Tonight's Movie: For the First Time (1959) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

I've loved MGM musicals most of my life, but there have been a small handful of gaps in my MGM viewing.

One of the MGM films I'd never caught up with until now was Mario Lanza's final film, FOR THE FIRST TIME (1959), which was just released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection.

I'm happy to say I found FOR THE FIRST TIME quite enjoyable, a winning combination of music, glorious Capri locations, and a Cinderella romance.

Lanza plays Toni, a famous singer going through a "bad boy" phase. After turning up late for a concert, forcing audience refunds, Toni's loyal yet exasperated manager (Kurt Kasznar) ships him off to Capri to lay low for a while.

Soon after arriving in Capri Toni meets Christa (Johanna von Koczian) and falls head over heels for her. Christa reciprocates his feelings, but there's just one catch: Christa is deaf.

Toni doesn't care, but Christa is concerned about marrying a famed singer she can't hear and worries her deafness could impact their relationship over the long term.

Toni sets up a series of concerts in European cities with prominent hearing specialists and takes Christa and her uncle (Hans Sohnker) with him. A doctor agrees to try to restore Christa's hearing with an operation...

The idea that Christa's hearing could potentially be restored with an operation struck me as fanciful, but I was willing to suspend disbelief, especially as the overall film, from a story and screenplay by Andrew Solt, has a certain fairy tale quality. The promise of a "magical operation" fits, even if it's not especially realistic.

In essence Christa meets a world-famous Prince Charming who has resources to find a way to help her, and in return Christa helps Toni grow up and become a more responsible performer and man. As Christa says, "No more cancellations for you!"

The film is additionally buoyed by a lovely, colorful performance by Zsa Zsa Gabor as Gloria, who loves Toni but isn't resentful when he falls for someone else. Gloria is always ready to help ("one helpless woman against a thousand beastly music lovers"), with very amusing lines, and she's dressed to the nines while doing so.

The film was a reunion for Gabor and Kasznar, who had each appeared in LILI (1953) half a dozen years before. They have little screen time together in this, but each actor brings quite a bit of verve to the film.

Johanna von Koczian was a German-born actress who had made some prior films, including VIKTOR UND VIKTORIA (1957), but was billed as "Introducing..." in this, her first English-language film. She's not conventially beautiful, but she has a sweet appearance and a winning personality.

As for Lanza, he's great as the irresponsible performer matured by love. He's quite likeable, and he has the chance to sing a great many songs.

The movie was filmed from June to September of 1958 and released in the U.S. nearly a year after completing filming, in late August 1959. Lanza sadly died just a few weeks later, on October 7th, 1959, and the world lost a great voice and performer.

Lanza was interred at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City. I've been honored to visit his final resting place.

FOR THE FIRST TIME was directed by Rudolph Mate and runs 92 minutes. It was filmed by Aldo Tonti in Technicolor.

The Blu-ray print is from a new 1080p HD master from a 6K scan of the original Technirama negative. It's in excellent condition, very sharp and colorful, with a strong soundtrack. Anyone who watches this disc should be pleased.

Blu-ray extras consist of the trailer; the cartoon LONG-HAIRED HARE (1949); and a very appreciated song selection menu.

FOR THE FIRST TIME is admittedly not a "great" movie, but it's a very likeable film which I quite enjoyed and will return to in the future. Recommended.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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TCM Classic Film Festival Announces Additional Titles

The TCM Classic Film Festival has now announced its opening night movie.

BAREFOOT IN THE PARK (1967) will be shown on April 30, 2026, in the Chinese Theatre.

Jane Fonda will be on hand and will pay tribute to her late costar, Robert Redford, who died last September.

TCM made several other festival announcements. The annual Robert Osborne Award will be awarded to Bruce Goldstein of Rialto Pictures and New York's Film Forum.

Goldstein is a longtime presenter at the TCM Classic Film Festival whose detailed introductions to pre-Codes always draw a crowd.

