Laura's Miscellaneous Musings

Monday, December 01, 2025

Tonight's Movie: The Concorde...Airport '79 (1979) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

And so it's time to review THE CONCORDE...AIRPORT '79 (1979), the final film in the AIRPORT series recently released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber.

I've previously reviewed Kino Lorber's Blu-ray releases of AIRPORT (1970), AIRPORT 1975 (1974), and AIRPORT '77 (1977).

It should be noted that each of these films has also been released by Kino Lorber in 4K editions.

When I reviewed THE CONCORDE...AIRPORT '79 in 2013 I called it "a gem of a bad movie."

The other three films may be goofily improbable at times, but they're quite well executed despite that, with strong lead performances by actors such as Jack Lemmon in the '77 edition. Those films make the viewer want to suspend disbelief and "go with" the plot, even if it involves trying to lower a pilot into a flying airplane or a plane being underwater in the Bermuda Triangle.

AIRPORT '79 is the only one I'd call truly a bad film, including awful special effects and stupid plot lines -- as in Alain Delon setting up copilot George Kennedy with a hooker (Bibi Andersson) -- and yet it's still quite entertaining. In 2013 I also referred to it as "a gloriously funny unintentional comedy." Honestly, this is probably funnier than the following year's comedy AIRPLANE! (1980).

It may not be a good film, but there's never a dull moment as an evil weapons manufacturer (Robert Wagner) tries to destroy the Concorde because his newscaster mistress (Susan Blakely) is on board, along with documents proving he's been up to no good.

The entire plane of passengers just happen to be in his way and will have to be killed as well.

The plot absurdities include the Concorde being repaired and reboarded not once but twice after attempts to shoot it down...who needs debriefings or figuring out the who, how, and why of the missile attacks?!

And so it's on to Moscow, and this time the cargo hold door has mysteriously blown open, which begins the process of tearing the plane into pieces...fortunately a ski patrol can lay out a runway for the Concorde high in the snowy Swiss Alps. It's truly got to be seen to be believed.

This 113 minutes of silliness was written by Eric Roth from a story by producer Jennings Lang. (Lang's wife Monica Lewis has a small role, as she did in the previous film.) It was directed by David Lowell Rich and filmed by Philip Lathrop.

The cast includes an ill-used Mercedes McCambridge and Martha Raye, along with David Warner, Sylvia Kristel, Eddie Albert, John Davidson, Andrea Marcovicci, Jimmie Walker, Cicely Tyson, Charo, Avery Schreiber, Sybil Danning, and Nicolas Coster.

The Blu-ray print is from a new HD master from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative. It features 5.1 Surround sound.

This Special Edition comes with a cardboard slipcase. Extras consist of the trailer; a gallery of five additional trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber; and a commentary track by Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson.

As silly as this movie is, I've enjoyed it twice now and would definitely watch it again. I recommend it, along with the rest of the AIRPORT movies.

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

TCM in December: Highlights

It's amazing to realize it's already the last month of the year!

Here's a look ahead at some of the programming coming to Turner Classic Movies in December.

Merle Oberon is the December Star of the Month. Her films will be shown on the first four Tuesday evenings of the month, starting on December 2nd. Please note there will not be a separate Star of the Month post for December.

Complete information on the many Christmas movies showing this month may be found in my post TCM in December: Christmas Movies. Christmas films will be shown throughout the month, culminating in a marathon from December 19th through Christmas Day. This post also covers New Year's programming.

Noir Alley films will be show on December 6th and 7th (CRY OF THE CITY), December 13th and 14th (CASH ON DEMAND), and December 27th and 28th (ODD MAN OUT).

CRY OF THE CITY is a particular favorite of mine which I highly recommend. Victor Mature, Richard Conte, and Debra Paget star.

The TCM Spotlight theme on Thursday evenings is "Divine Intervention." Films shown will include I MARRIED AN ANGEL (1942), CABIN IN THE SKY (1943), THE BISHOP'S WIFE (1947), and CAROUSEL (1956), to name just a few.

Other themes of interest this month include a two-night celebration of Hanna-Barbera animation and three evenings which showcase Art Deco style.

Here are just a few additional highlights from a packed December schedule. Please click any hyperlinked title to read my extended review.

