I'll be learning some interesting information when I listen to it later in the week.

The disc also contains the trailer and both 3-D and 2-D versions of the Woody Woodpecker cartoon HYPNOTIC HICK (1953).

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

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Tonight's Movie: Show Boat (1951) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The MGM version of SHOW BOAT (1951) is another stunningly beautiful new Blu-ray release from the Warner Archive.

MGM's colorful presentation of the Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein II musical about love and loss on the Cotton Blossom in the late 19th century has been a favorite since I was first enthralled by excerpts in THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! (1974) as a pre-teen.

Not long after THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! came out my parents took me to see the movie at Cerritos College; I suspect it was probably a 16mm Films Incorporated print, but what I know for certain is I was thrilled to see it. Keep in mind there was no home video or cable television in the '70s, so the only chance to see a complete, unedited film without commercials was on a big screen.

Throughout my teen years I immersed myself in SHOW BOAT; I read the novel by Edna Ferber and Miles Kreuger's important history, SHOW BOAT: THE STORY OF A CLASSIC AMERICAN MUSICAL. I was also fortunate to see a 35mm print of the 1936 version starring Irene Dunne, Helen Morgan, and Paul Robeson at the Vagabond Theater in Los Angeles.

While many classic film fans and historians have a preference for the 1936 version, I find MGM's production superior for myriad reasons.

Though I'm a big fan of Dunne, overall I prefer the exceptional casting of the 1951 version; this includes Ava Gardner, who was unfortunately dubbed (by Annette Warren). Existing audio tracks show Gardner was more than capable of singing her numbers. I find Gardner deeply moving as the tragic Julie, who is hounded off the show boat due to a claim of miscegnation.  SHOW BOAT is a beautiful film which has dramatic heft in part due to its exposure of the ugliness which existed in times past.

Kathryn Grayson perfectly captures young Magnolia's naive sweetness, with Howard Keel the dashing gambler, Gaylord Ravenal. Joe E. Brown and Agnes Moorehead are Magnolia's parents, Cap'n Andy and Parthy Hawks.

The MGM version also has the delightful dancing of Marge and Gower Champion, who are not only marvelous to watch but also serve to provide some relief from the heavier drama.

Importantly for me, the MGM version also includes William Warfield as Joe, who sings "Ol' Man River." I grew up listening to Warfield on an LP album with John Raitt and Barbara Cook, and I find his performance of the song thrilling. It never fails to give me chills.

Another plus for the MGM version is that John Lee Mahin's screenplay excises and/or condenses much of the prolonged sad drama from the latter part of the story. There's enough heavy going as it is, between the two star-crossed love stories, without dragging it out for decades. The film hits all the key story points and emotional notes in its 108 minutes, and I'm good without the film showing Kim (Sheila Clark) growing to adulthood!

What really makes MGM's SHOW BOAT a winner for me is the way the cast is utilized as part of the overall staging, as directed by George Sidney, with costumes by Walter Plunkett, gorgeous orchestrations by Conrad Salinger, and the lush Technicolor photography of Charles Rosher (SCARAMOUCHE).

There are three key sequences which are so perfectly staged and orchestrated that they never fail to bring tears to my eyes: The opening appearance of the Cotton Blossom, with the chorus performing as the boat pulls into the dock; Warfield singing "Ol' Man River" on a foggy morning as Gardner and Robert Sterling leave the show boat; and the finale, with Grayson and Keel reunited on the boat as Warfield reprises "Ol' Man River" and Gardner blows them a kiss.

As that last scene fades out and "The End" comes up, including the words "Made in Hollywood, U.S.A.," I always tear up for the Hollywood that is no more, but which I'm grateful once existed.

A couple interesting side notes on the staging of "Ol' Man River" come from Hugh Fordin's classic 1975 book on MGM's Freed Unit, THE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT: Director Sidney fell ill and associate producer Roger Edens actually directed the memorable scene with Gardner and Sterling leaving the boat, which leads into the song. Additionally, the studio was shooting in November and December and taking advantage of real early morning fog rolling in, but each day's light looked somewhat different; cinematographer Rosher had the "uncanny" ability to light each day for a consistent appearance.

My previous DVD copy only had a trailer as an extra. The Blu-ray has a wonderful array of supplemental material in addition to the trailer, including an archival commentary track by director George Sidney; the SHOW BOAT sequence from TILL THE CLOUDS ROLL BY (1946) with Grayson, Tony Martin, and Lena Horne; outtakes of Ava Gardner singing; and the 1952 Lux Radio Theater production with Grayson, Keel, Gardner, and Warfield, plus Jay C. Flippen as Cap'n Andy.

