Classic Movies Posted by KC on September 26, 2018

Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story Mollie Gregory University Press of Kentucky, 2015 (paperback 2018) Having missed it upon its initial release, I was delighted to have the chance to catch up with Mollie Gregory’s thorough and fascinating Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story, which rece   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on September 21, 2018

Sometimes, no matter what other elements are at play, the pure starpower of the actors onscreen dominate a film. The biggest draw of Never So Few (1959) and Home From the Hill (1960) is the unusual composition of their casts. Both have a fascinating, somewhat off-kilter mix of old and...   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on September 19, 2018

There’s a darn good reason why so many classic film fans are raving about FilmStruck. I’ve never had so much fun working my way through the offerings of a streaming service. Curation is the key here. Everything is carefully selected, with a balance between artistic statement and pure sen   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on September 14, 2018

The 1984 production of Supergirl has always felt like a missed opportunity to me. It has its moments, but suffers from a weak script and story. However, though it was a box office and critical bomb upon its release, it will nevertheless forever be a showcase for Helen Slater’s charming...   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on September 12, 2018

I'm back with 6 more great podcast episodes for classic film fans! I was delighted to find a few new-to-me shows, in addition to enjoying more fascinating material from my favorites: Talking Um...Uh... Jimmy Stewart Episode 9 Kim Novak, ‘Vertigo’ (1958), ‘Bell, Book and Candle&   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on September 10, 2018

I just learned this morning that Feedspot has compiled a Top 30 list of classic movie sites. I'm honored to be included, because I am in great company. If you are looking for other places to indulge in your classic movie love, this is the perfect way to find a...   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on September 10, 2018

I invite you all to follow the new Instagram account for A Classic Movie Blog: @aclassicmovieblog In addition to being a great way to keep tabs on the site, this is the spot for gorgeous classic film-related photos and other bits of fun. So far I've had a blast sharing...   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on September 7, 2018

Though she never emerged as a major star, the Italian-born Pier Angeli made a mark on Hollywood with a persona that combined serene self-assurance and melancholy. Here in her Hollywood debut, she plays the titular role of Teresa (1951), a post-WWII drama about Philip (John Ericson), a baby-faced sol   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on August 22, 2018

From the 1940s until the 1980s Scotty Bowers was the man Hollywood turned to for sexual satisfaction. Be it from himself or the men and women he arranged to service Tinsel Town’s randiest residents, for decades he made a living as a bartender, but built a life offering pleasure just...   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on August 15, 2018

I don’t tend to be drawn to sports films, but when they star Preston Foster as a football coach, my interest increases. Now available on DVD from Warner Archive, The Band Plays On (1934) benefits from this happy casting. It also stars an early career Robert Young and a pleasing...   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on August 10, 2018

I tend to think of Blaxploitation as a label for flicks made to thrill, with action, sex, and violence. They’re a showcase for charismatic stars and hip music, with a few stabs at social issues. That said, Super Fly (1972), which has a reputation for being one of the best...   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on August 8, 2018

Since I last wrote about some of my favorite podcast episodes, I’ve found many more fascinating shows to follow. Here’s what’s been grabbing my attention lately. All podcast titles link to the episode discussed: Maltin on Movies Patricia Ward Kelly September 8, 2018 Over the p   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on August 1, 2018

There’s a particular kind of mood that a film like Vincente Minnelli’s Designing Woman (1957) fulfills. It doesn’t go deep, but sometimes it is the beautiful milieu you deeply desire. Everyone onscreen looks well groomed, even the people who are supposed to be slobs, the sets are g   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on July 29, 2018

Image Source I shall wait until you are falling and then I shall be holding the net to catch you. -Jean Renoir to Ingrid Bergman when she was enjoying great career success. True to his word, he gave her the lead in Elena and Her Men (1956) when she found...   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on July 27, 2018

The Chameleon Thief of Cairo Stephen Jared Solstice Publishing, 2018 Since his 2011 debut, Jack and the Jungle Lion, I’ve always looked forward to Stephen Jared’s next novel. His retro books are classic movies on the page, trading off between noir and adventure genres. Of the six title   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on July 25, 2018

I’ve always been a bit iffy about Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), as I feel anyone should be about a film that takes an essentially light view of kidnapping innocent young women from their homes. Perhaps that is why so much time has passed since the last time I...   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on July 18, 2018

Before Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone made his name with spaghetti westerns, he began his career taking a stab at the sword and sandal genre with The Colossus of Rhodes. It is astonishing that the director’s first credited directing job is an epic-sized production like this one. While he did h   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on July 14, 2018

Hooked on Hollywood: Discoveries from a Lifetime of Film Fandom Leonard Maltin Good Knight Books, 2018 Before the movie guidebooks, television review gig, and thriving podcast, film critic Leonard Maltin was a teenage cinema fanatic living in New York City. There he had access to archives, rare fi   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on July 8, 2018

Image Source For any movie, it means what you make it mean….Movies are Rorshach tests. There is what you mean when you make them and then there’s also what people get out of them. And sometimes those two things are not always the same. -Joe Dante   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on July 7, 2018

With a title like My Past and that cover art with Bebe Daniels giving a “seen all, done all” look, I expected a different film than I got. It is pre-code in tone and deed, but more subdued about it: racy, but not saucy. What I liked best about this...   read more