...The first evening of Merle Oberon films, on December 2nd, includes the highly regarded THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL (1934), costarring Leslie Howard.

...THIS COULD BE THE NIGHT (1957) is a warm-hearted comedy about a teacher (Jean Simmons) who takes a second job working on the books at a nightclub and discovers a "found family" of good friends. The movie's spirit makes it perfect for the Christmas season. Robert Wise directed. It's on December 3rd.

...Later in the evening of the 3rd, the Hanna-Barbera tribute includes the TCM premiere of the cartoon short A CHRISTMAS STORY (1972) and a trio of MGM musicals featuring live action/animated sequences: ANCHORS AWEIGH (1945), DANGEROUS WHEN WET (1953), and INVITATION TO THE DANCE (1956).

...There are several very good films airing as part of the "Divine Intervention" series on December 4th, including the classic HERE COMES MR. JORDAN (1941) starring Robert Montgomery and Claude Rains.

...A December 5th birthday tribute to Agnes Moorehead, who was born December 6th, 1900, includes the lovely OUR VINES HAVE TENDER GRAPES (1945), featuring Moorehead and Edward G. Robinson in atypical roles as farmers who are the parents of young Margaret O'Brien. The movie includes a Christmas sequence, making it perfect seasonal viewing.

...The December 6th Musical Matinee features Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray in SWING HIGH, SWING LOW (1937). TV prints are often not very good, though an excellent 35mm print exists at UCLA, so we'll have to see how this one looks.

...One of my favorite musicals, YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER (1942), shows on December 7th. Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, and Jerome Kern music. What more could one want?!

...On December 9th TCM celebrates films released 70 years ago, in 1955, including the MGM musicals KISMET (1955) and THE GLASS SLIPPER (1955).

...The second evening celebrating Hanna-Barbera, on December 10th, includes several TCM premieres, including CHARLOTTE'S WEB (1973). The voice cast features Debbie Reynolds.

...Dick Van Dyke turns 100 on Saturday, December 13th. TCM will show three of his films for the occasion, including a very special TCM premiere of MARY POPPINS (1964).

...There's a terrific Esther Williams double bill on December 14th: EASY TO LOVE (1953) and THRILL OF A ROMANCE (1945).

...An evening of films featuring Art Deco design on December 15th includes a trio of Busby Berkeley classics: 42ND STREET (1933), FOOTLIGHT PARADE (1933), and GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933 (1933). All are absolute must-sees.

...A year before WUTHERING HEIGHTS (1939), Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier costarred in the romantic comedy THE DIVORCE OF LADY X (1938). They have good chemistry, and the film has a very distinctive Technicolor style. It will be shown December 16th as part of an evening of Oberon's films. (And don't miss the day of classic '50s sci-fi which precedes the Oberon lineup!)

...A day of films featuring Douglas Fairbanks Jr. on December 17th includes HAVING WONDERFUL TIME (1938) with Ginger Rogers.

...Ernst Lubitsch's classic HEAVEN CAN WAIT (1943) will air on December 18th. Don Ameche and Gene Tierney lead an amazing cast of character actors.

...The wonderful RACHEL AND THE STRANGER (1948) is part of a day of William Holden films on December 19th. Loretta Young and Robert Mitchum costar.

...An evening of films "In Memoriam" on December 26th honors several filmmakers who died this year and were not previously honored on TCM. The films include THE YEARLING (1946) with Claude Jarman Jr.

...December 28th features sseveral good comedies including MY FAVORITE WIFE (1940) with Cary Grant and Irene Dunne.

...Animal movies on December 30th include GYPSY COLT (1954) with Donna Corcoran, Ward Bond, and Frances Dee.

For more on TCM in December 2025, please check out my posts Quick Preview of TCM in December and TCM in December: Christmas Movies, along with TCM's online schedule.

TCM also has a December promo video on YouTube.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

Sunday, November 30, 2025

Tonight's Movie: I Died a Thousand Times (1955) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

I DIED A THOUSAND TIMES (1955), a worthy remake of Raoul Walsh's HIGH SIERRA (1941), has been released on Blu-ray by the Warner Achive Collection.

