July 22, 2014

July 2014---

Watched TCM Kay Francis day films last week.  One I had never seen was Another Dawn with Ian Hunter and Errol Flynn.


1930s films with Cagney and one with Shirley Temple; Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm. 

June 15, 2014

The spring has almost ended and I have not made a new  post on this site.  Still watching films but not going online every day like I used to, so I' m not blogging much anymore. 

April 08, 2014

APRIL'S FIRST WEEK

NEW TO ME:

Off The Record (1939) Pat O'Brien, Joan Blondell.  Reporters on newspaper try to help gangsters young brother.  Likable stars in B-movie fare.  7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031743/combined

Identity Thief (2013) Melissa McCarthy, Jason Bateman.  She steals his identity because his name is Sandy and maxes out his credit cards.  He tracks her down and tries to bring her in so he can prove he is who he says he is.  I had to fast forward through some of this mess.  5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2024432/combined

ENCORES:

Mogambo (1953) Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly.  African hunter leads safari to capture sounds of gorillas.  Gorgeous cinematography.  Unique score of only African native drums and chants.  Ava is stunning.  8/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046085/combined

On The Waterfront (1954) Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint, Rod Steiger, Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden.  Right out of the headlines, story of the longshoremen's union corruption and the people who lived through and fought it.  Great film won 8 Oscars and many other awards.  10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047296/combined

The Agony And The Ecstasy (1965) Charlton Heston, Rex Harrison, Diane Cilento.  The story of Michelangelo's struggle with the Pope over the painting of the Sistine Chapel.  Drags at times. 7/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058886/combined

The Hunt For Red October (1990) Sean Connery, Alex Baldwin.  A Tom Clancy Jack Ryan adventure story about the capture of a Soviet submarine. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099810/combined

March 31, 2014

Thieves, friends, the Fleet, and so forth---

NEW TO ME:

I Am A Thief (1934) Mary Astor, Ricardo Cortez.  Fun and games among the criminal class.  6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026505/combined

The Passionate Friends (1940) Ann Todd, Claude Rains, Trevor Howard.  A love story, directed by David Lean, that is so boring I had to force myself to finish it.  They meet when young and part and then she marries an older man and he pines and  - oh! me, I've forgotten what,  but after much dickering around, she is forgiven and he is? I've already forgotten.  5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041735/combined

The Fleets In (1942) Dorothy Lamour, William Holden, Bette Hutton, Eddie Bracken, Jimmy Dorsey and Orchestra.   Lots of great dance music and great old songs.  Sailors and getting girls is the plot.  6/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034736/combined

Cynthia (1947) Elizabeth Taylor, Mary Astor, George Murphy, S. Z. Sakall.  Fifteen year old Taylor in a minor film that hardly any of my friends saw back then.  It did not play long and I had forgotten it.  Liz is a sickly girl with all the usual teen problems.  Solved nicely by the end.  BTW, I am one week older than Liz.  She had 5 or 6 husbands.  I had one.  She was gorgeous her whole life.  Lucky girl.  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039293/combined

Tightrope (1984) Clint Eastwood, Genevieve Bujold, Dan Hedaya.  Women are being murdered.  Cops are baffled when it seems their detective's life is mirrored.  6/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088272/combined

Friends With Benefits (2011) Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Patricia Clarkson.  California guy sent to NYC for job meets girl and - the title tells all.  Leads are so attractive it is a pleasure to watch them.  7/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1632708/combined

ENCORES:

Follow The Fleet (1936) Astaire and Rogers musical.  7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027630/combined

Red River (1946) John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Joann Dru, Walter Brennan, John Ireland.  All time great western about cattle drive from Texas to the new rail head in Kansas.  10/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040724/combined

Top Gun (1986) Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards.  Still a great flying film and nice romance.  8/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092099/combined

Rain Man (1988) Tom Cruise, Dustin Hoffman.  Lovely film about an autistic man and his bother, who has just learned of his existence.  8/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095953/combined


March 24, 2014

Philo Vance, an Empress, Gatsby, baseball, and Three Cinderellas etc---

NEW TO ME:

Kennel Murder Case (1934) William Powell, Mary Astor, Eugene Paulette.  Powell as Philo Vance solves the case.  Astor wears great fashions of the day.  Vance has a black Scottish terrier in this one and only  the rich messed with dog shows back then.  6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024210/combined

Young Catherine (1991) Julia Ormond, Mark Frankel, Franco Nero, Chistopher Plummer, Vanessa Redgrave. Story of the German Princess brought to Russia to marry the heir to the throne.  Gorgeous costumes and scenery.  Interesting story.      http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103311/combined

The Great Gatsby (2013) Leonardo deCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire.  The story has been filmed enough already.  Leo is quite good as Gatsby.  Silly useless people doing silly useless things.  A tragedy?  Not at all.  Gorgeous sets but the parties are much too frantic.  And tiresome. 5/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1343092/combined

42 (2013) Harrison Ford, Chadwick Boseman, Nicole Beharie.  The story of Jackie Robinson as the first black baseball player hired into the major leagues.  Very well done, showing the harassment he endured.  7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0453562/combined

ENCORES:

Cinderella Jones (1946) Joan Leslie, Robert Alda, S. Z. Sakall.  Girl singer and air craft plant worker discovers she is an heiress and must decide who loves her for herself.  5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038415/combined

Two Sisters From Boston (1946) June Allyson, Kathryn Grayson, Peter Lawford, Jimmy Durante. Musical set in the gay 90's is fun.  8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039054/combined

The Glass Slipper (1955) Leslie Caron, Michael Wilding, Elsa Lancaaster, Estelle Winwood, Keenan Wynn.  Cinderella with lots of singing and dancing. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048124/combined

Because Your Mine (1952) Mario Lanza, Doretta Morrow, James Whitmore.  Opera star is drafted into the army with consequences for all.  Great singing. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044402/combined

To Catch A Thief (1955) Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis, John Williams.  Alfred Hitchcocks fun film about a jewel theif.  Gorgeous scenery.  8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044402/combined

Enchanted (2007) Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Susan Sarandon.  A storybook Princess ends us in real life New York City befriended by a man and his little girl. Charming for the lighter side. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0461770/combined

Sex And The City, (2008) Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nizon, Kristin Davis,
Chris Noth.  Fun with the girls.  9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1000774/combined


March 17, 2014

Melodrama, comedy and all that jazz---

NEW TO ME:

Thousands Cheer (1943) Kathryn Grayson, Gene Kelly, Mary Astor, John Boles.  Musical about the shows put on for service men during WWII.  7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036432/combined

Go Naked In The World (1961) Gina Lollabrigida, Ernest Borgnine, Anthony Franciosa.  Love affair between a protitute and the heir to a fortune.  Boring,  Pretty scenery.  6/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054933/combined

Youngblood Hawk (1964) James Franciscus, Genevieve Page, Suzanne Pleshette.  Writer from the backwoods becomes a sensation and lives the high life until the glamour almost kills him.  7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058764/combined

How Do You Know (2010) Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, Jack Nicholson.  Love triangle has some cute moments but is mostly forgettable. 6/10 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1341188/combined

ENCORES:

After The Thin Man (1936) William Powell, Myrna Loy, Asta.   Second in the series is just as fun. 9/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027260/combined

Fiesta (1947) Esther Williams, Ricardo Montalban, Akim Tamiroff, Mary Astor, John Carroll. Boy, girl twins fight in the bull ring and he wants to be a musician so she takes his place. Gorgeous cinematography.  8/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039377/combined

12 O'Clock High (1949) Gregory Peck, Dean Jagger, Gary Merrill, Hugh Marlowe.  Great film about the strategic bombing of Nazi Germany in WWII.  10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041996/combined

How To Marry A Millionaire (1953) Lauren Bacall, Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe, William Powell.  8/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045891/combined

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969) Paul Newman, Robert Redford.  7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064115/combined

The Bourne Legacy (20111) Jeremy Renner, Ed Norton, Rachel Weisz.  9/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1194173/combined

Argo (2012) Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, John Goodman.  9/10 
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1024648/combined