Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...This week Turner Classic Movies announced that Leonard Maltin will be the recipient of the third annual Robert Osborne Award at this year's TCM Classic Film Festival. Maltin follows in the footsteps of prior honorees Martin Scorsese and Kevin Brownlow. The award honors "an individual who has helped keep the cultural heritage of classic film alive for future generations." TCM couldn't have chosen a more appropriate recipient than Mr. Maltin, whose books have been part of my life for decades.

...Mr. Maltin will be honored at a nitrate 35mm screening of William Wyler's COUNSELLOR AT LAW (1933) at the festival. I was very fortunate to see that nitrate print at UCLA in 2018. It's a terrific movie and I would certainly enjoy the chance to see it again.

...TCM and Fathom Events are hosting a nationwide digital screening of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951) on January 19th and 22nd. Here's a new interview with Leslie Caron, given in conjunction with the screenings. It's hard to believe it's been close to ten years since I was fortunate to meet her at a screening of the film at the Egyptian Theatre.

...Very interesting news this week: Warner Bros. and Universal announced a joint venture with the goal of keeping the DVD and Blu-ray market viable. With the sales of home discs declining, the two companies will pool resources to handle North American distribution of "new releases, library titles and television shows." Per the Los Angeles Times, "The idea is to combine resources to continue selling discs — while saving money." This is good news for those of us who believe in the importance of owning physical media we control ourselves, rather than relying on the whims of the companies and programmers who run streaming services. The big questions now: 1) Will the "library titles" include the pre-1949 Paramount titles which have been unavailable to consumers for many years, not to mention not-on-DVD Universal films? 2) What, if anything, will this mean for the Warner Archive?

...Kristina of Speakeasy and Ruth of Silver Screenings have announced the 2020 edition of their great O Canada Blogathon. It will take place from March 6th through the 8th.

...Arrow Academy is releasing a movie I really love, BLACK ANGEL (1946) on January 28th. Glenn Erickson (aka Cinesavant) has an early look posted at Trailers From Hell. The disc includes a commentary track by Alan K. Rode of the Film Noir Foundation. (Update: My screener just arrived, so look for a review here in the near future.)

...Kino Lorber also has some interesting releases coming: BLUEBEARD'S EIGHTH WIFE (1938), THE SONG OF SONGS (1933), and THE FLAME OF NEW ORLEANS are all due out on March 31st. BLUEBEARD'S EIGHTH WIFE is an Ernst Lubitsch film starring Claudette Colbert and Gary Cooper, while the latter two films star Marlene Dietrich.

...And speaking of Dietrich -- who has turned up in my viewing with increasing frequency in recent months -- the Criterion Collection will be releasing DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (1939) on Blu-ray April 14th. I don't think I've seen this film, costarring James Stewart, since I was a teenager and look forward to checking it out again.

...Here's Leonard Maltin on additional recent Blu-ray and DVD releases. I'm happy to note that I have several of the titles he recommends.

...There is currently a fundraiser to provide gravestones for the unmarked graves of eight Hollywood pioneers at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Samantha (aka Classic Film Geek) has information on the careers of those involved in this Twitter thread. My husband and I have made numerous visits to Hollywood Forever and were happy to make a contribution toward honoring these individuals and helping to preserve their -- and Hollywood's -- history. (January 23rd Update: The fundraising goal has been met!)

...I'm missing a great series of IB Tech prints at the Egyptian this weekend, but I'm hoping to see a 35mm screening of NIGHT TRAIN TO MUNICH (1940) there a week from Sunday afternoon. I've never seen that one on a big screen. The showing celebrates the film's 80th anniversary. Margaret Lockwood, Rex Harrison, and Paul Henreid star in this film directed by Carol Reed, with appearances by the Charters (Basil Radford) and Caldicott (Naunton Wayne) characters from Hithcock's THE LADY VANISHES (1938).

...Attention fans of THE MANDALORIAN: iPhone stickers are newly available. "This is the way!"

...For readers who may be interested and unaware of the book's publication last fall, check out MGM STYLE: CEDRIC GIBBONS AND THE ART OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD by Howard Gutner. I've just taken a peek inside so far, but it looks like the book is as gorgeous as one would hope. For more on the book, here's an article which ran in THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER in October.

...Here's Marc Myers on Hoagy Carmichael music at JazzWax. This made me realize I don't have any of Carmichael's recordings in my collection, which I plan to rectify very soon.

...Notable Passings: Cathy Crawford LaLonde, daughter of Joan Crawford, has passed on at the age of 72. Cathy disputed her sister Christina's negative book about their mother, saying, among other things, that Joan was "very loving."

...For additional links of interest to classic film (and TV!) fans, please check out the January 11th roundup.

Have a great week!

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

THE GUN RUNNERS (1958), the third film version of Ernest Hemingway's novel TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT, was recently released on Blu-ray and DVD by Kino Lorber.

THE GUN RUNNERS followed TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT (1944) and THE BREAKING POINT (1950) in bringing the Hemingway story to the screen. This version was scripted by Daniel Mainwaring (OUT OF THE PAST) and Paul Monash.

