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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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……
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…
The favorite film: Midnight, a 1939 screwball comedy directed by Mitchell Leisen The synopsis: Arriving in Paris with no money and no place to stay, Eve Peabody tries to get a job as a club singer with the help of taxi driver Tibor Czerny. When none of the clubs will hire her, she sneaks into a…
The favorite film: Designing Woman, a 1957 romantic comedy directed by Vincente Minnelli The synopsis: Sports writer Mike Hagen has spent a long night out in Los Angeles, drinking and having fun with fellow reporters. When he wakes up, he’s terribly hungover and can’t remember whether he submitted his copy during that wild night. Luckily…
