Tonight's Movie in 2019: The Year in Review

Happy New Year!!

It's time once more for my annual look back at the movie viewing year that was! 2019 was yet another terrific year watching movies.

I saw 238 films in 2019. This was my lowest number in several years for a couple different reasons, including extensive time undergoing training for new equipment related to my business.

For comparison, I saw 282 films in 2018, 284 films in 2017, 275 in 2016, 310 movies in 2015 (my record to date!), 286 movies in 2014, 277 films in 2013, 220 in both 2012 and 2009, 226 in 2011, and 211 movies in 2010.

I saw 92 films in a theater this year, which equates to roughly 39% of my movie viewing. That's almost a match for last year, when 40% of my viewing was in a theater. I saw 116 big screen films in 2018, 102 in 2017, 75 in 2016, 115 in 2015, 78 in 2014, 50 in 2013, and 55 in 2012.

16 of my theatrical viewings were brand-new films, down from 24 new movies each of the last two years. More information on the new titles seen follows below.

81 of this year's 238 films were repeat watches, with 35 of those repeat viewings coming on a big screen. Oftentimes my repeat watches occured at film festivals or at one of the many great repertory theaters in the Greater Los Angeles area.

For comparison, in 2018 there were 92 repeat watches (a personal record), while in 2017 there were 68 repeat films, 62 in 2016, 76 in 2015, 68 in 2014, 41 in 2013, 36 in 2012 and 2009, 15 in 2011, and only 13 in 2010.

Each hyperlinked title in the survey which follows links to a past review. While it's not possible to list every single movie seen in 2019 or to go into extensive detail here, it's my ongoing hope that the linked reviews will provide inspiration and resources for future viewing.

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

Following my usual format, the next section of this post will look at some additional viewing stats, including films seen at festivals and lists of most-seen actors, while the final section of the post is a month-by-month review of additional notable titles not already mentioned.

Here's a look back at the movie viewing year which was 2019!

...I attended six film festivals this year, beginning with a pair of films at February's UCLA Festival of Preservation. At the festival I saw John Payne in THE CROOKED WAY (1949), originally reviewed here in 2013, and James Stewart in THE MORTAL STORM (1940). I didn't see as many films as I typically do at this biennial festival due to the new all-weekend format which featured widely disparate types of films, many of which were outside my areas of interest.

...In late March and early April I attended the Noir City Film Festival at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, where I saw a baker's dozen of movies. First-time watches at Noir City: TRAPPED (1950), THE FILE ON THELMA JORDON (1949), APPOINTMENT WITH DANGER (1950), SUDDEN FEAR (1952), PLAYGIRL (1954), HELL'S HALF ACRE (1954), THE MIDNIGHT STORY (1957), and MONKEY ON MY BACK (1957). I really appreciated all these films for different reasons and would be hard-pressed to choose a favorite.

...I also saw several previously reviewed films at this year's Noir City Film Festival: SHADOW ON THE WALL (1950), CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS (1953), 99 RIVER STREET (1953), THE BIG COMBO (1955), and A KISS BEFORE DYING (1956).

...At April's TCM Classic Film Festival I saw 15 films, six of which were new to me; it was also my first time to see three of the nine repeat films on a big screen. As usual for TCMFF, I didn't have time to review the films individually due to attending three back-to-back spring festivals in a very short time span. Titles seen at this year's festival: GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (1953), THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY-SOXER (1947), HIGH SOCIETY (1956), MY FAVORITE WIFE (1940), ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ (1979), TARZAN AND HIS MATE (1934), LOVE AFFAIR (1938), BLOOD MONEY (1933), SAMSON AND DELILAH (1949), HOLIDAY (1938), MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION (1954), THE KILLERS (1964), and THE DOLLY SISTERS (1946), plus the previously reviewed WINCHESTER '73 (1950) and WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE (1951). I also enjoyed a clip show on Republic Pictures serials at the festival.

...At the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival, held in early May in Palm Springs, I saw 11 films, four for the first time. New to me were: THE SCARLET HOUR (1956), ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW (1959), KING CREOLE (1958), and SHAKEDOWN (1950).

...Previously reviewed movies seen at the Arthur Lyons Fest were THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955), SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT (1946), FIVE FINGERS (1952), ALL MY SONS (1948), TRAPPED (1949), CALCUTTA (1947), and THE GLASS KEY (1942).

...On Labor Day weekend I returned to the Cinecon Festival at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, where I saw nine films, a two-reeler short, and a cartoon. I had seen one of the films, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE (1950), on TV many times growing up, but I'd not seen it for decades and never before in a theater; the other eight films were all brand-new to me: OH, MEN! OH, WOMEN! (1957), NIGHT OF MYSTERY (1937), THE SHAMROCK HANDICAP (1926), THE DELICIOUS LITTLE DEVIL (1919), MILLS OF THE GODS (1934), HIT PARADE OF 1941 (1940), CROOKED STREETS (1940), and CHATTERBOX (1943).

