Watching 1939: Invitation to Happiness (1939)

In 2011, I announced I was trying to see every film released in 1939. This new series chronicles films released in 1939 as I watch them. As we start out this blog feature, this section may become more concrete as I search for a common thread that runs throughout each film of the year. Right now, th... Read full article

An Invitation to Mayberry

An Invitation to Mayberry… Woody Allen once said 80 percent of success is showing up. Had Art Spelman followed that advice half a century ago, it’s just possible we might be honoring him today as a celebrated alumnus of Mayberry. Edward Arthur Spelman appeared one day on the Desilu set of Th... Read full article

An Invitation to Classic Movie Christmas Parties

Christmastime is here. A time of get-togethers and good cheer, at your home, your neighbour's and with some old friends on the screen. Today I want to share some of my favourite Christmas parties from movies and television. THE THIN MAN (1934) Dashiell Hammett's dark and comic murder mys... Read full article

An invitation to 'Rumba,' and 'Rumba,' and 'Rumba'...

"Rumba," Carole Lombard's dance film with George Raft that opened in early 1935, was an obvious attempt to draw water from the same spring that had made "Bolero" a hit for Paramount nearly a year earlier. However, this time the well largely ran dry, perhaps for several reasons -- the strict enforcem... Read full article

An Invitation to Despair

For this week’s entry in the Maudlin Mondays series, I chose to watch the 1952 film Invitation, mainly because of its star, Dorothy McGuire, who plays the role of Ellen Pierce. A few days ago, I watched The Enchanted Cottage, also starring McGuire. In The Enchanted Cottage, she plays a ki... Read full article