Tonight's Movie: I Love You Again (1940) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

A couple of days ago I reviewed MANHATTAN MELODRAMA (1934), in which William Powell and Myrna Loy costarred with Clark Gable.

The Warner Archive Collection has also just released another Powell and Loy film, I LOVE YOU AGAIN (1941).

Unlike MANHATTAN MELODRAMA, I LOVE YOU AGAIN is a comedy, and quite a giddy one at that, but the Loy-Powell chemistry shines just as brightly as in the earlier film.

As this goofy film begins, staid, uptight businessman Larry Wilson (Powell) falls off a cruise ship...it's a long story. Larry is then accidentally hit over the head with an oar, and suddenly Larry's penny-pinching persona is revealed to be due to several years of amnesia. Larry, it turns out, is really a conman named George Carey.

When George/Larry returns home, new best friend Doc (Frank McHugh) in tow, he discovers his wife Kay (Loy) is on the verge of divorce. She's tired of the humdrum, fiscally tight Larry, though her mother (Nella Walker) defends him. And given Kay's unimpressive choice for her next husband (Donald Douglas), mother probably knows best.

Soon, though, Kay notices that Larry is unexpectedly a little more...exciting...even willing to spend a signficant amount of money to buy her a beautiful negligee. Kay is baffled. What happened to her boring husband?

A swindler from Larry/George's past (Edmund Lowe) shows up to complicate things, but Larry/George has decided marriage to Kay and smalltown life looks quite appealing...he just won't be the same tightwad Larry used to be.

My records show I saw this movie a good many years ago, but it's the fairly rare film where absolutely nothing seemed familar. It was a time in my life when I was parenting an infant, so that probably explains my own "amnesia" of sorts. No matter, as consequently I had the treat of seeing a Powell-Loy film for the "first time," as it were.

The screenplay by Charles Lederer, Harry Kurnitz, and George Oppenheimer was from a story by Maurine Watkins and Leon Gordon, based in turn on a novel by Octavus Roy Cohen. It's clever and fairly easy to follow, despite the complicated plotting regarding Larry's two personas.

There are some laugh-out-loud funny moments, with the most hilarious scene being Powell and McHugh in bed together hiding from the cops. Scenes with Powell faking his way through things he's forgotten from his most recent "life" are also quite amusing.

Was anyone on film ever quite as charming as Myrna Loy in a comedy? Her reactions and line readings are quite simply delightful, and she looks marvelous in gowns by Dolly Tree.

I also appreciated Powell's reunion with Frank McHugh, his costar from ONE-WAY PASSAGE (1932) many years before.

My one complaint about the film is that I would have ditched the prolonged slapstick sequence with Larry and a group of Scouts, although it does play into the storyline for the finale. This sequence is overly long and in turn makes the film too long at 99 minutes. The movie needed no Scouts and more Myrna Loy. Other than that, no complaints!

The film was directed by W.S. Van Dyke and filmed by Oliver T. Marsh.

The cast also includes Pierre Watkin, Charles Arnt, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Robert "Bobby" Blake, Morgan Wallace, Charles Halton, Harry Hayden, Paul Stanton, Gladys Blake, and Ray Teal.

The Warner Archive Blu-ray print is from a 1080p HD master from 4K scans of the "best available preservation elements." Picture and sound quality are excellent.

Disc extras consist of the trailer; the Traveltalks short CAVALCADE OF SAN FRANCISCO (1940); a cartoon, THE MILKY WAY (1940); and best of all, the Lux Radio Theater production of this story with Myrna Loy and Cary Grant.

I love getting to enjoy "alternative casting" of films via these Lux Radio productions, and I'm looking forward to hearing Cary Grant in this, he should be great in it. It was broadcast nearly a year after the movie was released, on June 30, 1941.

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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Tonight's Movie: Kansas City Confidential (1952) - A Film Masters Blu-ray Review

I've put off watching KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL (1952) at home for years, hoping that my first viewing of this noir classic would be in a theater.

Somehow, despite its excellent reputation, the movie has never made the schedule at any of the film festivals I attend regularly. The recent release of the film on a terrific new Limited Edition Blu-ray from Film Masters made up my mind to watch it at home at long last.

And the best part is, I enjoyed the movie so well that I would happily watch it again if I have the opportunity to see it theatrically one day.

