Off to Lone Pine!

My husband and I leave on Thursday morning for Lone Pine, California, site of this weekend's 25th Lone Pine Film Festival.

This will be our first visit to the festival, which we've wanted to attend for a number of years. Now that our children are older, the time has finally come! As many film fans are aware, hundreds of movies were filmed in the Alabama Hills outside Lone Pine.

I will have a media pass and plan to provide detailed coverage here upon my return. I will also be filing a report on the festival with the ClassicFlix site, and if all goes smoothly technologywise, I will be a guest on Alicia Mayer and Will McKinley's new weekend internet radio show, Hollywood Time Machine on L.A. Talk Radio. (Update: My participation on the show is now scheduled for October 18th, which will reduce the chances of a technical glitch connecting via cell phone.)

Some of the things on my tentative festival itinerary:

*A screening of Tim Holt's DYNAMITE PASS (1950), followed by a bus tour of the movie's locations

*A car caravan "Lone Pine Backlot Tour"

*A screening of GUNGA DIN (1939) with sound and special effects experts Ben Burtt (R2-D2!) and Craig Barron, who presented a similar talk on THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938) at this year's TCM Classic Film Festival

*A talk by William Wellman Jr., whose father filmed movies in the Alabama Hills including YELLOW SKY (1948)

*A tour of the Anchor Ranch, a site used in many Westerns

*A talk by Sandra Scott Tyler, daughter of Randolph Scott, following a screening of COMANCHE STATION (1960)

*An interview with Bruce Boxleitner at a screening of THE MACAHANS (1976), a TV-movie he filmed with James Arness and Eva Marie Saint

We also hope to say hello to Joel McCrea's grandson Wyatt, who we've been fortunate to meet on our visits to the McCrea Ranch, and I would love to have Roy Rogers' daughter Cheryl sign her book COWBOY PRINCESS, which has been on my shelf for a decade now.

The schedule is subject to change, but that's an outline of what we hope to do this weekend!

Other guests expected in Lone Pine are Peggy Stewart, Johnny Crawford, Donna Martell, and the children of Clayton Moore, Richard Farnsworth, and William Witney, to name a few.

Stay tuned for a report here next week!

Photo posts from our summer trip to Lone Pine: Welcome to Lone Pine, A Visit to the Lone Pine Film History Museum, and Alabama Hills Movie Locations.

Update: All of my posts on the festival will be linked at the bottom of the post The 25th Lone Pine Film Festival in Review.

Tonight's Movie: Task Force (1949) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

TASK FORCE (1949) is a very good film about the origins of the U.S. aircraft carrier program, written and directed by Delmer Daves and starring Gary Cooper. It's available on DVD from the Warner Archive.

In an opening which strongly calls to mind the beginning of the later Naval film THE GALLANT HOURS (1960), Jonathan Scott (Cooper) is relinquishing command of his ship and retiring from the U.S. Navy after over a quarter-century of service.

Scott's life is portrayed in flashback, beginning when he was a brash young pilot in the '20s trying to land on a very primitive aircraft carrier. Over the years Scott's strong advocacy for aircraft carriers and Navy pilots at times gets him in trouble with those who prefer the Navy budget be spent elsewhere.

The second half of the film focuses on Pearl Harbor and Scott's experiences during WWII. He has the chance to make the case for a large fleet of aircraft carriers in Washington, and his dream is finally realized.

This is a top-flight Warner Bros. production, with Cooper and Walter Brennan heading a cast of Warner Bros. stalwarts including Bruce Bennett, John Ridgely, and Wayne Morris (who in real life was a decorated WWII flying ace). The stars of the film are excellent, with Cooper a very appealing lead, but I find it even more satisfying watching pros like Bennett and Ridgely in strong support; Ridgely in particular has become a real favorite of mine. It's a terrific cast.

Jane Wyatt plays Cooper's supportive wife, with beautiful young Julie London as her relative, who marries Morris. The supporting cast also includes Jack Holt, Moroni Olsen, Stanley Ridges, Kenneth Tobey and Basil Ruysdael.