...As I have for the last several years, I traveled to Lone Pine in October for the Lone Pine Film Festival, this year celebrating its 30th anniversary. I saw nine films at the fest in 2019, eight of which were new to me: THE WAY WEST (1967), A DEMON FOR TROUBLE (1934), INDIAN AGENT (1948), MUSTANG COUNTRY (1976), HOP-A-LONG CASSIDY (1935), KING OF THE PECOS (1936), BLAZING DAYS (1927), and HOPALONG RIDES AGAIN (1937). I also saw the previously reviewed KING OF THE KHYBER RIFLES (1953) on a big screen for the first time.

...There were several other special screenings this year, including a few at UCLA's Billy Wilder Theater. At UCLA's Fay Wray + Robert Riskin series I saw MEET JOHN DOE (1941), THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (1932), IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934), and THE RICHEST GIRL IN THE WORLD (1934). A few weeks later I also saw a pair of pre-Codes at UCLA, THE SIGN OF THE CROSS (1932) and ONLY YESTERDAY (1933).

...In January I returned to the Autry for the first time since 2011, seeing CANYON PASSAGE (1946) in the museum's ongoing What is a Western? film series. I wrote about the screening both here and for Classic Movie Hub; additionally, my 2013 review of CANYON PASSAGE may be found here.

...A few weeks later I went back to the Autry to see THE TALL T (1957), originally reviewed in 2006; there's more about the screening described here.

...Last January I made my very first visit to the Hollywood Heritage Museum, where I saw 40 POUNDS OF TROUBLE (1962). That movie is particularly notable due to its extensive filming inside Disneyland.

...I also returned to Disney's El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood twice this year, enjoying SLEEPING BEAUTY (1959) and CINDERELLA (1950). I'd previously seen each of those titles at the same theater five and six and a half years ago, respectively.

...I made my second-ever trip to the Aero Theatre in September to see a Marlene Dietrich double bill, MOROCCO (1930) and SHANGHAI EXPRESS (1932). They were part of a series on pre-Codes and fashion hosted by Kimberly Truhler.

...In October I saw DODSWORTH (1936) at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater, part of a very special, star-studded tribute to the late Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne.

...In November I returned to the beautifully restored American Legion Post 43 Theatre in Hollywood, first visited during this year's TCM Classic Film Festival, for the screening of a restored 35mm print of THE RIGHT STUFF (1983). I look forward to attending more screenings at this gorgeous theater this year!

...Nitrate screenings seen in 2019 were THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY-SOXER (1947), SAMSON AND DELILAH (1949), and THE DOLLY SISTERS (1946) at the TCM Classic Film Festival, NIGHT OF MYSTERY (1937) (plus a cartoon, 1938's THE COBWEB HOTEL) at Cinecon, and REBECCA (1940) at the Egyptian Theatre.

...Feature-length documentaries seen last year: CHEF FLYNN (2018), THE GODDESSES OF FOOD (2016), APOLLO 11 (2019), and IMAGE MAKERS: THE ADVENTURES OF AMERICA'S PIONEER CINEMATOGRAPHERS (2019).

...I only saw six silent films this year, most thanks to film festivals: UNDERGROUND (1928), THE DELICIOUS LITTLE DEVIL (1919), CROOKED STREETS (1940), THE SHAMROCK HANDICAP (1926), BLAZING DAYS (1927), and the enchanting PETER PAN (1924). Seeing more silents is a good goal for 2020! I'd also like to see more foreign-language films, as I only saw two Japanese-language movies this year, which are noted in my monthly overview below.

...New movies seen in theaters in 2019 were: THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART (2019), CAPTAIN MARVEL (2019), SHAZAM! (2019), AVENGERS: ENDGAME (2019), POKEMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU (2019), TOY STORY 4 (2019), SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME (2019), FAST AND FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS & SHAW (2019), DOWNTON ABBEY (2019), MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL (2019), LAST CHRISTMAS (2019), FROZEN II (2019), FORD V. FERRARI (2019), MIDWAY (2019), JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL (2019), and LITTLE WOMEN (2019). I currently anticipate that my first theatrical film of 2020 will be STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (2019). (January 2nd Update: Here is that review!)

...Hallmark films enjoyed in 2019: CROWN FOR CHRISTMAS (2015), LOVE, OF COURSE (2018), and CHRISTMAS IN THE AIR (2017). My Hallmark count was way down this year, and I'd also like to make time to see more of these in 2020, as I always enjoy them.

