In Disney News...

...The Los Angeles Times reviews the debut of the World of Color at Disney's California Adventure: "World of Color...not only lives up to the hype, it manages to tap into the company’s long but sometimes elusive tradition of true spectacle innovation...five years of planning for the 26-minute musical presentation were well spent...emotional, dreamy and somewhat bold..."

...More reviews are in from Sue Kruse at MiceAge and Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix of MousePlanet.

...Here's some video previewing the show at the resort website, and here's a TV spot on the Disney Parks blog. Our family will probably wait for some of the initial madness to settle down and see it later this summer...though we reserve the right to change our minds!

...Disney dropping the apostrophe and switching from Disney's to Disney on signs throughout their parks strikes me as ill-considered.

...Another poor decision: reserving this year's Halloween Time fireworks for those who pay extra for Mickey's Halloween Party.

...This is a fun story about an engaged couple who discovered they were both in a photo taken at Walt Disney World when they were preschoolers.

...Wade Sampson discusses the history of Disney's Destino, which is overdue for a Disney Treasures release.

...MousePlanet recapped last weekend's MouseAdventure. My family's team, Practically Perfect, placed 28th out of 79 teams competing in the "Day at the Park" event.

Coming to DVD: The Pirates of Penzance (1983)

The film verson of Joseph Papp's production of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE comes to DVD on September 14, 2010.

A recording of the actual 1981-82 stage production of the Gilbert and Sullivan classic has been in my collection for many years, but this is the first time the film version has been released on DVD.

Unfortunately, Amazon's customer reviews of the theatrical production showed up along with the film listing; hopefully someone will rectify that to eliminate confusion, especially as some of them emphasize the DVD is not the film version!

The movie cast largely duplicates the Broadway production, with Linda Ronstadt, Rex Smith, George Rose, and the irrepressible Kevin Kline as the Pirate King. Angela Lansbury replaced Patricia Routledge in the film version.

Some may find the film's deliberately artificial soundstage sets surprising at first, but it works given the show's goofy material. I haven't seen the film since its original theatrical release, but I remember it as being quite entertaining. I'm looking forward to the chance to see it again.

Although I never saw the Broadway production, at least other than on DVD, I have fond memories of seeing the Los Angeles production at the Ahmanson Theatre a couple of times, starring Pam Dawber, Andy Gibb, Jo Anne Worley, and Barry Bostwick. Dawber, of MORK AND MINDY, has a beautiful singing voice, and I also enjoyed seeing her on stage in SHE LOVES ME. Bostwick's Pirate King stole the show.

Tonight's Movie: The Mystery of Mr. X (1934)

Nicholas Revel (Robert Montgomery) is an elegant London jewel thief -- rather along the lines of Ronald Colman's RAFFLES (1930) -- who has the misfortune to steal a diamond near the scene of a London bobby's murder. Scotland Yard believes the jewel thief and murderer are the same person, and Revel must solve THE MYSTERY OF MR. X (1934) and find the murderer himself if he doesn't want to be charged with a long list of recent police slayings.

While preoccupied with solving the murders and hiding a very hot diamond, Revel also manages to fall in love with the daughter (Elizabeth Allan) of the head of Scotland Yard (Henry Stephenson). Needless to say, Revel's life gets a wee bit complicated, especially when his every move is being followed by one of Scotland Yard's best (Lewis Stone).

This pre-Code film is a very entertaining movie, thanks to a good cast, headed by Montgomery, and an interesting story. It's fun to watch Revel plot how to stay one step ahead of the authorities, and -- unlike RAFFLES -- the film does a good job rehabilitating his character...although the last shot does leave one wondering!

There are some ingenious bits, such as one of Revel's confederates slipping the diamond into a glass of beer in a pub, which leaves Revel in a predicament when a barmaid tries to clear away the glasses and mixes them up; Revel has to find a way to retrieve the diamond without arousing the suspicions of the detective watching his every move.

I did feel that a scene or two might have been missing from this 84-minute film which would have better developed Revel's romance with Jane (Allan). Montgomery and Allan have excellent chemistry, with Allan parrying Montgomery's dialogue beautifully, but I was left wanting just a bit more from that aspect of the film.

Stone and Stephenson were two of Hollywood's best character actors, and Forrester Harvey also makes an excellent contribution as Joe, the cabbie who is Revel's trusted ally. Harvey also appeared as the bailiff in one of Montgomery's best early films, THE MAN IN POSSESSION (1931) -- a role he repeated in the Robert Taylor remake, PERSONAL PROPERTY (1937).

Some sources mistakenly suggest that British actress Elizabeth Allan was Montgomery's wife, who happened to be named Elizabeth Allen. Elizabeth Allan's notable roles in the '30s included playing Mrs. Copperfield in DAVID COPPERFIELD (1935) and Lucie in A TALE OF TWO CITIES (1935). She costarred with Katharine Hepburn in A WOMAN REBELS (1935) and also appeared in CAMILLE (1936). She returned to England in the late '30s and continued to act sporadically, including a small role as Jack Hawkins' wife in NO HIGHWAY IN THE SKY (1951).

At the time of the film's premiere, Mordaunt Hall wrote in the New York Times that the movie was "an ingenious pot-pourri of excitement, fun and romance...neatly acted by Robert Montgomery."

Jeremy Arnold wrote in an article posted at TCM that the film was "tremendously satisfying and tightly paced...the kind of movie which almost no one remembers or writes about, even though it demonstrates the high level of craftsmanship, professionalism, and clever storytelling of which 1930s Hollywood was so capable." (Update: TCM has removed most of their older articles and blog posts, including this one, so the bad link has been removed.)

As Arnold indicates, the film was made with MGM's usual polish. It has stylish set design; I especially loved the Art Deco lines in Montgomery's flat. Allan's elegant gowns were designed by Adrian.  The film was directed by Edgar Selwyn and an uncredited Richard Boleslawski, who is said by IMDb to have directed retakes.