The score was composed by Franz Waxman, with cinematography by Robert Burks and Wilfrid Cline.

The only thing that causes me to describe this 116-minute film as "very good" rather than "excellent" is that it goes on a bit too long and loses its narrative drive in the final 20 minutes.

Whereas most of the film was shot in black and white, the final reel was done in Technicolor, and the filmmakers get a bit too carried away trying to squeeze in every bit of Technicolor battle footage they possibly can. Too much documentary footage, while the story peters out as the war draws to a close.

Other than that quibble, this is an engrossing, very worthwhile film which I enjoyed a great deal. Anyone who enjoys aircraft carrier movies, as I do, will want to see TASK FORCE.

There are no extras on this fine-looking Warner Archive DVD.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD. Warner Archive releases are MOD (manufactured on demand) and may be ordered from Amazon or other online retailers.

Tonight's Movie: A Song is Born (1948) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

Over the past month I've enjoyed reviewing three of the films from the wonderful Warner Archive set titled Danny Kaye: The Goldwyn Years. I started with UP IN ARMS (1944) and then moved on chronologically to WONDER MAN (1945) and THE KID FROM BROOKLYN (1946).

The Kaye films have all held up as very enjoyable entertainment, and the Warner Archive prints have been outstanding; as I commented in my review of UP IN ARMS, I'm not sure the print quality could be improved on Blu-ray discs, the DVDs look that good.

It's now time to take a look at the final film in the Kaye set, A SONG IS BORN (1948). A SONG IS BORN is a remake of the Gary Cooper-Barbara Stanwyck comedy classic BALL OF FIRE (1941), which I reviewed in 2011. It's especially interesting to note that Howard Hawks, who directed the original film, also directed this Danny Kaye remake just a few years later.

I felt a sense of deja vu when Mary Field walked into the room at the start of the movie; she played the very same role, Miss Totten, in the original film!

The original story about a group of sheltered professors translates well to this musical remake, with the professors -- who include Benny Goodman! -- living together in an old mansion while working on a music encyclopedia.

Into the midst of this group of bachelors comes Honey Swanson (Virginia Mayo), a nightclub singer hiding out from the district attorney until her boyfriend, mobster Tony Crow (Steve Cochran), can marry her. Tony has finally popped the question because Honey has evidence regarding an incriminating situation in which he's involved, but wives can't testify against their husbands. Hence, wedding bells at last for Honey and Tony.

There's only one problem -- while hiding out in the professors' home, Honey has fallen in love with Professor Hobart Frisbee (Kaye), and he's proposed.

A SONG IS BORN is a delight, especially for those who love '40s jazz, as the film is packed with some of the greatest musicians of all time. It's not just entertaining, it's a valuable historical record -- Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, and Louie Bellson all jamming together onscreen, and that's just for starters.

Kaye is quite restrained as the reserved professor, without any of his usual long patter songs, and I really liked this less manic version of Kaye. It may be the closest of his '40s films to my favorite Kaye performance in WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954).

Mayo, who was also Kaye's leading lady in the set's WONDER MAN and THE KID FROM BROOKLYN, not to mention THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (1947), is terrific as Honey, a tough girl who falls for the professor despite herself. She makes a terrific entrance performing the song "Daddy-O," effectively dubbed by Jeri Sullavan. Mayo's peaches and cream complexion always looks stunning in Technicolor, and when she stands in the sunlight, it's completely understandable why the professor falls for her.

It's fun to have Steve Cochran, who like Mayo was in WONDER MAN and THE KID FROM BROOKLYN, playing Kaye's rival. Cochran and Mayo were cast in numerous films together, most notably WHITE HEAT (1949). In her autobiography Mayo wrote movingly about how much she liked Cochran and what good friends they were; although Cochran was quite the ladies' man, they were just pals. She joked he wouldn't have had time to fit her into his busy romantic schedule anyway!

She also wrote that "...even though Danny and I had an excellent chemistry on screen, he really didn't like me much and was always asking for another actress." Despite Kaye's protestations over casting, the movies they made were successes and she was proud of them: "I hope I never seem ungrateful for the opportunity I had to play in those marvelous movies...I know I've been given a lot more magic in my life than many people have, and I am never ungrateful...It's been a perfectly wonderful gift to me."

