Don Williams, RIP

Don Williams, one of my all-time favorite country singers, has passed away at the age of 78.

Williams, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, had 17 number one hits over the course of his long career.

My favorite Williams song was "We've Got a Good Fire Going." Other Williams classics included "I Believe in You," "Good Ole Boys Like Me," "Amanda," "You're My Best Friend, "Say It Again," "Till the Rivers All Run Dry," "Miracles," "Love is on a Roll," and "That's the Thing About Love," to name just a few. I could easily name another dozen terrific songs.

Williams' beautiful music always made me feel better for having listened. He was one of a kind, and I'll always be grateful for the joy his music has added to my life.

Photos From the Road: San Francisco

Here's the latest in my series of photo posts from this summer's road trip!

I previously posted photographs of San Francisco movie locations. Here are a few more photos taken in San Francisco, beginning with a classic San Francisco shot including a cable car and the bay in the background. Click on any photo to enlarge for a closer look.

We hadn't been to San Francisco for many years, and we enjoyed an early evening stroll around Fisherman's Wharf. Some of the colorful signage:

Alcatraz!

Not a sign one sees every day...

Signs from classic San Francisco eateries in walking distance of the wharf:

This may not be a "classic" San Francisco restaurant, but it's a busy tourist spot prominently located on the wharf:

Loved these Barbary Coast Trail signs on the street, which reminded me of the Freedom Trail in Boston:

And this street name pressed into the ground evokes California literary and seafaring history. There are many places in California named for Dana, including a library my father and grandmother patronized in Long Beach.

We stayed at the Hotel Zephyr near the wharf, which turned out to be a delightful hotel at a relatively good price.

Instead of a pool, the Hotel Zephyr has a fun courtyard filled with comfortable seating areas, fire pits, and oversized games.

We really enjoyed the hotel's unique designs and comfortable room and recommend it.

The trailer serves everything from hot cocoa to alcoholic beverages. As the sun set we enjoyed cocoa next to a fire pit.

After checking out of our hotel the next morning, we headed for the Walt Disney Family Museum, located on the grounds of the The Presidio:

The Saturday scene on the lawn in front of the Disney Museum was most appealing! The museum is the building at the right...

...and if you are looking at the museum and turn to your right, you can see the bay in the distance.

I shared a few photos of the Walt Disney Family Museum in my post on SUMMER MAGIC (1963), and I'll be sharing more here in a future "photos from the road" post.

Tonight's Movie: The Gazebo (1959) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

Glenn Ford and Debbie Reynolds star in THE GAZEBO (1959), a black comedy available in a remastered edition from the Warner Archive.

In this offbeat film, Ford plays Elliott Nash, a TV writer-director who's also the adoring husband of Broadway stage star Nell (Reynolds).

Elliott hasn't let Nell know that a photographer is blackmailing him over naughty photos taken of Nell when she was a teenager. Elliott's convinced the photos being published would destroy Nell's career and he takes desperate measures to protect her, initially considering selling their home to pay off the blackmailer and then concocting an elaborate plan to kill the man and dispose of the body...with a little long-distance advice from Alfred Hitchcock!

A man Elliott believes is the blackmailer shows up for a meeting at the appointed time, Elliott fires the gun, and the man keels over, dead. Elliott buries the body under his new backyard gazebo. But imagine his surprise when he learns the blackmailer was murdered somewhere else that night! Who's under the gazebo...and did Elliott kill him at all?

THE GAZEBO is mildly amusing thanks to the lead actors. Ford is often such a stoic type, it's kind of fun watching him play a love-addled would-be murderer who's reduced, among other things, to attempting to explain to his wife why the bathroom shower curtains have suddenly disappeared.

Debbie's sweet, buoyant innocence throughout the film goes a long way to keep the movie from sliding into being tasteless. (It turns out she'd been confronted by the blackmailer herself...and her response is hilarious.) Ford and Reynolds have good interplay with Carl Reiner, in a large role as their friend the DA who also carries a torch for Nell.

All in all, though, the film has such a bizarre premise that a little of it goes a long way; eventually Ford's manic preoccupation becomes wearisome. I think it would have played better if its 100 minutes had been closer to 80. Even so, that wouldn't solve the film's biggest problem, which is that comedy or not, our hero is a would-be killer.

In the end, it's not among the top films made by either Reynolds or Ford, but their fans will want to check out this oddball entry in their filmographies.

