Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Very good news this week: Hollywood's Cinerama Dome, which opened in 1963 and has been closed since 2020, will be reopened in 2026 by the Sony-owned Alamo Drafthouse chain. Alamo announced the Cinerama Dome will "retain its original name and branding." Particular kudos go to Ben Steinberg of Save Your Cinema, who has tirelessly campaigned for this iconic Hollywood venue to reopen. I wonder if the Cinerama Dome might become a TCM Classic Film Festival venue again? This photo was provided to the press by TCM during a past festival.

...Additional good news: The Bruin Theatre in Westwood, which opened in 1937 and closed in 2024, will reopen this fall. It's across the street from the Fox Westwood Village Theater, which was purchased by a consortium of filmmakers after its 2024 closure and will reopen in 2027, programmed by the American Cinematheque. (Photo via the Los Angeles Conservancy, where I just renewed my membership. I encourage those interested in preserving Los Angeles history and buildings to join -- it's tax deductible.)

...PRESSURE (2026), the D-Day movie which I enjoyed recently, will be out on Blu-ray and DVD on July 28, 2026. On a related note, I received a recommendation on Twitter and just purchased the book THE LIGHT OF BATTLE: EISENHOWER, D-DAY, AND THE BIRTH OF THE AMERICAN SUPERPOWER by Michel Paradis.

...Coming to Blu-ray and DVD in late August: THE SHEEP DETECTIVES (2026). My review may be read here.

...Last week I mentioned revisiting Jeanne Crain in DANGEROUS CROSSING (1953). This week I revisited another Crain film released that year, VICKI (1953). While not as good as the movie it remakes, I WAKE UP SCREAMING (1941), VICKI has its own pleasures, especially the performances of Crain and Jean Peters as her sister, and is worthwhile.

...Here's the final trailer for COYOTE VS. ACME (2026), due in theaters August 28th. This is the film which was infamously shelved by Warner Bros. in 2023, despite good advance buzz, in favor of taking a tax deduction.

...I love the packaging of the "Retro VHS" Blu-ray collection. MICKI AND MAUDE (1984), which I recall fondly despite not caring for Dudley Moore, will be released this week, and NADINE (1987) comes out in September. MICKI AND MAUDE costars Amy Irving and Ann Reinking; Kim Basinger and Jeff Bridges star in NADINE.

...Tom Holland as Fred Astaire? No, thank you...

...Since the passing of Jeff Arnold, Bud and RR have been doing a great job maintaining and updating the beloved and very informative site Jeff Arnold's West. Thanks to them the posts all now have search labels.

...Ruth of Silver Screenings has reviewed the Joan Fontaine version of JANE EYRE (1943). I like the film but enjoyed Ruth's insights into Jane's character in the book (which I haven't reread for many years) and film.

...Disney+ has a documentary on Julie Andrews in the works.

...Here's an interview with actress-author Illeana Douglas on her upcoming book JUNGLE RED! THE MAKING OF THE WOMEN from Lyons Press. I'm looking forward to it!

...And just a reminder that Alison Macor, who wrote the excellent book on the making of THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946), has a book on THE WOMEN coming in the future from the University of Texas Press.

...Glenn Erickson's latest reviews include Kino Lorber's WALK A TIGHTROPE (1963), which I just reviewed myself, and A MAN NAMED ROCCA (1961).

...Over at Riding the High Country, Colin has reviewed THE RAWHIDE YEARS (1956) starring Tony Curtis, Colleen Miller, and Arthur Kennedy.

...I've increasingly been delving into the work of Jack Hawkins, with a rewatch of NO HIGHWAY IN THE SKY (1951) among my upcoming Hawkins viewing. I so enjoyed him in THE LONG ARM (1956), aka THE THIRD KEY, that I decided it was time to see the somewhat similarly themed John Ford film he starred in, GIDEON'S DAY (1958), also known as GIDEON OF SCOTLAND YARD. Although I own the DVD in the TCM Vault John Ford: The Columbia Films collection, I decided to purchase the recent Powerhouse Indicator Blu-ray release, as unlike the TCM DVD it has captions, which I find especially helpful with British films. The TCM release has a brief introduction by Leonard Maltin, and the Indicator edition also has comments from Maltin, along with an alternate title sequence, a commentary track (by Charles Barr), and numerous extras, including a brief featurette on the movie's locations. GIDEON'S DAY is also available from Indicator in their John Ford at Columbia collection.

