Tonight's Movie: The Gay Divorcee (1934) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

Some films are like old friends, welcome each and every time you see them, and such is the case with THE GAY DIVORCEE (1934).

I grew up watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in THE GAY DIVORCEE with my mother on local television. As a teenager I saw it theatrically at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's Bing Theater, and after a few decades was able to see it on a big screen again at the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival.

Of course, I also owned it on DVD, which enabled me to share the movie with my own children. And now I've happily revisited it again thanks to the beautiful new Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray which will be officially released next week, on March 31, 2026.

The plot, from a story and screenplay concocted by a host of writers -- in turn based on a play -- is a lightweight trifle about Mimi (Rogers), who plans to engineer a divorce from her husband (William Austin) by using a paid "co-respondent," Rodolfo Tonetti (Erik Rhodes). Tonetti and Mimi will fake infidelity in order to force her husband's hand to agree to a divorce.

Mimi mistakes Guy (Astaire), a dancer she'd met on a ship, for Tonetti, and oh my, do things get complicated, in the funniest ways.

The plot really doesn't matter a whole lot; as a child I found it a little confusing, with parts of the story sailing right over my head, but I still loved the movie.

What matters is Fred, Ginger, the giddy character actors (Eric Blore! Edward Everett Horton! Alice Brady!), the gorgeous Art Deco sets, the Walter Plunkett gowns, the music, and the dances. Oh, the dances!

The numbers are all enjoyable, but the climactic "The Continental" is especially beautiful to watch; Fred and Ginger have their big dance, and then there's a marvelous extended sequence with the chorus, whose black and white costumes swirl as they dance in Berkeley-esque patterns.

I've always wondered why Ginger, who begins the lengthy number with a song, doesn't return to sing again later in the number; instead a completely different singer, Lillian Miles, jumps into the action. That part is a little strange, but since Guy and Mimi were hiding from Tonetti around that time, maybe that's the excuse.

But no matter, the entire "Continental" is simply spectacular. There's also the "Night and Day" dance duet, and Fred also has a couple solos, including "A Needle in a Haystack," spread over the film. Horton has a fun comedic dance number with Betty Grable, who would also turn up in Fred and Ginger's FOLLOW THE FLEET (1936) a couple years later.

THE GAY DIVORCEE runs 107 sprightly minutes. It was directed by Mark Sandrich and filmed in black and white by David Abel.

The Warner Archive Blu-ray print is from a 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative. It looks great, particularly for a film of this vintage. Sound quality is also excellent.

Plentiful disc extras consist of the trailer; the cartoons I LIKE MOUNTAIN MUSIC (1933) and SHAKE YOUR POWDER PUFF (1934); the 21-minute short ART TROUBLE (1934) and the 32-minute short MASKS AND MEMORIES (1934), which stars Lillian Roth; a radio promo broadcast along with a 28-minute Screen Guild Playhouse radio production from 1944 starring Frank Sinatra, Gloria DeHaven and Edward Everett Horton; and a song selection menu for quick access to the musical numbers.

THE GAY DIVORCEE is a must for anyone who loves classic films.

Previous reviews of Astaire-Rogers films: FLYING DOWN TO RIO (1933), SWING TIME (1936), SHALL WE DANCE (1937).

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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Warner Archive 17th Anniversary Sale

A heads up for fans of the Warner Archive Collection!

A Warner Archive 17th anniversary sale began today at the Movie Zyng store and will run through March 31st.

The sale offers four Blu-rays for $54 with the checkout code ARCHIVE17.

Additional Blu-rays are also $13.50 each.

Over 600 Warner Archive titles are part of the sale.

It's hard to believe 17 years have passed since the first announcement of the Warner Archive Collection. Happy movie shopping!

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Tonight's Movie: Night Time in Nevada (1948) at Cinecon

One of the special screenings at the Cinecon Pop-Up Day was the world premiere of a restoration of Roy Rogers' NIGHT TIME IN NEVADA (1948).

This was very exciting, as many of Roy's movies were edited for television and the original prints weren't preserved. The print typically available of this film runs 56 minutes.

Paramount was able to put this film back together by combining a Trucolor print with a black and white print found in Great Britain. The print we watched randomly shifted back and forth from color to black and white, but all 67 minutes were there, looking great, and it was a delight to be able to see it.