The film was directed by Don Siegel, whose name has been showing up in my viewing with regularity over the past year, including directing the previously reviewed Kino Lorber releases of MADIGAN (1968) and CHARLEY VARRICK (1973).

Audie Murphy plays Sam Martin, who operates a charter fishing boat out of Key West. Sam is happily married to Lucy (Patricia Owens, THE LAW AND JAKE WADE), but struggling financially.

After a client stiffs him for a fee, Sam is hard up for cash. Against his better judgement Sam agrees to take Hanagan (Eddie Albert) and his girlfriend Eva (Gita Hall) to battle-torn Cuba, ostensibly for a night on the town; however, Hanagan is not who he seems -- the suitcase he carries for an evening in nightclubs may be a tipoff -- and kills two men on his way off the island.

Matters go from bad to worse when Hanagan buys the note for Sam's boat, forcing Sam to pilot Hanagan and his gun-running pals back to Cuba in order to retain his boat and his livelihood. Matters get really ugly when Carlos (Carlos Romero), a Cuban revolutionary who is buying the guns, discovers some of the cases on Sam's boat are filled with rocks...

I enjoyed THE GUN RUNNERS quite well. I'm an Audie Murphy fan, and I found this film an exciting and well-paced 83 minutes. It's not Hawks and Bogart's TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT, but what is? (I've not yet seen THE BREAKING POINT.) The film stands on its own as a well-done adventure story.

In fact, I find it curious that multiple reviews refer to Murphy as "bland" or lacking "genuine toughness." I just don't read him that way.

Murphy may be quiet -- and he's surely a different style of actor than his predecessors in this story, Humphrey Bogart or John Garfield -- but as I've watched him, mostly in Westerns, I've always seen a fascinating dangerous streak underneath the mild-mannered exterior. Perhaps that perception is informed by knowledge of Murphy's real-life war record, but in his films he proves time and again that he's really not someone who should be messed with.

Honestly, I rather prefer Murphy's understated manner to Garfield's often showy, more emotional style. A brief glance or look from Murphy may contain volumes. He's consistently underrated.

I've also seen references to Murphy and Owens having no chemistry, but again, it appears I was watching a different movie than others who have reviewed the film. I particularly enjoyed the steamy depiction of Sam and Lucy's marriage, with scenes and lines which are surprisingly direct for the late '50s. I also appreciated that there were plenty of these domestic love scenes, which provided a nice counterbalance for the action sequences.

My one real quibble with the film was that I found the ending too ambiguous, although I'm choosing to interpret it in the most positive manner!

The good supporting cast includes Everett Sloane, Richard Jaeckel, Herb Vigran, John Qualen, Paul Birch, Jack Elam, and Peggy Maley.

Although set in Florida and Cuba, the movie was shot off California's Newport Beach and Balboa Island.

The black and white photography by Hal Mohr isn't anything particularly flashy, but it gets the job done, and the Kino Lorber Blu-ray presents a nice, crisp widescreen print. The soundtrack is fine as well.

The Kino Lorber Blu-ray includes the film's trailer and three additional trailers for movies directed by Don Siegel.

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

Quick Preview of TCM in April

This week Turner Classic Movies posted a preview of its April schedule.

The April Star of the Month is Jane Russell.

17 Russell films will be shown spread across Monday evenings in April.

I'm especially delighted with the choice of Russell; if my records are accurate, this will be Russell's first time to be honored as Star of the Month. The lineup includes the TCM premiere of FOXFIRE (1955), also starring Jeff Chandler.

The April Noir Alley titles will be ADDRESS UNKNOWN (1944), BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT (1956), WITNESS TO MURDER (1954), and WICKED WOMAN (1953). (Update: WITNESS TO MURDER has been pulled from the schedule in favor of the Special Home Edition of the TCM Classic Film Festival.)

It's also of note that TCM is showing one of my all-time favorite film noir titles, CRY OF THE CITY (1948), starring Victor Mature, Richard Conte, Debra Paget, and Shelley Winters; Conte and Paget are seen here. The film is a TCM premiere.

April themes include maids, inventors, orphans, Scotland, radio, desert islands, angels, amnesia, and films with titles starting with the words YOU CAN'T. There are plenty of sci-fi films, pre-Codes, and MGM musicals on the April schedule, including the usual appearance of EASTER PARADE (1948) on Easter Sunday.

Several Japanese LONE WOLF AND CUB films will air on Sundays on TCM Imports. These films were one of several strong influences on the hit TV series THE MANDALORIAN (2019) on the Disney+ streaming service.

Filmmakers receiving multifilm tributes in April include Peter Bogdanovich, Akira Kurosawa, Joan Fontaine, William Holden, John Wayne, Eve Arden, Gregory La Cava, and Clifton Webb.

The Webb prime time tribute will include the TCM premiere of THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS (1956), costarring Gloria Grahame; I haven't seen that one yet but have heard great things about it from several people.

