Independent Stardom on Screen: Freelance Women in Hollywood Opens Saturday at UCLA

UCLA keeps presenting one interesting series after another! Following the recently concluded Out of the Ether: Radio Mysteries and Thrillers on Screen, UCLA has a very different but equally interesting lineup of films starting this weekend: Independent Stardom on Screen: Freelance Women in Hollywood.

The series ties in with a recently published book, INDEPENDENT STARDOM: FREELANCE WOMEN IN THE HOLLYWOOD STUDIO SYSTEM, authored by Emily Carman. Carman will be on hand to introduce some of the films in the series, as well as sign her book.

Independent Stardom on Screen begins this Saturday, April 16th, with a double bill consisting of Barbara Stanwyck and Gary Cooper in BALL OF FIRE (1941) followed by Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray in TRUE CONFESSION (1937).

Sunday the 17th the titles are the screwball comedy THEODORA GOES WILD (1936), starring Irene Dunne and Melvyn Douglas, and TOPPER (1937), the ghostly comedy with Constance Bennett, Cary Grant, and Roland Young.

A great pair of pre-Codes are on hand on April 22nd, when UCLA screens Barbara Stanwyck in BABY FACE (1933) and Ruth Chatterton in FEMALE (1933). The latter is one of my very favorite pre-Code titles.

On April 29th Ida Lupino and Joan Leslie star in THE HARD WAY (1943), followed by Constance Bennett in WHAT PRICE HOLLYWOOD? (1932).

On May 8th Ann Harding stars in GALLANT LADY (1933), followed by Irene Dunne as ANN VICKERS (1933).

There's even more pre-Code goodness on May 14th, when Miriam Hopkins stars in THE STORY OF TEMPLE DRAKE (1933) and Clara Bow stars in CALL HER SAVAGE (1933).

On May 15th Anna May Wong stars in DAUGHTER OF SHANGHAI (1937), paired with Dolores Del Rio in MADAME DU BARRY (1934).

The series comes to an end on May 26th with two of Carole Lombard's best films, the sublime comedy TO BE OR NOT TO BE (1942), costarring Jack Benny, and the glossy melodrama IN NAME ONLY (1939), also starring Cary Grant and Kay Francis. (Update: Here are my reviews of TO BE OR NOT TO BE and IN NAME ONLY.)

This very interesting series will overlap the Noir City Film Festival, the TCM Classic Film Festival, and the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival. Classic film fans in Southern California are fortunate to have so many wonderful screenings to choose from!

Update: Here's more on the series from Kenneth Turan at the Los Angeles Times.

18th Annual Noir City Film Festival Opens in Hollywood This Friday

The 18th Annual Noir City Hollywood festival opens at the Egyptian Theatre this Friday evening, April 15th.

The Egyptian Theatre will be filled with noir darkness for ten consecutive days, with the festival ending on Sunday, April 24th. This format is a change from recent years, when the festival took place on three "long" weekends in a row.

Every film in the festival will be shown in 35mm, and 11 of the 20 films on the schedule have not been released on DVD. Click the hyperlinked titles below for my past reviews.

I'll be there on Opening Night for a double bill of the Argentinian film THE BITTER STEMS (1956) paired with RIFFRAFF (1947), a favorite discovery last year.

I really enjoyed the Argentinian noir HARDLY A CRIMINAL (1949) at the 2014 festival so I'm curious about THE BITTER STEMS.

I also hope to be there this Saturday night, April 16th, for ALL MY SONS (1948) paired with TAKE ONE FALSE STEP (1949). Edward G. Robinson and Burt Lancaster star in ALL MY SONS, based on an Arthur Miller play, while William Powell and Marsha Hunt star in TAKE ONE FALSE STEP, with a supporting cast including Shelley Winters, Sheldon Leonard, and James Gleason.

On Sunday, April 17th, the evening kicks off with the anthology FLESH AND FANTASY (1943), with an all-star cast including Charles Boyer, Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Cummings, Edward G. Robinson, and more. It's followed by DESTINY, a 65-minute "B" film starring Alan Curtis and Gloria Jean.

Monday, April 18th, there's a pair of good Anthony Mann films I've seen before, SIDE STREET (1950) and DR. BROADWAY (1942). SIDE STREET stars Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell as a young couple caught in a nightmare when the husband decides to steal in order to support his pregnant wife. DR. BROADWAY is a fun "B" film starring Macdonald Carey.

April 19th the films are FLESH AND FURY (1952), starring Tony Curtis and Jan Sterling, and OUTSIDE THE WALL (1950), with Richard Basehart and Marilyn Maxwell.

