Tonight's Movie: Jesse Stone: Night Passage (2006)

A few weeks ago I watched the first JESSE STONE movie, STONE COLD (2005), and liked it very much. Tonight I watched the second film in the series, JESSE STONE: NIGHT PASSAGE (2006), which was also excellent.

Somewhat curiously, although NIGHT PASSAGE was filmed after STONE COLD, it's actually a prequel setting up how Jesse was hired as police chief in Paradise, Massachusetts. Jesse has been emotionally wounded by a divorce and drinks too much, but he's also a smart, cagey cop. He may be just what Paradise needs, and vice versa.

It was fun to go back in time and watch Jesse getting to know the supporting characters who were such a big part of STONE COLD. Selleck is terrific, and so is his dialogue. The murder story is interesting enough, but the film is for the most part a character study depicting Jesse getting to know his new beat while battling his demons, including alcohol.

The fine ensemble cast includes Polly Shannon, Kohl Sudduth, Vito Rezza, Stephen McHattie, and John Beale as Stone's friends and colleagues.

Viola Davis, who plays cop Molly Crane, was Oscar-nominated for DOUBT (2008). Alas, it looks like as her career took off she left the STONE franchise; her last film in the series was SEA CHANGE (2007).

Stephen Baldwin -- one of those Baldwin brothers -- is an extremely creepy villain. Watching him playing such a scary weirdo, it's a bit hard to believe that in real life Stephen Baldwin has become very involved with Christian ministries. Saul Rubinek (Donny from FRASIER) is a more hapless bad guy, who will reappear in later STONE movies.

The movie has striking cinematography and locations. Halifax, Nova Scotia, stands in for coastal Massachusetts.

NIGHT PASSAGE was directed by Robert Harmon, who has helmed all of the Stone movies to date. The running time is 96 minutes.

JESSE STONE: NIGHT PASSAGE is available on DVD.

Here's a nice interview with Tom Selleck published when the latest STONE movie debuted last month.

There are four additional STONE TV-movies which have aired thus far, and a couple more are on the way. I'm very much looking forward to seeing the rest of this well-made series and am curious to see how Jesse's life evolves over time.

Tonight's Movie: Stone Cold (2005)

My dad recently started watching Tom Selleck's JESSE STONE TV-movies, based on books by the late Robert B. Parker, and sent me the first film in the series, STONE COLD. I began watching it late last evening, intending to watch the first 30 or 40 minutes, but I couldn't wait to find out how it ended and stayed up way too late. It was worth the lost sleep.

Jesse Stone (Tom Selleck), a former member of the LAPD, is now the police chief of the small coastal town of Paradise, Massachusetts. Jesse broods over his ex-wife and drinks far too much Scotch, but he's a good cop with a small but devoted staff. Jesse and the Paradise PD are tested to the breaking point by a serial killer which terrorizes the community.

Selleck is terrific as the taciturn, hard-boiled cop who says as little as possible but is clearly a softy deep inside, as evidenced by the way he cares for a murder victim's dog. (The dog, Reggie, is adorable...I want one!) Stone also has a very sensitive touch when dealing with a teenaged rape victim. Stone may not be talkative, but he knows what he's doing and has become an integral part of Paradise.

The film abounds in the sarcastic dialogue at which Selleck excels. If this had been a '40s film noir, Robert Mitchum would have played the part...but Selleck is perfect.

Halifax, Nova Scotia, stands in for Massachusetts. (Ironically, Halifax was the setting for last Friday night's thriller, YELLOW CANARY.) One of the film's greatest assets is the way it captures the cold chill and stark beauty of a small coastal New England town.

The cast includes Kohl Sudduth, Viola Davis, Vito Rezza, and Stephen McHattie as Stone's police colleagues. Mimi Rogers, Polly Shannon, and Alexis Dziena are also in the cast. The killers (don't worry, they're known from virtually the beginning of the movie) are Reg Rogers and Jane Adams; FRASIER fans may remember Adams from several episodes as Mel.

There are five additional films, including the latest title, NO REMORSE, which will air in May. The second film in the series, NIGHT PASSAGE, is actually a prequel to STONE COLD.

This film was directed by Robert Harmon, who has directed the other films in the series. It runs 87 minutes.

Parental advisory: This fairly gritty film is not for the younger set. Although it was originally a TV-movie, the box indicates an R rating; however, I suspect much of the content is not a lot stronger than is currently seen in some episodes of primetime series such as NCIS or BONES.

STONE COLD is available on DVD. A trailer is available at IMDb, but those who don't like spoilers should skip it, as it gives away pretty much every single plot point.

Recommended for fans of Tom Selleck, mysteries, and small-town New England. I'm looking forward to continuing the series soon.