Goldstein follows in the steps of Leonard Maltin, Martin Scorsese, Kevin Brownlow, Jeanine Basinger, George Stevens Jr., and Donald Bogle.

The festival will also pay tribute to actress Barbara Hershey and composer Paul Williams.

Newly announced films for the festival include:

*NIGHTS OF CABIRIA (1957) which will be shown when Goldstein is honored

*THE MUPPET MOVIE (1979) with Williams in attendance

*HANNAH AND HER SISTERS (1986) with Hershey interviewed

*ISHTAR (1987) with Williams in attendance

*A WORLD APART (1988) with Hershey in attendance

So far three dozen films have been announced for the festival, which typically screens roughly 80 movies each year.

The festival will take place in Hollywood from April 30 through May 3, 2026.

For more on the latest announcements, stories have been published by The Hollywood Reporter and Variety.

Previously: TCM Announces 2026 Festival Dates and Theme; TCM Classic Film Festival Passes on Sale December 9th; New Titles Announced for 2026 TCM Classic Film Festival; The Latest 2026 TCM Classic Film Festival Titles; More Titles Announced for the 2026 TCM Classic Film Festival.

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Tonight's Movie: By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

Half a decade ago the Warner Archive Collection released a charming lifelong musical favorite, ON MOONLIGHT BAY (1951), on Blu-ray.

I'm delighted that after several years of waiting, that movie's sequel, BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY MOON (1953), is now out on a Warner Archive Blu-ray as well.

The disc, from a new 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the original Technicolor negatives, looks absolutely smashing, and sound quality is also outstanding.

BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY MOON picks up shortly after ON MOONLIGHT BAY left off. William Sherman (Gordon MacRae) is just arriving home from serving in World War I. His fiancee Marjorie Winfield (Doris Day) is expecting a speedy wedding, but William is concerned about getting a job and starting a nest egg first.

That conflict is minor compared to Marjorie and her little brother Wesley (Billy Gray) becoming convinced their father (Leon Ames) may be romancing an actress (Maria Palmer). That plotline is reminiscent of A DATE WITH JUDY (1948), another film which coincidentally costarred Leon Ames.

Any viewer knows Mr. Winfield wouldn't step out on his lovely, understanding wife (Rosemary DeCamp)...the family kerfuffles are really simply an excuse to spend an enjoyable 101 minutes reunited with the Winfield family.

My only significant criticism of the movie is the same as it was in the first film: A little bit of Wesley's mischievous antics go a long way. I suppose it's natural these scenes are included, given that the screenplay by Robert O'Brien and Irving Elinson was very loosely inspired by Booth Tarkington's PENROD stories, but he becomes tiresome.

The movie also leaves me with the question: Where is William's family? Mrs. Winfield mentions having spoken to William's mother, but otherwise they're completely absent from the story; William even spends Thanksgiving with the Winfields.

Otherwise this film is a lovely time with charming actors seen in gorgeous Technicolor, directed by David Butler and filmed by Wilfrid M. Cline.

Day is delightful as always, and other than a couple short-lived scenes where he's being annoying for the sake of movie conflict, MacRae is also a handsome charmer. I especially love their "Ain't We Got Fun" duet, but all of Day and MacRae's songs, together and separately, are wonderful. They were a terrific team.

I also love the attractive pairing of Ames and DeCamp. The cast is rounded out by Mary Wickes as the family housekeeper and Russell Arms as Marjorie's would-be beau, perpetually hoping she'll dump William and choose him instead.

Blu-ray extras consist of the trailer; a pair of Joe McDoakes shorts, SO YOU WANT A TELEVISION SET (1953) and SO YOU WANT TO LEARN TO DANCE (1953); the cartoon FROM A TO ZZZZ (1953); and best of all, a Song Selection Menu for easy replay of the musical numbers.

