Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Earlier this month I wrote about a number of new announcements for this spring's TCM Classic Film Festival. Last week TCM made a few more announcements. I'm especially excited about Piper Laurie appearing at a screening of Douglas Sirk's HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY GAL (1952) and a two-film tribute to Disney animator Floyd Norman, featuring THE SWORD IN THE STONE (1963) and ROBIN HOOD (1973). (March 5th Update: TCM announced today that ROBIN HOOD has been withdrawn from the festival schedule.)

...Thanks to Toby at 50 Westerns From the 50s for the alert that VCI Entertainment is releasing two Buck Jones serials on Blu-ray: GORDON OF GHOST CITY (1933) and THE PHANTOM RIDER (1936). (I got VCI's DVD release of the Jones serial THE ROARING WEST at Christmas.) Toby will be providing commentaries for the first chapter of each serial.

...Kino Lorber has been making daily Twitter announcements of upcoming releases. These include a 4K restoration of THE SHAKEDOWN (1929), a silent William Wyler film which I saw at the 2018 Cinecon Festival; Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard in THE CAT AND THE CANARY (1939); and May 12th releases of a pair of three-film sets, Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema II and the Barbara Stanwyck Collection. The noir set titles, a couple of which were previously released on DVD by TCM Vault, are THUNDER ON THE HILL (1951) with Claudette Colbert and Ann Blyth, which I reviewed in 2013, THE PRICE OF FEAR (1956) with Merle Oberon and Lex Barker, and THE FEMALE ANIMAL (1958) with Hedy Lamarr and Jane Powell. The Stanwyck films, which were released as part of a DVD set a decade ago, are INTERNES CAN'T TAKE MONEY (1937) and THE GREAT MAN'S LADY (1942) with Joel McCrea, plus THE BRIDE WORE BOOTS (1946) with Bob Cummings.

...Released last fall from the University of Kentucky Press: FILM'S FIRST FAMILY: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE COSTELLOS by Terry Chester Shulman.

...Thanks to Stephen Vagg for letting me know about a profile he wrote of actress Helena Carter. Carter has been reviewed here in films such as SOMETHING IN THE WIND (1947), RIVER LADY (1948), and FORT WORTH (1951). I enjoyed learning more about her.

...In January I shared a column from CNET about solo moviegoing. Here's a different take on the same topic. It also discusses that the opportunity to focus on something uninterrupted during a theatrical film is good for brain health.

...At Journeys in Darkness and Light my movie pal Andy writes about his introduction to B Westerns, specifically George O'Brien in LAWLESS VALLEY (1938). I really enjoyed his description, and I appreciate the link to my review of the movie!

...Coming October 20th from Scott Eyman: CARY GRANT: A BRILLIANT DISGUISE. Can't wait!

...UCLA has announced three Mary Pickford silents will be remastered and released theatrically: THE LITTLE AMERICAN (1917), AMARILLY OF CLOTHES-LINE ALLEY (1918), and THE LOVE LIGHT (1921).

...Attention Southern Californians: THE CLOCK (1945), a romantic WWII drama starring Judy Garland and Robert Walker, will be a 35mm matinee screening at the Egyptian Theatre on Sunday, March 1st. Vincente Minnelli directed...A digital restoration of PANDORA AND THE FLYING DUTCHMAN (1951), starring Ava Gardner and James Mason, is playing at the Laemmle Royal in West Los Angeles through February 27th. The Laemmle Royal is also hosting a screening of RIO BRAVO (1959) with Angie Dickinson present on Tuesday, February 25th. I've never been to that theater; unfortunately it looks like there isn't any parking available so that's a possible issue as far as being able to attend screenings there...

...More for Southern Californians: The Noir City Hollywood schedule is now available. I'll have a detailed look at the schedule for the festival, which opens March 6th, in a separate post here in the future...Overlapping with the Noir City schedule is a 35mm screening of Betty Grable in THE SHOCKING MISS PILGRIM (1947) at UCLA's Billy Wilder Theater on Sunday afternoon, March 8th. I sure hope that one is going to screen again somewhere soon, as I'll be seeing the even more rarely screened, not-on-DVD FLY-BY-NIGHT (1942) at Noir City that afternoon.

...Notable Passings: Kellye Nakahara, who played Nurse Kellye Yamoto on the long-running TV series M*A*S*H (1972-83), has passed on at the age of 72...Biographer A.E. Hotchner has died at 102. Among many other books, he cowrote Doris Day's autobiography.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please check out my February 15th roundup.

Have a great week!