The supporting cast includes Martin Landau, John McGiver, Mabel Albertson, Helen Kleeb, Bert Freed and Doro Merande.

THE GAZEBO was directed by George Marshall. It was filmed in black and white by Paul C. Vogel. George Wells' screenplay was based on a play which starred Jayne Meadows and Walter Slezak.

THE GAZEBO is a nice-looking widescreen print. The Warner Archive 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 the Warner Archive Collection at the WBShop or from any online retailers where DVDs and Blu-rays are sold.

Tonight's Movie: The Accusing Finger (1936) at Cinecon

THE ACCUSING FINGER (1936), a 61-minute Paramount Pictures programmer, was one of the interesting films I saw at last weekend's Cinecon Classic Film Festival in Hollywood.

Paul Kelly stars as Douglas Goodwin, a highly successful prosecutor who has sent any number of men to Death Row, most recently young Jimmy Ellis (Robert Cummings).

Goodwin is romantically interested in his sweet assistant, Claire (Marsha Hunt), but he's unable to act on his feelings as his wife Muriel (Bernadene Hayes) refuses to give him a divorce. One night Doug and his wife are arguing when she startles an intruder who's after her jewels and is shot and killed.

Everyone knows Doug wanted his wife out of the way and he's convicted of murder and sent off to Death Row, where he gets an unwelcome reception from some of the prisoners he put behind bars. Meanwhile investigator Jerry Welch (Kent Taylor of FIVE CAME BACK) races against time, working with Claire to find evidence which will clear Doug. Complicating matters further: Jerry falls in love with Claire himself.

This was a fast-paced pip of a movie which used creative editing to move the story along at breakneck speed. It's not always pleasant -- watching Cummings' (admittedly guilty) character go to the electric chair is disturbing -- but it's always interesting and mostly enjoyable.

The three leads are all appealing; it's hard to believe the beautiful, self-possessed Hunt was only 19 when this was made. (What a treat to have her in the audience watching along with us! She turns 100 next month.) The always authoritative Harry Carey Sr. plays a senator fighting the death penalty who also has a close family friendship with Claire.

It's the kind of movie where the viewer suddenly realizes the prison inmate singing a mournful tune is John Carroll, before he was a bigger name...where the audience applauds when Ward Bond is recognized as one of the prison guards...with William Hopper (PERRY MASON) and the seemingly ever-present George Chandler playing reporters (darn, I missed also spotting Dennis O'Keefe!)...frequent baddie Joe Sawyer has an uncharacteristic role as a cigar-smoking prison chaplain...and reliable actors like Paul Fix, Jonathan Hale, Fred Kohler, and DeWitt Jennings round out the cast.

The movie was directed by James P. Hogan and filmed in black and white by Henry Sharp.

THE ACCUSING FINGER is a terrific example of the studio system at work; it may be short but it's stylish, polished filmmaking with a terrific parade of faces throughout. I'd love to see this film become widely available, but like so many Paramount films of this era, it's not available at this point in any format. Universal, which owns the rights, provided a beautiful print for the festival.

Tonight's Movie: Mara Maru (1952) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

Errol Flynn and Ruth Roman star in the adventure film MARA MARU (1952), available on DVD from the Warner Archive.

Flynn plays Greg Mason, who has a business diving for salvage in the Philippines. In short order Greg is framed for the murder of his partner Andy (Richard Webb), his apartment is ransacked, his boat is set on fire, and one of his young assistants is killed.

It's all part of a plot to maneuver Greg into going on a treasure hunt on the boat Mara Maru with Brock Benedict (Raymond Burr), who believes Greg can lead him to a treasure hidden deep underwater.

Also factoring into the action are characters played by Paul Picerni, Ruth Roman, Dan Seymour, and Georges Renavent.

With Flynn, Roman, and Burr in the leads, MARA MARU should have been a solid adventure/crime film, but it's unaccountably dull. As crises pile up around Greg the story is more unbelievable than exciting, and it doesn't help that Flynn doesn't seem especially affected by anything which happens to him. One expects a Flynn character to be lighthearted in the face of trouble, but in this case he seems a bit bored, and so is the audience.

Roman looks lovely but spends multiple scenes just sitting in the background while men talk, trying to look interested, and she seems completely unaffected by being widowed early on in the story. Granted, she was unhappily married, but still. You'd think she'd at least look surprised by the turn of events. She has a couple emotional scenes with Flynn but is mostly just decorative.