I very much recommend both this disc and the previous Blu-ray release of ON MOONLIGHT BAY. I've watched both films many times over the course of my life, but they have never looked better than they do on these Warner Archive releases. These charming family musicals on beautiful Blu-rays are winners.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Coming next January from David Meuel and McFarland: JAMES MASON IN FILM NOIR: MASTER OF CINEMA'S DARK ART. I've enjoyed other books by Meuel, most recently JOAN CRAWFORD IN FILM NOIR: THE ACTRESS AS AUTEUR; Meuel's new book on William Wellman is in my reading stack.

...Glenn Erickson has just reviewed the Film Masters Blu-ray release of THE SECOND WOMAN (1950). It was a nice surprise to find a link to my own recent review when I got to the end of his column!

...Kino Lorber Studio Classics has confirmed a May 26th release date for the Brit Noir collection I mentioned in a column last month.

...Coming from Film Masters in March: THE NORTH STAR (1943) starring Dana Andrews and Anne Baxter.

...Thanks to Keith Buczak for making me aware of an upcoming book on one of my favorite Disney films, ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1951). The book, DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE: COLLECTING ALICE IN WONDERLAND by Matt Crandall, contains over 3000 images and is due out in June.

...Actor Bruce Campbell, who I've enjoyed on TV's BURN NOTICE and in Hallmark films such as MY SOUTHERN FAMILY CHRISTMAS (2002), has announced he is fighting cancer. Wishing him all the best!

...Netflix has rebooted LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, which will debut July 9th. A second season has been ordered.

...Silent-ology is hosting the 12th annual Buster Keaton Blogathon next month!

...Coming in May from ClassicFlix: Fleischer Cartoons: Greatest Hits, Vol. 1.

...Publishing in time for summer grilling season: THE COMPLETE GRILLING AND BARBECUE COOKBOOK is due out in March from America's Test Kitchen.

...At 50 Westerns From the 50s Toby Roan has news on an upcoming Kino Lorber release of DEATH OF A GUNFIGHTER (1969), starring Richard Widmark.

...Notable Passings: Actress and acting coach Maria O'Brien, the daughter of Edmond O'Brien and Olga San Juan, has passed away at the age of 75. She worked steadily in episodic television for decades, then served as an acting coach on DAYS OF OUR LIVES for 15 years. She was married for a few years to actor Michael Anderson Jr.; her brother was the late actor Brendan O'Brien...Producer Andrew Gunn has died at 56. He had a number of Disney credits including FREAKY FRIDAY (2003), RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN (2009), and CRUELLA (2021).

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my February 28th column.

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Tonight's Movies: Ma and Pa Kettle Complete Comedy Collection - A Universal Blu-ray Review

Universal has just released a fun 10-film Blu-ray set, the Ma and Pa Kettle Complete Comedy Collection.

It's a five-disc set containing two films per disc. While the film which introduced the Kettles, THE EGG AND I (1947), had a previous Blu-ray release in 2018, this is the first time for the rest of the movies to be out on Blu-ray.

With the exception of THE EGG AND I, all of the Ma and Pa Kettle films run 76 to 81 minutes. THE EGG AND I runs 108 minutes.

I first reviewed THE EGG AND I (1947) here in 2009 and saw it again at the TCM Classic Film Festival in 2017, introduced by Kate MacMurray.

MacMurray's father Fred costarred with Claudette Colbert in this amusing tale of Bob and Betty MacDonald, city slickers trying to make a living after moving to a farm.

The MacDonalds are unflappably accepting of their neighbors the Kettles (Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride), who live with a dozen or so children in a ramshackle house.

The Kettles provide comic relief, as the strains of farm living and an attractive "other woman" (Louise Allbritton) cause problems for Betty and Bob's marriage; other than the marital struggles, which go on too long, THE EGG AND I is quite a fun film. And Marjorie Main was Oscar nominated as Best Supporting Actress!

For more information on THE EGG AND I, please visit my previous review.

THE EGG AND I spawned a series of nine sequels from Universal Pictures, with a Ma and Pa Kettle film released in the U.S. every year from 1949 through 1957.

Those titles, all of which are included in this set along with THE EGG AND I, are listed further down in this post, including release years, main supporting casts, directors, and running times. All of the films are presented here in 1080p prints.