Patricia Neal is currently the January Star of the Month, with 31 Days of Oscar following in February. The March Star of the Month will be Joe E. Brown.

I'll have a more detailed look on the April schedule posted here around the end of March.

The TCM Classic Film Festival will also be taking place in Hollywood next April, from the 16th through 20th. Stay tuned for complete coverage! (March 12th Update: The festival, like so many other events, has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 epidemic.)

Update: For more on TCM in April 2020, including information on the special "Home Edition" of the TCM Classic Film Festival, please visit TCM in April: Highlights and TCM Star of the Month: Jane Russell.

Tonight's Movie: The Marksman (1953)

Wayne Morris stars as THE MARKSMAN (1953), a pleasing Allied Artists "B" Western.

THE MARKSMAN is part of a Wayne Morris Double Feature DVD set from the Warner Archive. I reviewed the other film in the set, THE FIGHTING LAWMAN (1953), all the way back in 2013, yet somehow I didn't manage to catch the other film in the set before now, despite my enjoyment of Morris in '50s Westerns. (So many movies, so little time...)

Morris plays Mike Martin, whose shooting skills with a telescopic sight net him a job as Deputy Marshal under Bob Scott (I. Stanford Jolley).

Mike has always wanted to be a lawman, yet he chafes at having to use his shooting skills time and again to kill bad guys. Then Lt. Governor Watson (Tom Powers) arrives and assigns Mike and Marshal Scott to track down a cattle rustling gang.

Marshal Scott sets off on the trail of the gang and disappears, so Watson assigns Mike to take on the investigation while pretending to be a prospector.

"Prospector" Mike rides onto the ranch of Champ Wylie (Frank Ferguson), who extends Mike his hospitality. Mike also meets pretty, animated Jane Watson (Elena Verdugo), a novelist who is Wylie's niece. Unfortunately, Wylie is not all he seems to be...

This is a solid, well-made 62 minutes, with much of it shot outdoors; I couldn't pin down the locations but the film was obviously shot in Southern California, perhaps at Corriganville or maybe a little at Iverson Ranch.

I enjoyed Morris's interplay with Jolley and especially Powers, and the development of Mike and Jane's relationship is cute. I especially enjoyed Mike's amazement learning there were entire stores dedicated to books -- though if he was really a college man, as he claims at one point, one assumes that wouldn't have really been shocking news. Morris is genial and entirely appealing in the lead role.

Verdugo is a different kind of leading lady, very talkative, with a light comedic touch; there's almost a touch of Jean Arthur to her giddy writer fascinated by the wide open spaces and the handsome cowboy. I enjoyed her and her spunk, including saving Mike's life at one point.

Ferguson is always a welcome presence in Westerns. The cast also includes Rick Vallin as Wylie's righthand man.

The movie was directed by Lewis D. Collins and filmed in black and white by Ernest Miller. The script was by Dan Ullman, who wrote a several other Westerns reviewed here in the past.

I had a good time watching this one and think my fellow fans of the "B's" will probably like it too.

Tonight's Movie: Rimfire (1949)

James Millican stars in RIMFIRE (1949), a "B" Western from Robert L. Lippert Productions.

It's a great pleasure to see Millican, a longtime favorite of this blog, in a lead role, though this is admittedly something of an oddball Western.

Millican plays Captain Tom Harvey, who arrives in a dusty New Mexico town looking for stolen shipments of gold. Harvey, undercover as an itinerant cowpoke, confides his real mission to the sheriff (Victor Kilian) and takes a job as deputy.

Meanwhile the Abilene Kid (Reed Hadley), a suave gambler, is framed for cheating in a card game and convicted in a kangaroo court presided over by Judge Gardner (George Cleveland). In a rather shocking development, the Abilene Kid is immediately hung.

Shortly thereafter, various townspeople are murdered one by one, with a playing card left with each body.

Some nice atmospheric tension builds as the strange series of murders continues, though ultimately the plot sputters out a bit with an unremarkable ending, considering what's gone before.

Millican and Hadley are both enjoyable to watch, the only drawback being Hadley's unexpectedly early disappearance from the film.

There are also a pair of lovely ladies who liven up their scenes, with "B" stalwart Mary Beth Hughes as the sheriff's niece who attracts the Captain's attention, and Margia Dean as the saloon gal who's interested in the Abilene Kid.

Familiar faces among the townspeople include Fuzzy Knight, I. Stanford Jolley, Jason Robards (Sr.), Glenn Strange, and Chris-Pin Martin.

"B" movie specialist B. Reeves Eason directed; this was his last feature film. Eason passed on in 1956.

The story and screenplay of this 63-minute film was a collaboration between Frank Wisbar, Arthur St. Claire, and Ron Ormond. Ernest Miller shot the film in black and white.

This movie is available in a "Western Film Noir Vol. 1" double feature DVD set from VCI Entertainment. It's paired with LITTLE BIG HORN (1951) starring Lloyd Bridges, Marie Windsor, John Ireland, Reed Hadley, Jim Davis, and Hugh O'Brian. With that cast, LITTLE BIG HORN sounds like it's worth checking out!