It's nice having attractive actors like Flynn and Roman onscreen for company but I can't say a great deal more for MARA MARU, which sadly is a slow 98 minutes.

MARA MARU was directed by Gordon Douglas and filmed in black and white by Robert Burks. Locations included several spots along the California coastline as well as the Mission San Fernando Rey.

The print and sound quality of the Warner Archive DVD are fine. 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 or from any online retailers where DVDs and Blu-rays are sold.

A Visit to Cinecon 53

I spent a wonderful weekend at the 53rd Cinecon Classic Film Festival!

The festival opened at the Egyptian Theatre on Thursday night and runs through today; I attended Saturday and Sunday. Given the high temps here in California this weekend, it was the perfect time for a couple of days in an air-conditioned movie theater!

Cinecon's focus is "not on DVD" rarities, and the schedule was filled with little-seen gems. I'll provide a quick overview of the weekend here, with longer posts in the next few days covering some of the films in more detail.

I was on the freeway to Hollywood bright and early Saturday morning, arriving at the Egyptian about 8:15. My first order of business: Pick up my weekend passes and purchase the beautiful program featuring festival honoree Patricia Morison on the cover. Needless to say I was thrilled at the prospect of seeing Morison in person again at the festival; you can read my birthday tribute to her earlier this year here.

My day began with the cartoon THE DAFFY DOC (1938), which I understand is part of the Warner Archive's new Porky Pig DVD collection.

That was followed by a 62-minute feature film, ALL-AMERICAN SWEETHEART (1937). This film, about a collegiate rowing team, was only mildly entertaining, the one movie of the weekend which didn't really make an impression. However, it was pleasantly scenic (Lake Arrowhead, perhaps?), and it was shown in a gorgeous Columbia Pictures print, so there's that! Patricia Farr and Scott Kolk (aka Scott Colton) starred; it was directed by Lambert Hillyer, the writer-director behind a number of Westerns I've enjoyed.

Next up was a silent Hoot Gibson Western, THE TEXAS STREAK (1926), with live musical accompaniment by Scott Lasky. Gibson plays a Western movie extra who's left behind when location shooting wraps, and circumstances lead to him switching from "reel" to "real" cowboy. A charmer.

The final film of the morning was the U.S. premiere of the new documentary HAROLD LLOYD: HOLLYWOOD'S TIMELESS COMEDY GENIUS (2016). It was very good, including extensive interviews with Lloyd's granddaughter Suzanne Lloyd and his biographer Annette D'Agostino Lloyd (no relation to the actor). Although it discusses the creation of Lloyd's high-altitude SAFETY LAST! (1923) stunt at some length, the one area where I felt the documentary was lacking was covering the success of his silent features. (Perhaps my memory fails but I don't recall a single shot of Jobyna Ralston, his costar in so many great films.) It zoomed from shorts to stunts, spending more time on his feature failures than his hits, and then going into his post-filmmaking life. Despite that quibble, it was well-done and worth seeing.

At lunchtime I visited the dealer showroom at Loew's Hotel, where my eyes crossed at the prices of original film stills. I have a wonderful collection, gathered in the '70s and '80s, but don't anticipate adding to it again at those prices! Instead I treated myself to a Blu-ray/DVD set of CINERAMA HOLIDAY (1955), on sale at Flicker Alley's table for a nice price.

Back at the Egyptian, I had a nice chat with Lou Sabini, who autographed his new book SEX IN THE CINEMA: THE 'PRE-CODE' YEARS 1929-1934 for me. It's a survey of 107 pre-Code films, published by Bear Manor Media. I wish I'd remembered Sabini was the author of BEHIND THE SCENES OF THEY WERE EXPENDABLE: A PICTORIAL HISTORY, which I thought was an important piece of film history. I would have liked to compliment him on it in person!

My first film of the afternoon was THE ACCUSING FINGER (1936) starring Marsha Hunt. Marsha was in the audience to watch the film with us; how remarkable to watch an 81-year-old film with the leading lady present! Marsha turns 100 in October. That was followed later in the day by a 77-year-old film with the 102-year-old leading actress in the audience, with Patricia Morison on hand for UNTAMED (1940).

