Tonight's Movie: And Now Tomorrow (1944)

NOTE: This post is my contribution to the Loretta Young Birthday Blogathon hosted by Cinema Dilettante, Now Voyaging, and the Young Sisters Appreciation Group (on Facebook). The blogathon started on Sunday and runs through January 6th, the 103rd anniversary of Loretta Young's birth. It's no secret here how much I admire Loretta Young, whose centennial celebration I was honored to attend two years ago, and I hope my readers will visit all the blogathon posts honoring this remarkable woman.

Loretta Young and Alan Ladd star in AND NOW TOMORROW (1944), based on a popular novel by Rachel Field.

AND NOW TOMORROW may not be a perfect film, and it admittedly stretches credulity near the end, but it's also an excellent example of polished '40s filmmaking. An outstanding cast makes this just the kind of warm and cozy romance one likes to enjoy on a rainy afternoon. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Loretta plays Emily Blair, who is stricken with meningitis at her engagement party to Jeff Stoddard (Barry Sullivan). The illness leaves Emily deaf, and she defers her wedding, spending the next couple of years traveling to doctors in search of a cure.

Emily returns home in defeat, just as Dr. Merek Vance (Ladd) arrives in town to visit his mentor, Dr. Weeks (Cecil Kellaway). Dr. Vance is testing a new serum which he is hopeful might help bring back some of Emily's hearing.

With Emily gone so long, Jeff has transferred his affections from Emily to her spirited sister Janice (Susan Hayward), but he feels obligated to follow through on his commitment to Emily, as he can't stand the idea of putting her through further loss by breaking their engagement. Dr. Vance, meanwhile, has other ideas on who Emily should marry but feels constrained from expressing his feelings for her while she's engaged to Jeff.

Sure, it's a fairly soapy plot with a melodramatic medical episode near the ending -- but it's also just plain wonderful entertainment, without a dull moment. Who wouldn't want to spend time with this cast, beautifully filmed by Daniel L. Fapp?

The movie was a reunion for Young and Ladd, who had previously worked together on CHINA (1943). Young and Ladd were each born in 1913, and their somewhat reserved personalities are a good screen match; watching them together, the viewer feels they understand each other. How much of that is chemistry between two simpatico talents and how much is simply fine acting is anyone's guess.

Young had prior experience playing a deaf woman in THE STORY OF ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL (1939), one of my favorites among her films, and she does very well with that aspect of the performance, including communicating the frustration and isolation that can come with hearing loss.

One of the things which has always drawn me to Loretta Young is that she seems to glow with an inner light, something which goes beyond the work of a talented cinematographer. She radiates a genuine sweetness along with some steel, and both attributes are visible in this character.

As the dedicated doctor, Ladd has the chance to play a less angst-ridden character than he sometimes played in the '40s, and it's a nice change of pace. He's a man who knows where he's going and what he's doing...except for the fact that he can't seem to stop the attraction he feels for his patient, Emily.

Sullivan is surprisingly sympathetic as the two-timing fiance, as he is genuinely torn between two women. He truly loves Emily at the outset and later feels it would be dishonorable to hurt her...though he's got enough dishonor in him to make love to her sister. Still, given Emily's refusal to marry him after her illness and the lack of time she invested in their relationship from that point, the situation seems understandable, given his proximity to the no-holds-barred Janice.

Hayward is one of the most interesting characters in the film, playing someone who's not exactly bad, but not exactly good, either! She loves Emily, but she loves Jeff more, and she wants him no matter the cost to Emily. It would have been interesting to watch if Young and Hayward had even more screen time together in this; it's worth noting that each of them would go on to win Best Actress Oscars in due course.

The fine cast also includes Beulah Bondi, Grant Mitchell, Helen Mack, and Anthony Caruso. More familiar faces populate the bit parts, including Mae Clarke, Doodles Weaver, Elinor Donahue, Darryl Hickman, Byron Foulger, Mary Field, James Millican, and even more.

AND NOW TOMORROW was directed by Irving Pichel. The screenplay was by Raymond Chandler (yes, the author of Philip Marlowe mysteries!) and Frank Partos. Victor Young composed the musical score. The running time is 86 minutes.

Sadly this Paramount film is not available in the U.S. on either DVD or VHS. It has been released in Europe on a Region 2 DVD. It was originally scheduled to be part of the new Alan Ladd Collection in the new "TCM Selects" series, but after the original announcement, it was pulled from the set. It's unclear why it was dropped, but I read one rumor that the print quality wasn't acceptable for DVD release. I was able to see it thanks to an old recording from the late, lamented American Movie Classics channel.

Let's hope that in time this worthwhile film will once again be available to a wider audience.

March 2016 Update: AND NOW TOMORROW has just been released on DVD-R in the Universal Vault series.

Cy Endfield Series Opens Saturday at UCLA

UCLA will showcase the films of director Cy Endfield in a new series, Sound and Fury: The Films of Cy Endfield.

The series opens at UCLA's Billy Wilder Theater this Saturday, January 9th, and continues through March 18th.

The series will feature 13 films spread over several evenings. Brian Neve, author of the book THE MANY LIVES OF CY ENDFIELD, will be on hand to introduce some of the movies, including on opening night.

Opening night will feature two films I've reviewed here on past occasions, THE UNDERWORLD STORY (1950) and TRY AND GET ME (1950), also known as THE SOUND OF FURY.