Tonight's Movie: Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise (2006)

JESSE STONE: DEATH IN PARADISE is a terrific third entry in this series of TV-movies starring Tom Selleck.

DEATH IN PARADISE, which follows STONE COLD (2005) and NIGHT PASSAGE (2006), finds Chief Stone investigating the murder of a young girl whose body is found in a lake. Simultaneously the chief and his staff aid an abused wife.

The STONE series continues to be an absorbing portrait of a man battling his inner demons while trying to help others. Selleck is superb; he completely owns the role, just as he did the more lighthearted Magnum (a character who periodically revealed his own much more suppressed inner demons). The supporting cast is excellent, including returning regulars Viola Davis, Kohl Sudduth, Vito Rezza, Stephen McHattie, and John Beale, not to mention Joe the Dog, who returns as the loyal Reggie.

William Devane joins the series as Dr. Dix, a shrink Jesse visits about his drinking issues. He's terrific, and it's great knowing he returns in later films in the series.

Robert Harmon directs this film; he has directed all of the films in this series to date. The screenplay was cowritten by Tom Selleck, J.T. Allen, and Michael Brandman. Selleck also worked on the story or screenplay for two other films in the series.

JESSE STONE: DEATH IN PARADISE is available on DVD. The running time is 87 minutes.

I would venture to say that this series of TV-movies is more thoughtfully crafted and far more entertaining than a large percentage of the films currently being released in theaters. Highly recommended.

Tonight's Movie: Jesse Stone: Sea Change (2007)

Monday night's JESSE STONE film, DEATH IN PARADISE (2006), ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, so we wanted to move on right away to the next film, SEA CHANGE. The fourth film in the series proved to be another excellent entry.

This time around Jesse (Tom Selleck) is bored with writing parking tickets in sleepy Paradise, and he continues to struggle with his separation from his ex-wife. Jesse distracts himself by reopening a cold murder case, which has unexpected repercussions.

Regulars Kohl Sudduth, Vito Rezza, Stephen McHattie, John Beale, and William Devane return, along with Joe the Dog as Reggie. Sudduth has some particularly funny scenes and is an appealing comedic talent who provides the film with needed levity. Viola Davis, who was transitioning out of the series, appears in one scene. (She would go on to an Oscar-nominated role in 2008's DOUBT.) Kathy Baker joins the cast as Rose, a member of the Paradise PD.

Saul Rubinek reappears as a jailed criminal first seen in NIGHT PASSAGE. William Sadler's character, mobster Gino Fish, appears in later STONE films.

The film includes a beautiful one-scene appearance by the great character actor James Gammon, who passed away last month.

Sean Young, Rebecca Pidgeon, and Mika Boorem are also in the cast.

STONE fans should be sure to read this Selleck interview. Selleck provides a great deal of interesting background information on the series.

Like the other STONE films, SEA CHANGE was directed by Robert Harmon. It runs 89 minutes.

This movie is available on DVD.

Next up in the series: THIN ICE (2009) and NO REMORSE (2010).

Tonight's Movie: Alias Jesse James (1959) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

Bob Hope stars in ALIAS JESSE JAMES (1959), which will be released on Blu-ray next week by Kino Lorber.

By coincidence this is one of two "ALIAS" titles being released in the Kino Lorber Studio Classics line this month; the other is ALIAS NICK BEAL (1949) starring Ray Milland.

ALIAS JESSE JAMES is an amusing trifle which finds Hope playing Milford Farnsworth, a hapless New York insurance salesman in the 19th century. Milford is being let go by his company due to his lack of success, when suddenly he meets a man (Wendell Corey) who agrees to pay cash for a $100,000 life insurance policy.

Milford's boss (Will Wright) is thrilled...until he picks up a newspaper and realizes Milford has just sold a life insurance policy to Jesse James, a man likely to be gunned down at any moment!

Milford is told to follow James west and buy back the life insurance policy as quickly as possible so that the company can avoid the inevitable $100,000 payout. Jesse, however, has a plan: He lends Milford his clothes, thinking he can pass him off as "Jesse" and have him bumped off in his place; Jesse's fiancee Cora Lee (Rhonda Fleming) will cash in the policy, and they'll live happily ever after.

Jesse isn't counting on Cora Lee falling for Milford, however...nor does he expect the high-powered help Milford receives from a slew of Western stars in the final shootout!

I found this an enjoyable Hope film. While I prefer him in relatively small doses, I always like to check out his films for the supporting casts, especially as he worked opposite some wonderful leading ladies. Indeed, Fleming is quite delightful in this as the smitten Cora Lee; Fleming's fans should really enjoy her in it. She also has the chance to sing a nice number with Hope at a barbecue which is one of the best scenes in the movie.

