April, 2010 Archive
Fred Burdsall | FanFare Guests
Since his debut in the Bela Lugosi film White Zombie, our friend Zed has always been the idiot bastard son of the horror movie genre. He never receives any credit for being a loyal, quiet servant to the practitioners of voodoo. Willingly performing any task given to him, no job too is menial and no respect is afforded.
George A. Romero came along and gave the zombie a little more “bite” by making him a flesh-eating ghoul, but zombie films were still few and far between. (The fact that Night of the Living Dead is shown virtually uncut on TV after being banned in more countries than we even knew existed still cracks me up.)
Well, the zombie is finally enjoying the fruits of his labors because he has NEVER been more popular. It seems like a new zombie film or five is coming out every year, and while most of them are no-budget bloodfests, I see nothing wrong with that.
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Gary Cahall | Staff Notes
You're familiar, I'm sure, with the old saying, "Behind every great man there's a great woman." Well, in the movies, behind every great villain there seems to be an easily replenished supply of underlings ready to be abused and berated by their boss, usually right before they run off to battle--and ultimately lose to--the movie's protagonist. From white-smocked lab assistants in secret lairs, to trigger-happy cowboys and gangsters who die protecting the head man in shootouts with the law, to the faceless minions who fill the ranks of Cobra, SPECTRE and other world-dominating cabals, these nameless nasties apparently exist only to follow orders and expire in the most photogenic manner they can, often with an optional Wilhelm scream. There are, however, actors whose performances not only allowed them to rise above the usual ranks of lackluster lackeys, but who often threatened to upstage their employers/masters/dark lords. These are the men--and the occasional woman--whose dedication to their work is the focus of this retrospective.
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George D. Allen | Staff Notes
As recently as two years ago, you could throw out the words “tea party” and get a solid consensus on what the term meant. You were either making reference to a placid event where you would consume a warm beverage with polite friends or acquaintances, or you were talking about that signal 1773 event of American history, the Boston Tea Party.
These days, however, you let the words “tea party” slip from your lips and all manner of heated political discourse can be the result. Just what is this Tea Party? Exactly who are these Tea Partiers? What’s getting them so riled up? More importantly for our purposes here—are there any movies that can help us understand this new hot topic of political conversation?
You betcha, to borrow a now-popular turn of phrase.
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guest-blogs | FanFare Guests
Guest blogger Cliff Aliperti writes:
Once I got involved watching the Lone Wolf series of movies I soon found myself looking for Inspector Crane and Dickens to pop up, which they did seven times (six and a half opposite Warren William)!
(That’s Fred Kelsey as Dickens to the left of Warren William and Thurston Hall as Inspector Crane to our right).
Thurston Hall (1882-1958), who played Inspector Crane, enjoyed a better career than Fred Kelsey (1884-1961), though Kelsey shows up in so many movies that you start to think he’s part of the scenery. Taking a look at their careers on the IMDb, Kelsey appears in an incredible 412 features from 1911-1958, often uncredited but often recognized, while Hall appeared in a respectable 258 various films and television shows himself from 1915-1958.
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Irv Slifkin | Ask Movie Fanfare
Question: I recently viewed the original Magnificent Obsession, starring Robert Taylor and Irene Dunne, on TCM. Is this available to purchase?
Answer: Good news! The Criterion Collection’s special edition of Magnificent Obsession contains the Taylor-Dunne 1935 release, as well as the more widely-seen 1954 adaptation of the Lloyd C. Douglas weepie starring Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman and directed by Douglas Sirk.
Question: Have you a copy of Men with Wings (1938), starring RayMilland and Fred MacMurray as the Wright brothers, plus Virginia Weidler as their little sister. I have searched all over for this film, but with no luck.
Answer: This story of the birth of aviation, with MacMurray as the reckless, barnstorming sibling to Milland’s more studious, scientifically oriented flyer is not on DVD, unfortunately. It is currently owned by Universal, which got the Paramount production in a deal years ago. It was directed by ex-WWI pilot William A. Wellman, master of other aviation epics such as Wings and Lafayette Escadrille.