As with the 1941 version, W.R. Burnett wrote the screenplay from his novel HIGH SIERRA. Whereas the 1941 version also credits John Huston for cowriting the script, I DIED A THOUSAND TIMES is credited to Burnett alone.

The familiar story finds Roy Earle (Jack Palance), just pardoned after several years in prison, newly arrived in California to take part in a heist.

The others in the gang are portrayed by Lee Marvin, Lon Chaney (Jr.), Earl Holliman, James Millican, and Perry Lopez, with Howard St. John as their trusted doctor on call.

Earle falls for pretty Velma (Lori Nelson), a girl whose family (Olive Carey and Ralph Moody) he meeds on the road. He pays for Velma to have an operation to cure her clubfoot, only to have her spurn him in favor of an old boyfriend (Richard Davalos).

Earle turns to Marie (Shelley Winters) for companionship, but the robbery and its aftermath lead to Roy's inevitable confrontation with law enforcement at the top of Whitney Portal Road.

I DIED A THOUSAND TIMES may not resonate as a classic in the same way as the Humphrey Bogart-Ida Lupino does, but it's an involving 109 minutes, directed by Stuart Heisler.

Palance is strong as the vulnerable tough guy rejected by the sweet young thing but realistically better suited to Winters' dime-a-dance gal. I'll never be Winters' biggest fan, but I guess one could say I've gotten used to her after years of seeing her in film noir and crime films, and she's solid as the physically and emotionally battered Marie.

The actors playing Roy's fellow hoodlums sketch characters of varying degrees of interest. Millican, in one of his last feature films before his too-early passing within days of this film's release, is especially good as a crooked former cop. I also enjoyed St. John as the doctor who takes a weirdly congenial interest in the criminal goings-on.

The film's supporting cast, in roles of varied sizes, includes Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, Nick Adams, Olive Carey, Dennis Hopper, Mae Clarke, Fay Baker, Larry J. Blake, and Myrna Fahey. A hotel cigar salesgirl is played by Carol Kelly, the sister of Nancy and Jack (MAVERICK) Kelly.

Like HIGH SIERRA, I DIED A THOUSAND TIMES filmed in and around Lone Pine, California. One of the great things about this version is the CinemaScope photography (by Ted McCord) of Lone Pine's scenic vistas, including Mt. Whitney and Lone Pine Peak.

For me part of the film's appeal is that I've been to most, if not all, of the movie's locations, including the previously mentioned Whitney Portal Road, which I wrote about here in 2019.

The film opens at a gas station in Keeler, California, which I wrote about in 2014. The gas station is still standing, although (like the entire town of Keeler) it's worse for the wear.

The next notable location in the film is the Best Western Frontier Motel, where I've stayed on multiple occasions.

From there it's on to Cuffe Ranch just outside Lone Pine, where I enjoyed a barbecue dinner in October 2024.

And just before turning onto Whitney Portal Road, Roy careens down Lone Pine's Main Street, where various buildings including the historic Dow Villa Hotel can be seen.

The widescreen Warner Archive Blu-ray print is excellent, with an equally good soundtrack.

Disc extras consist of the tailer plus the Bugs Bunny cartoons HARE BRUSH (1955) and SAHARA HARE (1955).

The movie and this disc are recommended viewing.

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.

Tonight's Movie: Lovely to Look At (1952) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The MGM musical LOVELY TO LOOK AT (1952) has just been released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection.

The film is a loose remake of RKO's ROBERTA (1935), which starred Randolph Scott, Irene Dunne, Fred Astaire, and Ginger Rogers. The MGM version retains the Jerome Kern score, composed with several different lyricists.

LOVELY TO LOOK AT is a relatively minor film in MGM's pantheon of great musicals, but sometimes the "lesser" films are among my top favorites, another example being the recently reviewed TWO WEEKS WITH LOVE (1950).

The plot, scripted by George Wells and Harry Ruby, is fairly simple: A trio of performers (Howard Keel, Red Skelton, and Gower Champion) can't get backing for a new Broadway review.

When Al (Skelton) inherits partial ownership of a Parisian dress shop, the men fly to Paris hoping to cash in on the inheritance as a means of financing their show. However, they discover from the shop's other owners, sisters Stephanie (Kathryn Grayson) and Clarisse (Marge Champion), that the shop is a failing enterprise.