It's also rather a fun joke that Wendell Corey, a good actor normally identified with more milquetoast roles, is cast as the dangerous Jesse James. Corey seems to be having a terrific time with the part, playing Jesse as a rather dimwitted type, and I really enjoyed him.

The other big plus is the finale with nine TV and movie Western stars edited in to help Milford mow down the bad guys. I'll leave their identities to be discovered by viewers, but will mention that at some point James Garner's Bret Maverick is said to have been in the film but was edited out.

Jim Davis plays Jesse's brother, Frank James. Mary Young as the oddball Ma James lends the Jameses a sort of bizarre ADDAMS FAMILY style twist.

A host of familiar faces fill out the supporting cast, including Glenn Strange, Gloria Talbott, Fred Kohler Jr., George E. Stone, Iron Eyes Cody, and Emory Parnell, to name a few.

ALIAS JESSE JAMES runs 92 minutes. It was directed by Norman Z. McLeod and filmed by Lionel Lindon. The screenplay was cowritten by William Bowers and Daniel B. Beauchamps from a story by Robert St. Aubrey and Bert Lawrence. Bowers, who always had a way with sharp, witty dialogue, also cowrote last week's film THE WEB (1947).

The Blu-ray picture for the most part is quite sharp and attractive, with redheaded Fleming looking particularly lovely. Sound quality is excellent. The lone extras are the trailer and 13 additional trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber, most starring Hope.

Hope fans may wish to know that ALIAS JESSE JAMES is one of a number of the comedian's films released by Kino Lorber in recent months. The most recent Hope releases include CAUGHT IN THE DRAFT (1941), NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (1941), and MY FAVORITE BLONDE (1942).

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

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...At 50 Westerns From the 50s Toby has the rundown on an eight-film set of Wild Bill Elliott Westerns coming in October from the Warner Archive.

...Will McKinley covers the 53rd New York Film Festival's classic film screenings at his blog Cinematically Insane. I'd love to see the restored DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK (1939), which was a childhood favorite and I'm sure the first John Ford movie I ever saw.

...The plot of THEIR FINEST HOUR AND A HALF sounds interesting, depicting "the misadventures of a British movie crew trying to make a patriotic film to boost morale during the Blitz." The cast includes Diana Rigg's daughter, Rachael Stirling, and John Huston's grandson Jack.

...Here's Leonard Maltin's latest list of "New and Notable Film Books."

...WHY BE GOOD? (1928), starring Colleen Moore, aired last night on Turner Classic Movies. It was just reviewed by Angela at The Hollywood Revue, and I also enjoyed an essay by Marilyn Ferdinand for the San Francisco Silent Film Festival site. It's a fun movie!

...The Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel is reviving Tom Selleck's wonderful series of Jesse Stone mysteries, starting Tuesday, October 13th, with JESSE STONE: LOST IN PARADISE (2015). Links to my reviews of the first four films in the series may be found here.

...A new cookbook from America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Country: COOK'S COUNTRY EATS LOCAL...and coming next February, COOK IT IN CAST IRON.

...Coming in October from Gallery Books: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MICKEY ROONEY by Richard A. Lertzman and William J. Birnes.

...Bob Eubanks and Stephanie Edwards have announced that they are retiring after hosting the 2016 Rose Parade for KTLA in Los Angeles. Eubanks began hosting the parade in 1979 and Edwards in 1982.

...I'm still catching up on sharing links from recent weeks when I was busy or traveling! Here are some delightful, colorful posts from The Blonde at the Film on Jane Powell in NANCY GOES TO RIO (1950) and Betty Grable in MOON OVER MIAMI (1941).

...And here's a link from early September, Raquel's review of David Wills' HOLLYWOOD IN KODACHROME at Out of the Past. I own the book, and it's amazing.

...Fox Cinema Archives is releasing a new slate of 13 titles on DVD. Nothing especially caught my eye this time around -- I already own CITY GIRL (1930) and SEAS BENEATH (1933) -- ClassicFlix has the list.

...Ralph the Corgi on Instagram is the cutest thing ever!

...With my growing interest in Japanese cinema, I was intrigued by Glenn Erickson's review of THE LITTLE HOUSE (2014), set around the WWII years.

...Attention Southern Californians: Interesting screenings coming up from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences include the restored HEAVEN CAN WAIT (1943) on November 9th and REMEMBER THE NIGHT (1941) on December 10th. There is also a wonderful event, Hollywood Home Movies: Disneyland on October 24th, where Suzanne Lloyd will share her grandfather Harold's amazing 3D photos of the park. I saw them this summer at the D23 Expo. All screenings will be held at the Academy's Linwood Dunn Theater at 1313 Vine Street in Hollywood.

...By mere chance I discovered that the Washington Post cited this blog and quoted my interview with Coleen Gray in her obituary last month. My thanks to Adam Bernstein of the Post.

