Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...I was doing a little reading up on the Harold Lloyd film SAFETY LAST! (1923) in preparation for watching it this month and came upon a really interesting website: Chaplin-Keaton-Lloyd Film Locations (and More). It's mostly about silent movies, but writer John Bengtson also ties the locations in with later productions, such as matching up scenes from a Harold Lloyd film with CRISS CROSS (1949). This site looks like a great read for anyone interested in Los Angeles and Southern California movie locations. (This photo of the Angels Flight Railway is from the USC Archives.)

...Speaking of Harold Lloyd, did you know Robert Mitchum's son Chris married the silent movie legend's niece? Here's a recent profile of Chris's daughter Carrie, an actress turned chef.

...For more on movie locations, here's a fun photo article on a few well-known movie spots, forwarded by my friend Jill. Among the sites featured are the Bradbury Building and the Greystone mansion in Los Angeles.

...The special Dark Pages issue on NIGHTMARE ALLEY will be out soon! It will include my interview with Coleen Gray.

...Jeff has a nice post on GARDEN OF EVIL (1954) at THE STALKING MOON. The movie has quite a cast: Gary Cooper, Susan Hayward, Richard Widmark, and Cameron Mitchell.

...At The Skeins, Moira writes about Victor Mature and Susan Hayward in DEMETRIUS AND THE GLADIATORS (1954), saying it's a bad movie she loves. Sounds like something I need to check out too!

...A federal appeals court has ruled the U.S. Postal Service cannot give Netflix preferential treatment over other DVD-by-mail services.

...I've written briefly in the past of my love for '50s Bell Science documentaries such as Frank Capra's HEMO THE MAGNIFICENT (1957). Dr. Frank Baxter of the University of Southern California costarred in the Capra movies with Richard Carlson, and I recently discovered there are other Bell programs with Dr. Baxter available on DVD, such as GATEWAYS TO THE MIND (1958) and THE ALPHABET CONSPIRACY (1959). I love the genial Baxter and plan to check out these shows.

...Leonard Maltin writes on "Why the Oscars Still Matter."

...The London Underground is 150 years old this month!

...MIDNIGHT MARY (1933) is one of my favorite Loretta Young films, so was glad to see Cliff shine a spotlight on the movie at Immortal Ephemera.

...At Shadows and Satin, Karen shared her thoughts on the title which is perhaps Loretta's most mind-boggling pre-Code, SHE HAD TO SAY YES (1933). I was left rather dumbfounded when I first saw it myself!

...Vince Keenan reviews Margaret Talbot's book on her father, Lyle Talbot, THE ENTERTAINER. It's on my reading wish list.

...Attention Southern Californians: This Thursday, January 17th, Ben Affleck will appear at the American Cinematheque's Aero Theatre in Santa Monica for a discussion in between a double bill of ARGO (2012) and THE TOWN (2010).

...More news for Southern Californians: The Bowers Museum in Santa Ana currently features an exhibit titled "Cut! Costume and Cinema." It runs through March 10th. Thanks to my friend Jori for the info.

...A new series started last night at UCLA: Silent/Sync/Sound: Multiple Versions From the Transition Era. There's more info from Susan King in the Los Angeles Times. The series runs through February 17th.

...Like Disney? Be sure to check out this month's roundup of news on Disney theme parks and movies.

...Notable Passing: Like so many Californians, I was terribly sorry to learn of the passing of beloved TV travel show host Huell Howser. He was 67. I noted his retirement in December and linked to descriptions of some of my favorite episodes. Robby pays tribute to Huell at Dear Old Hollywood -- and links to the part of the In-n-Out Burger episode where Huell learns all about the "secret" menu. Huell was a wonderful man, and he will be very greatly missed.

Have a great week!

Tonight's Movie: Watch on the Rhine (1943)

WATCH ON THE RHINE is a well-done adaptation of Lillian Hellman's 1941 anti-fascist play, with an Oscar-winning lead performance by Paul Lukas.

The setting is a year or so prior to the United States' entrance into World War II. Lukas plays German-born Kurt Muller, first seen crossing the Mexican border into the U.S. with his American-born wife Sarah (Bette Davis) and their three children. The Mullers are visiting Sarah's family near Washington, D.C., for the first time in nearly 18 years, and they are hoping the exhausted Kurt can rest from his experiences as a leader in the anti-Nazi movment in war-torn Europe.