Many film noir fans will already be familiar with this movie. The first thing I have to say, even before discussing the plot, is simply "What a cast!"

The film stars a trio of favorites, John Payne, Coleen Gray, and Preston Foster. Gray and Payne, who made two other films together in this era, were an offscreen item for a time.

Then there's a Hall of Fame trio of bad guys in Neville Brand, Lee Van Cleef, and Jack Elam. The cast is rounded out by the always-entertaining Dona Drake, who helps to lighten the tension as a gang of thieves converge on the Mexican resort where she works.

The plot concerns a "perfect crime" engineered by ex-cop Tim Foster (Foster). He carefully times plans for a bank heist, while also deliberately causing confusion by using a getaway van which looks exactly like the one Joe Rolfe (Payne) uses for daily deliveries to the florist next door to the bank.

Foster recruits three very bad men (Brand, Van Cleef, and Elam) to pull off the heist; they're all masked so they can't recognize one another. After the robbery is successfully completed, Foster informs the disappointed men they're each going to a separate foreign city and that he'll wire them where to meet him to pick up their share of the loot after things have calmed down a bit.

Little do the three robbers realize there's an entirely fresh game afoot once they are finally summoned by Foster to a Mexican resort...

Meanwhile Rolfe, the innocent delivery truck driver, has been harrassed by the police and decides to purse the bank robbers to clear his name. Thanks to a tip arranged by an old war buddy, Rolfe eventually finds himself at the same Mexican resort as the robbers.

The wild card is when Helen (Gray), Foster's law student daughter, surprises him at the resort and is immediately attracted to Rolfe. Things get very complicated, especially for Helen's dismayed father.

The screenplay was written by George Bruce and Harry Essex from a story by Rowland Brown and Harold Greene. IMDb indicates that director Karlson and John Payne also made uncredited contributions to the script.

The movie packs a lot of plot into its 99 minutes, but it's easy to follow and quite fascinating unpeeling the story layers; for instance, at one point Payne's character causes Brand and Van Cleef to think he's the third man, while at the same time Foster's character knows he's not.

The movie has typically brisk, tough direction by Phil Karlson, with the rough interactions of the five men only occasionally broken up by appearances from Gray and Drake.

It's of note that Gray appeared in not one but two movies about the "perfect heist" by masked robbers, the other being THE KILLING (1956).

KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL was filmed in black and white by George E. Diskant (ON DANGEROUS GROUND).

Catalina Island stands in for Mexico; since I'm going to visit Catalina on the TCM Cruise next fall I enjoyed seeing it, and I'll be looking to watch more movies shot on the island in the months leading up to the trip.

KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL has long been in the public domain. Although I'd not seen the film before, I've occasionally seen brief clips in poor prints. The Film Masters Blu-ray looks really good, especially considering the film's checkered print history; I was quite pleased with it and recommend this disc along with the film itself.

The Film Masters Limited Edition has two extras: A Blu-ray commentary track by Jason A. Ney, plus a glossy booklet in the case which contains an essay on Jack Elam, written by Don Stradley.

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: Blind Spot (1947)

Last month Turner Classic Movies featured its first-ever showing of the Columbia Pictures "B" film BLIND SPOT (1947).

The film was hosted by Eddie Muller on TCM's Noir Alley franchise.

As Muller pointed out in his introduction, BLIND SPOT has some overtones of the marvelous BLACK ANGEL (1946) from Universal Pictures, as each film features a leading man whose alcoholism causes him to forget key details surrounding a murder.

Both movies also feature the striking actress Constance Dowling; she was the murder victim in BLACK ANGEL and a secretary who could be either good or bad in BLIND SPOT.

The BLIND SPOT plot concerns Jeffrey Andrews (Chester Morris), a respected yet low-selling author with a serious drinking problem and zero cash in his wallet.

The drunken Andrews goes to beg his publisher, Henry Small (William Forrest), for some money, but is turned down, other than a $20 bill offered out of pity and annoyance.

With the encouragement of Lloyd Harrison (Steven Geray), a more successful author who nonetheless also has a fraught relationship with the publisher, Andrews spins a murder mystery yarn for Small in hopes of a book advance.

Shortly thereafter Small is found dead, and Andrews is arrested by Detective Lt. Fred Applegate (James Bell) as the most likely suspect.