Ran Farrell (Grant Withers) deliberately kills his gold-mining partner, Jim Andrews (James Nolan), wanting their big strike all to himself -- only to learn the expected gold isn't in the mine after all.

Years later Ran is rustling cattle when his daughter Joan (Adele Mara) shows up with her friend Toni (Marie Harmon) looking for information on her father. Ran conspires with a lawyer (George Carleton) to do Joan out of some money she should inherit.

Meanwhile Roy Rogers (himself) and lawman Cookie Bullfincher (Andy Devine) are trying to solve the cattle rustling, aided by a group of cowhands (the Sons of the Pioneers).

Multiple murders aside, this is your typical fun Roy Rogers film, buoyed by a solid supporting cast with appealing actors. Adele Mara is a favorite Republic Pictures leading lady, and I enjoyed the chance to see her in this. Devine is congenial and Withers almost surprisingly evil, murdering at least three characters over the course of the film. 

There's also good stuntwork by Joe Yrigoyen, who did some notable "B" Western stunts in the '40s, including jumping a horse over a car in a Gene Autry film.

I especially loved the music and was a bit misty-eyed over the scenes where the Sons of the Pioneers sang. Both my late parents were fans, so I naturally thought of them, and my father especially would have loved seeing this print.

It's a fun note of trivia that Grant Withers, the villain of the piece, would later marry Estelita Rodriguez, one of Roy's leading ladies. (It's also of interest that Withers had eloped with teenaged Loretta Young in 1930, a marriage which was quickly annulled.) Withers had appeared in a couple previous movies with both Roy Rogers and Adele Mara; he was also in numerous John Wayne films.

NIGHT TIME IN NEVADA was directed by William Witney. It was written by Sloan Nibley and filmed by Jack Marta. The exteriors were shot in the Victorville area.

Although poor edited VHS and DVD prints are available, hopefully this restored full-length edition will make it to DVD or Blu-ray at some point. I enjoyed it and would like to be able to watch it again someday.

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Tonight's Movie: Two Gals and a Guy (1951) at Cinecon

I had a really wonderful time at the 2nd Annual Cinecon "Pop-Up" day on Saturday, March 21st.

The event was held at the Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo. The packed schedule included five feature films, one half-hour TV episode, three shorts, a Wurlitzer organ demonstration -- complete with slideshow sing-along! -- and three special guests.

As a side note, it was announced that this year's full-length Cinecon Festival will take place Labor Day weekend. It will run from Thursday, September 3rd, through Monday, September 7th, at the Nuart Theatre.

The first feature film of the Pop-Up Day was a rare 35mm print of TWO GALS AND A GUY (1951). Former child actress Patty McCormack -- famous for THE BAD SEED (1956) -- was in the film and had never seen it before. Having her there to watch it with us was pretty special; she's seen in this photo. TWO GALS AND A GUY was her very first film, and she had zero memory of the experience.

I had never previously heard of TWO GALS AND A GUY. It's so relatively unseen that, as I write this, there isn't a single IMDb review of any type.

It was also the only movie of the day which wasn't good or great, but at the same time, I'm glad I saw it. As I Tweeted afterwards, "Weird film but loved seeing it." Sometimes it's valuable simply to take a deep dive into oddball movies you weren't aware existed.

The plot of this 70-minute film concerns Deke and Della Oliver (Robert Alda and Janis Paige), married musical performers who have a live TV show.

The show's sponsor (Lionel Stander) is threatening to walk away if the Olivers don't sign a new five-year contract, but Della rebels at the commitment. It seems she wants to have a baby and has even been talking to an adoption agency.

Deke sabotages the adoption attempt and an angry Della leaves the show. Deke then spots Sylvia (Paige in a dual role), a blonde lookalike for Della, and tries doing the show with Sylvia pretending to be Della, but Sylvia panics and can't remember her lines... Will Della relent and come to the rescue?

This movie was produced by Weisner Bros. and distributed by Eagle-Lion. It was clearly made on a shoestring budget, looking like the absolute cheapest Lippert Pictures film, such as the same year's Lippert film FINGERPRINTS DON'T LIE (1951). Sets were few, small, and sparsely decorated.

