Tonight's Movie: Good News (1947) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

Two of my favorite MGM musicals have been released on Blu-ray in recent weeks by the Warner Archive: THE HARVEY GIRLS (1946), which I reviewed on New Year's Eve, and GOOD NEWS (1947).

I've seen GOOD NEWS many times and want to rave about the Blu-ray at the outset of my comments: I think it's one of the best Blu-rays I've ever seen. The clarity and crispness gives scenes such as students gathered on the sunny lawn of Tait College a remarkable "you are right there" immediacy, and the richness of the Technicolor made me sigh with bliss.  This disc is a "must buy" for fans of musicals in general and this film in particular.

GOOD NEWS was the feature film debut of director Charles Walters, who got his start in films as a dance director in the early '40s.  Walters more than showed his skills with GOOD NEWS, a joyous bauble which overcomes its minimal story with energetic performances and a succession of delightful musical numbers.  Though it's been in the shadow of more famous MGM musicals, my impression is that the movie is only becoming more beloved with the passage of time.

The fun begins right from the opening credits and the Tait College chant ("Boom boom sis boom...") launching into the title song under the opening credits.

It's 1927, and Tait College football star Tommy Marlowe (Peter Lawford) is tutored in French by librarian Connie Lane (June Allyson).  Tommy starts to fall for Connie, but his attention is momentarily diverted by glamorous golddigger Pat McClellan (Patricia Marshall).  

Will Tommy pass all his classes so he can play in the big game?  And will he realize Connie is his true love?  What do you think?  It's all neatly wrapped up in 93 minutes.

What's really important are the musical numbers, and there are so many fun scenes, with everyone in the cast at the top of their game.  I've always gotten a kick out of Peter Lawford, Mel Torme, and company singing "Be a Ladies' Man"; I agree with my friend KC that Torme should have had more screen time, but his reprise of "The Best Things in Life Are Free" late in the film is a delightful moment for fans of the "Velvet Fog."

Even better are "The French Lesson," a novelty duet with Allyson and Lawford; the "Varsity Drag" finale, recognized by many due to being showcased in THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! (1974); and the fantastic "Pass That Peace Pipe," an Oscar-nominated song which puts the vivacious Joan McCracken front and center. If only she had made more movies...

The fast-paced "Pass That Peace Pipe" and "Varsity Drag" are remarkable sequences featuring many synchronized dancers, and part of the joy, beyond the performance of Robert Alton's choreography, is the "realness" of the dancing captured on film; I counted roughly 8 or 10 perfectly timed cuts in each number, which doesn't seem like very many given the complexity of the routines. The long takes with such superb group dancing are a big part of the thrill.

The distinctive "MGM sound," with orchestrations by Conrad Salinger and Lennie Hayton, is also wonderfully displayed here. MGM's arrangements, along with the performances of the MGM orchestra and chorus, were head and shoulders above any other studio, and this film is an excellent example.

The movie also provides a good look at parts of the storied MGM backlot, including "St. Louis Street" from MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944) along with the Tait College sets.

Charles Schoenbaum filmed the movie in Technicolor.  The terrific, colorful costumes are by the great Helen Rose.  Betty Comden and Adolph Green wrote the screenplay based on the original play by several writers.

Extras reprised from the 2000 DVD -- which came in a snap case, remember those? -- are the trailer, a deleted musical number, a radio promo, and a couple of excerpts from an earlier version of GOOD NEWS (1930). There's also a song selection menu.

Related posts: TCM Friday Night Spotlight: Charles Walters (2014) and Book Review: Charles Walters: The Director Who Made Hollywood Dance (2015).

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

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Kino Lorber has had some terrific announcements in recent weeks of "never on DVD" titles coming to Blu-ray via their Studio Classics line. The most recent good news is regarding an upcoming release of ALIAS NICK BEAL (1949), a terrific film starring Ray Milland, Audrey Totter, and Thomas Mitchell. I reviewed the movie when it was screened at the 2014 Noir City Hollywood Film Festival. Kino Lorber says it's "coming soon," from a 2017 4K scan.

...Also coming soon from Kino Lorber: SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL (1959) starring James Cagney, and nine Mae West films, all for the first time on Blu-ray. The West films are coming June 29th; a date has not yet been announced for SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL.

...In the Warner Archive's latest newsletter there was an announcement (seen here) indicating that the WBShop, currently managed by the Araca Group, will be ceasing business in a few weeks. A "4 for $44" sale will take place the weekend of March 12th. The news caused some concern that the Warner Archive may be coming to an end, but Susan King, who formerly covered classic films for the Los Angeles Times, was told by the Warner Archive's publicist that the line will be continuing and the recently laid off George Feltenstein will be a consultant. Glenn Erickson confirms the consultant information in his latest CineSavant column.

