Tonight's Movies: Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), The Bank Job (2008), and Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

Our oldest daughter visited for a few days this week, and we spent yesterday enjoying an "action movie" marathon. This was a follow-up to last year's Memorial Day Weekend marathon and our 2016 Independence Day Weekend marathon.

On these "marathon days" our focus has been on catching up with relatively recent action-type movies, and that remained the purpose here. It's a fun change of pace from my typical viewing, though I do occasionally enjoy action movies, such as the FAST AND FURIOUS series, which I was introduced to two summers ago.

Here's a quick roundup of reviews for this weekend's action films:

...DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE (1995) is the third in the series, following DIE HARD (1988), which I watched on Christmas a couple years ago, and DIE HARD 2 (1990), which was part of last year's action marathon.

DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE was more of the same, which means it's great fun, with Bruce Willis's John McClane stuck in an endless loop of PERILS OF PAULINE action crises -- this time aided by Samuel L. Jackson, who looks so young I did a double-take at first to make sure it was him.

This time around McClane is back in NYC. It transpires that Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), the villain of the very first film, has a brother named Simon (Jeremy Irons), who wants to get back at McClane...while also robbing the Federal Reserve Bank of gold bars.

The pre-9/11 NYC of this film is "so near and yet so far," with pay phones a major plot point. The plentiful action set pieces even include a bit that could have been inspired by the serial DAREDEVILS OF THE RED CIRCLE (1939), with McClane racing out of a tunnel ahead of a huge wave of water. Anyone who liked the first two DIE HARD movies will like this one. A good time was had by all.

DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE was directed by John McTiernan and filmed by Peter Menzies. It runs 126 minutes. Larry Bryggman, Colleen Camp, Anthony Peck, and Nick Wyman costar.

Parental Advisory: This film is rated R for language and violence. I probably heard the "F" word more in this film than I will in a couple of years of real life -- if I don't include the language I see on Twitter, which constantly disappoints.

DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE is available on DVD, Blu-ray, and Amazon Instant Video.

...Next up was the Oscar-winning CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (2000), which took home statuettes for Best Foreign Language Film, Cinematography, Art Direction, and Original Score (which includes lovely cello solos by Yo-Yo Ma).

A fantasy of sorts set in 18th-century China, the film features "flying" martial arts experts yet is a more intimate story than I'd expected. Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat) returns abruptly from his martial arts training, disturbed by a vision. He gives his legendary sword, Green Destiny, to the woman he loves, Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), who delivers it to Sir Te (Sihung Lung) as a gift.

Almost immediately, the sword is stolen by a mysterious warrior, who turns out to be a young girl, Jen Yu (Ziyi Zhang). Li Mu Bai and Yu Shu Lien work to retrieve the sword while also avenging the death of Li Mu Bai's master.

A lengthy flashback depicting Jen's love affair with the bandit Lo (Chen Chang) slows down the film, but on the whole I enjoyed it fairly well until the ending, which one might say was poetic but I honestly found disappointing on multiple levels. The story kind of collapsed for me at that point; too, too sad! The film is worth seeing but I would have ended it differently.

I especially liked Yeoh in this one as a smart, courageous, and physically skilled woman. It's a great role, and she makes the most of it.

This film was directed by Ang Lee (SENSE AND SENSIBILITY) and filmed by Peter Pau. It runs 120 minutes.

Parental Advisory: This film is rated PG-13. There are some relatively adult love scenes and the ending may disturb younger viewers, but the violence is not particularly graphic, despite the swordplay.

CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON is available on DVD, Blu-ray, and Amazon Instant Video.

...THE BANK JOB (2008) is based on a true story. In the early '70s Martine (Saffron Burrows, Agent Hand on AGENTS OF SHIELD) needs to work off a drug sentence, and M15's Tim Everett (Richard Lintern) has just the plan for her: Retrieve compromising photos of MPs and a member of the British royal family from a safe deposit box and her problems will go away.

To accomplish this, Martine presents a plan to Terry (Jason Statham), who owns a small auto business and needs money in a hurry: The Lloyds Bank vault alarm will be off for a couple of weeks, and they can tunnel in from the out-of-business luggage store next door. (Shades of LARCENY, INC.!) The safe deposit boxes hold an untold fortune in cash and jewels.

Terry rounds up a gang of experts and off they go. The movie also calls to mind RIFIFI (1955), as while the heist itself goes fine, things start to unravel in the aftermath. Terry and his team have more than they bargained for thanks to lifting compromising material involving a Black Panther type criminal (Peter De Jersey) and a pornographer (David Suchet).