...The worst picture I saw in 2019 was MADAME X (1966), a pointlessly depressing melodrama. Past "winners" in this category: HULLABALOO (1940) from my 2009 list, FORT BOWIE (1958) in 2011, INHERIT THE WIND (1960) in 2012, a tie between DAVY CROCKETT, INDIAN SCOUT (1950) and FLYING BLIND (1941) in 2013, FORT YUMA (1955) in 2014, THE ROBIN HOOD OF EL DORADO (1936) in 2015, MAKE MINE LAUGHS (1949) in 2016, DEJA VU (1985) in 2017, and GOLDIE GETS ALONG (1933) in 2018. Fortunately it's quite rare when I don't find at least some aspects of a film to enjoy!

...Robert Ryan was my most-seen actor in 2019, with half a dozen films. Two other big favorites, James Stewart and Joel McCrea, were seen in five films apiece.

...Seen in four films apiece this year: John Payne, George Brent, William Boyd, and Brian Donlevy.

...Also seen regularly in 2019, with three films apiece, were Clark Gable, Randolph Scott, Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis, Alan Ladd, Cary Grant, Bill Elliott, Gilbert Roland, Robert Young, Charles Laughton, and Clint Eastwood, who directed an additional film seen this year (SULLY, which I revisited via DVD). Hudson and Curtis only make the list of three titles due to their small roles in WINCHESTER '73 (1950)!

...It was a three-way tie for the most-seen actress of 2019, with Maureen O'Sullivan (seen here), Marlene Dietrich, and Virginia Grey each clocking in at five titles. That said, Grey only played a lead in one of those five films.

...Coming next, at four films apiece, were Ginger Rogers, Joan Blondell, and Shelley Winters. I find it amusing that both Dietrich and Winters rank so highly this year, given that they've definitely been an "acquired taste" for me!

...And with three titles apiece: Kay Francis, Joan Bennett, Anita Louise, Jean Arthur, Myrna Loy, Margaret Lindsay, Evelyn Keyes, Fay Wray, Barbara Rush, Mamie Van Doren, and Dame Judith Anderson.

...Below is a month-by-month look at some additional titles not already listed above which I found especially memorable viewing in 2019.

...January began with a New Year's Day viewing of the Warner Archive's beautiful new Blu-ray of Errol Flynn in THE SEA HAWK (1940)...I revisited a pair of beloved TV-movies from my teen years, YOUNG PIONEERS (1976) and YOUNG PIONEERS' CHRISTMAS (1976), thanks to Kino Lorber's new releases...I loved rewatching the delightful sci-fi classic THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (1951), which I first fell in love with in 2015; I think I smile through most of that movie!...Jane Russell and Jeff Chandler are eye-catching in the melodrama FOXFIRE (1955), another film I enjoyed revisiting...Thanks to a new three-film Mamie Van Doren set I saw THE GIRL IN BLACK STOCKINGS (1957), a fun mystery filmed on location at the Parry Lodge in Kanab, Utah...I hadn't seen FRONTIER GAL (1945), starring Yvonne DeCarlo and Rod Cameron, since I was a kid and loved its beautiful Technicolor...HER KIND OF MAN (1946) is a fun (and sometimes rather bonkers) Warner Bros. film with Dane Clark, Janis Paige, and Zachary Scott...and I enjoyed taking a fresh look at Joan Crawford and Jeff Chandler in FEMALE ON THE BEACH (1955).

...In February I enjoyed the gorgeous Technicolor of HEART OF THE NORTH (1938), starring Dick Foran...I also enjoyed stewardess Sally Eilers landing the plane in WITHOUT ORDERS (1936), a forerunner of similar "airplane films" to follow in the coming decades...Another fun revisit was Joel McCrea and Maureen O'Sullivan in the fast-paced WOMAN WANTED (1935), with O'Sullivan escaping an unjust criminal conviction...O'Sullivan was also the lead in one of my favorite Robert Montgomery films, the charming HIDE-OUT (1934)...and I enjoyed Arrow's beautiful Blu-ray release of the short, spooky suspense film MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS (1945).

...March brought another film from the Van Doren set, the fun GUNS, GIRLS AND GANGSTERS (1959)...Ginger Rogers was amusing as a goody-goody radio star who wants to cut loose in PROFESSIONAL SWEETHEART (1933)...I loved DESERT FURY (1947), a weird yet fascinating film with Burt Lancaster and Lizabeth Scott in gorgeous Technicolor...I always enjoy watching Susan Peters, seen in March in ASSIGNMENT IN BRITTANY (1943), which was based on a suspense novel by Helen MacInnes...and the comedy SNOWED UNDER (1936) is delightful, with a cast which includes George Brent, Genevieve Tobin, and Glenda Farrell.

...There wasn't much viewing outside of the Noir City and TCM Film Festivals in April, but I did make it to a local theater for my first viewing of Hayao Miyazaki's HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE (2004)...I also finished the Mamie Van Doren set with VICE RAID (1959).