...This week, incidentally, Glenn Erickson reviews the Warner Archive's new Blu-ray release of SAN FRANCISCO (1936). Look for a review of that Blu-ray here at a future date. (Update: Here is my review!)

...Coming to DVD in the Critics' Choice Collection in March: A Glenn Ford Western Triple Feature with THE MAN FROM COLORADO (1948), A TIME FOR KILLING (1967), and the not-on-DVD LUST FOR GOLD (1949), costarring Ida Lupino. (February 22nd Update: Thanks to a kind reader for letting me know LUST FOR GOLD was released on DVD by Sony in 2005. I hadn't found a link previously but it popped right up when I searched Amazon today.) Also coming from Critics' Choice in March: A Boston Blackie Triple Feature. I now have several of the Critics' Choice multifilm collections, including a nine-film Buck Jones set and a just-ordered Bill Elliott Triple Feature. I recommend checking out the sets at the Critics' Choice site.

...A new release from VCI Entertainment's Cliffhanger Collection: WILD WEST DAYS (1937), a serial starring Johnny Mack Brown, on Blu-ray and DVD.

...At Classic Film Observations & Obsessions Jocelyn has written about the silent Western epic THE COVERED WAGON (1923), which I reviewed here almost exactly three years ago. The review is part of Jocelyn's 2021 blog series "50 Years of Film in 50 Weeks."

...Here are a couple recent Bing Crosby CDs I'm hoping to pick up soon: Philco Radio Time, which came out last March, and Chesterfield Radio Time, which was a December 2020 release.

...A pair of Western-themed cookbooks I've recently added to my collection are the 1995 ALL-AMERICAN COWBOY COOKBOOK: HOME COOKING ON THE RANGE, which has recipes contributed by many cowboy stars, and THE OFFICIAL JOHN WAYNE FAMILY COOKBOOK. Last weekend I made "Jim McLain's Big Beef Brisket" from the latter cookbook, and it was excellent!

...Another interesting column this week at Jeff Arnold's West: "The Westerns of Gordon Douglas." I'm so glad Jeff began blogging again! FORT DOBBS (1958), in which Douglas directed Clint Walker and Virginia Mayo, is a personal favorite.

...Rachel celebrates one of my favorite actors, Alan Ladd, at her blog Hamlette's Soliloquy.

...The Classic Movie Hub site which hosts my monthly Western RoundUp column has recently begun hosting a monthly "watch party." Each month a film is shown on the Best Classics Ever channel on YouTube with a live intro and closing by Classic Movie Hub contributors, as well as live chat in the comments during the course of the film. After the live presentation, the movies can later be seen, including the introductions, on YouTube. Last night was TOO LATE FOR TEARS (1949) and the month before was ROAD TO BALI (1953). Next month I'm scheduled to join the conversation for a showing of one of my favorite films, ANGEL AND THE BADMAN (1947).

...Benedict Cumberbatch is scheduled to star in a "limited series" remake of Hitchcock's THE 39 STEPS (1935).

...New merchandise for classic film fans, including T-shirts and mugs, is available from the American Cinematheque...and check out Kate Gabrielle's great designs at her Threadless shop. I especially love the John B. Merlin & Son Toy Department shirt inspired by BACHELOR MOTHER (1939).

...At It's a Wonderful Movie, Net shares a dozen of her favorite winter-themed Hallmark and Lifetime TV-movies.

...If you're not watching WANDAVISION (2021) on Disney+, you're missing an amazingly layered and creative series in which an ongoing mystery unfolds each week while paying tribute to classic TV sitcoms, simultaneously incorporating deep Marvel history. I can already see that the show will need to be rewatched from the beginning once it's over, as everything will look quite different from a fully informed perspective.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please check out my February 13th roundup.

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Tonight's Movie: Smart Blonde (1937)

After watching FUGITIVE IN THE SKY (1937) earlier this week, I had the yen for another Warner Bros. "B" movie, so I pulled out the Warner Archive's nine-film Torchy Blane Collection.

SMART BLONDE (1937) was the first film in the series and my introduction to newspaper reporter Torchy Blane (Glenda Farrell) and her boyfriend, Police Detective Steve McBride (Barton MacLane).

Torchy is a gung-ho gal who thinks nothing of jumping on a moving train to get an exclusive interview, in this case with Tiny Torgenson (Joseph Crehan), who is on his way to Los Angeles to purchase a nightclub from Fitz Mularkey (Addison Richards).

Torgenson is gunned down in front of Torchy as they leave the train station in L.A., and she and Steve get to work on solving the murder.

The screenplay by Kenneth Gamet and Don Ryan was based on a detective story by Frederick Nebel about a cop and a reporter, who were both male characters. Just as the newspaper play and film THE FRONT PAGE (1931) later changed out a male lead for a female character in HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940), Warner Bros. turned the reporter into a woman. And in this case the character of Torchy was so successful that she is credited as the inspiration for Lois Lane in SUPERMAN.