The disc also includes a song selection menu and the choice of two soundtracks, the mono release version or a stereo mix.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Amazon or from any online retailers where Blu-rays are sold.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...This week there's excellent new DVD news from ClassicFlix: June 15th will be the Silver Series releases of THE CRYSTAL BALL (1943), starring Ray Milland and Paulette Goddard, and THE DUKE OF WEST POINT (1938), starring Louis Hayward and Joan Fontaine. I quite enjoyed THE CRYSTAL BALL a decade ago and have long wanted to see THE DUKE OF WEST POINT, so I'm delighted by this news.

...Coming from Kino Lorber in May: Marion Davies in LIGHTS OF OLD BROADWAY (1925), with a commentary track by Anthony Slide.

...Alamo Drafthouse movie theaters declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week.

...A hopeful note from the Lone Pine Film Festival: They are currently planning for the festival to be an in-person event this October and advise booking hotel rooms. My hotel reservation was held over from 2020, and it would certainly be a thrill to be back in Lone Pine for the festival this fall, so let's hope it happens! (April Update: The festival dates have been updated to October 7th through 10th, rather than ending on the 9th, as seen in this photo.)

...I was interested to learn that Karl Malden's daughter Carla is an author; her latest book is a novel for young adults.

...The Warner Archive has announced its April Blu-ray releases, a nice selection of titles which will include DOCTOR X (1932), ANOTHER THIN MAN (1939), EACH DAWN I DIE (1939), BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940 (1940), GREEN DOLPHIN STREET (1947), and ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (1950). DOCTOR X, directed by Michael Curtiz, will feature a new commentary track by Curtiz biographer Alan K. Rode.

...CineSavant Glenn Erickson recently reviewed the Warner Archive Blu-ray release of SHOW BOAT (1951) for Trailers From Hell. I'll be reviewing it here in the near future. (Update: Here is my review.)

...Former Los Angeles Times classic film reporter Susan King has written a tribute to Doris Day for the Turner Classic Movies Tumblr page.

...This month Annette Bochenek writes about buildings associated with actress-dancer Lucille Bremer in her "Classic Movie Travels" column for Classic Movie Hub.

...Netflix has purchased Liam Neeson's latest action film, THE ICE ROAD (2021), costarring Laurence Fishburne. Given that I enjoy Neeson's films, most recently UNKNOWN (2011), this thriller about a rescue operation at a collapsed diamond mine sounds like something I'd enjoy.

...Walt Disney's first animation studio in Kansas City may become a museum.

...I read a number of titles in the "Wagons West" series of novels by Dana Fuller Ross beginning in the late '70s. Paperback Warrior has an interesting history of the series for any of my readers who might also be familiar with these books.

...Few shows could have been more appropriate for our current times than WANDAVISION (2021), the Disney+ series I have previously praised here. This weekend's finale was haunting, mixing sadness with a touch of optimism. CNN has an article titled "The Emotional Catharsis of WANDAVISION in a Year of Grief": "For all its fantastical trappings, WANDAVISION is perhaps the Marvel project most rooted in reality. Its depictions of trauma, of grief and loss...are moving and resonant." I've been extremely impressed by the way the writers layered Marvel film and comic book history, classic TV sitcoms, and even plentiful references to THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) into a mystery which was ultimately powerful and profound. Some of the writing, including "What is grief, if not love persevering?" has already joined the culture and will not be forgotten.

...Attention Southern Californians: Retroformat is hosting a drive-in screening of Buster Keaton in STEAMBOAT BILL, JR. (1928) at the Hollywood Legion Post 43 Drive-In on March 27th. Live music will be provided by Cliff Retallick. Tickets may be purchased here, and they're going quickly! I attended a drive-in screening of Harold Lloyd in THE FRESHMAN (1925) last November, which also had live music by Retallick, and had a grand time. I'm looking forward to returning for this event.

...Notable Passing: Actress-Singer Joan Weldon has passed away at the age of 90. A family obituary was published by Legacy.com, and a short biography may be read at Masterworks Broadway. Weldon's film career included the sci-fi classic THEM! (1954) and several Westerns, including THE STRANGER WORE A GUN (1953) and RIDING SHOTGUN (1954) with Randolph Scott, THE COMMAND (1954) with Guy Madison, GUNSIGHT RIDGE (1957) with Joel McCrea, and DAY OF THE BADMAN (1958) with Fred MacMurray. I first knew Weldon from her guest starring role in one of my favorite MAVERICK episodes, "Plunder of Paradise" (1958); she's seen here with Jack Kelly. Weldon rarely had the chance to sing on screen, with MGM's DEEP IN MY HEART (1954) being one example, but her stage career included a three-year tour with Forrest Tucker in THE MUSIC MAN.