Andrews unfortunately can't remember most of the events surrounding his visit to the publisher. As Andrews attempts to reconstruct what led to Small's death, he's aided by the publisher's secretary Evelyn (Dowling), who appears to have been roughed up by her boss the night of the death, and Harrison, who convinces Applegate to let Andrews out of jail.

Whether or not Evelyn and Harrison are true friends is a question mark, as they each have reasons to have wanted Small dead...and what's with the fact that Small's body was found in a room with the door bolted from the inside?

This was a flawed yet interesting film. One of the film's difficulties is simply that it's hard to watch the drunken Morris for a substantial amount of time.

Morris's character is truly watchable only after his arrest forces him to go on the wagon, at which point he swears off booze. Whether or not it's realistic for such a heavy drinker to go "cold turkey" is an open question, but it came as a relief.

The other problem with the film is a more personal one, in that I have never really enjoyed Geray. I can't quite put my finger on why, I simply don't find him a likeable actor.

On the plus side, the film has quite an interesting plot, written by Martin Goldsmith -- whose novel inspired DETOUR (1945) -- based on a story by Barry Perowne. The prickly-yet-steamy relationship between Andrews and Evelyn is especially fascinating.

Morris and Dowling, who had recently worked together on BOSTON BLACKIE AND THE LAW (1946), have excellent chemistry as he tries to decide whether to kiss or kill the beautiful blonde. I really enjoyed their scenes.

Dowling, incidentally, was the sister of actress Doris Dowling, who was Alan Ladd's unfaithful wife in THE BLUE DAHLIA (1946).

BLIND SPOT runs a quick 73 minutes. It was directed by Robert Gordon and filmed in black and white by George Meehan.

Southern Californians will note that a shot of the 1930 Eastern Columbia Building in Los Angeles is used for the publisher's office.

The cast includes Sid Tomack, Paul E. Burns, Frank Mayo, and Harry Strang.

To my knowledge, BLIND SPOT is not available in an authorized DVD or Blu-ray edition.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Coming from Lyons Press in February: DAUGHTERS OF DARING: HOLLYWOOD COWGIRL STUNT WOMEN by Chris Enss.

...Jessica of Comet Over Hollywood recently interviewed Jeremy Arnold, author of CHRISTMAS IN THE MOVIES. Her site has both an article and a link to a YouTube conversation with Jeremy.

...Filming begins at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina next month for a spinoff of the A BILTMORE CHRISTMAS (2023). I reviewed A BILTMORE CHRISTMAS last January and really enjoyed it. Jonathan Frakes returns as the Biltmore's mysterious employee, costarring with Niall Matter and Holland Roden.

...The January 2026 streaming lineup on the Criterion Channel will include collections of "Nordic Noir," films written by Dorothy Parker, and movies with a theme of "starting over."

...Angela of The Hollywood Revue has written an article on "The Complicated Copyright History of It's a Wonderful Life."

...Ignite Films will be releasing multiple editions of the noir classic THE BIG COMBO (1955) this March.

...Film Masters will be releasing THE SECOND WOMAN (1950) on Blu-ray and DVD in January. I reviewed an Alpha release of this film, which stars Robert Young and Betsy Drake, in 2012. Incidentally, the movie will soon have its TCM premiere, showing on the Noir Alley series January 3rd and 4th.

...Beginning in 2029, the annual Academy Awards will air...on YouTube?! Not that I watch the Oscars anymore anyway, but that certainly seems like a death knell, though I'm sure the Academy thinks they will reach the younger generation that way.

...Warner Archive will be releasing multi-film Blu-ray collections of films starring Spencer Tracy and Fred Astaire, as well as a set of films based on Broadway musicals, in February 2026.

...Attention Southern Californians: Kim Luperi, coauthor of the new book PRE-CODE ESSENTIALS, will introduce a screening of the pre-Code classic EMPLOYEES' ENTRANCE (1933) at the American Cinematheque's Los Feliz 3 Theatre on January 4th. Ticket info is here.

...Looking further down the calendar, Angela Aleiss, author of a new book on the Western BROKEN ARROW (1950), will introduce the film at the Autry Museum of the American West next May 9th. It will screen as part of the museum's ongoing What is a Western? series. Also screening in the months leading up to BROKEN ARROW: THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE (1962), FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE (1965), STAGECOACH (1939), and HIGH NOON (1952).