Have a great week!

Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Tom Selleck's next JESSE STONE TV-movie, BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT (2012), will be shown on CBS May 20th. Selleck cowrote the screenplay. I need to catch up on seeing the last couple Stone films!

...The New York Post published an interesting interview with Turner Classic Movies programmer Charlie Tabesh today.

...Speaking of TCM, at Immortal Ephemera Cliff has thoughts on the station's annual Oscar month, and he also breaks down by decade the films TCM is showing early this year. I found the results of his tally interesting.

...Cliff also recently reviewed Robert Montgomery in PICCADILLY JIM (1936), a film I reviewed last summer. I always enjoy reading more about Robert Montgomery films!

...At Classic Movies, KC shares thoughts on Robert Montgomery and Joan Crawford in LETTY LYNTON (1932), one of my favorite pre-Codes. Let's hope that Warner Archive succeeds in untangling the legal issues so it can at last be widely seen, in a good print.

...At Dear Old Hollywood, Robby checks out the locations of WHO'S BEEN SLEEPING IN MY BED? (1963). I especially loved the shots of Market Basket, a grocery store I remember from my early childhood. The blue Van De Kamp's bakery sign hanging over the door brings back memories.

...And over in England, Matthew finds a location from Ealing comedies at Movietone News. He shares some terrific photos.

...Debbie Reynolds gave her ONE FOR THE MONEY (2012) co-star Katherine Heigl a new perspective on what constitutes a long, hard day on a movie set.

...Colin shares thoughts on the Randolph Scott-Budd Boetticher Western WESTBOUND (1958) at Riding the High Country, and there's a good discussion which follows in the comments. I liked it. It's available in a boxed set of Randolph Scott Westerns from Warner Archive.

...TRANSATLANTIC (1931), starring Edmund Lowe and Myrna Loy, sounds quite interesting. Read more about it at Where Danger Lives.

...Raquelle recently reviewed James Garner and Eva Marie Saint in GRAND PRIX (1966) at Out of the Past. Racing fans will want to check out her series on other racing films of the late '60s and early '70s.

...Sometimes I enjoy Roger Ebert, and other times we sharply part company. His recent column on DOWNTON ABBEY made me smile.

...Here's a great recipe for molasses cookies published by the L.A. Times. It originates from Milk in Los Angeles.

...Slow-Cooker Brunswick Stew, from Cook's Country, looks good too!

...Why is the first season of L.A. LAW out on Region 2 DVD but not available on DVD or even streaming in the U.S.?

...Restaurants strategize how to deal with their customers' ever-present cell phones. I was amused by the term "reciprocell."

...Reese Witherspoon's new movie, THIS MEANS WAR (2012), is due out on Valentine's Day. It was going to receive an R rating, which would have limited the film's potential audience, but the studio made edits and it's now rated PG-13. That change sounds good to me; I've had my fill of rated R dialogue for a while after seeing THE DESCENDANTS (2011) and CONTRABAND (2012) in recent weeks. I shared a link for the THIS MEANS WAR trailer last fall.

...Yosemite is considering a plan to limit hikers on Half Dome. I've thought the current policy, which allows children on the dangerous trail, was kind of nuts for years now.

...Over at Sidewalk Crossings, Deb reviews Stewart Granger and Valerie Hobson in BLANCHE FURY (1948). It can be streamed on Netflix.

...Attention Southern Californians: On Wednesday, February 8th, UCLA will be hosting a film noir double bill of Cornel Wilde and Richard Conte in THE BIG COMBO (1955), teamed with Dick Powell and Lizabeth Scott in PITFALL (1948). The films will be shown in 35mm prints at the historic Million Dollar Theater in Downtown Los Angeles. Alan Rode, who is always a pleasure to hear speak, will be on hand. I'm hoping to attend.

...Notable Passings: Screenwriter Robert Dozier passed away at the age of 81. He was married to Diana Muldaur and was the son of producer William Dozier. One of his stepmothers was Joan Fontaine, and his stepmother of many decades was Ann Rutherford. (Via KC at Classic Movies.)...Actor James Farentino, who had a long, busy TV career, passed on at the age of 73...Emmy-winning director John Rich, who worked on many episodes of THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, has died at the age of 86.

Have a great week!

Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Tonight on CBS: the latest JESSE STONE movie, INNOCENTS LOST (2011), starring Tom Selleck. Returning cast members include Kathy Baker, William Devane, Kohl Sudduth, Stephen McHattie, William Sadler, and Saul Rubinek. This is an excellent film series with tremendous atmosphere. Those who are new to these films may want to check out my reviews of STONE COLD (2005), NIGHT PASSAGE (2006), DEATH IN PARADISE (2006), and SEA CHANGE (2007). Titles still ahead of me to watch: THIN ICE (2009) and NO REMORSE (2010).