THE UNDERWORLD STORY is quite an enjoyable movie which stars Dan Duryea, Gale Storm, and Herbert Marshall. TRY AND GET ME is a memorably unsettling film which stars Frank Lovejoy, Lloyd Bridges, and Richard Carlson. I've seen it twice and while I recommend checking it out, twice was enough for me!

Sunday night, January 10th, is an interesting evening, featuring a pair of "B" films, THE ARGYLE SECRETS (1948) with William Gargan and Marjorie Lord, and GENTLEMAN JOE PALOOKA (1946) with Leon Errol. Also showing that night is an oddball MGM short directed by Endfield, INFLATION (1943), starring Edward Arnold, Esther Williams, and Stephen McNally, who was then being billed as Horace McNally.

The terrific HELL DRIVERS (1957) screens on January 16th. The excellent cast includes Stanley Baker, Peggy Cummins, Sean Connery, David McCallum, Herbert Lom, and Patrick McGoohan.

Other films in the series include ZULU (1964) with Stanley Baker, THE LIMPING MAN (1953) with Lloyd Bridges, THE MASTER PLAN (1955) with Wayne Morris, CRASHOUT (1955) with William Bendix, and JET STORM (1961) with Stanley Baker and Richard Attenborough.

Please visit the UCLA website for the complete schedule.

Another very interesting series starts at UCLA on January 22nd, Out of the Ether: Radio Mysteries and Thrillers On Screen. The series includes NIGHT EDITOR (1946) and a pair of WHISTLER mysteries! I'll have more on that series here at a future date.

A note regarding two other special L.A. screenings in January: On January 11th the Academy screens a reconstructed Clara Bow film, GET YOUR MAN (1927), along with THE BLAZING TRAIL (1921). (I have a ticket!) And on January 31st the Egyptian Theatre hosts a tribute to Marsha Hunt, showing the new documentary MARSHA HUNT'S SWEET ADVERSITY (2014) along with her rarely seen film NONE SHALL ESCAPE (1944).

Combined with a Kurosawa series coming to the Egyptian Theatre, the only problem a Southern California classic film fan has this month is making time to see everything!

Tonight's Movie: Hitler's Children (1943) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

Tim Holt and Bonita Granville star in the engrossing WWII propaganda film HITLER'S CHILDREN (1943), just released by the Warner Archive.

Anna Muller (Granville) and Karl Bruner (Holt) first meet in Germany as teenagers. Anna, an American citizen with grandparents in Germany, attends the American Colony School for expatriate children run by Professor Nichols (Kent Smith of CAT PEOPLE), while Karl is being indoctrinated into Naziism at the school next door.

Anna and Karl like each other but lose touch as they mature. 20-year-old Anna becomes Professor Nichols' assistant at the school, while Karl joins the army.

One day soldiers show up at the American school to remove Polish and Jewish students. They also take away Anna, whose U.S. citizenship is declared null and void because she was born in Germany to German parents, who only later became U.S. citizens.

Anna is not happy about her new German "citizenship" and is sent to a labor camp, where she eventually becomes quite the political rabble-rouser. Since the uncooperative Anna is obviously not going to bear obedient little Nazi children, she is scheduled for sterilization by the government.

Karl, who has crossed paths with Anna again and loves her, tries to help her by convincing her to have a baby for the state with him, but Anna refuses. Anna escapes but is caught, and Karl ends up in trouble as well when he prevents Anna from being whipped as an example to others. Professor Nichols must stand by helplessly as the two young people suffer, but he is encouraged by a German reporter friend (Lloyd Corrigan) to flee Germany and tell the world what is happening there.

Admittedly this isn't a very cheery film to start off a new year of movie viewing, but I was drawn to see it by the stars. Holt and Granville are each very good in their roles, with Holt's last scene particularly fine. He was quite a good actor, with his rigid young Nazi being worlds away from either his spoiled George in THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS (1941) or the genial cowboy he played in so many RKO Westerns. The moments where love leads to cracks in his Nazi facade are quite moving. The spirited Granville was perfectly cast as a young woman who refuses to "go along to get along."

Due to the subject matter, this isn't a movie with what I call "rewatch value," but it's a worthwhile film in terms of both its depiction of wartime horrors and for the performances of the lead actors. Kudos to the Warner Archive for making it available, as it's an interesting piece of cinematic and WWII history.

The film might have been propaganda intended to help encourage U.S. citizens in the fight against the Nazis in the darkest days of the war, but given things we know now about the horrors inflicted on so many by the Nazi regime, it doesn't seem exaggerated in the least; if anything it underplays the horror, or we wouldn't be able to stand watching it.

The supporting cast includes Otto Kruger, H.B. Warner, and Hans Conreid. Look for a teenaged Nancy Gates as one of the American students in the early scenes.

HITLER'S CHILDREN was directed by Edward Dmytryk, who replaced the original director, Irving Reis. It was filmed in black and white by Russell Metty. The movie runs 82 minutes.

HITLER'S CHILDREN is a good 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 the Warner Archive Collection Store at Amazon and from other online retailers.

Tonight's Movie: Dial Red O (1955) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

Last year I began exploring Bill Elliott Westerns, thanks to a pair of Warner Archive sets, first a double feature and then the eight-film Wild Bill Elliott Western Collection, which I'm still working my way through.