...More Notable Passings: Nicola Pagett, who played Elizabeth in the early seasons of UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS, has died at the age of 75...Geoffrey Scott, who played Mark Jennings on TV's DYNASTY, has passed on at 79.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please check out my February 27th roundup.

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Quick Preview of TCM in May

Time for a preview of the May schedule on Turner Classic Movies!

The May Star of the Month is unusual for TCM, "Movie Roberts." The series will begin with a 2014 PRIVATE SCREENINGS with the late TCM host Robert Osborne and then feature CROSSFIRE (1947), which stars three different actors named Robert -- Mitchum, Young, and Ryan.

The Star of the Month series continues with films featuring a wide variety of actors named Robert, including Montgomery, Taylor, Armstrong, Donat, Walker, Wagner, Preston, Cummings, and more.

There will be no Noir Alley films the first two Saturdays of May. The three Noir Alley movies screening in May will be TOUCH OF EVIL (1958), THE BROTHERS RICO (1957), and ACT OF VIOLENCE (1949), which is being shown in conjunction with the annual Memorial Day weekend military films marathon.

The marathon will begin the evening of Friday, May 28th, and run through Memorial Day.

The TCM Spotlight, "Order in the Court," focuses on films about trials.

There's also a pandemic-related "I Miss..." special theme, focusing on films about travel, theatre, parties, and concerts. May will also have series on "Body Images" and "Dream State: California in the Movies."

Other May themes include "How to Get Rid of a Body," desert islands, aliens, and film noir "road trips."

TCM Guest Programmer Frank Langella has chosen a nice assortment of films including classic MGM Americana, OUR VINES HAVE TENDER GRAPES (1945). A still with stars Margaret O'Brien, Jackie "Butch" Jenkins, Edward G. Robinson, and Agnes Moorehead is seen here. It's wonderful to see Langella drawing attention to that movie.

May will also feature a 24-hour centennial birthday tribute to director Satyajit Ray. Other filmmakers receiving multifilm tributes in May include Esther Williams, Fred Astaire, Tab Hunter, Katharine Hepburn, Walter Matthau, Glenn Ford, and Elizabeth Taylor.

A tribute to director James Whale will include THE KISS BEFORE THE MIRROR (1933), which recently had a Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber.

I'll have a more detailed look at the May schedule posted here around the end of April.

In the meantime, Doris Day is currently the March Star of the Month, with 31 Days of Oscar coming in April.

Update: TCM has now announced details regarding its online festival, to be held from May 6th through 9th, 2021.

Updates: TCM Announces the 2021 Virtual TCM Classic Film Festival Schedule and TCM in May: Highlights.

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Tonight's Movie: San Francisco (1936) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

For a superb example of studio-era filmmaking firing on all cylinders, look no further than MGM's SAN FRANCISCO (1936), now available on a beautiful Blu-ray from the Warner Archive.

I was fortunate to see SAN FRANCISCO in 35mm at UCLA in 2012, and it completely wowed me. It's hard to believe nine years have passed since that screening! I wrote about the movie extensively on that occasion and encourage readers to visit that post in conjunction with this Blu-ray review.

Watching it again thanks to the Blu-ray release, the movie continues to impress; I was completely hooked for the duration of the film's 115 minutes.

As I wrote in 2012, the film truly has everything, including the actor who might be the ultimate example of the '30s movie star, Clark Gable.

Beyond Gable's dynamic screen presence, there's the wonderful Jeanette MacDonald, not to mention Spencer Tracy, in what I think was his most likeable and genuinely relaxed performance.

Gable plays Blackie Norton, proprietor of a Barbary Coast saloon. He hires Mary Blake (MacDonald), a proper yet spirited singer recently arrived in San Francisco. They fall in love, but Blackie's not the kind of man to offer marriage to parson's daughter Mary, so she leaves to sing at an opera house and eventually becomes engaged to the more respectable Jack Burley (Jack Holt).

Little does Mary know that behind the scenes Blackie and Jack are pulling all sorts of shenanigans trying to put the other out of business.

Despite her engagement to Jack, Mary still feels a strong pull toward Blackie...and then, after everyone has gathered for an all-night ball at which Mary wins a prize, the rumbling begins...and wow, what a sequence. Those 1936 special effects still have a huge, huge impact, especially when viewed in conjunction with Gable's reactions.