...I've booked a ticket for the 25th anniversary screening of THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS (2001) in late August...I've also got a ticket for a 10th anniversary screening of LA LA LAND (2016) next month.

...Attention Southern Californians: The American Cinematheque has a wonderful upcoming series of films directed by Douglas Sirk and filmed by Russell Metty. The series will be at the Los Feliz Theatre and runs from August 2nd to September 19th. Of particular note: Two screenings of the charming TAKE ME TO TOWN (1953), starring Sterling Hayden and Ann Sheridan; I thought it had influences of other films I love such as SADDLE TRAMP (1950) and I'D CLIMB THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN (1951). I'll be at the D23 Expo that weekend, but I hope that now that the movie has surfaced -- in a 35mm print! -- there is hope for other area screenings in the future.

...Notable Passing: Broadway and touring musical actress Anne Russell has passed away at the age of 103.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my July 18th column.

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Tonight's Movie: Walk a Tightrope (1963) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

The British crime melodrama WALK A TIGHTROPE (1963) will be released on Blu-ray next week by Kino Lorber.

Patricia Owens plays Ellen Sheppherd, an American living in London, where she's happily married to Jason (Terence Cooper), a businessman.

One afternoon a grizzled older American, Carl (Dan Duryea), bursts in to their home and abruptly guns down Jason at point-blank range.

Jason's friend Doug (Richard Leech), who had been upstairs at the time of the killing, runs into the room and Carl knocks him out, but Doug is alert enough for a time to hear Carl tell Ellen that she owes him money for the killing.

Ellen insists to Doug she has no idea what the deranged killer was talking about, and with Doug's encouragement, she arranges to meet Carl when he phones wanting his money. The police then move in to arrest him.

Trial then over and conviction secured, that would seem to be the end of the story, with Ellen facing rebuilding her life. But wait, there's more...

The plot of this short 69-minute film is more interesting than its actual execution. Owens (THE LAW AND JAKE WADE) is not particularly appealing here, shifting from hysteria to what I can only describe as weirdness.

Viewers never really understand Ellen or what she's thinking; while there are perhaps some plot-related reasons for that, Owens' performance is unfortunately fairly "one note" and uninteresting. (Side note: What on earth was on her head during the courtroom scene? It looks like an upside-down wastebasket.)

Duryea is always great to watch, but while he gives his role everything he's got, his character is left insisting over and over that Ellen paid him to kill her beloved husband.

There's simply not enough in the script, written by Mann Rubin and the uncredited Neil McCallum, to sustain interest in either of the two lead characters. Moreover, Leech as the late husband's friend doesn't have a great deal to do either.

The movie's finale, which will not be disclosed here, is intriguing, but it's not enough to save the film, though admittedly it might make things more interesting on a second viewing.

The bare bones of a good film are here, but the movie needed a better script and more interesting characterizations. Part of the problem seems to be the filmmakers didn't want to telegraph the full story in advance, but that leaves viewers with bland performances, with no nuances or foreshadowing.

WALK A TIGHTROPE was released in the United States by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Frank Nesbitt and filmed in black and white by Basil Emmott. There are a handful of London locations, which I appreciated.

Kino Lorber's Blu-ray print is from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative. It's a sharp-looking widescreen print.

Blu-ray extras consist of a commentary track by Gary Gerani plus five 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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New at Classic Movie Hub: The Maverick Queen (1956)

I have a new Blu-ray review up at Classic Movie Hub!

In this month's Western RoundUp column I've reviewed THE MAVERICK QUEEN (1956), starring Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan, and Scott Brady.

THE MAVERICK QUEEN has just been released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber Studio Classics. This is particularly exciting given that, to my knowledge, the movie never came out on DVD in the United States, and prints I've come across in the past have been rather poor. Kino Lorber's new disc looks terrific.

I found this Republic Pictures film better than its reputation and really enjoyed it. I hope my fellow Western -- and Stanwyck! -- fans will support this Blu-ray, which will hopefully encourage future releases of additional lesser-known Westerns from Kino Lorber.

Please click over to Classic Movie Hub for my review, and thanks 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); February 2026; March 2026; April 2026; June 2026 (No. 1); June (No. 2).