An hour of Hal Roach shorts included the silent Our Gang film BABY BROTHER (1927), with Oliver Hardy popping up for a scene. It was quite amusing -- I loved the "automatic baby washer" -- although it was a bit, er, surprising how the very real babies and toddlers featured in the movie were treated at times! Scott Lasky provided live music.

The afternoon wrapped with the premiere of a trailer for the upcoming documentary REEL HEROES; the trailer will soon be added to the film's website and I encourage my readers to take a look. The documentary is about film collectors who were at one time persecuted/prosecuted for saving films from dumpsters and destruction -- our Lone Pine acquaintance Woody Wise is quoted in the trailer as saying a prosecutor wanted to jail him for a year -- who are now lauded as preservationists by the same studios who once wanted them arrested.

The evening's "Saturday Nitrate Fever" program began with a Technicolor nitrate print of the Bugs Bunny cartoon HARE RIBBIN' (1944). This was a director's cut with a more violent ending than is in the theatrical release version. I don't think either BABY BROTHER or HARE RIBBIN' could be made these days!

My evening wrapped up with a nitrate Technicolor print of Paramount's UNTAMED (1940), starring Ray Milland and Patricia Morison, who was interviewed after the film. The movie was an engrossing soap opera, with a fine cast and strong production values, and it was a treat to hear Morison's memories, particularly that the movie's blizzard scenes were filmed in a genuinely cold Los Angeles area ice house!

I hadn't been especially interested in seeing the Library of Congress restoration of CAPTAIN BLOOD (1924) Sunday morning, but I needed to arrive fairly early if only to secure nearby parking, so I decided to try it out -- and it ended up being a highlight of the festival for me, with remarkable digital musical accompaniment by Jon Mirsalis. I love seeing a movie "cold" and ending up being completely transported. It was a wonderful experience.

After lunch I watched a program of silent "Fort Lee" shorts, filmed in New Jersey in the early days of movies, including Florence Lawrence in NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS (1912) and FLO'S DISCIPLINE (1912). It was a great chance to learn about Lawrence, sometimes called "the first movie star." Ben Model provided the musical accompaniment.

Unfortunately I was feeling under the weather as Sunday went on and had to head for home before some of the "B" movies I was looking forward to, including a couple of '40s Westerns. Despite having to cut it a bit short, it was a terrific festival, and I'm definitely looking forward to attending it again in the future!

Update: Here are my reviews of THE ACCUSING FINGER (1936), UNTAMED (1940), THE TEXAS STREAK (1926), and CAPTAIN BLOOD (1924).

TCM Star of the Month: Jennifer Jones

Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Jones is the September Star of the Month on Turner Classic Movies.

17 Jennifer Jones films are on the September schedule, airing Tuesday evenings beginning on the 5th.

As I wrote at the time Jones passed away in 2009, despite a relatively short filmography, numbering just over two dozen films, she has quite an impressive body of work. Jones was nominated for five Oscars -- four for a leading role and one for supporting actress -- and won once; beyond those roles she made several other fine films which have stood the test of time.

The first night of Jones films, on September 5th, begins with THE SONG OF BERNADETTE (1943), for which Jones received her Oscar statuette.

The evening continues with LOVE LETTERS (1945), which netted her another Best Actress nomination. Joseph Cotten, who appeared with Jones in four films, costars.

The delightful Ernst Lubitsch comedy CLUNY BROWN (1946), costarring Charles Boyer, is must viewing. Since Jones tended to play dramatic roles, it's a wonderful chance to see her lighter side. In addition to my review, available at the title link, be sure to check out Caftan Woman's thoughts on this charmer.

Jones and Cotten starred with Gregory Peck in the Western opus DUEL IN THE SUN (1946), which I just reviewed here a couple of weeks ago. The evening concludes with the WWII classic SINCE YOU WENT AWAY (1944), costarring Cotten, Claudette Colbert, Shirley Temple, and Jones's real-life husband, Robert Walker. Jones received a Best Actress nomination for DUEL IN THE SUN and a Supporting Actress nomination for SINCE YOU WENT AWAY.

On September 12th the evening begins with my pick of the month, the mystical PORTRAIT OF JENNIE (1948), again costarring Joseph Cotten. It's a very special film I was fortunate to see on a big screen at a young age, complete with a widescreen color-tinted storm sequence. The film (seen at left) was mostly shot in black and white, but along with the color tinted storm, there's a concluding Technicolor image which is unforgettable.