Torchy and Steve are already an item as the movie begins, which lets us jump right into the story and their relationship, which is simultaneously competitive and affectionate. They argue with one another -- Torchy speed-talks, while Steve is loud -- but they clearly enjoy it, and Steve's bluster masks a softy underneath.

The mystery is fairly easy to follow, not always a given in these types of films, and while it's not great cinema, it's an entertaining and energetic 59 minutes which left me interested in watching the next movie in the set, FLY AWAY BABY (1937). I expect to do so soon!

The cast of characters includes Charlotte Wynters (billed Winters) as Mularkey's fiancee; Wynters would marry MacLane in 1939, a marriage that lasted three decades, until MacLane's passing in 1969.

Also of note is Jane Wyman as a hatcheck girl; her scene with a St. Bernard dog is amusing. Wyman would herself play Torchy in the final film in the series, TORCHY BLANE...PLAYING WITH DYNAMITE (1939), opposite Allen Jenkins as Steve. Torchy and Steve were also played by Lola Lane and Paul Kelly in a single movie midway through Farrell and MacLane's seven-film run as the characters.

The large cast also includes Wini Shaw, Tom Kennedy, Craig Reynolds, Carlyle Moore Jr., and Robert Paige (CAN'T HELP SINGING).

SMART BLONDE was directed by Frank McDonald and filmed in black and white by Warren Lynch.

The Warner Archive DVD is a nice-looking print with no extras.

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Tonight's Movie: Suspense (1946)

This week I've caught up with SUSPENSE (1946), a Monogram Pictures film noir which has been on my "watch" list for quite a while.

I've held off on watching it, as I have other noir titles, in hopes of seeing it for the first time on a big screen at a film noir festival, but since it's unlikely that will happen for some time yet, I went ahead and watched my Warner Archive DVD.

SUSPENSE, one of a couple examples of "ice skating noir," has a terrific cast: Figure skater-dancer Belita (THE HUNTED), Bonita Granville, and Barry Sullivan.

Sullivan plays Joe Morgan, a character who is frankly rather sleazy from the start.  We first meet him as an unkempt bum who's just arrived in Los Angeles.  He's hired on to sell peanuts at an ice show -- the Pan-Pacific Auditorium is seen under the opening credits and in stock shots -- and when he suggests a new routine for star Roberta Elva (Belita), Roberta's husband Frank Leonard (Albert Dekker) promotes Joe into a management job.

Frank later realizes that Joe is moving in on his wife and attempts to shoot Joe with a long-range rifle when they're all in the mountains.  Instead, the shot triggers an avalanche, and Frank is presumed dead.  Or is he?  Joe and Roberta both have a curious sensation that they're being watched...

Adding to the intrigue is the arrival of Joe's very jealous old girlfriend Ronnie (Granville) from New York, who decides to investigate why he left town for L.A. so suddenly.

SUSPENSE is a film with a number of interesting elements.  Although some reviewers opine that the skating numbers stop the plot, for me they're the chief selling point of the movie.  I loved Belita's Monogram musical LADY, LET'S DANCE! (1944) and find her a very exciting performer. 

Belita's first number in SUSPENSE, which I believe is called "East Side Boogie," is absolutely sensational.  She's magnetic, oozing style, and I frankly find her a more dynamic skater than Sonja Henie.  (At the time of this writing that routine can be watched here.)  I also particularly liked a Latin-inflected number near the end of the film.

Belita was a good though not great actress, but I think the skating scenes are important in part because the charisma and power she displays on the ice rink informs how we see her character off the ice.

I'm a big fan of Sullivan, who is usually able to make even heels compelling, but I found him less appealing in this than usual.  Joe is simply not a nice guy, and we don't get much of a sense of why he and Roberta have feelings for one another.  

The following year, incidentally, Sullivan and Belita would costar again in THE GANGSTER (1947) at the same studio, newly rechristened as Allied Artists.

I'm also a Granville fan, but her character and motivations are the murkiest of all.  One has a sense that some of the back story between Ronnie and Joe was left on the cutting room floor.  (Why did he leave New York, anyway?)  On the plus side, Bonita looks gorgeous and has a nice wardrobe, designed by Kalloch.

In the end what I found most appealing about SUSPENSE was Belita, along with the movie's overall sense of style, including Dali-esque skating backgrounds.  (One horrifying "skull" set I could have done without!)  There are some wonderfully stylish bits scattered throughout the film, like a character's name in lights dimming at movie's end.  The movie has terrific shadowy black and white filming by Karl Struss.

The film also has a great mood, at times reminiscent of GILDA (1946), with the jealous older husband and the employee making time with the beautiful wife.

Philip Yordan's script could have better explained the characters, while at the same time the editing of this 101-minute movie could have been tightened up, but despite my criticisms, my feelings about the film were positive.  It was an interesting and somewhat unique film, thanks especially to Belita, and I enjoyed it.  I really hope to see it one day in 35mm!

