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)
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)
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)
A Few Good Men is one of my dad's favorite films, so I'd seen bits and pieces of it over the years, but never sat down to watch the entire thing. I decided to finally give it a full watch, with dad (and his running commentary), in March. Written by Aaron Sorkin from his own … Continue reading Modern Classics: A Few Good Men (1992)
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)
Karen (Ann Sheridan), the daughter of a prominent local doctor (Walter Huston), has joined the resistance against Nazi occupation of her small Norwegian town. She's also in a relationship with Gunnar Brogge (Errol Flynn), the local leader of the resistance. Unlike Karen, her parents want to remain neutral and try to live life as normally … Continue reading Edge of Darkness (1943)
Barbara (Barbara Bates) and her husband Jerry (Robert Wagner), along with their baby, have moved in with Barbara's mom Miriam (Claudette Colbert). Normally that would make for a pretty full house, but there's one absence: Barbara's dad, Hugh (Macdonald Carey). Miriam and Hugh are in the middle of a divorce, which is entering its final … Continue reading Let’s Make It Legal (1951)
Gail (Joan Blondell) and Ann (Carole Landis) are in a car wreck one day on their way to the home of Ann's estranged father. They're nearly stranded, but luckily, Cosmo Topper (Roland Young) and his chauffeur happen to pass by. Topper rescues the girls and drops them at the Carrington mansion, though it looks practically deserted. … Continue reading Topper Returns (1941)
As they often do, this story starts innocently enough, sort of a behind-the-scenes showbiz picture about a magician and his assistant/wife planning a new finale for their act. They'll soon be heading out on a European tour and hope to shock audiences with a beheading illusion inspired by Marie Antoinette. Flash forward to 1965 and Cassie, … Continue reading Two on a Guillotine (1965)
The year is 1661, and the Baron Vitelius of Astara (Abel Salazar) is a man accused. Put on trial for being a heretic and "seducing married women and maidens," among other crimes, he's sentenced to be tortured. But he laughs through it all, so he's sentenced again... this time to be burned alive at the … Continue reading El Baron del Terror (1962)
