Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on November 6, 2018

“The biggest mistake I made before was shooting for peanuts. Five years have taught me one thing: any time you take a chance, you better be sure the rewards are worth the risk, ’cause they can put you away just as fast for a ten dollar heist as they can...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on November 5, 2018

As if I needed something else to love about film noir, I recently realized that I just love noir’s creative and unique titles. So today’s Noirvember post serves up a list of my Top 20 film noir titles. What are some of your favorites? Kiss The Blood Off My Hands...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on November 4, 2018

In love with a woman he’d never met. One of my many favorite noirs is 20th Century-Fox’s Laura (1944), which focuses on the efforts of police detective Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) to find the killer of the title character, played by Gene Tierney. Among those questioned in the investiga   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on November 4, 2018

Today’s Noirvember post peers inside the shadowy life of actor Gig Young, who was born Byron Elsworth Barr on today’s date in 1913 in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The film and TV star was bitten by the acting bug while in high school and later landed a scholarship to the acclaimed...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on November 3, 2018

Everybody raves about all the great noirs that were released in 1947 – Out of the Past, Body and Soul, Nightmare Alley, T-Men, yada yada yada – it was a completely stupendous and totally awesome year for noir. But 1947 wasn’t the only year that gave us a slate of memorable...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on November 1, 2018

What’s Noirvember? It’s a month-long celebration of all things noir, started by Marya over at Cinema-Fanatic.com. I can scarcely believe it, but this is my FIFTH year participating in this awesomely dark event, and I can hardly wait to get started! I hope you’ll join me every step of the way!   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on October 8, 2018

Now that the dates for the 2019 Turner Classic Movies Film Festival have been announced (April 11-14, 2019!!), I think it’s a great time for another installment in my ongoing look at this year’s event. On the second day of the event, I was faced with one of many time...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on October 7, 2018

In the four years that Kristina and I have been recommending films for our Pre-Code Crazy series, I’ve never quite experienced a month like this one! October is a notoriously difficult month for me to identify a film, what with all the horror pictures crowding the TCM schedule, and I’m...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on September 16, 2018

Outdoor concerts. Noir City Chicago. Cold lemonade on the back porch. And the Summer Reading Classic Film Book Challenge! I am delighted to share that I’ve been participating in this awesome event, the brainchild of Raquel over at Out of the Past, for six straight years now! And I’m here...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on August 16, 2018

Cicely Tyson. Legend. It’s about that time . . . time for the next installment of my coverage of the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival 2018! One of the many memorable events from my festival experience this year was the hand and footprint ceremony for actress Cicely Tyson, held in...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on August 1, 2018

Day 6: Miss Audrey Totter All things considered, I have to say that August is one of my favorite months of the year. The weather is still undeniably warm – nary a hint of the Chicago winter lurking just around the corner. There’s the slightest bit of calm before the...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on July 6, 2018

The participants in this year’s ‘So You Think You Know Movies’ contest. You can see me on the left, with a white shirt and a hat.   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on June 16, 2018

A few weeks ago, I ran into an old friend, who happens to be one of my (very) few “real-life” friends who has any interest whatsoever in classic movies. We got to talking about some films he’d seen recently, which had been recommended to him – The Third Man and...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on June 3, 2018

Harding, Howard, and Loy I think I’ve made it clear on these pages that I’m a big Ann Harding fan. Her performances in Double Harness and When Ladies Meet rate among my all-time favorites. And she delivers again in my Pre-Code pick for this month, The Animal Kingdom (1932), co-starring...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on May 8, 2018

The opening scene of Mary Stevens, M.D., my pre-Code pick of the month, offers a perfect illustration of the bad-ass pre-Code dame. As the film begins, an ambulance is called to a tenement apartment on a crowded, bustling street. A frantic resident (Harold Huber) stands at the top of the...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on April 22, 2018

It’s hard to believe that in just a few short days I’ll be winging my way to Hollywood for my sixth trip to the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival – but it’s true! As always, I’ll be sending out messages during the event via Facebook and Twitter, and providing year-round...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on April 16, 2018

Don’t you love this shot? You’re going to love this movie even more. Even classic film lovers who aren’t film noir aficionados have heard of such classics as Double Indemnity, Laura, and Out of the Past, am I right? But what of those low-budget Bs that no one ever talks...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on March 22, 2018

Dick Cavett during his interview — er, conversation — with Illeana Douglas. In a little over a month from now, I’ll be making my way to Hollywood to attend my sixth Turner Classic Movies Film Festival! So, while I wait for more films to be announced, and try to figure...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on March 11, 2018

If you tune in to The Eagle and the Hawk (1933) on March 24th because you’re a huge Carole Lombard fan, let me give you a tip. Lombard is in the film, but her role is small; she’s on screen less than 10 minutes, tops.  But if you want to...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on February 25, 2018

Gene Tierney was an outstanding Laura — but she wasn’t the first choice. As the rapidly passing days on the calendar would indicate (can you believe it’s nearly March already?!??), it’s almost time for this year’s Turner Classic Movies Film Festival – and time for another installment in   read more