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Tonight's Movie: The Keyhole (1933) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The pre-Code Warner Bros. film THE KEYHOLE (1933), a melodrama with comedic overtones, will be released on Blu-ray next week by the Warner Archive Collection.

I don't believe I'd seen this film since my first viewing in 2008, during a time period when I was recording and watching as many Kay Francis films as I could!

At the time of my first viewing I classed THE KEYHOLE as "somewhat odd but watchable." It was great fun to return to it, having seen many more pre-Codes in the interim, with a deepened sense of appreciation. It does have a crazy plot, with Kay "married" to two different men and in love with a third, but I enjoyed it.

Kay plays Anne Vallee, who is married to the older, very wealthy Schuyler Brooks (Henry Koker).

Or at least Anne thought she was married, until the return of her first husband Maurice (Monroe Owsley). Schuyler doesn't know anything about him, and he especially doesn't know that Maurice never actually went through with the divorce; Maurice is blackmailing Anne over the fact that her marriage to Schuyler isn't legal.

Anne sails for Cuba, with Maurice following, as part of a plan to lure him out of the country. Maurice's sister (Helen Ware), in whom Anne has confided, has a plan to prevent him from being able to re-enter the United States, after which Anne will quietly have that marriage annulled.

Schuyler hires a private detective, Neil Davis (George Brent), to tail Anne on her cruise and see if she's faithful. Neil falls for Anne and things get increasingly complicated...!

The cast is rounded out by Allen Jenkins as Neil's associate and Glenda Farrell as a gold digger trying to take Jenkins for everything he's worth (which isn't much). Familiar faces such as George Chandler, Irving Bacon, Billy Gilbert, and Ferdinand Gottschalk are also on hand.

Like many pre-Codes, this is a fast-paced film, running just 70 minutes. It's directed with verve by Michael Curtiz; the script was written by Robert Presnell (Sr.) based on a story by Alice D.G. Miller.

The black and white cinematography by Barney McGill shows off Francis, her amazing gowns by Orry-Kelly, and some impressive sets to great effect. For many of us, myself included, simply watching the wonderful Kay Francis is a huge part of the enjoyment of her films.

One of the reasons I had increased appreciation for THE KEYHOLE on this viewing is the film fashion presentations by Kimberly Truhler I've attended over the last several years. She has spoken at length about Orry-Kelly's history and Kay Francis's 1930s wardrobes, so I especially enjoyed looking at the movie with a close eye on her clothes.

As always, the Warner Archive Blu-ray print is in great shape. It's from a 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative, so it looks especially good for a film of this vintage.

Disc extras are the cartoon BUDDY'S DAY OUT (1933); a Popeye cartoon, WILD ELEPHINKS (1933); and the trailer.

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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Tonight's Movie: Reunion in France (1942)

I've been gradually working my way through unseen John Wayne films, with the latest being REUNION IN FRANCE (1942). It's an interesting and somewhat unusual film from Wayne's early '40s career years.

He had broken through to stardom with STAGECOACH (1939) but was still working his way up the career ladder in the early '40s. REUNION IN FRANCE, produced by Joseph L. Mankiewicz at MGM, was one of seven films Wayne starred in released in 1942.

I use the word "starred" advisedly, as while Wayne plays a key role, it's very much a supporting part. This is, more than anything, a Joan Crawford film, with Crawford in all but a handful of scenes, and Philip Dorn (ZIEGFELD GIRL, PARIS AFTER DARK) is her leading man.

Crawford plays Michele de la Becque, a wealthy Frenchwoman whose life is turned upside down when the Nazis invade France. Her home is taken over by Nazi soldiers, and she is stunned to realize her fiance, Robert Cortot (Dorn), is a Nazi collaborator.

One evening Michele meets Pat (Wayne), an American RAF pilot, on the street; he's exhausted from evading arrest. She takes him home so he can sleep and eat, and starts to work on getting him out of the country.

Robert is willing to help both Michele and Pat leave France; surprising events unfold as they begin their journey out of the country, and Michele begins to realize Robert may not be all he seems...

This is a well-done film from director Jules Dassin's first year working in feature films at MGM. His MGM films also included sweet charmers such as THE AFFAIRS OF MARTHA (1942) and THE CANTERVILLE GHOST (1944); he would, of course, later go on to direct highly regarded noir titles including THIEVES' HIGHWAY (1949), NIGHT AND THE CITY (1950), and RIFIFI (1955).

