Sunday, November 03, 2013

Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...As I mentioned in Friday's Tim Holt film review, my friend Toby of 50 Westerns From the 50s has launched a new series, Tim Holt Tuesday. Visit 50 Westerns each week for a celebration of the career and movies of one of the great Western stars. (This photo of Tim comes from Toby's site.)

...Attention DVD collectors: the annual fall 25% off sale is currently going on at Deep Discount; the code is BIGSALE. Only tagged items are eligible for the sale. My pick: the 1958-59 TV Western CIMARRON CITY, starring George Montgomery and Audrey Totter.

...The fall half-price Criterion sale at Barnes & Noble started on October 30, 2012 and November 1, 2011. Perhaps it will begin this Tuesday? I'll be watching for info.

...Turner Classic Movies has announced the first three titles on the schedule for the 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival: 75th anniversary screenings of GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) and THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939), and Carl Davis conducting a live orchestra for the premiere of his new score for the Harold Lloyd silent WHY WORRY? (1923). Lou Lumenick just interviewed Robert Osborne and reveals that efforts are underway to have 97-year-old Olivia de Havilland travel to the festival from her home in Paris for the screening, which if it comes to pass would truly be a historic moment.

...In more TCM-related news, Aurora reports at Once Upon a Screen that the #TCMParty gang on Twitter will be pairing up with Warner Archive Instant for a series of film noir Tweet-alongs in November. Visit Once Upon a Screen for all the details.

...At Shadows and Satin, Karen's Film Noir Pick of the Month on Turner Classic Movies is SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (1957), which I agree is an excellent film. It airs on TCM November 13th.

...Caftan Woman's "One for November" choice is Anthony Mann's BORDER INCIDENT (1949), starring Ricardo Montalban and George Murphy. It airs on November 25th.

...Kristina's got lots of suggestions for November on TCM at Speakeasy, along with links to TCM recommendations from still more bloggers -- be sure to check it all out!

...The Film Noir Foundation also lists Film Noir recommendations airing on TV in November.

...Last Tuesday Governor Perry of Texas awarded Audie Murphy the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor. Murphy's surviving sister, Nadine, attended the ceremony. A few minutes of the ceremony are on YouTube.

...Read here to discover Lou Lumenick's favorite film in 32 years as a critic. I have to agree it's an extremely good movie, though not my favorite of the last few decades.

...Christmas suggestions for the DR. WHO fans on your list: a TARDIS Talking Cookie Jar and a TARDIS and Dalek ice cube tray.

...This week's YouTube find: multiple WAGON TRAIN episodes starring one of our favorites, Ann Blyth: "The Fort Pierce Story" with Ronald Reagan, "The Clementine Jones Story" with Dick York, "The Eve Newhope Story," "The Jenny Tannen Story," and "The Martha Barham Story." As always, anything currently on YouTube can disappear at any time!

...Last week I reviewed the new Criterion Blu-ray of THE UNINVITED (1944) at ClassicFlix. Greenbriar Picture Shows has all sorts of fascinating publicity ephemera related to the film, and here's more on the new release by Glenn Erickson at DVD Savant.

...My friend Chris Yogerst wrote a takedown of the silly, slanderous Ben Urwand book THE COLLABORATION, which charges the movie moguls of the '30s were friendly to Hitler. Chris's article was published at Pajamas Media. Louis B. Mayer's great-niece, blogger Alicia Mayer, has been leading the charge against Urwand's book, and has just written more about it at the Jewish Australian News. I almost hate to give Urwand publicity by even mentioning the book -- hence no link to it -- but unfortunately there are those uninformed folks out there who are buying into Urwand's fantasy spin, which the eminent film historian Jeanine Basinger has termed "something of a film historian's nightmare."

...Glenn Erickson also recently reviewed SHACK OUT ON 101 (1955), writing in an introduction elsewhere on the site, "Frank Lovejoy once again plays a patriotic everyman fighting the good fight to save the Free World... in a greasy spoon hangout. It's never been bettered." I thought this film was grand fun.

...Over at ScreenSavers, John DiLeo highly recommends MY BROTHER TALKS TO HORSES (1946), starring Jackie "Butch" Jenkins and Peter Lawford, directed by Fred Zinnemann. He says it's "as lovingly rendered as other priceless period “family” pictures as MARGIE (1946), STARS IN MY CROWN (1950), and, of course, MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944)."

...Notable Passing: British actor Nigel Davenport has passed on at the age of 85. His half-century career in films and TV included A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS (1986), CHARIOTS OF FIRE (1981), and TV's MASADA (1981).

Have a great week!

1 Comments:

Blogger Kristina said...

Thanks for the mention, much appreciated. Lots of great things here, really looking forward to the Holt days too, Toby will do a great job on it. Chris' urwand rebuttal is a great read. On a side note since Burt is star of the month and considering Karen's pick, I never realized how difficult it is to choose one favourite Burt movie...

2:06 AM  

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