I had mixed feelings about this one. I loved Jason Statham, the '70s London setting (orange, brown, and green seem to have been as popular there as they were in the U.S. back then), and the "based on a true story" aspect. There's even an appearance by Lord Mountbatten (Christopher Owen)! I also loved the location filming, including Paddington Station and the Chicken Inn next to the bank, and the echoes of other classic heist films; the "stealing dynamite" theme also echoes CHARLEY VARRICK (1973).

On the other hand, I had trouble with it being a very edgy "R," which ironically imitates actual '70s movies like FAREWELL, MY LOVELY (1975). (Both films have bordello scenes I could have done without.) The violence was also pretty hard-edged; I skipped past one late scene with a murder which was telegraphed far in advance. If about 10 minutes of R-rated material had been shed I would liked the film more than I did, as the "good stuff" is quite good.

Postscript: One of the great details shared at the end of the film is that after the real-life heist 100 people refused to identify the contents of their safe deposit boxes!

THE BANK JOB was directed by Roger Donaldson and filmed by Michael Coulter. It runs 111 minutes.

Parental Advisory: This is a very hard R which is definitely not for kids and maybe not for some adults (grin).

THE BANK JOB is available on DVD and Amazon Instant Video.

...After THE BANK JOB we decided to wrap up our viewing of the DIE HARD series with LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD (2007). (I say this knowing there's a fifth film, but I'm advised to ignore it!) LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD is more of the same, as Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant) and his girlfriend Mai Linh (Maggie Q) take over critical government computer systems based in Washington, D.C.

Unfortunately the location filming was a big "fail" in this; for instance, Lucy McClane (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is said to be attending Rutgers University, but it was actually filmed at the University of Southern California. (As a matter of fact, my daughter was a student there when the movie was filmed on campus!) Some of the action sequences are clearly filmed on Los Angeles freeways; they try their best to hide Downtown L.A. in the framing of the shots, but anyone who lives here will recognize the buildings.

Otherwise, the movie was the usual fun, as McClane and a young hacker named Matt (Justin Long) try to stop a computer-generated Armageddon of sorts. I had to laugh wondering if McClane ever wonders why everything happens to him, and there's actually a conversation with Matt about McClane being "that guy" who ends up doing what must be done...over and over and over again.

LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD was directed by Len Wiseman and filmed by Simon Duggan. It runs 128 minutes.

Parental Advisory: This film is rated PG-13 for language and violence. The language is way, way toned down from DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE, so that was appreciated.

The violence is mostly non-graphic but I did find it disturbing how little any of the bad guys, especially Mai Linh, cared about killing people. Her attitude is to shoot someone who's in your way and get on with what you want to do.

I was also musing how none of the bad guys, in this and many other films, including DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE, stop to think that if the people they're working with are willing to kill with abandon, that they might get killed as well when they're no longer of any value.

LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD is available on DVD, Blu-ray, and Amazon Instant Video.

This was a very enjoyable movie day! Even with my reservations, I found each of the films worth seeing, and I especially enjoyed seeing more of the DIE HARD series.

Today at Disney California Adventure: Pixar Pier

We're having an unusual heat wave here in Southern California, with temperatures hitting 114 today in North Orange County and going a few degrees higher in the Los Angeles area.

Before the weather forecast was known, we had made plans to spend the morning with our daughter visiting Disney California Adventure's new Pixar Pier, and we went ahead and did that, arriving at park opening and leaving at noon, before the worst of the heat hit!

We'll be spending more time on a cooler day taking additional photos, but here are just a few snapshots from today's visit, starting with a shot of the Incredicoaster and Pixar Pal-A-Round at Pixar Pier...

...and here's the new entrance sign:

Ariel's Grotto has been replaced by the Lamplight Lounge:

Some nice detail in the Lamplight Lounge window (click this or any photo to enlarge for a closer look):

Below, the Incredicoaster entrance. Beyond the entrance, there is some great mid-Century design in the ride queue area which I hope to photograph on a return visit. The ride makeover was cute, especially windows featuring Edna Mode at the start and finish of the ride.

The new cookies inspired by Baby Jack-Jack, sold at the Incredicoaster exit, are terrific; served warm, they reminded me of the cookies sold with ice cream at the late, lamented Big Thunder Ranch in Disneyland. One was more than enough for three of us to share.

I have to admit I'm sad to see King Triton's Carousel made over, as I loved the theming, which included pictures of classic Southern California beachside amusement parks. A couple photos I took in 2008 are here.

One of these went home with me!

Leaving Paradise Pier:

The last thing we did today at California Adventure was take a ride on Grizzly River Run, and we didn't mind getting wet one bit!

We made a quick shopping stop in Disneyland before heading home. Town Hall is decked out in Pixar-themed bunting rather than the usual summer red, white, and blue:

Stay cool and have a great weekend!