In addition to Benny Goodman, the professors are played by Felix Bressart, Ludwig Stossel, O.Z. Whitehead, J. Edward Bromberg, and Hugh Herbert. This is probably the only time I've liked a performance by Herbert; the usual mannerisms which led my friend Ivan to describe Herbert as "a cinematic toothache" are completely absent in this film, until the very last scene. He's quite likeable when he's playing a calm, quiet character. Who knew?!

Additional musicians in the film include Charlie Barnet, the Page Cavanaugh Trio, the Golden Gate Quartette (who are just wonderful!), and Mel Powell. My dad passed on to me the great trivia that Powell, a pianist who was also a Pulitzer-winning composer, was long married to actress Martha Scott.

A SONG IS BORN runs 113 minutes. It was filmed in Technicolor by the Oscar-winning cinematographer Gregg Toland, whose credits included WUTHERING HEIGHTS (1939), for which he received his Academy Award, and CITIZEN KANE (1941).

Mayo's wonderful costumes are by Irene Sharaff.

The disc for A SONG IS BORN includes the trailer. The Warner Archive DVD is recommended, along with the entire collection Danny Kaye: The Goldwyn Years.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD collection.  Warner Archive discs may be purchased from Amazon and other online retailers.

Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...My latest article for the ClassicFlix site is a biographical sketch of Alan Ladd, with accompanying DVD recommendations. I invite my readers to click over to ClassicFlix to check it out!

...The L.A. Times recently published an article on the unusual challenges faced by Netflix in France...and thanks to Kristina for passing along the article "For Cinephiles, Netflix is Less and Less an Option."

...A big congratulations to my pal Toby at 50 Westerns From the 50s, where he's celebrating five years of blogging!

...Over at Toby's other blog, The Hannibal 8, the Jack Webb Blogathon is coming soon. Check out the list of participants. The blogathon is October 17th-19th so there's still time for more Webb fans to sign up!

...Blake Lucas has contributed a terrific list of 5 Underrated Action-Adventure Films to at Rupert Pupkin Speaks.

...Attention Southern Californians: There's an exhibit of movie costumes at the future site of the Academy film museum through March 2nd.

...The wonderful O Canada Blogathon is now underway. The great posts I've enjoyed reading this weekend include Dorian of Tales of the Easily Distracted on Canadian Ann Rutherford in TWO O'CLOCK COURAGE (1945), Caftan Woman on Canadian movie host Elwy Yost, Colin on Errol Flynn in NORTHERN PURSUIT (1943) at Riding the High Country, and Clayton of Phantom Empires on MRS. MIKE (1949). A roundup of links from Day One can be found at Speakeasy or Silver Screenings, and here's Day Two. For those who might not have caught it yet, my contribution is on a Tyrone Power Mountie film, PONY SOLDIER (1952).

...There's a lovely interview with Rene Russo in the Wall Street Journal, written by Mark Myers of the blog JazzWax.

...MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939) comes to Blu-ray in December. Thanks to Lindsay for the info.

...Film and stage actress Patricia Morison turns 100 next March. Morison, who was the original Broadway Kate in KISS ME, KATE, recently paid a visit to a new production of the classic musical at the Pasadena Playhouse. This summer I reviewed Morison in the films THE ROUNDUP (1941) and PERSONS IN HIDING (1939).

...Additional musical theater news: Steve Martin has cowritten a stage musical, BRIGHT STAR, currently playing in San Diego. It stars Carmen Cusack, who starred in the remarkable production of SOUTH PACIFIC which I saw twice in October 2010. The Los Angeles Times reviews it here.

...Angela Cartwright (THE SOUND OF MUSIC) has cowritten a new photo book, STYLING THE STARS: LOST TREASURES FROM THE 20TH CENTURY FOX ARCHIVE. According to an interview with the L.A. Times' Susan King, Cartwright got the idea for the book when researching SOUND OF MUSIC photos in the Archive for THE SOUND OF MUSIC FAMILY SCRAPBOOK. STYLING THE STARS is cowritten with Tom McLaren, and there's a foreward by Maureen O'Hara.

