The favorite film: The Letter, a 1940 crime drama directed by William Wyler The cast: Bette Davis as Leslie Crosbie Herbert Marshall as Robert Crosbie James Stephenson as Howard Joyce Frieda Inescort as Dorothy Joyce Gale Sondergaard as Mrs. Hammond The synopsis: Leslie Crosbie has just shot and killed a man, Jeff Hammond. When pressed for details by her husband Robert, she claims that she … Continue reading Favorite things about… The Letter (1940)
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 collectors! When a Venus statue, supposedly sculpted by Cellini but … Continue reading Favorite things about… How to Steal a Million (1966)
At the turn of the 20th century, the Giddens family is preparing for a visitor. Regina (Bette Davis) is hosting a dinner in honor of Chicago industrialist William Marshall (Russell Hicks), who may be building a new cotton mill in the town where the family lives. Regina’s daughter Alexandra (Teresa Wright), brothers Ben (Charles Dingle) and Oscar (Carl Benton Reid), Oscar’s wife Birdie (Patricia Collinge), … Continue reading The Little Foxes (1941)
William Wyler was, without a doubt, one of the greatest directors to ever work in Hollywood. With a career spanning from the silent era all the way up to 1970, his credits are numerous and varied, with some of classic film’s greatest titles among the list. From the epic Ben-Hur to The Best Years of Our Lives, one of the most poignant films ever made about the second … Continue reading Symbiotic Collaborations: Audrey Hepburn and William Wyler
Mirabel Miller (Frances Dee) is a stenographer… and a dreamer. Bored of her small-town, budget-conscious life, she’s decided to make a change for herself. As a baby step, she’s skipping breakfast and lunch each day to save money for a fancy hat from Paris. Scrimping won’t be Mirabel’s M.O. for long, though. She has just won a prize of $5,000 from a sweepstakes contest. She … Continue reading The Gay Deception (1935)
Evelyn Todd (Laura La Plante) has been fired from her job as a dancer in the chorus line. Desperate for money, she takes a friend’s advice and attends a party where she can make money just for showing up and flirting with a few older, rich men. At this party she meets and spends some time with a sleazy womanizer named Guy (Robert Ellis). When … Continue reading The Love Trap (1929)
Glenn Griffin (Humphrey Bogart), Hal Griffin (Dewey Martin) and Sam Kobish (Robert Middleton) have managed to escape from prison. Knowing that the law will be on to them soon, they decide to hide out in a randomly selected house in the suburban Indianapolis area. The home they select is that of the Hilliard family. Dan (Fredric March) and Ellie (Martha Scott) live in the home … Continue reading The Desperate Hours (1955)
The favorite film: Roman Holiday, a 1953 romantic comedy directed by William Wyler and released by Paramount Pictures The synopsis: Princess Ann is feeling stifled by the confines of her royal family’s conventions. While on a publicity tour of Europe, Ann makes a plan to rebel against those restrictions and sneak out of her room to explore Rome. She falls asleep on a bench when … Continue reading Favorite things about… Roman Holiday (1953)