SUSPENSE was directed by Frank Tuttle.  Nick Castle choreographed the skating sequences.  The supporting cast includes Eugene Pallette, George E. Stone, George Chandler, and Billy Gray.  Kristine Miller is said by IMDb to be a model, but I didn't spot her on this viewing.

The Warner Archive DVD was in very good shape.  There were no extras on the disc.

SUSPENSE also turns up occasionally on Turner Classic Movies, including a recent showing on Noir Alley.

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Tonight's Movie: Fugitive in the Sky (1936)

Last weekend Nora Fiore, aka the Nitrate Diva, Tweeted that she was watching the Warner Bros. "B" movie FUGITIVE IN THE SKY (1936).

It's no secret I love WB "B" films, and when I learned it was an aviation film in which the stewardess (Jean Muir) flies the plane, I had to pull it out and watch it immediately.

Even more fun: Muir costarred in the film with Warren Hull; just a couple of weeks ago I watched them in HER HUSBAND'S SECRETARY (1937).  Watching FUGITIVE IN THE SKY this week was clearly meant to be.

FUGITIVE IN THE SKY is one of those fast-paced, energetic little films at which Warner Bros. excelled; sure, sometimes it gets silly, but it's 58 minutes of pure entertainment.

The enjoyment begins with a "Foreword" which tells the viewers the film "...is not intended to represent events which have taken place on a commercial air line.....Scheduled air transport, regulated by the Department of Commerce, is today recognized as a fast and safe form of transportation."

Once we're assured of that, we meet Rita Moore (Jean Muir), the flight attendant on an eastbound flight taking off out of Los Angeles.

Newspaperman Terry Brewer (Warren Hull), who's sweet on Rita, is at the airport when he spots the FBI's Mike Phelan (John Litel) among the passengers.  Following a hunch, Terry gets permission from his editor to hop on the flight in hopes of a story.

After a stopover in Albuquerque, the passengers sleep as the plane heads toward Wichita.  Rita discovers something shocking: One of the men (Gordon "Wild Bill" Elliott) has been stabbed to death in his sleep!  She alerts the pilots (Carlyle Moore Jr. and Gordon Oliver), who wake up the passengers.  

G-man Phelan begins to take charge of the situation when the plane is hijacked by an unexpected character...

The above is only part of the jam-packed story, which at various points includes incapacitated pilots and a stewardess flying the plane; a near crash landing; a massive dust storm; a shotgun-wielding stewardess saving the day; and a pair of criminals in disguise.  There's no dramatic depth to this movie, but tons of plot, and it's all quite entertaining.

This movie was released the same year as another film in which the stewardess flies the plane, RKO's WITHOUT ORDERS (1936), which is available on DVD from the Warner Archive Collection.  FUGITIVE IN THE SKY would make a terrific DVD release, perhaps paired with one or two other short movies, but alas, releasing obscure films on DVD no longer seems to be the WAC business model.  

FUGITIVE IN THE SKY also stars Mary Treen, Wini Shaw, Nedda Harrigan, Spencer Charters, Lillian Harmer, and Charley Foy.  (Foy's brother Bryan was one of the film's producers.)  It was directed by Nick Grinde and filmed by Ted McCord.

IMDb identifies the airport scenes as being filmed at Alhambra Airport in Alhambra, California, which ceased functioning as an airport in 1943.  The property was sold to developers in 1946.

FUGITIVE IN THE SKY is not available on DVD, but it's shown from time to time on Turner Classic Movies.

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Tonight's Movie: The Lady Gambles (1949) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

Barbara Stanwyck stars in THE LADY GAMBLES (1949), part of the Dark Side of Cinema III Collection from Kino Lorber.

The set was released last summer, and I've previously reviewed the other films in the collection, ABANDONED (1949) and THE SLEEPING CITY (1950).  As with last weekend's review of THUNDER ON THE HILL (1951) from the second set in the series, I'm now circling back to review the final film in the box.  Hopefully these reviews will also serve to remind anyone who hasn't already added these sets to their collections that they contain some very entertaining viewing.

In THE LADY GAMBLES Stanwyck plays Joan Boothe, who as the movie opens is taking part in a seedy back alley dice game which ends with her being severely beaten.

When Joan arrives at the hospital she happens to be spotted by her estranged husband David (Robert Preston).  Upon recovery Joan is due to be charged with a number of crimes, including, it's implied, prostitution.  David begs an apathetic doctor (John Hoyt) to provide Joan with proper psychiatric care and keep her out of jail.

In a pair of flashback sequences David describes how Joan initially became hooked on gambling during a visit to Las Vegas, as well as her codependent relationship with her manipulative, controlling older sister Ruthie (Edith Barrett).

In a very short time Joan became so destructively hooked on gambling that it ended their marriage, and Joan's current hospitalization may be her last hope.