I hope to make the mid-week April 20th double bill of MEET DANNY WILSON (1952), starring Frank Sinatra, and YOUNG MAN WITH A HORN (1950) starring Doris Day, Kirk Douglas, and Lauren Bacall. It's great to note that two of the three stars of YOUNG MAN WITH A HORN are still with us over 65 years later.

On April 21st the night's films are DEEP VALLEY (1947), starring Ida Lupino and Dane Clark, paired with the entertaining FLAXY MARTIN (1949) (also reviewed here), starring Virginia Mayo, Zachary Scott, and Dorothy Malone, who is also still living today.

On Friday, April 22nd, the films are DEAD RECKONING (1947) and KEY WITNESS (1947). DEAD RECKONING stars Humphrey Bogart and Lizabeth Scott, while KEY WITNESS stars John Beal.

Paul Henreid's daughter Monika will be on hand on Saturday night, April 23rd, to introduce two of her father's films, DECEPTION (1946), costarring Bette Davis, and HOLLOW TRIUMPH (1948), which also stars Joan Bennett.

On closing night, April 24th, the night begins with an "encore" presentation of TOO LATE FOR TEARS (1949), celebrating the upcoming DVD release of TOO LATE FOR TEARS and WOMAN ON THE RUN (1950).

Later that night the festival concludes with THE CAPTIVE CITY (1952), starring John Forsythe, and BUY ME THAT TOWN (1941), starring Lloyd Nolan.

The compressed format with daily screenings will probably mean I can't attend as many screenings as in years past; last year I saw 20 films! Nonetheless I anticipate being there on several nights, and I'll be reporting on the screenings here!

UCLA will also kick off a new series this weekend, Independent Stardom on Screen: Freelance Women in Hollywood. I'll have more info on it here in the next couple of days. And four days after the conclusion of the Noir City Festival this year's TCM Classic Film Festival will get underway!

Also, the schedule will soon be announced for the 2016 Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival, which takes place in Palm Springs from May 12th to 15th. We're truly fortunate to have so many great opportunities to see classic films on the big screen here in Southern California!

Key posts on past Noir City Hollywood Festivals: A Visit to the Noir City Film Festival (2010); A Visit to the 13th Noir City Film Festival (2011); First Preview of 14th Annual Noir City Film Festival; Schedule Announced for Noir City 14 in Hollywood; Final Week of Noir City 14 Schedule Announced; A Visit to the 14th Annual Noir City Film Festival (2012); Schedule Announced for Noir City 15 in Hollywood; A Visit to the 15th Annual Noir City Film Festival (2013); Schedule Preview of Noir City 16 in Hollywood; A Visit to the 16th Annual Noir City Film Festival (2014); 17th Annual Noir City Film Festival Opens in Hollywood This Friday; A Visit to the 17th Annual Noir City Film Festival (2015).

Update: A Visit to the 18th Annual Noir City Film Festival.

Tonight's Movie: Why Be Good? (1929) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

One of my favorite memories from last year's TCM Classic Film Festival was an early morning screening of Colleen Moore in the silent film WHY BE GOOD? (1929).

I enjoyed WHY BE GOOD? with an audience which included over a dozen of my fellow classic film bloggers. With the 2016 festival coming later this month, it was a wonderful time to revisit this very enjoyable film thanks to the Warner Archive.

Moore plays Pert Kelly, a department store clerk who spends her evenings as a red hot jazz baby, out on the town dancing with her dates. But while Pert plays quite the vamp at times, in truth she's a "good" girl waiting for the right man.

One night Pert meets Winthrop Peabody Jr. (Neil Hamilton), who drives her home when her date passes out. Pert and Winthrop are wildly attracted to each other and make a date for the next night.

Imagine Pert's horror when the next morning she's called into the store personnel office to be reprimanded for being tardy to work after her late night out...and the new personnel manager is none other than Winthrop Peabody, son of the store owner!

After an awkward time of it, Pert and Winthrop smooth things over, but Winthrop's father (Edward Martindel) worries that Pert might just be on the make for a rich husband. Winthrop himself, egged on by his father, questions whether Pert is virtuous.

When Winthrop tries to take advantage of her, the outraged Pert points out that if she'd stayed home and "darned socks" she would never have attracted his attention, and she calls him on his hypocrisy for questioning whether a girl he wants to be with can also be "good."

This is quite a fun film, with the vivacious Moore on screen most of the movie. (Moore, incidentally, was a key mentor in the life of Loretta Young and even gave the former Gretchen Young her new name, Loretta.) Moore is particularly effective in the quieter moments when the "real" Pert hiding under the party girl exterior reveals herself.

I'm always slightly disconcerted when I see Hamilton as a leading man, associating him so strongly with playing Commissioner Gordon in BATMAN decades later. The cast also includes Bodil Rosing and John Sainpolis as Pert's parents. Look for Andy Devine, Jean Harlow, Grady Sutton, and Phil Harris in bit parts.

