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  • Dark Cinema: Gable and Crawford - The Great Pre-Code Love Affair

    'Our relationship was private, between us. It was a glorious affair, and it went on longer than anybody knows. It was sublime...' -Joan CrawfordHepburn and Tracy. Bogart and Bacall. Crawford and Gable? You don't hear those last two names paired as much as those before them. Their partnership isn't nearly as legendary, most likely because none of the eight films they made together were true classics. But there was no hotter pair in pre-Code films, and this was partly becau...

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  • Magic Moments with Bette

    In hindsight, it is surprising that Bette Davis was ever a box office star. For an eight year span in the '30s and '40s, she was queen of the Warners lot, and her vehicles made a lot of money. Never really a glamour star, although Variety's review of The Man Who Played God (1932) called her 'a vision of wide-eyed blonde beauty,' not a strong comedy player, although she took part in the raucous slapstick of The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941), she was also a limited singer, although...

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  • The Hills Are Alive...With the TCM Classic Film Festival

    For four days in Hollywood, classic film fans the world over converge to enjoy a series of film screenings and panels as part of the TCM Classic Film Festival. The festival recently wrapped up its sixth annual festival March 29th and I was there to enjoy the fun, films, and insanity that comes from watching movies on very little sleep and a diet consisting of Crispy M&Ms and coffee. Everyone who attended experienced something different, but here's a brief rundown of screenings and panels ...

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  • TV TIME: Tax Tips from Classic TV

    Income tax season is one of the most stressful times of the year. The pressure of the looming April 15th filing deadline often brings out some of the most duplicitous, underhanded, and unethical behavior imaginable -- and that's just from the government. (This would be a good time to mention to Uncle Sam that I am a loyal and prompt taxpayer.) However, like many of us, I find the process overwhelming.Fortunately, we have help. If television can teach us how to survive being strand...

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  • Robert Ryan: The Man With Two Personas

    While he was especially known for playing troubled, tortured characters, off the screen there was a far different Robert Ryan. Born in Chicago, Illinois, on November 11, 1909, and a Dartmouth graduate, Ryan was a quiet, introspective man was committed to his family and community. He married Jessica Cadwalader in 1939, a union which would last until her death from cancer in 1972. Beginning in 1946 the Ryans had three children in a span of five years, Tim, Cheyney, and Lisa.One of t...

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  • Silent Cinema: Seven Reasons to Love Silent Movies

    Let's be honest, silent films do not have the best of reputations. Often dismissed as corny, cliched and ridiculous (usually by people who have never actually seen one), silent cinema has gotten very little respect. Fortunately, the tide is turning, and more and more film fans are discovering how vibrant and intriguing these movies really are.Of course, watching silent films is still not a common hobby. In fact, the most common question I get is, 'How did you start watching those?...

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  • Classics 101 - Presenting Alfred Hitchcock, Part 5: The Transatlantic Years

    1947: Mr. Hitchcock and his partner, Sidney Bernstein, have a deal with Warner Bros. for distribution of product from their independent unit, Transatlantic Pictures. To produce the films, though, they needed ample financing, and to make this endeavor work they also needed (a) big stars, and (b) inexpensive story properties. They took care of (a) with verbal commitments from Hitchcock friends Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman; floating their names around got bankers' attention. For (b), a variety ...

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  • Dark Cinema - Belita: Noir Ice Queen

    Beautiful, haughty, serene--the actress, ballet dancer and ice skater Belita often seemed to be living in her own melancholy world. She was like a disappointed debutante, carving out a lonely existence among people more ordinary than she. The multi-talented star made her name as a child ballerina and competitive ice skater, but she is also remembered today for the eleven films she made in bit, supporting and feature roles.Among the best of these films is a trio of noirs she made f...

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  • The Old Corral: The Old Corral Heads To Old Tucson

    If you're a fan of Western movies, chances are good a few of your favorites were shot at Old Tucson Studios -- 'Hollywood in the Desert.' The location is very well represented on DVD and Blu-ray. Here are a few points of interest.Arizona (1940)In 1938, Columbia Pictures built a replica of 1860s Tucson on a site adjacent to the Tucson Mountains and owned by Pima County for the movie Arizona. In just 40 days, workers built more than ...

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  • The Name Game: Monumental Movie Trivia

    About 30 years ago, George Carlin came on The Tonight Show and had Johnny Carson laughing helplessly with a bit on old movies. The premise was when you see a crowd scene in an old black and white movie; odds are everyone in the scene is now dead. A bit morbid, but Carlin tapped into the back alleys of speculation movie fans love.When a film festival runs a film featuring an infant, it's a guaranteed conversation topic when the film ends. 'That baby that Constance Bennett ...

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