...For fans of Coca-Cola: This summer's "Share a Coke" campaign was a big success...Mexican Coca-Cola, the focus of a recent New York Times article, is popular here in a number of restaurants and is also sold in our grocery store.

...More food news: Top Secret Baristas at the CIA Starbucks.

...Reviews, reviews, and more reviews: Here are just a few of the movie reviews I've enjoyed recently at various blogs: Caftan Woman on the wonderful British mystery GREEN FOR DANGER (1946)...Kevin's Movie Corner on PRINCE VALIANT (1954), which has such a phenomenal cast I have to check it out...The Blonde at the Film on Esther Williams in BATHING BEAUTY (1944)...Cliff of Immortal Ephemera on the mind-boggling Loretta Young pre-Code SHE HAD TO SAY YES (1933)...John McElwee on Mitchell Leisen's strange-looking BRIDE OF VENGEANCE (1949), which stars Paulette Goddard, John Lund, and Macdonald Carey, at Greenbriar Picture Shows...and Jacqueline on BRUTE FORCE (1947) at Another Old Movie Blog. That's another film with an amazing cast!

...Notable Passing: The great bass trombonist George Roberts has passed away at the age of 86. Roberts played in countless classic recordings; he's featured in my all-time favorite Frank Sinatra track, "How Deep is the Ocean?" on the Nice 'N' Easy album. Roberts also founded the Bones West music group in Orange County, California, which my husband has been involved with for a number of years. A sad loss but a full life, well lived.

...More Notable Passings: Yoshiko Yamaguchi, also known as Shirley Yamaguchi, has died at 94. In addition to a career in Japanese cinema, Yamaguchi starred in a few U.S. films, JAPANESE WAR BRIDE (1952), HOUSE OF BAMBOO (1955), and NAVY WIFE (1956)...Deborah, the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire and the last of the Mitford sisters, has died at the age of 94. Her funeral began last Thursday with a procession at her home, the famed Chatsworth estate. Her life was celebrated after the service with a huge garden party on the grounds of the estate.

...There will be no Around the Blogosphere This Week column next weekend, as I will be attending the 25th Lone Pine Film Festival. Look for festival coverage here in the near future!

Have a great week!

Tonight's Movie: Pony Soldier (1952)

This post on PONY SOLDIER (1952) is my contribution to the O Canada Blogathon being hosted from October 4th through 9th by Silver Screenings and Speakeasy. There have already been many wonderful contributions about Canadian filmmakers and films set in Canada. Please check the Day 1 Roundup for links to explore and continue to check in as the blogathon continues!

PONY SOLDIER is a great exemplar of what is sometimes called a "Northerner" -- in other words, a Canadian Western! It's a satisfying film with Tyrone Power starring as a brave red-coated Mountie who single-handedly brokers peace with the Cree Indians.

Power plays Constable Duncan MacDonald, a relative newcomer to the Mounties whose superior (Howard Petrie) sends him to investigate the kidnapping of a white woman (Penny Edwards) and man (Robert Horton) by the Cree, who have left their reservation and also tangled with some U.S. soldiers. The footage of the battle with the Army was lifted from the 1944 film BUFFALO BILL, according to the Blu-ray liner notes by Julie Kirgo.

As Kirgo writes, the film centers on diplomacy, with MacDonald and his Blackfoot guide (Thomas Gomez, offering solid comic relief) risking their lives by venturing into the midst of the Cree. MacDonald illustrates the old adage about the definition of bravery: being scared but saddling up anyway. He demonstrates nerve and quick thinking as he negotiates with Chief Standing Bear (Stuart Randall) to hold a council meeting to discuss the Cree freeing the prisoners and moving back to their reservation.

MacDonald's courage, as well as his calm and evenhanded approach, wins him the respect of Standing Bear and many in the tribe. Without a second thought MacDonald even agrees to adopt an orphaned Cree boy, Comes Running (Anthony Numkena), as he sincerely likes the boy, and perhaps their bond will also help improve relations with the tribe.