The movie also has some marvelous set design, particularly the Peabodys' Art Deco apartment and the uniquely designed night spot called The Boiler.

It's interesting to note that at one point, when Pert is feeling down, she says she's going to visit her sister. That scene is never shown, but I've found it on a still and lobby card (seen here).

When I had the chance to see Clara Bow in GET YOUR MAN (1927) earlier this year, I took the opportunity in large part because of how much I'd enjoyed WHY BE GOOD? Both silent films expanded my viewing horizons considerably in recent months, and I hope others will find WHY BE GOOD? as much fun as I did.

WHY BE GOOD? was directed by William A. Seiter and filmed by Sidney Hickox. It runs 84 minutes.

The print, which includes a synchronized soundtrack with music and sound effects, is excellent. There are no extras.

For more background on the film, including the restoration, please visit a guest post by Jonas Nordin at Out of the Past.

March 2024 Update: WHY BE GOOD? is now available on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive.   May 2024 Update: My review of the new Blu-ray may be found here.

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 other online retailers.

Tonight's Movie: Trailin' West (1936) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

Time for a return to the Warner Archive's Dick Foran Western Collection! With TRAILIN' WEST (1936) I've now reviewed half of the titles in this 12-film collection.

TRAILIN' WEST is a middling entry in the set. Foran and leading lady Paula Stone are lively, but at times this one plays more like a kiddie matinee shoot-'em-up than anything else.

The Civil War is raging and Lt. Red Colton (Foran) receives an undercover assignment in the West from Abraham Lincoln (Robert Barrat) himself.

Red meets lovely Lucy Blake (Stone) on a stagecoach, and is startled to later realize she's a dance hall girl. There might be more to Lucy than Red initially suspects, however...

Meanwhile, Red's hotel room is invaded and his identity papers stolen, enabling Jefferson Duane (Gordon Elliott, aka Bill Elliott) to use them to pose as Red at a nearby army post.

TRAILIN' WEST is pleasant enough but leans towards the overly simple, cliched end of the Western genre. And what's with the quaint-looking speeded-up footage of Foran on horseback? That's happened in at least one of his other films.

At their best the Foran films are engaging, with good music mixed with some action and romance; at their weakest they play closer to an old school melodrama. In this one Foran even utters the immortal line "It's just a flesh wound!" (In his defense, it probably wasn't a cliche at the time this was made!)

The highlight of the film was Foran singing "Moonlight in the Valley," a lovely tune which made me glad I was watching the film despite its shortcomings.

Another of the movie's fun aspects was discovering a young Bill Elliott as the villain. I've now seen him in enough movies to easily recognize him, even with a mustache which makes him look a little like...Don Ameche?

I liked Paula Stone, who showed spunk and smarts as Lucy. Some fun trivia: According to IMDb, Paula Stone is the cousin of Milburn Stone of GUNSMOKE.

The cast includes Addison Richards, Milton Kibbee, Glenn Strange, Yakima Canutt, Cliff Lyons, Joseph Crehan, Bob Burns, and even Jim Thorpe. The movie was directed by Noel M. Smith and filmed by Sid Hickox and Ted McCord. The running time is 56 minutes.

The TRAILIN' WEST print is occasionally a little rougher than the typical Warner Archive print, with periodic scratches, and during a chase scene the screen actually goes to black for a couple of seconds. That said, it's entirely watchable, with good sound. The trailer is included.

Although this wasn't one of my favorites in the set, I've been enjoying my time with this collection and suspect my fellow "B" Western fans would like it as well.

Previous reviews of films from this set: MOONLIGHT ON THE PRAIRIE (1935), CALIFORNIA MAIL (1936), THE CHEROKEE STRIP (1937), GUNS OF THE PECOS (1937), and LAND BEYOND THE LAW (1937).

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

Tonight's Movie: Blind Alibi (1938)

The Richard Dix festival continues!

Having watched three Dix films in recent days, I decided to check out his 61-minute RKO "B" film, BLIND ALIBI (1938).

BLIND ALIBI was directed by Lew Landers, who specialized in turning out entertaining "B" movies. I've seen a great many of Landers' films -- reviews are linked at the bottom of this post -- and while there's a notable clunker in the group (DAVY CROCKETT, INDIAN SCOUT), on the whole they're consistently fast-moving, entertaining films.

BLIND ALIBI is another fun one from Landers, despite being hampered by a plot that strains credulity.

Dix plays Paul, a sculptor living in Paris. His sister Ellen (Frances Mercer, seen with Dix below), who is married to a high government official there, is being blackmailed. Paul and his friend Marcel (George Davis) take it upon themselves to retrieve the letters at the heart of the problem.