Tonight's Movie: The Big Country (1958) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

What better day to watch William Wyler's epic Western THE BIG COUNTRY (1958) than Independence Day?

THE BIG COUNTRY has just recently been released by Kino Lorber. This is a Western I love a great deal, and I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting it via Kino Lorber's gorgeous Blu-ray.

THE BIG COUNTRY is a big movie, with a lot to it. Though the film has a lot of substance, the basic plot is actually rather simple, as a newly retired sea captain, Jim McKay (Gregory Peck), relocates from the East Coast to the untamed West. He joins his fiancee Pat (Carroll Baker), whom he met in Boston, and her father, Major Henry Tarrill (Charles Bickford), at their sprawling ranch.

Tarrill is embroiled in a decades-long dispute with the much poorer Rufus Hannassey (Oscar winner Burl Ives) over water rights. Both Tarrill and Hannassey want schoolteacher Julie Maragon (Jean Simmons) to sell them her ranch, which includes a river, but Jim gets the idea that she should sell it to him instead, and he'll let both Tarrill and Hannassey use the water, ending their feud. As it turns out, this isn't a popular idea.

From the very moment he arrives in the West Jim is told, in so many words, "You're doing it wrong." Jim's clothes, his lack of care for others' opinions of himself, and especially his attitudes toward violence mark him as an outsider. Pat begins to have doubts about Jim, and perhaps she's also having second thoughts about her father's loyal top hand, Steve Leech (Charlton Heston).

There are more plot threads here and there, including the attempts of Hannassey's lecherous son Buck (Chuck Connors) to have his way with Julie, but in the end, as more than one person comments in the bonus features, the movie's overarching theme is the futility of violence.

One of the things I love about the movie is that the characters, particularly those played by Peck and Heston, aren't drawn in black and white. Peck is the film's hero, but at times he's frankly a bit too self-centered. One can appreciate that he doesn't feel a need to "prove" himself to anyone in the West, wanting his fiancee to have faith in him without him needing to defend her honor or chase after villains. He's correct when he says he's not responsible for what others think, yet at the same time this is offset by a certain lack of empathy, not really caring to try to understand another point of view.

Jim has admirable character traits aplenty, such as privately taming a horse for his personal satisfaction, rather than to win others' admiration, and being interested in brokering peace in the region. That said, with each viewing I recognize more that he's really quite arrogant, especially when he takes off for a couple days to visit Julie's ranch.

Jim only tells the ranch hand Ramon (Alfonso Bedoya) where he's going, without a word to his hosts. Although Jim is used to navigating by a compass and stars, Pat, Steve, and the Major all believe he's likely lost in the huge country. When he comes back Jim isn't the least appreciative of their concern or worry, just stating over and over again that he wasn't lost and was fine. Hello, you didn't even want to bother to let your fiancee know you'd be "out of town" for a few days?! There's such a thing as pushing "You need to have faith in me" too far.

I also frankly wonder how he became engaged to Pat in the first place, given how wrong they are for each other; had he been at sea too long? It's a bit perplexing given his otherwise being an intelligent man. Towards the end the script tries to fill in a couple of blanks in this regard but the lack of explanation is a definite shortcoming.

Near the end Jim accepts that there are times only violence will do and acts accordingly.

While Peck is the hero, Heston's jealous Leech could at least initially be construed as a villain of sorts. An orphan who's worked on the ranch since he was a teenager, he's clearly in love with Pat himself, but might have felt he wasn't good enough to approach her, or perhaps he just didn't expect her to come back from Boston engaged!

Though Steve is rather brutal with Pat in one scene, it's only after she strikes him with a whip. Unlike Jim, Steve understands Pat; she may be childish and petulant, and their equally spirited personalities are bound to clash at times, but they're the right match, both loving the Major and the ranch. Pat expresses the fear that Jim won't want to stay on the ranch; didn't she think of that in the first place? Meanwhile the man who shares all her interests and goals has been right in front of her.

Throughout the film we see Steve mature and grow, including in the famous pre-dawn fistfight with Jim, building to the powerful scene where Steve tells the Major he won't do his dirty work anymore -- after which his loyalty comes to the fore and he rides after the Major to what seems a certain death in the Hannassays' canyon. It's the best sequence in the movie.

Honestly, Heston is my favorite character of the entire film; it may be a relatively supporting role but he makes every moment count.

Even Buck Hannassy isn't pure villain, as we see in the movie's climactic action sequence. This complexity makes the movie feel like a good book, providing a great deal for the viewer to consider. I take away new insights each time I watch it, and I would have really liked it to keep going past "The End" to see "what happened next" to the two lead couples.