While watching THE FORTY-NINERS (1954) in the latter set, I was struck by its DRAGNET-style presentation within the Western genre, with Elliott's deep voice providing voiceover narration. That film thus interested me in checking out the detective movies Elliott made at the end of his film career. They're available from the Warner Archive, in the five-film, two-DVD Bill Elliott Detective Mysteries Collection.

I just watched the first film in the set, DIAL RED O (1955), and I really enjoyed it. It may not be an especially great film, but it's on the level of a strong episode of a TV show like the aforementioned DRAGNET, with Elliott playing an L.A. Sheriff's detective.

Elliott's Andy Flynn (called Andy Doyle in the ensuing films) investigates the murder of a woman (Helene Stanley) whose husband Wyatt (Keith Larsen, SON OF BELLE STARR) has just broken out of a VA mental facility. He'd also just been served with divorce papers and seems to be the logical suspect in his wife's death.

The viewer knows that the murderer is actually Wyatt's old army pal (Paul Picerni), a married man with whom the deceased had been having an affair; the drama comes from watching the sheriffs put the pieces together. It's a well-paced movie which runs 63 minutes.

Elliott is perfect as a "just the facts, ma'am" style detective. He's not an actor with a great deal of range but this type of role is just right for his deadpan style.

There are interesting odds and ends scattered throughout the movie which are especially fun for someone interested in '50s L.A. For instance, the jazzy background score was performed by Shorty Rogers and His Giants; Rogers was an originator of "West Coast jazz." The musicians are never seen on screen but the music is noticeable in several early scenes.

The dialogue supervisor was future director Sam Peckinpah, who also plays the cook at the hamburger stand where Wyatt nervously eats alongside a motorcycle cop. This was the first of several acting roles for Peckinpah, who began directing for TV in 1958.

That's Elaine Riley playing the attractive deputy sheriff; a screen presence throughout the '40s and '50s, she was the wife of Richard Martin, fondly known as "Chito" in RKO's Tim Holt Westerns. The cast also includes Jack Kruschen and Rick Vallin.

There are some great location shots of L.A. streets, filmed by Ellsworth Fredricks; my attention was grabbed by a restaurant sign which said "Spanish Cafe." I wondered if it could be the legendary El Cholo, my favorite restaurant, which calls itself a Spanish Cafe, but the sign doesn't seem to be a match for the El Cholo signs I've found.

DIAL RED O was written and directed by Daniel B. Ullman, the man behind the scripts for countless Westerns I've enjoyed over the last couple of years.

The Warner Archive print looks terrific. I'm very much looking forward to spending time with the other films in this set and will report on them here in the future.

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

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

Tonight's Movie: Pillow to Post (1945) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

PILLOW TO POST (1945), which was just released by the Warner Archive, is a delightfully entertaining wartime comedy starring Ida Lupino.

Lupino, usually associated with more dramatic roles, is wonderful as Jean Howard, who decides to do her part for the war effort by going to work as a traveling saleswoman for her father's oil well parts company. After all, the army's got to have gasoline!

Jean fights to make it in a "man's business," but while her initial attempts to land contracts aren't successful, she's determined not to give up. While on the road trying to land a major contract, she can't find a hotel room for miles...except for one in a cute little auto court which only rents to military officers and their wives.

Jean persuades a handsome young lieutenant (William Prince) she's never met before to check in with her so she can rent the room, intending for him to then move on while she gets a good night's rest.

Of course, nothing goes as planned, with the lieutenant's commanding officer (Sydney Greenstreet) and his mother (Regina Wallace) both arriving at awkward moments. Chaos ensues, leading to a predictably pleasing ending for Jean and her lieutenant.

I first saw this film in 2007, and if anything my appreciation for it has only grown since that first viewing. It's a comedy which fires on all cylinders, with plenty of laughs; it might be rather familiar, with shades of IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934) and THE MORE THE MERRIER (1943), but in the most pleasant kind of way. After all, who wouldn't want to check in at a cozy auto court where you can find the likes of Ruth Donnelly, Stuart Erwin, and Barbara Brown?

The only part of the film which might not have aged well is Willie Best's role as the auto court's porter, which at times seems stereotypical from today's vantage point; at the same time, he's a funny man, responsible for some great chuckles.

On the plus side, the movie takes a time out for a visit to a roadhouse where the entertainment is provided by Louis Armstrong and Dorothy Dandridge, which only makes the movie that much better!

The cast also includes familiar faces such as Bobby Blake, Grady Sutton, Joyce Compton, and William Conrad. "Slim" is played by Johnny Mitchell, whose film career was winding down; sadly, he died young in 1951.

PILLOW TO POST was directed by Vincent Sherman. The screenplay by Charles Hoffman was based on a play by Rose Simon Kohn. The film was shot in black and white by Wesley Anderson. It runs 92 minutes.

There are a couple of scenes on the Warner Archive DVD which are on the dark side, but for the most part it's a pleasing print with no major scratches or defects. The trailer is included.

PILLOW TO POST is recommended as a most enjoyable '40s romantic comedy.

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 at the WBShop.

Tonight's Movie in 2015: The Year in Review

2015 was an amazing movie year for me, in which I saw a record-breaking 310 films!

