Recently viewed----

Theodora Goes Wild (1936) Irene Dunne, Melvin Douglas. Theodora is a small town woman who writes a best seller under an assumed name. She lives with her two fuddy duddy aunts and is a pillar of every club and church group. Enter her book cover illustrator who seems to want to make her over into a playgirl. He follows her back to town after she visits her publisher on business. Becomes the handyman. Has a room in the garage. Makes a fool of himself and her. Not a favorite of Dunne's many films for me. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028355/

Without Love (1945) Katheryn Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Lucille Ball, Keenan Wynn. A favorite I watch whenever it comes on TCM. Story of the housing shortage in Washington D.C. during WWII. Scientist needs place to set up his experimental oxygen tank for high altitude flying. When he shares a cab (also a must in D.C.) with a drunk, it turns out to be the cousin of a woman who owns a house with a large cellar, perfect for his equipment. The next morning he is mistaken by the owner for a caretaker sent by the agency. From there we are off on the two eventually deciding to marry "without love." Among the things I like is the side story of Ball and Wynn's romance, and Dizzy, the dog, who keeps the sleep walker from too much trouble. 9/10   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038256/

The Fallen Idol (1948) Ralph Richardson, Bobby Henry, Michelle Morgan, Sonia Dresdel. Wonderful English film about a little boy who lives in a foreign embassy. The butler, Baines, weaves adventure stories to keep the boy amused, both parents being gone. Baines' wife is a shrew and makes both miserable. Baines find solace with another employee, a young pretty woman. The 3 have a great time together one day while the Mrs. is supposedly visiting in the country. But she is really spying on them. That night she appears and a terrible row begins. The boy hides and sees only the end when Mrs. Baines falls down stairs. From then on the film becomes a police investigation that seems to point to Baines as a killer. As the boy tries to help, he just makes things worse. Great atmosphere created by Carol Reed, the director. Henry is such a wonderful natural kid and we really care for him. Rest of the cast is first rate. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040338/

Small Town Girl (1953) Jane Powell, Farley Granger, Ann Miller, Bobby Van. MGM pulled out a couple of their musical stars, threw in a 50's heart throb in Granger, and dusted off an old story about the big city snobby rich guy who gets arrested in the perfect little town where the judge puts him in jail for speeding. I kept waiting for a tune I could enjoy humming along with but no such luck. The Van hopping number, I had to fast forward through. In fact I did a lot of that in this film. Even Millers big number goes on too long. I did not enjoy this one. 5/5 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046330/

She Couldn't Say No (1954) Jean Simmons, Robert Mitchum, Arthur Hunicutt, Edgar Buchanan, Wallace Ford. An old favorite. Simmons is darling and Mitch is fine. The character actors who make up the citizens of this small Arkansas town (pop. 200) are all done to perfection. Especially Hunnicut as the town drunk. Simmons' Corby, an oil heiress, comes to town to try to repay those who saved her life when she was a toddler and her father was broke and couldn't pay for a doctor. By throwing large sums of money to a few and then sending checks to everyone, her generosity lands the town on the TV news and soon everyone who can, heads for Arkansas. It was Doc Sellers father who saved her as a baby, and now he ends up saving her as the mob is out to get "some money too." Doc is paid with chickens, hogs, ect. Is this where that woman in Arizona got the idea we can go back to barter as a way out of the health care crisis in America? Egads! 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047476/

Written On The Wind (1956) Lauren Bacall, Rock Hudson, Dorothy Malone, Robert Stack. The melodrama to end all melodramas. Rock Hudson and Lauren Bacall are the sane ones trying to cope with the nutty Dorothy Malone (won Best Supporting Oscar), and Robert Stack (nominated for best supporting Oscar), chewing the scenery. Texas oil family with too much money and lots of booze. Two oil men from Texas come to NYC and promptly fall for a secretary in high fashion duds. She picks the rich one and for a year are happy. He is on the wagon. But then when he is told by a doctor that he is the reason they haven't conceived, he goes on a bender and eventually his jealous sister causes him to suspect his childhood friend has betrayed him with his wife. Whew! It gets worse. Sis is mean drunk and tells lies to ruin the marriage and try to keep Hudson who she has loved since childhood. The music, the color cinematography and the actors, make this one to see. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049966/

Hanna (2011) Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchette. The opening segment filmed in Finland in a winter landscape is beautiful (if real). A girl and her father live a primitive life. He is teaching how to be completely self sufficient. She can kill and butcher a deer and bring it all home. But assassins are looking for her and they must leave their home and go out into the world. That is when we get to the evil Marissa (Blanchette) and her band of merry men set on killing Hanna. Some parts do not make much sense, but with the action and the good actors, and that opening sequence, we play along. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993842/

More later.