The RIMFIRE DVD picture is adequate, a little soft but no major defects such as skips or large scratches. The soundtrack is weak in some spots, causing me to wish the disc had captions at a couple points; for the most part, however, it's fine.

The late Ron Scheer wrote about RIMFIRE at his blog Buddies in the Saddle. Ron died in 2015, and I sure miss his posts.

There's a little more on this film by Dan Stumpf at the always-enjoyable Mystery File.

While RIMFIRE isn't a notably good Western, it does have some interesting angles and a nice cast, so Western fans may find it's worth the hour or so to give it a look.

92nd Annual Academy Award Nominations

The 92nd annual Academy Award nominations were announced this morning.

The complete list was published by The Hollywood Reporter.

I've seen two of the Best Picture nominations, LITTLE WOMEN (2019) and FORD V FERRARI (2019).

Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh received Best Actress and Supporting Actress nominations, respectively, for LITTLE WOMEN, both of which I thought were well deserved. I was somewhat surprised Christian Bale did not receive a nomination for FORD V FERRARI.

Greta Gerwig received a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination for LITTLE WOMEN, which is somewhat ironic given the issues I had with the film's lack of character and relationship development, but she did try something bold and different with the non-linear structure so it's understandable. Curiously, given the film's other nominations, she did not receive a nomination for Best Director.

The category which is usually of greatest interest to me, Animated Feature, deservedly gave TOY STORY 4 (2019) a nomination yet rather inexplicably omitted FROZEN II (2019).

But then so much about the Oscars tends to be hard to understand, which is why once again this will likely be the end of this year's Oscar commentary from me. From this point I'll mostly ignore the whole thing, as I have for years. On Oscar night I'll be celebrating my love for movies by...watching a movie!

The Oscars award ceremony will be take place on February 9th, 2020.

Previous Oscar nomination posts: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. There was no Oscar post in 2009.

Tonight's Movie: The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

MGM's Oscar-winning THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (1952) was recently released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive.

I first saw this movie, directed by Vincente Minnelli, a decade ago, and I'd forgotten just how much fun it is. It's a look at a Hollywood which is both glamorous and cruel, partly inspired by real-life people and incidents. MGM's smooth-as-silk production values and stellar cast make it an entertaining delight from start to finish.

The film begins as studio executive Harry Kebbel (Walter Pidgeon) tries to convince three people to make a movie; the people in question are director Fred Amiel (Barry Sullivan), screenwriter James Lee Bartlow (Dick Powell), and star actress Georgia Lorrison (Lana Turner).

The problem is that the trio would have to work with producer Jonathan Shields (Kirk Douglas), a jerk who has committed serious wrongs against each of them. In flashback sequences we see how each of the three rose to career success working with Jonathan -- and we also see what led to their determination never to work with him again.

Yet despite the fact that Jonathan's actions led to professional fractures, a broken heart, and, in a roundabout way, even death, the classic final shot is of director, screenwriter, and star picking up a phone in order to listen intently to his pitch.

Viewers familiar with Hollywood will recognize sequences inspired by Val Lewton (CAT PEOPLE) and the death of Carole Lombard, while Jonathan's history is thought to have been inspired by the life of David O. Selznick.

The underrated Turner is terrific in a role clearly based on Diana Barrymore; Georgia is the daughter of a deceased actor who drowns her sorrows in booze, just as her father did before her. Despite her bad habit Jonathan sees star quality in Georgia and elevates her from the ranks of extras to top-billed star. Turner nails every stage of Georgia's character progression, culminating in the famous driving scene after she realizes Jonathan had been pretending to love her for the sake of her performance in his movie.

I dislike most of Douglas's work, perceiving a real-life arrogance which seeps onto the screen, but if ever there were a role meant to utilize that, this was it. He's completely believable as a back-stabber who does what's right for Jonathan and whatever film he's currently working on, and if someone else gets hurt in the process, oh well.

Powell is marvelous, simultaneously warm and sardonic as the professor-turned-screenwriter whose Southern belle wife (Gloria Grahame) is thrilled with their sojourn in Hollywood. One wonders at times what an educated man like James Lee sees in his overly excitable, chirpy wife; then when she turns on the charm and comes on to him one can see why, in his words, he gets "a kick" out of her.

(One of the film's oddest notes is when Kebbel suggests to James Lee that his life has turned out all right despite Jonathan's machinations; after all, James Lee has a Pulitzer prize, so what does the loss he suffers matter?)

I love Sullivan, and what we see of him is great, as the steady, reliable director and dedicated family man with a lovely wife (Vanessa Brown); my only regret, given my enjoyment of the actor and his character, is that he disappears for much of the picture.

The cast also includes Gilbert Roland as Gaucho, a popular Latin lover type actor, and Elaine Stewart as Gaucho's gorgeous bit player girlfriend; they're in the still below. The scene where Stewart tells Turner "You were swell" might be my favorite in the entire movie. Talk about a scene-stealing moment, I could watch that line delivery on a loop.