...Notable Passings: I was terribly saddened to learn of the recent passing of longtime Disney Imagineer Eddie Sotto. Eddie was a Twitter acquaintance for many years, and such a "regular guy" interacting with all of us that I didn't quite realize at first just what a key figure he'd been at Disney theme parks. Among other things, he designed the Disneyland Paris Main Street U.S.A., including its beautiful arcades; I shared photos here after our trip back in 2009. He was also responsible for onboard audio on Space Mountain in Disneyland here in Anaheim, and for so much more, including projects at Knott's Berry Farm.

Eddie also loved classic films, and I was thrilled to meet him at Noir City Hollywood last spring; what's more, he gave me a sketch of Disneyland's Mark Twain he'd done earlier that day. I will always treasure it. Eddie is seen here with Eddie Muller and the original painting from THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW (1944). Please read about his remarkable career here and here. Beyond his accomplishments, he was an incredibly nice man who was generous with his time, chatting and sharing ideas with Disney theme park fans.

...It's been a sad year for fans of GENERAL HOSPITAL, as Anthony Geary, who played the iconic role of Luke Spencer, has died at 78. GENERAL HOSPITAL stars Leslie Charleson, Denise Alexander, Chris Robinson, and Tristan Rogers, who played Luke's best pal Robert Scorpio, have all passed on this year. Geary is seen here sharing a scene with Rogers...Annette Dionne, the last of the Dionne Quintuplets, has died at 91. She and her sisters played themselves in three films in the 1930s...Gil Gerard, who starred as TV's BUCK ROGERS from 1979-81, has passed away at the age of 82...Actress May Britt, who was married to Sammy Davis Jr. for several years in the '60s, has died at 91.

...Hopefully I have replied personally to each individual, but I'd like to express again my thanks to all for the many kind comments and messages I received regarding my mother's passing. I appreciate it very, very much.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my December 13th column.

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Tonight's Movie: Manhattan Melodrama (1934) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, and William Powell are star power personified in MGM's MANHATTAN MELODRAMA (1934).

MANHATTAN MELODRAMA has just been released in a terrific Blu-ray print by the Warner Archive Collection.

I previously reviewed this film back in 2011, when I saw it screened digitally at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. It impressed me then and continues to impress me now.

The film somewhat calls to mind another Gable film from a couple years later, SAN FRANCISCO (1936). In each film a troubled Gable lives on the edge while romancing the leading lady, with a key male friend representing the positive path his character has not taken.

Gable's character ultimately goes in two different directions, providing each of these films with a memorable ending.

MANHATTAN MELODRAMA is the oft-used movie tale of two childhood friends, Blackie and Jim (Mickey Rooney and Jimmy Butler), who as adults (Gable and Powell) are on opposite sides of the law.

Blackie, who has gambling interests and runs with a rough crowd, loses his mistress Eleanor (Loy) when she tires of being taken for granted. Eventually she finds love with upstanding prosecutor Jim, with Blackie's blessing.

Blackie, meanwhile, isn't above committing a murder or two, whether it's a man (Noel Madison) who doesn't pay his debts or another man (Thomas E. Jackson) who's threatening Jim's career.

Jim has no idea of Blackie's motivation for the latter murder and prosecutes him for murder...but in the end will he let his lifelong friend go to the chair?

Other than the opening childhood scenes, which are both a bit silly and overly violent, this is a highly engrossing film. (Side note: Is there anything more unbelievable than Mickey Rooney growing up to be Clark Gable?!)

All three lead actors are excellent, with particular kudos for Powell in what might be the most difficult role. He plays a quiet, restrained man with deep-seated emotions, contrasting with Gable's flashier role. Gable is handsome and charismatic, but it's ultimately Powell who wins the viewer's heart along with Loy's.

Loy is incredibly likeable from the moment she enters the film, and her "meet cute" with Powell in a taxi is particularly endearing. She does an excellent job conveying Eleanor's love for Blackie and her shift in feelings when she realizes he's not going to provide her with the kind of stable relationship she desires.

