Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on August 24, 2013

Clark Gable and Joan Crawford star as Salvation Army officer Carl Loomis and cabaret performer Ivy Stevens. I had a copy of Laughing Sinners (1931) in my movie collection for years before I first watched it. Why did it take me so long to check it out? Simple. I’d read...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on August 11, 2013

Mickey Rooney. He ain’t just a song-and-dance man. In fact, notwithstanding his affiliation with MGM’s Andy Hardy series and his “Hey kids, let’s put on a show” musicals with Judy Garland, Rooney had quite a respectable film noir pedigree. He starred with Sally Forrest in The Strip (1951), played a   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on July 30, 2013

I’m going to admit something now that I never thought I’d be able to say. I have seen every one of the films in The Whistler series. My introduction to The Whistler was, ironically, a result of the old Jack Benny radio shows, where Benny used to do a parody skit...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on July 20, 2013

If you’re at all familiar with my posts on this site, you probably know that I usually end them by recommending that you see the movie on which I’m writing, adding that you “only owe it to yourself.” Well, this time, I’m starting my post that way. Have you seen...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on July 12, 2013

Cool. Compact. Blonde. Gorgeous. That was Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. This visually appealing couple appeared in a total of seven films together – This Gun for Hire (1942), The Glass Key  (1942), Star Spangled Rhythm (1942), Duffy’s Tavern (1945), The Blue Dahlia (1946), Variety Girl (1947), and Sa   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on July 7, 2013

While working earlier this year on the post for my pre-Code pick for February – Grand Hotel – I checked out one of the extras on the DVD, which depicted the film’s premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on April 29, 1932. This thoroughly enjoyable glimpse into old Hollywood showed a...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on July 3, 2013

Rogue Cop (MGM, 1954) tells the story of Chris Kelvaney (Robert Taylor), a corrupt cop who turns on his mob cronies when they threaten the life of his straight-laced police officer brother, Eddie (Steve Forrest).  The story also includes mob boss Dan Beaumonte (George Raft); his alcoholic moll, Nanc   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on June 30, 2013

What’s your best-remembered Isabel Jewell performance? Is it the ill-fated Laury Palmer, who meets her end in Born to Kill (1947) at the hands of her psychotic boyfriend? Or the seamstress who is condemned to die in A Tale of Two Cities (1935)?  Maybe it’s Gloria in Lost Horizon (1937), the cynical,   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on June 23, 2013

To borrow (and tweak) a line from Annie Johnson in Imitation of Life — our wedding day and our blogiversary are the great events of life. It’s hard to believe that two whole years have passed since I wrote my first post for Shadows and Satin — and yet it seems like...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on June 20, 2013

Edward Doheny and his only granddaughter, Lucy. This past April, during my maiden jaunt to the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival in Los Angeles, I took a brief break from movie watching (and celebrity gazing) to take a guided tour of the city. The tour covered Mulholland Drive (which was...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on June 5, 2013

(Photo by Jim Ferreira) TCM is lousy with film noir in the month of June. (And that’s a GOOD thing!) With more than 30 shadowy features airing throughout the month, TCM is serving up a diverse assortment of first-rate films that are guaranteed to satisfy even the most discriminating cinematic appeti   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on May 27, 2013

I recently tweeted that I just love it when I make a purchase on eBay and then completely forget that I’ve done so. When the item arrives, it’s like Christmas! I can’t say that this happens to me often, but it certainly does from time to time, and it did...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on May 22, 2013

ATTENTION, PRE-CODE LOVERS. If you have a VCR or DVR, feel a sniffle coming on, or have some extra vacation days you don’t know what to do with, plan on tuning in to TCM on Thursday, May 23rd, ‘cause it’s going to be a Pre-Code-A-Go-Go!!! From the wee morning hours...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on May 8, 2013

On April 25-28, 2013, I did something that, in the not too distant past, I never really believed I’d ever do – I attended the Turner Classic Movie Festival in Los Angeles, California. Now in its fourth year, this year’s classic film event featured more than 80 films, including silents,...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on May 4, 2013

I didn’t know what to expect from Behind Office Doors. I bought it on the cheap, years ago, when I was on a desperate search for any pre-Codes I could get my hands on. (On which I could get my hands?) For some reason, though, I never watched it. So...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on April 23, 2013

Hang on to your fedoras, noir lovers – ‘cause on Tuesday, April 30th, TCM is serving up a quartet of quintessential noir features that are sure to satisfy even the most finicky of film fanatics. Each of the films rank among the best that the noir era has to offer....   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on April 21, 2013

When I saw that TCM was airing Lilly Turner (1933) this month, I knew that I’d have no problem deciding on my pre-Code pick for April. This little-seen feature stars Ruth Chatteron in what is, for my money, one of her juiciest roles. If you’re a Chatterton fan, it’s a...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on April 7, 2013

Before I began working on this post, I’d seen Lady Killer (1933) only once – many years ago. And in all this time, one scene stuck with me. It was because of my memory of that scene that I selected this film for the James Cagney Blogathon. But I’ll get...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on April 5, 2013

My favorite actress is, and has always been, Bette Davis. She had an awesome talent, an unbreakable will, a razor-sharp tongue, and an invincible spirit. She starred in some of my favorite films – from Marked Woman to All About Eve – and, for my money, was one of the...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on April 3, 2013

I am on cloud nine, tickled pink, and pleased as punch to share with y’all that I have been presented with a Liebster Award by Aurora of Once Upon a Screen. Aurora is a true film aficionado and an all-around great gal, and it’s truly an honor to be recognized...   read more