The excellent cast also includes Paul Stewart, Sandy Descher, Leo G. Carroll, Ivan Triesault, Barbara Billingsley, Kurt Kasznar, Madge Blake, Steve Forrest, Kathleen Freeman, Marietta Canty, and Bess Flowers. Some of these roles are quite small, yet each one is perfectly executed, contributing to the overall excellence of this 118-minute film.

Oscars went to Robert Surtees for Best Cinematography, Helen Rose for Costume Design, Charles Schnee for Screenplay, Cedric Gibbons and his team for Art Direction, and Grahame for Best Supporting Actress. Douglas was the only one of the film's nominees not to win.

Curiously, David Raksin's stellar score, which remains highly regarded today, wasn't even nominated! It also strikes me as odd that Turner wasn't nominated, as she's excellent start to finish; meanwhile Grahame was perfectly fine in her small role, but did it actually deserve an Oscar? (Especially up against Jean Hagen for SINGIN' IN THE RAIN?!) It just goes to show that Oscar injustices aren't a recent thing.

The Warner Archive Blu-ray extras are comprised of the trailer, music scoring session cues, and the 86-minute documentary LANA TURNER - A DAUGHTER'S MEMOIR (2001).

The Blu-ray picture and sound are superb. This is an outstanding release of a memorable film, and I recommend it.

March 2020 Update: The Warner Archive has now also released this film on DVD.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Amazon or from any online retailers where DVDs and Blu-rays are sold.

Tonight's Movie: Naked Alibi (1954) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

I first saw NAKED ALIBI (1954) nearly eight years ago at the Noir City Film Festival in Hollywood.

I very much enjoyed seeing it at the festival, but unfortunately the movie hasn't been available for home viewing in the years since. It's been a long wait, but I'm happy to say that NAKED ALIBI is now finally available on Blu-ray and DVD thanks to Kino Lorber.

I was glad to have the chance to watch Kino's attractive new Blu-ray release, as I had a good time revisiting this quite entertaining film.

Gene Barry plays Al Willis, bakery owner, married to Helen (Marcia Henderson), father of a young child...and possible murderer. After Al is picked up for disorderly conduct he gets into a fight with the cops, including Lt. Parks (Casey Adams), and says he'll get revenge. The very next night, Parks is killed. Soon thereafter, two more policemen are murdered.

Police Chief Joe Conroy (Sterling Hayden) is certain Al is the killer, but a sensational photo of Joe supposedly "roughing up" Al combined with political pressure forces Joe out of office, while Al remains free.

Joe remains convinced that Al is guilty and hires a private detective (Don Haggerty) to shadow Al, who becomes so unnerved at being tailed that he tells his wife he needs to go somewhere to calm his nerves and immediately leaves town.

To this point the viewer isn't completely sure whether Joe is an overzealous cop or Al is the killer, but when Joe tails Al to Border City, it soon becomes clear which is which. Among other things, the married Al knows nightclub singer Marianna (Gloria Grahame) very, very well...and he doesn't treat her especially nicely, either. It seems Al has a completely different side which might shock his loving wife. (One wonders if he always held on to his temper around Helen...)

All Joe needs is the evidence to crack the case against Al and prove it in court, and Marianna may help him get the answers he's looking for.

Hayden is perfect in this as the aggressive cop with no quit in him, reminiscent of the part he played in the classic CRIME WAVE (1954), released the same year. Hayden's Joe may be a little nicer than his CRIME WAVE detective, but not when it comes to doggedly going after a bad guy.

Barry often played upstanding men, in films such as THE ATOMIC CITY (1952) or THE WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953), but he's quite convincing here as an out-and-out sleaze. The duality of Al's character -- loving husband to Helen, abusive lover of Marianna -- is never really explained, but much of the time there's no rhyme or reason to evil, so it's not too much of an issue, other than making the viewer curious. Al's cruelty to Marianna is chilling.

Grahame is terrific in an appealing performance as the singer who comes to realize her boyfriend Al, who disappears from town for long periods of time, isn't all he seems. (He sure gets testy when she suggests marriage!)
I especially enjoy Grahame's performance of "Ace in the Hole," even knowing she's dubbed (by Jo Ann Greer). Grahame really puts the number over.

The film's other pleasures include Haggerty as the reliable private eye, Kathleen O'Malley (WAGON MASTER) in a brief but memorable scene as a cop's wife, and a young Chuck Connors, over four years before his RIFLEMAN TV Western, as a police detective. I wished that the story had been such that it would have made sense for Connors' character to be in the film longer.

The cast also includes Billy Chapin, Tol Avery, and Stuart Randall.

I noted when I first saw the movie that cinematographer Russell Metty's black and white shooting of "Border City" seems to foreshadow his later work in TOUCH OF EVIL (1958). That still hit me strongly on this viewing several years later.

The movie runs 86 minutes. It was directed by Jerry Hopper.

Extras on the Blu-ray are the trailer, a gallery of four additional trailers for films available from Kino Lorber, and a commentary track by Kat Ellinger.