Somehow I've never seen a single Kettle film, so I'm looking forward to seeing them for the first time, especially as they have the kind of fun casts I appreciate, filled with both up-and-coming young faces and recognizable character actors.

Clearly it's going to take a lot of hours to watch my way through the entire series, so for purposes of this review I've revisited THE EGG AND I, which is a beautiful Blu-ray print, and I've also watched MA AND PA KETTLE (1949) for the first time.

As MA AND PA KETTLE opens, the town council is about to condemn the Kettle home. As luck would have it, Pa wins a brand-new home in a contest, and the Kettles move in with their children, who currently number 15.

Oldest son Tom Kettle (Richard Long) meets magazine writer Kim (Meg Randall) on the train home from college. They fall for one another, although her theories about good hygiene rather clash with Tom's acceptance of his family's, er, unorthodox standard of living.

The rest of the movie covers the Kettles attempting to get to used to living in a clean, modern home, while Tom romances Kim and tries to sell his plans for a chicken incubator.

Is it a good film? Not especially...but at the same time, I liked it. I'm a fan of "B" movies, and it was a fun hour and 16 minutes to relax with on a weekend afternoon. Making the experience even better was that it was a nice crisp print with good sound.

Marjorie Main tickles me, and I enjoyed chuckling over some of the film's absurdities. I also like handsome young Richard Long, who appeared in a couple more of the films before leaving the series. I'm looking forward to watching the rest of the Kettle films.

Familiar players in this one include Emory Parnell, Ida Moore, Esther Dale, Harry Antrim, Chief Yowlachie, and O.Z. Whitehead.

MA AND PA KETTLE is the name on the movie's credits, but it's also sometimes known as THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF MA AND PA KETTLE; those words appear on posters for the film.

The movie was directed by Charles Lamont. It was written by Al Lewis, Herbert Margolis, and Louis Morheim. The black and white cinematography was by Maury Gertsman.

Below is information on the additional eight Kettle films included in this set along with THE EGG AND I and MA AND PA KETTLE. I anticipate sharing additional reviews here in the future as I watch my way through this series.

MA AND PA KETTLE GO TO TOWN (1950) - Richard Long, Meg Randall, Charles McGraw, Jim Backus, 79 minutes, directed by Charles Lamont

MA AND PA KETTLE BACK ON THE FARM (1951) - Richard Long, Meg Randall, Ray Collins, 80 minutes, directed by Edward Sedgwick

MA AND PA KETTLE AT THE FAIR (1952) - James Best, Lori Nelson, 78 minutes, directed by Charles Barton

MA AND PA KETTLE ON VACATION (1953) - Ray Collins, 76 minutes, directed by Charles Lamont

MA AND PA KETTLE AT HOME (1954) - Alan Mowbray, Mary Wickes, 80 minutes, directed by Charles Lamont

MA AND PA KETTLE AT WAIKIKI (1955) - Lori Nelson, Byron Palmer, Russell Johnson, 79 minutes, directed by Lee Sholem

THE KETTLES IN THE OZARKS (1956) - Una Merkel, Ted de Corsia, 81 minutes, directed by Charles Lamont

THE KETTLES ON OLD MACDONALD'S FARM (1957) - Gloria Talbott, John Smith, Claude Akins, 81 minutes, directed by Virgil W. Vogel

The Ma and Pa Kettle Complete Comedy Collection comes in a plastic case sheathed in a cardboard slipcase. The first disc in the set includes a 10-minute featurette, CLAUDETTE COLBERT: QUEEN OF THE SILVER SCREEN (2008). This older featurette previously appeared in Universal DVD releases THE EGG AND I (1947) and CLEOPATRA (1934).

Optional English subtitles are included as well.

Thanks to Allied Vaughn and Universal for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray collection. It may be purchased from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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More Titles Announced for the 2026 TCM Classic Film Festival

Late last week the latest titles were announced for the 2026 TCM Classic Film Festival.