In 1952 THE MYSTERY OF MR. X was remade as THE HOUR OF 13, starring Peter Lawford and Dawn Addams.

THE MYSTERY OF MR. X has not had a DVD or video release, more's the pity, but it can be seen on Turner Classic Movies.

Coming to DVD: The Kim Novak Collection

Sony continues its recent great work bringing out classic films on DVD. The five-film Kim Novak Collection will be available on August 3, 2010.

The movies in the set will be PICNIC, JEANNE EAGELS, MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, PAL JOEY, and BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE. MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, costarring Fredrick March, and JEANNE EAGELS are new to DVD.

ClassicFlix says the films will all be restored and remastered. Extras will include Novak's commentary on selected scenes and new featurettes.

It's interesting to note that the cover art seen at ClassicFlix differs from the cover shown on Amazon, seen above.

Quick Preview of TCM in September

The good folks at Turner Classic Movies left us a present before they went home for the weekend: the September schedule is now posted online. Vivien Leigh is September's Star of the Month.

TCM will be showing over a dozen Leigh films and documentaries in September, including some of her early British work and of course GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) and A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951). Classics such as WATERLOO BRIDGE (1940) and THAT HAMILTON WOMAN (1941) will also be shown.

It sounds like there's lots of other good stuff on the schedule in September, including tributes to Claudette Colbert, Kim Novak, Dane Clark, Deborah Kerr, and Greer Garson. Tim Holt Westerns, early Joan Crawford films, Fritz Lang's SECRET BEYOND THE DOOR (1948) with Joan Bennett and Michael Redgrave, and MGM's beautiful (if not entirely successful) musical SUMMER HOLIDAY (1948) are among the other good things coming to TCM in September.

I'll be taking a closer look at the September schedule this fall. We've still got all summer to enjoy first, though! Gregory Peck is TCM's July Star of the Month, and August will be the return of Summer Under the Stars.

Update: Those who can't wait for a closer look at the September schedule can visit Thrilling Days of Yesteryear for full details.

August 31st Update: Here's my detailed look at TCM in September: Highlights.

Tonight's Movie: Jesse Stone: Night Passage (2006)

A few weeks ago I watched the first JESSE STONE movie, STONE COLD (2005), and liked it very much. Tonight I watched the second film in the series, JESSE STONE: NIGHT PASSAGE (2006), which was also excellent.

Somewhat curiously, although NIGHT PASSAGE was filmed after STONE COLD, it's actually a prequel setting up how Jesse was hired as police chief in Paradise, Massachusetts. Jesse has been emotionally wounded by a divorce and drinks too much, but he's also a smart, cagey cop. He may be just what Paradise needs, and vice versa.

It was fun to go back in time and watch Jesse getting to know the supporting characters who were such a big part of STONE COLD. Selleck is terrific, and so is his dialogue. The murder story is interesting enough, but the film is for the most part a character study depicting Jesse getting to know his new beat while battling his demons, including alcohol.

The fine ensemble cast includes Polly Shannon, Kohl Sudduth, Vito Rezza, Stephen McHattie, and John Beale as Stone's friends and colleagues.

Viola Davis, who plays cop Molly Crane, was Oscar-nominated for DOUBT (2008). Alas, it looks like as her career took off she left the STONE franchise; her last film in the series was SEA CHANGE (2007).

Stephen Baldwin -- one of those Baldwin brothers -- is an extremely creepy villain. Watching him playing such a scary weirdo, it's a bit hard to believe that in real life Stephen Baldwin has become very involved with Christian ministries. Saul Rubinek (Donny from FRASIER) is a more hapless bad guy, who will reappear in later STONE movies.

The movie has striking cinematography and locations. Halifax, Nova Scotia, stands in for coastal Massachusetts.

NIGHT PASSAGE was directed by Robert Harmon, who has helmed all of the Stone movies to date. The running time is 96 minutes.

JESSE STONE: NIGHT PASSAGE is available on DVD.

Here's a nice interview with Tom Selleck published when the latest STONE movie debuted last month.

There are four additional STONE TV-movies which have aired thus far, and a couple more are on the way. I'm very much looking forward to seeing the rest of this well-made series and am curious to see how Jesse's life evolves over time.

New Book: Ann Harding: Cinema's Gallant Lady

Here's a very interesting new title which just came out a couple weeks ago: ANN HARDING: CINEMA'S GALLANT LADY by Scott O'Brien.

The book has a forward by Mick LaSalle (COMPLICATED WOMEN). It's from Bear Manor Media.

I enjoyed O'Brien's books on Kay Francis and Virginia Bruce, two interesting stars who aren't that well remembered today, at least outside of classic film fan circles.

This new book on Ann Harding is now on my Amazon wish list.

Tonight's Movie: Dulcy (1940)

S. Sylvan Simon may not be a familiar name to some film fans, but he directed a number of entertaining, well-paced MGM B movies of the late '30s and early '40s, such as SPRING MADNESS (1938), DANCING CO-ED (1939), WASHINGTON MELODRAMA (1941), and GRAND CENTRAL MURDER (1942).

I was thus looking forward to the Simon-directed DULCY (1940), but it proved to be 73 very long minutes, despite an excellent cast headed by Ann Sothern. The director and actors are hampered by a lame script which has endless scenes of people acting silly, while the story, such as it is, plods along without going much of anywhere.

Dulcy (Sothern) is a wealthy, easily distracted scatterbrain who has energy to spare but is lacking in brains and tact. Dulcy whirls around in her own orbit, blissfully unaware of what's going on around her or the feelings of others. She exasperates her brother William (Dan Dailey, billed here as Dan Dailey Jr.), her chauffeur (David Oliver), her brother's future father-in-law Roger (Roland Young), and everyone else. Dulcy's intentions are good so she just assumes everything will turn out fine, and this being an MGM movie, it usually does in the end.

