Tonight's Movie: Cage of Gold (1950) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

On the heels of their terrific French Noir releases, Kino Lorber Studio Classics is now releasing Brit Noir Collections.

The first set was released a month ago, with Volume II due this coming week and Volume III a month after that, in late July.

Volume IV is said to be "coming soon."

Based on watching CAGE OF GOLD (1950), the first film in Collection I, I'm going to have a wonderful summer watching my way through these sets.

I'll mention at the outset that this film is particularly heavy with twists and turns, some of which will be discussed below, so anyone wishing to see the story unfold "cold" may want to return to this review after watching.

Jean Simmons stars as Judith, an artist whose quiet life in postwar London -- which includes dating an earnest young doctor, Alan (James Donald) -- is disrupted by the return of Bill (David Farrar) into her life.

Judith had had a crush on Bill during the war, and he quickly sweeps her off her feet. She ends her relationship with Alan to pursue romance with Bill, and when she discovers she's pregnant, she's overjoyed when Bill says they will marry immediately. She truly loves him and, of course, is also relieved not to be facing unwed pregnancy.

On their wedding night Bill reveals plans to invest in a business, anticipating that Judith's father will lend him the money. Judith explains that her father, who now lives in Canada, could never come up with even a portion of what Bill needs.

Bill is disappointed but says it's not problem, he'll just have to come up with another career idea, but when Judith wakes up the next morning, Bill has cleared out, even taking the beautiful watch he gave her as a wedding gift.

While Bill races back to Paris and his old girlfriend Marie (Madeleine Lebeau, CASABLANCA), Judith goes to Alan for help. He pledges to support her through her pregnancy, and when Bill is listed as dead in a plane crash, Alan and Judith marry and raise little Nicky (Anthony Britton).

Some time passes, and when Nicky is a toddler, there's a knock on the door...Bill has returned like the proverbial bad penny, and he separately tries to blackmail both Alan and Judith, given that they're not actually married after all.

I found this a really interesting melodrama; it's well-paced, at just 83 minutes, with a terrific cast. The film reminded me somewhat of NO MAN OF HER OWN (1950), which was released in the U.S. within weeks of this film coming out in the UK; as with that film, in CAGE OF GOLD a family happily adopts a young woman's baby, and the crime-laden finale regarding the blackmailer was especially reminiscent of the U.S. film.

The unhappy wife who finds herself pregnant and aided by a doctor also had slight overtones of CAUGHT (1949). Given that I like both CAUGHT and NO MAN OF HER OWN, I enjoyed seeing the familiar themes in CAGE OF GOLD. CAGE OF GOLD, incidentally, wasn't released in the U.S. until January 1952.

I did wish that Judith and Alan communicated with each other more near movie's end, which would have solved some problems, but their motivations were understandable.

Simmons seems far more mature here than the 21 she was offscreen, and she's simultaneously frustrating and sympathetic -- in other words, quite human. She makes mistakes but then tries to move forward.

Simmons would marry Stewart Granger shortly after this film's UK release, a union which lasted for a decade. In some shots, such as one below, Farrar resembles Granger just a bit.

Farrar, who like Simmons was in BLACK NARCISSUS (1946), oozes sleaze here as the former pilot looking for money and excitement. He's soon stepping out on his loyal girlfriend with Antoinette (Maria Mauban), eyeing her wealthy banker father as another potential blackmail target.

Although I'd seen Farrar in several films, I wasn't familiar with James Donald, who was in a number of well-known movies including LUST FOR LIFE (1956), THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957), and THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963).

Donald plays the film's most sympathetic character, and while some reviewers have indicated he's bland, I'd suggest that's a "nice guy" stereotype and they're only looking at the surface; still waters run deep, as the saying goes, and Alan's love and loyalty are deep indeed.

The supporting cast starts with the very familiar Harcourt Williams as Alan's observant doctor father; I've seen him in numerous films, including the 1948 HAMLET (which of course costarred Simmons) and Robert Montgomery's British-made film EYE WITNESS (1950).

Then there's Herbert Lom as a lovelorn nightclub owner/crook, who wishes Marie would give up on Bill and come back to him, and best of all, Bernard Lee in a small role as a police inspector.

The screenplay for CAGE OF GOLD was written by Jack Whittingham, from a story he wrote with Paul L. Stein. It was filmed in black and white by Douglas Slocombe, making excellent use of London and Paris locations. I especially loved the opening sequence in the Underground station.