Standing in the way of peace is another Cree chief, Konah (Cameron Mitchell), who hates all white men and wants to give the imprisoned woman to his brother as his wife.

Power's screen presence and a solid story keep this 82-minute movie interesting despite its fairly limited scope. Gomez offers lively support, and his presence is missed in the movie's final section. Mitchell is quite believable as the embittered chief. Adeline de Walt Reynolds, who began her film career a decade earlier, when she was nearly 80, does a fine job in a small role as a respected elder of the tribe.

Penny Edwards, the heroine of many a "B" Western, such as Roy Rogers' TRAIL OF ROBIN HOOD (1950), is not much more than a placeholder here, the object of negotiations but not really a developed character. Likewise, Robert Horton, playing a jailbreaker who went from the frying pan into the fire as a prisoner of the Cree, serves to move the story forward at a key moment, but that's about it.

Production values are solid, including Technicolor photography by Harry Jackson and a stirring score by Alex North; the opening credits theme music is particularly fine. The PONY SOLDIER screenplay by John C. Higgins was from a story by Garnett Weston.

A decade earlier director Joseph M. Newman had directed another "Mountie" film, a "B" picture titled NORTHWEST RANGERS (1942) with William Lundigan as the Mountie. Newman's other Westerns included Joel McCrea in THE GUNFIGHT AT DODGE CITY (1959).

Unfortunately, despite the subject matter, PONY SOLDIER was not actually filmed in Canada! It was shot in California's Red Rock Canyon and in Sedona, Arizona.

Despite the lack of Canadian locations, the movie is a stirring tribute to the honor and bravery of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. When the film was shown in UK, it was titled MACDONALD OF THE CANADIAN MOUNTIES.

PONY SOLDIER is not on standard DVD. It is available on a limited edition Blu-ray from Twilight Time. The film can be played with an isolated music track.

PONY SOLDIER is also available on VHS.

Happy Birthday, Glynis Johns!

Actress Glynis Johns turns 91 years old today.

Johns was born in South Africa on October 5th, 1923.

Reviewing the list of Glynis Johns films I've seen, I'm hard-pressed to name a favorite peformance. Is it as the man-hungry mermaid MIRANDA (1948)? The cunning Mary Tudor in THE SWORD AND THE ROSE (1953), seen below? Jean in the classic medieval comedy THE COURT JESTER (1956)? Or as Mrs. Banks in the beloved MARY POPPINS (1964)? What a body of work!

With thanks and best wishes to a marvelous actress who has brought such enjoyment to my movie watching over the years.

Glynis Johns movies previously reviewed here at Laura's Miscellaneous Musings: VACATION FROM MARRIAGE (1945), MIRANDA (1948), NO HIGHWAY IN THE SKY (1951), THE SWORD AND THE ROSE (1953), ROB ROY: THE HIGHLAND ROGUE (1953), THE COURT JESTER (1956), THE SUNDOWNERS (1960), MARY POPPINS (1964), and WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING (1995).

Update: Here's a review of STATE SECRET (1950).

January 2024 Update: Glynis Johns has passed away at the age of 100.

Tonight's Movie: One Night at Susie's (1930) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

ONE NIGHT AT SUSIE'S (1930) is an entertaining pre-Code melodrama just released by the Warner Archive.

ONE NIGHT AT SUSIE'S stars Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Billie Dove as Dick and Mary. Dick's a press agent who is the foster son of a boarding house owner, Susie (Helen Ware); Susie also happens to be quite the mob operator. Mary is a lovely chorus girl Dick plans to wed.

One night a lecherous producer (John Loder) attacks Mary in his apartment and she kills him in self-defense. Dick insists on taking the rap and goes to Sing Sing. He spends his nights in prison writing a play for Mary in hopes of making her a great star and giving her financial security, but despairs when she can't interest a producer. As Dick's health declines, Susie agrees to be the mistress of a producer (Claude Fleming) if he will produce Dick's play. Dick is thrilled when his play is produced and his health rebounds.