Sarah's mother (Lucile Watson) is hosting another pair of European refugees, Marthe (Geraldine Fitzgerald), the daughter of an old friend, and her husband Tek (George Coulouris), a rather unpleasant Roumanian count who spends a lot of time playing poker at the German embassy.

The Mullers soon realize that the Count represents a very real danger right in the family home. As Sarah's mother and brother (Donald Woods) gradually awaken to that fact, Kurt must quickly take radical steps to deal with the Count and decide his -- and the entire family's -- future.

This was an excellent, very absorbing film with superb lead performances by Lukas, Davis, and Watson; Lukas and Watson repeat their Broadway roles, while Davis was cast to give the film some box office star power. Lukas in particular is so completely immersed into his character that it's hard to believe he's acting; it's a rich, deeply felt performance.

Davis, playing Sarah in an appropriately quiet fashion, is particularly touching in the scene where she re-enters her family home for the first time in years; she walks around touching beloved, half-forgotten objects, hardly able to believe she's really there. She conveys a world of emotion without a single word.

Lukas and Davis are very effective conveying both their well-worn, true love and their willingness to put aside their family's needs for the greater good, fighting the evil of fascism. In real life there was an age gap of nearly 17 years between the two actors, but that isn't apparent on film, especially as their characters are both so believably world-weary.

Watson, who was Oscar-nominated as Best Supporting Actress, is also excellent as a woman who is kind -- she delights in planning to buy her never-seen grandchildren candy, and then proceeds to eat some herself! -- but also quite bossy and very used to having her own way. The visit of her daughter's family provides an unexpected wakeup call as to what is going on in the world outside her cozy enclave. In that regard it reminded me somewhat of the Fay Bainter film THE WAR AGAINST MRS. HADLEY (1942).

I saw Geraldine Fitzgerald in several films last year, so this was an opportunity for me to see another of her performances. She's quite lovely and creates a memorable impression in a small role, although truth to tell I'm not certain just how much purpose her character served, other than to help illustrate her husband's cruel nature.

The film's weakest link may be in the direction and performances of the children, played by Donald Buka, Janis Wilson, and Eric Roberts (repeating his stage performance as the youngest child). The viewer understands that these children are more formal, multilingual Europeans who have suffered a fair amount of trauma, but I found their stilted, too-adult dialogue delivery detracted from the film's realism.

It also must be said that while Dashiell Hammett's Oscar-nominated screenplay opens up the play somewhat -- it's the third film I've seen this week which was set in or had location filming in Pasadena! -- at times one is very aware one is watching a filmed play, inasmuch as it's very "talky," with the majority of the action set in the family living room. Some unexpected action near the end of the film provides a needed jolt of energy after all the discussion of the evils of Nazis. The more positive aspect of this angle is that we are fortunate to have a production relatively close to the play preserved on film, with many of the original actors.

WATCH ON THE RHINE was one of just two films directed by Herman Shumlin, who had directed the original Broadway production. The directors of this current year's Best Picture nominees who weren't nominated for Best Director can take some comfort in knowing that Shumlin also had the experience of having his film nominated for four Oscars, including Best Picture, but not being nominated himself! IMDb notes that one of the film's two cinematographers, Hal Mohr, also did uncredited directing work on the film.

In addition to Lukas, Watson, Coulouris and Roberts, Frank Wilson repeated his original Broadway role for the film version. Ann Blyth, incidentally, had her first acting role in the stage version, portraying the Muller daughter, Babette.

The supporting cast includes Beulah Bondi, Henry Daniell, and Anthony Caruso. The ubiquitous movie party guest Bess Flowers can be spotted as one of the first to leave a party at the German embassy.

WATCH ON THE RHINE is available on DVD in the Bette Davis Collection, Vol. 3 or in a single-title release. The extras include a trailer and a commentary by historian Bernard F. Dick. (December 2018 Update: WATCH ON THE RHINE has been reissued on DVD by the Warner Archive.)

This movie has also had a release on VHS.

This film is also available from time to time on Turner Classic Movies.

For more thoughts on this film, please visit Mentor's Camper.

Tonight's Movie: Peter Pan (1953) at the El Capitan Theatre

Last year I somehow managed to see 55 movies on a big theater screen. I don't know if I can repeat that record this year, but I'm on my way, having seen my first big screen film of the year today, PETER PAN (1953) at the historic El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.