That number is higher than any previous year, besting my previous record of 286 in 2014. I saw 277 films in 2013, 220 in both 2012 and 2009, 226 in 2011, and 211 movies in 2010.

I also set my all-time record for movies seen in a theater in 2015, with 115 titles seen on a big screen. That's a significant jump from my previous high of 78 big screen movies in 2014, and a considerable jump from 50 big-screen viewings in 2013 and 55 in 2012.

Both increases are due in large part to my attendance at several film festivals in 2015, as well as attending ongoing series at UCLA's Billy Wilder Theater on a regular basis. Digital screenings of classics at multiplex theaters also added to the total, including REAR WINDOW (1954), ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953), MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1947), and the DisneyScreen series. More on DisneyScreen below!

The number of "repeat" viewings also increased a bit, from 68 in 2014 to 76 this year; 46 of those repeat viewings were watched on a big screen. In the case of a couple of titles, such as ABANDONED (1949) and MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (1946), I saw them in theaters on two separate occasions in the same year, with the second viewing contributing to the "repeat" tally. For comparison, the "repeat" numbers were 41 in 2013, 36 in 2012 and 2009, 15 in 2011, and only 13 in 2010.

Each of the hyperlinked titles in this post links to my past reviews. As I typically note in my "year in review" posts, it's impossible to list all the films seen in the past year or to go into great detail here, but I hope the linked reviews included here will provide inspiration and resources for readers to explore ideas for their own future viewing.

Each linked review includes a list of varied options available for watching each title, including DVD, Blu-ray, streaming, and even VHS, a format I continue to utilize, along with some of my readers.

As always, the next section of this post will look at additional stats, including films seen at festivals and lists of most-seen actors. The last part of the post is a month-by-month review of additional titles not mentioned earlier in the post.

So here we go with a fond look back at the exciting viewing year that was 2015!

...I attended more film festivals than any previous year in 2015, and they greatly enriched my viewing. I also attended several long-running series at UCLA, starting with a series of Cecil B. DeMille films in January. I saw four DeMille films for the very first time: THE BUCCANEER (1938), MADAM SATAN (1930), DYNAMITE (1929), and FOUR FRIGHTENED PEOPLE (1934). I also saw two films for the first time in years, REAP THE WILD WIND (1942), which I reviewed in 2009, and UNION PACIFIC (1939). The wild pre-Code MADAM SATAN made a particularly strong impression!

...In March I saw several films for the first time at UCLA's Festival of Preservation: THE GUILTY (1947), BACHELOR'S AFFAIRS (1932), SOCIETY GIRL (1932), THE BIG BROADCAST (1932), and THE MILKY WAY (1936). Among these new-to-me films I was especially taken with the very funny BACHELOR'S AFFAIRS, which deserves to be far better known. I also attended what was for me a special screening of HER SISTER'S SECRET (1946) at the festival, with the movie's child actor Winston Severn in attendance and an interview with director Edgar G. Ulmer's daughter, Arianne Ulmer Cipes.

...At the end of March it was time for the TCM Classic Film Festival, which is always an unforgettable experience. Again this year I covered the festival as a member of the credentialed media. This year I saw 16 films, up from 15 in 2014 and 11 in 2013. Exactly half of the TCMFF films were new to me; I've individually reviewed QUEEN CHRISTINA (1933) and THE PROUD REBEL (1958). Seeing so many films in a short time frame makes it a challenge to write individual reviews, but I hope to share more about some of the films seen at the festival in the future. Favorite experiences at the festival included WHY BE GOOD? (1929), AIR MAIL (1932), and PINOCCHIO (1940), as well as revisiting great films such as SO DEAR TO MY HEART (1948) and CALAMITY JANE (1953), which were both very warmly received by the audiences. Also seen at the festival: MY MAN GODFREY (1936), MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (1946), STEAMBOAT BILL JR. (1928), REBECCA (1940), IMITATION OF LIFE (1959), THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940), and MARRIAGE, ITALIAN STYLE (1964), plus two more previously reviewed films, CHRISTMAS IN JULY (1940) and REIGN OF TERROR (1949).

...In April it was on to the 17th Annual Noir City Film Festival! I was at most of this year's Noir City screenings, where I saw 14 films for the first time: WOMAN ON THE RUN (1950), THE UNFAITHFUL (1947), THE HIDDEN ROOM (1949), THE SLEEPING TIGER (1954), THE SUSPECT (1944), THE UNDERWORLD STORY (1950), ABANDONED (1949), WITNESS TO MURDER (1954), JEOPARDY (1953), BERLIN EXPRESS (1948), THE FALLEN SPARROW (1943), THE NINTH GUEST (1934), LET US LIVE (1939), and HEAT LIGHTNING (1934). I also reviewed SAFE IN HELL (1931), which I'd previously seen at the 2013 TCM Classic Film Festival, and saw DARK PASSAGE (1947) on a big screen for the first time; I'd not seen it since I was a teenager.

At Noir City I revisited four additional films, THE CHASE (1946), THE LEOPARD MAN (1943), CIRCLE OF DANGER (1951), and RIDE THE PINK HORSE (1947). My total of 20 films seen at this year's Noir City fest was up from 13 in 2014. As always, Noir City was one of my favorite experiences of the year!

...Then in May I covered the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival for the first time ever. This Palm Springs event was wonderful; I saw 11 films in three days but also had "down time" to relax in between screenings. Two of the 11 films were first-timers for me, THEY WON'T BELIEVE ME (1947) and THIEVES' HIGHWAY (1949).