...Season One of Selleck's series BLUE BLOODS will be out on DVD later this year.

...50 Westerns From the 50s says THE BIG COUNTRY (1958) is coming to Blu-ray next week, exclusively at Walmart. I imagine the impressive widescreen vistas in that film would look particularly nice in the Blu-ray format.

...I'm delighted by the number of remastered titles coming from the Warner Archive in recent weeks. Last week the Archive released a remastered widescreen print of UNTIL THEY SAIL (1957), the story of four sisters in New Zealand during World War II. The women are played by Joan Fontaine, Jean Simmons, Piper Laurie, and Sandra Dee. Paul Newman is the American soldier who enters Simmons' life. Robert Wise directed.

...Dear Old Hollywood has a fun post on Ronald Reagan's Hollywood office.

...Barrie Maxwell's Classic Coming Attractions column at the Digital Bits is always interesting. Barrie's latest reviews include new Tracy-Hepburn releases and a bunch of Warner Archive releases, including DEVOTION (1946), WHIPLASH (1948), and THE UNFINISHED DANCE (1947).

...If I can judge a book by its cover, the new cookbook MILK AND COOKIES should be a winner. The author is Tina Casaceli; it's from Chronicle Books.

...For anyone who missed last week's 1939 blogathon, here's a list of all the links. Posts I enjoyed over the last few days included Dorian writing on IT'S A WONDERFUL WORLD at Tales of the Easily Distracted, Kevin's Movie Corner on THE RAINS CAME, ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS at Another Old Movie Blog, and Twenty Four Frames on THE CAT AND THE CANARY.

...At Via Margutta 51, Clara explains why she loves Gregory Peck and Deborah Kerr in BELOVED INFIDEL (1959). She's got me convinced to add it to my viewing list! I also enjoyed her thoughts on Flynn and Stanwyck in CRY WOLF (1947), which I recently saw for the first time.

...Jim Lane's Cinedrome takes a close look at Ray Milland in ALIAS NICK BEAL (1949), including an interesting history of screenwriter Jonathan Latimer. Latimer also teamed with ALIAS NICK BEAL director John Farrow on NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND EYES (1948) and THE BIG CLOCK (1948); the latter title, like ALIAS NICK BEAL, starred Ray Milland.

...A feel-good video: A sweet lady who recently lost her Tuscaloosa home to a tornado happened to find her cat -- who'd been missing since the tornado hit three weeks ago -- as a news camera was rolling.

...Glenn Erickson's latest reviews at DVD Savant include the Warner Archive release of STARS IN MY CROWN (1950) and an MGM Limited Edition of a Robert Preston film which sounds quite different, CLOUDBURST (1951).

...It's rather curious that the long-awaited DVD release of THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS (1942) will be as an extra for the Blu-ray edition of CITIZEN KANE, sold exclusively at Amazon. I have to think that later on AMBERSONS will be widely available as a standalone DVD. I certainly hope so!

...I came across an interesting article by Mark Rappaport, "The Secret Life of Objects," when looking for confirmation that a dress shop set seen in THE HOUSE ON TELEGRAPH HILL (1951) was Eve's living room from ALL ABOUT EVE (1950). This piece has lots of interesting screen caps of how movie sets and props were used, reused, and used again!

...Chris Yogerst has reviewed the new book by USC professor Drew Casper, HOLLYWOOD FILM 1963-1976: YEARS OF REVOLUTION AND REACTION, at Big Hollywood.

...There's an interesting article about playwright David Mamet's journey to conservatism by Andrew Ferguson at The Weekly Standard.

...Over at Immortal Ephemera, Cliff has a nice post on WOMAN WANTED (1935), an enjoyable, creatively shot film starring Joel McCrea and Maureen O'Sullivan.

...I also very much enjoyed the Self-Styled Siren's thoughts on THE STRAWBERRY BLONDE (1941), starring James Cagney, Olivia deHavilland, and Rita Hayworth.

...Mike Clark of Home Media Magazine gives a thumbs up to Warner Archive's newly remastered edition of I LOVE MELVIN (1953) starring Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor. Incidentally, Debbie's keeping up with the times -- she has a brand-new Twitter account!

...Notable Passing: Donald Krim, the president of Kino International, which is known for high quality VHS and DVD releases, has passed away at the age of 65. Among Kino's most recent releases: a set of Ingrid Bergman's early Swedish films.

Have a great week!

Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Last month I linked to initial information on a set of Columbia pre-Code films coming from TCM. The tentative box art is now available, and TCM has posted a pre-order listing for the set, which is due to ship on July 2nd. The five-film set includes TEN CENTS A DANCE (1931) and SHOPWORN (1932) with Barbara Stanwyck, ARIZONA (1931) with John Wayne, VIRTUE (1932) with Carole Lombard, and THREE WISE GIRLS (1932) with Jean Harlow. All the films have been restored and remastered.