Julie and Pat, while big roles, don't experience the same growth as the male characters, but I suppose if they did it would have been a five-hour movie! Cathy Wyler notes in an interview on the disc that if her father hadn't gone right into BEN-HUR (1959), she thinks he might have edited down the film's two hours and 46 minutes. (On the other hand, BEN-HUR wasn't exactly short, either, so maybe he wouldn't have!)

I can think of a couple spots in particular that could have been whittled down; I've always found a big chunk of Jim's visit to the Big Muddy unncessary, and his conversation with Julie becomes a bit bizarre. It may have been meant to show them bonding but it's never worked for me. The more low-key and cerebral Julie is clearly the right match for Jim but their relationship should have been better scripted; fortunately, towards the end, no words between them are necessary.

Backing all of the drama is the landmark score by Jerome Moross, one of the greatest ever composed for a movie. (It's hard to believe it was only an Oscar nominee, not a winner, losing to Dimitri Tiomkin's THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA.) The film's score turns a good movie into a great one.

The beautiful widescreen cinematography was by Franz Planer. It's shown off to great effect on this new Blu-ray release.

The plentiful extras include the documentary DIRECTED BY WILLIAM WYLER (1986), a commentary track, and new interviews with the children of Wyler, Heston, and Peck, plus additional featurettes, a trailer and TV spot, image galleries, and reversible Blu-ray case art. The interviews with the filmmakers' children are all illuminating; I especially loved Fraser Heston saying that one of his earliest memories was of Burl Ives singing to him. Can you imagine?!

Due to the many extras, Kino's DVD release comes on two discs, while the Blu-ray is a single disc.

Both the movie and this Kino Lorber Blu-ray are highly recommended.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

Tonight's Movie: Chasing Leprechauns (2012)

Everyone's heard of "Christmas in July," but how about changing that up and celebrating St. Patrick's in July instead?

Hallmark's CHASING LEPRECHAUNS (2012) is a wonderful option for some Irish-themed movie fun. This gentle film starts off slowly yet works its way into a viewer's heart just as a small Irish town captivates an American named Michael Garrett (Adrian Pasdar).

Michael is his U.S. company's reliable trouble-shooter. He's sent by his boss (Colin Stinton) to the Irish town of Ballyglenn to clear the way for the company to build a copper smelting plant. The company is facing a unique problem -- they can't build unless they satisfy a local law that ensures no "little people" will be harmed during construction. Yes, that would be little people as in leprechauns!

The perplexed Michael is at his wit's end trying to find a way to certify that there aren't leprechauns on the company property. Michael takes the advice of Sheamus (Terry Byrne), a retired teacher, and simply tries to start getting to know the local area and its people, hoping that fostering good relations will lead to a solution.

Michael tries his boss's patience but as time passes he develops warm relationships with a number of the local citizens, including his kindly landlady Evelyn (Marion O'Dwyer), and he falls in love with a pub owner -- and leprechaun expert -- named Sarah (Amy Huberman). He might even start to believe in the little people...

This is a lovely little movie with evocative wintertime filming by Peter Robertson, shot on location in County Wicklow, Ireland. The movie thus looks and feels rather different from many Hallmark films, which are typically shot in Canada (and occasionally Romania!). It all seems quite authentic, save for a moment when Michael's about to have a rugby lesson and is asked if he plays soccer, rather than football -- but perhaps Michael's new Irish friend was trying to make himself understood by thoughtfully using the U.S. term?

There are some wonderful bits of business, such as the jetlagged Michael regularly going for midnight jogs in the snow -- experiences which in their own way lead him to better understand the place and the people.

Michael and Sarah enjoying a steaming Thermos of coffee on the company property looks very inviting, and I especially loved the dance at the pub, where both Michael and the viewer realize he's falling in love with the place.

CHASING LEPRECHAUNS was written by Rod Spence and directed by Kevin Connor.

The supporting cast includes Patrick Doyle, Sean Duggan, Kate Brennan, Jonathan Ryan, Frank O'Sullivan, and Pascal Scott.

This movie can currently be rented for streaming on Amazon.

A promo is on YouTube.

Happy Independence Day!

To celebrate the 4th of July, here's a fun studio publicity portrait of Alexis Smith, posing as Betsy Ross.

This is one of a series of Betsy Ross photos Smith posed for in 1941; she turned 20 in June of that year.

May God continue to bless and protect our great nation. Happy Independence Day!

Previous Independence Day photos: 2012 (Susan Hayward), 2013 (Susan Hayward and Virginia Dale), 2014 (Vera-Ellen and Cyd Charisse), 2015 (Ava Gardner), 2016 (Jeanne Crain), and 2017 (Debbie Reynolds and Jane Powell).