...May featured another film festival, the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival, but my home viewing picked back up, starting with the Blu-ray release of one of my favorite Westerns, BEND OF THE RIVER (1952), starring James Stewart...I liked the "behind the scenes in Hollywood" angle of STAND-IN (1937), starring Leslie Howard and Joan Blondell...THE LAND UNKNOWN (1957) was a sci-fi adventure with Jock Mahoney...Arrow released a beautiful Blu-ray of a favorite suspense film, John Farrow's THE BIG CLOCK (1948), starring Ray Milland and Maureen O'Sullivan...THE MIAMI STORY (1954) was a favorite film this year, maybe nothing special but I love Barry Sullivan and Beverly Garland, who had good chemistry...Diane Lane was charming in Eleanor Coppola's late-life directorial debut, PARIS CAN WAIT (2016)...and Beverly Garland was seen again, along with "Wild Bill" Elliott, in the entertaining Western BITTER CREEK (1954).

...In June I revisited George Brent and Brenda Marshall in SOUTH OF SUEZ (1940), which has a marvelous supporting performance by Eric Blore...I had an absolutely wonderful time watching Gene Kelly and Judy Garland in SUMMER STOCK (1950) for the first time in years...TWICE BLESSED (1945) is a favorite MGM "B" movie, a forerunner of THE PARENT TRAP (1961) with Preston Foster and Gail Patrick as the divorced parents of identical twins (Lyn and Lee Wilde)...RETURN OF THE FRONTIERSMAN (1950) was a solid Western with Gordon MacRae, Julie London, and Rory Calhoun...I enjoyed Anne Shirley and James Craig in UNEXPECTED UNCLE (1941), with Charles Coburn in the title role, a practice run for his Oscar-winning performance in THE MORE THE MERRIER (1943)...THE PAINTED DESERT (1931) was an interesting Western with William Boyd and Clark Gable, before Boyd became Hopalong Cassidy and before Gable hit the big time...I hadn't seen a new-to-me film directed by Yasujiro Ozu all year and watched AN AUTUMN AFTERNOON (1962), which was as good as his films always are.

...My July 4th holiday break included Tom Cruise in the original MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE (1996) film; I'm looking forward to catching more in that series...I really enjoyed GLAMOUR FOR SALE (1940), a 60-minute "B" movie starring Anita Louise...I saw Humphrey Bogart in ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT (1942) for the first time; Runyonesque gangsters versus the Nazis was a very different concept...HOT CARS (1956) was a very enjoyable "B" film which, like GLAMOUR FOR SALE, was only an hour long...Madge Evans was excellent in the pre-Code melodrama BEAUTY FOR SALE (1933), where her heroine is courted by a married man (Otto Kruger)...THE MAN WHO FOUND HIMSELF (1937) is another very enjoyable "B" film, with Joan Fontaine as a nurse who helps a troubled doctor (John Beal) put his life back together...Constance Bennett was excellent in OUR BETTERS (1933), a pre-Code comedy-drama about life among the British upper crust, which Anita Louise discovers is not all it's cracked up to be...I loved spending time with James Stewart and Dan Duryea when I revisited THUNDER BAY (1953)...and while traveling I enjoyed streaming THE HARDYS RIDE HIGH (1939), which included brief guest appearances by favorites Marsha Hunt and Virginia Grey.

...August led off with 3 CHEERS FOR THE IRISH (1940), starring the adorable Dennis Morgan and Priscilla Lane...FOOTLIGHT PARADE (1933) is one of my favorite musicals, and I loved the chance to see it on the new Blu-ray from the Warner Archive...The first time I saw HOLD BACK THE DAWN (1941) years ago I had to watch it in chapters, on YouTube. What a thrill to now be able to watch it anytime I'd like in the gorgeous new Blu-ray from Arrow Academy!...I'm a huge Doris Day fan yet had never seen MIDNIGHT LACE (1960) before. Finally caught up with it!...EASY LIVING (1937) with Jean Arthur and Ray Milland is one of my all-time favorite comedies, so I was happy to see it again in August...Preston Foster is marvelous in the very good "B" mystery DOUBLE DANGER (1938), one of the films that made me a fan of his...Warner Archive released a gorgeous new Blu-ray of THE THIN MAN (1934) which made a perfect film even better.

...September began with an excellent Bill Elliott Western, the saga WYOMING (1947)...Edmund Lowe and Madge Evans were a delightful team in the thriller ESPIONAGE (1937)...One of my all-time favorite films, WAGON MASTER (1950), came out on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive; I can never see that movie too many times!...It was surprising watching Jeanne Crain as a villainess in MAN WITHOUT A STAR (1955)...I liked Billy Wilder's A FOREIGN AFFAIR (1948) much better on this second viewing, proving the value of sometimes revisiting films I didn't care for the first time around...The recent film MARSHALL (2017), starring Chadwick Boseman, was an engrossing legal drama...I watched the snowy Western DAY OF THE OUTLAW (1959) for the second time in a year and enjoyed it just as much this time around...I loved COUNTERSPY MEETS SCOTLAND YARD (1950), a somewhat silly yet completely entertaining "B" film which is just "my" kind of movie...and I really enjoyed seeing John Wayne, Randolph Scott, and Marlene Dietrich for the first time in THE SPOILERS (1942), a very good film.