They don't quite succeed, but Marcel manages to get his hands on the letters long enough to hide them inside some sculptures -- which are immediately shipped to a museum in Los Angeles! The museum is run by Julia (Whitney Bourne, FLIGHT FROM GLORY), who as it happens had met Paul briefly in Paris.

Paul comes up with a novel plan to examine the art and find his sister's letters; he poses as a blind man, complete with seeing eye dog, and arranges for the museum to let him "study" the sculptures by touching them. He can thus handle all the sculptures without arousing suspicion.

The idea that a blind man would be allowed to manhandle the museum's treasures on a daily basis really didn't make much sense to me, but the story was nonetheless fun. Top honors go to Ace the Wonder Dog, who works as Paul's seeing eye dog; Ace adds a great deal of entertainment value to the movie.

I also love a movie where the veterinarian who opens the door near the end of the movie proves to be Regis Toomey! Can't beat that. Landers regulars Paul Guilfoyle and Richard Lane are also on hand, plus Eduoardo Ciannelli.

The movie was shot in black and white by Nicholas Musuraca.

I saw the film thanks to Turner Classic Movies.

Films directed by Lew Landers which have previously been reviewed at this site: NIGHT WAITRESS (1936), WITHOUT ORDERS (1936), FLIGHT FROM GLORY (1937) (also here), THEY WANTED TO MARRY (1937), THE MAN WHO FOUND HIMSELF (1937), DANGER PATROL (1937), BORDER CAFE (1937), DOUBLE DANGER (1938), CRASHING HOLLYWOOD (1938), THE AFFAIRS OF ANNABEL (1938) (uncredited), ANNABEL TAKES A TOUR (1938), CONDEMNED WOMEN (1938), SKY GIANT (1938), SMASHING THE RACKETS (1938), TWELVE CROWDED HOURS (1939), PACIFIC LINER (1939), CONSPIRACY (1939), STAND BY ALL NETWORKS (1942), CANAL ZONE (1942), ALIAS BOSTON BLACKIE (1942), AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH BOSTON BLACKIE (1943), THUNDER MOUNTAIN (1947), DYNAMITE PASS (1950), DAVY CROCKETT, INDIAN SCOUT (1950), THE BIG GUSHER (1951), ARCTIC FLIGHT (1952), and MAN IN THE DARK (1952).

Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...The greatly loved Doris Day turned 92 on Sunday, April 3rd. People has an exclusive birthday photo of Doris posing with her dog. Here is my 2014 90th birthday tribute, updated with newer review links.

...Mary Costa, the voice of Disney's SLEEPING BEAUTY (1959), turns 86 today. Mary published a lovely letter to her fans explaining why she will no longer be able to answer her mail. Last month I reviewed Mary's film THE BIG CAPER (1957).

...One more birthday of note: Today, April 5th, is the centennial of the birth of the great Gregory Peck.

...Cowboys and Indians has an interview with James Drury, who among other things recalls once shooting parts of five different VIRGINIAN episodes in a single day.

...John McElwee has a nice piece on PORTRAIT OF JENNIE (1948) at Greenbriar Picture Shows. I have a vivid memory of seeing JENNIE at the Tiffany Theater in Hollywood as a teen, including the widescreen, tinted storm sequence.

...Glenn Erickson, aka DVD Savant, has had an advance peek at the upcoming Warner Archive Blu-ray of SUSAN SLEPT HERE (1954) and gave it a terrific review. Also be sure to read Glenn's excellent review of BROOKLYN (2015), which I purchased as soon as it came out on DVD.

...Some readers may recall my questioning a reference to a "rental library" when I reviewed HOME SWEET HOMICIDE (1946) a year ago. This Washington Post article on "circulating" for-profit libraries provided a great bit of history.

...My friend Beth Ann Gallagher has reviewed a new video documentary on Debra Paget at her blog Spellbound By Movies.

...Thanks to Beth I was recently introduced to Karie Bible, who is the official tour guide at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Here's a fun interview with Karie.

...Coming to Blu-ray: The Complete Airport Collection. Thanks to Toby at The Hannibal 8 for the news.

...Please visit my latest post at ClassicFlix. It's an April Fool's theme column recommending favorite comedies.

...The Dodgers' Vin Scully is starting his 67th and final consecutive year calling Dodgers games. Two USC music professors analyzed the musicality in Scully's voice for a fun article in the L.A. Times.

...Attention Southern Californians: The schedule for the 17th Annual Noir City Hollywood Festival is now up! I'll have a detailed post on it in the coming days. We have our tickets for opening night, a double bill of the Argentinian film BITTER STEMS (1956) and last year's most enjoyable discovery, RIFFRAFF (1947). Speaking of which, Brian just reviewed RIFFRAFF at Rupert Pupkin Speaks and says the movie will make his list of Favorite Discoveries of 2016.

