Tonight's Movie: Out of the Clouds (1955)

I especially enjoy films about aviation and airports, so last year when I heard about Indicator's Region A release of OUT OF THE CLOUDS (1955) I promptly ordered it, despite knowing nothing else about it.

A British film about an airport simply sounded good to me!

It took a few months for the movie to work its way out of my "watch" stack, but I've now seen and enjoyed it.

OUT OF THE CLOUDS is a bit like an early version of AIRPORT (1970) as it depicts a busy day at London Airport. London Airport would be renamed Heathrow Airport a little over a decade later.

Nick Millbourne (Robert Beatty) is the airport supervisor, a role somewhat akin to Burt Lancaster's in AIRPORT. He deals with weather delays, passenger and staff problems, and much more.

A main subplot finds a pair of Jewish airline passengers meeting and falling in love; Bill (David Knight) is an American engineer on his way to work on water projects in Israel, while Leah (Margo Lorenz), whose family died in the Holocaust, is headed to the U.S. for a marriage of convenience to an older military man who'd been kind to her.

The Indicator Blu-ray includes both an 89-minute UK cut and a 80-minute U.S. edit. Glenn Erickson wrote that the shorter version cuts out "shots of the workings of the airport and in-flight procedures," and since that's part of what interested me about the movie, I watched the UK version.

OUT OF THE CLOUDS was written by written John Eldridge and Michael Relph adapted from THE SPRINGBOARD by John Fores.

One of the things I wondered while watching the film: Were passengers ever truly coddled and nursed along by airport staff as closely as they are in this film? It's hard to know from this juncture if this was truly a bygone era of flying -- perhaps also more expensive and less accessible, to make such personal care possible -- or if it was a movie fantasy even in the '50s. The care taken of stranded passengers by Jean (Melissa Stribling) is remarkable. (Stribling, incidentally, was married to the film's director.)

This was the third film I've seen this year directed by Basil Dearden, following CAGE OF GOLD (1950) and ALL NIGHT LONG (1962). There's nothing especially noteworthy about this film, but Dearden keeps the cast moving along in congenial fashion.

Beatty is likeable as Nick, who is hoping he'll soon be cleared to return to flying. But perhaps he's meant to be running things from the ground instead? Eunice Gayson plays Penny, a flight attendant who's interested in Nick.

I especially enjoyed James Robertson Justice of Disney's THE SWORD AND THE ROSE (1953) as Captain Brent, a burly and somewhat cantankerous -- yet very professional -- pilot who pays close attention to engine noises; Captain Brent proves to have a very good sense of things based on what he's hearing. One of my favorite scenes finds Captain Brent guided by radar and the control tower to make an emergency landing in heavy fog.

Bernard Lee seems to turn up in my viewing regularly this year, and here he's a customs agent who suspects pilot Gus Randall (Anthony Steele) may be smuggling. It's also fun to see Megs Jenkins (GREEN FOR DANGER) in a small role as a landlady who gives Bill and Leah a pleasant dinner out in London.

The Bill and Leah storyline is pleasant if very milquetoast; they are nice people but the roles are blandly written and performed. It's a funny thing, given the American edit, but I would have shown less of them and much more of the workings of the airport!

All in all, this film is simply a nice "slice of life" looking at airplane travel in the mid '50s. It's the type of previously unknown-to-me film I love to discover.

The Indicator print looks good; the film has a pleasant color palette, shot by Paul Beeson.

Indicator has put together a fine package including a 40-page glossy booklet, a vintage 89-minute documentary interviewing Robert Beatty; a 42-minute featurette on James Robertson Justice; a 31-minute short on Edinburgh, WAVERLEY STEPS (1948); image galleries and more, plus reversible case cover art. Optional English-language captions are included.

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A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills: Perry Mason Edition

This post focuses on three of the stars of the beloved TV series PERRY MASON (1957-66), who coincidentally are all buried at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills.

