the motion pictures

The Young Victoria (2009) is a period film dramatizing the life of one of one of the most beloved figures of the British monarchy: Queen Victoria. Victoria held the throne from 1837 until her death in 1876 and became known as “the grandmother of Europe.” The Young Victoria paints a picture of Victoria’s life before … Continue reading »

Ace Detective Agency has been hired… to babysit an infant. What they don’t know is that he baby is just a cover. They’ve really been hired by a couple of jewel thieves who want their loot protected, so they hire someone to “watch the baby” and make sure that no one enters the room where … Continue reading »

Dennis O’Brien (Hugh Beaumont) owns a small boat shop in San Francisco, right on the waterfront. Business is pretty slow, so Dennis does a little bit of detective work on the side. Dennis tackles two different cases over the course of Pier 23. First, he gets wrapped up in the world of rigged wrestling matches, … Continue reading »

Danny McMara is run over by a woman in a parking lot on a dark, foggy London night while his sister Heather awaits his arrival at a nearby bar. While waiting in the bar, Heather (Bernadette O’Farrell) meets Philip Odell (Cesar Romero), a magazine writer from America who is waiting for the fog to lift … Continue reading »

All recommendations this week are from TCM, once again. Listed in EST, subject to change, asterisks on my “new to me” picks, yadda yadda — you all know how it goes! May 15 6:30 am – Lydia (1941)* – Merle Oberon stars, which is enough reason for me to give this one a shot! 9:30 … Continue reading »

Jimmie Powers (William Powell) was once a reporter with a budding career, but after a scandal he found himself unable to find work in the United States. Now living in Paris, Jimmie goes by “Michael Trevor” and runs a sleazy newspaper, writing about the wealthy American men who come to Paris. The latest in Michael’s … Continue reading »

Katharine Houghton Hepburn was born on May 12, 1907 in Hartford, Connecticut. After graduating from Bryn Mawr College she began her stage career, and a few years later found Hollywood success in the 1930s. She went on to amass 51 film and television credits between 1932 and 1994. As we celebrate her birthday today, the … Continue reading »

WARNING: This post contains spoilers for both films. Back in March I scored Warner Archive’s “horror double feature” DVD of 1960′s Village of the Damned and its sequel, Children of the Damned (1963). I had never seen either film before purchasing it and wasn’t sure whether to go in expecting horror-corn or true thrills, but … Continue reading »

SEASON 1, EPISODE 11: “FORTY-FOUR TICKETS” DIR. JOHN RICH WRITTEN BY CARL REINER ORIGINALLY AIRED DECEMBER 5, 1961 Recap: Rob complains of tripping over Ritchie’s toys that he always forgets to pick up, and Laura says that Ritchie’s forgetfulness was inherited from his father. This proves true when Rob realizes that he forgot to reserve 44 tickets for … Continue reading »

This post is a part of TMP’s Historical Context series, where I share excerpts from my collection of vintage publications. Much like the rival magazines in the 2004 rom-com 13 Going on 30, fan magazines of the mid-20th century were constantly competing for cover stars. By either coincidence or crafty, competitive scheming between the magazines, … Continue reading »