I had a feeling, based on the storyline, that this one would be hard to watch, and I was correct.  The film has a fine cast, which also includes Stephen McNally as a casino owner, and I had hopes that the actors, director Michael Gordon (THE WEB), and the screenplay by Roy Huggins (MAVERICK, THE ROCKFORD FILES) would make the plotline more palatable than anticipated.  I was disappointed in that regard.  

Let's face it, it's hard to watch someone spiral into hopeless addiction for 99 minutes, in a continual state of panic and willing to do increasingly desperate things as money disappears.  There is a ray of hope at the end, just barely, but that's probably the most realistic ending.

The performances are all fine, although Preston is the film's only sympathetic character.  Even the doctor he talks to is more than a bit of a sleaze!  

There was one bright moment, when Mr. Corrigan (McNally) tells Joan and her sister he never lets anyone call him by his first name, and then confesses it's Horace, which reaps gales of laughter.  The joke, for those in the know, is that was Stephen McNally's real first name, which he acted under until 1946.  McNally isn't sympathetic but does bring some good energy to the role.

There are some nice locations filmed by Russell Metty, along with some great stock footage of neon Las Vegas signs, but that's about it.  If you want to watch a depressing movie, this is the film for you!  What a contrast with the uplifting ROOM FOR ONE MORE (1952), also seen this weekend.

I have enjoyed the other two films in this set multiple times and especially love ABANDONED, so I recommend the collection even though this particular film didn't work for me.  Perhaps hardier souls will appreciate THE LADY GAMBLES more than I did, as it's well made.

Kino Lorber's Blu-ray looks great.  The disc includes a trailer gallery for three additional films available from Kino Lorber and a commentary track by Kat Ellinger.

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

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Tonight's Movie: Room For One More (1952) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

ROOM FOR ONE MORE (1952) is an excellent family film which was just released by the Warner Archive on Blu-ray.

I saw ROOM FOR ONE MORE on local television many times growing up; an identically named TV series led to the film being shown under the title THE EASY WAY.  

I was also very familiar with the story thanks to the book it was based on, written by Anna Perrott Rose.  I acquired a paperback copy thanks to a Scholastic book fair and read it numerous times growing up; that copy still sits on my bookshelf today.

When our kids were younger I got them the Warner Archive's 2009 DVD release of ROOM FOR ONE MORE, but before tonight it had been many years since I sat down and watched it myself.  Coming to it "fresh" after a long absence, I not only enjoyed it, I found myself impressed.  The film is sensitively written, by Melville Shavelson and Jack Rose, and the performances are excellent.

The film stars Cary Grant and Betsy Drake, who had married in real life in 1949.  They play George and Anna Perrott Rose, who as the film begins are the parents of three children: Tim (Malcolm Cassell), Trot (Gay Gordon), and Teenie (George "Foghorn" Winslow).

Anna's women's group tours an orphanage run by Miss Kenyon (Lurene Tuttle), and Anna is moved to take in an older child needing a home.  That child is Jane (Iris Mann), a scared and angry girl from an abusive home.  Jane is a handful, at times exasperating "Poppy" (Grant), but when it's time for Jane's two-week stay with the family to come to an end, it's Poppy who carries her suitcase back upstairs, inviting her to remain with the family.

Jane settles in to family life, but before long Anna has a "gleam" in her eye again, and this time she invites a crippled boy named Jimmy John (Clifford Tatum Jr.) along on the family's annual summer vacation in a beach cottage.  If anything Jimmy John is even more resistant to the family than Jane was, refusing to talk or learn to read, but after a hard struggle the kindness and the stability of the Rose household also gets through to Jimmy John.

As a child it bothered me that the film deviated from the book, as the Rose family actually took in three children, including a second boy, Joey.  Watching the film as an adult, I can completely understand why the number was shaved to two, as that provides more than enough story for the film's 98 minutes.

Grant and Drake are an excellent team.  I noted that in his recent review critic Glenn Erickson sees Drake's Anna as controlling, making all the decisions, but that wasn't my take.  Poppy may protest, but he's just as much a sucker for children and animals in need as his wife.  Not only does he make the first move for Jane to stay, but watch the scene where he goes to Jimmy John's classroom to explain he won't be coming to stay with the family.  Once he gets a look at Jimmy John's leg braces and the nasty teacher, he tells off the teacher and takes Jimmy John home.

And who is sliding food from the dinner table to Tramp, the stray dog who moves in with the family at the start of the film?  Poppy, of course.  The protests and jokes about the "gleam" in his wife's eye for a new stray are simply part of their routine.  

In fact, Poppy is as adept at handling children as his wife, such as in the scene where he imparts some basic "facts of life" to the curious Jimmy John.  And when the mother (Mary Treen) of Jane's crush (Larry Olsen) cancels their plans to attend a school dance out of concern over Jane's "background," it's Poppy who visits the family to give them a piece of his mind.