Film noir and crime film fans should particularly enjoy NAKED ALIBI. While not a top-drawer classic, NAKED ALIBI is a solid, entertaining film with excellent lead actors which holds up to repeat viewing. Recommended.

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

Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...As mentioned in my year in review, last year I had an unusually busy work schedule due to undergoing training on new equipment for my business. Combined with writing commitments such as my Western Roundup column for Classic Movie Hub, that meant that somehow 11 months have flown by since I wrote my last Around the Blogosphere This Week column. I've missed doing it, so here's a new roundup post for the new year!

...Thanks to Dean Street Press for sending me a Kindle edition of their upcoming release, VERONICA: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF VERONICA LAKE. Dean Street is bringing this 1969 book back into print next month, with a new introduction by Eddie Muller of the Film Noir Foundation and Turner Classic Movies.

...LAWMAN (1958-62) starring John Russell, Peter Brown, and Peggie Castle is one of my favorite TV Westerns. (You can read my review of the Season 1 DVD set here and Season 2 here.) I was thus excited to learn about the upcoming book LAWMAN: A COMPANION TO THE CLASSIC TV WESTERN SERIES by Bill Levy, published by Bear Manor Media. It will be out in March.

...Here are 10 essential Yasujiro Ozu films from the British Film Institute.

...Netflix streaming recommendation: I have really enjoyed Taco Chronicles, an interesting and educational documentary. (Just don't watch it when you're hungry!) Here's a review from Eater.com, and here's a guide for great tacos available in Los Angeles.

...This 2013 BBC article on the missing John Wayne-Ann Rutherford film THE OREGON TRAIL (1936) and the Lone Pine Film Festival remains interesting. At the Lone Pine Film Festival a couple years ago, guide Don Kelsen used stills from the film to take visitors on a tour of the "lost" movie's locations. There's a terrific edition of the LONE PINE AND THE MOVIES annual available from Amazon, which I highly recommend. It's 124 pages long and has a great deal of information on the film, including many photos.

...I've reviewed most of the GOURMET DETECTIVE MYSTERIES which air on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel. I'm happy that a new film in the series, ROUX THE DAY (2020), will air on January 19th. Dylan Neal, Brooke Burns, and Bruce Boxleitner star. Neal and his wife Becky Southwell have again written the screenplay.

...As regular readers know from my reviews, Kino Lorber has consistently interesting releases with terrific extras. I'm especially excited about their March lineup, which includes Blu-ray releases of CANYON PASSAGE (1946) and NIGHT PASSAGE (1957). Both releases will have commentary tracks by Toby Roan of 50 Westerns From the 50s. (And for those who may have missed the news in my TCM Remembers 2019 post, NIGHT PASSAGE leading lady Dianne Foster passed away last July at the age of 90. The news was not widely reported.)

...Coming this fall from GoodKnight Books: FILM NOIR STYLE: THE KILLER 1940S by Kimberly Truhler of GlamAmor.

...Turner Classic Movies General Manager Jennifer Dorian has decided to leave after two decades with Turner. Her replacement, recommended by Jennifer herself, is TCM's Pola Changnon. Farewell and sincere thanks to Jennifer for her great tenure, and congratulations to Pola!

...Here's Leonard Maltin's review of THE MOVIE MUSICAL! by Jeanine Basinger. This book is thick (over 600 pages!) and beautifully designed. I've only just begun reading it but can confidently say that Basinger's books are always worth reading, which is backed up by Mr. Maltin's review.

...The '80s TV series THIRTYSOMETHING (1987-91) will have a reboot, focused on the children of the original characters. At the time the series ended, the children on the series were Janie and Leo (Michael and Hope's children), Ethan and Brittany (Elliot and Nancy's children), and Emma (Gary and Susannah's daughter). Original stars Ken Olin (Michael), Mel Harris (Hope), Timothy Busfield (Elliot), and Patricia Wettig (Nancy) are scheduled to appear.

...Congratulations to my friend Victoria Mature, who is featured in this year's Noir City Film Festival posters! The San Francisco edition of the festival opens later this month. Noir City Hollywood opens on March 5th; incidentally, unlike the past few years, Noir City Hollywood will take place a month before the TCM Fest, rather than the prior week.

...Royalty Watch: Here's an interesting article from Nippon.com on the postponed marriage of Princess Mako, eldest daughter of Crown Prince Akishino. (Given what's been going on with the immature and disappointing behavior of Prince Harry and his wife this past week, perhaps extra caution before marrying royalty isn't a bad thing...!)

...Remembering Rod Taylor: My 2014 birthday tribute to the Australian-born actor, who was born January 11, 1930.

...Coming to the beautiful American Legion Post 43 Theater on Saturday, January 18th: Charlie Chaplin's THE GOLD RUSH (1925), presented in 35mm by Retroformat Silent Films. Cliff Retallick will provide live musical accompaniment, with an introduction by Allison Anders. Ticket info is here.

...Here's a 2019 CNET article on going to the movies alone. I've done it since I was a teenager and have never understood the reluctance of some to see films solo. I love going with family and friends, but I never let having to go alone at times stop me! It's not like you chat during the movie itself anyway...