As the movie went on I was honestly surprised that Paige and Alda, reasonably big stars after years at Warner Bros., had agreed to appear in the film. A friend in attendance suggested one or both did it for extra money while working on Broadway, and the circumstantial evidence shows that theory could be correct.

Alda opened in GUYS AND DOLLS on Broadway in November 1950; TWO GALS AND A GUY was filmed at Fox Movietone Studios in New York and released in July 1951. Did Alda make this film concurrently with GUYS AND DOLLS?

For those who are curious, Paige didn't work on Broadway until late 1951, a few years later famously starring in THE PAJAMA GAME.

The same friend said TWO GALS AND A GUY felt like a long Joe McDoakes short, and I thought that was apt; the movie had the same minimalist, off-kilter tone. The entire film felt like the forerunner of a weak TV comedy, while at the same time having a distinct air of unreality.

That said, Janis Paige always shines, and she has a couple pretty funny moments as Yvonne, who can only dance robotically when she panics while on the air. She looks absolutely lovely, and I just wish she'd had more of an opportunity to perform musical numbers. The brief scenes where Della and Deke open and close their show were fun to watch.

Alda, on the other hand, is pretty much just a thoughtless goofball in this, nothing more, nothing less.

As for Patty McCormack, she wasn't even sure if she'd prove to be in the movie, despite being listed by IMDb. We had to wait for the very last scene, but she was most definitely in it, which was great fun. The finale was perhaps the cutest scenes in a wild movie.

The cast also includes James Gleason, Linda Preston, Arnold Stang, Morris Lieb, Rhea Scott, Myrtle Ferguson, and the singing group The Three Suns.

TWO GALS AND A GUY was written by Searle Kramer and directed by Alfred E. Green. It was filmed in black and white by Gerald Hirschfeld.

Viewers looking for a "good" movie won't find it in TWO GALS AND A GUY, but they will find a rather fascinating, bizarre, and strangely educational film I'm glad to have seen. 

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Around the Blogosphere This Week...

...will be taking the weekend off.

Today I'll be attending the 2nd Annual Cinecon "Pop-Up" Fundraiser at the Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo.

Around the Blogosphere This Week will return on Saturday, March 28th.

For recent links of interest to classic Film Fans, please visit my March 14th column.

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Here's actress Nancy Gates in a St. Patrick's Day studio publicity photo.

Nancy appeared in many classic Westerns, including Budd Boetticher's COMANCHE STATION (1960), and numerous other entertaining films. I wrote much more about Nancy here.

Have a wonderful day!

Previous St. Patrick's Day Posts: 2013 (Maureen O'Hara), 2014 (Angela Greene), 2015 (actresses in green), 2016 (Maureen O'Hara), 2017 (more actresses in green), 2018 (posters for Irish-themed movies), 2019 (Maureen O'Sullivan), 2020 (THREE CHEERS FOR THE IRISH photo gallery), 2021 (GOING MY WAY sheet music); 2022 (Arlene Dahl); 2023 (Dorothy Malone); 2024 (Lori Nelson); 2025 (Peggy Knudsen).

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Tonight's Movie: Mogambo (1953) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

I tend to cast a wary eye on remakes, but MOGAMBO (1953), just released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive, is certainly a worthy exception to that rule.

MOGAMBO is rather unique in that it loosely remakes RED DUST (1932) -- also just released on Blu-ray and reviewed by me here -- with the identical lead actor. Clark Gable may have aged a couple decades since RED DUST, but he's lost nary a step, showing why he was the King of Hollywood.

While RED DUST is a very fine pre-Code, I noted in my Blu-ray review that its theatrical origins are quite apparent. That's not the case whatsoever in MOGAMBO, despite having the very same screenwriter, John Lee Mahin, whose work was based on a play by Wilson Collison.

Mahin and director John Ford open up the story with extensive location shooting in Africa. Gable's business is changed from managing a rubber plantation to that of big game trapper, anticipating Howard Hawks' HATARI! (1962), which I reviewed almost exactly a year ago. (I'd also note that Elsa Martinelli wasn't the first to feed baby elephants, that honor went to Ava Gardner!)

As in RED DUST, Gable's Victor Marswell contends with two distinctively different women: The apparently "loose living" Eloise "Honey Bear" Kelly (Ava Gardner) and Linda Nordley, the prim young wife of an anthropologist (Donald Sinden) researching in Africa with Vic's assistance.

