Tonight's Movie: Nick Carter, Master Detective (1939)

NICK CARTER, MASTER DETECTIVE is the first in a three-film MGM mystery series starring Walter Pidgeon.

I found this 59-minute detective film quite enjoyable, buoyed by Pidgeon's charm, a well-plotted story, and adept direction by none other than Jacques Tourneur, heading up one of his earliest U.S. feature films.  Tourneur had previously spent a couple of years making MGM shorts, including the Oscar-nominated ROMANCE OF RADIUM (1937).

New York detective Carter poses as a new employee at a California airplane manufacturer which is being devastated due to spying and sabotage. Nick must discover how the plans are making it out of the plant despite tight security, as well as figure out who's in the ring of crooks. And is the company's attractive stewardess/clinic nurse (Rita Johnson) among them?

The story moves along briskly, with Pidgeon in a majority of the scenes. He has an appealing light touch, and as he moves the case forward, his smiling refrain for each deduction and accusation is "If I'm wrong, I'll apologize!"

The only downside to the film was an annoying extraneous subplot involving would-be righthand man Bartholomew (Donald Meek) and some ugly "special effects" bees. The Bartholomew character was occasionally amusing, but the bees were not.

Some of the scenes involving Pidgeon and a two-seater plane defied believability, especially when he's wielding a gun near the end, but perhaps that's not really the point of a movie like this! It was all good fun and wrapped up in a flash.

As of 1939, Walter Pidgeon was a busy working actor who'd already appeared in over 40 films, with an even higher level of stardom in more prestigious projects waiting just around the corner. Beginning in December 1939, he starred in three Nick Carter mysteries which were released in a nine-month period. Along with the Carter films, Pidgeon also starred in several other films in 1939-40, including Deanna Durbin's IT'S A DATE (1940), Raoul Walsh's DARK COMMAND (1940), costarring John Wayne, and FLIGHT COMMAND (1940) with Robert Taylor.

Then came 1941 and Fritz Lang's MAN HUNT (1941), John Ford's HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY (1941), and BLOSSOMS IN THE DUST (1941), the first film in his highly popular teaming with Greer Garson, and the Nick Carter series was no more.

As for director Tourneur, he would direct the second Nick Carter film, PHANTOM RAIDERS (1940), but by 1942 he had moved on to RKO, where he directed the classic Val Lewton productions CAT PEOPLE (1942), I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE (1943), and THE LEOPARD MAN (1943).

Tourneur's deeply enjoyable, elegant filmography also includes EXPERIMENT PERILOUS (1944), CANYON PASSAGE (1946), OUT OF THE PAST (1947), EASY LIVING (1949), STARS IN MY CROWN (1950), CIRCLE OF DANGER (1951), WICHITA (1955), and NIGHTFALL (1957). Tourneur worked on a variety of films, but regardless of genre they were always richly detailed, interesting works.

The Bertram Millhauser screenplay was based on an original story, rather than a previously published Nick Carter detective story. It was filmed in black and white by Charles Lawton Jr. The airplane plant footage was shot at Lockheed in Burbank.

The supporting cast included Addison Richards, Henry Hull, Frank Faylen, Milburn Stone, Stanley Ridges, and Sterling Holloway.

NICK CARTER, MASTER DETECTIVE is out on DVD in a fine-looking print as part of the Warner Archive's Nick Carter Mysteries Triple Feature. The set also includes PHANTOM RAIDERS (1940) and SKY MURDER (1940) as well as trailers for all three films.

Turner Classic Movies has the trailer available online.

There's a little more on the movie by Dan Stumpf at Mystery File, who says of the Carter films "Catch these if you can."

Tonight's Movie: Phantom Raiders (1940)

PHANTOM RAIDERS is the enjoyable second entry in the three-film Nick Carter series starring Walter Pidgeon.

Like the first film, NICK CARTER, MASTER DETECTIVE (1939), PHANTOM RAIDERS was breezily directed by Jacques Tourneur. It's a well-paced 70 minutes with an interesting story.

This time out Nick is in Panama, investigating the sinking of several ships. He's aided by his improbable righthand man, a beekeeper in a bowler hat named Bartholomew (Donald Meek). Will Nick solve the mystery in time to save Captain Ramsell (John Carroll) and Ramsell's fiancee Cora (Florence Rice) from being blown to bits?