The great character actor Ray Collins, who among other things was a member of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre, has the name of his PERRY MASON character, Lt. Tragg, on his gravestone.

On a visit to Forest Lawn last year we were surprised to realize that Collins and fellow PERRY MASON cast member William Talman, who died about three years apart, are buried steps away from one another the cemetery's Court of Liberty section. Talman, of course, played Hamilton Burger on the series.

Barbara Hale is also buried at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, in the Enduring Faith section.  As of my most recent visit she does not have a gravestone. She is buried with her husband, actor Bill Williams, born Herman Katt.

For the sake of completeness, William Hopper, who played Paul Drake, is buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California.

Series star Raymond Burr is interred with his family in New Westminster, British Columbia.

Related post: Earlier in 2026 I also shared the final resting places of Barbara Hale, Bill Williams, and William Talman in my Western Roundup column at Classic Movie Hub.

Additional photo posts on the final resting places of historic Hollywood figures: A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale, Part 1, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale, Part 2, A Visit to the Forest Lawn Museum, A Visit to Hollywood Forever Cemetery (2014), A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Musicians, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Comedians, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Actors, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - Writers, Directors, and More, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 1, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 2, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 3, A Visit to Desert Memorial Park, Los Angeles National Cemetery, A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 1 (2017), A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 2 (2017), A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 3 (2019), A Visit to Forest Lawn Cathedral City, A Visit to Oakwood Memorial Park, A Visit to Hillside Memorial Park, Part 1, A Visit to Hillside Memorial Park, Part 2, A Visit to Hollywood Forever Cemetery (2019), A Visit to Woodlawn Cemetery, A Visit to Valley Oaks Memorial Park, A Visit to Valhalla Cemetery, A Visit to Pacific View Memorial Park, A Visit to Glen Haven Memorial Park, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale (2020), A Visit to Calvary Cemetery, A Visit to Home of Peace Memorial Park, Visits to Sedona and Las Vegas Cemeteries, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale (2022), Visits to Orange County Cemeteries (Holy Sepulcher Cemetery and El Toro Memorial Park), A Visit to Inglewood Park Cemetery, A Visit to Mt. Sinai Memorial Park, A Visit to Palm Springs (Coachella Valley Public Cemetery), A Visit to Marysvale Cemetery, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 1 (2022), A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 2 (2022), A Visit to Rose Hills Memorial Park, A Visit to San Fernando Mission Cemetery, A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 1 (2023), A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 2 (2023), Memorial Service for Edmund Gwenn (2023), A Visit to Evergreen Cemetery, A Visit to Carpinteria Cemetery, and A Visit to Santa Barbara Cemetery.

Articles on the final resting places of Western stars and filmmakers from my Western RoundUp column at Classic Movie Hub: May 2019, February 2022, November 2, 2022, November 29, 2022, April 2023, November 2023, March 2024, July 2024, February 2025, November 2025, and April 2026.

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A Visit to Santa Barbara Cemetery

The second cemetery we visited on our May trip, following Carpinteria Cemetery, was the larger and nicely maintained Santa Barbara Cemetery. It has lovely seaside views.

This visit was particularly special to me as the cemetery is the final resting place of one of my favorite actresses, Jeanne Crain.

Santa Barbara is also where the great Ronald Colman has a remarkably beautiful and fitting tombstone:

Here is the reverse side of Ronald Colman's tombstone:

Santa Barbara Cemetery is also the final resting place of Republic Pictures actress Vera Hruba Ralston.

Tab Hunter is buried there as well:

Fess Parker, beloved as Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, has a very appropriate coonskin cap on his grave marker.

Bradford Dillman and his longtime wife, actress-model Suzy Parker, are also at Santa Barbara Cemetery:

Finally for this visit, director Ivan Reitman is buried there:

Related Post: Photos From the Road: Carpinteria and Santa Barbara (2018).

