Tonight's Movie: The Incredibles (2004) at the El Capitan Theatre

THE INCREDIBLES (2004) is one of my favorite Pixar films, but I'd not seen it for a number of years. It was thus a special treat to see it on a big screen once more at last night's Throwback Thursday screening at Disney's El Capitan Theatre.

The premise of THE INCREDIBLES, with superheroes forced into hiding to avoid lawsuits by ambulance-chasing lawyers, has become even more "spot on" with the passage of time. What seemed mildly silly a decade ago seems rather plausible in today's crazy world.

Superheroes Bob (Craig T. Nelson) and Helen (Holly Hunter) Parr, aka Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, live anonymously as part of a government relocation program -- basically a "witness protection program" for superheroes.

Bob and Helen's only connection to the past is Bob's friendship with Lucius (Samuel L. Jackson), whose superhero name is Frozone. They do have a bit of a challenge keeping their children's powers hidden -- Dash (Spencer Fox) can move quicker than the proverbial speeding bullet, and Violet (Sarah Vowell) has a tendency to, well, shrink. Baby Jack-Jack doesn't have any powers. Or so they think.

Bob's unhappiness with his dead-end insurance company job and longing for his true calling leads him to don his Mr. Incredible suit once more. (Actually, it's a brand-new suit designed by Edna Mode, who is basically Edith Head to the superhero community.) When Mr. Incredible ends up in great danger, Helen heads out to help him...with their two oldest children as stowaways.

This is such a smart, witty, and knowing film, anchored by a very believable family story in the center of an unbelievable premise. Despite their unique powers, the Incredibles are a completely recognizable, normal family who love each other as they deal with ups and downs. One of my favorite moments is when the harried Helen, juggling the baby and problems with the two older children, calls out to Bob to "Engage!" Holly Hunter is particularly outstanding voicing Helen.

There are many bits of brilliance strung together throughout the film, whether it's Edna's hilarious diatribe on why superheroes should never wear capes, angelic baby Jack Jack turning into something altogether different when dealing with a villain, or Frozone's panicked "Where is my Super Suit?" while his unseen wife is heard worrying what his dashing off to save the world will mean for their dinner party.

There's a great jazzy score by Michael Giacchino, and indeed, the design and scoring of the end credits sequence is as good as anything that's come before. It's a supremely enjoyable part of the movie which should not be missed.

THE INCREDIBLES was written and directed by Brad Bird, who also voices Edna.

THE INCREDIBLES is available on DVD and Blu-ray. It can currently be rented for streaming from Amazon Instant Video.

Like THE ARISTOCATS (1970), this Throwback Thursday screening was more lightly attended than most Throwback Thursday screenings I've experienced in the past, though the audience's enthusiasm made up for some empty seats! Hopefully it's just the summer doldrums, as this series is great fun and I'd love to see it continue indefinitely.

The El Capitan Throwback Thursday pin (seen below) is a nice deal for regular attendees. The pin costs $8; wear it to each screening for free popcorn refills and an occasional surprise as you leave the movie. This week pin holders received INSIDE OUT magnets when exiting the theater.

As a postscript, our local theater in Huntington Beach is one of just six theaters nationwide participating in Disney's new Disney Screen program, with four Disney films shown every day for a week, after which a new batch of four films is rotated in for another week. The prices are outstanding. I hope to see one of the movies in this series, which began July 31st, as soon as this weekend. Hopefully it's an idea which will be successful and spread to other theaters across the country.

Previously: Tonight's Movie: Lady and the Tramp (1955) at the El Capitan Theatre; Tonight's Movie: Cinderella (1950) at the El Capitan Theatre; Tonight's Movie: Peter Pan (1953) at the El Capitan Theatre; Tonight's Movie: Mulan (1998) at the El Capitan Theatre; Tonight's Movie: The Little Mermaid (1989) at the El Capitan Theatre; Tonight's Movie: Mary Poppins (1964) at the El Capitan Theatre; Tonight's Movie: Sleeping Beauty (1959) at the El Capitan Theatre; Tonight's Movie: Swiss Family Robinson (1960) at the El Capitan Theatre; Tonight's Movie: Alice in Wonderland (1951) at the El Capitan Theatre; Tonight's Movie: The AristoCats (1970) at the El Capitan Theatre; plus Tonight's Movie: The Jungle Book (1967) at the TCM Classic Film Festival.