The early scenes depict a pleasantly chaotic home life, with Poppy struggling to bake a birthday cake while a cat gives birth to numerous kittens under the stove and a stray dog is attempting to make himself at home.  The Roses' biggest problem may simply be finding time alone together, with Poppy joking he's not sure how they ever had children in the first place!

At the same time, the Roses live in what's very much the "real world"; in addition to the previously mentioned unkind mother, the film seems almost ahead of its era in frankly addressing issues regarding abusive families and unwed mothers.  The troubled children who come to the Rose home insist on lights burning all night, sneak food from the table to save against possible hunger the next day, have anger management issues, and scream with fear when left alone.  Those who think of '50s entertainment as presenting only "perfect" FATHER KNOWS BEST scenarios should watch this film.

At the same time, the movie also caused me to reflect on how times have changed.  Young Jane is left with a big responsibility, caring for an infant for an evening -- and when the parents are delayed, they don't have cell phones to reach her.  And although it's not pointed out, the Roses' fairly young other children are clearly left home alone when their parents spend that evening out with their friends (John Ridgely and Randy Stuart).  

Similarly Jimmy John, working on becoming an Eagle Scout, at one point trudges endlessly through the snow, some of it in darkness.  It's hard to imagine today's "helicopter" parents allowing any of this.  Makes me think of how I walked home alone from school as a five-year-old, crossing three streets, while my own children, a similar distance from home in our pre-homeschooling days, were not allowed by the school to leave the campus without an adult.

ROOM FOR ONE MORE was directed by Norman Taurog and filmed by Robert Burks, who collaborated with Alfred Hitchcock on several films.

The supporting cast includes Frank Ferguson, Dabbs Greer, and Don Beddoe.

The Warner Archive Blu-ray is an outstanding print with excellent sound.  The disc includes the trailer and two cartoons released the same year as the movie, OPERATION RABBIT (1952) and FEED THE KITTY (1952).

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

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Happy Valentine's Day!

Best wishes to all for a very happy Valentine's Day!

Actress Piper Laurie, recently reviewed here in THE GOLDEN BLADE (1953), is "pretty as a picture" in this studio holiday still.

Piper Laurie turned 89 at the end of January.  She's delighted me in several films, with favorites including SON OF ALI BABA (1953), THE MISSISSIPPI GAMBLER (1953), DANGEROUS MISSION (1954), and DAWN AT SOCORRO (1954).

Have a wonderful holiday!

Previous Valentine's Day posts: Anne Gwynne (2014), Dorothy Hart (2015), Lynn Merrick (2016), Debbie Reynolds (2017), Marsha Hunt (2018), Dianne Foster (2019), and Ann Rutherford (2020).

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Tonight's Movie: Breezy (1973) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

In recent years I've become increasingly interested in the work of Clint Eastwood as both an actor and director.  I've enjoyed several of his films including EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE (1978), ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ (1979), BRONCO BILLY (1980), and SULLY (2016).

Today I watched BREEZY (1973), one of the first feature films directed by Eastwood, following PLAY MISTY FOR ME (1971) and HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER (1973).  It's available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.

I initially had to get past the ultra-syrupy '70s Legrand-Bergman title music, a Muzak style which I find unlistenable -- I'm not kidding, I turned the sound off during the credits -- but once I got past that, I discovered a rather interesting film.

Breezy (Kay Lenz) is a young girl who by today's standards we'd probably call "homeless," but in the '70s she was considered a hippie, who makes it through the days hitchhiking, sleeping on couches or porches, and bumming meals off whoever she happens to meet.  She's had jobs but is not currently self-supporting.

Breezy happens to meet Frank (William Holden), a divorced realtor roughly three decades older, when she flees from an unpleasant hitchhiking experience and lands in his neighborhood.  Breezy is intrigued by him and ensures that they keep running into each other, and against his better judgment Frank finds himself enjoying her company; Breezy is relentlessly positive, while she says he often has a "black cloud" following him around.

Frank and Breezy grow close and enjoy some idyllic time together, but before long his awkward feelings about a romance with someone her age catch up with him, especially after they run into some of his friends.  Frank and Breezy part ways, only for Frank to quickly reconsider what's really important after a close friend has a serious accident.

This was an interesting character study thanks to the lead performances.  Though I don't generally have trouble with "May-December" romances, for instance LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON (1957), I did feel that Breezy was really young, and Frank's discomfort seemed appropriate.  

That said, she was unique, if not entirely admirable (i.e., the whole lack of a job thing), and Holden's performance was so good that I was curious to find out what would happen next.  (It's also of note that while Holden's face had become prematurely craggy, he was still in very good physical shape, even jumping over a tennis net.)  One really wonders if a long-term relationship is in the cards for the couple, but as Frank says, "Maybe we'll last a year," to which the unusual Breezy joyously responds, "Just think of it, a whole year!"

