Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on September 22, 2022

Phillips Holmes is a name seldom mentioned today in classic film circles, and if you’re not a pre-Code fan, you may have never heard of him at all. He led a fascinatingly tragic life (that I hope to explore in a future post) and during the pre-Code era of 1930...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on September 15, 2022

It’s about that time, y’all – time to review the books I read for the annual Summer Classic Film Reading Challenge, hosted by Raquel over at the Out of the Past blog. This is my eighth (I think) time participating in this awesome event – I look forward to it...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on August 28, 2022

September is sometimes a bit of a letdown after the glory days of August’s Summer Under the Stars, but TCM always manages to come through with a lovely follow-up selection of pre-Code and film noir features. And this month is no different. Here are my Shadowy and Satiny picks for...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on August 15, 2022

It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten a DVD where I loved the extras more than the film itself – but that was my experience with Flicker Alley’s double-movie DVD/BluRay set on The Guilty and High Tide, both released in what is arguably film noir’s greatest year, 1947. In...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on August 5, 2022

It may be sweltering outside, but I’ve got Christmas on my mind. To be specific, my favorite Christmas movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, starring James Stewart and Donna Reed. Sadly, there’s no way I can spin this post into having any kind of durable pre-Code or film noir connection –...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on August 1, 2022

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I’m always sad to see August roll around, because it signals the beginning of the end of summer . . . but it’s also my favorite month of the year because it gives us TCM’s Summer Under the Stars! In...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on July 1, 2022

Picking this month’s Shadowy and Satiny TCM recommendations was a veritable cakewalk. There are a number of top-notch film noir and pre-Code features on the docket for July, including Dinner at Eight, Red-Headed Woman, Laura, and Gilda, but I didn’t think twice about these once I saw that Act   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on June 7, 2022

Better late than really, really late, I always say. Well, sometimes I say that. Actually, I never say that – but it’s true in this case. Real life intervened to prevent me from getting June’s Shadowy and Satiny recommendations up at the start of this month; I realized just today,...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on May 24, 2022

If you’re a fan of TCM, you’re already familiar with Alicia Malone, who has been one of the hosts on the network since 2018. A native of Australia, Malone is the author of three books: Backwards and in Heels: The Past, Present and Future of Women Working in Film (2017);...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on May 15, 2022

Miss a National Classic Movie Day blogathon? Not this girl! I love the annual blogathons hosted by Rick over at the Classic Film and TV Café to celebrate National Classic Movie Day – they always give me the perfect opportunity to identify and discuss a variety of first-rate classic films....   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on May 6, 2022

Like so many bloggers across the Internet, I was stunned and saddened to learn earlier this year of the passing of Patricia “Paddy” Nolan-Hall, author of the Caftan Woman blog. I never met Paddy in person, but she felt like a friend. She wrote for many years for my film...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on May 1, 2022

After waiting for two years for the in-person Turner Classic Movies film festival to return, I was primed and ready for four days of friends, fun, and film at this year’s event, held in Hollywood April 21-24, 2022!! And that’s just what I got – and more! It was so...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on April 30, 2022

Now that I’m starting to come down off the high that was the TCM film festival, I’m excited to recommend my Shadowy and Satiny TCM picks for May. They are a pair of don’t-miss gems! SATINY PICK: She Had to Say Yes (1933) I’m going to admit, up front, that...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on April 15, 2022

I have lots of favorite noir films and lots of favorite performances, but right up there near the top is William Holden’s portrayal of Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard (1950). The plot of this celebrated film centers on Joe, a down-on-his-luck screenwriter, who gets more than he bargains for when...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on April 9, 2022

In less than two weeks, I’ll be in Hollywood, California, for the 2022 Turner Classic Movies Film Festival! For the last two years, the fest has been presented virtually, and while they were lovely experiences (especially the 2021 event!), there’s nothing like being in L.A., reuniting with old frien   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on March 30, 2022

It’s TCM Film Festival month! So watch for lots of goodies about this fabulous event, which returns this year to an in-person fest after back-to-back virtual celebrations in 2020 and 2021. Meanwhile, tune in to TCM for these top notch film noir and pre-Code offerings . . . SHADOWY PICK:...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on March 27, 2022

As I mentioned in my previous post, I love the Oscars – even this year, when so many unsavory changes are being implemented, I’ll be watching – I can’t imagine missing it. In addition to dressing up with my daughters every year, and having pizza for dinner, I have one...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on March 23, 2022

I’ve always loved awards season, and I’ve always been a huge fan of the Academy Awards – I never miss them; before my daughters went away to college (and then moved out of my house), we used to have Oscar parties every year where we’d dress up, eat pizza, and...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on March 3, 2022

Beginning this month, I’m stepping into my Shadows and Satin past and resurrecting a series I used to have back in the day – serving up monthly recommendations for film noir and pre-Code features airing on TCM. As part of its annual celebration of the Academy Awards, the March line-up...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on February 17, 2022

I’ve always been a collector. I have collections of dolls, ashtrays, shot glasses, vintage radios, refrigerator magnets, souvenir bells, and books that were made into classic movies. But my favorite collection is my classic movie magazines. I’m fascinated by these publications – they offer such int   read more