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)
Bob Merrick (Rock Hudson) is a daredevil. Notorious for pulling off dangerous stunts, he’s an adrenaline junkie. One day, while driving his speedboat too fast on the lake, he crashes. In the small town of Brightwood, there’s only one resuscitator, so it’s brought to the scene of the crash from the house of Dr. Wayne Phillips, the head of the local hospital. Bob survives thanks … Continue reading Second Looks: Magnificent Obsession (1954)
Lucy Barnard (Tanis Chandler) and Sandra Carpenter (Lucille Ball) are toe-tapping ladies making their living in a dance hall. The two are close friends, and when they’re both offered auditions for a new gig, Sandra couldn’t be more excited. A Fleming and Wilde show! And the opportunity to dance alongside her best friend — without the smarmy male customers of the dance hall! What could be … Continue reading Lured (1947)
John Gayle (Don Ameche) is a movie director… and a hard-to-work-with perfectionist. His sister, Louisa (Janis Carter) takes him to a carnival, where she hopes he’ll relax a little. At the carnival, John takes notice of Mary (Dorothy Lamour), a singer and dancer whose talent captivates him as she performs in many different disguises. When the star of John’s current movie quits due to the … Continue reading Slightly French (1949)
NOTE: This film was viewed for the Barbara Stanwyck Filmography Project. I’m watching (or re-watching) and reviewing every Barbara Stanwyck film! For more posts in this series, visit the Listography page. WARNING: This review contains spoilers. Twelve years after their noir hit Double Indemnity and sixteen years after their first pairing of Remember the Night, Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck found themselves sharing the screen … Continue reading There’s Always Tomorrow (1956)
NOTE: This film was viewed for the Barbara Stanwyck Filmography Project. I’m watching (or re-watching) and reviewing every Barbara Stanwyck film! For more posts in this series, visit the Listography page. Naomi Murdoch (Barbara Stanwyck) is a fading stage star who left her family a decade ago, leaving behind a small-town life with a husband (Richard Carlson) and three children (Lori Nelson, Marcia Henderson, and … Continue reading All I Desire (1953)
One of my resolutions for 2013 has been to read more books about film. I’ve done a pretty good job of keeping up with that goal, my latest conquest being Sam Staggs’ “Born to Be Hurt,” a book about Douglas Sirk’s Imitation of Life — one of my all-time favorite films. A beautiful introduction to the book has Staggs sharing his own personal connection with … Continue reading TMP Reads: “Born to Be Hurt” by Sam Staggs
Alison Courtland wakes up on a train in the middle of the night. She has no idea where she is, why she’s there or how she got there. The train is headed to Boston, and she has no recollection of getting on it. Panicking, Alison calls her husband back in New York and makes plans to head home. He blames the whole scenario on one … Continue reading Sleep, My Love (1948)
Written on the Wind (1956): 3/5 Douglas Sirk is the king of the 1950s melodrama, and also one of my favorite directors. Pair that with Lauren Bacall, who I delusionally but lovingly refer to as the queen of the world, and Rock Hudson, the king of pretty 1950s men, and you’ve got some pretty high expectations coming from me. The film follows alcoholic oil man … Continue reading Written on the Wind (1956)