The movie has an intriguing premise, with villain Al (Joseph Schildkraut) using high-pitched radio signals to set off bombs on board the ships so that he can collect the insurance money.

The genial Pidgeon makes pleasant company -- "If I'm wrong, I'll apologize!" -- and I enjoyed Bartholomew much more in this entry, as less was seen of his bees! I like that the mild-mannered Bartholomew constantly defies expectations, always coming through just when Nick needs him.

Rice was stuck playing an unpleasant character who's all mixed up about who's good and who's bad, nor does Carroll have much to do, but Steffi Duna (seen at left) has a fun role as a Spanish-speaking gal who takes a shine to Nick. When I was a teenager I had the chance to meet Duna and get her autograph at a screening of the 1934 short LA CUCARACHA, part of an RKO series at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Duna and John Carroll had actually been married briefly in the mid '30s; the year PHANTOM RAIDERS was released Duna married actor Dennis O'Keefe, a union which lasted until his passing in 1968.

The cast also includes Nat Pendleton, Cecil Kellaway, and Charles Coleman.

PHANTOM RAIDERS is available from the Warner Archive as part of a Nick Carter Mysteries Triple Feature. The set also includes NICK CARTER, MASTER DETECTIVE and the final film in the trilogy, SKY MURDER (1940).

There's much more on the Nick Carter series and director Tourneur in my post on NICK CARTER, MASTER DETECTIVE (1939).

Tonight's Movie: Sky Murder (1940)

Last night's movie was SKY LINER (1949), and tonight's movie was the similarly titled -- and similarly themed -- SKY MURDER (1940).

SKY MURDER is the final film in the Nick Carter mystery series starring Walter Pidgeon. SKY MURDER follows NICK CARTER, MASTER DETECTIVE (1939) and PHANTOM RAIDERS (1940), which were both directed by up-and-coming director Jacques Tourneur.

SKY MURDER, on the other hand, was directed by MGM "B" film specialist George B. Seitz, best known for directing many entries in the long-running Andy Hardy series.

This time around Senator Monroe (George Lessey) and wealthy Cortland Grand (Edward Ashley) try to recruit Nick to investigate a Fifth Column group. Nick declines, but then when Nick is flying home on Grand's private plane, Andrew Hendon (Tom Conway) is murdered on the plane in mid-flight.

Is beautiful young Pat Evans (Kaaren Verne, billed Karen here) a murderess? And what's the connection to the Fifth Column group?

The plot is a bit silly at times, chiefly due to Joyce Compton as a giddy detective with memory problems, but it's amusing enough and the 72 minutes zips past.

For a classic film fan, much of the fun in watching SKY MURDER is simply spotting the various faces as they come and go. For instance, this was one of Tom Conway's first films, playing one of the bad guys. Then there's a group of six young ladies who have considerable screen time in the first half of the film, and one of them is Virginia O'Brien in an early role. And he's not billed, but isn't that George Reeves as the would-be murderer at the end of the movie?

Donald Meek is on hand once more as Carter's improbable assistant, the "Bee Man." Chill Wills, Grady Sutton, Byron Foulger, Cy Kendall, and Tom Neal are among the other familiar faces along for the ride. Joan Crawford's brother, Hal Le Sueur, plays Al, the ill-fated copilot.

It's too bad that the busy Pidgeon only made three Nick Carter films, but right about this time his stardom was moving into higher gear and a series of prestigious pictures was immediately ahead, including MAN HUNT (1941), HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY (1941), and BLOSSOMS IN THE DUST (1941), which launched his highly popular teaming with actress Greer Garson.

In fact, in the next two years after SKY MURDER, Pidgeon was in back to back Best Pictures, John Ford's HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY followed by William Wyler's MRS. MINIVER (1942), Pidgeon's second film with Greer Garson.

The three Nick Carter films are available from the Warner Archive in the Nick Carter Mysteries Triple Feature set.

This film can also be seen on Turner Classic Movies.

Tonight's Movie: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Having enjoyed Marvel's CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011) on the Fourth of July, I was interested in trying the next film in the series. I saw it a little sooner than I expected I'd be able to, since my husband discovered our cable system offered it in free HD streaming.

