Stardust and Shadows Posted by Terry on February 13, 2019

Film is primarily story telling and entertainment and nothing brought a generation of  children and  sometimes adults back to the  theater  then the  Serials.  Those  deeds   of  daring do taking place in  jungles,  lost cities,   Outer Space, a frontier  town,  to under the sea by  groups of  kids   read more

Stardust and Shadows Posted by Terry on February 5, 2019

Firstly let me say i have weakness for these so called  ‘Women’s pictures’ which became a genre in of their own.  I  was skeptical of HOMECOMING (1948) since it was a later career Clark Gable picture and I read in some biographies of how he disliked  the material he received. ...   read more

Stardust and Shadows Posted by Terry on January 28, 2019

Watching film which is supposed to be a ‘World wide ‘  art form one can become centralized on the Hollywood model.     The  British have always done a  strong job with the  spy thriller as long as the maintain their essential “British flavor”. There is a tone in their Televis   read more

Stardust and Shadows Posted by Terry on January 24, 2019

Love to drift back into pre code dramas of all types from the “Dangerous Horrors” of  THE MASK OF  FU MANCHU (1933)  to the  Warren William  pictures so this  trip into the hospital world of  EMERGENCY CALL(1933) was looked forward to. Lets step into the waiting area, grab a  hard...   read more

Stardust and Shadows Posted by Terry on January 14, 2019

I don’t mention Westerns very much since honestly I don’t see many with exception of  STAGECOACH (1939), THE SEARCHERS (1956),  THE WILD BUNCH (1969), both versions of  CIMARRON (1931) plus (1960)  and the Clint Eastwood Modern classic THE UNFORGIVEN (1992) plus a host of others. I do w   read more

Stardust and Shadows Posted by Terry on January 8, 2019

This little  film was a programmer like so many of the  sixty minute pictures made  yet if  you watch many of them you can  find moments of fun.   GOLDIE GETS ALONG (1933) stands out for the curious fact that its stars the one and only Lili Damita or  as  we ...   read more

Stardust and Shadows Posted by Terry on January 2, 2019

We often romanticize the past, unconsciously editing out the unsavory parts of a certain time or event.  One wonders about the scandals of Mary Astor said to be documented in THE PURPLE DIARIES in which names are named. Odd since Mary denied she kept a written record of her exploits....   read more

Stardust and Shadows Posted by Terry on December 18, 2018

A while ago I came across  yet another biography of Humphrey Bogart titled TOUGH WITHOUT A GUN: THE LIFE AND THE EXTRAORDINARY AFTER LIFE OF HUMPHREY BOGART by Stefan Kanfer. It is a slim volume by Bogart biography standards clocking in at a mere 320 pages compared with others on...   read more

Stardust and Shadows Posted by Terry on December 12, 2018

Solid work can be timeless in its reach even be  out of  time.  I admit to getting that feeling that someone could be today when I look at a picture of Louise Brooks who is modern in her style, look and  facial expression especially those  eyes.  Strange  when you see...   read more

Stardust and Shadows Posted by Terry on December 3, 2018

Holidays are times that people love to watch the staple films of the season.  Every generation has their favorites they put on and quite frankly watch without thinking. The films can become like the poinsettia plant that someone brings you each year for no apparent reason other than they to ...   read more

Stardust and Shadows Posted by Terry on November 27, 2018

The thirties saw the beginnings of country wide air travel for the  chosen few who could afford it including stops for refueling was happening.  The romance of air travel, airmail and travel in general with grand hotels built by railway and steamship companies with literally  in the air for those...   read more

Stardust and Shadows Posted by Terry on November 20, 2018

Link TV, the national independent non-commercial satellite television network, announced today the premiere of a new weekly international film series called CINEMONDO that brings cinema from around the world to foreign movie fans. The new weekly Link TV series will be one of the few destinations fo   read more

Stardust and Shadows Posted by Terry on November 19, 2018

The reckless, fast story of  WILD BOYS OF THE ROAD made in the delightful the precode late period of 1933 by William Wellman is wonderful if not under appreciated example of Warner Brothers (Actually First National) reading “today’s  headlines”.  This  current approach was used   read more

Stardust and Shadows Posted by Terry on November 14, 2018

Early weekend mornings or very late at night are the perfect time to watch a silent  film. You can treat yourself to images and music without crushing sound levels  calculated to raise awareness levels. One such recent morning I viewed the Swedish  Ghost Story picture  THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE (1921)   read more

Stardust and Shadows Posted by Terry on November 6, 2018

Film making of this style requires that something new be added to a story, not just in terms of CGI, but material not previously used from a source. Better yet, bring a story forward to today’s audience without sacrificing its integrity. The 1934 version of IMITATION OF LIFE with Claudette...   read more

Stardust and Shadows Posted by Terry on October 30, 2018

The Pre code era continues to delight when one finds hidden delights.  Sounds like a  tagline on a picture yet it is also what the  Wesley Ruggles Directed ARE THESE OUR CHILDREN (1932) is.  Its another drama  about  good  youth falling under the influence to turn against society however like...   read more

Stardust and Shadows Posted by Terry on October 23, 2018

Firstly I can say  that I am a  big Errol Flynn  fan who doesn’t  think he  has gotten what he deserves   in terms of  recognition from Hollywood.   That doesn’t  cloud me in thinking that everything a  “Star” did was correct or wonderful that it  deserves  to be  given its    read more

Stardust and Shadows Posted by Terry on October 17, 2018

 These epic  pictures like ITS A MAD  MAD MAD  MAD  WORLD  (1965) also a  Stanley Kramer film  along with  HOW THE WEST WAS  WON (1962)  all make  for interesting watching.  Many things happen in these pictures or should happen that  make them special .    While  SHIP OF  FOOLS (1965)...   read more

Stardust and Shadows Posted by Terry on October 9, 2018

Humphrey Bogart once said that the problem with the world is that it is always “a  few drinks behind”. Vice has been an admirable subject of film.   We all pay to see a downfall or a redemption of some style.   Today that has changed for obvious shadowy reasons for the...   read more

Stardust and Shadows Posted by Terry on September 25, 2018

SOMETHING WILD  (1961)  Directed  and  co written by  Jack Garfein is said  to be ‘a lost indie film classic”.  This picture lives up to that suggestion and more even if it  is rarely seen today.   A  jarring piece of  film making complete with  strong performances  by Carol Baker, Ralp   read more