...Notable Passings: Eric Bauersfeld, who as Admiral Ackbar achieved cinema immortality uttering the line "It's a trap!" in RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983), has passed away at the age of 93. Bauersfeld reprised his role as Admiral Ackbar in last year's THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015)...Don Francks, who played the male lead opposite Petula Clark in FINIAN'S RAINBOW (1968), has died at 84. The FINIAN'S RAINBOW soundtrack, including Francks' singing of "That Old Devil Moon," has long been a favorite of mine. It was fascinating to learn his daughter is voice actress Cree Summer, who played Princess Kida in ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE (2001), which I saw a couple of weeks ago...Steven B. Sample, who was President of the University of Southern California while my daughter attended the school, has passed on at 75. He retired the year she graduated and was chosen to give the commencement speech at graduation.

...For even more classic film links, please visit last week's roundup!

Have a great week!

Tonight's Movie: The Kansan (1943)

I've been having something of a Richard Dix festival this week!

Having enjoyed HELL'S HIGHWAY (1932) and SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR (1936), several of my fellow Dix fans recommended I next watch him in THE KANSAN (1943). THE KANSAN was indeed as enjoyable as advertised!

Dix plays John Bonniwell, who has stopped in a frontier town while traveling to Oregon. The fast-drawing, straight-shooting Bonniwell thwarts a bank robbery by the James gang. When the wounded Bonniwell wakes up in the hospital, he soon learns that he's been elected town marshal by the appreciative townspeople.

The dubious Bonniwell considers continuing on to Oregon, but it doesn't hurt there's a lovely hotel owner named Eleanor (Jane Wyatt) in town, and he agrees to take the job.

Bonniwell quickly learns that banker Steve Barrat (Albert Dekker), who owns most of the land in the area, wants to use Bonniwell to enforce legally sound but morally dubious court orders. Bonniwell must navigate his way through a number of crises precipitated by Barrat, figuring out and dealing with Barrat's end game.

Meanwhile, Barrat's gambler brother Jeff (Victor Jory), who is in love with Eleanor himself, is an unpredictable player in the unfolding events.

THE KANSAN has many positive attributes, starting with an interesting script, written by Harold Shumate from a story by Frank Gruber. Aside from Dix, who is excellent, the film has a crackerjack part for Victor Jory as Jeff. The viewer never knows exactly which way Jeff will go; one might say he's sort of an ethical semi-villain!

Wyatt has a nice role as Eleanor, who went into business on her own after her father's death. Her Eleanor is a fine lady in every sense of the word. She likes Jeff and appreciates his interest but is smart enough to hold him at bay, and she also quickly recognizes that John Bonniwell is a quality man.

There's an excellent supporting cast, including Eugene Pallette and Robert Armstrong as Bonniwell's friends. Look for Rod Cameron as a trigger-happy cowboy Bonniwell has to shoot in the arm -- after which Bonniwell pays his hospital bill!

Also in the film are Willie Best, Beryl Wallace, Hobart Cavanaugh, Douglas Fowley, Byron Foulger, and Jason Robards Sr., to name a few.

Another pleasing aspect is a campfire song sung by The King's Men just before a big action sequence. The King's Men also sang on the soundtrack of Dix's THE ROUNDUP (1941) a couple years previously.

THE KANSAN was a United Artists film produced by Harry Sherman and directed by George Archainbaud. The cinematographer of this black and white film was Russell Harlan. It runs 79 well-paced minutes.

I recorded THE KANSAN fairly recently from Turner Classic Movies. It was a weaker print than is typically seen on TCM, though it was still quite watchable.

It's also available on DVD from Alpha. Given the variable quality of Alpha's public domain films, I'd be surprised if the print is any better than the one seen on TCM.

Previous reviews of Richard Dix films: THE PUBLIC DEFENDER (1931), HELL'S HIGHWAY (1932), SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR (1936), IT HAPPENED IN HOLLYWOOD (1937), SKY GIANT (1938), TWELVE CROWDED HOURS (1939), MEN AGAINST THE SKY (1940), THE ROUNDUP (1941), and TOMBSTONE: THE TOWN TOO TOUGH TO DIE (1942).

Tonight's Movie: I Married An Angel (1942) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

I MARRIED AN ANGEL (1942) is part of the Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy Collection, Volume Two, available from the Warner Archive.

I MARRIED AN ANGEL was Jeanette and Nelson's last film together. Historically it's been considered one of their lesser films, but while that's still probably true, it's nonetheless a good and rather unique film which is very much worth seeing.