As was explained at the end of CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, Captain America (Chris Evans) was frozen for decades (hey, it's based on a comic book!) and is now fighting crime in our modern era. And he's got plenty of crime to fight, since HYDRA, the villains he fought during WWII, have infiltrated and taken over the crime-fighting organization SHIELD. This means it's almost impossible to tell the bad guys from the good guys.

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the head of SHIELD, tells Steve, aka Captain America, not to trust anyone, but Steve does put his trust in the Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), and the Falcon, aka Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), as well as Agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders). It's up to them to save Nick Fury -- and the world!

Along for the ride are a rather haggard-looking Robert Redford playing a higher-up at SHIELD and Emily Van Camp (BROTHERS AND SISTERS) as Steve's next-door neighbor, an innocent-looking nurse; each could be friend or foe.

The climatic battle sequence in particular is a little too heavy on the CGI look, but most movies are guilty of that these days, and CAPTAIN AMERICA at least has characters with heart to go with the fake-looking action sequences. (Honestly, at times CGI is more phony than old-fashioned back projections.) Steve is a genuinely good person, as illustrated by his moving visit to an aged and ill Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), not to mention his dealings with an old friend turned enemy.

Some of the appeal of the Captain America films is that they present very strong female characters in Agent Carter and the Black Widow. I really enjoyed Steve's verbal jousting with the sassy Black Widow, and, being new to Marvel films, I was amazed to learn there isn't a stand-alone Black Widow movie. At least Agent Carter got a TV series! My daughter sent me the link to a very creative title sequence someone created for a mythical Black Widow movie; it's James Bond-ish and perfect!

The CAPTAIN AMERICA movies may be super high tech, but I'm also amused by how much they remind me of GENERAL HOSPITAL (where no one ever really dies!) as well as my beloved '40s "B" mystery series, with continuing characters solving a new problem in each film.

Once again, the film's biggest flaw is that CAPTAIN AMERICA is shortchanged in the music department. It's a crime these movies were released with the cinematic equivalent of Muzak for background scores. Soaring theme music would have added a lot.

I've enjoyed the two CAPTAIN AMERICA films enough that I'll keep going and try another. I'm told by my family that before I back up to watch Captain America and the Black Widow appear in THE AVENGERS (2012) I need to watch IRON MAN (2008) first...

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER was directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo. It was filmed by Trent Opaloch. The movie runs 136 minutes.

Parental Advisory: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER is rated PG-13 for intense action sequences.

This movie is available on Blu-ray and DVD.

Tonight's Movie: Plunder of the Sun (1953)

PLUNDER OF THE SUN is a rather plodding Aztec treasure mystery, filmed on location in Mexico.

This story of an insurance man (Glenn Ford) who becomes entangled in looking for ancient treasure is interesting in fits and starts but never really takes off. The story meanders for 81 minutes as he becomes involved with a lovely lady (Patricia Medina) he meets in a bar, and there's also a woman (Diana Lynn) he crosses paths with on board a ship and at his hotel.

I like Ford but this particular part seems to call for someone a little more devil-may-care; it would have been much more suited for Robert Mitchum. For that matter, Medina seems to be channeling Jane Greer, and Lynn's role seems to have been meant for Gloria Grahame, although the purpose of her character is for the most part fairly inexplicable.

None of the characters are very well defined, with Medina coming off best, and the story, while watchable enough, lacks a certain fizz to make it really engrossing. Given the choice, a viewer would be much better off with a Mexican chase film such as Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer in THE BIG STEAL (1949).

The movie's biggest positive factors are location shooting in Mexico and a fun turn by Sean McClory as a mercurial baddie also on the trail of the treasure. McClory, who appeared in John Wayne films such as THE QUIET MAN (1952) and ISLAND IN THE SKY (1953), is almost unrecognizable with a short blonde haircut and dark sunglasses.

PLUNDER OF THE SUN was directed by John Farrow for John Wayne's production company. It was photographed by Jack Draper, an American-born cinematographer who spent his career in the Mexican film industry, occasionally filming U.S. productions shot on location in Mexico. The supporting cast includes Douglass Dumbrille, Francis L. Sullivan, and Eduardo Noriega.