Susie is initially horrified when she learns that Mary has been unfaithful; however, when Susie learns that Mary sacrificed herself to save Dick, Susie determines to protect Mary from a blackmailer and secure Dick and Mary's happiness as Dick is released from prison.

This is a diverting little movie. I've always liked Fairbanks, although he overplays a tiny bit in some of his earlier films, including this one. Regardless, he's likeable and sympathetic.

The plot is somewhat reminiscent of the later film FAITHLESS (1932), in which Tallulah Bankhead becomes a prostitute in order to save her husband's life, but Billie Dove's character is much more appealing than Bankhead was.

This was one of Dove's last few movies, and she's quite good as the beleaguered heroine. I'd previously only seen her in her last film, BLONDIE OF THE FOLLIES (1932) and thought she did a good job in that as well. Poor Mary has so many woes that it wouldn't be surprising if she also ended up tied to train tracks or staggering shoeless through the snow, but at least in the end she has the rough-hewn Susie looking out for her.

It's never made clear why Susie wields such power over mobsters, especially as she doesn't live a wealthy lifestyle. Although there's not enough back story, Susie is an unusual and intriguing character. Actress Ware also had a nice supporting role in THE KEYHOLE (1933) with Kay Francis. She passed away in 1939.

Along with lower-class apartment and boarding house sets, there's a fabulous Art Deco apartment and a really odd courtroom set design; the entire scene where Dick is sentenced to prison almost seems as though it's a dream sequence.

The movie was directed by John Francis Dillon, who died in 1934; it was filmed by Ernest Haller, who would go on to win an Oscar for GONE WITH THE WIND (1939), shared with Ray Rennahan. Haller received six additional nominations.

Although IMDb says ONE NIGHT AT SUSIE'S is 85 minutes and the Warner Archive box says it's 90 minutes, the DVD ran 61 minutes; that's a typical pre-Code length and nothing seemed to be missing storywise so I'm not sure what accounts for the varied reports.

There are no extras on the DVD. Like many other films of its era, the print is slightly fuzzy and grainy, but it's a perfectly acceptable print with good sound quality.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD. Warner Archive releases are MOD (manufactured on demand) and may be ordered from Amazon and other online retailers.

Tonight's Movie: Gunsmoke in Tucson (1958) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

The Warner Archive has another winner from its recent wave of Western releases. GUNSMOKE IN TUCSON (1958), like last weekend's RATON PASS (1951), proved to be quite an entertaining film.

GUNSMOKE IN TUCSON is a familiar story, but it's nicely produced, with the interesting Mark Stevens starring as Chip Coburn, a former outlaw. At one point Chip's brother, Marshal John Brazos (Forrest Tucker), had sent Chip off to jail for eight years. Chip now wants nothing but to be a rancher and doesn't even carry a gun, but his brother frets that Chip will never really change.

Chip has plans to ranch in Arizona Territory which are thwarted by wealthy Bodeen (Vaughn Taylor) and his cohorts. Despite many provocations, Chip patiently sidesteps confrontations, even when his friend the sheriff is killed. When it can't be avoided, he does take part in one brief barroom slugfest which hints that Chip is a potentially lethal man who means business when pushed.

When a kindly farmer (Kevin Hagen of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE) is targeted for murder by a Bodeen henchman, Chip has finally had enough, and Bodeen and his men learn, to their regret, exactly who they've been needling. With Chip's pal Slick Kirby (John Ward) showing up in town and backing his plays, Chip proves he's a force to be reckoned with fighting on the side of right. Yet unfortunately his brother still believes he's up to no good...

Although I didn't care for the first five minutes of the movie -- it's more than disturbing, with Chip and John as young boys watching their father be hung! -- this is a very good Western with a satisfying premise. The tension builds and builds, with Bodeen even marrying Chip's saloon gal love (Gale Robbins), who sees a way to finally be respectable and have her own home, a decision she comes to regret.

The cleverly staged moment when Chip finally goes into action is terrific. He appears onscreen as something of a Western superhero, in an unusually colorful costume from his outlaw days.