Related review: INCREDIBLES 2 (2018).

Tonight's Movie: Nine Lives Are Not Enough (1941)

A sterling cast enlivens NINE LIVES ARE NOT ENOUGH (1941), a 63-minute Warner Bros. "B" movie.

Ronald Reagan stars as newspaper reporter Matt Sawyer, who believes that the "suicide" of wealthy Edward Abbott in a run-down boarding house was actually murder. (Both of Abbott's hands were in his pockets, which would have made it hard for him to shoot the gun...)

As a frenzied "newspaper movie mystery" unspools, one by one the great character faces roll by: Thurston Hall, screaming into a phone as Matt's publisher...Howard Da Silva, also screaming into a phone as the city editor...Edward Brophy as a dimwitted cop, with James Gleason his long-suffering sergeant...Cliff Clark (Inspector Donovan from the FALCON mysteries) as the homicide detective...a young Charles Drake as a hapless newspaper photographer...and WB stock company stalwart John Ridgely as a car mechanic. There's even young, uncredited Joan Leslie in two very brief scenes as the newspaper's receptionist, the very same year she starred in SERGEANT YORK (1941) and HIGH SIERRA (1941).

This was the last film starring Joan Perry, who married Columbia Pictures head Harry Cohn the same year. Perry plays Abbott's daughter, who's charmed by Reagan's reporter, once she gets over him taking a picture of her identifying her father's body. There's more on Perry in my review of BULLETS FOR O'HARA (1941) and in my review of the biography of Allan "Rocky" Lane, who was once married to Perry.

Faye Emerson, who does a great job in a flashy role as a chauffeur's wife, would, like Perry, have a high-powered husband. In 1944 she married Elliott Roosevelt, son of the President of the United States. Their union lasted until 1950.

During a chase scene there's a great stock footage shot of the intersection of Hollywood and Highland. Anyone who watches a lot of movies will also recognize many of the streets from the Warner Bros. backlot which appear during the final chase sequence, such as the building pictured here which I photographed during a tour last spring.

This is by no means a great movie, but it's a fun, fast-moving flick for those who love the wild and wacky world of newspaper movies. The great visual tour of the Warner Bros. backlot also makes it very worthwhile for a fan of classic-era films. I enjoyed it.

NINE LIVES ARE NOT ENOUGH was directed by A. Edward "Eddie" Sutherland (SECRET COMMAND) and filmed in black and white by Ted McCord.

The screenplay by Fred Niblo Jr. was based on a novel by Jerome Odlum.

NINE LIVES ARE NOT ENOUGH is not on DVD. It has been shown on Turner Classic Movies.

Farewell to Coleen Gray

The news that Coleen Gray has passed on, which I first learned from Alan K. Rode last evening, has hit particularly hard.

In 2012 I wrote a 90th birthday tribute to Coleen Gray expressing my admiration of her. The tribute was noticed by Coleen's friend David Schechter, who kindly arranged for me to interview Coleen on the phone.

A condensed version of our talk appeared in the Dark Pages film noir newsletter's 2013 tribute to the film noir classic NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947); I described a portion of our interview here. I expect to share that interview in sections here in the future.

Some of the stories Coleen told me were also used in a 2013 tribute to her which I wrote for ClassicFlix.

Coleen was a remarkable lady who had nerves of steel, whether it was spontaneously reciting monologues to audition for a room of intimidating Fox executives or being an unknown contract actress who dared to make an appointment with studio head Darryl Zanuck to ask for the role of Molly in NIGHTMARE ALLEY.

