The favorite film: The Letter, a 1940 crime drama directed by William Wyler The cast: Bette Davis as Leslie Crosbie Herbert Marshall as Robert Crosbie James Stephenson as Howard Joyce Frieda Inescort as Dorothy Joyce Gale Sondergaard as Mrs. Hammond The synopsis: Leslie Crosbie has just shot and killed a man, Jeff Hammond. When pressed for details by her husband Robert, she claims that she … Continue reading Favorite things about… The Letter (1940)
Note: Since May is the month of Mother’s Day in the US and also the month of my mom’s birthday, I had to go for a corny pun with this month’s Favorite Things: The Mummy. Forgive my cheese! The favorite film: The Mummy, a Universal monster movie directed by Karl Freund The cast: Boris Karloff as Imhotep Arthur Byron as Sir Joseph Whemple David Manners … Continue reading Favorite things about… The Mummy (1932)
The favorite film: I Walked with a Zombie, a 1943 horror produced by Val Lewton and directed by Jacques Tourneur The synopsis: A Canadian nurse takes a job on a far away island, and upon arriving discovers that her patient is not physically ill, but a “mental case.” After being struck by a terrible fever, the patient’s spinal cord was seriously damaged, leaving her in … Continue reading Favorite things about… I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
The favorite film: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, a 1947 romantic fantasy directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz The cast: Gene Tierney as Lucy Rex Harrision as Captain Daniel Gregg George Sanders as Miles “Uncle Neddy” Fairley Edna Best as Martha Huggins Robert Coote as Mr. Coombe The synopsis: Since the death of her husband, Lucy Muir has been living with his family, but she and … Continue reading Favorite things about… The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)
What better to celebrate as October’s “Favorite Things” film than a genuine horror classic? Today also happens to be my wonderful sister’s birthday, and since there’s nothing in the world she loves more than her cats, I’ve chosen a special feline-centric film in her honor: 1942’s Cat People! The favorite film: Cat People, a 1942 Val Lewton thriller directed by Jacques Tourneur The synopsis: Serbian … Continue reading Favorite things about… Cat People (1942)
The favorite film: The Lady Eve, a 1941 romantic comedy directed by Preston Sturges. The synopsis: Charlie Pike, the adventuring heir to a beer fortune, boards a boat after an Amazon expedition. Once aboard, he meets Jean Harrington and her father. The Harringtons are cardsharp con artists, and Charlie may be their next target… until Jean finds herself falling for him. The cast: Barbara Stanwyck … Continue reading Favorite things about… The Lady Eve (1941)
The favorite film: Rebecca, a 1940 romantic thriller from the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock The synopsis: When a shy young woman meets and falls in love with the wealthy Maxim de Winter in Monte Carlo, they quickly marry before heading back to his Cornwall estate, Manderley. But after arriving, the bride finds that the memory of Maxim’s first wife still looms large over Manderley. … Continue reading Favorite things about… Rebecca (1940)
The favorite film: How to Steal a Million, directed by William Wyler The synopsis: Monsieur Bonnet has a legendary art collection. He sells select works for great prices at auction, and lends others to museums for special exhibits. His father was also in the art business. But the Bonnets have a secret: they’re forgers, not collectors! When a Venus statue, supposedly sculpted by Cellini but … Continue reading Favorite things about… How to Steal a Million (1966)
The favorite film: Mr. and Mrs. Smith, a screwball comedy from the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock The synopsis: Ann and David Smith are a happily married couple living in New York City… but they have their share of fights. Fights that tend to last for up to eight days. Still, each time, they reconcile… until it comes to light that their marriage isn’t legal! … Continue reading Favorite things about… Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)
The favorite film: All That Heaven Allows, a 1955 melodrama from the soap king himself, Douglas Sirk The synopsis: In a well-to-do suburban town, Cary Scott lives alone. Her two children are in college, and her husband has died, leaving her with an empty home and a less-than-active social life. Her friend Sara and admirer Harvey do their best to bring her out of her … Continue reading Favorite things about… All That Heaven Allows (1955)