...October started with one of my all-time favorite comedies, James Garner in SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF! (1969)...Walter Matthau had a memorable role in MIRAGE (1965), also starring Gregory Peck and Diane Baker...Arrow Academy continued its string of superb, extras-laden releases with the classic comedy THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR (1942), starring Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland...While I was in Lone Pine I streamed Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson in THE HIGHWAYMEN (2019) when I wasn't otherwise occupied watching Westerns; the story of the retired Texas lawmen who ended Bonnie and Clyde's reign of terror was excellent...I also loved the offbeat BRONCO BILLY (1980), about a runaway heiress (Sondra Locke) and an ersatz "family" of carnival workers, starring and directed by Clint Eastwood...NEVER FEAR (1950) was one of a couple films seen this year directed by Ida Lupino, starring Sally Forrest and Keefe Brasselle...I caught up with Angelina Jolie as MALEFICENT (2014) and found it much more enjoyable than I'd anticipated.

...In November I saw PITTSBURGH (1942), another film with John Wayne, Randolph Scott, and Marlene Dietrich...THE HOUSE ON 56TH STREET (1933) was a superior pre-Code melodrama with Kay Francis...NOT WANTED (1949) was the next Lupino-Forrest-Brasselle film I saw...Lupino starred with Stephen McNally and Howard Duff in the enjoyable Universal Pictures film WOMAN IN HIDING (1950)...I revisited Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in SWING TIME (1936) for the first time in a number of years and was blown away all over again by their great "Never Gonna Dance"...Preston Sturges' CHRISTMAS IN JULY (1940), starring Dick Powell and Ellen Drew, is a charmer...CHARLEY VARRICK (1973), with Walter Matthau in the title role, was every bit as engrossing this time around as it was when I first saw it a couple years ago.

...December has been a busy month but I enjoyed revisiting James Stewart in Anthony Mann's THE FAR COUNTRY (1954)...I also saw Robert Ryan for the very first time in Robert Wise's THE SET-UP (1949)...at Christmas I rewatched the British holiday drama THE HOLLY AND THE IVY (1952) for the first time in a few years...and I also watched TRAPPED (1949) for the third time this year, thanks to the wonderful new Blu-ray from Flicker Alley/Film Noir Foundation/UCLA Film & Television Archive.

...Coming soon: My annual Favorite Discoveries piece for Rupert Pupkin Speaks. I'll be adding the link here as soon as that post is up! (March 5th Update: Here is the list!)

...I also anticipate my annual "year in review" movie poster video will be ready later in January. (February 4th Update: The video is now posted!)

...This past year I was delighted to continue contributing a monthly Westerns column for the terrific Classic Movie Hub site. My Western Roundup columns may be found here.

As always, I'd like to sincerely thank everyone who visits this blog, both occasional visitors and "regulars." Your readership, friendship, and support are all appreciated more by me with every passing year.

I wish everyone health, happiness, and many wonderful movies in 2020!

Previously: Tonight's Movie in 2009: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2010: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2011: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2012: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2013: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2014: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2015: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2016: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2017: The Year in Review; Tonight's Movie in 2018: The Year in Review.

A Birthday Tribute to Dana Andrews

Note: The fine actor Dana Andrews, always a big favorite of this writer, was born on January 1st, 1909.

This post honoring Andrews on his birthday is adapted from a post I wrote for ClassicFlix in 2014. It focuses on a dozen recommended Andrews films. Click any hyperlinked title to read a full review.

Dana Andrews was born Carver Dana Andrews on New Year's Day, 1909, in Mississippi. He was a preacher's son, one of a large family which would eventually include his little brother, actor Steve Forrest, who was born William Andrews when Dana was 16.

Dana came to California in the early '30s, intent on being an actor. He worked in a variety of jobs, and in the mid-'30s a pair of Van Nuys businessmen he knew took the unusual step of "investing" in Dana, supporting him while he took acting and singing lessons and appeared at the Pasadena Playhouse.

In 1938 Dana landed a screen test with Samuel Goldwyn, which was a success, and he signed his first movie contract. He first appeared on-screen in 1940 and moved up through the acting ranks fairly quickly; within five years of signing his contract Dana had fully repaid his mentors, who he said saw a 300% return on the faith they had placed in him.

Goldwyn sold half of Dana's contract to 20th Century-Fox. His film credits for both studios include a number of excellent films, including enduring classics such as LAURA (1944), STATE FAIR (1945), and THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946).

Throughout much of his career Dana struggled with alcoholism, and in retrospect it's somewhat remarkable he achieved such a durable career despite the problem; he also found time to serve as President of the Screen Actors Guild starting in 1963. When he achieved sobriety once and for all, he took the then-unusual step in 1972 of making public service announcements about drinking and driving for the Department of Transportation.