Coleen then further had the courage to turn down the NIGHTMARE ALLEY part she wanted so much when Fox tried to wiggle out of a contractually mandated salary increase in exchange for giving her the role. The young actress, about 24 years old at the time, told the studio they weren't being fair and "cried a lot." The studio eventually caved.

In her first featured roles the young actress worked opposite some of Hollywood's biggest names: John Wayne, Victor Mature, and Tyrone Power. (RED RIVER was filmed first but released after KISS OF DEATH and NIGHTMARE ALLEY.) I asked Coleen how it felt to be a newcomer to films and whether acting opposite big names she'd admired for years was intimidating, and she said, "It was exhilarating. Nobody made me uncomfortable. Everybody was nice."

Although Coleen very occasionally played a femme fatale, such as in THE SLEEPING CITY (1950), she is best known as the "good girl" of film noir. I asked how she felt about that and she said, "I didn’t like being a sweet, wholesome type. I wanted to be sexy. I wanted to be evil and do all those juicy parts. I realize now that the good Lord was protecting me. Better to stay where you are and be good at it..."

Coleen was a woman of strong Christian faith, and something else I admire about her is that later in life she and her husband ministered to women in prison, encouraging them to turn their lives around and start fresh when they were released.

Below is a gallery of some of Coleen Gray's most notable films.

KISS OF DEATH (1947) with Victor Mature; her fresh, natural performance grabbed my attention and made me a fan of her work:

Starring with Tyrone Power in NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947):

With John Wayne in Howard Hawks' RED RIVER (1948):

Reunited with Victor Mature in FURY AT FURNACE CREEK (1948):

KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL (1952) with Preston Foster and John Payne; she and Payne also costarred in THE VANQUISHED (1953) and TENNESSEE'S PARTNER (1955) and for a time shared an offscreen romance:

ARROW IN THE DUST (1954) with Sterling Hayden:

With Hayden again in Stanley Kubrick's classic THE KILLING (1956):

Starring with Jeff Morrow in COPPER SKY (1957), a personal favorite of mine:

Obituaries have been posted by Daily Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and the Los Angeles Times.

Update: The Los Angeles Times has now published a much more complete obituary, and there was also a good story in The Guardian.

Update: Here's a tribute from Toby at 50 Westerns From the 50s.

Update: I recently realized that my interview with Coleen was cited in her obituary in the Washington Post. Thanks to obituary writer Adam Bernstein for including my talk with her in his story and linking back here.

Coleen Gray was extra-special to me, and while I'm very sad she's no longer with us, she leaves behind a distinguished body of work which we can all enjoy in the years to come.

My sincere condolences to Coleen's family and friends.

Coleen Gray films reviewed at Laura's Miscellaneous Musings: KISS OF DEATH (1947), NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947), FURY AT FURNACE CREEK (1948), THE SLEEPING CITY (1950), FATHER IS A BACHELOR (1950), APACHE DRUMS (1951), THE FAKE (1953), SABRE JET (1953), ARROW IN THE DUST (1954) (also here), LAS VEGAS SHAKEDOWN (1955), TENNESSEE'S PARTNER (1955), THE WILD DAKOTAS (1956), THE KILLING (1956), and COPPER SKY (1957).

Notable Coleen Gray films not yet reviewed include RED RIVER (1948), SAND (1949), RIDING HIGH (1950), KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL (1952), THE VANQUISHED (1953), DEATH OF A SCOUNDREL (1956), HELL'S FIVE HOURS (1958), and THE LEECH WOMAN (1960).

Update: I've now reviewed HELL'S FIVE HOURS (1958) and P.J. (1968).

Tonight's Movie: Ant-Man (2015)

Another week, another Marvel movie! Today's film, ANT-MAN (2015), marked the fifth Marvel film I've seen since Independence Day. I enjoyed it very much.