The movie was directed by Basil Dearden. I'm only starting to become acquainted with Dearden's work; I loved his ALL NIGHT LONG (1962) at this year's Noir City Hollywood Festival.

The print is very slightly worn in spots but overall is just fine, a crisp print without any seriously distracting flaws. Sound quality is solid. Some films with dialogue rendered by British actors can be a bit challenging for my hearing but this one was fine.

Disc extras consist of a commentary track by Bryan Reesman and Max Evry, plus a gallery of three trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber. I'm especially looking forward to this commentary and learning more about the film and British postwar cinema.

Like all Kino Lorber releases of recent years, this disc includes optional English captioning. I'm including this information in my reviews more frequently due to reader requests. 

I anticipate reviewing the other films in this set, THE RINGER (1952) and THE FRIGHTENED CITY (1961), in the near future, along with the next volumes.

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

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

 ...I was greatly saddened this week to learn of the passing of the marvelous Ann Blyth. She could truly do it all, from drama to comedy to musicals. She was one of the last living links to my beloved MGM musicals; the most notable MGM star still with us is probably Leslie Caron. Blyth was just short of turning 99 in August; I noted that this week her birth year was updated on many sites, from 1928 to 1927. Ann is now reunited with her husband, Dr. James T. McNulty, who passed on in 2007 at the age of 89; they are survived by their five children and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. What a life!

...Please visit my 2012 birthday tribute to Ann Blyth for photos along with links to all of her films which I've reviewed. (And note that at that time I listed her birth year as 1928.) I also recommend my review of Jacqueline T. Lynch's wonderful book on Ann; my account of seeing Ann at the 2013 TCM Classic Film Festival screening of KISMET (1955); and the post where I wrote about seeing her at the 2013 TCM Classic Film Festival screening of MILDRED PIERCE (1945). Rest in peace, dear Ann.

...In other news, Kino Lorber's annual Summer Sale has begun. And for anyone who missed it, here's my post on the annual half-price Criterion Collection sale at Barnes & Noble.

...I missed Glenn Erickson's November mention of a new book by film historian Joseph McBride, I LOVED MOVIES BUT...; the book was published in November by Sticking Place Books and consists of conversations between McBride and Danny Peary. Glenn posted a little more on the book this week. I've been reading McBride's books since I was a teenaged classic film fan and was fortunate to meet him briefly at UCLA's 2018 Ernst Lubitsch retrospective.

...Mark Harmon and Leon Carroll Jr. have followed up their 2023 book GHOSTS OF HONOLULU with GHOSTS OF SICILY, about Naval intelligence and the Mafia during WWII. Barnes & Noble is currently selling a signed edition of the new book, which was published in April.

...Thanks to Keith Buczak for making me aware of the book STITCHED TOGETHER: A HISTORY OF THE NORWICH KNITTING COMPANY AND WALT DISNEY. It was published by the Chenango County Historical Society of New York. Author Christian L. Vischi wrote a bit on the book last summer for Colgate University. The interesting "nooks and crannies" of Disney history seem endless; other examples of books on relatively obscure Disney history include KEM WEBER: MID-CENTURY FURNITURE DESIGNS FOR THE DISNEY STUDIOS and A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR: THE STORY OF THE UPJOHN PHARMACY IN DISNEYLAND.

...Here's an article by Brady MacDonald on the restoration of Walt Disney's private plane, which I was fortunate to see at the 2022 D23 Expo. I hope to see it again the next time we visit the Palm Springs Air Museum, which I previously visited that same year.

...Notable Passing: Soap opera actress Ellen Weston has died at 87.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my June 20th column.

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Criterion Half-Price Summer Sale at Barnes & Noble

The annual half-price summer sale at Barnes & Noble is now underway!

This year's sale will last until July 26th.

I've noticed that Amazon also has numerous Criterion titles currently on sale.

This year's classic-era Criterion releases include CAPTAIN BLOOD (1935).

I'm also curious about the new Kinuyo Tanaka Directs Eclipse Series collection.

Unfortunately there aren't as many titles as usual to recommend, as Criterion has been leaning into many releases of more recent films or upgrading classics such as GILDA (1946) from Blu-ray to 4K.

4K is a "format too far" for me; having been through numerous formats over the decades, going all the way back to Beta tapes, I'm very happy with Blu-ray and have no plans for additional upgrades.