PETER PAN has always been a special Disney movie for me. As I wrote last summer when I saw Kathryn Beaumont, the voice of Wendy and Alice, her voice is one of my earliest childhood memories; I had a storybook album with PETER PAN on one side and ALICE IN WONDERLAND on the other which I played more times than I could possibly guess.

I saw the film on one of its reissues when I was a child, and in more recent years, I have fun memories of my younger son exclaiming "Boy coming!" in awed tones whenever he saw the DVD as a toddler. It had been a very long time since I actually sat down and watched the movie myself, so the film's run at the El Capitan was a wonderful reason to do so.

As was the case with CINDERELLA (1950), I loved the exquisitely colored title sequence, and I got a kick out of realizing that Tom Conway, the Falcon himself, was one of the voice actors. In fact, I recognized his voice as soon as the movie started -- he's the opening narrator!

The story is so well known I won't mention it here, other than to say it's funny how my mind tends to mix up the Disney movie with the Mary Martin version which I taped from an NBC broadcast when my oldest daughter was small. (Why on earth isn't that version currently "in print" in an affordable DVD?!) I was thus a bit surprised that the Lost Boys didn't go home with the Darling children at the end!

Bobby Driscoll voices Peter Pan; his other Disney credits included SONG OF THE SOUTH (1946), SO DEAR TO MY HEART (1948), and TREASURE ISLAND (1950). Hans Conreid is both Captain Hook and Mr. Darling, with Heather Angel as Mrs. Darling. June Foray, who is in her 90s and still working today, was both a mermaid and an Indian squaw. Margaret Kerry, one of the "live" models for Tinker Bell, voices a mermaid. The great Thurl Ravenscroft (Tony the Tiger) sings in the chorus.

Aside from the film's beautiful look, which was partly styled by the great Mary Blair, I especially love the film's Sammy Fain-Sammy Cahn score, which includes "You Can Fly!" and "The Second Star to the Right." These songs are incredibly evocative for me, a mixture of memories of the movie itself, my childhood, and the beloved Disneyland ride.

A couple of the songs were written by others; Frank Churchill, one of the SNOW WHITE composers, wrote "Never Smile at a Crocodile," and the multitalented Winston Hibler wrote "Following the Leader" with Ted Sears.

This 77-minute movie was directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske; IMDb also lists an uncredited Jack Kinney.

PETER PAN has been released on DVD in a very nice two-disc Platinum Edition and a simpler Special Edition. It will be out in a new Blu-ray/DVD combo pack on February 5, 2013.

The movie has also been released on VHS.

Prior to the movie an episode of the Disney children's TV series JAKE AND THE NEVERLAND PIRATES was shown, and I regret to say it was absolutely mind-numbing in its dumbed-down simplicity. The movie was also preceded by the traditional El Capitan organ music and confetti drop; the confetti blast never fails to thrill the small fry in the audience!

We hope to go see MULAN (1998) at the El Capitan in a few weeks' time!

Previously: Tonight's Movie: Lady and the Tramp (1955) at the El Capitan Theatre and Tonight's Movie: Cinderella (1950) at the El Capitan Theatre.

Tonight's Movie: The Brasher Doubloon (1947)

George Montgomery as Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe? You bet! Montgomery plays the famous private eye in a relatively litte-known film, THE BRASHER DOUBLOON, recently released on DVD-R by the Fox Cinema Archives.

I'd really wanted to see this film last year at the Aero in Santa Monica, with supporting actor Conrad Janis in attendance, but wasn't able to swing it, so I'm glad I at least had the opportunity to see it at home. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, finding it something of a hidden gem.

Philip Marlowe (George Montgomery) is summoned to the Pasadena mansion of a wealthy widow, Elizabeth Murdock (Florence Bates), and asked to find a rare coin stolen from her safe. Mrs. Murdock is rude and feisty, but Marlowe is intrigued by her beautiful but anxious young secretary, Merle Davis (Nancy Guild). This being a Philip Marlowe mystery, one can be sure the mystery only gets more complicated -- and dangerous.

I like George Montgomery to start with, and I really enjoyed him as Marlowe. No, he's not Bogart or Powell, but I had a good time watching Montgomery, finding him quite personable in the role, and I would have liked to see him do more films in this vein.

