4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on November 21, 2019

It feels like we might have the courtesy of a bit of Gershwin masquerading under the cloak of noir. We find ourselves at a hole-in-the-wall jazz joint after hours. Club 39 feels free and easy with an intimate jam sesh. Petey Brown (Ida Lupino) is having fun with a rendition...   read more

4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on November 19, 2019

Of the plethora of returning G.I. films and film noirs, this one reflects their fears most overtly and for this very reason, it might be generally the most forgotten today. That and the assembly of a lower-tier cast. Most of these names have been lost to time. The one name...   read more

4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on November 17, 2019

Edgar Buchanan always annoyed me endlessly on Green Acres reruns, and it’s affected me for a long time. Because only recently have I begun to realize just how broad and robust his body of film work is. He can be categorized with a breed of movie actor that is generally...   read more

4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on November 16, 2019

The Blue Gardenia chooses to establish its characters and allow ample time for the audience to get acquainted with all the players. It’s genuinely a pleasure as we have a number of affable people to grow accustomed to over the course of the story. There’s local journalist Casey Mayo (Ri   read more

4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on November 15, 2019

In our ongoing series to help budding classic movie fans know where to start with the classics, I thought it would be fitting time to offer up 4 movies to try and summarize the film noir movement. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it’s literally the French term for “black”   read more

4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on November 14, 2019

Brighton Rock, based on a Graham Green novel from 1938, opens with a disclaimer about the proceeding content. Great pains are made to differentiate the place depicted within the frames of the film — set before WWII — and Brighton circa 1947. The only reason such a note would be...   read more

4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on November 12, 2019

In screenwriting 101 they always say engaging movies employ ticking clocks from start to finish. Ministry of Fear takes this quite literally, opening with the tick-tock of a clock face as Stephen Neale (Ray Milland) sits in rapt attention, waiting for the bells to chime. At first, we’re not s   read more

4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on November 11, 2019

Two years ago I contributed a post to The Wonderful Grace Kelly Blogathon to commemorate the actress and cultural icon alongside my other favorite performer Audrey Hepburn. For my initial point of reference, I started with a pair of photos I’d seen backstage at the 28th Academy Awards in 1956.   read more

4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on November 10, 2019

In its theatrical cut, Bad Day at Black Rock opens furiously, charging forward with the momentum of a freight train as the credits roll and Andre Previn’s score thrashes in the film’s most manic moment. From thenceforward, its greatest strength is restraint. The whole town cowers around   read more

4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on November 9, 2019

Here is my latest installment in my beginner’s guide to classic movies where I look to profile a Hollywood star by highlighting 4 of their films and getting sidetracked by a few others too good to pass up. This week we’ll be talking about none other than Princess Grace of...   read more

4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on November 8, 2019

A voice of God with a certain newsreel ethos sets the scene. California’s Imperial Valley. An area renowned for its robust agricultural industry. The Bracero Program, that brilliant reflection of U.S.-Mexican relations during the war years and beyond. However, if this scenario sounds too simp   read more

4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on November 7, 2019

Nick Garcos (Richard Conte) makes a joyous homecoming to his parents after literally traveling the seven seas, armed with boxes of gifts to lavish upon them. In a matter of minutes, we already have a warm feeling and an affection, however cursory, for these characters we have just met. With...   read more

4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on November 5, 2019

If you’re like me you met Don Siegel because of Dirty Harry (1971) or maybe The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). But it was only after discovering the rest of his work — the likes of The Big Steal (1949), The Lineup (1958), or even this film, where you began to appreciate...   read more

4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on November 3, 2019

Armored Car Robbery instantly had my rapt attention in part because of its location shooting and due to one place in particular. We start out at L.A. City Hall and soon a shooting and a robbery are being called in from nearby Wrigley Field, which sends Lt. Cordell (Charles McGraw)...   read more

4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on November 2, 2019

It’s that time again to profile a classic Hollywood star by briefly looking at 4 of their films. Today’s centerpiece is Archibald Leach more commonly remembered as Cary Grant, the suave, debonair, screwball extraordinaire who groomed himself into one of Hollywood’s preeminent leadi   read more

4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on November 1, 2019

Here is another entry in our ongoing series of Classic Hollywood Stars who are still with us. Please enjoy their many talents! Peggy Dow is most well-remembered for her enchanting turn as a nurse opposite Jimmy Stewart’s disarming Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey. In later life, she’s been a pro   read more

4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on October 30, 2019

The Curse of the Cat People feels like entering a storybook only to find ourselves in Tarry Town near Sleepy Hollow. Fittingly, we are placed with a group of kindergarteners who have come with their teacher to frolic and enjoy a field trip to the place brought to life in...   read more

4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on October 29, 2019

NOTE: I’m never too concerned about spoilers but just be warned I’m talking about The Irishman, which will come out in November. If you want to be surprised maybe wait to read this… The opening moments caused an almost immediate smile of recognition to come over my face. There it...   read more

4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on October 28, 2019

“What a hobby to pick: authority.”  The Ghost Ship is yet another serving of shadows and sound courtesy of legendary cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca and former editor-turned-director Mark Robson. However, the film is punctuated by few dramatic notes and instead settles in to develop a   read more

4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on October 26, 2019

I wanted to continue with my series of classic movie beginner’s guides. The idea is to make learning about old movies more manageable by providing bite-sized chunks to watch. In other words, 4 films to begin with. Here’s our latest list on Audrey Hepburn, one of the most beloved and...   read more