Happy shopping!

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Tonight's Movie: Toy Story 5 (2026)

It's hard to believe seven years have passed since the release of TOY STORY 4 (2019).

I sometimes complain about a lack of original ideas in modern cinema, but the newest film in the Disney-Pixar franchise, TOY STORY 5 (2016), presents viewers with the best of both worlds: Characters we love in a quality story on a very timely and original topic.

It's not a retread, but a funny-yet-serious take on modern technology and the fight to protect innocent childhood.

Since as I write this is a new movie, I'll mention at the outset that I'm discussing the plot with a fair amount of detail, so those who wish to see the movie "fresh" may wish to return to read this after seeing the film.

Bonnie (Scarlett Spears) still loves her toys but is shy and having trouble making friends.

Bonnie's well-meaning parents (Lori Alan and Jay Hernandez) get her the Lilypad, a tablet which will allow her to connect with other girls in the neighborhood, in the hope it will help her make friends. Unfortunately the Lilypad only makes matters worse; it not only distracts Bonnie from creative play, it leads to a situation where she's subject to peer pressure and online bullying.

Jessie (Joan Cusack), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and the gang resolve to help Bonnie and even call in reinforcements in the form of Woody (Tom Hanks), who's been spending his time with Bo Peep (Annie Potts), Duke Kaboom (Keanu Reeves), and others rescuing abandoned toys.

Speaking of reinforcements, there's also a giant shipment of Buzz Lightyear dolls on the way...

The toys are up against a chilling problem which goes beyond Bonnie's issues: They peek in neighborhood windows from a rooftop and see all the children on screens. Is the age of toys over for children everywhere?

I was intrigued when I first heard the movie's theme and think it's a rather significant film which will cause many parents and children to think about where we're all headed with children and devices. TOY STORY movies always have moments connecting with heftier, even darker, dramatic ideas, and what's addressed in this film is something important.

At the same time, it's a very funny film, as all TOY STORY movies are, and the film's 102 minutes pass quickly. Along with the humor, I especially appreciated the cute romance between Buzz and Jessie (who knew?!), and that Jessie has a wonderful moment of closure regarding her first owner, Emily.

I do have a handful of minor quibbles, starting with a complete lack of humorous moments featuring my favorite characters, the "little green men." They're only seen at the edges of toy "crowd" scenes. In fact, most of our old favorites have fairly limited screen time while the story focuses on new "device" characters.

Another issue I have is that the troubled Bonnie simply isn't appealing. Except for brief scenes playing with her toys or, at the end, her new friend Blaze (Mykal-Michelle Harris), Bonnie spends most of the movie sad, pouting, or zoned on her tablet. There's simply not a lot there to like or root for, other than she's a "child in need of help" placeholder we naturally want to see happier. In fairness, I'll mention that a couple younger people I've spoken with about the character were more sympathetic.

My final issue is the way even family movies such as this one time and again default to unpleasant "bathroom humor." In this case the scenes feature a toilet training device voiced by Conan O'Brien. No one, adult or child, needs ugly lowbrow jokes like these.

Sometimes it's easier to cite the small things which didn't work in a good movie, but on the whole it's a well-done film which I enjoyed very much; for the most part it's well-written and thoughtful. The voice acting continues to be superb and heartfelt, particularly by the three leads.

Some characters have new voices due to deaths; Ernie Hudson succeeds Carl Weathers as Combat Carl and Jeff Bergman replaces Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head. Timothy Dalton is still very much with us, but Mr. Pricklepants is now voiced by John Hopkins.

TOY STORY 5 was written and directed by McKenna Harris and Andrew Stanton.

The movie is rated PG. A trailer is here.

Previously: TOY STORY (1995), TOY STORY 2 (1999), TOY STORY 3 (2010), TOY STORY 4 (2019).

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Tonight's Movie: The Man Who Reclaimed His Head (1934) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

THE MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD (1934) is an odd yet interesting drama out on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

This film was released a few weeks ago, at the high of the classic film festival season in Southern California, and I was glad to now catch up with it.

The movie begins strangely as somewhat hysterical Paul Verin (Claude Rains) staggers through the streets of Paris carrying his little girl Linette (Juanita Quigley, billed as Baby Jane) and a valise.