Eloise loves Vic, who's attracted to Linda until his conscience finally gets the better of him. Alls well that ends well at the end of the movie's 116 minutes -- surely that's not a spoiler -- but it's a grand time getting there.

As much as I love the delightfully pre-Code RED DUST, a film dripping with steam and sass, in the end MOGAMBO is the better film. It somewhat echoes another Africa-shot MGM film, KING SOLOMON'S MINES (1950), but the overall tone is Fordian, and needless to say it's all the better for it.

The spunky Eloise and her luggage, the helpful priest (a Ford staple!), and the friendly musical natives conjure strong overtones of Ford's later DONOVAN'S REEF (1963). We never worry too much about Vic destroying Linda's marriage, because it's clear he's better suited for the fiery Eloise, and their union will allow him to continue his congenial lifestyle in the great outdoors among people who care about him.

This isn't to give short shrift to Kelly's Linda, who isn't simply a simpering young woman in whom Vic awakens something new. Kelly, aided by the screenplay, gives Linda depth and a real sense of conflict; beyond that, while she may be somewhat out of place in Africa, she's also charmed and even thrilled by all the wildlife she sees.

As for Gardner, she's simply terrific as the brash Eloise, and a worthy successor to a Ford heroine such as played by Maureen O'Hara. Like Kelly's Linda, Gardner's character is allowed greater depth than her RED DUST predecessor; scenes where Eloise confesses her wild behavior was a reaction to losing the man she loved in the war, along with an actual confession scene, show the viewer different sides to her character.

I liked that the confessional scene, with the words between priest and penitent unheard by the viewer, is followed by Eloise attempting to befriend Linda and give her some wise advice. By the time Eloise reaches her happy ending, the audience knows she's a genuinely good woman and fully deserves it.

Under Ford's direction both actresses were nominated for Academy Awards, Gardner for Best Actress and Kelly for Best Supporting Actress, and the nominations were well deserved.

The supporting cast also includes Philip Stainton, Denis O'Dea, Laurence Naismith, and Eric Pohlmann.

The movie was shot in Technicolor by Robert Surtees and F.A. Young in Kenya and Tanzania. There are noticeable process and soundstage shots typical of the era, but the overall impressions of the African landscapes are stunning.

The Warner Archive Blu-ray print is from a new 1080p HD master from 4K scans of the original Technicolor negatives. While it's been quite a while since I looked at my DVD, I'm confident in saying the Blu-ray is far superior than the print I described in my 2009 review.  It was a joy to watch the movie looking and sounding so great.

The fairly minimal disc extras consist of the trailer, the Tom and Jerry cartoon JUST DUCKY (1953), and the Traveltalks short LAND OF THE UGLY DUCKLING (1953). As is standard on Warner Archive Blu-rays, optional English captions are included.

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 Star of the Month: George Brent

The 2026 31 Days of Oscar schedule on Turner Classic Movies has come to a close as of March 15th, and TCM resumes regular programming for the second half of March.

I'm very pleased that George Brent is the March Star of the Month!

Brent was previously honored as Star of the Month in May 1997. It's great that TCM is celebrating him again close to three decades on.

There may be only three Star of the Month nights in March, but the schedule is packed with 48 Brent films, beginning on Tuesday evening, March 17th.

St. Patrick's Day is the perfect day to begin the celebration of the Irish-born actor, whose birthday coincidentally is the same week, on March 15th. 

The entire Brent schedule is below. As a big Brent fan, I've reviewed 30 of the month's 48 titles; please click any hyperlinked title to check out a review.

March 17th

SO BIG (1932)

THE RICH ARE ALWAYS WITH US (1932)

THE KEYHOLE (1933)

HOUSEWIFE (1934)

THE PAINTED VEIL (1934)

THE RIGHT TO LIVE (1935)

THE PURCHASE PRICE (1932)

LILLY TURNER (1933)

THEY CALL IT SIN (1932)

WEEK-END MARRIAGE (1932)

THE CRASH (1932)

MISS PINKERTON (1932)

DESIRABLE (1934)

STRANDED (1935)

LIVING ON VELVET (1935)

42ND STREET (1933)

FEMALE (1933)

BABY FACE (1933)

March 24th

FROM HEADQUARTERS (1933)