Tonight's Movie: The Gay Deception (1935)

THE GAY DECEPTION (1935), a charming romantic comedy directed by the great William Wyler, has just jumped onto my list of favorite film discoveries of 2018.

Frances Dee is wonderful as Mirabel, a secretary who wins $5000 in a sweepstakes drawing. She quits her dreary job but is dejected when a banker tells her that investing the money will only provide an income of $3 a week -- $15 less than she was making as a secretary!

Mirabel decides that she will instead spend the money, and for a time, however briefly, she'll have all the things she's ever wanted. She travels to New York City, where she books a suite at the Waldorf. The Waldorf staff decide she's a melon heiress and afford her every courtesy, which leaves her slightly bewildered but happy.

In short order Mirabel meets Sandro (Francis Lederer), Bellboy No. 14, who's both amusing and annoying. In between constantly being fired and rehired by the Waldorf for his un-employee-like behavior, Sandro advises Mirabel on her hats, what to order for dinner, and more.

Other than her growing friendship with Sandro, Mirabel is rather lonely not knowing anyone in New York and spends her evenings at the movies. After a disastrous dinner out with Sandro, when he unexpectedly disappears due to circumstances beyond his control, she decides to go home.

Mirabel changes her mind and decides to delay her return home by a day when snooty Miss Channing (Benita Hume) invites Mirabel to a charity ball. Mirabel is crushed, though, when she realizes she's just been sold tickets to the ball but is not invited to sit at the head table with Miss Channing and her date, Lord Clewe (Alan Mowbray).

Sandro finds Mirabel crying over tea that Miss Channing didn't bother to stay and drink with her, and when she says she'd like to go to the ball with a king and put Miss Channing in her place, Sandro asks if she'd settle for a prince...and sets about organizing a magical evening where Mirabel finds herself, in essence, to be Cinderella at the ball. Little does Mirabel know that more surprises are in store.

Wyatt McCrea has told me this was one of his grandmother Frances Dee's favorite films, and I can certainly see why; I'm just amazed it took me this long to discover it! The movie is a lighter-than-air fairy tale which has a touch of Wyler's previous film, THE GOOD FAIRY (1935), mixed with a bit of THE PRINCESS COMES ACROSS (1936), which like THE GAY DECEPTION was cowritten by Don Hartman. Throw in a little of THIRTY DAY PRINCESS (1934) and that's the feel of THE GAY DECEPTION, which at the same time has its own unique flavor, thanks to the lead performances of Dee and Lederer.

Dee is always a charming actress, and this certainly ranks among her best performances, with myriad emotions running across her face, no dialogue required. That said, her line deliveries are marvelous, right to the very last line. Her expressions when she enters the ball with Sandro are utterly hilarious.

Francis Lederer is an actor I've found a bit wooden in previous films, but he's delightful here, energetic and animated. It's interesting to note that in real life Lederer, like Dee and her husband Joel McCrea, had significant Southern California real estate holdings, including a home in Canoga Park (now West Hills) which was later named an historic monument. A fun bit of trivia is that actor Don Collier, who played ranch foreman Sam Butler on TV's THE HIGH CHAPARRAL, got his start as one of Lederer's ranch hands before his employer convinced him to turn to acting. Lederer passed away in 2000 at the age of 100.

THE GAY DECEPTION was filmed by Joseph Valentine. The supporting cast includes Akim Tamiroff, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Luis Alberni, Lionel Stander, and Robert Greig. It runs 77 perfectly paced minutes.

THE GAY DECEPTION is available on DVD from Fox Cinema Archives. The print has a National Telefilm Associates logo after the usual Fox opening. It's a soft but good print; the soundtrack at times is a bit muffled, which can make understanding Lederer's accent a challenge, but for the most part it's acceptable. I did have to turn the volume way up and replay the last minute to understand Lederer's final line!

It can be rented for streaming from Amazon Instant Video.

Ernst Lubitsch Retrospective Opens Friday at UCLA

There's a fantastic movie series at UCLA's Billy Wilder Theater in Westwood this summer: How Did Lubitsch Do It? Ernst Lubitsch Revisited.

The series ties in with the brand-new book HOW DID LUBITSCH DO IT? by Joseph McBride.

My copy of the book is currently en route to me, which is particularly great timing as McBride will be at the theater signing copies of his book on July 6th and 7th.

The series opens this Friday evening, July 6th, with the silent comedy SO THIS IS PARIS (1923). Although I can't be there opening night, I was fortunate to see SO THIS IS PARIS last year at the TCM Classic Film Festival. It was delightful fun and I recommend it. There will be live musical accompaniment by Cliff Retallick.

I'll be there -- and ask to have my book signed! -- on July 7th, when there's a double bill of NINOTCHKA (1939) and THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940). As many film fans will be aware, NINOTCHKA stars Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas, while THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER stars James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan. While I've seen both films, I've never seen either of them on a big screen, so this will be a treat!