ANT-MAN begins with a brief prologue set in 1989, as Dr. Hank Pym (a digitally "de-aged" Michael Douglas) visits SHIELD headquarters. I'd seen just enough of the Marvel universe in previous films to understand that Pym was arguing with an "older" Howard Stark (John Slattery) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) about his secret formula, which Pym says would be dangerous even in the hands of the "good guys." (Hayley Atwell has played Peggy at three different ages so far in the Marvel series, and she's been believable at each step.) The film then zooms forward to the present day, where Pym's fears are realized as his protege Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) now has the formula...which enables men to shrink to the size of an ant.

Dr. Pym selects Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), who was recently released from San Quentin for burglary, as the perfect man to use his formula to become "Ant-Man" and beat Darren at his own game. Dr. Pym and his daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly), who have a conflicted relationship, painstakingly train Scott in the use of an "ant man" suit; Scott also gets over being creeped out when surrounded by ants, befriending them and marshaling them into an army. Then it's time to head into battle, as Darren has sold his formula to the bad guys at HYDRA.

ANT-MAN is an engaging film which works on multiple levels: superhero film, OCEAN'S 11 style heist movie, comedy, and a touching relationship film about fathers and daughters. While Dr. Pym and Hope are working through their issues, which date from the disappearance of Hope's mother, Scott wants to find a way back into the life of his little girl Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson).

One of the film's more amusing aspects is that Scott's burglar friends who support his mission are quite nice -- only in the movies! -- with one of the funniest moments in the film being when Scott's former cellmate (Michael Pena) asks with astonishment, "Are we the good guys?!"

Other fun moments include Ant-Man's confrontation with befuddled Avenger Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), aka "The Falcon," who gasps that Captain America had better not hear about his humbling experience, and some hilarious sight gags with Thomas the Tank Engine in the film's final moments. Smiling Thomas looks pretty scary when you're the size of an ant!

I'm not the world's biggest Michael Douglas fan, but I must say he was perfectly cast in the role and brings a lot to the movie. He was an excellent choice, simultaneously capturing his character's loneliness, intelligence, sarcastic arrogance, and nobility.

Rudd believably makes the jump from loser to brave hero, and while Lilly initially seems on the chilly side, it's in character; wait till you see her eyes flash when she sees... Well, you have to sit through the end credits. And don't leave until the VERY end of the credits as there are not one but two important "tags," as well as the info "ANT-MAN WILL RETURN."

One of the other things I liked was that the movie avoided cliches regarding Paxton (Bobby Cannavale), the man who plans to marry Scott's ex (Judy Greer) and be little Cassie's stepfather. It would have been easy to go the SAN ANDREAS (2015) route and have Paxton turn out to be a bad guy, but as the story develops, he's simply a cop with clear ideas about right and wrong, and Scott, being an ex-con, has been wrong. When it comes to Cassie, Paxton clearly loves her (filming her first cartwheel on his phone is a nice touch), and he's right there to put his life on the line for her alongside her father.

I noted multiple Disney connections in IRON MAN 2 (2010), including a brand-new Richard Sherman song modeled on the 1964 World's Fair tune he wrote with brother Robert, "It's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow." The Sherman Brothers' World's Fair music reappears in ANT-MAN, this time with a character whistling "It's a Small World" during the climactic action sequence. I'll be curious to see if the filmmakers keep that thread going and drop bits of Sherman music into future films.

Trivia: When I first heard the lead actor was named Paul Rudd, I was a bit confused, as the Paul Rudd I knew was a TV actor of the '70s and '80s. That actor died in 2010 at the age of 70. The Paul Rudd who stars in ANT-MAN was billed as Paul Stephen Rudd early in his career because of the name issue.

ANT-MAN was directed by Peyton Reed and filmed by Russell Carpenter. It runs 117 minutes.

Parental Advisory: This film is rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence. Someone being "vaporized" and a child briefly in danger are as bad as it gets, and for the most part the little girl seems more fascinated than scared.

For two more "thumbs up" takes on ANT-MAN, please visit reviews by Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times and by Leonard Maltin. The trailer is here.