The movie was adapted from a 1938 Rodgers and Hart musical. I've never seen the stage production or read the script so can't comment on the adaptation, other than to say that one of the film's weaknesses is the lack of a robust score. The title Rodgers and Hart song is wonderful, as is their classic "Spring is Here," but the rest of the music is fairly forgettable.

What the movie has going for it, along with a couple great tunes, is the charm of the leads and the successful execution of a prolonged dream sequence where everything is more than a little odd.

Count Willy Palaffi (Eddy) is a playboy who owns a bank. He doesn't take work or settling down seriously, to the dismay of his advisor "Whiskers" (Reginald Owen), who wants the Count to mature and marry.

Anna (Jeanette MacDonald) is a sweet bank secretary who has long admired the Count from afar, and Whiskers engineers an invitation for her to Willy's birthday costume party. The only costume Anna can afford is a simple angel's costume. She looks, well, angelic, but in both looks and demeanor she's out of place amidst the elaborately costumed, wild revelers at the party.

After briefly dancing with Anna, Willy leaves the party and falls asleep on a sofa, where he envisions Anna as a real angel named Brigitta. Brigitta immediately convinces Willy they should marry, and after their wedding night Brigitta awakens to find she's lost her angel wings. (One can only imagine the fun the Hays office had with this story!)

Brigitta doesn't understand that the truth isn't always "beautiful," but has the power to insult people, and her penchant for absolute honesty means she ends up giving the lovestruck Willy a very wild time of it, until eventually he awakens, shakes off the dream, and runs out to the garden to propose to the lovely Anna.

I was struck that although Jeanette was nearing 40 when this was made, she in no way looks it. She is enchanting as both the innocent young secretary and her angelic counterpart. Jeanette was always a lovely woman, but she's positively beatific in this, which of course fits the role.

I was particularly moved by the ending; the look of love and relief on Eddy's face when Willy spots Anna where he left her in the garden is quite stirring. You can't help but feel happy when he then begins to sing "I Married An Angel." That kind of joyous "feel good" moment is part of what makes watching the MacDonald-Eddy films so worthwhile.

I was rather impressed with the way the film carries off the dream sequence, which comprises the majority of the film. It manages to capture the capricious, inexplicable craziness of dreams in a sustained way, with nutty throwaway moments like Peggy (Binnie Barnes) "conducting" those around her or the butler (Robert Greig) standing on a chair for no particular reason.

The "chorus" of the Count's five girlfriends was another interesting aspect. Look closely, as Polly is played by Anne Jeffreys, in one of her first film roles, and eventual film noir siren Janis Carter is another of the girls. Inez Cooper, who I wrote about in a review of Tim Holt's BORDER TREASURE (1950), is also one of the girlfriends, along with Mona Maris and Marion Rosamond.

The large cast also includes Douglass Dumbrille, Edward Everett Horton, Leonid Kinskey, and Esther Dale.

W.S. Van Dyke and the uncredited Roy Del Ruth. Van Dyke directed several other Jeanette and Nelson movies, and in fact directed all four of the movies in this DVD collection.

The movie was shot in black and white by Ray June. It runs 84 minutes.

I've previously reviewed two other titles from this set, SWEETHEARTS (1938) and NEW MOON (1940). Still to come, the final review from this set, BITTER SWEET (1940).

The I MARRIED AN ANGEL disc includes the trailer. The very beginning of the film's credits sequence looks a wee bit scratchy and the print struck me as a little faded at some points, but overall it's crisp and clean, without major flaws and with excellent sound.

While not on a par with the sublime SWEETHEARTS and NEW MOON, I MARRIED AN ANGEL is still good fun and another strong reason for MacDonald-Eddy fans to get this wonderful set.

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

Tonight's Movie: Riding Shotgun (1954)

Randolph Scott tied for the actor whose work I saw most in 2015, yet there are still a significant number of Scott Westerns I've not seen.

One such Scott film was RIDING SHOTGUN (1954), which Colin wrote about last week at Riding the High Country. I was intrigued by his review and the ensuing discussion, particularly as the movie costars Wayne Morris, seen by me in several films in February and March.

As it turned out, I enjoyed RIDING SHOTGUN a lot -- in fact, I think more than Colin; my thoughts fell more in line with those of Blake Lucas, who commented following Colin's review. I thought it was a very well-done film, and I'd go so far as to say I enjoyed it more than the Scott-Boetticher film DECISION AT SUNDOWN (1957), in which Scott played another man bent on revenge.

Larry Delong (Scott) has been riding shotgun on stagecoaches for years, hunting for Dan Marady (James Millican), who murdered Larry's sister and nephew in a stagecoach holdup.

Larry is tricked into leaving his job on a stagecoach, and when it's robbed and the passengers are killed or injured, local townspeople jump to the conclusion that Larry is part of the gang.