The screenplay was by Jonathan Latimer, a name which turns up regularly in my viewing -- in fact, one of his earliest screenplays was the Nick Carter mystery PHANTOM RAIDERS (1940) which I also watched today! Latimer's credits included THE GLASS KEY (1942), THE BIG CLOCK (1948), NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND EYES (1948), and THE WHOLE TRUTH (1958). He also worked on two of the great films in Frank Capra's Bell Science series, THE STRANGE CASE OF THE COSMIC RAYS (1957) and THE UNCHAINED GODDESS (1958).

The DVD release is terrific, part of a series of John Wayne productions released in collector's editions. Extras include a commentary with Glenn Ford's son Peter and several featurettes, including an informative piece on Sean McClory.

For more on PLUNDER OF THE SUN, please visit Riding the High Country and Tipping My Fedora.

Tonight's Movie: Non-Stop (2014)

2014 is starting off well for me as far as brand-new movies are concerned.

Whereas in 2013 I was only interested in seeing three new films the entire year -- all from Disney! -- here it is mid-February and I've already seen four new movies, all of which I've enjoyed. Today's "new" film was the aviation thriller NON-STOP (2014), an entertaining blending of old-fashioned Agatha Christie style suspense with modern technology.

Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) is a troubled federal air marshal who relies too much on alcohol and cigarettes to make it through his day. Bill is a white-knuckle flyer, at least when it comes to takeoffs, but just when he should be relaxing into a routine flight to London, he begins receiving a series of disturbing text messages. The texts, which reveal the sender also knows about Bill's private life, promise that someone aboard the flight will die every 20 minutes unless $150 million is wired to a bank account.

As time passes and bodies do indeed begin to mount, Bill must suspect anyone and everyone, including the friendly woman sitting next to him (Julianne Moore), stewardess Nancy (Michelle Dockery of DOWNTON ABBEY), a tough-looking cop (Corey Stoll), a Muslim doctor (Omar Metwally), and any number of other possibilities aboard the flight. An even bigger problem presents itself as the flight goes on and Bill learns that he's been framed so that law enforcement on the ground, and hence the pilots, believe that he is the hijacker.

I found this movie highly enjoyable, particularly as I love airplane movies. It probably helps not to overthink the plot too much, as some aspects seem a bit weak, including the willingness of TSA to immediately believe the worst of their marshal. (The other air marshal on the flight and the buffoonish voices on the ground don't exactly inspire confidence in the organization.) That said, anyone willing to simply go along for the ride with Neeson will have a good time in this fast-moving thriller.

Neeson is excellent, playing a character walking so close to the emotional edge that it's entirely believable the airplane passengers could believe that he's there to hurt rather than help them. He's a man walking an emotional tightrope who could easily be perceived at certain moments as irrational. That said, you don't mess with Neeson's Bill Marks, who's going to do everything in his power to save the plane and its passengers, whether they appreciate him or not.

The film is in many ways very familiar, in the best "movie comfort food" way -- in fact, the technique used to bump off one of the characters is something I saw in an "old"  film just a few months ago! I was having trouble at first recalling what the movie was, but thanks to the answer to my query on Twitter, I believe it was the Nick Carter Mystery SKY MURDER (1940), starring Walter Pidgeon.

While the film mashes up an old-fashioned AND THEN THERE WERE NONE style mystery with the classic airline disaster formula -- all that's missing is an all-star cast of passengers -- at the same time this film, with its reliance on modern technology, could only be made in 2014. Cell phones, texting, and onboard TV are all integral to the plot; the movie found a creative way to blow up the text messages into easy-to-read visuals. A cracked cell phone screen partially obliterating swear words was also a clever device to imply the words without actually showing them.

I especially loved the realistic touch that periodically various passengers are seen shooting pictures and video of what's happening on their smartphones! The ultimate "reveal" of the highjacker is a bit flat, as it's fairly random and there's a lack of foreshadowing or understandable motivation, but the way Bill discovers whodunit is entirely 2014, and that's one of the movie's pleasures.

Leonard Maltin found the film "wildly entertaining," while Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times says NON-STOP is "a crisp, efficient thriller that benefits greatly from the intangibles Neeson can be counted on to supply." Other reviews have been more mixed, but Maltin and Turan both felt, as I do, that it's quite an entertaining film despite its flaws. This is one I'm going to be picking up on DVD and adding to my "airplane" collection.

