MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on April 7, 2014

For we classic movie fans, it is impossible not to know and appreciate Mickey Rooney, who we lost yesterday at age 93. I sometimes lament that none of the big stars from Hollywood’s golden age that I like are still alive –only the ones I tend to very much dislike. But...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on October 25, 2013

Champagne (1928) The bubbly, golden fluid that is champagne is a standard analogy for all things tied to wealth. It is symbolic of all the glittery things afforded by those people who can in turn afford to order the high-ticket beverage. That is all you need know of the meaning...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on August 20, 2013

Blackmail (1929) The Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio, is gearing up to show some rare Hitchcock treats on the big screen. Nine silent pictures from the director’s repertoire will be showcased in October, and I gleefully report will allow me to view several of the master’s f   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on July 22, 2013

It’s that time of year again: time for a new banner for the website. Can you figure out from which 1932 movie the poster cross section in the header is derived? This is again not an easy one. As for hints, it features my favorite actor and an actress who was quite...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on July 17, 2013

Harper (1966) Following up on the success of his other “H” movies, Paul Newman made Harper in 1966, having requested the name be changed from ”The Moving Target” to draw on the box office luck he realized with Hud and The Hustler. The story harkens back to the private eye ta   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on July 15, 2013

The Anniversary (1968) Each time I turn to a movie Bette Davis made late in her career, I expect to see something comically bad. In both of these instances I’ve been wrong. Both movies had been conveyed as horror movies, which is largely what supported my theorem of horridness. In the...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on June 24, 2013

From Here to Eternity (1953) There’s a reason From Here to Eternity won eight Academy Awards and was nominated for five others. The stellar cast is in large part responsible as two leading men and several supporting characters of almost leading caliber delivery hard-hitting performances. The   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on May 20, 2013

Rage in Heaven (1941) Rage in Heaven has the distinction of a stellar cast and a clever and enticing plot, but it stops short of being a terrific movie merely by virtue of the time it puts into telling its story. It is not that the film feels rushed by...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on May 3, 2013

It’s my favorite time of year in central Ohio, or nearly. CAPA, our local arts organizing group, has announced its lineup for the 2013 Summer Movie Series held in Downtown Columbus’ historic Ohio Theatre. For those of you unfamiliar with this seasonal gem, the June 28 through Aug. 25 se   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on April 29, 2013

Blondie of the Follies (1932) It is possible I have never seen a movie with more ups and downs in story quality than Blondie of the Follies. At the movie’s opening, it becomes immediately clear that the directorial quality of the flick is on the low side and our characters...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on April 17, 2013

Yo Yo (1965) I often marvel at Charlie Chaplin’s ability to find success with silent pictures after the close of the silent era. When 1929 rolled around and with it the sound technology, all studios realized in order to compete they must produce talking pictures. Chaplin nevertheless issued C   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on April 1, 2013

Welcome to the next installment of Name that Movie Poster. Can you guess what movie the poster advertised despite my having concealed its title and key players’ names? If you cannot guess off the bat, tell me the quiz is too hard and I’ll give you a hint. To see if...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on March 29, 2013

Reblogged from The Movies, Silently: Why, yes, there were OZ movies before 1939. Step back in time some 103 years to enjoy the original 1910 version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Everyone talks about creative control nowadays and authors are regularly shocked at the changes Hollywood made to their   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on March 27, 2013

Boy on a Dolphin (1957) I know what you’re thinking, and yes, Boy on a Dolphin is as stupid as its name suggests. The only excuse one can find to endure the movie is the occasional shot of Sophia Loren in ocean-soaked clothes. The story starts with Loren’s Phaedra discovering a...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on March 26, 2013

Housewife (1934) In the olden days, women stayed at home, raised the kids, planned parties and didn’t ask what their husbands had been up to when they were “working late.” The subject made a great movie in the form of 1936′s Wife vs. Secretary, but in 1934 it did not make...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on March 21, 2013

So Big (1932) Pulitzer Prize winning novels don’t always produce award-worthy movies. Case in point: the 1932 version of So Big. One can see why writers, directors and actors are attracted to award-winning books, but too often something happens between the first reading of the source material   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on March 6, 2013

The Pink Panther (1964) It is not my favorite of the franchise, but The Pink Panther is a treasure all on it’s own. This first in the series brought to everyone’s attention Peter Sellers‘ brilliant character Inspector Jacques Clouseau. But the part of the bumbling French detective   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on March 4, 2013

High Voltage (1929) In one of her first talking roles, Carole Lombard steals the show as a sassy convict in High Voltage. Not quite in tune with the comedienne she would be known as, Lombard uses her looks and attitude to create a character desired by two men: her police...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on February 27, 2013

The Broadway Melody (1929) Looking again to a movie that earned Hollywood’s top award but fails to shine against most flicks given that prestige, I bring you The Broadway Melody. Taking one of the early Oscars for Best Picture, the musical contended with a handful of movies that for the...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on February 25, 2013

Cimarron (1931) This week I will review two Best Picture winners that had they been released in another year would not have stood a chance for the Academy’s top award. First is the 1931 winner Cimarron. This western about settling the Oklahoma territory is also the saga of a family...   read more