Newly announced titles include:

*THE MOUTHPIECE (1932), a pre-Code starring Warren William

*MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939), the Frank Capra classic starring James Stewart and Jean Arthur, which was last shown at the 2018 festival.

*MAN HUNT (1941), a Fritz Lang thriller starring Walter Pidgeon, Joan Bennett, and George Sanders which I'm especially hoping to see

*CABIN IN THE SKY (1943) in 35mm

*ROPE (1948) directed by Alfred Hitchcock; I saw it last year in 35mm nitrate and am wondering if that print will be shown

*ON THE TOWN (1949), a nice MGM musical follow-up to last year's screening of TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME (1949)

*SHANE (1953) in a world premiere restoration; I love this film and hope to see it

*PAL JOEY (1957), starring Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth, and Kim Novak, another world premiere restoration

*AUNTIE MAME (1958) starring Rosalind Russell, in a world premiere restoration

So far 30 titles have been announced; roughly 80 are shown at each year's fest, give or take a few titles one way or the other.

The TCM Classic Film Festival takes place in Hollywood from April 30th through May 3rd, 2026.

Additional information on the festival, including details on passes and previously announced titles, may be found at the links below.

Previously: TCM Announces 2026 Festival Dates and Theme; TCM Classic Film Festival Passes on Sale December 9th; New Titles Announced for 2026 TCM Classic Film Festival; The Latest 2026 TCM Classic Film Festival Titles; TCM Classic Film Festival Announces Additional Titles.

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Tonight's Movie: Red Dust (1932) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The pre-Code classic RED DUST (1932) has recently been released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection.

RED DUST is set on a rubber plantation in rainy tropical Indochina.

Denny Carson (Clark Gable) is the head man, supervising production and employees, providing first aid, and generally holding things together.

Viewers should anticipate that Denny's attitudes toward his native-born employees are not always "politically correct" by modern standards, but it's a rough, dangerous job -- threats include tigers and disease -- and he's the man who gets things done.

A stranded young prostitute, Vantine (Jean Harlow), ends up on the plantation after hightailing it out of Saigon due to problems with the law. She and Denny have a brief affair but it's expected she'll soon move on.

Things get quite interesting when a young engineer, Gary (Gene Raymond), and his beautiful wife Barbara (Mary Astor) arrive at the plantation, right around the same time Vantine's transportation off the plantation breaks down and she's stuck in place. Both women are swooning over Denny, while loyal Gary is oblivious...

This terrific 83-minute film is about as "pre-Code" as a movie can get. It pulls no punches about things such as Vantine's background or Denny's relations with both women. It's quite steamy, in terms of both visuals and story. In sum, it's grand fun.

John Lee Mahin's screenplay was based on a play by Wilson Collison, and at times the film shows its theatrical origins with "stagy" dialogue exchanges confined to a couple indoor sets.

That said, the movie also does a great job opening up the story at various points, throwing its characters repeatedly into massive rainstorms which are well staged, with excellent special effects.

Director Victor Fleming keeps things moving briskly; it's fascinating to note that the remake, MOGAMBO (1953), directed by John Ford, runs roughly half an hour longer.

The lead actors are all top notch; Gable is exciting, Harlow funny, and the elegant Astor does a nice job with a brittle character who loosens up thanks to Gable, only for them each to ultimately regret their association.

It's also a nice role for Raymond, who is likeable as the go-getter who adores his wife and wants to do well in his new job. It's a pleasure watching all of these actors, particularly the sizzling Gable and Harlow.

The supporting cast is rounded out by Donald Crisp, Tully Marshall, Forrester Harvey, and Willie Fung.

The movie was filmed by Harold Rosson and uncredited Arthur Edeson. The Warner Archive Blu-ray looks incredibly good, especially for a film of this vintage, with rich, inky blacks and a beautiful overall picture. The print is from a new 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the "best preservation elements."

For a deeper dive on this film, please also visit my 2013 review of the remastered Warner Archive DVD.