Amid various romances, which also involve "Bubbles" (Ann Miller), a musical fashion show is created to save the shop, with Broadway success sure to follow.

The film is fairly light on story and heavy on glorious musical numbers, choreographed by longtime Astaire collaborator Hermes Pan.

Marge and Gower Champion have three dance numbers, two of which I consider all time greats: Their closing fashion show dance with Gower as a thief and Marge as his willing victim, and especially the great "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes." The swooping camera work of George J. Folsey is the perfect complement to the latter dance's choregraphy.

"Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" is a stunning number I've watched countless times, and the Blu-ray's song selection menu makes it easier than ever to revisit favorite musical moments.

As a side note, I found a still online (seen here) which seems to indicate a fourth dance number featuring the Champions was cut.

The Champions are easily the best part of the film for me, with their charmingly uncomplicated love story. Miller is underused, with only one substantial dance number, but she lights up every scene, and the development of her affection for Skelton is sweet.

Grayson and Keel's relationship is more complicated, but naturally all's well that ends well. This was the middle of Grayson and Keel's three films together, falling between the better-known Kern musical SHOW BOAT (1951) and Cole Porter's KISS ME KATE (1953).

The only blight on the film is a typically unfunny stand-up routine by Skelton, although even that has the plus of the viewer being able to watch handsome Gower Champion's reactions, which appear to be genuinely amused laughs.

Otherwise this is a "feel good" movie for me from the start to the finish of its 103 minutes. As the lead couples swirl around the dance floor to the title song at the end, I can't help having misty eyes from pure happiness.

LOVELY TO LOOK AT was directed by Mervyn LeRoy. The uncredited director of the gorgeous fashion show sequence, showcasing designs by the great Adrian, was by Vincente Minnelli. (Look for the future Rosemarie Stack as one of the models; she married Robert Stack in 1956. She's second from left in a still here.)

The supporting cast includes Kurt Kasznar and Zsa Zsa Gabor, who would also appear together in the follow year's MGM musical LILI (1953). Familiar faces such as Marcel Dalio, Thomas Browne Henry, and John Maxwell are also in the cast.

The Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray offers a typically superb print with outstanding sound. The print is from a 4K scan of the original Technicolor negatives.

Disc extras consist of the Tom and Jerry cartoon DOG TROUBLE (1952); a Pete Smith Specialty short, HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED (1947); the trailer; and the previously mentioned song selection menu.

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.

TCM in December: Christmas Movies

It's time for my annual look at the Christmas movies on this year's Turner Classic Movies December schedule!

As usual, Christmas movies are scattered around the schedule in the first weeks of the month, leading up to the annual Christmas movie marathon. This year the marathon runs from December 19th through Christmas Day.

As there is inevitably some disappointment when a favorite film doesn't turn up on the schedule, I like to remind readers that it's normal and expected for some fluctuation in titles from year to year; this happens for a variety of reasons, including the licensing budget.

This year there won't be appearances by several films shown in 2023 or 2024, including HOLIDAY INN (1942), THE CHEATERS (1945), CHRISTMAS EVE (1947), GOOD SAM (1948), or THE HOLLY AND THE IVY (1952). The New Year's film REPEAT PERFORMANCE (1947) will also not be shown on TCM this holiday season.

On the other hand, several titles return to the schedule after not being shown last year, including AND SO THEY WERE MARRIED (1936), LADY ON A TRAIN (1945), THE MAN I LOVE (1947), MR. SOFT TOUCH (1949), and O. HENRY'S FULL HOUSE (1952).

This year will also see the TCM premiere of PRANCER (1989), a lovely film I saw when it was initially released theatrically. It's a worthy addition to TCM's holiday schedule which I hope many viewers will enjoy.

Looking ahead to New Year's Eve, this year there will be a Marx Brothers marathon during the daytime hours, followed by an evening of films with New Year's themes such as BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY (2001), SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE (1993), and more.

New Year's Day will feature a marathon of THIN MAN movies.

The schedule includes films with general religious themes along with Christmas movies. Please click any hyperlinked title to read a complete review. For films showing more than once in December, the review is only linked the first time it appears on the schedule.

December 3rd