It's World War I and Germans are bombing the streets, but Paul finally arrives at the home of his old school chum Fernand de Marnay (Henry O'Neill), a distinguished lawyer. Once Paul somewhat gains his mental bearings -- and shows the horrified Fernand the shocking contents of the valise -- he recounts his story in flashback.

Paul is a pacificist writer with a loving younger wife, Adele (Joan Bennett). In order to give Adele a higher standard of living, Paul takes a job writing anti-war editorials for newspaper publisher Henry Dumont (Lionel Atwill).

Paul is stunned when Henry eventually "sells out" to munitions companies and backs off pacifism. Meanwhile the war begins and Paul must join the military and is sent to the front.

Henry assures Adele that he will use his influence to have Paul reassigned to a safer position, but he doesn't actually do so, as he has designs on Adele for himself; Adele belatedly recognizes this with clear eyes. Just as Adele must physically fend off Henry's brutish advances, Paul walks in the door...

Although I struggled with the film's opening minutes, as Rains' Paul is frankly weird and rather pathetic, I was on board once the flashbacks began. I was fascinated by the relationship of Paul and Adele; while the younger Adele clearly longs for frivolity and better finances, her love for Paul is never in doubt.

Bennett, one of my very favorite actresses, manages a carefully nuanced performance without the assistance of much character background from the screenplay; her Adele straddles expressing longing for some excitement and life's "finer things" while simultaneously keeping Adele rather innocent and always appreciative of her husband and child.

A scene where Adele entertains Linette with puppets and rolls around with her on the floor looks almost as if there are two youngsters at play, rather than mother and daughter. At the start of the flashbacks we learn Adele and Paul originally lived in a farm village and have been married for five years; it would have been interesting to learn more about their early relationship.

Rains' character lives in a bit of a dream world as a pacifist with few financial desires, but again, he's also sensitive enough to want to meet his wife's needs and not resent her wishes. Both actors present a very interesting portrait of a balanced marriage which I enjoyed a great deal.

I also appreciated that the movie didn't drag things out but wrapped up promptly at the 80-minute mark. It's not a wholly successful film, being rather different and strange; the political angles didn't interest me overly much, but owing to the performances and character relationships described above, I ultimately enjoyed it.

The movie was written by Jean Bart and Samuel Ornitz from Bart's play; several uncredited contributors to treatment and dialogue. The film did a fairly good job "opening up" the story with multiple sets and locations.

Juanita Quigley was just three years old but manages a fairly substantial amount of dialogue for someone so young, not to mention multiple tearful scenes. Quigley would continue acting through 1950, including roles such as Kathryn Grayson's sister in THE VANISHING VIRGINIAN (1942) and Elizabeth Taylor and Angela Lansbury's sister in NATIONAL VELVET (1944).

As a young adult Quigley become a nun for a period of time before leaving the convent, marrying, and having children. She passed away in 2017. Quigley's older sister Rita was also an actress.

The cast also includes Wallace Ford, Henry Armetta, and Lawrence Grant.

THE MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD was directed by Edward Ludwig and filmed by Merritt Gerstad.

The Blu-ray print is from a new HD master from a 2K scan of the 35mm finegrain. It's quite nice-looking, with an excellent soundtrack.

Extras include not one but two commentary tracks, one by David Del Valle and one by Troy Howarth. The disc also contains a gallery of trailers for five other films available from Kino Lorber.

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

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Tonight's Movie: The Little Princess (1939) - A Film Masters Blu-ray Review

The Frances Hodgson Burnett novel A LITTLE PRINCESS was one of my very favorite books growing up, and I reread it many times.

In fact, I still vividly remember picking out the paperback copy while shopping with my parents at Pickwick Books at South Coast Plaza when I was maybe seven years old, and I own it to this day.

I have to admit to avoiding the Shirley Temple film version for most of my life simply because I knew that the screenplay, by Ethel Hill and Walter Ferris, used the book as a springboard for the movie and made many changes. That was difficult for me to accept, given how much I loved the novel.

That said, this was a film I really needed to finally see, especially with favorites such as Marcia Mae Jones, Anita Louise, Ian Hunter, and Cesar Romero in the cast.

The movie, which is in the public domain, is now out in a new Blu-ray edition from the Film Masters Archive Collection. Film Masters has done a wonderful job on other public domain prints, some of which I've reviewed here, so this review was the perfect opportunity to finally watch the movie, and I'm glad I did.

THE LITTLE PRINCESS -- note the slight title change from the book -- stars Shirley Temple as Sara Crewe.