NON-STOP runs 106 minutes. It was directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and filmed by Flavio Martinez Labiano.

Parental Advisory: This film is rated PG-13, which seemed about right to me based on language and a couple of brief disturbing visuals. Otherwise it's a fairly traditional-style airline disaster film.

The trailer is at IMDb.

NON-STOP provides a good time and is recommended for anyone who's looking for a fun "popcorn movie."

Quick Preview of TCM in September

This week Turner Classic Movies posted its September schedule!

Dorothy Dandridge will be the September Star of the Month. Eight Dandridge films will be shown spread across three Sunday evenings in September.

I'm especially interested in THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS (1951). I have no idea how the movie is, but I've been interested in the team since I bought a book on them at a Scholastic Book Fair as a child, which I reread multiple times; that interest was built on by my grandfather taking me to see the team perform in person.

There are some relatively unusual themes in September, including an "End of Summer Concert Tour" filled with rock music documentaries featured in prime time all of Labor Day Weekend and a marathon of shorts later in the month. Regarding the latter, prime time on September 14th is "Leonard Maltin's Short Film Showcase," and I couldn't be more excited! His book THE GREAT MOVIE SHORTS has been on my shelf for decades.

The TCM Spotlight will focus on "Honoring Our Medical Heroes."

I'm particularly enthused about an evening of "college" films which includes MR. BELVEDERE GOES TO COLLEGE (1949), BLONDIE GOES TO COLLEGE (1942), SHE'S WORKING HER WAY THROUGH COLLEGE (1952), and what I believe may be the TCM premiere of Loretta Young and Van Johnson in MOTHER IS A FRESHMAN (1949).

Please note that the schedule is not yet complete, with blank spots left for a "Special Theme" on Tuesday evenings. I'll update this post with additional information when it's available. (July 9th Update: There will be a Women Make Film series running on TCM from September through December. The schedule is here.)

Along these lines, if the schedule link doesn't work on the first try, that usually means TCM is updating it with new info; keep trying the link periodically, and eventually it will come back up.

Noir Alley is preempted by the concert series the first weekend of the month. The September titles for the final three weekends of the month will be DANGER SIGNAL (1945), GILDA (1946), and THEY WON'T BELIEVE ME (1947), seen here with stars Jane Greer, Robert Young, and Susan Hayward. It's a trio of very entertaining movies.

Filmmakers receiving multifilm tributes in September include Alfred Hitchcock, Bob Fosse, Jack Lemmon, Esther Williams, Robert Wise, Otto Preminger, Noel Coward, Marius Goring, Mickey Rooney, Ursula Andress, Jacques Tourneur, and Greer Garson.

September themes also include Nick Carter Mysteries, heist films, Civil War Westerns, Westerns with female protagonists, teachers, time travel, Damon Runyon stories, and Douglas Sirk films starring Rock Hudson.

For more on TCM in September, please visit the online schedule.

In the meantime, Tony Curtis is the July Star of the Month, with Summer Under the Stars coming in August.

Update: For additional information on TCM in September 2020, please visit TCM in September: Highlights.

Tonight's Movie: Behind the Headlines (1937) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

I'm enthusiastic about many Warner Archive releases, but I have a particular soft spot for their sets of series films and hard-to-find "B" movies.

Collections like George O'Brien Westerns or the Bill Elliott Detective Mysteries have been big favorites of mine.

I'm currently enthused about a terrific new collection of 4 Lee Tracy RKO "B" films, just released from the Warner Archive.

I've previously only seen one film in the set, CRASHING HOLLYWOOD (1938), a comedy which I reviewed in 2013 and found something of an unsung gem. I'll be taking a fresh look at CRASHING HOLLYWOOD in the near future.

Tonight I watched my first film from the set, BEHIND THE HEADLINES (1937), in which Tracy plays Eddie Haines, a radio reporter who regularly spars with his ex-girlfriend, a reporter named Mary (Diana Gibson).