Additional photo posts on the final resting places of historic Hollywood figures: A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale, Part 1, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale, Part 2, A Visit to the Forest Lawn Museum, A Visit to Hollywood Forever Cemetery (2014), A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Musicians, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Comedians, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Actors, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - Writers, Directors, and More, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 1, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 2, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 3, A Visit to Desert Memorial Park, Los Angeles National Cemetery, A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 1 (2017), A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 2 (2017), A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 3 (2019), A Visit to Forest Lawn Cathedral City, A Visit to Oakwood Memorial Park, A Visit to Hillside Memorial Park, Part 1, A Visit to Hillside Memorial Park, Part 2, A Visit to Hollywood Forever Cemetery (2019), A Visit to Woodlawn Cemetery, A Visit to Valley Oaks Memorial Park, A Visit to Valhalla Cemetery, A Visit to Pacific View Memorial Park, A Visit to Glen Haven Memorial Park, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale (2020), A Visit to Calvary Cemetery, A Visit to Home of Peace Memorial Park, Visits to Sedona and Las Vegas Cemeteries, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale (2022), Visits to Orange County Cemeteries (Holy Sepulcher Cemetery and El Toro Memorial Park), A Visit to Inglewood Park Cemetery, A Visit to Mt. Sinai Memorial Park, A Visit to Palm Springs (Coachella Valley Public Cemetery), A Visit to Marysvale Cemetery, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 1 (2022), A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 2 (2022), A Visit to Rose Hills Memorial Park, A Visit to San Fernando Mission Cemetery, A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 1 (2023), A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 2 (2023), Memorial Service for Edmund Gwenn (2023), A Visit to Evergreen Cemetery, and A Visit to Carpinteria Cemetery.

Articles on the final resting places of Western stars and filmmakers from my Western RoundUp column at Classic Movie Hub: May 2019, February 2022, November 2, 2022, November 29, 2022, April 2023, November 2023, March 2024, July 2024, February 2025, November 2025, and April 2026.

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A Blog Anniversary Celebration Giveaway

This month Laura's Miscellaneous Musings celebrates its 21st anniversary!

A couple times in the past I've hosted July giveaways in honor of my "bloggiversary," and I decided to revive that practice this year.

This year's giveaway has a theme honoring one of my favorite actors, James Garner, and my favorite TV series, MAVERICK (1957-62).

The package of items I'll be giving away consists of the first two seasons of MAVERICK on DVD, plus a DVD containing three of the show's most famous episodes: "Shady Deal at Sunny Acres," "Pappy," and "Gun-Shy."

I'm also giving away a spare copy of Ed Robertson's excellent guide to the series, and for good measure I'm rounding things off with a DVD of Garner's film SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL GUNFIGHTER (1971).

The entry format this year will be a little different. In keeping with the giveaway theme, there is a short online five-question MAVERICK quiz which may be found at this link.

To enter the giveaway drawing, simply complete the quiz on or before August 6th, including filling out the email address on the form so I can contact the winner to request a mailing address.

On Friday, August 7th, I will draw a winner from among those entries which correctly answered each question. If no one gets all five correct, then I'll move down to those who answered all but one correctly, and so on.  

I will cover Media Mail postage to the winner. With apologies to my greatly appreciated readers in Canada, Europe, and beyond, the drawing is limited to residents of the United States.

In closing, I'd like to express my deep gratitude to all my readers of the past 21 years. Here's to the next 21!

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Tonight's Movie: Night and Day (1946) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The Warner Bros. musical NIGHT AND DAY (1946), a biography of composer Cole Porter, has recently been released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection.

NIGHT AND DAY, like most '40s musical biopics -- including the previous year's Warner Bros. film RHAPSODY IN BLUE (1945) -- is a fictionalized telling of a composer's life.