By chance Dulcy meets Gordon Daly (Ian Hunter), who is adopting a little Chinese orphan boy (Donald Huie), and immediately attaches herself to the pair. (One of the film's stranger moments is when Gordon picks up his newly arrived son at the pier and treats him as an inanimate package, taking the boy by the hand to take him home, without even attempting to say hello and get to know the child first.) Father and son are both attracted to Dulcy's warm heart -- certainly not her intelligence -- and Dulcy becomes the little boy's "godmother."

Everyone in the cast ends up at Dulcy's weekend home on the shores of Lake Arrowhead -- or perhaps it's Big Bear Lake. (The film mixes location shooting with process photography for these scenes.) William's fiancee (Lynne Carver), future mother-in-law (Billie Burke), and a crazy man (Reginald Gardiner) are also part of the house party. Among other things, Dulcy hopes Roger (Young) will buy an engine designed by Gordon (Hunter), but that seems increasingly unlikely as Dulcy alienates Roger at every turn.

The filmmakers seemed to be aiming for Dulcy to be an endearing airhead such as Carole Lombard's Irene in MY MAN GODFREY (1936), but it just doesn't work, especially as the script -- based on a play by George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly -- is otherwise disjointed and uninteresting. Fortunately those involved in making the film usually turned in much more enjoyable work!

Frequent costars Roland Young and Billie Burke played husband and wife once more in this film. Besides DULCY and their teaming in the three-film TOPPER series, Young and Burke's films together included THE YOUNG IN HEART (1938), IRENE (1940), and THEY ALL KISSED THE BRIDE (1942).

The cast also includes Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Hans Conreid, Mary Treen, and Robert Middlemass.

This film has not been released on video or DVD. It's shown on Turner Classic Movies which has the trailer here. A note of trivia is that young Dan Dailey's name is misspelled Daily in the trailer. (Update: TCM has removed trailers from its website so the link has been removed.)

Al Cassell, Founder of Cassell's Hamburgers, Dies at 98

Al Cassell, the founder of the beloved Cassell's Hamburgers in Los Angeles, has passed on at the age of 98.

Cassell's -- seen in photos here, here, and here -- was a "hole in the wall" burger joint which looked unprepossessing on the outside but inside was Burger Heaven.

Some of my favorite places to eat while growing up were little places my Dad knew about -- Cassell's, Hutch's Barbecue in an old house in Pasadena (it was sold and now also sells Jamaican food), and a little taco stand in L.A.'s Grand Central Market which sold open-faced tacos on corn tortillas with diced steak and fresh salsa. That taco stand was the precursor to places like Baja Fresh and La Salsa, but back in the '70s it was very difficult to find tasty "real" Mexican food of that type; in that era many people still thought of tacos as ground beef in a hard taco shell.

I ate at Cassell's on many happy occasions over the years while on day trips to explore various aspects of Los Angeles and Hollywood. When I met my husband, Cassell's was one of the first places we went together.

Some years back Cassell's was sold. It's still a pretty good burger -- and you can now get fries instead of just potato chips -- although we don't think it's quite as good as it was in the '70s and '80s.

Thanks for all the great burgers and the happy memories, Al.

Tonight's Movie: No Highway in the Sky (1951)

NO HIGHWAY IN THE SKY (1951) is an unexpected little gem of a movie with an unusual storyline, a sharply written script, and excellent performances.

Theodore Honey (James Stewart) is an American-born scientist who has lived in England for many years, where he works on airline safety. Mr. Honey is the proverbial eccentric absent-minded professor type, a widower whose life consists solely of his work and raising his young daughter Elspeth (Janette Scott) -- although one wonders who is raising who as Elspeth tries to keep their home life in order.

Mr. Honey develops a theory that a new type of airplane will suffer metal fatigue after a certain number of hours in flight, which will cause the plane's tail to fall off. While en route to a plane crash site in Canada to research his theory, Mr. Honey suddenly realizes that the plane he's flying on is in danger of the very same structural failure. He struggles to convince the crew that they must land as soon as possible, but despite the fact that he is an airline employee, they view him as an odd crank. The only people on the plane interested in listening to Mr. Honey for any length of time are a skeptical film star (Marlene Dietrich) and a kind stewardess (Glynis Johns).

This is a very different movie in many ways, starting with the fact that 20th Century-Fox made the film in England with a largely British cast. The storyline is quite unusual, and Jimmy Stewart's Mr. Honey is a unique character. Stewart often played innocents and gentle bumblers but in this film he takes that type of characterization to a new height, so to speak.

The script is excellent, injecting nice bits of humor, suspense, and character development along the way. Ronald Squire as Sir John, the frazzled airline director, is marvelously funny, and despite the pressures he is under, he doesn't descend into being a cliched, unsympathetic cartoon character villain but retains his patience with the eccentric scientist.

Indeed, the writers didn't take the easy way out with their characterizations; the characters are fully rounded and human. For instance, little Elspeth may be very smart and responsible, but it's clear that Mr. Honey is oblivious to the fact that he hasn't allowed her to be a normal child; he may be brilliant, but he's at a loss to handle real life.

I usually don't care for Marlene Dietrich, truth be told, but I liked her in this quite well. As movie star Monica Teasdale, Dietrich is less mannered (and less mannish), quieter, and more sympathetic than in her other films I've seen. (She just about ruined A FOREIGN AFFAIR for me.) This was a nice reunion for Stewart and Dietrich, a dozen years after they costarred in DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (1939).

Glynis Johns (recently seen by me in MIRANDA) is charming as Marjorie, the stewardess who takes care of Mr. Honey in more ways than one. Although skeptical of his theory, Marjorie sees past Mr. Honey's odd exterior to the caring, dedicated man inside, who stands by what he believes even if others think he's a loon. Marjorie also helps encourage him to break out of his reserved shell and not retreat when his tests don't initially go as expected.

The cast also includes Jack Hawkins, Elizabeth Allan, Jill Clifford, Felix Aylmer, and Wilfrid Hyde-White.

20th Century-Fox released this film in the UK several months ahead of the United States release. The UK title is simply NO HIGHWAY.