Larry spends much of the film holed up in a ramshackle cantina, simultaneously fending off citizens intent on lynching him and trying to figure out how he'll handle Marady and his gang (including Charles Buchinsky, aka Charles Bronson) when they show up to raid the town.

The only townspeople intent on helping Larry are Orissa (Joan Weldon of THEM!), the doctor (James Bell), and possibly Deputy Tub Murphy (Morris). Tub initially seems a bit cowardly and preoccupied by food, but it just might be that Tub is smarter than everyone thinks.

The movie is only 73 minutes long and could have stood a few more minutes to more fully flesh out some characters and relationships, such as Larry's barely hinted-at romance with Orissa, but there's quite a bit of "good stuff" in this film, starting with Scott as an angst-ridden hero. Scott's Larry foreshadows the even darker shadings he would display to such effect a few years later in the aforementioned DECISION AT SUNDOWN.

At the same time, I loved the way Larry prevented Marady and his gang from racing out of town on horseback, which added a note of humor to his grim situation.

Morris is fun as Tub; with a pillow stuffed under his shirt to appear more portly, he's obsessed with food, even taking time out for pie during a gunfight. However, it seemed to me that Tub also used his known penchant for food as a clever delaying tactic; he was one man against a mob, and as he kept taking time out from the townspeople's demands, he bought Larry more time until help would arrive in the form of the sheriff.

Morris's Tub also had a great moment when a cowpoke was trying to rile the townspeople into storming the cantina to go after Larry, and Tub walks up to the man and hands him a gun, in essence saying "I dare you, idiot!"

Incidentally, there's a blooper in Leonard Maltin's CLASSIC FILM GUIDE saying that Morris is a "striking presence" as a man intent on lynching Scott. According to IMDb, that character was played by Vic Perrin.

The supporting cast included Joe Sawyer, who funnily enough I saw this week as a similarly slimy type in a film made 18 years earlier, SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR (1936). Frank Ferguson turns up for one scene as a townsman. Also in the film are Fritz Feld, John Baer, and Paul Picerni.

RIDING SHOTGUN was directed by Andre De Toth (RAMROD) and shot in WarnerColor by Bert Glennon. There are some clever shots of Scott and Morris making good use of the cantina mirror.

RIDING SHOTGUN is available as part of a Randolph Scott Triple Feature DVD set along with THE MAN BEHIND THE GUN (1953) and THUNDER OVER THE PLAINS (1953). It's also been shown on Turner Classic Movies.

All in all, RIDING SHOTGUN is a solid and very enjoyable Randolph Scott Western.

A reminder for Randolph Scott fans: there's a new six-film set of his movies due out this week!

TCM in April: Highlights

There's a big month ahead in April for Turner Classic Movies!

The TCM Classic Film Festival returns to Hollywood from April 28 to May 1st, so be watching for lots of fun interviews and other festival coverage to air in between the movies shown on TCM that weekend.

Last year's interview program LIVE FROM THE TCM CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL: SOPHIA LOREN (2016) will make its debut on TCM on April 28th, which is also the opening day of this year's festival. Sophia was interviewed by her son Edoardo Ponti. Incidentally, it was announced this week that Burt Reynolds will be this year's "Live" interviewee.

I'm pleased to announce that I'll be covering the festival once more as credentialed media, so there's lots of information ahead here about the festival schedule and highlights.

First, though, it's time to take a closer look at the April schedule on TCM.

The April Star of the Month is Judy Garland. This is Garland's third time as Star of the Month; the last time was a dozen years ago, in April 2004. Over 30 Garland films will be shown on Friday evenings. Please note that this month I'll be incorporating a look at the Star of the Month titles in this post, rather than writing about them separately.

Every Monday in April the TCM Spotlight will be focused on the Barrymore family.

Below are just some of this month's highlights; click on any hyperlinked title for the related review.

...Judy Garland's first night as Star of the Month kicks off on April 1st with some of her earlier films: PIGSKIN PARADE (1936), LISTEN, DARLING (1936), LOVE FINDS ANDY HARDY (1938), BABES IN ARMS (1939), EVERYBODY SING (1938), THOROUGHBREDS DON'T CRY (1937), and BROADWAY MELODY of 1938 (1937). The evening provides a good overview of Garland's early career; she was just starting out but the powerhouse talent was apparent.

...The Saturday night theme on April 2nd is "Wyoming Westerns," with Alan Ladd as SHANE (1953), Joel McCrea as THE VIRGINIAN (1946), and Wallace Beery starring in WYOMING (1940). McCrea is seen in THE VIRGINIAN at the left with Brian Donlevy and Barbara Britton.