ANT-MAN provided another enjoyable visit to the Marvel world. Recommended.

Previous Marvel reviews: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011), CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014), IRON MAN (2008), IRON MAN 2 (2010), and AGENT CARTER (2015).

Tonight's Movie: Callaway Went Thataway (1951) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

Howard Keel shines in a dual role in CALLAWAY WENT THATAWAY (1951), recently released on DVD by the Warner Archive.

In this interesting look at the early days of television, Fred MacMurray and Dorothy McGuire play Mike and Debbie, executives who snagged the TV rights to air "old" cowboy movies starring Smoky Callaway (Keel).

Smoky's Westerns are a huge hit with kids, and there's a mint waiting to be made on Smoky toys and new Smoky movies -- if only Smoky were actually around to sign contracts and resurrect his film career. Unfortunately no one's seen Smoky in a decade, and at last report he was a raging drunk.

Mike and Debbie hire a been-around-the-block agent (Jesse White) to search for Callaway, and while he's checking every bar in Mexico, Mike and Debbie stumble across an amazing Smoky lookalike, cowboy Stretch Barnes (Keel). Mike and Debbie tell sweet, innocent Stretch that the original Smoky is dead but that he'd be doing a great thing for the kids of America by pretending to be Smoky. Being able to quickly earn the money for his dream ranch convinces Stretch to seal the deal.

Although Stretch is an awkward actor, the director (Don Haggerty) sees a "freshness" in "Smoky" that he likes, and Stretch-as-Smoky is a big hit with the kids in personal appearances, especially as he has genuine cowboy skills. Moved by his hospital visits, Stretch sets up a foundation for kids with polio.

And then it all threatens to collapse as the real Smoky reappears. Keel and makeup artist William Tuttle do a remarkably good job, with the alcoholic Smoky having subtle dark shadows under his eyes and generally looking ragged and older. The film dares to be rather dark, as it doesn't go for easy plot devices such as Smoky going on the wagon and redeeming himself. The snarling Smoky leaves town an angry man, likely destined for cirrhosis of the liver and an early grave. The big question now is what will Stretch do?

I felt some discomfort with the film's general premise, which involves multiple people sustaining a long-term lie, up to and including the imposter signing legal documents. Putting that aside, however, it's a well-done film with many fun moments, and it's also an interesting take on the popularity of TV cowboys in the '50s. In fact, there's even a disclaimer at the end saying the film is all in good fun and not meant to disparage those cowboys who have been great role models for America's children, or words to that effect.

The movie certainly underscores what a talented man Keel was. It's always clear which character the audience is watching, with Keel charming as the singing cowboy and also quite believable as his unpleasant doppelganger.

McGuire seemed to often play rather brittle women, and Debbie is another example. She's got her eyes on dollars and financial security, but bit by bit finds that Stretch's authenticity and good heart are getting to her. Initially Debbie seems ideally matched with her partner Mike (MacMurray), as they cynically banter back and forth, but over time Debbie's eyes are opened to the important things in life. She gradually unbends and takes on a new warmth.

Mike, it seems, will likely remain a fairly shallow fellow, as even near the end of the film he attempts to manipulate Stretch into doing what he wants, even though he knows he really shouldn't. Given how MacMurray is remembered for MY THREE SONS and Disney movies, it's interesting to realize how many times in his career MacMurray played characters with varying degrees of sleaze. The ick factor is fairly mild here, compared to, say, THE APARTMENT (1960), but Mike is definitely out for himself first and foremost, and MacMurray's not afraid to dive into the role.

CALLAWAY WENT THATAWAY was written and directed by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, a team especially known for writing and sometimes directing comedies and musicals. Their screenplay for the very serious ABOVE AND BEYOND (1952) about the dropping of the first atomic bomb, was unusual fare for the pair; THE COURT JESTER (1956) was more typical.

The movie was shot by Ray June. It runs 81 minutes.