The film runs 98 minutes. It was directed by the underrated Henry Koster, a studio system craftsman who had a knack for turning out entertaining movies, ranging from several of Deanna Durbin's best films to the Christmas classic THE BISHOP'S WIFE (1947) to the James Stewart film which immediately preceded NO HIGHWAY IN THE SKY, HARVEY (1950).

NO HIGHWAY IN THE SKY was released on VHS. It does not appear to have had a release on DVD.

This film is regularly shown on Fox Movie Channel. I very much recommend setting your recorder for this interesting, entertaining film.

Update: NO HIGHWAY IN THE SKY is now available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.

This and That

A few random odds and ends...

...THE TWO MRS. GRENVILLES (1987) arrived today, thanks to a recent sale at the Warner Archive.

I watched the first hour this evening. Claudette Colbert is simply amazing, the more so when one realizes she was 83 or 84 when it was filmed...and she hadn't been in a movie for over a quarter of a century! Her assured, wry performance won the Golden Globe. I'm looking forward to seeing more.

Liz Smith gave the DVD an enthusiastic review in her column last fall.

...Zachary Scott is an actor who has turned up in several movies I've seen in recent months. A few days ago I picked up a copy of ZACHARY SCOTT: HOLLYWOOD'S SOPHISTICATED CAD by the excellent biographer Ronald L. Davis. I particularly admired Davis's biography of Linda Darnell, which is packed with primary source research, and I have also read his books on Van Johnson and John Wayne.

Thanks to Mrs. Happy Housewife, I was interested to read a story about a butler who inherited a fortune from 98-year-old Ruth Ford, Zachary Scott's widow.

...This news was all over the classic film blogosphere today, but it's worth repeating that a hitherto "lost" John Ford silent film has been found in New Zealand. More from Dave Kehr. The Siren has related news about two films in the same "find" being restored thanks to the For the Love of Film blogathon earlier this year.

...My mom had a fun experience today while vacationing in Philadelphia with two relatives and a friend. They stopped to eat lunch in a sidewalk cafe and struck up a conversation with Conan O'Brien, who was seated nearby. In fact, it must have been the restaurant mentioned in this Philadelphia Daily News column. He ended up paying for their lunch! She said he was an extremely nice gentleman.

New on DVD: Bob Hope Thanks for the Memories Collection

A new collection of Bob Hope's films will be released tomorrow, June 8th.

The Thanks for the Memories Collection features six titles: THANKS FOR THE MEMORY (1938), THE CAT AND THE CANARY (1939), THE GHOST BREAKERS (1940), NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (1941), ROAD TO MOROCCO (1942), and SON OF PALEFACE (1948).

Three of the films have been previously released on DVD: GHOST BREAKERS, ROAD TO MOROCCO, and SON OF PALEFACE. (Incidentally, ROAD TO MOROCCO is erroneously listed as THE ROAD TO MOROCCO in the cover art.) Otherwise, it looks like a very nice set.

There are a few extras, including trailers and photo galleries.

Of the six films in the collection, I've only seen ROAD TO MOROCCO and SON OF PALEFACE. I'm especially looking forward to catching up with Hope's films with Paulette Goddard at some point.

The set has been reviewed by Dave Kehr, Susan King, and Chris Hicks.

Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet... This is a slightly abbreviated roundup due to our busy MouseAdventure weekend.

...New book: TWO GUYS NAMED JOE: MASTER ANIMATION STORYTELLERS JOE GRANT AND JOE RANFT by animation expert John Canemaker, author of THE ART AND FLAIR OF MARY BLAIR and many other titles. It will be released August 3rd.

...There are some interesting excerpts from a 1981 interview with Elizabeth Montgomery on YouTube here and here. The interviewer is apparently the late Ronald Haver, longtime curator of the film program at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Montgomery shares reminisces regarding her father, BEWITCHED, and more.

...Attention Hallmark Christmas Ornament Collectors: This year's Ornament Premiere Weekend will be July 10-11. Dreambook catalogues are now available in stores.

...Reviews, reviews and more reviews: Moira takes a detailed look at ROME ADVENTURE (1962), which I enjoyed last year...Glenn Erickson reviews Joel McCrea's WICHITA (1955)...Clydefro liked PENTHOUSE (1933), which I thoroughly enjoyed earlier this year...Toby reviewed John Payne's SILVER LODE (1954) at 50 Westerns From the 50s.

...POLDARK II will be coming to DVD October 26th. I'm happy at the prospect of finally owning the entire series on DVD -- not to mention that at long last I can discard my Beta (!) videotapes of the show.

...Nanny state alert: The Coming War on Bacon? Food for thought.

...Classic Movies Digest has some great publicity shots of movie star bathing beauties.

...Jacqueline analyzes symbolism and racial issues in GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) in an interesting essay at Another Old Movie Blog.

...Southern Californians may be interested to know that the historic Parasol restaurant building in Rossmoor/Seal Beach will soon have a new tenant. Mel's Drive-In (which I reviewed here) closed last year, and Panera Bread soon moves in.

Have a great week!

Today at Disneyland: MouseAdventure!

I had a wonderful day today at Disneyland. Along with three of my children, I participated in the "Day at the Park" MouseAdventure trivia hunt.

The "Day at the Park" was designed for first-timers such as ourselves to try MouseAdventure. We thoroughly enjoyed it! There were just under 300 players today; combined with a more difficult event two weeks ago, around 1000 people participated in MouseAdventure this year.

Our team name was "Practically Perfect," and my daughters designed t-shirts with silhouettes of MARY POPPINS symbols; one shirt had a kite, another a chimney sweep, and the other two shirts had a carousel horse and a penguin. There were some extremely clever team names and/or t-shirts. Our favorite team name was the Ancient Cambodian Shriners. (If you're drawing a blank on that, go on the Jungle Cruise ride the next time you visit Disneyland!)

There were a wide variety of various puzzles and hunts to complete. One hunt had us carefully examining signs in ToonTown; another had us studying each building in Fantasyland; and another involved reading the tribute windows on Main Street. I'm not sure I'd ever been in Miss Chris' cabin at Thunder Ranch, but I'm sure familiar with it now! The challenges cause you to look more carefully at the tiny details that make the park so special, and we also learned some interesting things about the park in the course of the day.