...Tom Selleck's latest JESSE STONE TV-movie, BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT (2012), airs tonight on CBS. Selleck says he's not done yet with the character, but future films may be on another network.

...I'm very interested in seeing the new Olive release THE LAWLESS (1950), as it stars two actors I enjoy, Macdonald Carey and Gail Russell. Here are reviews by Matt Hinrichs and Glenn Erickson.

...Before reading Raquelle's post at Out of the Past, I had no idea that the 1959 Debbie Reynolds-Tony Randall comedy THE MATING GAME was based on the same source material as the British TV series THE DARLING BUDS OF MAY (1991), which is perhaps best known for providing an early starring role for Catherine Zeta-Jones. I have THE MATING GAME on tape and am looking forward to checking it out...as soon as a replacement VCR arrives, since my VHS player abruptly gave up the ghost last week!

...Due out next month on DVD from Olive: THE HANGMAN (1959), directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Robert Taylor, Fess Parker, Jack Lord, and Tina Louise.

...Mike Clark reviews RUN FOR THE SUN (1956) at Home Media Magazine. This Richard Widmark-Jane Greer film has previously only been released on Region 2 DVD and is due out soon as part of the MGM DVD-R program. I enjoyed it and think it's worth checking out.

...Dan Stevens, who plays Matthew Crawley on DOWNTON ABBEY, is going to star in a Broadway revival of THE HEIRESS. Jessica Chastain and David Strathairn will costar.

...As is probably apparent from this week's roundup, Olive Films has been releasing so many interesting movies! SILVER CITY (1951) is on my "must see" list after reading Glenn Erickson's review, which says the movie is "a highly enjoyable, unpretentious western with pretty much everything 'oater' fans enjoy... Besides an intelligent story, it has a well-developed romantic angle." Best of all, it stars one of my faves, Yvonne DeCarlo. She costars with Edmond O'Brien and Laura Elliott (Kasey Rogers).

...Kyle Chandler of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS will be starring in a Martin Scorsese film, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET.  Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill costar.

...I'm going to need to cut this week's roundup off here as I'm having technical problems with Blogger tonight.

Have a great week!

Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Happy Daytona 500 Sunday! It was a Cinderella finish to NASCAR's big race, as rookie Trevor Bayne -- who turned 20 yesterday -- won his first Sprint Cup race; it was only the second time he'd raced in the Sprint Cup series. Bayne is the youngest driver to ever win the Daytona 500.

...Panavia999 ran a very nice post at her blog, Stuff, suggesting films for Valentine's Day. They're not only good movies for Valentine's Day, they make great viewing year-round. Reading Panavia's post made me want to watch THE VOICE OF THE TURTLE (1947) again!

...I discovered that Dave at Goodfella's Movie Blog reviewed NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND EYES (1948) at the end of January. I saw it last weekend and found it strange but quite interesting. Although Dave considers it excellent film noir, he also likens it to a Val Lewton horror movie. He writes "This is a little seen film that is definitely worth seeking out." I agree.

..."The Mystery of the Discolored Van Goghs" is a fascinating detective story about yellow paint turning brown in some of the great artist's paintings.

...There was a good interview with Tom Selleck in the L.A. Times last weekend. I loved this bit: "The key to Magnum was that he woke up one day at 33 and realized he had never been 23." I watched the BLUE BLOODS pilot a few days ago and thought it was pretty good; I'm going to keep watching. (A Big Hollywood writer chose the show as the Best Show of 2010.) I also still have a couple more of Selleck's excellent JESSE STONE movies to watch.

...Southern California will soon have a sit-down restaurant where orders are placed via an iPad placed at each table.

...Fellow STAR WARS fans, join me in admitting you kinda want a Darth Vader spatula. :) It's available from Williams-Sonoma, the same company which began selling STAR WARS cookie cutters last year.

...There are some very interesting graphics and stats in this Slashfilm article, "How Netflix is Destroying Blockbuster." For starters, Netflix has more subscribers than the entire population of Australia...and a mere 2% of Netflix's subscribers use more than 20% of Internet traffic during peak evening hours.

...For royal wedding watchers, Prince William and Catherine Middleton have chosen their wedding party and sent out the invitations for their April 29th wedding.

...It's a total splurge, but I couldn't resist this movie-themed Kate Spade case for my new iPhone, especially as it's in my favorite color!

...Lou Lumenick discusses Vincente Minnelli films recently released by Warner Archive. Lumenick says the prints are "great-looking transfers"...and even better, he says that one of my personal favorites, Fred Astaire's YOLANDA AND THE THIEF (1945), is being remastered for a future Archive release.