In the case of this biography of Cole Porter, NIGHT AND DAY is even more fictionalized than most such films, spinning a story which has only tangential connections to Porter's real life. Anyone looking for a film vs. reality breakdown can easily find it online; I'll leave that to others, approaching NIGHT AND DAY here strictly as a movie.

The movie begins with Cole Porter (Cary Grant) as a student at Yale. Cole's lack of interest in his studies disappoints his grandfather (Henry Stephenson), who dreamed Cole would be a lawyer, but Cole is only interested in music.

Cole's developing career goes off track due to service in World War I, where he is injured, but over time he achieves success. However, his devotion to his career interferes with his romance with wealthy Linda Lee (Alexis Smith), even after their marriage.

There's not a great deal more to the story of this 128-minute film, which has plotting which can only be described as desultory, despite the participation of the usually quippy William Bowers as one of the screenwriters. Bowers wrote the screenplay along with Charles Hoffman and Leo Townsend.

Typically the musical numbers are what make composer biopics worthwhile, as was the case in the even longer RHAPSODY IN BLUE. However, while Ginny Simms provides some needed musical pep, as does a brief song by Mary Martin, some of the numbers are indifferently staged, which was a disappointment. This film had a lot of potential, given the cast and the Porter music, but it never quite comes together as it should have.

Cary Grant is one of my all-time favorite actors -- indeed, this was one of a very small handful of Grant films I'd not yet seen -- but there's no depth to his performance. He marches through much of the film with a frown on his face, partly due to serious injuries; he occasionally, as Linda notes, deigns to smile at her.

Similarly, Smith is lovely but doesn't have much to do other than be patient and try to support Cole's career, which isn't always appreciated by the man she loves.

All that said, one of the things which does make the film worthwhile is the supporting cast. Just as Oscar Levant played himself in RHAPSODY IN BLUE, NIGHT AND DAY features Cole Porter's friend Monty Woolley as himself.

The deep cast also includes Dorothy Malone, Jane Wyman, Eve Arden, Donald Woods, Selena Royle, Victor Francen, and Tom D'Andrea to name just a few, and it's fun watching the parade of great faces pass through the film.

The movie was directed by Michael Curtiz, who was often quite at home directing musicals, but this was one of this lesser efforts. It was filmed by J. Peverell Marley, William V. Skall, and the uncredited Bert Glennon.

The Warner Archive Blu-ray is from a 1080p HD master from 4K scans of the original nitrate Technicolor camera negatives. It looks absolutely fantastic. Although I found the movie slow going, I completely enjoyed the visuals and from that standpoint highly recommend this disc. Sound quality is also excellent.

Disc extras consist of the short MUSICAL MOVIELAND (1944), which runs 21 minutes; the 11-minute short DESI ARNAZ AND HIS ORCHESTRA (1946); a Bugs Bunny cartoon, THE BIG SNOOZE (1946); the trailer; and a song selection menu. As is always the case for Warner Archive Blu-rays, optional English captions are also provided.

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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Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Very good news this week: Hollywood's Cinerama Dome, which opened in 1963 and has been closed since 2020, will be reopened in 2026 by the Sony-owned Alamo Drafthouse chain. Alamo announced the Cinerama Dome will "retain its original name and branding." Particular kudos go to Ben Steinberg of Save Your Cinema, who has tirelessly campaigned for this iconic Hollywood venue to reopen. I wonder if the Cinerama Dome might become a TCM Classic Film Festival venue again? This photo was provided to the press by TCM during a past festival.

...Additional good news: The Bruin Theatre in Westwood, which opened in 1937 and closed in 2024, will reopen this fall. It's across the street from the Fox Westwood Village Theater, which was purchased by a consortium of filmmakers after its 2024 closure and will reopen in 2027, programmed by the American Cinematheque. (Photo via the Los Angeles Conservancy, where I just renewed my membership. I encourage those interested in preserving Los Angeles history and buildings to join -- it's tax deductible.)