Mary gets a scoop on a story about a gold shipment being sent to Fort Knox, but she ends up kidnapped by bad guys who have an elaborate plan to steal the gold. However, the resourceful Mary finds multiple ways to tip off Eddie and the authorities as to where she's being held, and the race is on to rescue Mary and the gold.

BEHIND THE HEADLINES isn't great, but after a slow start it picks up speed, and it has some unique elements which make it a fun 58 minutes.

For instance, who would ever expect mild-mannered Donald Meek to be playing a ruthless criminal mastermind? Being more used to seeing him in roles such as "bee man" Bartholomew in the Nick Carter Mysteries, it was startling to find him playing such a character, and intriguingly, he's rather convincing!

The use of gas during an armored truck robbery made me think of CRISS CROSS (1949) a dozen years later.

The robbers eventually hole up in a huge cave, where Mary finds a creative way to use a radio stashed in her car to get help.

I was previously unfamiliar with leading lady Diana Gibson, who was only in films from 1935 to 1939. She plays the role with the requisite spunk, though I can't say she made a particular impression. Tracy starts off loud and obnoxious, in typical Tracy mode, but his character becomes more appealing as he deals with Mary's disappearance.

Paul Guilfoyle, who was seemingly in every other RKO "B" film of the era, is in this one, and the cast also includes Tom Kennedy, Phillip Huston, Doodles Weaver, Selmer Jackson, and Lee Phelps.

BEHIND THE HEADLINES was directed by Richard Rosson and filmed by Russell Metty.

The print was fine, especially considering it's a relatively obscure "B" film. BEHIND THE HEADLINES shares a DVD with CRIMINAL LAWYER in this two-disc set. There are no extras.

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 Shop at Amazon and from other online retailers.

A Birthday Tribute to Florence Rice

Lovely actress Florence Rice was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on February 14, 1907.

Rice's father was well-known sports columnist Grantland Rice. Florence made her way to Broadway in the mid '20s and eventually on to Hollywood.

Rice appeared in films for a decade beginning in 1934. She worked at MGM in the second half of the '30s, costarring regularly with Robert Young and Dennis O'Keefe.

One of her films with Young was NAVY BLUE AND GOLD (1937), which also starred James Stewart.

She was Myrna Loy's sister in DOUBLE WEDDING (1937); another photo of her in this gown appears further down in the post.

Rice appeared most enjoyably opposite Melvyn Douglas as husband and wife sleuths Joel and Garda Sloane in FAST COMPANY (1938). This MGM series was a fun oddity, with three different sets of actors playing the Sloanes; the other pairings were Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell, and Franchot Tone and Ann Sothern.

Starring with Mary Howard, Ann Rutherford, and Una Merkel in the enjoyable "B" film FOUR GIRLS IN WHITE (1939):

With Walter Pidgeon in one of his Nick Carter mysteries, PHANTOM RAIDERS (1940):

I've been able to learn relatively little about Rice's life, although a 2014 post at Obscure Actresses sheds some light. Rice was married four times; the last marriage, to Fred Butler, was a happy union which lasted from 1946 until her passing in 1974.

Florence Rice died in Honolulu on February 23, 1974, at the age of 67. Her ashes were said to have been scattered at Waikiki Beach.

Florence Rice's star shone fairly briefly, but she brightened numerous films of the era, and I'm always happy to see her name in a film's opening credits.

Florence Rice movies reviewed at Laura's Miscellaneous Musings: WOMEN ARE TROUBLE (1936), THE LONGEST NIGHT (1936), MARRIED BEFORE BREAKFAST (1937) (also here), UNDER COVER OF NIGHT (1937), MAN OF THE PEOPLE (1937), NAVY BLUE AND GOLD (1937), DOUBLE WEDDING (1937), SWEETHEARTS (1938) (also here), FAST COMPANY (1938), FOUR GIRLS IN WHITE (1939), THE KID FROM TEXAS (1939), PHANTOM RAIDERS (1940), BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940 (1940), MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY (1941), STAND BY ALL NETWORKS (1942).

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...a day later than usual due to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

...I had a wonderful experience seeing WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954) at the local Cinemark theater yesterday. Since I've read mixed things about the projection at these types of "retro" screenings in the past, I was very pleasantly surprised by how good the digital picture looked. Other than a couple of grainy minutes early in the film, the picture was sharp and the color was excellent. The movie is playing at Cinemark theaters again on December 4th, and I strongly recommend taking advantage of the opportunity to see this movie on a big screen. I'll be writing about WHITE CHRISTMAS for the Christmas Movie Blogathon at Family Friendly Reviews between December 20th and the 22nd.