...Dave Kehr looks at the same films in the New York Times.

...New cookbooks: BLUE RIBBON DESSERTS from Cook's Country will be released March 1st, and last December MR. SUNDAY'S SOUPS was published. The latter is by Lorraine Wallace, wife of FOX NEWS SUNDAY host Chris Wallace.

...Some favorite posts among the many interesting pieces posted for the For the Love of Film (Noir) Blogathon: Greenbriar Picture Shows on THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS, Parts One and Two...Sean Axmaker on Ida Lupino in THE MAN I LOVE (1947), ROAD HOUSE (1948), and THE HITCH-HIKER (1953)...Sean also wrote an excellent post on Anthony Mann's "period noirs" REIGN OF TERROR (1949) and THE TALL TARGET (1951); the latter is a terrific film with Dick Powell trying to stop a planned attempt on the life of Abraham Lincoln before his Inauguration...KC writes about Dane Clark and Gail Russell in MOONRISE (1948) at Classic Movies. MOONRISE is in my "to watch" stack!...Vince Keenan wrote about Robert Taylor in HIGH WALL (1947) and Peter Lorre in STRANGER ON THE THIRD FLOOR (1940).

...Speaking of MOONRISE, the Caftan Woman profiled Allyn Joslyn, who was in that film's supporting cast. Joslyn is one of my favorite character actors; a search of my blog reveals his name comes up in over a dozen titles reviewed in the last few years.

...The New York Times supported the For the Love of Film (Noir) Blogathon on its editorial page.

...A bill to repeal the loony incandescent light bulb ban was introduced Thursday. Let's hope sanity prevails so that we're not all forced to have our homes lit with toxic mercury-filled CFL's. Can you imagine how quickly an earthquake could turn a home filled with CFL's into a toxic waste dump?!

...Coming May 12th: GLENN FORD: A LIFE by Peter Ford, the son of Glenn Ford and Eleanor Powell. I'm looking forward to this one very much. There's more at the TCM website.

...THE KING'S SPEECH (2010) is doing very well at the box office in smaller markets across the U.S.

...Next month 30 "behind the scenes" employees of Turner Classic Movies each select a film which they will introduce with Robert Osborne. The list includes the rarely seen CAUGHT (1949) with Robert Ryan, James Mason, and Barbara Bel Geddes. I'll have more info on the March TCM schedule in a few days!

Have a great week!

Tonight's Movie: Miracle Landing (1990)

MIRACLE LANDING is a 1990 CBS TV-movie depicting the true story of Aloha Airlines Flight 243. I watched the film when it first aired and found it very engrossing, and when I stumbled across it on YouTube today I was glad to have the opportunity to watch it again.

Although the airline's name was changed for the movie from Aloha to Paradise and some details were dramatized, for the most part this is a straightforward, factual account of the disaster which occurred aboard a Boeing 737 island hopping from Hilo to Honolulu. A section of the fuselage tore off when the plane was at 10,000 feet, instantly killing one flight attendant.

As the film's title implies, the plane was miraculously able to land in Maui due to the skill of pilot Bob Schornstheimer, played by Wayne Rogers, and copilot Mimi Tompkins, portrayed by Connie Sellecca. I really enjoyed watching Rogers' and Sellecca's depiction of a pair of amazing professionals who managed to keep their wits under the most bizarre conditions imaginable, moving through checklists and trouble-shooting as they work the situation.

Equally gripping is the story of flight attendant Michelle Honda (Ana-Alicia). The only one of the cabin crew uninjured in the disaster, she was forced to put aside the trauma of the loss of her coworker C.B. Lansing (Nancy Kwan) to help the passengers and injured flight attendant. She performed heroically at great personal risk, crawling through the plane with its exposed ceiling in order to calm the passengers, helping them to put on life jackets and follow safety procedures to the extent they could.

Looking at the plane after it landed, with its roof torn off, it's hard to believe all of the passengers exposed to the elements during the flight survived. A personal note: My dad happened to travel to Hawaii shortly after the incident and saw the damaged plane when it was still parked at the airport.

The excellent primary cast is rounded off by Jay Thomas as the Maui flight controller and James Cromwell, who has two scenes as a flight simulator instructor.

A couple of minor characters, including an obnoxious FBI man at the end of the film, are overdone caricatures, but the lead actors are all low-key and feel much more authentic.

I've always particularly enjoyed the lead actresses in the film, Connie Sellecca and Ana-Alicia. Sellecca starred in THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO and HOTEL, while Ana-Alicia played the most fascinating character in the great cast of the '80s show FALCON CREST. I had the opportunity to meet her briefly early in that show's run and found her very nice and friendly, nothing at all like FALCON CREST's calculating Melissa! Sellecca still acts occasionally -- the upcoming ALL ABOUT CHRISTMAS EVE (2012) is her first film in three years -- while Ana-Alicia retired to raise her children. I came across an interview she gave a couple years ago; she looks great and at that time indicated she might resume acting.