...PRESSURE (2026), the D-Day movie which I enjoyed recently, will be out on Blu-ray and DVD on July 28, 2026. On a related note, I received a recommendation on Twitter and just purchased the book THE LIGHT OF BATTLE: EISENHOWER, D-DAY, AND THE BIRTH OF THE AMERICAN SUPERPOWER by Michel Paradis.

...Coming to Blu-ray and DVD in late August: THE SHEEP DETECTIVES (2026). My review may be read here.

...Last week I mentioned revisiting Jeanne Crain in DANGEROUS CROSSING (1953). This week I revisited another Crain film released that year, VICKI (1953). While not as good as the movie it remakes, I WAKE UP SCREAMING (1941), VICKI has its own pleasures, especially the performances of Crain and Jean Peters as her sister, and is worthwhile.

...Here's the final trailer for COYOTE VS. ACME (2026), due in theaters August 28th. This is the film which was infamously shelved by Warner Bros. in 2023, despite good advance buzz, in favor of taking a tax deduction.

...I love the packaging of the "Retro VHS" Blu-ray collection. MICKI AND MAUDE (1984), which I recall fondly despite not caring for Dudley Moore, will be released this week, and NADINE (1987) comes out in September. MICKI AND MAUDE costars Amy Irving and Ann Reinking; Kim Basinger and Jeff Bridges star in NADINE.

...Tom Holland as Fred Astaire? No, thank you...

...Since the passing of Jeff Arnold, Bud and RR have been doing a great job maintaining and updating the beloved and very informative site Jeff Arnold's West. Thanks to them the posts all now have search labels.

...Ruth of Silver Screenings has reviewed the Joan Fontaine version of JANE EYRE (1943). I like the film but enjoyed Ruth's insights into Jane's character in the book (which I haven't reread for many years) and film.

...Disney+ has a documentary on Julie Andrews in the works.

...Here's an interview with actress-author Illeana Douglas on her upcoming book JUNGLE RED! THE MAKING OF THE WOMEN from Lyons Press. I'm looking forward to it!

...And just a reminder that Alison Macor, who wrote the excellent book on the making of THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946), has a book on THE WOMEN coming in the future from the University of Texas Press.

...Glenn Erickson's latest reviews include Kino Lorber's WALK A TIGHTROPE (1963), which I just reviewed myself, and A MAN NAMED ROCCA (1961).

...Over at Riding the High Country, Colin has reviewed THE RAWHIDE YEARS (1956) starring Tony Curtis, Colleen Miller, and Arthur Kennedy.

...I've increasingly been delving into the work of Jack Hawkins, with a rewatch of NO HIGHWAY IN THE SKY (1951) among my upcoming Hawkins viewing. I so enjoyed him in THE LONG ARM (1956), aka THE THIRD KEY, that I decided it was time to see the somewhat similarly themed John Ford film he starred in, GIDEON'S DAY (1958), also known as GIDEON OF SCOTLAND YARD. Although I own the DVD in the TCM Vault John Ford: The Columbia Films collection, I decided to purchase the recent Powerhouse Indicator Blu-ray release, as unlike the TCM DVD it has captions, which I find especially helpful with British films. The TCM release has a brief introduction by Leonard Maltin, and the Indicator edition also has comments from Maltin, along with an alternate title sequence, a commentary track (by Charles Barr), and numerous extras, including a brief featurette on the movie's locations. GIDEON'S DAY is also available from Indicator in their John Ford at Columbia collection.

...I've booked a ticket for the 25th anniversary screening of THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS (2001) in late August...I've also got a ticket for a 10th anniversary screening of LA LA LAND (2016) next month.

...Attention Southern Californians: The American Cinematheque has a wonderful upcoming series of films directed by Douglas Sirk and filmed by Russell Metty. The series will be at the Los Feliz Theatre and runs from August 2nd to September 19th. Of particular note: Two screenings of the charming TAKE ME TO TOWN (1953), starring Sterling Hayden and Ann Sheridan; I thought it had influences of other films I love such as SADDLE TRAMP (1950) and I'D CLIMB THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN (1951). I'll be at the D23 Expo that weekend, but I hope that now that the movie has surfaced -- in a 35mm print! -- there is hope for other area screenings in the future.