This was Nancy Guild's second film, following SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT (1946). While I liked her in the earlier film, I also found something a bit awkward about her performance. I thought her acting in THE BRASHER DOUBLOON was right on target; anything slightly "off" works in favor of her troubled character. Guild is also quite lovely and in that regard adds to the film's many visual pleasures.

Fans of MORK AND MINDY will enjoy seeing Mindy's dad, actor Conrad Janis, back when he was a teenager! He plays Mrs. Murdock's surly son. Roy Roberts, Fritz Kortner, Marvin Miller, and Robert Adler are also in the cast.

Reed Hadley has a wordless role as a man accompanying Nancy Guild's character into the climactic "movie screening"; it's ironic he doesn't speak since Hadley is so well known as the narrator of Fox docu-noir titles. Based on some lobby cards seen online, at least two scenes were cut from the movie, including one with Hadley, so it appears he originally had a speaking role. Indeed, IMDb indicates he's playing a doctor, which wasn't apparent from the final edit.

This was the second day in a row I happened to watch a film noir partially set in Pasadena and featuring the Rose Parade, the other movie being LARCENY (1948). In fact, the Rose Parade is a key plot element in THE BRASHER DOUBLOON, which partly concerns itself with the past death of someone who fell from an office window while watching the parade! I found that angle particularly interesting since I once watched the parade from the mezzanine windows of an office on the parade route myself. (That was in 1978, to be exact -- former President Ford was the Grand Marshal.) Update: My dad just watched my DVD and tells me we watched the Rose Parade from the mezzanine of the very same building where the murder occurs; the "murder window" is on the 8th floor. He knows the building very well. Some very cool personal trivia!

The black and white cinematography by Lloyd Ahern is one of the movie's finest attributes. He does amazing things not only with shadows, but with sunlight -- the sun-dappled hallways and rooms, with the shadows of trees rustling in the Santa Ana Winds, are simply wonderful. The photography is reason enough to see the film, in and of itself.

This 72-minute movie was directed with excellent pacing and style by John Brahm, director of better-known noirish titles such as THE LODGER (1944), HANGOVER SQUARE (1945), and THE LOCKET (1946).

The Dorothy Hannah screenplay was based on Raymond Chandler's novel THE HIGH WINDOW. I was interested to learn that the story was previously filmed as a Michael Shayne mystery starring Lloyd Nolan, TIME TO KILL (1942). Unfortunately it's the only Michael Shayne movie I haven't tracked down yet! Unlike most of the Shayne movies, it hasn't been released on DVD; for the sake of completeness, JUST OFF BROADWAY is another Shayne film which needs a DVD release. (Update: Here is my review of TIME TO KILL.)

I had been concerned about what the quality of the Fox Cinema Archives DVD-R would be like, having read some negative comments about the print quality online, but I honestly didn't find it nearly as bad as I'd been led to believe. A review by the Digital Fix is more in line with my reaction: Yes, it needs restoration, and most noticeably there is a long "thread" down the middle of the screen in a couple of scenes. Yes, I would have far preferred that a beautiful new copy had been released in the late, lamented Fox Film Noir series, complete with the commentary track which Eddie Muller's website says he recorded. (Not having that track put out is a real loss for noir fans and noir history.) But given the reality of the MOD world we're living in and the rarity of this title, I found the print quality quite acceptable.

The best-case scenario would be if the Fox Cinema Archives line meets with the same success as the Warner Archive, then perhaps we can eventually look forward to an upgraded release of the film in the future, just as the Archive did with a couple of its early releases such as I LOVE MELVIN (1953); the Archive also rescued a commentary track recorded years ago for WESTWARD THE WOMEN (1951). Given the popularity of film noir, one would think the market would certainly be there for a remastered print of a Chandler mystery, including an Eddie Muller commentary.

Hopefully Fox is noting consumer feedback on issues such as this, as well as regarding their unfortunate releases of widescreen films in pan and scan, and in time will respond accordingly.

In the meantime, noir fans should definitely check out the highly entertaining THE BRASHER DOUBLOON.

Tonight's Movie: Law of the Tropics (1941)

LAW OF THE TROPICS is an enjoyable Warner Bros. "B" film starring Constance Bennett and Jeffrey Lynn.