Repeat viewings at the Arthur Lyons festival were ON DANGEROUS GROUND (1951), THE BIG CLOCK (1948), CHICAGO CALLING (1951), TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY (1951), M (1951), BORN TO KILL (1947), PANIC IN THE STREETS (1950), ABANDONED (1949), and HANGOVER SQUARE (1945). It had been years since I'd seen some of these films, and most of them I'd never seen in a theater. ABANDONED, which I saw on a big screen twice this year, was one of my favorite discoveries of 2015, and I very much hope this Universal film will someday come out on DVD!

...In June I saw five films in UCLA's William Wellman series: ISLAND IN THE SKY (1953), WESTWARD THE WOMEN (1951), YELLOW SKY (1948), BEAU GESTE (1939), and TRACK OF THE CAT (1954). Each film was introduced by William Wellman Jr., providing another very special opportunity for Southern California classic film fans.

...I saw a pair of memorable new-to-me films at UCLA's Frank Borzage series, seeing LUCKY STAR (1929) in July and I'VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU (1946) in September. I also revisited MOONRISE (1948). LUCKY STAR, seen with live piano music, made enough of an impression for me to invest in the giant Murnau, Borzage and Fox DVD boxed set when it was on sale, so look for more Borzage reviews here in 2016.

...There were still a couple of out-of-town film festivals yet to come in October! First up, the Lone Pine Film Festival, which I attended for the second time. Of the eight films seen, I had only previously seen two of them, FRONTIER MARSHAL (1939) and THE HIRED GUN (1957). New to me at Lone Pine: IN OLD COLORADO (1941), HEART OF ARIZONA (1938), CODE OF THE WEST (1947), RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE (1941), THE ROUND-UP (1920), and APPALOOSA (2008). I was impressed with filmmaker Ed Harris's feel for the Western genre in APPALOOSA and hope to see his version of RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE (1996) in 2016. It was also a treat to see THE ROUND-UP with live piano accompaniment; I later realized the story was somewhat familiar as it was loosely remade a couple decades later with Richard Dix, Preston Foster, and Patricia Morison.

...Later in October there was another fantastic festival in Palm Springs, the Classic Science Fiction Film Festival. I saw seven films in two days, five of which were new to me: INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956), THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS (1953), THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN (1957), THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (1951), and THEM! (1954). I also saw CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954) and IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (1953) for the second time each. As someone who has come to '50s sci-fi relatively late, this weekend was not only fun, it was educational, and it was a great time seeing these movies with an enthused crowd. THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD, and THEM! rank high among my favorite moviegoing experiences of the year.

...In late fall I saw five films in UCLA's Archive Treasures: 50th Anniversary Celebration: THE RED SHOES (1948), MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (1946), SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (1949), FOLLOW THRU (1930) and BECKY SHARP (1935). What great experiences! My first (but not last) time to see THE RED SHOES; my first time to see an all-time Ford/Wayne favorite, SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON, in a theater; and the distinctive orange and green two-strip Technicolor of the beautifully restored FOLLOW THRU all stand out in the memory. As should be apparent from this post, the UCLA Archive screenings at the Billy Wilder Theater have enriched my viewing tremendously.

...This was a good year for brand-new movies seen in a theater. New films seen this year were THE IMITATION GAME (2014), MCFARLAND, USA (2015), CINDERELLA (2015), SAN ANDREAS (2015), ANT-MAN (2015), THE 33 (2015), BROOKLYN (2015), THE PEANUTS MOVIE (2015), THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015), and CREED (2015). That's a tie with new big-screen films seen in 2014. The only one I found seriously lacking was the overrated THE IMITATION GAME; I liked all the others very much. BROOKLYN was a particularly special find, with a memorable performance by Saoirse Ronan.

...Of those new films, CINDERELLA and MCFARLAND, USA were Disney movies. Older Disney films seen at the Disney-operated El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood this year were ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1951), THE ARISTOCATS (1970), and THE INCREDIBLES (2004).

...Thanks to the DisneyScreen program at my local Cinemark Theatre, I also had a great time seeing several other Disney films on a big screen this year. In the order seen they were: OLIVER & COMPANY (1988), EIGHT BELOW (2006), THE LOVE BUG (1968), THE ROCKETEER (1991), ROBIN HOOD (1973), POLLYANNA (1960), and POCAHONTAS (1995). It was great to revisit old favorites for the first time in years, especially the wonderful POLLYANNA, and I also enjoyed making new discoveries; I found the new-to-me films THE ROCKETEER and POCAHONTAS especially enjoyable. At home I caught the Disney/Pixar film INSIDE OUT (2015) via Blu-ray, though it must be said it didn't wow me as it did many other viewers.

...Another of the new films seen in a theater, ANT-MAN (2015), is part of the Disney-owned Marvel franchise. This was the year I dove into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a very big way, also watching CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011), CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014), IRON MAN (2008), IRON MAN 2 (2010), THOR (2011), THE AVENGERS (2012), IRON MAN 3 (2013), and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014). I'd add to that that on TV I loved both AGENT CARTER and AGENTS OF SHIELD. In 2015 I also bought my first comic book since buying STAR WARS comics back in the '70s -- Marvel's MOCKINGBIRD #1, about SHIELD agent Bobbi Morse.