The number of "quests" was just about right; we completed all but one or two. Next time I think we might be a little faster, as we acquired more know-how as the day went along.

A postcard exchange challenge which involved trading postcards with other teams throughout the day helped build camaraderie among all the event participants; we were watching for other players wearing bright yellow lanyards, and trading postcards was a great ice-breaker.

And we sure got our exercise today! I think we explored everywhere in the park in detail except for Critter Country and Tom Sawyer Island.

A 50-question multiple choice trivia quiz accompanied the trivia hunts. If you're the kind of person who knows the names of Miss Disneyland Tencennial or the actress who christened the Mark Twain on opening day, and remembers details about long-gone rides and restaurants, the trivia quiz is for you! We had to guess at a few but I think overall we did reasonably well considering the level of difficulty. The trivia answers were submitted on a Scantron sheet.

The use of digital cameras and other electronic equipment is strictly forbidden for the duration of the game, so no park photos today! I took a photo of a lanyard once we got home. (Click to enlarge.)

We were impressed with the event's organization from the moment we arrived at check-in at the Paradise Pier hotel. There were plenty of volunteers to direct participants and answer questions, and everyone was extremely friendly. They were so well organized each packet even included business cards with the MouseAdventure web address to hand to park guests who wanted to know what was going on. We could have handed out three times as many cards as we had; all day long we were approached by curious guests (not to mention some Cast Members!) wanting to know about our lanyards and the mysterious sheets on our clipboards.

There were many staff members on hand at various park locations to answer questions and offer friendly reminders to stay hydrated and reapply sunscreen. (It was warm out there today!) Volunteers could also be found at Carnation Gardens throughout the day.

The next MouseAdventure will apparently take place this fall at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando. The next California MouseAdventure may not take place until next spring.

We'll definitely be interested in playing again next year!

Update: The results are in: We came in 28th out of 79 teams. We're quite pleased with that!

Tonight's Movie: The Walking Hills (1949)

THE WALKING HILLS (1949) has to be one of the most peculiar films Randolph Scott ever starred in. It's a bizarre mishmash about a group of disreputable types who join together in a quest for gold, said to have been lost under the desert sand a century before. When Scott rides off with his foal across his saddle at movie's end, my husband and I just shook our heads and agreed it was a very strange movie.

This modern-day Western starts promisingly at the Calexico-Mexicali border, an area which has been in the news in recent weeks due to earthquake activity. A group of men playing cards in the back room of a saloon discuss a legend that a wagon train buried in the desert sand was carrying gold. The youngest man at the table innocently mentions having seen something that the others recognize could be a clue to the location of the wagon train, and the next thing you know, the entire group is off to the desert and digging for gold, followed by a mysterious woman (Ella Raines).

The men include Jim (Randolph Scott), who insists on bringing along his mare which is about to have a foal. We learn that Jim was once dumped by Chris (Raines), who fell in love with Dave (William Bishop), who's being pursued by federal agent Frazee (John Ireland). Or is the agent really after Johnny (Jerome Courtland) or Chalk (Arthur Kennedy)? Edgar Buchanan and Josh White are also along on the adventure.

The plot is kind of all over the place, as the various characters' back stories are gradually revealed during the expedition. Nobody seems particularly likeable, although Jim at least is devoted to his mare and her foal. Scott's character otherwise is fairly enigmatic from start to finish. Ella Raines (TALL IN THE SADDLE) plays another of her feisty Western gals, but her character is pretty murky as well. Everyone has "gold fever" to such an extent that they are bizarrely unconcerned with getting medical help when one of the men suffers a life-threatening gunshot wound. Which characters are good guys and which aren't is oh-so-slowly revealed, with matters coming to a head during a climactic sandstorm.

The best things about the movie are the music and the location shooting. The original score by Arthur Morton is striking, and Josh White plays guitar and sings a number of songs. (I believe his billing was "Josh White and his Music.") White had a beautiful voice, and his songs made the film worthwhile for me; he's also probably the most likeable character in the movie.

White's onscreen prominence and unspoken equality with the other characters was refreshing for that era in film, given that he was a black man. I did a little Googling and found a biographical sketch of White which was most interesting. The author said that THE WALKING HILLS was "one of Hollywood's first films where an African American was portrayed as a racially equal character in the story." (1943's CRASH DIVE also comes to mind in this regard.) White was honored with a postage stamp in 1998.

The movie was filmed on location at Death Valley, which is acknowledged at the end of the opening credits. (Death Valley had also been used very effectively the previous year in the 20th Century-Fox Western YELLOW SKY.) Occasionally there are shots cut in which were obviously filmed on a sound stage -- the characters' voices even seem to echo a bit in these scenes -- but there is a substantial amount of actual location shooting, and process shots are kept to a minimum.

THE WALKING HILLS was directed by John Sturges, whose other Westerns included ESCAPE FROM FORT BRAVO (1953), another film set in the desert.

The movie runs 78 minutes. The cinematography was by Charles Lawton Jr. It was produced by Harry Joe Brown, John Haggott, and the uncredited Randolph Scott for Columbia Pictures.

This seems to be a difficult film to find. I was able to watch a VHS copy recorded from cable which is part of my father's Randolph Scott collection.

Update: This film will be released on DVD by TCM in September 2013.

May 2021 Update: I recently revisited this film and liked it quite a bit more than I did 11 years ago. For some brief updated thoughts, please visit this Around the Blogosphere roundup, where it's the first entry.

TCM Star of the Month: Natalie Wood

The June Star of the Month on Turner Classic Movies is Natalie Wood.

TCM will be showing two dozen of Wood's movies on Monday evenings this month, beginning on June 7th.