Lynn plays Jim Conway, one of the top employees at a South American rubber operation; he arrives in a port city to meet his fiancee, only to discover he's been jilted. Jim meets nightclub entertainer Joan Madison (Bennett), who's being followed by a U.S. detective (Thomas Jackson) who wants to arrest her for something that happened back in New Jersey.

Joan suggests a temporary marriage of convenience which will allow Jim to save face with his employees and provide her with some cash. She doesn't mention to Jim that what she really needs is an out-of-the-way place to live! Jim agrees, and it turns out that the couple are very compatible and may be falling in love for real. But that detective is still after Joan...

I liked this movie, particularly Bennett's engaging performance as Joan, who works hard to make herself useful to Jim living in the South American jungle. I've always liked Lynn -- though he could have done without the pencil mustache he's wearing in this film -- and there's also good old Regis Toomey as Jim's righthand man. Mona Maris plays Toomey's wife, who becomes close friends with Joan.

The film flies by in a breezy 76 minutes, with any problems quickly overcome. This is one of those movies which was considered a run-of-the-mill programmer when it was released, yet I find it much more enjoyable spending time with the lively, lovely Bennett and company in Burbank's soundstage and backlot jungles than I would watching most of what passes as modern-day "entertainment."

I liked the camaraderie of the two lead couples and especially the can-do attitude of Bennett's character. She's so "with it" it's hard to understand how she ever could have landed in trouble in the first place! I especially loved a little scene where Bennett negotiates the terms of her husband's employement with the company owner (Paul Harvey), who ends up an admirer.

To be sure, the plot requires some suspension of disbelief, and it has its sillier moments, such as the young Craig Stevens' over-the-top performance as the obnoxious son of the rubber company owner -- but that's also a part of what makes the movie fun. I found it quite amusing watching Stevens in one of his very first credited roles, even if he's so rude it's almost unbelievable.

LAW OF THE TROPICS was directed by Ray Enright. The screenplay was inspired by a previous Warner Bros. film, OIL FOR THE LAMPS OF CHINA (1935), which was in turn based on a novel. The black and white cinematography was by Sid Hickox.

The supporting cast includes Hobart Bosworth and Frank Puglia.

This film isn't available on DVD or videotape, but it has been shown on Turner Classic Movies, most recently when Constance Bennett was Star of the Month. 

Tonight's Movie: Larceny (1948)

LARCENY is a film noir which pulls together three actors I've seen in other films in the last couple weeks: John Payne of THE RAZOR'S EDGE (1946), Joan Caulfield of THE UNSUSPECTED (1947), and Dan Duryea of RIDE CLEAR OF DIABLO (1954). With those talents, it's a good guess that it's an entertaining movie.

Duryea heads a group of con artists, with Payne as Rick Mason, one of his "employees." Their latest mark is Deborah Clark (Caulfield), a wealthy war widow living in a small California town.

Payne, posing as one of her late husband's war buddies who stops in town for a visit, plants the idea for Deb to build a boys' club as a memorial to her husband. The idea is that townspeople will chip in the money and Payne and his buddies will make off with it. When Deb decides to fund the necessary $100,000 out of her own money, Payne's conscience gets the better of him, as he's fallen in love with her.

The movie is quite absorbing and has many interesting elements, though it's not perfect. There are some red herrings and characters that don't seem to go much of anywhere; for instance, a man fleeced by Payne at the start of the film turns up in town, giving Payne a scare, but then he's never seen again.

Ladies' man Payne catches the eye of both a waitress (Patricia Alphin) and a secretary (Dorothy Hart); the beautiful secretary with glasses, strongly reminiscent of Dorothy Malone in THE BIG SLEEP (1946), plays a key role but one feels that perhaps the movie should have been a bit longer in order to flesh out her part.

Eventually the movie seems to run out of story and just...stops. The film didn't seem to know quite what to do about the fact that Payne's antihero was a no-good, scheming con man who would mess up Deb's life. He does the noble thing -- making one wonder about his future safety -- but the last minutes seemed a bit rushed. The ending, which leaves the tragic Deb cast adrift, seems to raise a few more questions than it answers, though it does provide a good final line for Duryea just as "The End" comes on the screen.

This was John Payne's first film released after MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1947), and it came out the same month as THE SAXON CHARM (1948). LARCENY served the same purpose in Payne's career as MURDER, MY SWEET (1944) had for Dick Powell, turning a former crooner into a hard-edged tough guy inhabiting the dark side of moviedom.