...Notable Passing: Broadway and touring musical actress Anne Russell has passed away at the age of 103.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my July 18th column.

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Tonight's Movie: Walk a Tightrope (1963) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

The British crime melodrama WALK A TIGHTROPE (1963) will be released on Blu-ray next week by Kino Lorber.

Patricia Owens plays Ellen Sheppherd, an American living in London, where she's happily married to Jason (Terence Cooper), a businessman.

One afternoon a grizzled older American, Carl (Dan Duryea), bursts in to their home and abruptly guns down Jason at point-blank range.

Jason's friend Doug (Richard Leech), who had been upstairs at the time of the killing, runs into the room and Carl knocks him out, but Doug is alert enough for a time to hear Carl tell Ellen that she owes him money for the killing.

Ellen insists to Doug she has no idea what the deranged killer was talking about, and with Doug's encouragement, she arranges to meet Carl when he phones wanting his money. The police then move in to arrest him.

Trial then over and conviction secured, that would seem to be the end of the story, with Ellen facing rebuilding her life. But wait, there's more...

The plot of this short 69-minute film is more interesting than its actual execution. Owens (THE LAW AND JAKE WADE) is not particularly appealing here, shifting from hysteria to what I can only describe as weirdness.

Viewers never really understand Ellen or what she's thinking; while there are perhaps some plot-related reasons for that, Owens' performance is unfortunately fairly "one note" and uninteresting. (Side note: What on earth was on her head during the courtroom scene? It looks like an upside-down wastebasket.)

Duryea is always great to watch, but while he gives his role everything he's got, his character is left insisting over and over that Ellen paid him to kill her beloved husband.

There's simply not enough in the script, written by Mann Rubin and the uncredited Neil McCallum, to sustain interest in either of the two lead characters. Moreover, Leech as the late husband's friend doesn't have a great deal to do either.

The movie's finale, which will not be disclosed here, is intriguing, but it's not enough to save the film, though admittedly it might make things more interesting on a second viewing.

The bare bones of a good film are here, but the movie needed a better script and more interesting characterizations. Part of the problem seems to be the filmmakers didn't want to telegraph the full story in advance, but that leaves viewers with bland performances, with no nuances or foreshadowing.

WALK A TIGHTROPE was released in the United States by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Frank Nesbitt and filmed in black and white by Basil Emmott. There are a handful of London locations, which I appreciated.

Kino Lorber's Blu-ray print is from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative. It's a sharp-looking widescreen print.

Blu-ray extras consist of a commentary track by Gary Gerani plus five trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber.

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

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New at Classic Movie Hub: The Maverick Queen (1956)

I have a new Blu-ray review up at Classic Movie Hub!

In this month's Western RoundUp column I've reviewed THE MAVERICK QUEEN (1956), starring Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan, and Scott Brady.

THE MAVERICK QUEEN has just been released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber Studio Classics. This is particularly exciting given that, to my knowledge, the movie never came out on DVD in the United States, and prints I've come across in the past have been rather poor. Kino Lorber's new disc looks terrific.

I found this Republic Pictures film better than its reputation and really enjoyed it. I hope my fellow Western -- and Stanwyck! -- fans will support this Blu-ray, which will hopefully encourage future releases of additional lesser-known Westerns from Kino Lorber.

Please click over to Classic Movie Hub for my review, and thanks for reading!