It's not a perfect film; to date I'm still waiting for the movie which makes me a fan of Forrest Tucker. It's a stodgy performance as a character who's intractable for far too long. I kept wishing he'd finally figure out maybe he should double-check his assumptions. Curiously, despite Tucker's billing it's rather a brief role, with the less well known Kevin Hagen and John Ward having significantly more screen time.

It also would have been nice to have more colorful actors playing the villains. Where's a Robert J. Wilke or Michael Pate when you need him?

And as a side note, there was also a really bad shot of Stevens getting on a horse after a saloon shoot-out; there's a quick edit away but it should have been reshot!

The pros, though, far outweigh the negatives, starting with a good story and leading man. I find Stevens an unusual and compelling actor. As he aged he was fairly skinny, with thinning hair, yet while he was perhaps no longer conventionally handsome, the viewer's eyes never leave him when he's onscreen. He's very charismatic, even when he's simply quietly observing, as he does for much of the first half of the film. He's not an especially big man, but he's got attitude with a capital A.

I was unfamiliar with John Ward, who plays Chip's friend Slick, but he does a terrific job and is a lot of fun in the role. He added considerably to the film and is one of the reasons I'll be wanting to watch this one again.

I've always found Gale Robbins to be an entertaining performer, in musicals such as THREE LITTLE WORDS (1950), THE BELLE OF NEW YORK (1952), and CALAMITY JANE (1953). She has a good number early on, "I Need a Man," which can be previewed at the movie's Warner Archive listing.

Gale Kobe has an extraneous role as a "good" girl who's waited years for Chip. I'm not sure what the purpose of her character was, other than perhaps to show that someone decent knew Chip was a good man deep down. Kobe became a soap opera producer and passed away last year.

GUNSMOKE IN TUCSON runs for 80 minutes. It was directed by Thomas Carr from a screenplay by Paul Leslie Peil and Robert L. Joseph. The movie was shot in CinemaScope by William Whitley at locations which included Old Tucson. (I almost expected Big John Cannon and Uncle Buck to come riding into a couple scenes!)

For more on this film, visit Toby's review at 50 Westerns From the 50s.

The Warner Archive DVD is a fine widescreen print. There are no extras.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD. Warner Archive releases are MOD (manufactured on demand) and may be ordered from Amazon and other online retailers.

TCM Announces 2015 Festival Dates and Theme

It's an exciting time for everyone planning to attend the 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival, as TCM has made several key announcements regarding its sixth annual festival.

Next year's festival will move up from April to March and be held in Hollywood from March 26th through 29th, 2015.

The 2015 festival theme is "History According to Hollywood."

The TCM press release says, in part, "Hollywood has found endless inspiration in re-creating historical moments and bringing to life the heroes and villains of the past, creating a form of time travel for audiences through the ages and around the world. These films, however, are not always true to the historical record. Filmmakers have often created works about the past that are a reflection of the period in which they were made, or change facts to suit a particular storyline. The 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival will explore how cinema has shaped how we view – and remember – history."

TCM has posted a wonderful one-minute promotional video for next year's festival. It even features my friends Aurora and Kellee!

As in years past, the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel will serve as festival headquarters.

Screenings will be held at the Chinese and Egyptian Theatres along with the Chinese 6 Multiplex. Last year Disney's beautiful El Capitan Theatre had an expanded role, hosting screenings for an entire day, so hopefully that will be the case again in 2015.

Festival passes will go on sale in November. The prices, which are also listed in the press release, have increased slightly this year; they range from $299 to $1649 per person. The "Classic" pass which seems to be the most popular among my acquaintances will be $599 next near.

Those interested in attending will want to bookmark the festival website and follow the festival's Twitter account.

I cannot recommend the TCM Classic Film Festival highly enough for anyone who loves classic films. The combination of seeing beautiful prints in historic venues alongside other classic film fans cannot be surpassed. It feels like a big reunion, and TCM puts on a very classy experience in every way.

Please visit my 2014 Festival in Review, including the links at the bottom of the post, for a look at the festival experience. Potential festival attendees can also check out my 2013 Festival in Review.