...Notable Passings: Edd Byrnes of TV's 77 SUNSET STRIP (1958-64) has died at 87...Christopher Beeny, who played Edward the footman on UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS (1971-75), has passed on at 78.

There's much more I could share, but I'll end here, and hopefully it won't be another 11 months before the next edition of this column. Have a great week!

Tonight's Movie: The Bells of St. Mary's (1945) - An Olive Signature Blu-ray Review

Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman star in the classic THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S (1945), recently released in a lovely Blu-ray edition by Olive Films.

I saw THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S and its prequel, GOING MY WAY (1944), as a teenager but somehow I haven't managed to see either film again in all the years since. There's no particular reason -- indeed, I like the stars very much -- so I was glad that Olive's release gave me the impetus to finally sit down and watch THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S. I've got a copy of GOING MY WAY in my "watch" stack and hope to see it soon!

THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S finds Father O'Malley (Crosby) newly assigned as priest at a rundown parish school, St. Mary's. It's possible St. Mary's will be closed, but school head Sister Mary Benedict (Bergman) has a determined belief that the school will be saved; specifically, she is praying for something which seems improbable, that Mr. Bogardus (Henry Travers), the developer who wants to buy St. Mary's and raze it, will instead gift them his building next door.

The movie rolls gently along for its 126 minutes as Father and Sister help lonely young Patsy (the excellent Joan Carroll of MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS), who is troubled by her single mother's lifestyle, and Eddie (Dickie Tyler), who is being bullied. One by one issues are resolved...and then Father O'Malley learns that Sister Benedict needs treatment for tuberculosis.

Some of the situations in the film are treated fairly simplistically, particularly the perhaps too easy reunion of Patsy's parents (Martha Sleeper and William Gargan). And the initial lack of communication regarding Sister Benedict's diagnosis is mind-blowing to a modern viewer, with the doctor (Rhys Williams) handling her condition with Father O'Malley rather than directly with the Sister herself; that said, I've seen similar things in other films of the era. Medical privacy doesn't seem to have been a concept in the '40s, or at least in '40s movies!

But what the movie at times lacks in depth or good medical ethics is more than made up for with pure likability, thanks especially to the two leads. I grew up, of course, watching Bing Crosby in his TV specials and movies, including one of my all-time favorite films, WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954), but with the passage of time he strikes me more and more as pure genius. His screen persona here is absolutely compelling, and that's before he ever even opens his mouth to sing.

Bergman is positively ethereal in this, and it's not simply due to the way she was filmed by cinematographer George Barnes. She glows with beauty, despite most of her body being hidden under a nun's habit. The moment when Sister Benedict almost wills Mr. Bogardus to tell her some good news was one of the most moving things I've recently seen in a movie.

Besides the pleasures of watching Crosby and Bergman -- one or both are on screen most of the movie -- there's something simply very peaceful about watching this film, which by way of positive example encourages those of its audience who are of faith to emulate Father O'Malley and Sister Benedict, praying and placing trust in God. It's a movie which leaves the viewer feeling better than when it started.

In fact, I couldn't help but remember that when George Bailey returns to Bedford Falls in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946), THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S is playing at the theater. That seems so appropriate, and it's also rather amusing that Henry Travers from THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S was Clarence the Angel in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.

THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S was directed by Leo McCarey. The supporting cast includes Ruth Donnelly, Una O'Connor, and Edna May Wonacott (SHADOW OF A DOUBT).

Olive's beautiful Blu-ray print was mastered from a new 4K restoration. The soundtrack is also excellent.

Olive has outdone itself with a collection of excellent extras, beginning with a commentary track by highly esteemed Crosby biographer Gary Giddins. There are also multiple featurettes, a pair of radio productions, and a glossy booklet with photos and an essay by Abbey Bender.

Recommended.

Thanks to Olive Films for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

Tonight's Movie: Great Day in the Morning (1956) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The Civil War Western GREAT DAY IN THE MORNING (1956) has just been released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive.

It's early 1861, and Owen Pentecost (Robert Stack) is rescued from Indians by fellow travelers heading toward Denver: Ann (Virginia Mayo), who plans to open a dress shop; Kirby (Alex Nicol), Ann's hired guide; and Ann's other guide Zeff (Leo Gordon), who hates Southerners. Which is a bit of a problem as Owen is a Southern sympathizer from North Carolina.

Once in Denver Owen promptly wins a saloon, The Circus Tent, from its owner Jumbo (Raymond Burr); the win comes thanks to bottom-of-the-deck dealing from Boston (Ruth Roman), who has immediately taken a fancy to Owen. Jumbo had previously used some marked cards himself so Owen doesn't seem too bothered to win the saloon through cheating.

Ann and Boston are each attracted to Owen, but Owen is too self-involved to give either woman a great deal of thought. He's all about making a fortune quickly and perhaps, while he's at it, helping the few Southerners in the area get their gold out of town to support the South.