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guest-blogs | FanFare Guests
Guest blogger Ivan G. Shreve, Jr. writes:
John Willard’s hardy old stage chestnut The Cat and The Canary—first performed in New York City on February 7, 1922—has been around the block, cinematically so to speak, on at least four different occasions: 1927, 1930 (as The Cat Creeps), 1939 and 1978. I’ve now seen all of them except the 1930 version—which is considered a lost film—and my favorite is the one made in 1939 because it was the film that brought Bob Hope to cinematic prominence. But after seeing the original silent version (directed by German director Paul Leni) via Kino’s 2007 DVD release (this is the Photoplay restoration produced by Patrick Stanbury and Kevin Brownlow), I’m convinced that while Hope’s Canary still holds a place in my itty-bitty film buff heart, the Leni production certainly gives it a run for its money.
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George D. Allen and Irv Slifkin | Movie Buzz, Movie Buzz Podcast
If you're a fan of Kinji Fukasaku, Sammo Hung, or Lieh Lo, most of these titles may already be familiar to you. If you only know the lovely Yunjin Kim from the television series Lost, however, you've got some catching up to do on the topic of Asian action fare. Either way, you're bound to enjoy watching our own "Movie Irv" and his special guest discuss the very best in this popular subgenre. Buckle up!
Jason Marcewicz | Create-A-Caption
You know the drill. Below is a classic movie photo with Jason’s caption.
You’re encouraged to leave your own suggestion in the comment section below!
Some varmint had stolen their mustache combs.
And now there would be hell to pay!
guest-blogs | FanFare Guests
Guest blogger Laura G. writes:
A Yank in the R.A.F. is an interesting but uneven example of the type of morale-boosting film produced by Hollywood before the entry of the United States into World War II. Along with films like Foreign Correspondent (1940) and Confirm or Deny (1941), the film demonstrated support for our European allies, especially England, and sought to influence Americans to join the fight.
Tyrone Power plays Tim Baker, a cocky American pilot who, as the title says, joins the R.A.F. Tim makes great contributions to the war effort, while having an up-down relationship with old flame Carol (Betty Grable) in his off hours. Tim has charisma to spare, but he's not exactly reliable, and in fact is a "worm" to Carol until the very last scene. Would she be better off with British officer Morley (John Sutton)?
Tim really would be an absolute worm (again, Carol's term) if he weren't Tyrone Power. He's brash, thoughtless, bossy, and rude. Carol would be crazy not to choose Commander Morley...except for the fact that Tim is, well...Tyrone Power! Somehow that squares things (grin). Nonetheless, the film's ending is curiously ambiguous.
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Chris Cummins | New Releases This Week
This is a great week to be a classic film fan, with new releases showcasing the works of Barbara Stanwyck and Deanna Durbin. Other notable titles making their DVD and Blu-ray debuts include Heath Ledger's final film, a romantic comedy starring Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, the rare I Love Lucy movie and the first season of a cult TV classic. There's a lot of information to get to, so let's begin.
The Barbara Stanwyck Collection
This three-disc set features 8 1/2 hours worth of classic performances from Babara Stanwyck. Includes the first film to feature Dr. Kildare, Internes Can't Take Money (1937) which finds ex-convict Stanwyck seeking help from the caring medico (Joel McCrea) to save her kidnapped daughter from a gangster. With Lloyd Nolan. Then, an elderly Stanwyck looks back on her romance with frontiersman and eventual U.S. senator McCrea in the sweeping drama The Great Man's Lady (1942), co-starring Brian Donlevy. Next, horse breeder Stanwyck's marriage to author/Civil War buff Robert Cummings is endangered thanks to neighbor Diana Lynn in the comedy The Bride Wore Boots (1946).
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Jay Steinberg | This Week in Film History
April 27, 1930: From Erich Maria Remarque's novel, Lewis Milestone films All Quiet on the Western Front, a harsh look at the futility of war.
April 30, 1938: An early rendition of what is to become the character of Bugs Bunny first appears in Warner Bros.' Porky's Hare Hunt.
May 1, 1941: Denied a playdate at Radio City Music Hall, Orson Welles' much-talked-about Citizen Kane opens at the RKO Palace in New York City.
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Tags: Halloween Movies, horror movies, zombie movies