The film has a very good script, written by Oliver H.P. Garrett and Joseph L. Mankiewicz from a story by Arthur Caesar (with uncredited work by Donald Ogden Stewart and Frank Dolan). The movie has some strong dialogue along with well-sketched characters -- and it also doesn't wear out its welcome, over and done in a brisk 93 minutes.

The movie was directed by W.S. Van Dyke, with uncredited work, including some retakes, by George Cukor and Jack Conway. The black and white cinematography was by James Wong Howe.

The supporting cast includes Leo Carrillo, Nat Pendleton, Isabel Jewell, George Sidney, Muriel Evans, Frank Conroy, Sam McDaniel, and Samuel S. Hinds.

For additional thoughts on this film please click over to my 2011 review.

This Blu-ray print is from a 1080p HD master from 4K scans of what are termed the best available preservation elements. It looks absolutely outstanding, and I highly recommend both this disc and the film.

Disc extras consist of the trailer; a Lux Radio Theater (9/9/40) production, performed over half a dozen years after this film's release, with William Powell, Myrna Loy, and Don Ameche; and a pair of Three Stooges shorts, THE BIG IDEA (1934) and ROAST BEEF AND MOVIES (1934).

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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New Titles Announced for 2026 TCM Classic Film Festival

Season's greetings!

A few days before Christmas Turner Classic Movies announced a few new movie titles for next year's TCM Classic Film Festival.

The festival will be held in Hollywood from April 30th through May 3, 2026.

Newly announced titles include:

*Marlene Dietrich, Herbert Marshall, and Cary Grant in BLONDE VENUS (1932)

*Edward G. Robinson in CONFESSIONS OF A NAZI SPY (1939)

*A 75th anniversary presentation of ACE IN THE HOLE (1951)

*A FACE IN THE CROWD (1957)

*A 60th anniversary presentation of ARABESQUE (1966)

*DAYS OF HEAVEN (1978)

Prospective attendees will want to note that discounted "Early Bird" ticket pricing ends on January 9, 2026.

Additional information on the festival, including ticket information and previously announced titles, is linked below.

Previously: TCM Announces 2026 Festival Dates and Theme; TCM Classic Film Festival Passes on Sale December 9th.

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Christmas Day Wishes

Best wishes to all my readers for a very happy Christmas!

Here's longtime favorite Alan Ladd making sure that everything is in readiness for Christmas gift giving.

Merry Christmas to all!

Previous Christmas Day photo posts: 2012 (the Lockhart Family), 2013 (Priscilla Lane), 2014 (Martha Hyer), 2015 (Andra Martin), 2016 (Betty Grable), 2017 (Loretta Young), 2018 (Alice Faye), 2019 (Marsha Hunt), 2020 (Ann Blyth), 2021 (Ann Rutherford), 2022 (Deanna Durbin), 2023 (Audrey Totter), and 2024 (Barbara Britton).

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Merry Christmas!

Best wishes to all for a very merry Christmas!

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Tonight's Movie: The Mad Miss Manton (1938) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The giddy screwball comedy THE MAD MISS MANTON (1938) was recently released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection.

I first saw this film in 2007, thanks to Turner Classic Movies, and last year I had the delight of seeing it in 35mm at the 2024 TCM Classic Film Festival. Watching it at the Egyptian Theatre with a packed crowd was a treat.

This is a film which I enjoy more on each viewing, so revisiting it thanks to the new Warner Archive Blu-ray was great fun. I may have watched it as recently as a year and a half or so ago, but who cares when you're watching this cast having fun in beautiful black and white? It's a film I've found to have great "rewatch" value.

Late one evening wealthy Melsa Manton (Barbara Stanwyck) is walking her dogs and eventually finds herself entering a mansion uninvited...where she finds a dead body!

When Police Lieutenant Brent (Sam Levene) arrives on scene, the body is gone. He and newspaperman Peter Ames (Henry Fonda) don't believe Melsa actually saw a body. Despite that, Peter finds himself irresistibly attracted to Melsa, and they begin a combative romance of sorts.

Melsa and a group of her wealthy girlfriends (including Whitney Bourne and Vickie Lester) are determined to solve the case...

This movie, written by Philip G. Epstein, was based on a story by Wilson Collison, with uncredited contributions by a quartet of writers. It may not be very deep, but it's highly amusing, with quite a bit of good dialogue.