Dana's first marriage ended tragically in 1935, when his wife Janet died a few days after giving birth to a child who didn't live. Janet was just 27, leaving Dana to raise their young son. Four years later he wed Mary Todd, a union which would last until his death; he and Mary had three children.

Dana spent his last years in an Alzheimer's facility in Los Alamitos, California, where he passed away on December 17, 1992.

A fine biography of Andrews by Carl Rollyson was published in 2012 by the University Press of Mississippi. It was written with the cooperation of the Andrews family and includes an impressive amount of primary source research.

Andrews' career includes many highly regarded films such as THE OX-BOX INCIDENT (1943), THE PURPLE HEART (1944), and A WALK IN THE SUN (1945). Indeed, his filmography of the '40s and early '50s, in particular, is so strong it's difficult to choose which titles to discuss! What follows is a list of a dozen personal recommended favorites starring Dana Andrews, all of which are available on DVD.

CRASH DIVE (1943) - A patriotic wartime film with Dana and Tyrone Power playing friends and romantic rivals for Anne Baxter filmed in gorgeous Fox Technicolor; it looks so great it could even be enjoyed with the sound off!

WING AND A PRAYER (1944) - An engrossing war film set aboard an aircraft carrier, with Dana as a flight squadron leader who must deal with the stern flight commander (Don Ameche) on the one hand and leading his men on the other.

LAURA (1944) - The quintessential Dana Andrews role, playing an impassive detective who falls in love with the portrait of a murder victim (Gene Tierney). Every aspect of this film is perfection; classic Hollywood doesn't get any better than this. He reunited with Gene Tierney in THE IRON CURTAIN (1948) and WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS (1950).

STATE FAIR (1945) - One of the truly charming films of the '40s, with an original Rodgers and Hammerstein score which produced the Oscar winner "It Might As Well Be Spring." Dana plays Pat, a newspaper reporter who falls for lovely young Margy Frake (Jeanne Crain) at the state fair. A little-known fact is Andrews had a trained singing voice, but he chose not to mention it to the studio; legend has it he figured the man dubbing him (Ben Gage) could use the work! Andrews worked with Crain again in DUEL IN THE JUNGLE (1954), MADISON AVENUE (1962), and HOT RODS TO HELL (1967).

FALLEN ANGEL (1945) - One of the essential film noir titles of the '40s, in which Dana's wanderer lusts after Linda Darnell but marries Alice Faye for her money. A great film, shot partly on location in Orange, California.

CANYON PASSAGE (1946) - This Western directed by Dana's friend Jacques Tourneur has justly grown in reputation in recent years, a beautifully staged observation of a frontier community in the Pacific Northwest, filmed in lush Technicolor with a marvelous cast including Susan Hayward, Brian Donlevy, and British actress Patricia Roc.

THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946) - One of the key films of its decade, this look at the transition of three veterans into postwar life won multiple Oscars, including Best Picture. Dana's scene in a plane graveyard is one of the film's greatest moments.

BOOMERANG! (1947) - An interesting "docu-noir" directed by Elia Kazan. Filmed on location in Connecticut, Andrews plays a state prosecutor under political pressure to prosecute a suspect in the murder of an Episcopal priest. In adhering to the prosecutor's duty to seek justice, rather than a conviction, Andrews' character up-ends a community.

DEEP WATERS (1948) - An unsung Andrews film deserving of rediscovery, DEEP WATERS is a lovely, relatively unknown piece of Americana directed by Henry King. Dana plays a Maine lobster fisherman whose fiancee (Jean Peters) prefers he remain safe on shore working as an architect. Cesar Romero is his partner, and Dean Stockwell plays an orphaned boy who comes into everyone's lives. Beautiful location shooting.

THE FROGMEN (1951) - An exciting film about conflict amidst the members of a WWII underwater demolition team, with Andrews clashing with the "by the book" attitude of his new commanding officer (Richard Widmark). Both actors are excellent as two talented but edgy men with difficult jobs.

WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS (1956) - Fritz Lang's "newspaper noir," with Andrews headlining a great cast including Ida Lupino and George Sanders, both seen here. Andrews plays a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and TV commentator.

ZERO HOUR! (1957) - Dana reunited with his FALLEN ANGEL co-star, Linda Darnell, in this story which finds Dana unexpectedly piloting a plane when the pilots are knocked out by food poisoning. It's a highly entertaining film which is also a bit of a camp classic -- much of the dialogue was used, unchanged, in the comedy AIRPLANE! (1980) -- yet somehow Dana emerges with his dignity intact. And truth to tell, the more I see this film, the more seriously I take it! It's a real nail biter, even if some of the lines are unintentionally amusing.

This post is adapted from an article originally published by ClassicFlix in 2014.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all my readers!

Here's the beloved Doris Day ringing in the New Year in 1951. We lost Doris this past year, but thankfully she left her music and movies with us to enjoy forever.