...There was a two-way tie for the most-seen actor of 2015 between Randolph Scott and Dennis O'Keefe, each seen in 10 movies apiece; if I included movies seen in which O'Keefe had bit parts, that would be a tie-breaker to put him in the lead! However, I only included films in which he had a leading role. I liked two of O'Keefe's films, ABANDONED (1949) and COVER UP (1949), so much that I watched them each twice this year!

...Pat O'Brien came in second at nine films, followed by Lionel Barrymore (Dr. Gillespie!) at eight and Forrest Tucker at seven. Dan Duryea and Brian Donlevy were seen in six films each, and actors seen in five films apiece were James Stewart, Dick Powell, Dick Foran, Lew Ayres, and Jim Davis. Further down the list, at four films apiece, are Preston Foster, Zachary Scott, Robert Preston, Joel McCrea, Robert Taylor, Fred MacMurray, Bing Crosby, Bill Elliott, and Robert Ryan.

...The most-seen actress of 2015 was Patricia Morison, seen in six films including a TV-movie screened at UCLA. The combination of her performance in PERSONS IN HIDING (1939), seen in 2014, and seeing the century-old Morison in person this year made me interested in exploring more of her career. I have a few other Morison titles I hope to see this year!

...Joan Leslie and Laraine Day came in tied for second, at five films each. Following them, at four films apiece, were Barbara Britton, Gale Storm, Claire Trevor, Shirley Temple, Martha O'Driscoll, Lynn Bari, and Linda Darnell.

...For the fifth year in a row I made a list of 10 Classics to see for the very first time in 2015. So far I've posted reviews of five of them: 3 BAD MEN (1926), THE SMILING LIEUTENANT (1931), THE LOST WEEKEND (1945), THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (1951), and THE HIDDEN FORTRESS (1958). I'll be adding links to the final five films to this paragraph as I have time to write them; despite a good push to see half the list earlier in the year, I still ended up with a few to see during the holidays! The films still to be reviewed are FLESH AND THE DEVIL (1926), THE LETTER (1940), COLORADO TERRITORY (1949), THE LONG GRAY LINE (1955), and EL DORADO (1967).

...Being a "glass is half full" kind of viewer, I find things to appreciate in the vast majority of films I watch, but there are always a handful movies which I simply don't like. This year's worst film is THE ROBIN HOOD OF EL DORADO (1936), which didn't work for me on any level, despite being directed by a real favorite, William A. Wellman. It was depressing, downright painful viewing, and I was relieved when it finally came to an end.

Previous years' Worst Picture "winners": HULLABALOO (1940) from my 2009 list, FORT BOWIE (1958), seen in 2011, INHERIT THE WIND (1960) in 2012, a tie between DAVY CROCKETT, INDIAN SCOUT (1950) and FLYING BLIND (1941) in 2013, and FORT YUMA (1955) in 2014.

...I'm always glad to participate in blogathons, which are a lot of hard work for the hosts but foster a wonderful sense of community among classic film fans. This year I watched SUGARFOOT (1951) and BOMBARDIER (1943) for the Randolph Scott Blogathon, WILD BOYS OF THE ROAD (1933) for the William Wellman Blogathon, JUBILEE TRAIL (1954) for the Republic Pictures Blogathon, and EARLY SUMMER (1951) for the Criterion Blogathon. (Seen in photo, director William Wellman and leading lady Dorothy Coonan, soon to be Mrs. Wellman, on the set of WILD BOYS OF THE ROAD.) I plan to participate in several blogathons early in 2016!

...I enjoyed writing for the ClassicFlix site again this year; my columns can be found here, and this year I also reviewed THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940) and LADY ON A TRAIN (1945).

...I'll be writing a post on Favorite Discoveries of 2015 for Rupert Pupkin Speaks, and I'll add the link here once it's up. (Update: Here is my post on the list, and here is the direct link to my post at Rupert Pupkin Speaks.)

...What follows below is a month-by-month look at some additional titles not already listed above which I found especially memorable viewing in 2015.

...In January I reviewed SPARE PARTS (2015), which had good performances by George Lopez and Jamie Lee Curtis in a film about a national underwater robotics competition, of all things...I was able to see another of Paramount's hard-to-find J. Edgar Hoover series, PAROLE FIXER (1940)...Hedy Lamarr was enjoyable in I TAKE THIS WOMAN (1940), which I found better than its reputation...Joel McCrea is fine as THE OKLAHOMAN (1957), costarring Barbara Hale...it was great to see the screwball classic LIBELED LADY (1936) on a big screen again, sponsored by the Black Maria website. (Later in the year the Black Maria later evolved into The Retro Set.)

...February brought with it what might have been my favorite Randolph Scott film of the year, GUNFIGHTERS (1947), a stylish film costarring Dorothy Hart, Barbara Britton, Forrest Tucker, and Bruce Cabot...IT HAPPENED IN HOLLYWOOD (1937) was a charming film with Richard Dix and Fay Wray...I reviewed Kurosawa's HIGH AND LOW (1963) in tandem with my friend Kristina, and I thought it was a terrific thriller. Toshiro Mifune stars...the little-known Republic film FLIGHT NURSE (1953), with moving performances by Joan Leslie and Forrest Tucker, was a favorite film this year...GIRL TROUBLE (1942) was a cute lesser-known romantic comedy with Joan Bennett and Don Ameche...CALIFORNIA PASSAGE (1950) was a very enjoyable Western with Forrest Tucker and Adele Mara...I really liked SMART WOMAN (1948), with Constance Bennett as a laywer battling colleague Brian Aherne in the courtroom, while falling in love with him. It had a good supporting cast including Barry Sullivan and Michael O'Shea.