July 20th features Ronald Colman in the silent film LADY WINDERMERE'S FAN (1924), also starring May McAvoy. It's paired with the German film SUMURUN (1920). Cliff Retallick will again provide live music.

There's a superb double bill on July 21st, with Carole Lombard, Jack Benny, and Robert Stack in TO BE OR NOT TO BE (1942), followed by Jeanette MacDonald and Maurice Chevalier in ONE HOUR WITH YOU (1932). I just saw TO BE OR NOT TO BE at UCLA in 2016 and saw ONE HOUR WITH YOU last year at the TCM Classic Film Festival, but I just might go see these again. Movies don't come any better.

On July 29th there's a silent triple bill with music by Cliff Retallick, comprised of THE OYSTER PRINCESS (1919), I DON'T WANT TO BE A MAN (1919), and FORBIDDEN PARADISE (1924). Looks like an interesting evening of discovery.

August 4th features the all-time classic TROUBLE IN PARADISE (1932), starring Herbert Marshall, Miriam Hopkins, and Kay Francis. Although I just saw it at UCLA last year, I might see it again because it's on a double bill with ANGEL (1937), which I've never seen; ANGEL stars Marlene Dietrich, Herbert Marshall, and Melvyn Douglas. Looks like a great evening!

On August 11th the films are HEAVEN CAN WAIT (1943), starring Don Ameche and Gene Tierney in splendid Technicolor, and DESIGN FOR LIVING (1933) starring Miriam Hopkins, Fredric March, and Gary Cooper. I honestly wasn't a very big fan of DESIGN FOR LIVING last time I saw it and am interested in giving it a second chance on a big screen with an appreciative audience.

The series concludes on August 24th with BLUEBEARD'S EIGHTH WIFE (1938) and THE MERRY WIDOW (1934). Gary Cooper and Claudette Colbert are the stars of BLUEBEARD'S EIGHTH WIFE, while Jeanette MacDonald and Maurice Chevalier star in THE MERRY WIDOW. I just saw THE MERRY WIDOW at the TCM Classic Film Festival in April, but I enjoyed it so much I certainly wouldn't mind seeing it again, especially as it's teamed with a film I've never seen in a theater!

This series is a wonderful chance to see many great Lubitsch films on a big screen; most of the films will be shown in 35mm, with one film screened in 16mm and a digital print of another film.

About the only thing which would have made this series absolute perfection for me would have been an additional double bill of CLUNY BROWN (1946) and THAT LADY IN ERMINE (1948), but I guess we can't have it all (grin).

Starting in late July UCLA also has an amazing series of Bob Fosse films, including THE PAJAMA GAME (1957), which I haven't seen on a big screen since I was a teenager. I'll be sharing more information about the Fosse series later in the month.

There's also a nitrate Archive Treasures screening of William Wyler's COUNSELLOR AT LAW (1933) on the 27th.

Southern California film fans have much to look forward to at UCLA this summer!

Update: There's even more Lubitsch playing in Los Angeles this month: DESIGN FOR LIVING will also play at the Egyptian Theatre on July 21st, preceded by a talk by Miriam Hopkins biographer Allan Ellenberger. Thanks to reader Elizabeth for passing on the information! (Update: My report on the Egyptian event is here.)

Update: Here's a post on the double bill of NINOTCHKA (1939) and THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940). What a wonderful evening!

Update: I had a great time at the double bill of LADY WINDERMERE'S FAN (1925) and SUMURUN (1920), which I've written about here.

Update: Here is my account of an evening spent watching a trio of Lubitsch silents, THE OYSTER PRINCESS (1919), I DON'T WANT TO BE A MAN (1918), and FORBIDDEN PARADISE (1924).

Update: Tonight I saw the wonderful TROUBLE IN PARADISE (1932) paired with ANGEL (1937).

Tonight's Movie: The Band Plays On (1934) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

Robert Young and Preston Foster star in the football-centered melodrama THE BAND PLAYS ON (1934), recently released on DVD by the Warner Archive.

Tony (Young), Stuffy (Stu Erwin), Rosy (William Tannen), and Mike (Russell Hardie) are a quartet of juvenile delinquents. (The foursome are played as teenagers by David Durand, Norman Phillips Jr., Sidney Miller, and Beaudine Anderson.) A wise judge (Purnell Pratt) doesn't send the boys to reform school but instead hands them over to a youth football coach, Howard "Howdy" Hardy (Foster).

The boys catch the football bug and under Howdy's tutelage make their way up the ranks to become college football stars, with Howdy as their coach.

