Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on March 24, 2013

I’m barely squeaking in under the wire this time – but I couldn’t pass up the chance to offer up my pre-Code pick of the month for March – Red-Headed Woman (1932). One of the first pre-Codes I ever saw, and one of the most scandalous, Red-Headed Woman airs on...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on March 23, 2013

Bang, bang — I love you. Gun Crazy (1950) depicts a kind of noirish Bonnie and Clyde story. For me, the heart of this feature is the relationship between Bart Tare and Annie Laurie Starr – here’s a peek inside the connection between this dysfunctional duo. It was love –...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on March 21, 2013

Don’t mess with this tough dame. There are lots of ways to define the word “tough.” Strong and resilient. Physically hardy.  Hard to cut or chew!  But in the film noir realm, the “tough” description takes on a whole ‘nother meaning, giving us characters who are ruthlessly determined, rel   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on February 20, 2013

Whenever I think of quintessential noirs, those features that offer the purest representations of the era, Criss Cross (1949) is one that comes immediately to mind. It’s got it all – urban setting, flashbacks, voiceover. Ever-present atmosphere of doom. Unforgettably fatal femme, fittingly gullible   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on February 14, 2013

This wonderful season of accolades, applause and awards is my favorite time of the year.  I rejoice in the Golden Globes, swoon over the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and become absolutely enraptured by the granddaddy of them all – the Oscars. But I can’t help but notice that, while Hollywood...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on February 12, 2013

Greta Garbo. Joan Crawford. John and Lionel Barrymore. Wallace Beery. Lewis Stone. Jean Hersholt. Who could pass up this star-studded cast? Not me, that’s for sure – and that’s why Grand Hotel (1932), airing on Friday, February 15th, is my TCM pick of the month. The plot: The film takes...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on February 4, 2013

The poster, I like. The movie, not so much. This edition of the “list o’ the week” may represent even more of a sacrilege than my previous failure to fall head over heels for Arsenic and Old Lace – this week, I list those film noir features that, frankly, left...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on January 28, 2013

Victor, you beefcake . . . On January 29, 2013, Victor Mature – that “King of Beefcake”, that “Beautiful Hunk of a Man” – would have turned 100 years old (or 98 or 101, depending on which source you believe). Although he was known to legions of fans for such...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on January 27, 2013

Hold everything! Stop the presses! With barely one day to spare, just under the wire, I present to you my TCM film noir pick for January – Armored Car Robbery! Directed by Richard Fleischer, this fast-paced feature has a great cast, plenty of action, memorable dialogue, and one of my...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on January 5, 2013

It was a tough call, y’all. With Loretta Young featured in close to 20 pre-Codes on TCM this month, it was a no-brainer that my pick for January would be a Young vehicle – but which one?  Do I go with a sentimental choice, like Employees’ Entrance, which I first purchased on...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on January 4, 2013

My first “List o’ the Week” for 2013 is a short list, but a list, nonetheless. It’s similar in concept to my initial outing, which identified well-known movies that I’ve never seen. This week, I list three films that have been highly recommended, and that I have tried – more...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on January 2, 2013

Airing Thursday, January 3rd. Jumpin’ Jehosaphat! Turner Classic Movies is fairly busting at the seams with pre-Code gems in January! In a week or so, I’ll be offering up my pre-Code pick of the month, but there’s such a wealth of features airing throughout January, I thought I’d take this...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on December 17, 2012

Heburn and Taylor in the shadow of Mitchum in “Undercurrent.” If you’re hankerin’ for a noir fix, you can’t go wrong this week, when Turner Classic Movies serves up 24 hours of back-to-back-to-back noir goodness! Featuring noir veterans Robert Mitchum and Barbara Stanwyck, the dark and s   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on December 8, 2012

Christmas, my birthday, and Barbara Stanwyck – December is an awesome month! And with the sufeit of Stanwyck features airing on TCM this month, it only stands to reason that my pre-Code pick would be one of hers. There were numerous pics from which to choose, but it was pretty...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on November 24, 2012

The Champ? Never seen it. While sitting at the car dealer the other day, waiting for my 17-year-old Love Bug to get new brakes (Hour Three, I believe it was), I had an idea for a new feature here at Shadows and Satin – the List o’ the Week.  (You...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on November 21, 2012

With the abundance of great film noir airing on TCM this month, you’d have thought I would have a problem selecting a single film to recommend for November’s pick. Not so! Despite such gems as The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon, and Born to Kill, I didn’t think twice about...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on November 12, 2012

While pouring through TCM’s November Now Playing Guide, in search of my noir pick of the month, I stopped short when I discovered the dark and shadowy riches that will be airing on two consecutive days mid-month: Wednesday, November 14th and Thursday, November 15th.  It’s a veritable film noir fest,   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on November 3, 2012

There was something special about Constance Bennett. I don’t know what it was. Maybe it was her air of sophistication. Or the way she pronounced the word “can’t” like “cahnt.” Or her perfectly coiffed blonde bob. Or the way her face somehow seemed to be the perfect embodiment of the...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on October 20, 2012

If you haven’t seen this movie, see this movie. Directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Burt Lancaster and Ava Garner, The Killers starts out with the murder of a gas station attendant known as “The Swede,” and spends the rest of its time showing us the hows, whys, and wherefores...   read more

Shadows and Satin Posted by shadowsandsatin on September 22, 2012

Star of noir? You bet! Quick – think of your favorite film noir actor. Who comes to mind? Robert Ryan? Charles McGraw? Dan Duryea? Robert Mitchum? What about Mickey Rooney? No? Perhaps you only picture Mickey Rooney as the singing, dancing, hey-kids-let’s-put-on-a-show fella from numerous MGM musica   read more