Extras consist of the trailer (in English with the onscreen words in Spanish), and a pair of shorts in two-strip Technicolor: OVER THE COUNTER (1932) with Betty Grable and WILD PEOPLE (1933). I found the trailer fascinating as it has angles of the climactic gun scene which aren't in the final film.

To clear up any potential confusion, a 1940 Gulf Screen Guild Theater radio production of the story mentioned in an early press release did not make it to the final disc, unless it's hiding under a menu somewhere and I didn't find it!

The Warner Archive Collection has also just released the above-mentioned MOGAMBO (1953), also starring Clark Gable, to Blu-ray. I'll be reviewing it in the near future.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Last year the Cinecon Festival held a one-day "pop-up" event at the Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo, California. The 2nd Annual "Pop-Up" will be held in the same location on March 21, and I will be there! The schedule looks quite interesting, including TWO GALS AND A GUY (1951) with Robert Alda and Janis Paige, THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD (1926) with George O'Brien and Janet Gaynor, NIGHT TIME IN NEVADA (1948) with Roy Rogers and Adele Mara, and HOUSE OF STRANGERS (1949) with Edward G. Robinson, Richard Conte, Susan Hayward, and Debra Paget. Guests will include Robinson's granddaughter, Francesca, along with Gigi Perreau and Patty McCormack. Tickets are for sale here.

...To learn more about Cinecon, please visit my 2025 overview and scroll down to visit all the links for my coverage of last year's festival, which was held Labor Day Weekend in Beverly Hills.

...KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE (1989), a Miyazaki film I loved a couple years ago, will be rereleased on IMAX March 13th. Here is the trailer. (It was a bit surprising for me to watch it as I've always watched Miyazaki films in Japanese, with English subtitles; hearing the characters speak in English was odd for me!)

...Glenn Erickson has reviewed the new Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray release of TARZAN AND HIS MATE (1932).

...A festival which is rather similar to Cinecon, featuring a number of relatively obscure films, is the annual Columbus Moving Picture Show. It will take place in Columbus, Ohio, this Memorial Day Weekend from May 21st to 24th. A number of authors will introduce films or give seminars, including Scott Eyman, Richard Barrios, Steven C. Smith, Lisa Royere, and Laura Jerrolds.

...There will be a very special two-day festival at the Camelot Theatre in Palm Springs this April 24th and 25th: Into Wonderland: The Films of Mary Blair. Four films will be screened: SALUDOS AMIGOS (1942), CINDERELLA (1950), ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1951), and PETER PAN (1953). If the TCM Classic Film Festival wasn't taking place the same weekend, I'd be there!

...Speaking of Disney, Imagineering legend Joe Rohde has a book coming out this September: FLOATING MOUNTAINS: THE ART OF IMAGINING THE IMPOSSIBLE. It will be published by National Geographic.

...Today I visited the Cowboys: History & Hollywood exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley, California. I enjoyed it, including seeing John Wayne's hat from HONDO (1953) and Trigger, the famous horse Roy Rogers had preserved after his passing. I'll be writing about the exhibit for a future Western RoundUp column at Classic Movie Hub, along with a little on an exhibit I saw on Black Cowboys at the Autry Museum of the American West in December. Cowboys: History & Hollywood is included with the price of admission to the Reagan Library, and it runs through April 19, 2026.

...Notable Passing: I was especially saddened to learn of the unexpected death of actor Robert Carradine at 71. He was, of course, part of a large acting family which included his father John, brothers David and Keith, daughter Ever, and niece Martha Plimpton. I knew Robert Carradine best not so much as an actor -- though my youngest daughter was a LIZZIE MCGUIRE fan! -- but as a Lone Pine Film Festival "regular" for many years. He enthusiastically joined in various events, including screenings, barbecues, and riding horseback in the annual Sunday parade, and he enjoyed spending time at the festival with friends like Diamond Farnsworth, Wyatt McCrea, and Bruce Boxleitner. Last fall his niece Kansas, David's daughter, came to the festival and entertained us with her roping skills; he was a proud uncle. He's seen here in my photo introducing John Wayne in TYCOON (1947) at the festival last October. He will be very greatly missed by many.

