One of the distinctive things about the Freed Unit at MGM was that they didn't just mine Broadway for film material; Arthur Freed brought Broadway talent to Hollywood. One of these was Tony-winning actor, dancer, and choreographer Michael Kidd. Born Milton Greenwald to Russian Jewish refugees on August 12, 1915, Brooklynite Kidd briefly studied engineering … Continue reading That’s Entertainment
A Woman’s Touch
Ms. Day is back... Doris Day was, of course, typically cast as a plucky, elegant songstress or would-be songstress, but few roles she played were as unique as 1953's Calamity Jane, a musical very loosely based on the life of the famous Wild West figure. Well, unique to Doris Day, anyway. The movie opens with Calamity … Continue reading A Woman’s Touch
Five Reasons To See “White Christmas”
Few holiday movies are as iconic as 1954's White Christmas. Even those who haven't seen it all the way through have probably glimpsed it while channel-surfing. It's always somewhere. The film came about because Paramount felt it was time for another Berlin tour-de-force, and the prestigious songwriter was happy to comply. Conveniently enough, he was able … Continue reading Five Reasons To See “White Christmas”
Home Sweet Haunt
Mwahahaha... Even the dark house subgenre has its cliches. The jumpscare. The dark and stormy night. The literal skeletons (and maybe various body parts) falling out of closets. Lots of screaming. Oh, and let's not forget the Spend-the-Night-In-the-House-And-Win-Something trope. 1958's House On Haunted Hill ticks all these boxes, adding in a bit of camp and the … Continue reading Home Sweet Haunt
Everybody’s Habitual
Hello, Miss Parker... Eleanor Parker certainly got around in terms of the roles she played, and in my opinion one of the more unusual ones was that of Zosh in the 1955 film, The Man With the Golden Arm. Oh golly, it's a doozy. It's a little bit beatnik. It's a little bit Requiem For A Dream. In the … Continue reading Everybody’s Habitual
Into the Habit
One thing that's not often talked about when it comes to Audrey Hepburn's career is how varied her filmography really wasn't--she mostly played romantic leads or maybe women who were unconventional. There's nothing wrong with that, but as they say, variety is the spice of life, and like many actors, Hepburn enjoyed playing against type … Continue reading Into the Habit
Seven Reasons To See “Singin’ In the Rain”
I have seen 1952's Singin' In the Rain more times than I can count. I grew up on this movie. However, as blogging would have it, I never thought I would review it because everyone and their brother reviews it. Yet here I am. It's been a lonnnnng time since I've watched the film, and I … Continue reading Seven Reasons To See “Singin’ In the Rain”
Proud Olivia
Ms. de Havilland is back... In the nineteen-fifties, Olivia de Havilland was married and living in Paris with her husband and two children, but she still made films now and then. In 1958 she starred in The Proud Rebel opposite Alan Ladd. A somewhat gentle story for a western, the film follows a Confederate veteran as … Continue reading Proud Olivia
Stage To Screen: Gigi
The 1958 film, Gigi, is commonly thought to herald the end of the Golden Age of Musicals. Before that, however, it was a Broadway hit. Before that, it was a French film. And even before that, it was a novella by Colette. The story of wandering eyes and changing impressions is as light and airy … Continue reading Stage To Screen: Gigi
Page to Screen: The Diary of Anne Frank
If she had lived, Anne Frank would be ninety-one this year. Her diary, technically known in English as Anne Frank: The Diary of A Young Girl, was first published in the Netherlands in 1947. The diary has been translated into sixty-five languages, sold over thirty-five million copies and is one of the most widely-read books outside … Continue reading Page to Screen: The Diary of Anne Frank
The Terrible Miss Dove
Today is my son's last day of seventh grade. One more year and he'll be in high school. He's over the moon about it (and about summer vacation, of course), but I'm not ready for this. My kid is growing up too fast. Wow. Wow. Wow. In that spirit, I thought it would be cool … Continue reading The Terrible Miss Dove
Lucky Lindy
Seven years from now will be the one-hundredth anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight. Isn't that amazing? It used to be that people could barely move while planes were in the air because of ballast, and now commercial flights have wifi and comfy seats with lots of legroom, not to mention weirdly catchy safety videos. … Continue reading Lucky Lindy
Finding Answers With Ben-Hur
Time to hit the books... Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is quite the novel and quite the enticing story for filmmakers. Every time it's been brought to the screen it takes people's breath away with the emotion, the politics, and the relationships, all woven together with the life and ministry of Jesus. Its author, … Continue reading Finding Answers With Ben-Hur
Page To Screen: A Night To Remember
The late Walter Lord is kind of a legend among Titanic buffs and historians. When he wrote A Night To Remember, which was published in 1955, he basically inspired the public fascination with the ship that continues today. Pretty much every book written about the Titanic uses Walter Lord's work as a source because he's that OG. How did Lord … Continue reading Page To Screen: A Night To Remember
Fatima In Hollywood
Bom dia... The fifties are somewhere we've all been to in terms of Hollywood movies, and we know it was an interesting time in the film industry. Big bad television and blacklisting made the studios rather nervous, and subjects that were once avoided now seemed safe. Religion was one of those, and Christian-centered films of … Continue reading Fatima In Hollywood