It's 1899, and Sara's wealthy widowed father, Captain Crewe (Hunter), leaves his little girl at an exclusive London boarding school while he goes off to fight in the Boer War.

Miss Minchin (Mary Nash), the school's owner, covers up her nasty temperament and shows deference to Sara due to her father's money. Sara has the best of everything at the school, hence her nickname as "the little princess."

Alas, word comes that Captain Crewe has been killed in action and simultaneously it's said that his fortune has failed. Sara is stripped of her possessions, banished to a fireless room in the cold attic, and forced to act as a kitchen maid since she no longer has money.

Sara suffers greatly at the hands of Miss Minchin and unkind pupils such as Lavinia (Jones), but she refuses to believe her father is dead and regularly visits the local military hospital hoping to find him.

Meanwhile, Sara has friends looking out for her, including Ram Dass (Romero), a servant who lives in the neighboring mansion and observes her plight. One night, he makes magic happen for Sara and the other little servant Becky (Sybil Jason), and they wake up to a warm fire, bathrobes, and food. It's glorious...until Miss Minchin finds out.

This 93-minute film is actually quite good, though as mentioned it takes huge liberties with the book. It uses the bones of the original story but adds in a romance between a pair of kind teachers (Anita Louise and Richard Greene), and most significantly it changes the outcome of the entire plot regarding Sara's father.

In the book, Captain Crewe's close friend searches vainly for Sara for a very long time; the friend turns out to be the employer of Ram Dass, living right next door, and it also so happens that Sara is still very wealthy. Sara has a happy ending, once again loved and cared for, but not with her father.

The movie has a different but also satisfying ending, which involves...Queen Victoria (Beryl Mercer)?!

Temple is quite good, in her Shirley Temple way, taking Sara through her journey. She's a kind, brave, and likeable girl, and Temple also has a chance to dance.

It's of note that a dream ballet was staged by Ernest Belcher, the father of Marge Champion (born Marjorie Belcher). Other dances, with Temple and Arthur Treacher, were staged by Nick Castle and Geneva Sawyer.

The film is buoyed by solid production values -- Sarah's birthday sequence is a particularly colorful visual delight, with a gorgeous cake -- and a good cast, which also includes Miles Mander and E.E. Clive. An interesting bit of trivia is that Kenneth Hunter, who plays a general, was the older brother of one of the movie's stars, Ian Hunter.

Mary Nash, incidentally, was also mean Fraulein Rottenmeier in Temple's HEIDI (1937), with Marcia Mae Jones costarring as Klara.

The warmth of the performances by actors such as Louise, Treacher, and Romero helps make Sara's suffering tolerable, as we know it can't last for long with these people in her corner.

I'll add the comment that, as with many films of this era, despite the British setting the accents are all over the place!

THE LITTLE PRINCESS was directed by Walter Lang and the uncredited William A. Seiter. Lang directed a great many good films at 20th Century-Fox, including favorites such as MOON OVER MIAMI (1941) and STATE FAIR (1945).

The movie was filmed in Technicolor by Arthur Miller and William Skall.

As I referenced at the beginning, Film Masters has done an excellent job with their releases, including titles I've reviewed such as THE STRANGE WOMAN (1946) and THE SECOND WOMAN (1950). I felt this print was very good quality for a public domain film.

The color is a bit soft, with almost a Trucolor look in some scenes, but it looks good, and there are no distracting skips or scratches. The soundtrack is excellent, with the dialogue easy to understand.

There are no extras, but optional English-language captions are provided.

I was happy with both the film and this Blu-ray and will be enjoying it again in the future.

Thanks to Allied Vaughn and Film Masters for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. It may be purchased via Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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Tonight's Movie: Possessed (1931) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

There are many terrific titles coming this summer from the Warner Archive Collection, and I've already discovered a particular favorite, POSSESSED (1931).

POSSESSED stars the sizzling team of Joan Crawford and Clark Gable. I'll mention right off the bat this movie has no connection to Crawford's later film of the exact same name.

POSSESSED is a very "pre-Code" fantasy in which lower class working girl Marian Martin (Crawford) goes to the big city and lands herself a big fish who will make all her dreams come true.

Marian becomes the mistress of wealthy attorney Mark Whitney (Gable), who refuses to marry again after a bad past experience.