Eventually there is some dissension in the ranks: Tony and Stuffy both love Mike's sister Kitty (Betty Furness), Tony is tempted by a pro offer pushed by Mike's brother Joe (Ted Healy), and Stuffy is in a devastating car wreck.

The movie is pleasant if overlong at 85 minutes; it should have been 10 minutes shorter. That said, the genial Foster's performance as the wise coach is a big part of what makes the movie worthwhile. I also enjoyed the college camaraderie of the four boys and Kitty, who acts as a sort of den mother for the boys, watching their money and darning their socks.

In the '30s Young seemed to play more than his share of egotistical young men who need to have the arrogance knocked out of them -- NAVY BLUE AND GOLD (1937) being another title -- but maybe that's because he was so good at it. Erwin is particularly effective playing a character rather less genial than one is used to seeing from the actor. Hardie and Tannen make less of an impression but as a group the four have nice chemistry.

There are a number of interesting faces in the supporting cast including Leo Carrillo, Charles Lane, and Joe Sawyer (then billed as Joseph Sauers).

THE BAND PLAYS ON was directed by Russell Mack and filmed by Leonard Smith. The film incorporates some stock footage of L.A.'s Memorial Coliseum. I'd be interested to learn the film's other locations but haven't been able to find anything.

The Warner Archive DVD is a good print, a little on the soft side as one might expect from a film released in 1934, but no major defects and a strong soundtrack. The disc 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 Store at Amazon or from any online retailers where DVDs and Blu-rays are sold.

TCM in July: Highlights

Welcome to summertime!

I love July, and this month's schedule on Turner Classic Movies makes the month even better! There's plenty of relaxing summertime viewing ahead.

Steve McQueen will be the July Star of the Month. Thursday evenings in July will feature 16 McQueen films, beginning on July 5th. There will not be a separate Star of the Month post for July.

There's a great TCM Spotlight series for July, 50 States in 50 Movies, every Monday and Tuesday evening. Complete details are posted on the TCM site. The armchair travel begins in "Scenic New England" with A SUMMER PLACE (1959) on Monday, July 2nd.

This month's Noir Alley titles: Robert Taylor and Cyd Charisse (seen at right) in Nicholas Ray's terrific "color noir" PARTY GIRL (1958) on July 7th and 8th; Charles McGraw in ROADBLOCK (1951) on July 14th/15th; Bogart and Bacall in DARK PASSAGE (1947) on the 21st and 22nd; and a personal favorite, SCENE OF THE CRIME (1949) starring Van Johnson and a great cast including Tom Drake, John McIntire, Gloria DeHaven, and Arlene Dahl. SCENE OF THE CRIME airs on July 28th and 29th.

One additional thing to highlight, there's an exciting evening of Republic Pictures restorations on July 6th. Full details below.

Below are a few of this month's additional TCM highlights. Click any hyperlinked title to read the corresponding film review and learn more about the casts.

...A day of Joan Blondell films on July 2nd includes the delightful BROADWAY GONDOLIER (1935), starring Dick Powell, who married Blondell in 1936. The great musical moments include "The Rose in Her Hair" and "Lulu's Back in Town"; Powell sings the latter with the Mills Brothers, a marvelous musical moment! I'd love this one to turn up on DVD from the Warner Archive.

...It's Christmas in July on July 3rd when TCM features CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945), starring Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan.

...Independence Day films on TCM include a late-night screening of HOLIDAY INN (1942), featuring Fred Astaire's famous firecracker dance.

...Steve McQueen's Star of the Month movies kick off on July 5th with a lineup which includes THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960). The films also include THE BLOB (1958); I've written here in the past that a scene from that film, viewed at a neighbor's house, gave me nightmares throughout my childhood! My husband finally figured out what the movie was about 15 years ago. I'll be skipping that one...!

...July 6th is my favorite day on this month's TCM calendar, as TCM will present a great slate of Republic Pictures restorations. The evening kicks off with Mona Freeman in THAT BRENNAN GIRL (1946). That's followed by Marsha Hunt and William Lundigan (at right with Robert Shayne and Gail Patrick) in THE INSIDE STORY (1947), which I was fortunate to see at the UCLA Festival of Preservation in 2013; the memorable film noir CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS (1953); and TRIGGER, JR. (1950), a Roy Rogers Western I just recently reviewed on Blu-ray. Those interested in these films will want to be sure to read a wonderful article by Farran Smith Nehme, the Self-Styled Siren, published by the Village Voice. Her article was written in conjunction with this year's great Republic series at New York's Museum of Modern Art. MOMA showed a number of Republic films earlier this year, and another great group will be shown in August. (It's tempting to get on a plane to see Ray Milland in one of my favorite Westerns, A MAN ALONE, on a big screen...!)