Shelley Winters plays Duryea's flame, a bad girl who prefers to chase after Payne despite -- or because of -- the danger involved if Duryea finds out. Her character has a blatant masochistic streak, and the scenes where she and Payne smack each other around, then make love, are...different.

LARCENY was released the year after Shelley Winters' big break in A DOUBLE LIFE (1947). I usually don't care for her -- she was one of many boring aspects of A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951), which I found to be a highly overrated film -- but I have to give her credit, she was interesting in this one as a tough girl who gets her thrills living on the edge. Her scenes definitely livened up the film.

I've grown to really like Joan Caulfield, whose filmography was too short. Among her other enjoyable films were DEAR RUTH (1947), DEAR WIFE (1949), and THE PETTY GIRL (1950). I hope to revisit one of her films with Bing Crosby, WELCOME STRANGER (1947), soon.

LARCENY seems a bit like a trial run for Dan Duryea's character in the later CRISS CROSS (1949), which was a more polished take on a dangerous love triangle. (In the case of LARCENY, it becomes a quadrangle, thanks to Payne falling for Caulfield. And then there's those women he's leading on on the side...) There's not quite enough Duryea in LARCENY, but what's there is good stuff.

The supporting cast includes Richard Rober, Percy Helton, Dan O'Herlihy, and Russ Conway.

The film's setting, the mythical "Mission City," California, appears to be located near Pasadena, as Payne and Caulfield spend New Year's Day enjoying the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl. Indeed, IMDb indicates the movie's location shooting was done in Pasadena. I had a feeling I might have seen one of the streets in another film noir.

LARCENY was directed by George Sherman, best known as the director of many Universal Westerns. The assistant director, interestingly enough, was Jesse Hibbs, who directed Duryea in RIDE CLEAR OF DIABLO (1954), seen earlier this week. Black and white cinematography was by Irving Glassberg.

The screenplay was based on the novel THE VELVET FLEECE by Lois Eby and John C. Fleming. One of the screenwriters was William Bowers, who wrote the terrific dialogue for Dick Powell's CRY DANGER (1951), and the dialogue has a definite flair at times which must represent Bowers' work. Payne has a snarky line about Winters' brain that cracked me up.

LARCENY is a Universal film which, like many other '40s films from that studio, is not out on DVD or VHS. It would be wonderful if this film turned up in a beautiful print in the TCM Vault Collection or the Universal Vault series sold by Amazon. In the meantime, many thanks to Kristina for making it possible for me to watch it!

March 2014 Update: I had the wonderful opportunity to see LARCENY again in 35mm at the Noir City Film Festival, with Dan Duryea's family present.

May 2018 Update: I had the pleasure of seeing this film again at the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival.

April 2021 Update: Great news! LARCENY will be released on Blu-ray and DVD by Kino Lorber in July 2021.  October 2021 Update: My review of the Blu-ray is here.

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85th Annual Academy Award Nominations

The 85th annual Academy Award nominations were announced this morning.

A complete list is here.

There are nine Best Picture nominees this year. I've seen just two of those films, ARGO (2012) and LES MISERABLES (2012).

Just as I don't take a great interest in the majority of current movie releases, I'm not especially interested in following the modern Oscars, but a couple of brief comments.

First, like many people, I was quite surprised Ben Affleck didn't receive a Directing nomination for ARGO. Sometimes it's hard to understand the Academy's thinking, especially given that the film received nominations for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor. I guess the movie directed itself.

I was very happy that Disney's beautiful, mostly black and white short PAPERMAN (2012) was nominated for Best Animated Short Film. I've seen it three times, starting at Destination D last summer, and think it's marvelous.

The awards ceremony will take place on February 24th.

Previously: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2012. 2009 was such a bad year I didn't bother to comment!

In Disney News...

There wasn't a Disney News roundup in December, so we're due to catch up, especially with major breaking news today.

...Disney announced a reshuffle of its theme park executives today, with role changes including Disneyland President George Kalogridis moving to the Walt Disney World Resort and Animal Kingdom President Michael Colglazier appointed President of the Disneyland Resort. Some West Coast Disney fans such as myself are feeling some trepidation, as Kalogridis has largely been viewed as a successful President, particularly in contrast to his predecessor Ed Grier, while Colglazier has headed the least interesting Disney park. Kalogridis moving to Florida may bode well for WDW, given the mounting complaints in the blogosphere about a lack of appropriate investments in upkeep and new rides in Orlando.

