Barbara Worth (Margaret Lockwood) is a beautiful noblewoman, but she doesn’t exactly act the part. Mean-spirited and continuously sharpening her tongue, Barbara escalates to true crime when she decides to masquerade as a highwayman to scare a society rival. On the road, she meets the intimidating Jackson (James Mason), a criminal both feared and admired by the local community. They soon begin to fall in … Continue reading The Wicked Lady (1945)
The favorite film: Dial M for Murder, a 1954 domestic thriller by Alfred Hitchcock The synopsis: When Tony Wendice’s plan to have his wife killed goes awry, he decides to instead get rid of her by having her locked up for murder. The cast: Ray Milland as Tony Wendice Grace Kelly as Margot Wendice Robert Cummings as Mark Halliday John Williams as Inspector Hubbard Anthony … Continue reading Favorite things about… Dial M for Murder (1954)
The day we’ve all been dreading has arrived: FilmStruck is officially closing up shop. I didn’t get to spend as much of November as I wanted eating up the rest of my FilmStruck queue, but I’ve found several new favorite films through the service in recent months, and throughout my time as a subscriber. To say farewell to my favorite streaming service, today I’ll be … Continue reading Farewell, FilmStruck: My Favorite Discoveries
Gilda (Dorothy Mackaill) is a New Orleans prostitute who has just arrived at a hotel to meet with a client. The client turns out to be none other than Piet Van Saal (Ralf Harolde), her former boss and the man responsible for ruining her career. The encounter ends in conflict, with Gilda hitting Piet with a bottle and accidentally starting a fire. Sure that she … Continue reading Safe in Hell (1931)
Corky Jones (Dennis Morgan) and Gil Borden (Don DeFore) are looking for jobs in Burbank, California when they’re plucked from obscurity to champion the war effort at the very respectable Lockheed aircraft factory. Though the U.S. is technically still neutral when they’re hired on, it’s preparing for war, producing large numbers of fighter jets and bombers. While awaiting his first paycheck, Corky stays with his … Continue reading Wings for the Eagle (1942)
“This is a story of the Unconquerable Fortress: the American Home… 1943.” Anne Hilton (Claudette Colbert) is left to keep her family afloat after her husband volunteers for Army service. She and her teen daughters — Jane (Jennifer Jones) and Bridget (Shirley Temple) — do the best they can, rationing their food, planting a victory garden, and taking in a boarder (Monty Wooley) to help … Continue reading Since You Went Away (1944)
October is the spookiest month of the year, but it was also the most successful month of the year for me, in terms of viewing. I finally broke my slump, with 32 films watched! On to the wrap-up… New-to-me viewings: 21 Re-watches: 11 Total for October: 32 Total for 2018, so far: 154 The new-to-me list: Safe in Hell (1931) Seven Doors to Death (1944) … Continue reading October 2018 in Film
On this third day of our spooky celebration, we’ll be taking a look at a classic, ghostly Japanese chiller. Previous Horror Half-Week 2018 posts: Invasion of the Saucer-Men (1957) and The Brain Eaters (1958) “Her wounded heart beats within my chest, torn and bleeding. It’s driving me to wreak vengeance on those beasts.” When pirates overtake the Dragon King, they kill all of its passengers … Continue reading Horror Half-Week, Day 3: The Living Skeleton (1968)
When her father and her boyfriend are killed in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, pregnant and unwed Jenny Sandoval (Ruth Chatterton) must find a way to survive. She takes up residence in the Chinese district and is able to make ends meet, but not necessarily through legal methods. Mixed up with gamblers and running a brothel, Jenny finds herself in a world of trouble when … Continue reading Frisco Jenny (1932)
The last Collection Update on TMP covered acquisitions from March through June. Since then, I’ve had a birthday, run across some wonderful thrift store finds, and taken advantage of a few Criterion discounts. Here’s everything that I’ve added to the collections since June! Books Chaplin by Robert Manvell Debbie: My Life by Debbie Reynolds and David Patrick Columbia The Devil to Pay (Ellery Queen pocket … Continue reading Collector’s Corner: Collection Update, Vol. 7!