While REUNION IN FRANCE isn't a classic, it's a solid, interesting film of its era. The movie has hints of the toughness which marked Dassin's later films, particularly as it conveys the disorientation Crawford's character experiences when she returns to Paris after the Nazi invasion and discovers her old life is gone, with nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Crawford may still look amazing, gowned by Irene, but the emotional wrench she feels at the emptiness of her new circumstances is conveyed well.

Wayne has relatively little to do in REUNION IN FRANCE. Given his charisma, it's surprising his role is rather small; he doesn't appear until roughly 40 minutes into the movie. It's a bit surprising that MGM went to the trouble of borrowing him from Republic Pictures for this fairly standard part which could have been played by any of MGM's younger leading men. Perhaps MGM was short on actors as so many were headed off to the military at the time this was made in mid 1942?

Dorn was never a flashy actor, but he's fine as the man who loves Crawford but puts duty to country above all else.

According to Scott Eyman's biography of Crawford, she and Dassin clashed often on the set -- yet at the conclusion of the film she gave him a pair of nice cufflinks and they became social friends. Eyman is dismissive of the film, as were the star and director, but I think they all undersell it, particularly given the importance of the messages conveyed by the film when it was released one year after Pearl Harbor.

Besides the wartime themes, what really makes this movie special is the depth of the cast; I've often contemplated that modern films just can't put together the kinds of names and faces seen in classic-era films. It's not just a handful of names, but over a dozen well-known character players, several of whom have scene-stealing moments. I particularly enjoyed Reginald Owen and Moroni Olsen.

The supporting cast also includes John Carradine, Morris Ankrum, Henry Daniell, Natalie Schafer, Henry Kolker, Albert Basserman, J. Edward Bromberg, Howard Da Silva, Oliver Blake, Ann Codee, Arthur Space, Jacqueline White -- and Ava Gardner as a shop salesgirl! She's seen in a screenshot above.

The movie run 104 minutes and, as was often the case in this era, it was written by "committee," with several names behind the story and script. It was filmed in black and white by Robert Planck.

I watched REUNION IN FRANCE on DVD from the 6-Film John Wayne Collection. The disc also includes the Passing Parade short WE DO IT BECAUSE (1942), which includes Ava Gardner and Dorothy Morris in the cast, and the cartoon WAR DOGS (1943). The disc also includes optional English-language captions.

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A Visit to Carpinteria Cemetery

As I've previously shared, we were among thousands of people in our area who were forced to evacuate our home for several days in late May.

Although the uncertainty was difficult, we tried to make the most of the unexpected situation, finding that staying busy was better than sitting around worrying.

After spending a couple of nights with our son and daughter-in-law, we left our cat in their care and traveled north to Carpinteria to visit more relatives; we then ultimately ended up in the "Danish village" of Solvang for the first time in many years. (Shoutout to the very nice Hadsten hotel in Solvang which gave us an "evacuation discount.")

During this spontaneous trip we fit in visits to two cemeteries, which gave us the chance to break up our drives with exercise while also paying our respects to some notable filmmakers.

Our first visit was to Carpinteria Cemetery, in Carpinteria, California, south of Santa Barbara.

We only made two stops in this small cemetery, but it was very special for me to visit the final resting place of John Dehner.

Dehner had a fascinating career, including working as a Disney animator (he can be seen in that capacity in 1941's THE RELUCTANT DRAGON), along with an extensive acting career in radio, films, and television.

One of his best-known roles was guest-starring as slimy banker John Bates in the famous MAVERICK episode "Shady Deal at Sunny Acres" (1958), where he uttered the immortal line "If you can't trust your banker, Bartley, who can you trust?"

We also visited the final resting place of character actor Oliver Blake, born Oliver Bettle Prickett.

Film and TV fans may not know his name, but they will surely recognize his face:

Coincidentally Blake was also in a MAVERICK episode, "Relic of Fort Tejon" (1957). He was in movies from 1941, including five of the Ma and Pa Kettle films.

Related Post: Photos From the Road: Carpinteria and Santa Barbara (2018).