...In March I very much enjoyed HOME SWEET HOMICIDE (1946) starring Randolph Scott and Lynn Bari, along with a trio of appealing child actors, Peggy Ann Garner, Connie Marshall, and Dean Stockwell. Next goal: to read the book by Craig Rice...I enjoyed revisiting Shirley Temple as KATHLEEN (1941), costarring Laraine Day and Herbert Marshall. The majority of films I saw in March were at festivals!

...April was another festival month! At home I enjoyed Randolph Scott in WESTBOUND (1959), a film I seem to enjoy more than some fans of Scott and director Budd Boetticher...Preston Foster and Lynn Bari were engaging in the "newspaper" flick NEWS IS MADE AT NIGHT (1939)...BLACK MIDNIGHT (1949), a Monogram Western starring Roddy McDowall, was creatively staged by director Budd Boetticher and featured terrific location filming in Lone Pine...Barry Sullivan and Marjorie Reynolds were interesting as a Western bad man and his "moll" in BAD MEN OF TOMBSTONE (1949)...I found the plot murky but you sure can't beat the cast of RIDE THE MAN DOWN (1952): Rod Cameron, Ella Raines, Brian Donlevy, Forrest Tucker, Barbara Britton, Chill Wills, and Jim Davis...THAT HAGEN GIRL (1947), with Shirley Temple and Ronald Reagan, is another film I found better than its reputation, although the script definitely goes off the rails a bit toward the end.

...May was a particularly good month for new discoveries. It was the month I first watched COVER UP (1949), a charming Christmastime mystery starring Dennis O'Keefe, Barbara Britton, and William Bendix; O'Keefe cowrote it under a pen name. I watched it again in December!...It was great to watch the beautiful new Warner Archive Blu-ray of 42ND STREET (1933)...I'm fond of ARROW IN THE DUST (1954) with Sterling Hayden and Coleen Gray, plus a great character turn by Tom Tully. It's a flawed film but I like it anyway...Tim Holt, Marjorie Reynolds, and Ray Whitley were fun in CYCLONE ON HORSEBACK (1941)...I really enjoyed CANAL ZONE (1942), a "B" film with Chester Morris and Harriet Hilliard (Nelson) which gave insight into the early days of WWII...KID GLOVE KILLER (1942) is a favorite "B" procedural starring the appealing team of Van Heflin and Marsha Hunt (but those scientists sure do smoke a lot!)...ESCAPE FROM EAST BERLIN (1962) was a compelling Cold War thriller with Don Murray...Dennis O'Keefe and Coleen Gray are charming in LAS VEGAS SHAKEDOWN (1955), a minor film which I nonetheless enjoyed tremendously...Forrest Tucker was outstanding in the leading role in THE QUIET GUN (1957), released by Olive Films...I also really liked Richard Dix as THE PUBLIC DEFENDER (1931), a seemingly indolent playboy who is really a Batman-ish hero known as "The Reckoner"...ONE FOOT IN HEAVEN (1941) was lovely Americana with Fredric March and Martha Scott as a Methodist minister and his wife.

...June started off with SOCIETY SMUGGLERS (1939), a very enjoyable "B" film with Preston Foster, Irene Hervey, and Regis Toomey...I thought MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY (1947) with Dennis O'Keefe and Marguerite Chapman was a good find...STAGE TO CHINO (1940), was the last George O'Brien-Virginia Vale film I needed to see, and as usual I enjoyed it...DAVID HARDING, COUNTERSPY (1950) was lots of hokey fun...RIFFRAFF (1947) was one of this year's favorite discoveries, a stylish crime film with Pat O'Brien and Anne Jeffreys (seen at right)...I can't get enough of "B" movies like CRIMINAL COURT (1946), starring Tom Conway and Martha O'Driscoll, directed by Robert Wise...What a treat to see a TV production of KISS ME, KATE (1958) at UCLA, starring the original Broadway leads Alfred Drake and Patricia Morison...SPECIAL AGENT (1935), starring George Brent, Bette Davis, and Ricardo Cortez, is another relatively minor crime film with lots of entertainment value.

...I saw a lot of "B"mysteries in 2015, and TWO O'CLOCK COURAGE (1945), which kicked off July viewing, is one of my all-time favorites. It stars Tom Conway and Ann Rutherford, directed by Anthony Mann...the silent film LONESOME (1928) was recommended to me on Twitter during a Criterion sale, and I didn't regret buying it, as it was another favorite film last year. What a lovely film, including some moments in color (seen at left)!...Sandra Dee is cute as a button in DOCTOR, YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING! (1967); it's impossible not to like her in it, she's adorable...Robert Montgomery and Bette Davis sparkle in JUNE BRIDE (1948), with another great supporting performance by Tom Tully...I saw another Toshiro Mifune film directed by Akira Kurosawa, the police procedural STRAY DOG (1949), and I thought it was excellent...the Republic Western WOMAN THEY ALMOST LYNCHED (1953) was great fun, with a top cast including Joan Leslie, John Lund, Audrey Totter, and Brian Donlevy...I described SHOWDOWN AT ABILENE (1956), starring Jock Mahoney and Martha Hyer, as a "darn good Western."