...This month's Saturday morning lineup features early '40s Westerns starring Tim Holt. July 7th it's DUDE COWBOY (1941), costarring Marjorie Reynolds. Besides Holt movies showing every Saturday morning, also be on the lookout for WAGON TRAIN (1940), costarring Martha O'Driscoll, on the evening of Monday, July 30th.

...As a child I saw Sally Ann Howes on the stage in THE SOUND OF MUSIC and THE KING AND I in the early '70s. TCM pays tribute to Howes with a prime time double bill of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG (1968) and THE ADMIRABLE CRICHTON (1957) on July 8th.

...A Sterling Hayden daytime tribute on July 11th features a Western I like a great deal, ARROW IN THE DUST (1954); one of my favorite film noir titles, CRIME WAVE (1954), and the highly entertaining airplane disaster film ZERO HOUR! (1957). The entire lineup is great!

...There are more Steve McQueen films on July 12th, including BABY, THE RAIN MUST FALL (1957) and THE HONEYMOON MACHINE (1961). I was fortunate to see BABY, THE RAIN MUST FALL at UCLA in July 2017 with costar Don Murray in attendance; I was happily surprised to find I liked it much more than I'd anticipated. THE HONEYMOON MACHINE is a silly yet delightfully amusing romantic comedy which was released a few years ago by the

...July 13th there's a lineup featuring films about female physicians, including June Allyson in the very good THE GIRL IN WHITE (1952) and DOCTOR MONICA (1934); the latter is a delightful pre-Code which seems overdue to be released on DVD by the Warner Archive!

...A July 16th birthday tribute to Barbara Stanwyck includes the very enjoyable melodrama EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE (1949). The cast includes James Mason, Ava Gardner, Van Heflin, Cyd Charisse, and Nancy Davis (Reagan).

...July 17th features a pair of good films about judges: CASS TIMBERLANE (1947) with Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner, and Zachary Scott, followed by Alexander Knox and Ann Sothern in THE JUDGE STEPS OUT (1949).

...July 18th includes a favorite lesser-known MGM musical, LOVELY TO LOOK AT (1952). This remake of ROBERTA (1935) stars Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson, Ann Miller, and Marge and Gower Champion. The fashion show finale is terrific, and there are a couple of unforgettable dances by the Champions.

...A three-evening celebration of the centennial of Leonard Bernstein's birth begins on July 20th with showings of WEST SIDE STORY (1961) and ON THE WATERFRONT (1954). Subsequent evenings will feature NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC YOUNG PEOPLE'S CONCERTS and episodes of OMNIBUS.

...I really like 5TH AVENUE GIRL (1939), starring Ginger Rogers and Tim Holt, supported by Walter Connolly and Verree Teasdale. It's on early on the 22nd.

...There's another good Barbara Stanwyck film showing on July 24th, THE PURCHASE PRICE (1932). Stanwyck plays the mail order bride of a farmer (George Brent).

...A lineup of movies about radio shows is featured on July 26th, including all three WHISTLING IN... films with Red Skelton and Ann Rutherford, plus GENIUS AT WORK (1947) with Wally Brown and Anne Jeffreys and BEHIND THE HEADLINES (1937) with Lee Tracy.

...I'm intrigued by a Robert Taylor film I've never seen, STAND UP AND FIGHT (1939), on July 27th. Florence Rice and Wallace Beery costar.

...July 28th features another Tim Holt-Marjorie Reynolds film, CYCLONE ON HORSEBACK (1941).

...EASY LIVING (1949) is a lesser-known but excellent film set in the world of pro football, directed by Jacques Tourneur. Check out the cast: Victor Mature, Lucille Ball, Lizabeth Scott, Lloyd Nolan, Jack Paar, Paul Stewart, Sonny Tufts, Jeff Donnell, Richard Erdman, and Jim Backus. It's on July 29th.

...A day of Val Lewton films on July 30th includes YOUTH RUNS WILD (1944) with Bonita Granville, Kent Smith, and Jean Brooks. Read more about this film by Jacqueline at Another Old Movie Blog.

...The month ends on July 31st with a number of notable pre-Codes, including Loretta Young in SHE HAD TO SAY YES (1933), Richard Dix in HELL'S HIGHWAY (1932), Dorothy Mackaill in SAFE IN HELL (1931), William Powell and Kay Francis in JEWEL ROBBERY (1932), and Joan Blondell, Ann Dvorak, and Bette Davis in THREE ON A MATCH (1932). After all the pre-Code melodrama, unwind with the top-drawer MGM musical SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (1954)!

For more on TCM in July 2018, please visit the complete online schedule along with my Quick Preview of TCM in July.

Happy summer, and happy movie viewing!!