Additional photo posts on the final resting places of historic Hollywood figures: A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale, Part 1, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale, Part 2, A Visit to the Forest Lawn Museum, A Visit to Hollywood Forever Cemetery (2014), A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Musicians, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Comedians, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Actors, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - Writers, Directors, and More, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 1, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 2, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 3, A Visit to Desert Memorial Park, Los Angeles National Cemetery, A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 1 (2017), A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 2 (2017), A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 3 (2019), A Visit to Forest Lawn Cathedral City, A Visit to Oakwood Memorial Park, A Visit to Hillside Memorial Park, Part 1, A Visit to Hillside Memorial Park, Part 2, A Visit to Hollywood Forever Cemetery (2019), A Visit to Woodlawn Cemetery, A Visit to Valley Oaks Memorial Park, A Visit to Valhalla Cemetery, A Visit to Pacific View Memorial Park, A Visit to Glen Haven Memorial Park, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale (2020), A Visit to Calvary Cemetery, A Visit to Home of Peace Memorial Park, Visits to Sedona and Las Vegas Cemeteries, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale (2022), Visits to Orange County Cemeteries (Holy Sepulcher Cemetery and El Toro Memorial Park), A Visit to Inglewood Park Cemetery, A Visit to Mt. Sinai Memorial Park, A Visit to Palm Springs (Coachella Valley Public Cemetery), A Visit to Marysvale Cemetery, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 1 (2022), A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 2 (2022), A Visit to Rose Hills Memorial Park, A Visit to San Fernando Mission Cemetery, A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 1 (2023), A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 2 (2023), Memorial Service for Edmund Gwenn (2023), and A Visit to Evergreen Cemetery.

Articles on the final resting places of Western stars and filmmakers from my Western RoundUp column at Classic Movie Hub: May 2019, February 2022, November 2, 2022, November 29, 2022, April 2023, November 2023, March 2024, July 2024, February 2025, November 2025, and April 2026.

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Tonight's Movie: Black Bag (2025)

I've watched quite a number of crime and suspense films recently, so it seemed like perfect timing to finally catch up with a more recent film from my watch list, BLACK BAG (2025).

I'd heard good things about this film about married spies, and it proved to be quite an entertaining, well-done movie.

George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) and Kathryn St. Jean (Cate Blanchett) are married British spies. They are very much in love, which makes things complicated when George's superior Philip (Gustaf Skarsgard) tasks George with finding a security leak in his group -- and one of the possible suspects is Kathryn.

George only has a week to solve the leaker's identity, or thousands of people could die. The other suspects include Freddie (Tom Burke), who was recently passed over for a promotion; James (Rege-Jean Page), who got the promotion; and their significant others, Clarissa (Marisa Abela) and Zoe (Naomie Harris), who also have significant roles at the spy agency.

When Philip suddenly dies of a suspicious heart attack, things become even more dire. Who would want Philip dead? And what has agency boss Arthur (Pierce Brosnan) been up to, anyway?

94 minutes fly by thanks to excellent performances, a sharp screenplay by David Koepp, and direction by Steven Soderbergh (OUT OF SIGHT). Soderbergh also did the cinematography, billed under the name Peter Andrews.

I found Fassbender particularly attractive and interesting in this role. His "average guy" looks belie a man of high intelligence and nerve who can be quite ruthless -- indeed, he rather enjoys the hunt and the prospect of finding solutions to puzzles.

George is also completely devoted to Kathryn, making clear in one scene that if Kathryn has gotten herself into trouble, he will get her out of it; she is his one non-negotiable in life.

Kathryn's feelings are initially slightly more ambiguously presented, at least until the movie's stunning climax. Kathryn, like George, enjoys the hunt, is quick with a gun, and is completely devoted to her husband.

The rest of the cast all are excellent sketching their roles, and erstwhile James Bond Brosnan does a good job playing the rather annoying spy boss.

In a nutshell, we very much need more movies like this one: A relatively "small" film which is short, visually attractive, and well-scripted, with an interesting cast and performances. If only!

I watched this film on Blu-ray. It's also available on DVD.

Parental Advisory: This film is rated R for language and some violence. I found the rating accurate; the film is for mature viewers.

The trailer may be viewed here.

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Quick Preview of TCM in August: Summer Under the Stars

The complete 2026 Summer Under the Stars lineup has now been announced by Turner Classic Movies!

As regular TCM viewers will be aware, every August the network honors the work of 31 actors and actresses with day-long celebrations.