MIRACLE LANDING was directed by Dick Lowry, who continues to direct today, most recently the JESSE STONE entry INNOCENTS LOST (2011). He also directed the very good Hallmark Christmas film SILVER BELLS (2005). He had previously directed Ana-Alicia in COWARD OF THE COUNTY (1981), a TV-movie I recall enjoying; I was amazed to discover that one is available on DVD and look forward to seeing it again. COWARD OF THE COUNTY is available via Netflix.

The MIRACLE LANDING print currently on YouTube was for the most part quite watchable, although long shots in particular lacked sharpness.

Another review of this film can be found AirOdyssey.net.

Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Actress Patricia Morison will turn 100 years old on Thursday, March 19th. Susan King of the Los Angeles Times interviewed Morison in honor of the occasion. The Pasadena Playhouse celebrates Morison's birthday on March 15th at the University Club in Pasadena.

...Morison was the original star of Broadway's KISS ME KATE and also had a long run opposite Yul Brynner in THE KING AND I. Before she was a Broadway star she appeared in a number of movies; she was electric in her early film PERSONS IN HIDING (1939), a film which anticipates GUN CRAZY (1950) with its portrait of a woman who manipulates a man into a life of crime. Other Morison films reviewed here are THE ROUNDUP (1941) and LADY ON A TRAIN (1945). Her film THE FALLEN SPARROW (1943), also starring John Garfield and Maureen O'Hara, will be shown at the Noir City Film Festival in Hollywood on April 16th.

...Alan Rode mentioned at the UCLA Festival of Preservation last weekend that actor Wally Cassell turned 100 on March 3rd. Cassell's many films included appearing as one of John Wayne's crew members in William Wellman's ISLAND IN THE SKY (1953). Cassell has been married to Marcy McGuire (HIGHER AND HIGHER) since 1947. (June 2015 Update: Wally Cassell passed on shortly after this was written, on April 2, 2015, though his passing wasn't reported in the media until late May. According to Marcy McGuire, Cassell's age at the time of his passing was actually 103!)

...Great news: Tom Selleck will return in a new JESSE STONE TV-movie! The franchise moves from CBS to the Hallmark Channel. This will be the ninth film in an excellent series.

...Fans of '50s Universal Pictures films will want to check out Colin's review of an excellent Western, THE BATTLE AT APACHE PASS (1952), at Riding the High Country; and Kristina has reviewed a movie I'd love to see, THE LOOTERS (1955), at Speakeasy. THE BATTLE AT APACHE PASS starred Jeff Chandler, John Lund, and Susan Cabot, while THE LOOTERS stars Rory Calhoun, Julie Adams, and Ray Danton. Great casts!

...Will McKinley reviews Ann Sothern and Gene Raymond in SMARTEST GIRL IN TOWN (1936) at Cinematically Insane. I enjoyed it a few years ago.

...Olive Films is releasing a documentary, DREAMING THE QUIET MAN (2012), and Leonard Maltin has details.

...Just out from McFarland: THE NOIR WESTERN: DARKNESS ON THE RANGE, 1943-1962 by David Meuel. The author also wrote last year's WOMEN IN THE FILMS OF JOHN FORD which I've heard good things about.

...Some of Glenn Erickson's latest reviews at DVD Savant: Criterion's RIDE THE PINK HORSE (1947), the 3-D Blu-ray KISS ME KATE (1953), and a new collection of musicals on Blu-ray.

...Notable Passing: I was very sorry to learn yesterday of the death of romance writer Cathie Linz. I got to know Cathie when we were both very active on the Prodigy service back in the early '90s, and my name appears in the acknowledgments of her 1995 book BABY WANTED. Although we gradually fell out of touch as the years passed, I have very fond memories of what a lovely person she was. She gave one of her heroines the same name as my youngest daughter and sent me an autographed copy of the novel when it was published. My deepest condolences to Cathie's family and her many friends.

...Although I've attended a couple of evenings at the UCLA Festival of Preservation thus far, I wasn't able to attend the festival's opening night this year, as I did in 2011 and 2013. Kim was there for the screening of Anthony Mann's MEN IN WAR (1957) and reports on it at her blog I See a Dark Theater.

...The appearance of Around the Blogosphere This Week will be a bit more erratic than usual over the coming month or so, thanks to my attendance at a plethora of film festivals here in Southern California. The schedules for both the TCM Classic Film Festival and the Noir City Hollywood Festival have been announced over the past couple of days, and I'll be going over them here in detail in the near future.

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

Hope everyone is having a great week!