...Disneyland is reviving the Golden Horseshoe Review from January 10th to February 4th, as part of this year's "Limited Time Magic" promotion. Annual passholders can reserve tickets to a special dinner show, but while I'm intrigued to know more about the "commemorative musical keepsake," if I want to spend $35 on a meal at Disney, I expect more than a sandwich and salad, corn chips, and a slice of cake. I hope to see one of the regular non-AP shows later this month. (The photo is from the official Disney Parks Blog.)

...The music for Disney's great PAPERMAN (2012) short is available for download. You can also download the Circle Sessions Disney jazz CD from Amazon.

...There's a new memoir by Imagineer Rolly Crump, IT'S KIND OF A CUTE STORY, cowritten with Jeff Heimbuch. MiceChat has a preview. The book has an official website.

...Published yesterday: WALT DISNEY'S NINE OLD MEN: THE FLIPBOOKS.

...Al Lutz shared his latest roundup of Disneyland news and gossip yesterday at MiceAge. If you missed Al's update from late November, it's here.

...ALADDIN is headed for Broadway, and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME may follow.

...JazzWax posted neat background info on the late Dave Brubeck and his album Dave Digs Disney.

...MiceChat has gorgeous photos of the decorations for the just-concluded Christmas season at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

...D23 has a look at the special exhibit on SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937) which is at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco until April 14, 2013.

...Starbucks is moving into the Market House on Disneyland's Main Street. Sigh. Starbucks will likely need more space; will it take over the birthday cake room that's currently part of the Disneyana store?

...D23 recently announced some of this year's events. I'd love to see SUMMER MAGIC (1963) in the Disney Studios Theater next June!

...SamLand posted a colorful history of the Disneyland PeopleMover...and here's a nice MiceChat post on the Skyway.

...I enjoyed this short video on a Cast Member working at the Disneyland Kennel Club. It provides some nice insight into a part of the resort many guests might not be familiar with.

...There's a special early entry program for annual passholders at the Disneyland resort through April 14th...Other interesting ticket-related news is that yesterday Disney began photographing multi-day ticketholders in an effort to crack down on ticket "rentals."

...Disneyland employees are testing out the new Coca-Cola Freestyle dispensing machine, which has more than 100 different drink options.

...Disneyland's relationship with Kodak, which dates from the park opening in 1955, is coming to an end due to Kodak's bankruptcy. The "Kodak Picture Spot" signs will be removed from the park.

...Last month Netflix landed a deal to start carrying newer Disney films in 2016 and also received rights to begin carrying a few older Disney titles immediately. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason as far as what's now available for streaming: ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1951) is available, but other animated films of the same era, such as CINDERELLA (1950) and PETER PAN (1953), are only available to rent on DVD.

...I haven't yet noted the November 22nd passing of Disney artist Mel Shaw, age 97. His memoir ANIMATORS ON HORSEBACK will be published posthumously...Former Mouseketeer Bonnie Fields also died in November, age 68...A memorial service for Jeanette Thomas, widow of Disney animator Frank Thomas, was held on November 18th at Pasadena's Gamble House. Mrs. Thomas was an expert on the house and the author of a book on that subject.

...I'm heading up to Hollywood this Saturday to see PETER PAN (1953) at the El Capitan. I'm also looking forward to seeing MULAN (1998) during its run from February 8th to March 6th; would you believe I've never seen that one? I had a baby who was a few weeks old when it came out and had never gotten around to seeing it on DVD. MULAN has one of my favorite Disney songs, "Reflections," and it also inspired my all-time favorite parade at Disneyland; the plate-spinners, the marching soldiers, and the dragon with the Great Wall on its back were magic.

...For more Disney links, please visit the November Disney News roundup.

Tonight's Movie: Personal Maid's Secret (1935)

Actress Anita Louise was born 98 years ago today, and Turner Classic Movies celebrated by showing several films in which the actress appeared, including PERSONAL MAID'S SECRET.