My overall feelings were mixed; like Frank and Breezy's relationship, the movie was somewhat uncomfortable, yet I found it worthwhile and feel as though it's going to stick in the memory for a while.  I felt it was thoughtfully done, directed and performed with sensitivity.  (That said, I could have done without a couple topless scenes which earned the film an "R" rating.)  

What I enjoyed the most was the way the film captures the '70s L.A. of my childhood in a bottle, from shaggy hippies and peace symbols to boat-like cars, canyon homes, and the Yamashiro restaurant, which opened in the early '60s and still exists today.  The final scene was filmed in Plummer Park in West Hollywood.

BREEZY was written by Jo Heims and filmed by Frank Stanley.  It runs 106 minutes.  The supporting cast includes Marj Dusay, Roger C. Carmel, Joan Hotchkis, Shelley Morrison, and Lynn Borden.  The actor playing the veterinarian was William Holden and Brenda Marshall's son Scott.

Kino Lorber's good-looking Blu-ray includes a commentary track by Howard S. Berger and C. Courtney Joyner; the trailer; and a gallery of half a dozen additional trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber.

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... 

...Happy birthday to Kim Novak, who was born in Chicago on February 13, 1933.  Last week she was interviewed by People in conjunction with the publication of her new book KIM NOVAK: HER ART AND LIFE, now available from The Butler Institute of American Art.

...Marvel exec Kevin Feige wants to keep BLACK WIDOW (2021), due in theaters on May 7th, a theatrical release and opposes a simultaneous streaming release on Disney+.  Industry speculation is that BLACK WIDOW and another May blockbuster, F9 (2021), will be pushed back on the release schedule yet again.  A decision regarding BLACK WIDOW is expected in the next month or so.

...Silver Screen Suppers features some recipes from Alan Ladd.  The potato pancakes look good!

...In honor of Valentine's Day weekend, here's a look back at two past columns on favorite romantic films, from 2019 and 2020.

...Two of the latest articles at Jeff Arnold's West focus on directors: The Westerns of Jacques Tourneur and The Westerns of George Sherman.

...Glenn Erickson reviews the new Warner Archive Blu-ray release of GOOD NEWS (1947) at CineSavant/Trailers From Hell.  Can't wait to watch it! (Update: Here is my review of GOOD NEWS.)

...Caftan Woman writes about two favorite "noir Westerns" starring Robert Mitchum, PURSUED (1947) and BLOOD ON THE MOON (1948).

...At Hometowns to Hollywood Annette Bochenek has an interesting article on the sad, short life of Douglas McPhail, who had a brief run at MGM in the late '30s and early '40s.  He's probably best remembered for costarring with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland in BABES IN ARMS (1939) and again with Garland in LITTLE NELLIE KELLY (1940).

...The Criterion Collection has announced its May releases will include NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947) and MERRILY WE GO TO HELL (1932).

...At 50 Westerns From the 50s, Toby Roan has updated his list of recommended Roy Rogers Trucolor DVDs and Blu-rays...In other Roy Rogers news, Marion "Mimi" Rogers Swift, the Scottish girl who became Rogers and Dale Evans' foster daughter in the '50s, has passed away at the age of 80.

...Notable Passings: Disneyland artist Charles Boyer has died.  He worked at the park for 39 years and was named a Disney Legend in 2005...Casting director Lynn Stalmaster has passed away at 93...Guy Madison's younger brother, actor Wayne Mallory, passed away last October.  (Via Western Clippings.) Boot Hill has a list of Mallory's appearances in Westerns.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please check out my February 6th roundup.

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Tonight's Movies: Gourmet Detective: Eat, Drink and Be Buried (2017) and Roux the Day (2020)

This week I returned to Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel to watch the two most recent films in the Gourmet Detective series, EAT, DRINK AND BE BURIED (2017) and ROUX THE DAY (2020).

Early in 2017 I watched and reviewed the first three films in the series, THE GOURMET DETECTIVE (2015), THE GOURMET DETECTIVE: A HEALTHY PLACE TO DIE (2015), and DEATH AL DENTE: A GOURMET DETECTIVE MYSTERY (2016).  I really enjoyed them and am somewhat surprised it's taken me this long to catch up with the pair of films released since then...truly a case of "So many movies, so little time!"

Happily the movies were worth the wait and I very much enjoyed being able to watch the last two entries in the series back to back.

In EAT, DRINK AND BE BURIED, San Francisco detective Maggie Price (Brooke Burns) and chef-police consultant Henry Ross (Dylan Neal) attend a birthday bash for Henry's wealthy friend David (Garry Chalk).

There's a mix-up about whether or not it's a costume party, which leaves Maggie and Henry standing out among the crowd in period finery, but otherwise they're having a great time...though David's children and stepchildren seem to be a fractious bunch.