Here's the list of stars to be featured in 24-hour marathons in August 2026:

August 1: Doris Day

August 2: Humphrey Bogart

August 3: June Allyson

August 4: Glenn Ford

August 5: Joan Bennett

August 6: Diane Keaton

August 7: Basil Rathbone

August 8: Steve McQueen

August 9: Gene Tierney

August 10: George Hamilton

August 11: Barbara Stanwyck

August 12: Groucho Marx

August 13: Susan Hayward

August 14: Jack Lemmon

August 15: Natalie Wood

August 16: Cary Grant

August 17: Rosalind Russell

August 18: Robert Redford

August 19: Hattie McDaniel

August 20: Marlon Brando

August 21: Marie Windsor

August 22: John Wayne

August 23: Katharine Hepburn

August 24: Dana Andrews

August 25: Bonita Granville

August 26: Jame Stewart

August 27: Bette Davis

August 28: Brock Peters

August 29: Rita Hayworth

August 30: Joel McCrea

August 31: Ava Gardner

First-time honorees are Keaton, Hamilton, Windsor, Granville, and Peters.

There are a significant number of my personal favorites on the list, and I'm especially enthusiastic about Marie Windsor and Bonita Granville's days. DOWN IN SAN DIEGO (1941) on Bonita Granville's day looks like a fun obscure film to check out.

Look for suggested highlights from the schedule here around August 1st!

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Tonight's Movie: Vertigo for a Killer (1970) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

My recent viewing of French film noir led me to try a new release from Kino Lorber, VERTIGO FOR A KILLER (1970).

Known as VERTIGE POUR UN TUEUR in its native France, the film interested me as it stars Marcel Bozzuffi, who appeared in SPEAKING OF MURDER (1957) and MAIGRET SEES RED (1963). One of Bozzuffi's best-known films is THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971), in which he was prominent in the supporting cast.

The movie costars Michel Constantin, who was also in MAIGRET SEES RED.

VERTIGO FOR A KILLER begins with striking opening credits, and soon thereafter a beautiful shot of the exterior of a Paris Metro station.

The tranquility is soon interrupted by an attempted mob hit on Rene (Constantin), but the contracted killer, Marc (Bozzuffi), deliberately misses the shot as Rene is his friend.

The gangsters who hired Marc are very, very unhappy with him, but he gets away after killing one of the men.

Marc then "borrows" a body from a morgue and fakes his own death with an exploded car, but the mob doesn't buy it, and it's soon on to an impressive cat and mouse chase sequence through the Nice airport.

This section of the film was very exciting, although I'm still not certain what Marc was attempting to accomplish chasing a plane, unless he wanted to be arrested to be protected from the mob.

At the airport Sylvie (Sylva Koscina) recognizes Marc from a crime magazine cover and brings him to her home, pretending she's interested in a tryst; Marc, needing a place to hide, goes along with it.

As it turns out, Sylvie has plans of her own for Marc. But who else is hiding in her home? Before all is said and done, let's just say nothing goes well for anyone involved.

This is a moderately entertaining 90 minutes directed by Jean-Pierre Desagnat, who cowrote the screenplay with a trio of other contributors. The movie starts well, with the viewer rooting for the hitman antihero as he's tracked by the ruthless gang. I rather enjoyed it until the point in the film where Marc meets Sylvie.

The movie's second half, unfortunately, gradually peters out, as the viewer tries to untangle exactly what Sylvie is up to; by the time this film fades out to shots of bodies and spaghetti Western style music, it all feels a bit pointless.

The movie was filmed by Roland Dantigny. The Kino Lorber Blu-ray print, from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative, looks very good, including filming in some interesting Mediterranean locations.

Extras consist of a commentary track by Max Allan Collins and Heath Holland and a gallery of half a dozen trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber.

Ironically, although I wasn't especially enthused about the film, I'm curious to listen to the track, which among other things might help me understand a bit more about the somewhat baffling second-half plotting. I met Heath at last year's Lone Pine Film Festival, so I feel confident the track will be worthwhile.

Although the film's final sequences left me dissatisfied, kudos, as always, to Kino Lorber for making a relatively rare film available to check out in a good-looking print.

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

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Tonight's Movie: Cast a Dark Shadow (1955)

A few years ago I bought CAST A DARK SHADOW (1955), available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber and Cohen Film Collection, when I spotted it in a sale. The impetus for my purchase was the chance to see another film starring the marvelous British actress Margaret Lockwood.