Previous Classic Movie Hub Western RoundUp Column Links: June 2018; July 2018; August 2018; September 2018; October 2018; November 2018; December 2018; January 2019; February 2019; April 5, 2019; April 30, 2019; May 2019; June 2019; July 2019; August 2019; September 2019; October 2019; November 2019; December 2019; January 2020; February 2020; March 2020; April 2020; May 2020; June 2020; July 2020; August 2020; September 2020; October 2020; November 2020; December 2020; January 2021; February 2021; March 2021; May 2021; June 2021; June 2021 (No. 2); July 2021; August 2021; September 2021; November 2021; December 2021; December 2021 (No. 2); January 2022; February 2022; March 2022; April 2022; May 2022; June 2022; July 2022; August 2022; September 2022; November 2022; November 2022 (No. 2); January 2023 (No. 1); January 2023 (No. 2); March 2023; April 2023; May 2023 (No. 1); May 2023 (No. 2); June 2023; July 2023; September 2023; September 2023 (No. 2); October 2023; November 2023; December 2023; January 2024; February 2024; March 2024; April 2024; May 2024; June 2024; July 2024; August 2024; September 2024; October 2024; November 2024; December 2024; January 2025; February 2025; March 2025; April 2025; May 2025; June 2025; July 2025; August 2025; September 2025; October 2025; November 2025; January 2026 (No. 1); January 2026 (No. 2); February 2026; March 2026; April 2026; June 2026 (No. 1); June (No. 2).

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Tonight's Movie: The Keyhole (1933) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The pre-Code Warner Bros. film THE KEYHOLE (1933), a melodrama with comedic overtones, will be released on Blu-ray next week by the Warner Archive Collection.

I don't believe I'd seen this film since my first viewing in 2008, during a time period when I was recording and watching as many Kay Francis films as I could!

At the time of my first viewing I classed THE KEYHOLE as "somewhat odd but watchable." It was great fun to return to it, having seen many more pre-Codes in the interim, with a deepened sense of appreciation. It does have a crazy plot, with Kay "married" to two different men and in love with a third, but I enjoyed it.

Kay plays Anne Vallee, who is married to the older, very wealthy Schuyler Brooks (Henry Koker).

Or at least Anne thought she was married, until the return of her first husband Maurice (Monroe Owsley). Schuyler doesn't know anything about him, and he especially doesn't know that Maurice never actually went through with the divorce; Maurice is blackmailing Anne over the fact that her marriage to Schuyler isn't legal.

Anne sails for Cuba, with Maurice following, as part of a plan to lure him out of the country. Maurice's sister (Helen Ware), in whom Anne has confided, has a plan to prevent him from being able to re-enter the United States, after which Anne will quietly have that marriage annulled.

Schuyler hires a private detective, Neil Davis (George Brent), to tail Anne on her cruise and see if she's faithful. Neil falls for Anne and things get increasingly complicated...!

The cast is rounded out by Allen Jenkins as Neil's associate and Glenda Farrell as a gold digger trying to take Jenkins for everything he's worth (which isn't much). Familiar faces such as George Chandler, Irving Bacon, Billy Gilbert, and Ferdinand Gottschalk are also on hand.

Like many pre-Codes, this is a fast-paced film, running just 70 minutes. It's directed with verve by Michael Curtiz; the script was written by Robert Presnell (Sr.) based on a story by Alice D.G. Miller.

The black and white cinematography by Barney McGill shows off Francis, her amazing gowns by Orry-Kelly, and some impressive sets to great effect. For many of us, myself included, simply watching the wonderful Kay Francis is a huge part of the enjoyment of her films.

One of the reasons I had increased appreciation for THE KEYHOLE on this viewing is the film fashion presentations by Kimberly Truhler I've attended over the last several years. She has spoken at length about Orry-Kelly's history and Kay Francis's 1930s wardrobes, so I especially enjoyed looking at the movie with a close eye on her clothes.

As always, the Warner Archive Blu-ray print is in great shape. It's from a 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative, so it looks especially good for a film of this vintage.

Disc extras are the cartoon BUDDY'S DAY OUT (1933); a Popeye cartoon, WILD ELEPHINKS (1933); and the trailer.

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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