Marian, known in Mark's circles as independently wealthy "Mrs. Moreland," tries to be happy with Mark's love and all that his money can buy. But as the years pass she wants more; her self-respect finally starts to be dented being a "kept woman," and she'd also like more commitment from Mark simply because she loves him.

When it appears as though their relationship could damage Mark's potential political career, Marian nobly tries to step aside...

This was a first-time watch for me, and I found POSSESSED up there with LETTY LYNTON (1932) in terms of being simply a delicious pre-Code, with Crawford at her '30s peak.

By this point in her career she was an excellent actress and had the glamour look down pat, including glorious gowns by Adrian, who also designed Crawford's spectacular LETTY LYNTON wardrobe. She wears a black gown in this one, seen here, which is stunning.

Although the story, adapted by Lenore Coffee from Edgar Selwyn play THE MIRAGE, has Marian acting in very unrespectable ways -- sort of a '30s version of PRETTY WOMAN (1990) -- Crawford totally sells both Marian and her choices. She always maintains audience sympathy, even if we don't wholly approve of what she's doing.

That said, it's hard to fault her for wanting a relationship with Gable, who's incredibly handsome and romantic, other than the "not wanting to get married" angle. And he's wealthy too? She hit the jackpot.

The movie is sensitively directed by Clarence Brown and beautifully filmed in gorgeous black and white by Oliver T. Marsh. 

76 minutes fly by; indeed, the short running time is another of the film's virtues. Drama and trauma near the end are not dragged out but resolved quickly and romantically.

The supporting cast includes Wallace Ford, Frank Conroy, Richard "Skeets" Gallagher, and Clara Blandick; the latter was coincidentally just seen in another MGM pre-Code from the same year, IT'S A WISE CHILD (1931).

The POSSESSED print is a 1080p HD master from a new 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative, and it looks absolutely terrific. I don't think a film of this vintage could look or sound better. I was impressed.

Extras from the year of the film's release consist of the cartoon BOSKO THE DOUGHBOY (1931) and a short, LOVE TAILS OF MOROCCO (1931).

POSSESSED presents Crawford and Gable at their glamorous MGM pre-Code best, and this disc is very highly 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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Quick Preview of TCM in July

It's time for a quick peek ahead at the July schedule on Turner Classic Movies!

As has been the case recently, I'm writing this preview with somewhat less information than usual, but I have enough of the schedule to provide a solid peek at some of the fun things coming to TCM starting 10 days from now.

There will be a "theme month" for Star of the Month, featuring singing stars every Monday evening. Singers featured will include Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, and, of course, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

The July Noir Alley films will be ANGEL FACE (1953), BLUES IN THE NIGHT (1941), DARK PASSAGE (1947), and THEY WON'T BELIEVE ME (1956).

These four films range from good to great, and it's worth noting that my appreciation for BLUES IN THE NIGHT grew when I saw it at this year's Noir City Hollywood Festival. Jack Carson and Priscilla Lane, seen here, are among the film's stars.

Eddie Muller's "Summer of Darkness: Eddie Muller's Top 25" will continue on Friday evenings in July. The lineup features top classics, including one of my personal favorites, CRISS CROSS (1949).

The TCM Spotlight on Tuesdays is on independent American filmmakers, including names such as Howard Hughes, Ida Lupino, and Hal Roach.

As usual, Independence Day will be celebrated with titles include 1776 (1972), which is also the day's Musical Matinee, YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942), and THE MUSIC MAN (1962). Late that evening will be the TCM premiere of INDEPENDENCE DAY (1983) -- not the 1996 blockbuster, but a drama starring Kathleen Quinlan.

Filmmakers receiving multifilm tributes in July include Clarence Brown, Barbara Bel Geddes, Charles Laughton, Tom Hanks, Grace Kelly, Ginger Rogers, and Betty Comden and Adolph Green.

A tribute to Jill Clayburgh will include three TCM premieres, including STARTING OVER (1979).

July 1st, which is Canada Day for our neighbors to the north, will feature Canadian-born actors such as Walter Pidgeon and Jack Carson. Other July programming themes include MGM musicals, con artists, nuns, motorcycles, and hot weather.

I'm also tickled by an evening with back-to-back screenings of the 1934 and 1980 versions of LITTLE MISS MARKER; the later version, starring Walter Matthau and Julie Andrews, will be a TCM premiere.

I'll have a much more detailed look on TCM's July schedule posted here around July 1st.

Happy Summer!

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