Ella (Leslie Caron) is a lonely young woman. She isn't technically alone, living with her stepmother (Elsa Lanchester) and stepsisters (Amanda Blake and Lisa Daniels), but she may as well live in isolation. Treated as a servant by the family, she has no friends in town, either. Ella has one little ray of hope, however. … Continue reading The Glass Slipper (1955)
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)
Greg Morella (Gilbert Roland), like many casino-running men of his time, has decided to move his operation to the water to avoid the law. Anchoring his ship, Sylvania, three miles off the coast, Morella assures his operation is safe from the clutches of the police. Aboard the ship one particular evening is Jim Carver (Wayne … Continue reading Gambling on the High Seas (1940)
Following a bank robbery in late-1800s Arizona, Deputy Marshal Jim Burke (Wayne Morris) is tracking four suspects. He manages to capture one, Manuel Jackson (Rick Vallin), but Manuel refuses to give up the names of his conspirators. A few years later, Manuel escapes from prison, and Burke must follow his trail again. When Burke finds … Continue reading The Fighting Lawman (1953)
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)
Margot Weston (Barbara Stanwyck) is waiting for her fiance in the park, where they plan to meet up and head to the courthouse to wed. Though she makes small talk with another waiting bride about the prospect of being stood up, Margot is sure her man will arrive any minute. They're truly in love. But fate … Continue reading Always Goodbye (1938)
Malcolm Niles (Robert Montgomery) is a New York writer who should have no problem drawing inspiration from life, thanks to his latest romantic troubles. Excited for a romance with actress Vivian Herford (Claire Dodd), the fire is extinguished when Vivian's mother (Cora Witherspoon) shows up and immediately starts talking about weddings. Malcolm has no interest … Continue reading Three Loves Has Nancy (1938)
A nun is giving a tour of Arlington Cemetery when a child asks her why Lt. Richard Perry (Robert Taylor), whose headstone they pass, is not listed in the guidebook. The nun gives a generic response about how surely he performed some "unusual service" for the country. The child may never know the answer, but … Continue reading This Is My Affair (1937)
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 … Continue reading Favorite things about… Designing Woman (1957)