...More Notable Passings: Lauren Chapin, who played Kathy "Kitten" Anderson on TV's FATHER KNOWS BEST (1954-60), has died at 80. She also played the role in a pair of 1977 reunion movies...Character actor John Wheeler has died at 95...Sondra Lee, who was in the original Broadway casts of PETER PAN (1954) and HELLO, DOLLY! (1964), has passed away at 97.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my February 21st column.

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New at Classic Movie Hub: Walk the Proud Land (1956)

My latest Western RoundUp column has just been posted at Classic Movie Hub!

This month I've reviewed Audie Murphy in WALK THE PROUD LAND (1956), which is part of the Audie Murphy Collection V from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Please click over to Classic Movie Hub to read about this somewhat unusual Western, and thanks very much for reading!

Previous Classic Movie Hub Western RoundUp Column Links: June 2018; July 2018; August 2018; September 2018; October 2018; November 2018; December 2018; January 2019; February 2019; April 5, 2019; April 30, 2019; May 2019; June 2019; July 2019; August 2019; September 2019; October 2019; November 2019; December 2019; January 2020; February 2020; March 2020; April 2020; May 2020; June 2020; July 2020; August 2020; September 2020; October 2020; November 2020; December 2020; January 2021; February 2021; March 2021; May 2021; June 2021; June 2021 (No. 2); July 2021; August 2021; September 2021; November 2021; December 2021; December 2021 (No. 2); January 2022; February 2022; March 2022; April 2022; May 2022; June 2022; July 2022; August 2022; September 2022; November 2022; November 2022 (No. 2); January 2023 (No. 1); January 2023 (No. 2); March 2023; April 2023; May 2023 (No. 1); May 2023 (No. 2); June 2023; July 2023; September 2023; September 2023 (No. 2); October 2023; November 2023; December 2023; January 2024; February 2024; March 2024; April 2024; May 2024; June 2024; July 2024; August 2024; September 2024; October 2024; November 2024; December 2024; January 2025; February 2025; March 2025; April 2025; May 2025; June 2025; July 2025; August 2025; September 2025; October 2025; November 2025; January 2026 (No. 1); January 2026 (No. 2).

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Tonight's Movie: Birth of the Blues (1941) - A Universal Blu-ray Review

The musical melodrama BIRTH OF THE BLUES (1941), starring Bing Crosby, was released on Blu-ray last week.

The movie, originally released by Paramount Pictures, is now owned by Universal Pictures. Universal previously released this film on DVD in multiple editions, including a 2017 Universal Vault release.

Other Crosby films newly out on Blu-ray from Universal are DOUBLE OR NOTHING (1937), SING, YOU SINNERS (1938), and HERE COME THE WAVES (1944).

In BIRTH OF THE BLUES Crosby plays Jeff Lambert, with Ronnie Cosby playing the character as a child. Young Jeff's passion for playing music with black jazz musicians in New Orleans greatly disappoints his classical musician father (Minor Watson).

The adult Jeff forms a band of white jazz musicians, hoping to popularize the musical style he loves, but the band struggles to go anywhere until adding cornet player Memphis (Brian Donlevy) and singer Betty Lou (Mary Martin).

The band then starts to see success, which is complicated when they learn the nightclub where they play is a front for the racketeering actitivities of Blackie (J. Carrol Naish). The band wants to move on, but Blackie doesn't want to let them go...

The premise of the movie is more interesting than the actual execution. It has some good musical moments, including Ruby Elzy singing "St. Louis Blues," but the story is rather "blah" and the music is actually a mishmash of Tin Pan Alley and jazz; for instance, one of the best numbers is Crosby and Martin singing the non-jazzy "Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie."

Jack Teagarden has an acting role as a band member, but alas, other great musicians listed at IMDb, such as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, are merely seen in a closing clip montage about the success of jazz.