The supporting cast includes Natalie Schafer, Fay Roope, Douglas Kennedy, Acquanetta, Ned Glass, and Stan Freberg. Look for Ann Robinson (THE WAR OF THE WORLDS) as the hatcheck girl at Mocambo's and Hugh Beaumont (LEAVE IT TO BEAVER) as an attorney. There are also fun cameos by a trio of very big name MGM stars of the era.

For more on this film, please visit KC's review at A Classic Movie Blog.

The Warner Archive DVD is a crisp black and white print. The DVD includes the trailer.

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: Where Are Your Children (1943) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

Gale Storm and Patricia Morison are two actresses I've been enjoying quite a bit in the last year or two, so when I heard they costarred in a movie I was intrigued. WHERE ARE YOUR CHILDREN (1943) is a Monogram programmer available from the Warner Archive.

Storm plays Judy Lawson, a young girl who works at a diner. She meets wealthy Danny Cheston (Jackie Cooper), who takes her dancing, but unbeknownst to Danny and Judy, his "friends" spike Judy's drink. The tipsy Judy ends up being escorted home from the date by Linda Woodford (Patricia Morison), a juvenile officer who tries to steer young people onto the right track before they end up in serious trouble with the law.

Judy sleeps in the front room in her brother's house; her brother (Anthony Warde) is sympathetic but his wife (Gertrude Michael) is a harridan who hates Judy and thinks the worst of her. Matters go from bad to worse when Judy's sister-in-law sees a letter from Danny, who has joined the Navy, and assumes the worst about Danny and Judy's relationship, kicking her out of the house.

The distraught Judy, not knowing where to turn, is desperate to get to San Diego, where Danny is stationed.  She ends up accepting a ride to San Diego from the same group of people who had previously spiked her drink. Unfortunately during the trip one of the boys hits a gas station attendant in the head, and the man later dies. Now Judy's in a lot of trouble...

WHERE ARE YOUR CHILDREN is an engrossing film about a misunderstood young girl who is a victim of both circumstances and a lack of support at home. Her problems are compounded by the fact that Danny cares about her -- as evidenced by his reminiscing about her while a Navy pal (John Laurenz) sings a lovely rendition of "Girl of My Dreams" -- but he thinks encouraging her to have ideas about a future relationship is wrong since he's shipping off to war. Danny telling Judy they don't have a future is the emotional last straw for her, unless her brother, Linda, and a thoughtful judge (John Litel) can straighten her out.

Storm does a good job portraying a confused young lady who virtually every character acknowledges is "a nice girl but..." Lacking much love at home, her heartbreak over the rejection by Danny, her only "safe haven," is palpable. Cooper is also good as a young man who isn't perfect -- he's obviously out dancing with the wrong crowd -- but who is trying to do the right thing as he sees it, including not allowing his "connected" mother to pull strings and get him an officer's commission.

It was interesting seeing Morison playing a very idealistic character, just a few years after her chilling performance as a hardened criminal in PERSONS IN HIDING (1939), which I watched almost exactly a year ago. There's an interesting tie-in to the war as Linda points out to community leaders that if juvenile delinquency is unchecked, it will not only hurt the young people and the town, it will provide propaganda for Hitler! It's also mentioned that wartime conditions, with both parents working long factory shifts, lead to young people being unsupervised. It's a darker homefront story than we usually see in films of the era.

WHERE ARE YOUR CHILDREN runs 73 minutes. It was directed by William Nigh and filmed by Ira Morgan and Mack Stengler. The screenplay by Hilary Lynn and George Wallace Sayre was based on a story by Lynn. The following year Nigh and Lynn collaborated on a similarly themed Monogram film, ARE THESE OUR PARENTS? (1944) with Helen Vinson and Lyle Talbot. I'd love to see it!

The supporting cast of WHERE ARE YOUR CHILDREN includes Addison Richards, Evelyn Eaton, Sarah Edwards, and Betty Blythe.

As a note of trivia, although IMDb uses a question mark in the film's title, the Warner Archive DVD case is correct; the title card is simply WHERE ARE YOUR CHILDREN.