The first evening's films focus on Natalie's work as a child and young teen. Some may wonder why some of Natalie's best childhood films, including MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1947) and THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR (1947), are not being shown. They were released by 20th Century-Fox; while TCM does show some Fox films, they have to be specially licensed at an extra cost, so that seems to be the likely reason for their omission. TCM did show Fox's CHICKEN EVERY SUNDAY (1949) last Christmas so perhaps that one will turn up on TCM again at a future date.

The films being shown on June 7th include TOMORROW IS FOREVER (1946), with Wood's rather remarkable performance as a German war refugee adopted by Orson Welles, and NEVER A DULL MOMENT (1950), in which she and Gigi Perreau play Fred MacMurray's daughters, who must get used to their new mother (Irene Dunne).

THE GREEN PROMISE (1949), NO SAD SONGS FOR ME (1950), OUR VERY OWN (1950), THE STAR (1952), and THE SILVER CHALICE (1954) will also be shown that evening. OUR VERY OWN, a soapy melodrama in which teenager Ann Blyth learns she was adopted, was shown on TV regularly when I was growing up. Wood plays Blyth's little sister.

June 14th the focus shifts to Wood's work as a teenager and young adult. I'm looking forward to recording unfamiliar titles, including A CRY IN THE NIGHT (1956), THE GIRL HE LEFT BEHIND (1956), THE BURNING HILLS (1956), and KINGS GO FORTH (1958).

BOMBERS B-52 (1957), which I reviewed in April, also airs on the 14th, along with Wood's classics REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955) and SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS (1961). John Ford's THE SEARCHERS (1956), in which Wood plays a small but key role, is an American masterpiece which I feel is as important in our nation's cultural history as the greatest works of art or literature.

Monday, June 21st, focuses on the early '60s, including my favorite Wood role of her performances as an adult: Maria in WEST SIDE STORY (1961). Her singing was dubbed by Marni Nixon, but Wood was completely believable and touching as Maria, a Puerto Rican immigrant to New York.

The other films airing that night are GYPSY (1962), LOVE WITH THE PROPER STRANGER (1964), SEX AND THE SINGLE GIRL (1964), and CASH MCCALL (1960).

The final night of the tribute, June 28th, includes THE GREAT RACE (1965), a film my children particularly enjoy. The other movies that evening are INSIDE DAISY CLOVER (1965), PENELOPE (1966), and Wood's final film, BRAINSTORM (1983), which was being filmed when she died.

Natalie Wood died on November 29, 1981. I was home from college on Thanksgiving break, and I can still remember where I was sitting when I heard the shocking news that she had drowned. She was only 43 years old.

For those interested in learning more about Natalie Wood, Suzanne Finstad's 2002 book NATASHA: THE BIOGRAPHY OF NATALIE WOOD is a good place to start. I also enjoyed NATALIE: A MEMOIR BY HER SISTER by Lana Wood. (Lana can be seen playing Natalie as a child in THE SEARCHERS.) I hope to read PIECES OF MY HEART by Robert Wagner and Scott Eyman soon.

Wood titles available which I haven't yet read include Gavin Lambert's NATALIE WOOD: A LIFE and Martin Rulli's GOODBYE NATALIE, GOODBYE SPLENDOUR.

Wood fans may want to be aware that another of her childhood films, THE BRIDE WORE BOOTS (1946), was just released on DVD as part of the Barbara Stanwyck Collection. THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR (1947) will be shown on Fox Movie Channel several times this summer, including June 15, 21, and 27; it's also available on a fine DVD, as is MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1947). SCUDDA HOO! SCUDDA HAY! (1948) is also part of the movie rotation at Fox Movie Channel.

For other films airing on TCM in June, please visit this post.

Coming to DVD: Ellery Queen (1975)

Great news from TV Shows on DVD: confirmation of the rumor that the fondly remembered mystery series ELLERY QUEEN, starring Jim Hutton and David Wayne, is coming to DVD. It will be released on September 28th.

The beautiful cover art brings back memories of the show's opening credits sequence, which was set to theme music by Elmer Bernstein.

The 6-disc set will include the pilot movie and a collectible booklet.

The cast also included John Hillerman (later of MAGNUM, P.I.) in a semi-regular role as radio detective Simon Brimmer.

Many wonderful actors from the golden age of Hollywood guest-starred in the carefully plotted, stylish mysteries. Ray Milland, Don Ameche, Anne Francis, Jack Kelly, Farley Granger, Ida Lupino, Craig Stevens, Donald O'Connor, Julie Adams, Roddy McDowall, Tab Hunter, Lloyd Nolan, Dane Clark, Robert Alda, Dana Andrews, Rudy Vallee, and Walter Pidgeon are just a few of the names who appeared on the show during its too-short run.

"The Adventure of the Mad Tea Party," guest starring Larry Hagman and Rhonda Fleming, seems to be an episode many people I know particularly remember. This episode is invariably mentioned when the series comes up for discussion.

This is a "must buy" for me. Those who haven't seen this series before are in for a treat.

A South Pacific Reunion

The surviving stars of the film version of SOUTH PACIFIC (1958), Mitzi Gaynor, John Kerr and France Nuyen, attended the Los Angeles premiere of the revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC on June 2nd.

Shirley Jones, the star of the film versions of Rodgers and Hammerstein's OKLAHOMA! (1955) and CAROUSEL (1956), was also in attendance.

Playbill has a photo gallery. There's a wonderful photo of John Kerr with the actors who have played Lt. Cable in the Los Angeles and Broadway productions.

The show is receiving rave reviews. I intend to see it this summer at the Los Angeles Music Center, where it is playing until July 17th -- or, at the very latest, this fall at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

SOUTH PACIFIC is considered by many to have been the most effective Rodgers and Hammerstein musical on Broadway, where it won the Pulitzer Prize in addition to many Tony Awards. Ironically, it is the weakest of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals on film, due in part to the odd color filters used to photograph the movie, but it still has a great many pleasures, including superb orchestrations.

The 2006 2-Disc Collector's Edition DVD is a "must have" for the DVD library of anyone who loves musicals.