...In August I enjoyed Gale Storm and Patricia Morison in WHERE ARE YOUR CHILDREN (1943), which shed an interesting light on the little-known topic of WWII-era juvenile delinquency...NINE LIVES ARE NOT ENOUGH (1941) was yet another "B" film with a terrific cast, including Ronald Reagan and a host of character actors who made it great fun...I enjoyed HELL'S FIVE HOURS (1958), an "atomic noir" with Stephen McNally and Coleen Gray...while traveling out of state I enjoyed watching a trio of cheaply made but entertaining "B" (or maybe "C"!) films, RADAR SECRET SERVICE (1950), MOTOR PATROL (1950), and HIGHWAY 13 (1948).

...I saw my first Cisco Kid film, ROMANCE OF THE RIO GRANDE (1941), in September, starring Cesar Romero and Patricia Morison...Kay Francis suffers as only Kay can in the melodrama I FOUND STELLA PARISH (1935)...TELL NO TALES (1939) was another enjoyable "newspaper movie" which starred Melvyn Douglas in an appealing lead performance...WARPATH (1951) was an enjoyable Western with a strong cast including Edmond O'Brien, Dean Jagger, Forrest Tucker, and Harry Carey Jr....I enjoyed exploring several Dick Foran Westerns such as LAND BEYOND THE LAW (1937); I love when he sings "The Prairie is My Home" in a couple of the films...I hadn't enjoyed JUBILEE TRAIL (1954) much as a teen, finding it too different from Gwen Bristow's novel, but revisiting it for the first time in decades I discovered it was a much better film than I'd remembered, with an excellent cast including Joan Leslie, Forrest Tucker, Vera Ralston, Pat O'Brien, John Russell, and Jim Davis. Republic movies really added a lot to my viewing this year...LADY, LET'S DANCE! (1944) was a real find, thanks to the Warner Archive, with Belita dancing and skating in one great number after another...Fans of Alexis Smith and Stephen McNally will enjoy WYOMING MAIL (1950), a minor yet likeable Western.

...In October I watched the lovely new Warner Archive Blu-ray of MURDER, MY SWEET (1944)...What a joy to watch Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy in NAUGHTY MARIETTA (1935)! I'll be reviewing more MacDonald Eddy films here in 2016...I've now seen all of Lloyd Nolan's Michael Shayne series thanks to watching TIME TO KILL (1942)...Marie Windsor chews the scenery wonderfully in NO MAN'S WOMAN (1955), out from Olive Films...I like FLAXY MARTIN (1949), a Warner Bros. crime film with Virginia Mayo, Zachary Scott, and Dorothy Malone...THE MONOLITH MONSTERS (1957) was an oddball yet fun sci-fi film with Grant Williams and Lola Albright.

...November started with BOBBY WARE IS MISSING (1955), an Allied Artists film with Neville Brand as a dedicated detective (not his typical role!) looking for a pair of missing boys...I started watching Bill Elliott Westerns this year, and I especially enjoyed KANSAS TERRITORY (1952)...NIGHT IN NEW ORLEANS (1942) was a giddy murder mystery with Preston Foster and Patricia Morison as a police detective and his wife...Virginia Mayo shines in SMART GIRLS DON'T TALK (1948), a noirish film costarring Bruce Bennett...I thoroughly enjoyed watching a favorite MGM musical, TWO WEEKS WITH LOVE (1950); it's bright, cheery fun with a terrific cast headed by Jane Powell, Ricardo Montalban, and Debbie Reynolds...Jane also stars in THE GIRL MOST LIKELY (1958), released in a beautiful print by the Warner Archive.

...The year drew to a close with LATIN LOVERS (1953) the first film of December. It's a colorful film I enjoy, starring Lana Turner, Ricardo Montalban, and John Lund...THE KID FROM CLEVELAND (1949) was an enjoyable baseball movie with an excellent cast headed by George Brent, Lynn Bari, and Russ Tamblyn; it was a thrill for this baseball fan to see many of the game's greatest players on screen...EVERYTHING I HAVE IS YOURS (1952) was released in a beautiful remastered print by the Warner Archive. It's an enjoyable film starring Marge and Gower Champion along with Dennis O'Keefe...one of the year's special viewing experiences was a 35mm screening of REMEMBER THE NIGHT (1940) at the Academy's Linwood Dunn Theater...on Christmas I finally saw DIE HARD (1988) for the first time, so now I can join the annual online debates about whether DIE HARD is a Christmas movie...and I revisited another good baseball movie, DEATH ON THE DIAMOND (1934), starring Robert Young. It seems fitting, given how frequently Dennis O'Keefe turned up in my viewing this year, that he has a bit role in this one as a baseball announcer!

As I wrap up here, I'd like to once again thank each and every visitor to this blog. You are each deeply appreciated! I wish all my readers good health, happiness, and lots of classic movies in 2016!

Previously: Tonight's Movie in 2009: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2010: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2011: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2012: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2013: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2014: The Year in Review.

Update: Please enjoy this video looking back at my 2015 movie year.