Later in the evening are WE WERE STRANGERS (1949) with John Garfield, directed by John Huston; Vincente Minnelli's MADAME BOVARY (1949), costarring James Mason, Van Heflin, and Louis Jourdan; RUBY GENTRY (1952), costarring Charlton Heston and directed by King Vidor; and Huston's offbeat BEAT THE DEVIL (1953), costarring Humphrey Bogart and Gina Lollobrigida.

On September 19th the focus is on Jones's mid-'50s films, beginning with GOOD MORNING, MISS DOVE (1955), in which she plays a schoolteacher.

The classic weeper LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING (1955), which netted Jones her final Oscar nomination, plays later on the 19th. William Holden and the classic Webster-Fain title song costar. No matter how many times I've seen it -- and it's been a few -- I invariably find myself gulping down sobs as the music soars at the end.

Jones reunited with her DUEL IN THE SUN costar, Gregory Peck, for THE MAN IN THE GRAY FLANNEL SUIT (1956), a somber drama about a New York businessman which now seems to foreshadow the TV series MAD MEN. The final film of the evening is INDISCRETION OF AN AMERICAN WIFE (1954) with Montgomery Clift.

The series wraps up on September 26th with a film I love, THE BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET (1957). This was my introduction to BARRETTS, and while I later enjoyed the 1934 March-Shearer version, this faithful remake is my favorite; I found it equal parts gripping and romantic. Bill Travers, Virginia McKenna, and John Gielgud costar.

That film is followed by A FAREWELL TO ARMS (1957) with Rock Hudson and TENDER IS THE NIGHT (1962), also starring Jason Robards and Joan Fontaine.

For more information on this month's schedule, please consult TCM in September: Highlights along with the schedule.

TCM in September: Highlights

There's a great month ahead on Turner Classic Movies! Take a quick look at TCM's September promo video and then come back here to learn much more!

Jennifer Jones is the September Star of the Month. 17 Jones films will be shown spread over Tuesday evenings in September. I'll have a detailed look at the Star of the Month lineup posted here early next week. (Update: Please visit TCM Star of the Month: Jennifer Jones.)

The TCM Spotlight will focus on the Motion Picture & Television Fund every Wednesday in September. Click here to learn more.

September is the first month without a print edition of the Now Playing guide; as I wrote in April, it has been discontinued as of August.

Part of the reason for the September highlights posting here later than usual was I wanted to have a look at the online edition of Now Playing and incorporate comments on it, and it only arrived in my email box early this morning. Hopefully in the future TCM will be able to provide it a few days in advance of the 1st, when it will be more useful for those of us who program DVRs several days in advance.

The "e" edition is a bit of a work in progress; for example, the link to "View September Programming Schedule" takes you to...the August schedule, though the top of the schedule has the correct picture of Jennifer Jones. I assume this will be fixed soon. In the meantime, the correct September schedule may be found here.

On the plus side, I'm grateful TCM has continued to provide an "at a glance" calendar such as the one which was found near the front of the print edition; it includes daytime themes and prime time highlights, along with a panel listing the titles Essentials, TCM Underground, Silent Sunday Nights and TCM Imports. Something new is that there's a "Twitter Event" icon; PORTRAIT OF JENNIE (1948) is the lone film marked with that symbol this month.

The Now Playing email also includes links to columns by Ben Mankiewicz and Martin Scorsese, as well as links to other highlights such as a page on this month's Treasures From the Disney Vault. The email also includes the crossword puzzle which was a mainstay of the print version.

Now Playing is currently a bit hard to locate on the TCM website; unless I missed it, there's nothing on the main page, but I did find a link to sign up on the daily schedule page, along with a link to the full month.

For an alternative to Now Playing, my talented friend Kate, an artist who blogs at Silents and Talkies, has made her own free version of a TCM guide, complete with a video tutorial on how to print it and replicate the much-loved print edition of Now Playing as closely as possible. Visit Silents and Talkies to learn more.

Now, on to the movies! Here's a look at just a few of the interesting titles airing on Turner Classic Movies in September. Click any hyperlinked title for my review.

...Early on Saturday, September 2nd, TCM will air DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS (1939). It's an engrossing film which reunited director Michael Curtiz and 10 cast members of the FOUR DAUGHTERS (1938) series. Historian George Morris calls it "neither a sequel nor a remake, but a unique mixture of paraphrase and elaboration." Seen at right: Rosemary Lane, Gale Page, Claude Rains, Lola Lane, and Priscilla Lane.