As so often happens, until now I still hadn't watched it...as the saying goes, "So many movies, so little time!" But this weekend a review by Karen at Shadows and Satin gave me the impetus to pull the disc off the shelf and give it a watch, and I'm glad I did.

In this 82-minute thriller Dirk Bogarde plays Edward "Teddy" Bare, who has been married to much older, well-off Monica, whom he calls "Moni" (Mona Washbourne), for a year.

Teddy treats Moni well, if one overlooks him hooking her on brandy, but he's just been biding his time to obtain full access to her wealth, and when he believes he's about to be cut out of her will, he kills her, staging it to look like an accident.

Alas, Teddy misunderstood what he overheard Moni tell her lawyer Phillip (Robert Flemyng) -- she actually intended to put him in the will to receive more than just her house. Due to Moni's death before executing the new will, her money will instead go to her sister Dora in Jamaica, whom Teddy has never met.

Once cleared by an inquest into Moni's death, Teddy needs to find a new "Sugar Mama" and meets Freda Jeffries (Lockwood) at a beach resort. Freda, though rather rough-mannered, is also recently widowed and wealthy. She quickly marries the man she calls "Ed" but is savvy enough to keep her money in her name only, to the frustration of her new husband.

The Bares meet Charlotte Young (Kay Walsh) when her car stalls outside their home and get to know her. She's shopping for property in the neighborhood but spends quite a bit of time with the Bares, eventually triggering jealous suspicions in Freda. Why is Charlotte spending so much time hanging around?

Charlotte, however, is not quite who she seems to be...

I really enjoyed this film, written by John Creswell based on the play MURDER MISTAKEN by Janet Green.

The first 20 minutes or so is admittedly a little uncomfortable to watch, as Teddy and Moni are so mismatched in terms of age; she's essentially a doddering old lady, and her obliviousness to his manipulations and faux affection is a bit pathetic. The viewer is on edge waiting for the proverbial "shoe to drop" where Teddy will reveal his true self and do away with her.

From the point of the inquest on, however, the movie fires on all cylinders, as Phillip is determined to find out the truth despite the inquest determining his client died accidentally; he warns Teddy that the inquest ruling will not stand if new information comes to light. The last 20 minutes or so of the film is quite a roller coaster ride, with a very satisfying ending.

Lockwood's rather crass yet smart widow is a fascinating performance, quite unlike the elegant young ladies she played in films such as THE LADY VANISHES (1938), NIGHT TRAIN TO MUNICH (1940), or LOVE STORY (1944). She was only 38 when this was made but a harsh makeup job and "dating" hairstyle causes her to look a few years older.

Freda is mostly aware of "Ed's" flaws -- though even she doesn't realize his bank account is completely empty -- yet she can't help loving him anyway. She's a sensible woman except for marrying him! Lockwood lights up every scene with the unpredictability of both her character and her performance and really "makes" the movie.

Kay Walsh is lovely as Charlotte, who spends a great deal of time touring area properties with Ed and curiously wants to spend time in his home, despite Freda making her increasingly unwelcome. It's a very good part, and Walsh makes the most of it.

Bogarde was born for this creepy role. I haven't seen him in many films, in part because he always strikes me exactly as he is here, as a rather slimy persona; that, of course, makes him perfect for this role. It's enjoyable watching him be outsmarted by not one but two ladies, not to mention himself!  His character proves more than once that he's not as smart as he thinks he is.

In additional to Flemyng as the lawyer, the cast is rounded out by Kathleen Harrison as a not-too-intelligent maid. I could have done with a bit less screen time for her, but I suppose her character serves a purpose in some ways, including unwitting providing Teddy's alibi the night of the murder and showing his ability to manipulate unintelligent ladies.

CAST A DARK SHADOW was directed by Lewis Gilbert, who made several 007 films, including my favorite, THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977). It was filmed in black and white by Jack Asher.

This film is on a two-film Kino Lorber/Cohen Film Collection Blu-ray disc with WANTED FOR MURDER (1946). The print is excellent, a crisp, rich black and white filled with interesting shadows. There are no extras but it does have optional English-language captions.

As regular readers know, I've been watching a great deal of British and French film noir recently, and this thriller fits right in. I enjoyed it and believe fellow fans of British mysteries will like it as well.

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