Sure, the movie's inspiring ending may be a bit hokey, but I'll be honest, I cried -- not just for the music and the characters' emotions, but for a bygone era of filmmaking.

W.S. Van Dyke directed from a script by Anita Loos, with black and white photography by Oliver T. Marsh. The film received several Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and won Best Sound.

The Warner Archive Blu-ray looks marvelous and shows off the award-winning sound to fine effect. From Jeanette's singing to the earthquake rumbling, it all sounds great, with the dialogue clear and distinct. Having watched my share of releases with mushy soundtracks which test aging ears, this disc was a pleasure.

The Blu-Ray includes a full array of extras carried over from the original Clark Gable Signature Collection DVD release: A reissue trailer; an alternate ending sequence; the Traveltalk shorts CAVALCADE OF SAN FRANCISCO (1940) and NIGHT DESCENDS ON TREASURE ISLAND (1940); the cartoon BOTTLES (1936); and the documentary CLARK GABLE - TALL, DARK & HANDSOME (1996) narrated by Liam Neeson.

Recommended.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Amazon or from any online retailers where Blu-rays are sold.

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Tonight's Movie: Here Come the Waves (1944)

Bing Crosby stars in Paramount Pictures' World War II musical HERE COME THE WAVES (1944).

Bing plays Johnny Cabot, a crooner stalked by swooning young ladies everywhere he goes. His ardent fans include Susie Allison (Betty Hutton), who has a nightclub act with her twin sister Rosemary (also Hutton).

Johnny joins the Navy and the Allison twins join the WAVES, the women's branch of the U.S. Navy. They all end up getting to know one another after being introduced by their mutual friend Windy (Sonny Tufts). Excitable Susie is crazy for Johnny, but he's more attracted to the placid Rosemary.

When Johnny is about to ship out, Susie hatches a plan to keep him stateside a while longer performing in a navy recruiting show. Romantic complications ensue, especially after Susie spends an evening posing as Rosemary, leaving Johnny very confused by her behavior.

HERE COME THE WAVES was a pleasant film; it's nothing especially noteworthy but is 99 minutes of agreeable company, as well as an interesting relic of the WWII era. (The title art, seen here, is beautiful.) It has a solid cast and some good Harold Arlen-Johnny Mercer tunes, most notably the Oscar-nominated "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive."

It was a wonderful surprise when "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" turned up in the movie, as I hadn't been aware it originated with this film. Unfortunately it's performed in blackface, which is uncomfortable from a modern viewing perspective -- but what a great song!

Amazingly there were 14 nominees for Best Song that year, including "I'll Buy That Dream" from SING YOUR WAY HOME (1944); a personal favorite, "Anywhere," from TONIGHT AND EVERY NIGHT (1944); Jerome Kern and E.Y. Harburg's "More and More" from CAN'T HELP SINGING (1944); and the winner, Rodgers & Hammerstein's "It Might As Well Be Spring" from STATE FAIR (1944).

I've never been a Betty Hutton fan, finding her personality too hyper to be entertaining, but I warmed up to her a little thanks to her strong performance in THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN'S CREEK (1944), released the same year as HERE COME THE WAVES.

While blonde Susie is very much the "Betty Hutton" movie persona, I was frankly surprised how well Hutton pulled off her performance as quiet, dark-haired Rosemary. (She looks a bit like Jane Greer in this role.) If Hutton had played more of her movie roles in that emotional key I probably would have liked her more, though perhaps she would have lost what made her a distinctive personality.

When he's not singing, Crosby tends to take a back seat to the antics of the Huttons, who pull off their two roles with the help of some excellent special effects. The black and white photography was by Charles Lang.

Tufts is adequate as the fourth member of the film's romantic quartet. Ann Doran, always a favorite, and Anabel Shaw (GUN CRAZY), billed as Marjorie Henshaw, play two of the most prominent WAVES. Mona Freeman can be easily spotted as a screaming fan sitting next to the twins at Johnny's concert early in the film. When a group of women attack Johnny while he's standing guard, be on the lookout for Yvonne DeCarlo! She's seen here standing next to Crosby in a photo.

This was the last full-length film directed by Mark Sandrich, who had a heart attack a few days into directing Crosby and Fred Astaire in BLUE SKIES (1946). He was only 44.

I watched a very nice-looking DVD which is part of the five-film Bing Crosby Screen Legend Collection. It's also available in the eight-film Wartime Comedies Collection or as a single title in the Universal Vault Collection. It also had a release on VHS.

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