Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Earlier this month I shared the good news that Alan K. Rode is writing a book on SHANE (1953) for the University of New Mexico Press Reel West series. There's even more good news about that series: Books on THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE and BROKEN ARROW are coming October 7th and are now available for pre-order at Amazon. THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE was authored by my friend Chris Yogerst and BROKEN ARROW is by Angela Aleiss.

...CAIRO STATION (1958), which I saw at the 2024 Noir City Film Festival, is coming to the Criterion Collection. As I wrote last year, this movie really wasn't for me, but I'm sharing the info as I know the film has many admirers.

...Ben Model's latest Kickstarter project is a restoration of the Marion Davies silent film HER CARDBOARD LOVER (1928). It will include a video essay written and narrated by Marion Davies biographer Lara Gabrielle. I signed up to support it and look forward to receiving the disc in early 2026.

...The latest reviews from CineSavant Glenn Erickson include the Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray SPRINGFIELD RIFLE (1952), starring Gary Cooper, and Kino Lorber's Dark Side of Cinema XXV collection.

...The June streaming lineup on the Criterion Channel includes In the Deep End: Swimming Pools on Screen, a collection of Gene Hackman films, and Rene Clair's Inventive Enchantments, which includes I MARRIED A WITCH (1942) and IT HAPPENED TOMORROW (1944).

...AMC has plans to drop theater prices on Wednesdays.

...A brand-new book from McFarland: THE CINEMASCOPE YEARS: FILMS THAT REVOLUTIONIZED MOVIEGOING, 1953-1967 by Aubrey Solomon.

...Here's a new review by Colin at Riding the High Country: I WALK ALONE (1947) starring Burt Lancaster and Lizabeth Scott.

...And here's a fun review of Jimmy Wakely in OKLAHOMA BLUES (1948) at Jeff Arnold's West. And I appreciated the shout-out re "Roy Rogers Land"!

...Coming from Australia's Via Vision Imprint line in July: JET STORM (1959) starring Stanley Baker and Richard Attenborough, directed by Cy Endfield.

...ClassicFlix plans a July release of Hopalong Cassidy - The Legacy Collection, Volume 1. It contains HOP-A-LONG CASSIDY (1935), THE EAGLE'S BROOD (1935), and BAR 20 RIDES AGAIN (1935). Extras include commentary tracks by Western film historians Ed Hulse and Toby Roan.

...Coming in October: WALT DISNEY'S TRAINS: A GRAND CIRCLE TOUR THROUGH HIS LIFE AND LEGACY by Michael Campbell for the publisher Weldon Owen.

...Rick Burin writes about WAGON MASTER (1950) for The Guardian, calling it "My feelgood movie." Can't argue with that! It's one of my all-time favorite films.

...Notable Passings: I was very sorry to learn that Denise Alexander has passed away at the age of 85. Alexander, who played Dr. Lesley Webber for many years on GENERAL HOSPITAL, died just weeks after the passing of her costar Leslie Charleson. (She's seen here with another longtime costar, Chris Robinson.) One of the interesting career facets brought out by The Hollywood Reporter's Mike Barnes is that Alexander appeared in over 2500 radio shows as a child actress, starting in the 1940s...Joe Don Baker has died at 89. He was unforgettable for me as the hit man in CHARLEY VARRICK (1973)...Actress Joan O'Brien has died at 89. Her films included OPERATION PETTICOAT (1959) and IT HAPPENED AT THE WORLD'S FAIR (1963), opposite Cary Grant and Elvis Presley, respectively...TRON (1982) costume designer Rosanna Norton has died at 80...Writer-director Robert Benton passed away at 92. He wrote BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967) and cowrote SUPERMAN (1978); he both wrote and directed KRAMER VS. KRAMER (1979).

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my May 3rd column.

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