SOUTH OF SUEZ (1940)

THE MAN WHO TALKED TOO MUCH (1940)

SNOWED UNDER (1936)

WINGS OF THE NAVY (1939)

GOD'S COUNTRY AND THE WOMAN (1936)

FRONT PAGE WOMAN (1935)

SPECIAL AGENT (1935)

THE GOOSE AND THE GANDER (1935)

IN PERSON (1935)

THE GOLDEN ARROW (1936)

GIVE ME YOUR HEART (1936)

SECRETS OF AN ACTRESS (1938)

MOUNTAIN JUSTICE (1937)

THE GO-GETTER (1937)

STAMBOUL QUEST (1934)

March 31st

DARK VICTORY (1939)

'TIL WE MEET AGAIN (1940)

HONEYMOON FOR THREE (1941)

EXPERIMENT PERILOUS (1944)

YOU CAN'T ESCAPE FOREVER (1942)

SWINGTIME IN THE MOVIES (1938) (short)

MONTANA BELLE (1952)

THE GAY SISTERS (1942)

GOLD IS WHERE YOU FIND IT (1938)

THE OLD MAID (1939)

JEZEBEL (1938)

THE GREAT LIE (1941)

IN THIS OUR LIFE (1942)

MY REPUTATION (1946)

For more on TCM in March 2026, please visit TCM in March: Highlights, along with TCM's online schedule.

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Tonight's Movie: Man About Town (1939) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

One of the Kino Lorber releases I've most looked forward to in early 2026 is the Jack Benny Comedy Classics set.

This two-film set, released at the end of February, contains the Benny films ARTISTS AND MODELS (1937) and MAN ABOUT TOWN (1939).

I started off watching MAN ABOUT TOWN this weekend, which I found quite enjoyable.

The screenplay was by Morrie Ryskind, from a story he wrote with Allan Scott and Z. Myers. Ryskind had a long history of writing (or cowriting) solid comedies, including ANIMAL CRACKERS (1930) and MY MAN GODFREY (1936), so I had hopes for the quality of this film and was not let down. It's an amusing movie with a handful of laugh-out-loud funny moments.

Jack Benny plays Bob Temple, an American theatrical producer and performer who has brought his latest hit show to London.

Bob is in lovely with his show's beautiful star Diana (Dorothy Lamour), but she doesn't think they're a fit, finding Bob too "solid and respectable," and has been dating Ted Nash (Phil Harris), the show's conductor.

Soon Bob is entangled with Lady Arlington (Binnie Barnes) and Madame Dubois (Isabel Jeans), who are hoping to use him to make their husbands (Edward Arnold and Monty Woolley) jealous. Meanwhile Bob is hoping to make Diana jealous with any combination of these two ladies or one of the chorus girls, Susan (Betty Grable).

They all end up at a country house party...

This was quite a fun 85 minutes. It ends a bit abruptly, in terms of Bob and Diana's romance, but there's also a good laugh at the end to make up for it.

Benny is funny but doesn't overdo things. One of my favorite moments was early on, when he was walking in the fog and ended up circling back to the same place he'd started.

Lamour is exquisitely lovely, though I'm still trying to understand why she sang a song in the musical review in chains. It was odd staging.

Eddie "Rochester" Anderson is quite funny and at times threatens to steal the movie with his great repartee. A scene where Rochester chats with a butler (E.E. Clive) is hilarious. I was especially impressed by a dance he does during a party sequence; I didn't realize Rochester was such a smooth dancer!

The cast also features Charles Coleman as a hotel doorman and Clifford Severn as a bellboy.

Famed "dress extra" Bess Flowers can be spotted at the party. I recall when her IMDb credits numbered in the 800s, and she's now listed in over 1100! I've added a couple titles to that list myself. It's always fun to notice her.

MAN ABOUT TOWN was directed by Mark Sandrich, who directed several of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies. It was filmed in black and white by Ted Tetzlaff.

Kino Lorber's lovely print is from a new HD master from a 2K scan of the 35mm fine grain. Sound quality is strong.

Disc extras include a commentary track by Paul Anthony Nelson and Lee Zachariah; the trailer, newly mastered in 2K; and a gallery of nine additional trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber.

I enjoyed this and found it a relaxing fun time. I'll be reviewing ARTISTS AND MODELS in the near future.