The print is frequently "speckled," as also noted by Glenn Erickson in his positive review at DVD Savant. However, it does not detract from enjoying the movie. There are no extras on the disc.

This was an interesting and rather different WWII-era melodrama with a good cast. I enjoyed it, and I'm very glad the Warner Archive has made it available.

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 the Warner Archive Collection Store at Amazon and from other online retailers.

Tonight's TV: Agent Carter (2015)

My immersion in the Marvel world continued this weekend with the first two episodes of this year's TV series AGENT CARTER.

In the past month I've watched four Marvel films for the first time, CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011), CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014), IRON MAN (2008), and IRON MAN 2 (2010).

For those who, like me, are new to the Marvel films, Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) served with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), aka Captain America, during WWII.

In CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER Steve's plane went missing while he was in the midst of saving the world (or at least a big chunk of it) and he was presumed dead. By the time the "frozen in time" Steve awoke several decades later, as seen in CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER, Peggy was an elderly lady.

The limited TV series AGENT CARTER is set in 1946. With the war over, Peggy now works for the secret Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR), a forerunner of SHIELD which is hidden away in a NYC phone company building. Despite Peggy's valor during the war, most of the men at the SSR treat her dismissively, wanting her to serve coffee and file papers.

Peggy's old friend, inventor and weapons manufacturer Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper), is accused of selling weapons to the enemy. He secretly approaches Peggy to get her help to clear his name; Howard then disappears but leaves behind his trusted butler Jarvis (James D'Arcy) to serve as her aide and comrade in arms. Things get deadly almost immediately.

I was quite impressed with the initial episodes. Atwell and D'Arcy are simply terrific; it's fun listening to their banter -- in clipped British accents -- as their friendship develops. Their relationship is strictly platonic, as Jarvis is devoted to an unseen wife named Anna.

Incidentally, it's curious to note that Howard's son Tony has a robot butler in the IRON MAN films...who is also named Jarvis (voiced by Paul Bettany).

AGENT CARTER has a cinematic quality, fitting right in with the movies, but with the extended storytelling time allowing for added depth. The show has a great '40s look, with bright candy-colored costumes and sets, including an automat diner where Peggy regularly meets with Jarvis. Adding to the fun, the series filmed some street scenes on the same Warner Bros. backlot sets where movies were filmed in the 1940s, including the set seen at the right.

One of the things I really appreciate about AGENT CARTER and the Marvel movies is they feature strong female characters who can kill at a moment's notice while remaining beautiful and feminine. Atwell is a real find as Peggy, who is afraid to let anyone get close, as people she cares about have a way of being killed. I'd love to know more of her back story but you certainly don't need it to enjoy Atwell as a woman trying to make it in a "man's business," the spy game in the '40s.

D'Arcy is likewise wonderful, seemingly mild-mannered and proper yet always there in the clutch. I'm intrigued by his references to his wife and would love to know more.

After talking with other classic film fans who also like the Marvel films and TV series, I think some of the appeal for viewers such as myself is that some of the entries (CAPTAIN AMERICA and AGENT CARTER) have "retro" settings; all of the films also emphasize old-fashioned values such as service to country and mankind, self-sacrifice, and good determined to triumph over evil.

Based on feedback from many other viewers, I expect that I'll be enjoying AGENT CARTER all the way to the end of the series, and I'm looking forward to Season 2, which will find Peggy and Jarvis in late '40s Hollywood.

Meanwhile, I learned today about the existence of Marvel short films. At the end of IRON MAN 2 Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) left for a new assignment in New Mexico. He had an adventure along the way, as seen in a brief short on YouTube.

I anticipate watching THOR (2011), THE AVENGERS (2012), and ANT-MAN (2015) in the near future!

Update: Thanks to Michael Kuzmanovski on Twitter for alerting me that AGENT CARTER will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 18, 2015. The DVD and Blu-ray editions are both listed as "Amazon Exclusive" on the Amazon site.