During what's ostensibly a reenactment of a famous duel in family history, David's son kills his stepson with a gun that was supposed to contain only a blank.  (Apparently they never learned it's not wise to point a real gun at someone needlessly, let alone pull the trigger.)  Who loaded in real ammo and why?

This was an enjoyable film, although the mystery was less important to me than the development of the regular characters. Maggie and Henry are navigating communication issues, as Henry tends to clam up about his past, but light is soon shed when his estranged father Jim (Bruce Boxleitner), a retired police officer, comes to town.  The film does a good job shedding light on Henry's background and in so doing takes his relationships with both Maggie and his dad to a new level.

I enjoyed ROUX THE DAY even more.  Maggie is coping with being an empty nester, with daughter Abby (Ali Skovbye) off at college, and Henry has gone into partnership with his father in a small restaurant named Molly's, after Henry's late mother.

Maggie has persuaded Henry to go to a Giants baseball game, but first they stop off at a charity auction so that Henry can bid on a famous restaurant's historic "chef's book" for an anonymous client.  They discover the book was unexpectedly sold prior to the auction, and when they decide to pay a quick visit to the buyer at his bookstore, they find a body on the floor.  Needless to say, they don't make it to the ball game.

This was quite an enjoyable film, including Jennifer Copping as a brittle food critic who has an antagonistic relationship with Henry.  The complicated plot kept me guessing and was interesting, but most of all it was fun to spend more time with characters I've come to like over the course of five films.

Both films were well written by star Dylan Neal and his wife, Becky Southwell, based on a series of books by Peter King.  Dylan and Southwell were also among the executive producers on each film.  The movies were both directed by Mark Jean and filmed in British Columbia by Adam Sliwinski.

EAT, DRINK AND BE BURIED can be rented for streaming on Amazon, and both films show up on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel from time to time.  The movies do not appear to be currently available on DVD.

I was sorry to come to the end of the series and am hoping that there will be another GOURMET DETECTIVE film at some point, but if that doesn't happen, the final scene of ROUX THE DAY would serve as a heartwarming conclusion.

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Tonight's Movie: Unknown (2011)

Every once in a while I like to watch something a little out of my usual routine and catch a good newer action movie.  It's sort of "palate cleansing" watching a suspenseful film with a lot of crashes and bangs!

In the past I've enjoyed Liam Neeson's NON-STOP (2014) and THE COMMUTER (2018), which hit the "sweet spot" for me in terms of being exciting yet not so violent I couldn't enjoy them. Both were rated PG-13, and tonight I tried another of Neeson's films with that rating, UNKNOWN (2011).  I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Neeson plays Dr. Martin Harris, a scientist who has just arrived at a conference in Berlin with his wife Liz (January Jones of MAD MEN).  Upon arrival at their hotel, Liz is checking in when Martin suddenly realizes he left his briefcase on the sidewalk at the airport.  He quickly hops into a cab to race back and retrieve it.

On the way to the airport Martin's taxi is in a disastrous wreck which leaves him hospitalized in a coma for four days.  When he comes to, Martin learns he had no identification so no one has contacted Liz.  Thinking Liz must be frantic trying to find him, Martin checks out of the hospital against doctor's orders and heads to the hotel.  He finds Liz...and she claims to have no idea who he is.  

What's worse, she's with her husband, Dr. Martin Harris.

Baffled, Martin eventually ends up back at the hospital trying to figure things out.  A kind nurse gives him a card with the number of someone she knows who "finds people."  When Martin ultimately visits him, it turns out the man (Bruno Ganz) is an ex-Stasi officer, but he believes Martin and is willing to go to work digging into Martin's past.  Martin, having little other help, is grateful.

Martin also seeks answers from Gina (Diane Kruger), the taxi driver who had saved his life after the wreck.  It becomes increasingly apparent that beyond the mystifying mind games, someone is trying to have him -- and anyone around him -- killed.  Who and why?

This was a nicely crafted, intriguing story with a pretty good twist I didn't see coming.  The movie was well paced at 103 minutes, which seemed just about right to tell the story without testing viewer patience.  

As always, Neeson is the perfect action hero, and he's particularly interesting here as a man who may -- or may not -- be losing his mind.  He's surrounded by a solid supporting cast, including Frank Langella as a colleague.  

I hesitate to say much more about the movie, as further discussion of characters and plot would necessarily be "spoilerish."  Suffice it to say this might not be a perfect film, but it was plenty entertaining and I had a good time watching it.

The attractive location filming in Germany was by Flavio Labiano.  The movie was directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who also worked with Neeson on RUN ALL NIGHT (2015) and THE COMMUTER.

The PG-13 rating seemed to be primarily for the non-stop action scenes, which could be startling but were not overly graphic.  

UNKNOWN is available on Blu-ray and DVD, including a 2-film Blu-ray set with RUN ALL NIGHT.

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