MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on June 21, 2011

Everybody Sing (1938) I think I am pretty safe in saying if often takes actors that will become big stars a few years before they start appearing in highly entertaining productions. Judy Garland, who was recognized pretty quickly by MGM executive Louis B. Mayer as a goldmine, surprised me with...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on June 20, 2011

Fast and Loose (1939)       The success of The Thin Man movies clearly proved that audiences did not need a blossoming romance tacked onto their mystery thrillers and that a devoted husband-wife set up was just as appealing. A trilogy of “Fast” movies were the result in 1938 and 1939 as   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on June 17, 2011

Wait Until Dark (1967)      I realize for someone who professes to hold Audrey Hepburn as her favorite actress, I have failed to review many of her films here. The trouble is, I have seem them all, at least those that are in print and obtainable, and I am not...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on June 15, 2011

Morning Glory (1933)      I am a little puzzled by 1933′s Morning Glory. It was the source of Katharine Hepburn‘s first Oscar win, but the film itself is quite underwhelming and borderline bad. I also perceive this as something that had Hepburn done it later in her career, the Academy...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on June 13, 2011

The General (1927)      I have spotted Buster Keaton in a number of talking pictures later in his career when he showed up as a supporting player, but I have now had my first silent Keaton experience –and it was a doozy. I have yet to really delve into the...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on June 10, 2011

It is not every day a terrible old film gets reimagined into a stage musical, but with the B horror trilogy of The Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness, we luck out. I know these films are really probably outside the timeframe of classic movies, but their...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on June 8, 2011

China Seas (1935)      I love China Seas, and not just because of Jean Harlow‘s “nip slip” (see below). I am hesitant to call it the best Harlow-Clark Gable collaboration because Red Dust is also stellar, but this one really packs a punch. The chemistry between the lead players is   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on June 7, 2011

Stalag 17 (1953)      Who knew that being a prisoner of war could be so funny or that William Holden could be so shady. Billy Wilder did and he made on hell of a hit with Stalag 17. A somewhat true story of American soldiers stuck in a German POW...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on June 6, 2011

Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)      I’m not sure how I stumbled upon watching Here Comes Mr. Jordan the first time, but it was a fortuitous incident. This flick is probably my favorite Robert Montgomery movie, which competes with Mr. and Mrs. Smith for that top spot (and you can...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on June 2, 2011

Born to Dance (1936)      If I were to grade Born to Dance based on its storyline and acting, I’d give it a Dullsville. When considering the dancing alone, however, this flick would be worthy of a Ring a Ding Ding rating. Assuming that my screwy rating system in some...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on May 31, 2011

The Princess Comes Across (1936)      For the first several minutes of The Princess Comes Across, you are likely to ask yourself why this part was not given to Greta Garbo. Carole Lombard as Princess Olga of Sweden gives a performance that seems highly influenced by the aforementioned Swedish star,   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on May 27, 2011

Love Before Breakfast (1936)      I’ve been working my way through a Netflixed Carole Lombard box set and so have felt myself moving through a series of lackluster flicks featuring the female love of my life. At last, however, I have landed on one that left me sighing at how beautiful...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on May 26, 2011

Room for One More (1952)     Despite being a super dashing romantic lead, Cary Grant did not shy away from fatherly roles like the one he takes on in Room for One More. Watching this for the first time, it seemed to me Grant was essentially playing house. He stars opposite...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on May 24, 2011

East of Eden (1955)      To call East of Eden a great film is as much of an understatement as to declare James Dean a great actor. Thanks in large part to Dean’s role in this film, both he and the picture are worthy of far greater renown. A couple...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on May 23, 2011

Hands Across the Table (1935)      Marriage for money. This was a typical theme of many classic romantic movies, which seems to suggest the practice was a common one back in the day. Typically a good-looking girl is angling to move herself out of the chorus and into a mansion,...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on May 20, 2011

     A movie from 1979 pretty much teeters on the edge of the time element for what I consider a classic film, but Kramer vs. Kramer won the Oscar for Best Picture that year, so I need to check it off my Best Picture list. But whether you consider the film...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on May 19, 2011

Gasser 20,000 Years in Sing Sing (1932)      The year was 1932. The Production Code was only starting to strangle the contents of films, Bette Davis was still sporting the platinum blonde look and playing sleazy roles, and Spencer Tracy was kind of young-looking. 20,000 Years in Sing Sing was...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on May 16, 2011

The Old Maid (1939) Source: Dark Victory: The Life of Bette Davis by Ed Sikov; Bette and Joan: The Divine Feud by Shaun Considine; TCM.com Filed under: Drama Tagged: | Bette Davis, Edmund Goulding, George Brent, James Stephenson, Miriam Hopkins, Orry-Kelly   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on May 13, 2011

Raintree County (1957)      Raintree County marked a significant point in the career of Montgomery Clift, although not a positive one. It was a box office hit because people flocked to the theater to compare the before and after images of the face of a man who had been disfigured in...   read more

MacGuffin Movies Posted by RBuccicone on May 12, 2011

Thoroughbreds Don't Cry (1937)      Some movies are more important for their meaning in cinema history than for their actual stories or performances. I would say Thoroughbreds Don’t Cry falls into that category as it was the first pairing of Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney, a couple who w   read more