The movie's real star is fourth-billed Ruth Donnelly, who plays the title role and appears in a majority of the scenes in this 58-minute Warner Bros. "B" movie. (It may be a programmer, but it's still got gowns by Orry-Kelly!) Donnelly plays Lizzie, who leaves her prestigious Park Avenue job as a maid when the family can't pay her salary.

Lizzie takes a job with a middle-class couple, the Smiths (Margaret Lindsay and Warren Hull), simply because she likes Mrs. Smith, and soon Lizzie's suggestions on entertaining and moving to an East Side address result in Mr. Smith enjoying a huge boost to his career.

As the Smiths move into higher social circles, Mrs. Smith's brother Kent (Frank Albertson) falls for lovely young Diana Abercrombie (Louise), just back from finishing school in Europe. But Lizzie has a secret: Diana is her daughter.

There's a lot of entertainment value packed into this little movie. It initially starts as an enjoyable peek at the social classes and life in the servant's quarters (or at least servant life as Warner Bros. imagined it to be!). However, the film ultimately proves to have quite a bit more going for it, including some terrific snarky humor from Arthur Treacher (playing, what else, a butler); a sensitive performance by Ruth Donnelly; and a thoughtful resolution which doesn't seek to make everything in Lizzie's life completely perfect.

Donnelly has always been one of my favorite '30s character actresses, along with Helen Broderick and Jean Dixon, and she's just right in this, balancing a certain snootiness, as she gently lets Mrs. Smith know what she feels is proper, with a warm heart, treating the Smiths' little boy (Ronnie Cosby) with affection. She has a fun relationship with her butler friend (Treacher), as they spar over the proper wine to serve and carefully explore whether there might be more to their future relationship.

The story of Diana's birth and place in a society family is plausible and helps the viewer "buy in," along with the solid acting. Lizzie is touching in her longing for her daughter, but never maudlin, and ultimately she's quite stern with Diana when called for. Diana doing the right things and taking her place in society is more important to Lizzie than her own needs, and it's been that way since Diana's birth.

Anita Louise does a nice job as the headstrong daughter at a moral crossroads, and the scenes where she learns her background are quite well done. I also felt that Margaret Lindsay really helps make the movie as the wife eager to move up financially and socially. I was half expecting that at some point the Smiths would overextend themselves and end up in trouble, so I was glad that cliche was avoided, as they happily glide up the social ladder.

The supporting cast includes Henry O'Neill and Gordon Elliott, who later became "B" Western star "Wild Bill" Elliott. IMDb says this was one of the many films in which Dennis O'Keefe had a bit role; I need to scan through again and look for him, his face didn't jump out at me.

PERSONAL MAID'S SECRET was one of a handful of films directed by Arthur Greville Collins, who also worked as dialogue director on a number of movies. The black and white photography was by Byron Haskin. The script by Lillie Hayward and F. Hugh Herbert was based on a story from the Saturday Evening Post.

The trailer for PERSONAL MAID'S SECRET is at the TCM website.

Hopefully this film will be available in the future from the Warner Archive.

July 2018 Update: Great news, we had a five-year wait but PERSONAL MAID'S SECRET will be available on DVD from the Warner Archive in August 2018.

September 2018 Update: My review of the Warner Archive DVD may be found here.

Coming to DVD: Maverick - Season 2

The year is starting out with some terrific DVD news, which I learned this morning via ClassicFlix:

This Season 2 release will come on April 23rd, 11 months after Season 1 hit stores. Like Season 1, this is a regular retail release rather than being put out by the Warner Archive.

Season 2 includes the best-known MAVERICK episode, "Shady Deal at Sunny Acres," in which Bret (James Garner) sits in a chair whittling while Bart (Jack Kelly) and several of the brothers' friends run an elaborate scam to get back money stolen from Bret by a crooked banker (John Dehner).

It's great to see Jack Kelly sharing the cover with James Garner this time around, as he was left off the Season 1 box.

As a side note, Jack Kelly fans might be interested to know that SHE DEVIL (1957), a sci-fi film in which he costarred with Mari Blanchard, will be released on DVD by Olive Films on February 26th.

Other Kelly films on DVD include DRIVE A CROOKED ROAD (1954), which came out a year ago in the TCM Vault Collection's Columbia Pictures Film Noir Classics Vol. III; THE NIGHT HOLDS TERROR (1955), a DVD-R from Sony Choice; and JULIE (1956) from the Warner Archive.