I hope everyone who reads this enjoys a very happy and healthy 2020 filled with favorite things!

Previous classic film New Year's photos: Joan Leslie, Anita Louise, Dorothy Patrick, Mona Freeman, Joan Caulfield, Esther Williams, and Ann Blyth.

TCM in January: Highlights

Happy New Year! And very best wishes to all my readers for a happy and healthy 2020.

This month on Turner Classic Movies Patricia Neal will be the January Star of the Month. 16 of Neal's films plus a short are scheduled to screen over the course of Tuesday evenings this month. Please note there will not be a separate Star of the Month post this month.

On Wednesday evenings this month's TCM Spotlight will be focused on the Roaring 20s. Nearly two dozen films will look at gangsters, Prohibition, speakeasies, and flappers over the course of January.

The January Noir Alley titles will be THE BIG SLEEP (1946) on January 4th and 5th, BIG NIGHT (1951) on the 11th and 12th, THE CAPTIVE CITY (1952) on January 18th and 19th, and TRY AND GET ME (1950), also known as THE SOUND OF FURY, on January 25th and 26th.

Here are a few more titles of interest from the January schedule. Please click any hyperlinked title for an extended review.

...New Year's Day features sci-fi films including the entertaining and colorful WORLD WITHOUT END (1956). The cast includes Hugh Marlowe, Rod Taylor, and Nancy Gates.

...I SHOT JESSE JAMES (1949) is a very interesting Western written and directed by Samuel Fuller, starring John Ireland, Preston Foster, and Barbara Britton. It's on in the early morning hours of January 3rd. Worth checking out.

...Anthony Mann's excellent "French Revolution noir," THE BLACK BOOK (aka REIGN OF TERROR) (1949) airs later in the day on January 3rd. Robert Cummings and Arlene Dahl lead a terrific cast.

...The superb KISS OF DEATH (1947), starring Victor Mature, Coleen Gray, Richard Widmark, and Brian Donlevy, airs on TCM late on Saturday evening, January 4th. This is a big favorite of mine which I've seen numerous times over the last several years.

...I recently revisited the Billy Wilder comedy THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR (1942) when it was released on Blu-ray by Arrow. For anyone who won't have the chance to see that excellent disc in the near future, the movie is airing on TCM January 5th. Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland star, with a delightful supporting turn by Diana Lynn. Lynn, who was also a gifted pianist, also had a wonderful part in another great comedy a couple years later, THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN'S CREEK (1944).

...I know very little about it, but there's a documentary titled SCANDAL: THE TRIAL OF MARY ASTOR (2018) airing twice on January 6th, along with several films starring Astor. TCM has more details posted at their site.

...The first evening of Patricia Neal's Star of the Month films on January 7th include THE FOUNTAINHEAD (1949) with Gary Cooper and a pair of films with Ronald Reagan, JOHN LOVES MARY (1949) and THE HASTY HEART (1950).

...I love that TCM regularly celebrates the January 9th birthday of actress Anita Louise. Nine of her films will be shown that date. I particularly enjoyed FIRST LADY (1937), also starring Kay Francis and Preston Foster, and PERSONAL MAID'S SECRET (1935), a gem of a "B" film which runs just 58 minutes.

...January 10th is one of those days to sit on the couch in front of the TV and not move! The schedule includes two of my all-time favorite films, ARMORED CAR ROBBERY (1950) and ANGEL AND THE BADMAN (1947); a pair of very enjoyable Warner Bros. films with Zachary Scott, DANGER SIGNAL (1945) and FLAMINGO ROAD (1949), and an evening of Douglas Sirk films including ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS (1957). Enjoy!

...Marion Davies is delightful in the silent comedy SHOW PEOPLE (1928), a Hollywood tale which I saw with a live orchestra at the 2018 TCM Classic Film Festival. It's on January 13th.

...NOAH'S ARK (1928) is a fascinating mashup of WWI film and Biblical epic; it's also part silent, part talkie. George O'Brien stars, directed by Michael Curtiz. The air date is January 15th.

...I've never seen AFFAIR WITH A STRANGER (1953), but with Victor Mature and Jean Simmons in the leads, I definitely need to give it a look. It will be shown January 16th.

...Another fantastic day on TCM on January 19th includes the great noir BORN TO KILL (1947), the classic comedy ALL ABOUT EVE (1950), and an entire evening of Harold Lloyd's silent shorts!

...There's another great film from Anthony Mann on January 20th, THE TALL TARGET (1951). Dick Powell plays a New York police detective desperately trying to stop the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1861. The action is set on a train, and the lighting, as filmed by Paul Vogel, is superb.

...A day of Conrad Veidt films on January 22nd includes ABOVE SUSPICION (1943), a WWII suspense film with Joan Crawford and Fred MacMurray as newlyweds tasked with a mission from the British Foreign Office while honeymooning in "Southern Germany" (Austria). Based on a novel by Helen MacInnes, it's not a perfect film, but I found it pleasantly entertaining when I watched it nearly a decade ago.