DVD Sale Time

A note for DVD collectors: Deep Discount's summer sale has started and runs through June 20th.

All items marked with the sale tag are 25% off of Deep Discount's usual discount price. I've checked numerous titles, and while a small number don't have the sale marking, the majority of DVDs of interest to me are on sale.

This sale seems quite a bit better than the sale last fall which was 40% off the full retail value. The sale is also earlier this year; last summer it didn't start until July.

Sale codes include GREEN1 and 25MORE.

Update: More sale codes thanks to Ivan: GREEN2, GREEN3, and SUPERSALE.

Update: Here's another sale code: GREEN4.

Update: More codes! GREEN5 and HOTSTUFF will also work. Thanks to Ivan and Toby.

In Memoriam

It's a bit ironic that my previous post was titled "True Class," because I just learned that a gentleman who epitomized class has passed on.

The legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden has passed away at the age of 99.

I was too young to appreciate his amazing string of basketball championships at UCLA, but over the years I have read countless stories about Wooden's character and kindness. I know sports fans all over California will be deeply mourning his passing while celebrating a long life, well lived.

Update: More details here, here, and here. A group of over 500 students gathered for a vigil tonight outside the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center where Coach Wooden passed away.

True Class

Just last weekend I noted how remarkable it was that two perfect games have been pitched this season, when there have been only 20 perfect games in all of baseball history.

As most people -- or at least most baseball fans -- know by now, there was another perfect game thrown this week by Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers. However, this one won't be in the record books because umpire Jim Joyce unfortunately blew a call on the game's final out. As a baseball fan, I found it too painful to even read the initial stories, because it was a sad situation. I felt for both the umpire and the pitcher.

The game will go down in baseball history for another reason entirely -- because after the event both the umpire and the pitcher comported themselves with class and dignity. Joyce watched the replay, apologized to Galarraga, and Galarraga, accepting the apology, said, "Nobody's perfect."

In a way it's a shame that their classy behavior is so heartening, but it was wonderful to see, and a great example for Little Leaguers -- and Major Leaguers -- everywhere. The moment yesterday when Galarraga took the lineup card out to home plate, shook hands with Joyce, and Joyce was momentarily overcome with tears is one of those terrific baseball memories that will live right alongside the stat books.

Do I think baseball needs instant replay? Absolutely not. I'm in complete agreement with this lovely essay by The Anchoress. The human factor is part of baseball, and we don't need to make long games longer by pausing for replays. The desire by some for replays seems part and parcel of the modern urge to rush to the courts (or the legislature) to resolve every one of life's problems. Sometimes Life Happens, and you deal with it and move on.

As Bill Plaschke of the L.A. Times notes, the imperfections are part of what make baseball special.

Plaschke on yesterday's home plate meeting:

"Joyce cried. Galarraga patted his back. Joyce patted Galarraga's back. Everyone went back to work, another day, another ballgame, another glimpse of the lost soul of sports. Perfect."

Yep.

Paulette Goddard Centennial

June 3rd marks the centennial of the birth of vivacious actress Paulette Goddard, born on this date in 1910...or at least we think so. Other sources over the years have given the year of her birth as being anywhere between 1905 and 1914. The Goddard chapter in James Robert Parish's 1972 book THE PARAMOUNT PRETTIES, for example, lists the year 1911. In any event, her birthday is a great time to celebrate Paulette Goddard's contributions to the classic film era, regardless of her year of birth.

(Update: Paulette's gravestone in Switzerland gives her birth year as 1910.)

It was a serendipitous coincidence that today's mail brought a small package with a Region 2 DVD edition of the otherwise hard-to-find Oscar Wilde comedy AN IDEAL HUSBAND (1947), starring Goddard, Glynis Johns, and Michael Wilding. I'm also recording some new-to-me Goddard movies from TCM today, including VICE SQUAD (1953) with Edward G. Robinson.

Edward Copeland on Film posted a well-done birthday tribute to Goddard written by Josh R. (Via Classic Movies.) It includes a good overview of Goddard's career.

I haven't seen a great number of Goddard films, but I am increasingly interested in her work. My favorite Goddard role to date was as Leslie, the architect who falls for Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in THE YOUNG IN HEART (1938).

Other Goddard films previously reviewed here: DRAMATIC SCHOOL (1938), THE WOMEN (1939), SECOND CHORUS (1940), and REAP THE WILD WIND (1942).

Among the Goddard films still ahead of me to see for the first time: THE CAT AND THE CANARY (1939) and GHOST BREAKERS (1940), both with Bob Hope; Mitchell Leisen's HOLD BACK THE DAWN (1941) with Boyer and de Havilland; THE CRYSTAL BALL (1943) and KITTY (1945), both costarring Ray Milland (fortunately I was able to record KITTY from TCM this year); and UNCONQUERED (1947) with Gary Cooper, which I have on DVD.

Paulette Goddard's offscreen life was interesting as well. Three marriages, including to Charlie Chaplin and Burgess Meredith, didn't last more than a few years apiece. Her fourth and final marriage was also her most successful: in 1958 she married writer Erich Maria Remarque, author of ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT. Their marriage lasted until Remarque's death in 1970.

Paulette Goddard passed away on April 23, 1990.

Friday Update: I've been reading a profile of Ray Milland by Neil Doyle from the Summer 2002 edition of Films of the Golden Age. Milland had this to say about Paulette Goddard and her work on KITTY: "I always liked working with Paulette. She was not a brilliant actress, she had no sense of timing and everything about her playing was mechanical and contrived. But nobody knew it better than she did, and she was completely honest about it; she is the most honest actress I ever knew. She worked...trying to give it all she had, and in the end, her performance was quite all right."

June 2013 Update: Here are reviews for several more Paulette Goddard films reviewed since 2010: THE GHOST BREAKERS (1940), HOLD BACK THE DAWN (1941), THE FOREST RANGERS (1942), THE LADY HAS PLANS (1943), SO PROUDLY WE HAIL! (1943), THE CRYSTAL BALL (1943) (also here), STANDING ROOM ONLY (1944), VARIETY GIRL (1947), and HAZARD (1948).