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

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TCM in March: Highlights

The 31 Days of Oscar series on Turner Classic Movies comes to an end on March 15th, and it's now time for a look at the rest of the month's programming!

The March Star of the Month is George Brent, beginning on March 17th. There will be a separate Star of the Month post published tomorrow. It's a marvelous lineup!  (Update: Please visit TCM Star of the Month: George Brent.)

The Noir Alley films for the next two weekends are WHO KILLED TEDDY BEAR? (1965) on March 21st and 22nd and CAGED (1950) on March 28th-29th.

Below are more TCM viewing highlights from the second half of March. Please click on any hyperlinked title to read my extended review.

...A tribute to director Ray Enright on Monday, March 16th, includes the excellent pre-Code BLONDIE JOHNSON (1933), starring Joan Blondell and Chester Morris.

...St. Patrick's Day will feature a lineup of seven Irish-themed filmes, including THE DAUGHTER OF ROSIE O'GRADY (1950) starring June Haver and Gordon MacRae.

...There will be a special "Hollywood Humanitarians" theme the evenings of March 18th and 25th, paying tribute to actors who have done extensive charitable work. Films on the 18th include NATIONAL VELVET (1944) and THE AFFAIRS OF DOBIE GILLIS (1953), honoring Elizabeth Taylor and Debbie Reynolds.

...The latest National Film Registry selections will be celebrated on March 19th. Titles include the MGM musical HIGH SOCIETY (1956).

...March 20th there's a seven-film tribute to Gordon MacRae, including two favorites he made with Doris Day, ON MOONLIGHT BAY (1951) and BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY MOON (1953); I reviewed the latter film just a few days ago.

...I recommend Powell and Pressburger's A CANTERBURY TALE (1944) on March 21st. As I wrote in my 2017 review, "It's about everything and nothing...moments in life, and the continuity over centuries." A magical film.

...A pair of good Carole Lombard romantic comedies screen the evening of March 22nd: LOVE BEFORE BREAKFAST (1936) with Preston Foster and HANDS ACROSS THE TABLE (1935) with Fred MacMurray.

...Only on TCM: MGM's great art diretor Cedric Gibbons is honored with a diverse eight-film lineup of films including LITTLE WOMEN (1949), ACT OF VIOLENCE (1949), and SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952). It's an especially great day of movies, on March 23rd.

...On March 26th TCM features four films on which director Alfred Hitchcock teamed with composer Bernard Herrmann, including NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959.

...March 27th there's a ten-film tribute to an actress I think everyone loves, Joan Blondell. It includes DAMES (1934) and I'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER (1934), to name just two I've enjoyed!

...THEM! (1954), showing on March 28th, is absolutely terrific sci-fi. I also enjoyed visiting the movie's desert location a few years ago.

...TWO WEEKS WITH LOVE (1950) is a relatively lesser-known all-time favorite MGM musical for me. Jane Powell, Ricardo Montalban, and Debbie Reynolds star. It's on March 29th.

...Two wonderful examples of smalltown Western Americana, THE ROMANCE OF ROSY RIDGE (1947) and STARS IN MY CROWN (1950), will be shown on March 30th.

...A day of films written by Raymond L. Schrock on March 31st includes minor yet enjoyable "B" fare such as SECRET ENEMIES (1942), a 57-minute "B" film with Craig Stevens, Faye Emerson, and John Ridgely.

For more on TCM in March 2026, please visit my Quick Preview of TCM in March and TCM Star of the Month: George Brent, along with TCM's online schedule.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...The Warner Archive Collection has announced its April titles. They include ARROWSMITH (1931), 20,000 YEARS IN SING-SING (1932), CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS (1937), CRACK-UP (1946), KING RICHARD AND THE CRUSADERS (1954), and a Monogram Matinee Vol. 2 set containing the Jimmie Davis Western LOUISIANA (1937) and Jimmy Wakely in SONG OF THE RANGE (1944). (There's more on the Monogram set from Toby Roan at 50 Westerns From the 50s.) Meanwhile several of the March Warner Archive discs announced last month are on the way to me for review, so stay tuned!