...After a month off for Summer Under the Stars, Noir Alley returns Sunday morning, September 3rd. It's a fun title: FRAMED (1947) starring Glenn Ford, Janis Carter, and Barry Sullivan. As always, there's more info at the Noir Alley microsite.

...TCM will remember the late Jerry Lewis with a five-film prime time marathon on Labor Day. There couldn't be a more appropriate day for a Lewis tribute, could there? Note: The Lewis tribute bumps an evening of boxing films which I mentioned in my preview last June. I anticipate TCM will reschedule those titles in the next few months.

...The documentary SHOWFOLK (2014) on September 6th features several older performers who have resided at the Motion Picture Home, including the late Monica Lewis, who died in 2015.

...I love the Noir Alley title on September 10th: It's 711 OCEAN DRIVE (1950) starring Edmond O'Brien and Joanne Dru, seen at left. It features terrific location photography, with the film's climax shot at Hoover Dam, then also known as Boulder Dam.

...TCM features a two-film prime time tribute to Linda Darnell on Sunday evening, September 10th, with BLOOD AND SAND (1941) and BLACKBEARD, THE PIRATE (1952). Honestly, there are other films which better showcase her underrated talent, but I'm delighted to see her singled out for attention.

...Leonard Maltin hosts the latest edition of Treasures From the Disney Vault on September 11th. The evening begins with the classic SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON (1960) starring John Mills and Dorothy McGuire. The nautical theme continues with KIDNAPPED (1960) and BLACKBEARD'S GHOST (1968). Also on the schedule: Jodie Foster in FREAKY FRIDAY (1976) and CANDLESHOE (1977). The Mickey Mouse cartoon LONESOME GHOSTS (1937) completes the schedule.

...A day of cop films on September 13th includes the fun CODE TWO (1953) and TEAR GAS SQUAD (1940). Lots of fun names in these films including Ralph Meeker and Elaine Stewart in CODE TWO and Dennis Morgan and John Payne in TEAR GAS SQUAD.

...The evening of the 13th I'm looking forward to the documentary HAROLD AND LILLIAN: A HOLLYWOOD LOVE STORY (2015) which I've heard is delightful.

...Carole Lombard receives a seven-film tribute the evening of September 15th. I've seen most of the films and especially like LOVE BEFORE BREAKFAST (1936) with Preston Foster and THE PRINCESS COMES ACROSS (1936) with Fred MacMurray.

...The classic musical THE BAND WAGON (1953) airs on September 16th, starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse, directed by Vincente Minnelli.

...The Noir Alley film on September 17th is IN A LONELY PLACE (1950) starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame. I wasn't especially taken with the film the first time I saw it -- indeed, I would have better enjoyed a film starring the secondary characters played by Frank Lovejoy and Jeff Donnell -- but it was thought-provoking and I'm hoping it will grow on me with additional exposure, as a number of people I respect regard it highly.

...I recently reviewed A STOLEN LIFE (1946) with Bette Davis in a dual role as identical twin sisters in love with Glenn Ford. It's worth checking out on September 19th.

...A day of films about angels and ghosts on September 22nd includes BLITHE SPIRIT (1945) with Rex Harrison, Constance Cummings, and Margaret Rutherford.

...The final Noir Alley film for September is one I haven't seen: SCANDAL SHEET (1952), starring Broderick Crawford, Donna Reed, and John Derek. Phil Karlson directed. It's on the 24th.

...Tim Holt Westerns are always welcome on the schedule! WAGON TRAIN (1940) is an early Holt costarring Ray Whitley and Martha O'Driscoll. It airs September 25th. Come for Tim Holt, then stay for the great "train movies" on the day's schedule, including a pair of real classics, THE TALL TARGET (1951) and THE NARROW MARGIN (1952).

...There's a six-film birthday tribute to Lizabeth Scott on September 29th, including great films such as the sports-related drama EASY LIVING (1949) and the classic film noir TOO LATE FOR TEARS (1949).

...THE YOUNG IN HEART (1938) is a charming comedy with Janet Gaynor, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Paulette Goddard, and Richard Carlson...plus the remarkable car the Flying Wombat, which I photographed at the National Automobile Museum in Reno in 2008. It's on September 30th.

For more information on TCM in September, please consult the complete schedule.