In a rare spurt of generosity, Owen does spend some time helping Gary (Donald MacDonald), the orphaned son of a man Owen had killed, but Owen's long-term plans don't involve Gary or either of the women.

This movie, directed by Jacques Tourneur and filmed by William Snyder in Technicolor and RKO SuperScope, is a visual treat, thanks particularly to the new Blu-ray. Mayo and Roman are both stunning, and their colorful gowns (by Gwen Wakeling) are pure eye candy as well.

Overall, the film is surprisingly dry coming from the director of a pair of Westerns I hold in very high regard, CANYON PASSAGE (1946) and WICHITA (1955).

A big part of the problem lies in the script by Lesser Samuels, which was based on a novel by Robert Hardy Andrews. Stack's lead character is too unlikeable to be a hero and not interesting enough to sustain interest as an anti-hero. One has the feeling that the other characters are all in the way of Owen doing whatever it is he wants to do. He doesn't seem to care deeply about anyone or anything, other than himself, and consequently the viewer doesn't care much about him.

Both women somewhat inexplicably love Owen, but Owen's not thinking about a permanent relationship. As it happens, the women share the single most interesting scene in the movie, discussing their mutual feelings for the same man; Roman's character pledges unconditional love, while Mayo's Ann says that's not enough and a relationship has to be, in essence, a two-way street. Each woman makes a valid point. I would have loved a film about the two women and what led each of them west; it could have been fascinating.

There are some nice bits here and there. I particularly liked Leo Gordon's loudmouth Rebel hater not being a cartoon character; a former sergeant, he's recruited to return to uniform near the end of the film and immediately sets about whipping his scraggly recruits into shape. It's a nice scene.

In the end the film is entertaining enough, thanks particularly to Mayo and Roman and the lovely color, but viewer interest is tamped considerably by the overall storyline.

GREAT DAY IN THE MORNING runs 92 minutes.

The supporting cast includes Regis Toomey, Carleton Young, Peter Whitney, Pierce Lyden, Burt Mustin, Lane Chandler, Kermit Maynard, and William Phipps.

This Blu-ray widescreen print from the Warner Archive is very attractive, with a strong soundtrack. The welcome extras are four short subjects directed by Tourneur.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Amazon or from any online retailers where DVDs and Blu-rays are sold.

Tonight's Movie: Operation Crossbow (1965) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

OPERATION CROSSBOW (1965) is an espionage film set during World War II which was just released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive.

The film's title comes from the actual Allied code name for the German long-range rocket program. The story of Allied agents sneaking behind enemy lines to gather intelligence and disrupt the Germans' ability to launch the rockets has a deep cast and a fairly interesting story, though it's ultimately bittersweet.

As the film begins, British intelligence recruits men who have both engineering and foreign language skills. They're looking for men willing to go behind enemy lines and pose as Dutch or German engineers in order to apply to work on the German V-1 and V-2 rocket program.

George Peppard plays an Army Air Force pilot who is one of the recruits thanks to his degree from MIT and his ability to speak German. Engineers played by Jeremy Kemp and Tom Courtenay also join the program. The men adopt cover stories using the names and histories of recently deceased men, but just after two of the newly minted spies have parachuted in behind enemy lines, British headquarters learns the mission may be compromised.

All three spies deal with a wide range of problems on their mission, including the wife (Sophia Loren) of Peppard's cover identity showing up at the hotel where he's staying, not realizing her real husband is actually dead. There's also the matter of a double agent (Anthony Quayle) who puts all the men's lives at risk.

The Crossbow mission reaches a crisis point shortly after V-1 rockets start raining down on London.

The procedural aspects early on were what interested me the most about the movie. I enjoyed watching intelligence officers studying photos and trying to figure out what the Germans were doing, then putting together a daring plan to deal with it.

I also especially liked these scenes as one of the officers is played by dashing Richard Todd, a real-life war hero who was one of the first men to parachute into France on D-Day.

The spies' experiences behind enemy lines are interesting but ultimately brutal and a bit hard to watch. Ultimately I enjoyed the first part of the film much more than the scenes depicting the actual mission, as a great many characters die in order to help save the Allies from the devastating German rocket attacks. I mention this not to be spoilerish but because I think some viewers will wish to be forewarned, at least in vague terms; also, the danger of the mission is telegraphed fairly early on.

The movie runs 116 minutes. It was directed by Michael Anderson and filmed by Erwin Hillier. The three screenwriters included Emeric Pressburger, using a pen name.

The supporting cast includes John Mills, Trevor Howard, Lilli Palmer, Richard Johnson, Helmut Dantine, Patrick Wymark, Sylvia Syms, and Paul Henreid. It's a bit disconcerting seeing Henreid, famed as CASABLANCA's Resistance leader "Victor Laszlo," as a German general!

The Warner Archive Blu-ray is a very nice widescreen print with good sound. The disc includes the trailer and a ten-minute archival featurette, "A Look Back at Crossbow."

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from the WBShop or from any online retailers where DVDs and Blu-rays are sold.