...Universal also has a great list of Blu-rays ahead for April: MILLION DOLLAR LEGS (1932), INTERNATIONAL HOUSE (1933), HERE COMES COOKIE (1935), MISSISSIPPI (1935), and THE PRIVATE WAR OF MAJOR BENSON (1955). I hope to review at least a couple of these; in the meantime I have Cary Grant's debut film, THIS IS THE NIGHT (1932), on the way to me for review. Anyone who missed the March list of Universal releases may find it here.

...VCI Entertainment has a set of East Side Kids films coming out under its Poverty Row Classics line: EAST SIDE KIDS (1940) and THAT GANG OF MINE (1940).

...Kino Lorber Studio Classics is bringing out an upgraded print of all-time favorite BEND OF THE RIVER (1952) on Blu-ray in May, from a 4K restoration. In addition to the Toby Roan commentary on their 2019 Blu-ray release, this will have a second track, by Julie Kirgo and C. Courtney Joyner. BEND OF THE RIVER was directed by Anthony Mann; James Stewart leads a very deep cast.

...Also coming from Kino Lorber in May: NIGHT WORLD (1932) with Lew Ayres and Boris Karloff; it will have two commentary tracks, by Jeremy Arnold and Tim Lucas. And listed as "coming soon" is WALK A TIGHTROPE (1963) starring Dan Duryea.

...The UCLA Festival of Preservation has announced it will take place from May 29th through 31st at the Billy Wilder Theater in Westwood. The full schedule is not yet out, but it will include LORNA DOONE (1922), MERRILY WE LIVE (1938), and PITFALL (1948). Thanks to reader Christine for making me aware of this great news.

...Christine also shared the news that the Academy Museum is hosting a series of all Akira Kurosawa's films, starting in late March and continuing through May.

...I also want to mention that both the Noir City Hollywood and Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festivals announced their schedules yesterday. For anyone who missed my posts, the schedules may be reviewed here and here.

...The Vista Theater in Hollywood is hosting extremely rare 35mm roadshow showings of PORGY AND BESS (1959) this week. Update: Here's a little more info on the print, which is now owned by Quentin Tarantino, and the movie.

...The annual Cowboy Cookout fundraiser at McCrea Ranch will take place Saturday, May 16th. Registration is via the Conejo Recreation and Park District. The cookout includes the very rare chance to tour the inside of the home of Joel McCrea and Frances Dee, which is remarkable in its simplicity and homey touches. It's hard to believe it's been nearly 15 years since the ranch first opened to the public; I've been fortunate to return several times over the years, and I'm looking forward to the cookout!

...Last summer I shared the news of the upcoming biography of Ben Johnson by Kathryn Jones, published by the University Press of Mississippi. TALL IN THE SADDLE: THE LIFE OF BEN JOHNSON, HOLLYWOOD'S REAL COWBOY was just published, on March 10th. I'm looking forward to it!

...As I mentioned in my preview of the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival, Kirk Ellis has a new book out on BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967), published by the University of New Mexico Press. Kirk is a regular at both the Arthur Lyons and Lone Pine Film Festivals, and I really enjoyed his book on RIDE LONESOME.

...Cole's French Dipped Sandwiches, a Downtown Los Angeles staple since 1908, may be closing for good this summer. I wrote about Cole's here in 2020.

...Coming in June from the University Press of Kentucky: A CENTURY OF HITCHCOCK: THE MAN, THE MYTHS, THE LEGACY by Tony Lee Moral.

...Glenn Erickson has reviewed the new Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray of MOGAMBO (1953), which I'll also be reviewing in the very near future...James L. Neibaur reviewed Kino Lorber's new Jack Benny set, containing ARTISTS AND MODELS (1937) and MAN ABOUT TOWN (1939). Again, I should have a review of MAN ABOUT TOWN up in the next couple days!...At Comet Over Hollywood, Jessica reviewed LET'S MAKE MUSIC! (1940) with Bob Crosby and Jean Rogers. It's available on a Warner Archive DVD.

...Notable Passing: British actress Jane Lapotaire has passed on. A 1981 Tony winner for PIAF, I particularly remember her for her role as Princess Dagmar of Denmark (later Empress of Russia) in TV's EDWARD THE KING (1975).

...Note: Around the Blogosphere This Week will not appear next weekend, when I'll be attending the 2nd Annual Cinecon "Pop-Up" Fundraiser in El Segundo, California.  The column will return on March 28th.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my March 7th column.

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