Sometimes, a marriage starts out all sunshine and rainbows, only to turn sour after years or even decades. Sometimes, it's doomed from the start. For Henri Landru (George Sanders), it's all doom and gloom, but he only has himself to blame. Obsessed with a burlesque performer named Odette (Corinne Calvet), Henri can only win her … Continue reading Bluebeard’s Ten Honeymoons (1960)
London in the time of Jack the Ripper is a paranoid place. Anxieties are high for most. The cops are on high alert, doing their best to protect potential victims -- patrolling the streets at all hours, walking people home, attempting to work out the puzzle of the Ripper's identity. Among the fearful is Helen … Continue reading Man in the Attic (1954)
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 … Continue reading Favorite things about… How to Steal a Million (1966)
Edith Farnham (Mary Astor), a divorcee, is headed to the Snowcrest Lodge with her daughter for Christmas. Also heading to the lodge is Stephen Blake (Melvyn Douglas), a widower who plans to spend the holiday with his young son. As for the lodge itself, the manager (Donald Meek), director Mr. Snirley (Romaine Callender), and hostess Miss Peabody (Dorothy Stickney) have … Continue reading And So They Were Married (1936)
I consider Alfred Hitchcock to be one of my favorite directors. He directed several of my all-time favorite films, including my ultimate "comfort film" pick-me-up, To Catch a Thief. I've seen Hitchcock silent and with sound, black and white and in technicolor. I've written about him on the blog many times: Celebrating To Catch a … Continue reading Celebrating “50 Years of Hitchcock” with TCM
Princess Beatrix (Jessie Royce Landis) is barely holding on to her royal title. She and her family have been exiled, but are desperate to win back favor through the current ruling family, headed up by Queen Maria Dominika (Agnes Moorehead). Queen Maria Dominika's son, Prince Albert (Alec Guinness), is planning to visit Beatrix's family, and … Continue reading The Swan (1956)
Professors Charles Osman (Marc Connelly) and Leon Sullivan (Ray Walston) don't know what's about to hit them at the beginning of a new semester at Custer College. That "what" is a new student, June Ryder (Jane Fonda), who mows the men down on her bicycle on her first day on campus. As fate would have … Continue reading Tall Story (1960)
Emily Kilbourne (Billie Burke) is a society lady with a spirited family. The Kilbournes have a lot of fun together, but one thing threatens to come between them: Emily's penchant for taking in drifters and ex-cons to work on the house staff. Just after having the family's silver stolen by the latest of Emily's "adoptees," … Continue reading Merrily We Live (1938)
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... … Continue reading Favorite things about… Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)
Larry Martin (Don Ameche) is an American in Rio, an entertainer performing at a casino with his girlfriend Carmen (Carmen Miranda). Part of Larry's show involves a skit poking fun at well-known womanizer Baron Manuel Duarte (also played by Ameche). When the Baron and his wife Cecilia (Alice Faye) attend the show, they're surprised to … Continue reading That Night in Rio (1941)