...My thanks to Movies Unlimited for sharing my recent review of the Phil Carey Western WYOMING RENEGADES (1954) at their MovieFanFare site.

...Kristina has a terrific post up at Speakeasy about a show we both love, HOMEFRONT (1991-93). I've been waiting for it to come out on DVD for years. Hopefully at some point we'll see it from the Warner Archive.

...Over at ScreenSavers John DiLeo has written about a little Western I really liked, ROUGHSHOD (1949), starring Robert Sterling, Gloria Grahame, and Claude Jarman Jr., directed by Mark Robson. This RKO film has aired on TCM in the past and hopefully it will also be out one day from the Warner Archive.

...Amazon is talking up the possibility of delivery by drones and has a demonstration video up on their website. All sorts of questions about potential logistical problems come to mind -- and how would the company collect the yellow delivery boxes? -- but it's rather fascinating seeing what they're experimenting with.

...Samantha Barks of LES MISERABLES (2012) stars in THE CHRISTMAS CANDLE (2013), which received a favorable review from Martin Tsai of the Los Angeles Times.

...Jessica recently took a trip to the Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield, North Carolina, and shared her photos at Comet Over Hollywood. I'd love to visit the museum!

...At Shadows and Satin Karen writes about "Loretta Young: Pre-Code Paragon." As a big Loretta fan I really enjoyed Karen's post. My favorite Loretta pre-Code is MIDNIGHT MARY (1933) but she's great in all of them.

...Raquel of Out of the Past recently had the chance to see the silent PETER PAN (1924) with live musical accompaniment. It sounds like a great experience!

...Greenbriar Picture Shows has a short post on the "comfort Western" RED SUNDOWN (1956), a Universal film with Rory Calhoun, Martha Hyer, and James Millican. I need to put this one on my short list and see it soon. Incidentally, Greenbriar's John McElwee published a book this summer, SHOWMEN, SELL IT HOT! MOVIES AS MERCHANDISE IN GOLDEN ERA HOLLYWOOD.

...USC has hired former Pete Carroll assistant Steve Sarkisian as the new head football coach. Meh.

...Kimberly Lindbergs features "Holiday Cooking With the Stars" at the TCM Movie Morlocks site. I have to try Ben Johnson's biscuits! And Melvyn Douglas's buttermilk cornbread.

...Congratulations to Colin of Riding the High Country on his fine blog's sixth anniversary!

...At DVD Savant Glenn Erickson has reviewed the Warner Archive release LOVE IS A RACKET (1932), starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Frances Dee, Lee Tracy, and Ann Dvorak. For more on this movie, my 2008 review is here.

...Aurora is celebrating 90 years of Warner Bros. with a Forbidden Hollywood giveaway. Visit Once Upon a Screen for details.

...I'm not the only one who loves the "B" detective series of the '30s and '40s! Jeff has a great post on Tom Conway in the Falcon movies at The Stalking Moon, and Vienna writes about Walter Pidgeon's Nick Carter series at Vienna's Classic Hollywood.

...Notable Passing: British actress Jean Kent has passed on at 92. Kent was a staple in the '40s Gainsborough melodramas including MADONNA OF THE SEVEN MOONS (1945), THE WICKED LADY (1945), and CARAVAN (1946). I reviewed WATERLOO ROAD (1945), in which she costarred with Stewart Granger, in 2009.

...Fans and colleagues were shocked by the tragic death of 40-year-old actor Paul Walker in a horrific car accident this weekend. Although Walker was mainly known for action films like the FAST AND FURIOUS series, he was also in other types of movies, such as Disney's EIGHT BELOW (2006) and Clint Eastwood's FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS (2006). Here are appreciations from Betsy Sharkey at the L.A. Times, Mick La Salle at the San Francisco Chronicle, and Elizabeth Weitzman at the New York Daily News, as well as a New York Times obituary. By all accounts Mr. Walker was a very nice man. My deepest sympathy to his family and coworkers.

Have a great week!