June 2018 Update: More reviews: THE MOUTHPIECE (1932) and a review of THE YOUNG IN HEART (1938) Blu-ray.

2020 Update: Here are reviews of THE CAT AND THE CANARY (1939), THE GHOST BREAKERS (1940), HOLD BACK THE DAWN (1941), REAP THE WILD WIND (1942), and SO PROUDLY WE HAIL! (1943) Blu-rays.

2021 Update: Here are reviews of NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (1941) and UNCONQUERED (1947).

2024 Update: Here's a review of VICE SQUAD (1953).

Tonight's Movie: All I Desire (1953)

ALL I DESIRE (1953) is an absorbing small-town family drama about the return of an errant wife to her family after a decade's absence.

Naomi (Barbara Stanwyck), who felt stifled by her role as the wife of a teacher in their country town, abandoned her husband and three children to pursue her dream of being an actress. Whatever career success she achieved over the years has been lost, and Naomi is now on the lower half of vaudeville playbills, with a bleak future. When Naomi's would-be actress daughter Lily (Lori Nelson) sends Naomi a letter inviting her long-absent mother to her school play, Naomi impulsively accepts.

Lily is thrilled to see her mother, while oldest daughter Joyce (Marcia Henderson) is stunned, as is Naomi's husband, Henry (Richard Carlson). Joyce and Henry are still nursing old hurts and are conflicted when Naomi walks through their door. Ted (Billy Gray), the youngest child, doesn't seem to care one way or the other as long as he can ramble around town with his dog.

Complicating matters is that over the years Henry has developed an unspoken attachment for the high school drama teacher, Sara (Maureen O'Sullivan). And Dutch (Lyle Bettger), who had a fling with Naomi before she left town, wants to pick up their affair where it left off.

Naomi finds that she longs to be part of a family again; her gradual building of new relationships with each member of the family forms the film's chief plot thread. However, the disapproving eyes of the local community are always a concern, and Naomi believes she has no choice but to leave again...

ALL I DESIRE was directed by Douglas Sirk with his usual flair, including interesting "framing" devices such as doors, shelves, and mirrors. The film reminded me strongly of Sirk's ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS, another film which explores the pressures which community expectations and children bring to bear on a possible marriage -- or, in this case, the possibility of a marital reunion. The movie also made me think of a more modern film, KRAMER VS. KRAMER (1979), in which a mother abandons her young child in order to "find herself."

Stanwyck is excellent as a woman who always seems to want what she doesn't have at the moment. Whether she could truly be happy reunited with her family is a bit of a question, but one hopes that with her life experiences she would now be able to appreciate what wishes to reclaim.

I like Richard Carlson, but he was a bit drab in this...however, it must be said that fits the character of a man whose wife had an affair and then left him. Henry has been somewhat beaten down by life and is careful and guarded of the good things he has left, his family and his respected job as a high school principal. Maureen O'Sullivan is very touching as the teacher who is probably the right woman for Henry, but cannot have him.

Marcia Henderson, who played Wendy in the 1950 Jean Arthur-Boris Karloff Broadway production of PETER PAN, is excellent as her father's proper daughter, Joyce, the most deeply wounded of Naomi's abandoned children. She gradually defrosts, although this is played out more with how Joyce treats her fiance than in her relationship with her mother. Lori Nelson and Billy Gray are also excellent as Lily and Ted.

Richard Long is charming as Joyce's handsome fiance. It's funny to realize that a dozen years later he would play Stanwyck's oldest child on TV's THE BIG VALLEY. Another bit of trivia is that at different times both Long and Lori Nelson played Kettle children in the MA AND PA KETTLE movies.

ALL I DESIRE runs an hour and 20 minutes. It was photographed by Carl Guthrie.

The screenplay was based on the novel STOPOVER by Carol Ryrie Brink, whose wonderful children's book CADDIE WOODLAWN won the Newbery Medal and is still in print today. We have several other Brink books on our shelves, including MAGICAL MELONS, BABY ISLAND, FAMILY GRANDSTAND, and THE PINK MOTEL.

The great film historian Jeanine Basinger wrote a lengthy essay on ALL I DESIRE and the Sirk-Stanwyck film THERE'S ALWAYS TOMORROW (1955) for Bright Lights Film Journal.

ALL IS DESIRE is available in a lovely print as part of the 6-film Barbara Stanwyck Collection released just a few weeks ago. The only extra for ALL I DESIRE is a short trailer. I have previously reviewed one other film in the DVD set, INTERNES CAN'T TAKE MONEY (1937).

ALL I DESIRE also had a 1995 VHS release.

July 2020 Update: ALL I DESIRE will be released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber in August 2020.

Update: My review of the Kino Lorber Blu-ray is here.

In-N-Out Burger Expanding to Texas

Surprising news today: California's iconic In-N-Out Burger is laying out plans to expand to Texas.

In-N-Out is currently only in three states beyond the California border: Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.

In-N-Out has long said they would not expand further, which would require opening a second meat processing plant -- something which would be a challenge for a company which famously has very hands-on quality control from its Baldwin Park headquarters.

Hopefully In-N-Out will find a way to keep up the quality for which the company is so well known while further expanding their business.

Previous In-N-Out Burger posts: January 7, 2006; January 18, 2006; February 10, 2006; April 23, 2008; May 6, 2009; January 4, 2010.

New Website: Magic of Mary Blair

The late Disney Legend Mary Blair has a new website, Magic of Mary Blair, thanks to her nieces.

Leonard Maltin has background information on Blair and the website.

The site includes galleries of the work by Mary, her husband Lee, and brother-in-law Preston.

Mary Blair's work had a lasting impact which can be seen in Disney movies, theme parks, and resorts. I hope this new website will continue to grow and help preserve her legacy.

There's also a Blair page on Facebook.

For more information on Mary Blair, I recommend John Canemaker's 2003 book THE ART AND FLAIR OF MARY BLAIR.