I'll be sharing additional information about the festival as it develops!

TCM Star of the Month: Janet Leigh

Janet Leigh is the October Star of the Month on Turner Classic Movies.

Over 30 Leigh films will be shown every Wednesday night in October, continuing into Thursday morning.

Leigh's Star of the Month tribute begins this evening, October 1st, with her very first film, THE ROMANCE OF ROSY RIDGE (1947). In a truly "Hollywood" story, Leigh was cast in the film shortly after her photo was noticed by Norma Shearer at a ski lodge. She's charming as innocent young Lissy Anne in this post-Civil War drama with Van Johnson. I highly recommend ROMANCE OF ROSY RIDGE, as it's not only a wonderful film, it's fascinating to see such a novice succeeding in her debut role.

The MGM star machine treatment was then fully underway, and by the end of 1949 Leigh had starred in nine additional feature films. Some of those early Leigh titles on tonight's schedule include MGM's colorful LITTLE WOMEN (1949), in which she plays Meg; the Lassie movie HILLS OF HOME (1948); the Rodgers & Hart biopic WORDS AND MUSIC (1948); THAT FORSYTE WOMAN (1949) with Errol Flynn, Greer Garson, and Walter Pidgeon; and the melodrama THE DOCTOR AND THE GIRL (1949) with Glenn Ford.

On October 8th the evening kicks off with the baseball fantasy ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD (1951) followed by the musical BYE BYE BIRDIE (1963).

One of the highlights on the 8th is the excellent Christmas movie HOLIDAY AFFAIR (1949) with Robert Mitchum, in which Janet plays a young war widow and mother torn between security (Wendell Corey) and adventurous love (Robert Mitchum). HOLIDAY AFFAIR will also air on TCM three times this December!

Leigh played the title role in the very enjoyable musical version of MY SISTER EILEEN (1955), costarring Betty Garrett, Jack Lemmon, and Bob Fosse.

Leigh was reunited with ROMANCE OF ROSY RIDGE costar Van Johnson in CONFIDENTIALLY CONNIE (1953), a goofy comedy in which she's an expectant mother trying to figure out how to fit the beef she craves into the family food budget.

On October 15th Anthony Mann's outstanding Western THE NAKED SPUR (1953) is the first movie of the evening, costarring James Stewart and Robert Ryan.

THE NAKED SPUR is followed by the classic swashbuckler SCARAMOUCHE (1952) with Stewart Granger and Eleanor Parker, a marvelous film with exquisite cinematography. THE NAKED SPUR and SCARAMOUCHE are wonderful examples of some of the top-flight titles in Leigh's filmography.

The evening also includes JUST THIS ONCE (1952), a slight but enjoyable romantic comedy in which she plays an attorney trying to rein in the spending of playboy Peter Lawford, and Jack Webb's PETE KELLY'S BLUES (1955).

October 22nd includes some of the films she made with then-husband Tony Curtis, including THE PERFECT FURLOUGH (1958), WHO WAS THAT LADY? (1960), and THE VIKINGS (1958), which costarred Kirk Douglas (seen at left).

Titles that night also include THE FOG (1980) with her daughter Jamie Lee Curtis and the cult classic NIGHT OF THE LEPUS (1972), which is about man-eating rabbits!

Appropriately for Halloween week, the final night of Janet Leigh films on October 29th begins with the Alfred Hitchcock classic PSYCHO (1960). PSYCHO is followed by the Orson Welles thriller TOUCH OF EVIL (1958) and Fred Zinnemann's noir classic ACT OF VIOLENCE (1948).

The series wraps up in the wee hours with HARPER (1966) and AN AMERICAN DREAM (1966).

To learn more about Janet Leigh, I recommend her 1984 autobiography THERE REALLY WAS A HOLLYWOOD and the 1995 book PSYCHO: BEHIND THE SCENES OF A CLASSIC THRILLER, cowritten with Christopher Nickens.

For more information on TCM this month, please visit my post TCM in October: Highlights, along with TCM's complete online schedule.