...NAUGHTY MARIETTA (1935), starring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, is marvelous fun and a good introduction to the team. It's on Sunday, April 3rd.

...There's a 24-hour Centennial Tribute to Gregory Peck on April 5th. 11 Peck films and an interview will be shown. I found THE MACOMBER AFFAIR (1947), costarring Joan Bennett, quite interesting. It was hard to see for years so it's wonderful it's now turning up on TCM from time to time.

...TELL NO TALES (1939), starring Melvyn Douglas, was a favorite discovery last year. It's part of a day of newspaper movies on April 6th.

...There's a fantastic day of films starring or directed by Ida Lupino on April 7th, with a whopping nine very interesting titles, ranging from THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT (1939) to THE HITCH-HIKER (1953).

...Then on April 8th there's another marvelous day, with eight films starring Ella Raines, an actress more people should know. Titles include one of John Wayne's most enjoyable '40s Westerns, TALL IN THE SADDLE (1944), and two noir titles I especially enjoy, IMPACT (1949), costarring Brian Donlevy and Helen Walker, and PHANTOM LADY (1944) with Alan Curtis and Franchot Tone.

...The Judy Garland films on Friday night, April 8th, are the classic THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939), followed by STRIKE UP THE BAND (1940), LITTLE NELLIE KELLY (1940), BABES ON BROADWAY (1941), ANDY HARDY MEETS DEBUTANTE (1940), and LIFE BEGINS FOR ANDY HARDY (1940).

...I saw Greta Garbo in QUEEN CHRISTINA (1933) for the first time at last year's TCM Classic Film Festival and wrote about it here. It's showing the morning of April 10th.

...Later on the 10th there's a "Cinderella" double bill of THE GLASS SLIPPER (1955) and THE SLIPPER AND THE ROSE (1976). My special GLASS SLIPPER photo gallery may be found here.

...Anyone interested in checking out MGM's long-running series of Dr. Kildare and Dr. Gillespie films can watch the very first one, YOUNG DR. KILDARE (1938), on Monday night the 11th. It's part of an evening of films with Lionel Barrymore.

...There are lots of early Ann Miller films on April 12th, including TARNISHED ANGEL (1938) with Lee Bowman, TOO MANY GIRLS (1940) with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and EVE KNEW HER APPLES (1945).

...A birthday tribute to Stanley Donen on April 13th includes my favorite film, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (1954). Donen turns 92 that day.

...A day of Westerns on the 14th includes Randolph Scott, Robert Ryan, and Anne Jeffreys in TRAIL STREET (1947). The day also includes Tim Holt, Dick Foran, Tom Keene, and a young John Wayne.

...There are more Westerns on the 15th, including Dick Foran in MOONLIGHT ON THE PRAIRIE (1936).

...Friday, April 15th, there's a great evening of Judy Garland films: FOR ME AND MY GAL (1943), GIRL CRAZY (1943), MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944), THE CLOCK (1945), ZIEGFELD GIRL (1941), PRESENTING LILY MARS (1943), and THOUSANDS CHEER (1943). Along with SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, showing a couple days earlier, MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS is one of my favorite films of all time.

...A cake, a palm reader, and a blind man, plus some really scary scissors: It's Fritz Lang's MINISTRY OF FEAR (1944), showing on April 17th. Ray Milland, Marjorie Reynolds, and Dan Duryea star.

...A day of Val Lewton films on April 18th includes THE LEOPARD MAN (1943), starring Dennis O'Keefe, to whom I paid tribute on his birth date earlier this week.

...TCM celebrates Harold Lloyd's birthday on April 20th! There are many great films showing, but my favorite is GIRL SHY (1924), costarring Lloyd's sweet regular costar Jobyna Ralston.

...There's a night of classic Judy Garland on April 22nd, with a lineup of EASTER PARADE (1948), THE PIRATE (1938), SUMMER STOCK (1950), and IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME (1949), plus her guest appearances in WORDS AND MUSIC (1948), ZIEGFELD FOLLIES (1946), and TILL THE CLOUDS ROLL BY (1946).

...On Sunday evening, April 24th, there's a "blended families" theme with YOURS, MINE AND OURS (1968) followed by WITH SIX YOU GET EGGROLL (1968).

...It's John Ford day on April 25th! Take the day off and enjoy classics like STAGECOACH (1939), SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (1949), and WAGON MASTER (1950).

...Judy Garland month ends on April 29th, with A STAR IS BORN (1954), A CHILD IS WAITING (1962), JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG (1961), GAY PURR-EE (1962), and PEPE (1960).

...April closes with a prime time tribute to Ruth Hussey on April 30th, showcasing her work in THE UNINVITED (1944), H.M. PULHAM, ESQ. (1941), and THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940).

For more on TCM in April, please check the complete schedule.