...There are a pair of entertaining Westerns on January 23rd, Tim Holt's STORM OVER WYOMING (1950) and THE PAINTED DESERT (1931) starring William Boyd and a young Clark Gable.

...NIGHT WAITRESS (1936) is one of a large number of "B" films I've watched which were directed by Lew Landers, who knew how to get the most out of his material and make it as entertaining as possible. Margot Grahame and Gordon Jones star on January 25th.

...Deanna Durbin receives a prime time tribute on January 26th, with showings of THREE SMART GIRLS (1936) and IT'S A DATE (1940), along with the short she made with Judy Garland, EVERY SUNDAY (1936).

...A lineup of titles featuring plastic surgery includes HOLLOW TRIUMPH (1948), aka THE SCAR, starring Paul Henreid and Joan Bennett. It's quite entertaining; check it out on the 30th.

For more information on TCM in January 2020, please visit the complete schedule along with my previous post Quick Preview of TCM in January.

Wishing everyone a great year of movie viewing in 2020!

Tonight's Movie: Adventure (1945) - A Warner Archive DVD

Clark Gable and Greer Garson star in ADVENTURE (1945), available on DVD from the Warner Archive.

ADVENTURE was Gable's first film after serving in World War II, and the poster art was well known for the line "Gable's back and Garson's got him!" Alas, that may be the most memorable thing about this confusing, slow-moving 125-minute film.

Gable plays Harry Patterson, a bosun in the Merchant Marine. After his ship is torpedoed Harry and the surviving crew, including his pal Mudgin (Thomas Mitchell), arrive in San Francisco.

Harry chances to meet Emily (Garson), a reserved librarian who's his polar opposite. The two clash repeatedly -- in part as she's jealous of his flirtation with her roommate Helen (Joan Blondell) -- then abruptly decide they're in love and head for Reno to get married.

Despite the marriage, Harry doesn't want to be tied down and is soon off to sea, while Emily reconsiders the wisdom of their impulsive wedding. Is it enough to have a husband she'll only see for a few days a year? Meanwhile at sea, Harry is discovering that what he wants from life has changed due to his marriage...and back home, Emily discovers she's going to have a baby.

I knew from my reading over the years that ADVENTURE was a film considered to have problems, but given the excellent cast and the director (Victor Fleming), I nonetheless anticipated that the film would be a mildly entertaining diversion of the 2-1/2 star variety. To my surprise, it wasn't even that good.

This is one of those films where you can't help wondering what on earth the filmmakers were thinking and why some of the bright people at MGM who turned out so many good films couldn't find a way to do more with this one. At the very least, they could have edited the interminable opening half hour way, way down; the movie should be a good half hour shorter than the final cut. There's a lot of confusing mumbo jumbo in that first 30 minutes about saving souls which goes pretty much nowhere, and the film also manages to make a ship being torpedoed completely devoid of drama or excitement.

The film is so slow-paced that Garson doesn't even show up in the film until 24 minutes in, and when she does appear she and Gable spend at least 20 minutes bickering. When I started fighting to stay awake at the 45-minute mark, I was incredulous to realize that there was an hour and 20 minutes of movie still to go.

In the movie's defense, it does pick up speed after that first miserable 45 minutes, starting around the time that Emily takes Harry and Helen to visit her childhood home in the country. Once Emily and Harry's relationship is front and center it becomes more interesting, though the film unfortunately fights to keep them conflicted and apart for as long as possible. The last hour of the movie saves it from being a complete waste, but this is no more than a two-star movie, or maybe 1-1/2.

I don't think there's any problem with Gable and Garson's chemistry, as some of my past reading has suggested, simply their material. I do think Gable and Garson would have done much better together if the script had been more lighthearted, taking advantage of the wonderful twinkle in each of their eyes when they're having fun; I don't count the attempts at comedy in this film as anything genuinely funny.

The supporting cast includes the lively Lina Romay, who also sang with Xavier Cugat's band in films such as YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER (1942). Philip Merivale, Tom Tully, Richard Haydn, Harry Davenport, and John Qualen are also in the film. Small roles are played by Audrey Totter, Barbara Billingsley, Morris Ankrum, Esther Howard, Ray Teal, and Pierre Watkin.

A great many people worked on the story and script, including Adela Rogers St. John, Casey Robinson, and Sam Zimbalist. Definitely too many cooks trying desperately to save a sinking ship, or something like that.

The film was shot in black and white by Joseph Ruttenberg.

ADVENTURE was released by the Warner Archive several years ago, but since everything from the Archive is available "on demand," older titles continue to remain as easily available as new releases.

The Warner Archive DVD includes the trailer. The print and sound quality are fine.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD. Warner Archive releases are MOD (manufactured on demand) and may be ordered from the Warner Archive Collection at the WBShop or from any online retailers where DVDs and Blu-rays are sold.