The movie, directed by Leigh Jason, moves along at a great clip, so it's impossible to be bored. And as mentioned above, Stanwyck and company look glorious, photographed by Nicholas Musuraca.

Another part of the fun is the great supporting cast. The movie is packed with marvelous players such as George Chandler, Grady Sutton, Olin Howland, John Qualen, Hattie McDaniel, Paul Guilfoyle, Stanley Ridges, James Burke, Penny "Blondie" Singleton, Miles Mander, Leona Maricle, and even the Queen of Dress Extras, Bess Flowers, as a charity ball guest. I love watching and mentally naming each actor as he or she comes on screen.

The excellent Blu-ray print is from a 1080p HD master from 4K scans of the original nitrate camera negative. Sound quality is solid.

Blu-ray extras consist of the trailer plus the cartoons THE PENGUIN PARADE (1938) and PORKY THE GOB (1938).

THE MAD MISS MANTON is a diverting 80 minutes, and I especially recommend seeing it via the new Warner Archive Blu-ray.

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 January

January is fast approaching! Here's a quick peek ahead at what's coming to Turner Classic Movies next month.

The majority of the schedule has now been posted, with a few spots on the scheduleto be filled in later. I'll have more complete details on the full schedule posted here around New Year's.

The January Star of the Month will be Jean Arthur. Over 20 of Arthur's films will be shown on Thursday evenings next month.  I'm sure this news will delight most film fans, as Arthur is a great favorite of many of us.

January's Noir Alley films will be THE SECOND WOMAN (1950), CRIME OF PASSION (1957), DIABOLIQUE (1955), SHIELD FOR MURDER (1954), and TALK ABOUT A STRANGER (1952).

THE SECOND WOMAN, starring Robert Young and Betsy Drake, will be a TCM premiere.  I enjoyed it quite well when I first saw it over a decade ago.

The TCM Spotlight theme is "Flashback Fridays," with films featuring flashback sequences, including PENNY SERENADE (1941), THE LOCKET (1946), THE KILLERS (1946), and many more.  Looking over the schedule makes one realize just how prevalent the flashback device has been in films.

Additional "Special Themes" in January will be films centered on "working class" characters and two evenings devoted to composer Sammy Cahn.

New Year's Day will feature a Thin Man movie marathon, along with two additional films featuring William Powell and Myrna Loy.

Additional programming themes in December will include 1950s sci-fi, gambling, secret agents, jealousy, skiing, bounty hunters, Chicago, treasure hunters, and Hildegarde Withers and Miss Marple mysteries.

There will be a five-film memorial tribute to Diane Keaton on January 25th, including MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY (1993) and BABY BOOM (1987). The latter film is a personal favorite of mine which I've seen many times.

TCM has also just announced a tribute to Rob Reiner for January 28th, including the TCM premiere of THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987). WHEN HARRY MET SALLY (1989) is also part of the lineup.

I also want to particularly mention that the lineup for a daytime tribute to Johnny Mack Brown on January 9th includes a whopping five TCM premieres.

Other filmmakers receiving multifilm tributes in January include Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Louis Hayward, Zsa Zsa and Eva Gabor, Lloyd Bacon, Margaret O'Brien, Jack Hively, Patricia Neal, Paul Newman, and Robert Taylor.

Be sure to check back here around January 1st for a complete look at TCM in January!

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TCM Remembers 2025

Friday afternoon Turner Classic Movies released its annual TCM Remembers tribute video.

As always, the video does a wonderful job honoring all those the world of cinema has lost in the past year.

 

The video may also be watched on Twitter or YouTube. 

Past TCM tribute posts: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week...

...is taking the weekend off.

I've run out of time this week for myriad reasons, including Christmas festivities and wrapping up work for the year.  I'm now on vacation until January and have numerous posts in the works.

Some readers may have noticed I've been posting a bit less frequently the last few weeks, and there's an additional reason for that: I'm sad to say that my mother passed away unexpectedly last month, after a brief hospitalization.

I'm sure anyone who's been through the loss of a close family member understands both the emotional upheaval and the many ensuing time demands. I will have additional related tasks ahead of me in the coming weeks, but the impact on my time will gradually reduce.

As always, I take comfort in family, friends, faith, and films. I wish everyone a very happy Christmas, and watch for more posts here coming soon!

For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my December 13th column.

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