Donlevy's fun presence enlivens things to an extent, but while I'm a Crosby fan, his performance in this isn't especially effervescent, and he and Martin prove to be a rather bland team.

I'll add that while child actors are a particular interest of mine, Carolyn Lee as Martin's little "aunt" was unnecessary to the plot and a bit grating.

Eddie "Rochester" Anderson has a nice supporting role, and some other great movie faces, including Lillian Randolph, Sam McDaniel, Mantan Moreland, Charles Lane, Warren Hymer, Horace MacMahon, Barbara Pepper, and Cecil Kellaway, can be spotted in roles of varied sizes.

The movie was directed by Victor Schertzinger and filmed in black and white by William C. Mellor. It was written by Harry Tugend and Walter DeLeon, based on Tugend's story, with uncredited work by Erwin Gelsey and Wilkie C. Mahoney.

The Blu-ray print is nice-looking, with good sound. There are no extras, but optional English-langage captions are an appreciated addition.

All in all, this is a so-so 87 minutes; I'd class it as worth a look for the cast and musical highlights, but nothing particularly special. That said, kudos to Universal for making this slice of movie musical history available for home viewing on Blu-ray.

Thanks to Allied Vaughn and Universal for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. It may be purchased from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...The Film Noir Foundation has confirmed the dates for this year's Noir City Hollywood Festival; it will take place the weekends of April 3-5 and April 10-12 at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. The 2026 festival will be somewhat shorter than the 2025 festival, running six days instead of eight; that said, the festival will feature 20 movies!

...Universal has announced plans for a "Digital Vault" which will sell digital copies of films from a variety of eras. Thanks to Lou Lumenick for the site link.

...Better news, for those of us who prefer physical media, is that Universal is continuing its recent spate of classic film Blu-ray releases. Late March titles: THIS IS THE NIGHT (1932) and GAMBLING SHIP (1933) with Cary Grant, GIVE ME A SAILOR (1938) and THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1938 (1938) with Bob Hope, and VARIETY GIRL (1947), a Paramount all-star film I reviewed in 2011.

...The March streaming schedule for the Criterion Channel is now available. Themes include "VHS Forever" and a tribute to Gwyneth Paltrow.

...Coming to Blu-ray soon from Kino Lorber Studio Classics: Brit Noir Collection 1, featuring CAGE OF GOLD (1950), THE RINGER (1952), and THE FRIGHTENED CITY (1961). Stars of the films include names such as Jean Simmons, Sean Connery, Herbert Lom, and David Farrar. Toby Roan has more details on the films at The Hannibal 8.

...Toby also shares information about a 3D release of DRAGONFLY SQUADRON (1954), from BayView Entertainment. It has a fun cast including John Hodiak, Barbara Britton, Bruce Bennett, Chuck Connors, and Gerald Mohr.

...Coming for fall cookbook season this October: KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE: THE OFFICIAL COOKBOOK and THE OFFICIAL DISNEY PARKS HOLIDAYS COOKBOOK.

...February 21st was the birthdate of both actor Zachary Scott and dancer-actress Lucille Bremer. I invite readers to visit my past photo-filled tributes to Scott and Bremer here and here.

...I was disappointed that SHIP, a planned sequel to PLANE (2023), appears to be cancelled, as this was a case where I actually thought there was much more story to tell.

...Upcoming Blu-rays and DVDs listed on the Film Masters site: THE LITTLE PRINCESS (1938), OUR TOWN (1940), and THE SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO (1952). All are currently listed for release in March 2026.

...Notable Passings: As mentioned in my review of THE PAPER (1994) a few days ago, Oscar-winning actor Robert Duvall has passed away at 95...Disney animator Jane Baer, whose long career included work on my favorite Disney cartoon, SLEEPING BEAUTY (1959), has died at 91...Eric Dane, who made a splash as Dr. Mark "McSteamy" Sloan on GREY'S ANATOMY, has sadly passed on of Lou Gehrig's Disease, aged 53.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my February 14th column.

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