The cherished screen team of William Powell and Myrna Loy met “cute” on their first film together, the gritty 1934 “Manhattan Melodrama.” According to TCM.com, first scene in the film required her to run out a building, maneuver through a crowd of people and jump into a car. The film’s director W.S. “Woody” Van Dyke, who was nicknamed “One Take Woody” because of his efficiency, didn’t bother to introduce the actress to Powell. So, when Van Dyke called “action “Loy recalled jumping into the car and landing “smack on William Powell’s lap. He looked up nonchalantly: Miss Loy, I presume?” I said, Mr. Powell? That’s how I met the man who would be my partner in 14 films.”
It was their next film, the smart screwball comedy/mystery “The Thin Man,” which opened May 25, 1934, transformed the couple into top stars at MGM. Directed by Van Dyke...
It was their next film, the smart screwball comedy/mystery “The Thin Man,” which opened May 25, 1934, transformed the couple into top stars at MGM. Directed by Van Dyke...
- 5/20/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Dashiell Hammett didn't invent detective fiction, he just perfected it — partially because he knew good and goddamn well of what he wrote. The high school dropout landed a gig with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency and evidently saw the worst side of the profession when his employer got fat off industrial cash by assigning their operatives to muscle, if not kill labor organizers. Years later, he laced his first published novel, "Red Harvest," with the bitter conscience of a man who witnessed evil but out of self-preservation did nothing.
Much of Hammett's work stings like a day drunk's swallow of rotgut whiskey, a belt they absorb over and over again to escape the awfulness of a world they cannot change in any meaningful way. The Continental Op eradicating a cluster of cold-blooded thugs with the 20-steps-ahead cool of a chess grandmaster in "Red Harvest" is so satisfying it's provided the foundation for several brilliant films.
Much of Hammett's work stings like a day drunk's swallow of rotgut whiskey, a belt they absorb over and over again to escape the awfulness of a world they cannot change in any meaningful way. The Continental Op eradicating a cluster of cold-blooded thugs with the 20-steps-ahead cool of a chess grandmaster in "Red Harvest" is so satisfying it's provided the foundation for several brilliant films.
- 1/15/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
It was five decades ago long distance swimmer Diana Nyad became part of the cultural landscape with her feats including a recording-setting circling of Manhattan and a 102-mile swim from the Bahamas to Florida she accomplished that in 27 hours. In 1978, Nyad made her first attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida but ended the quest after 40 hours. After segueing to a successful career as a sports journalist on ABC’s “Wild World of Sports” for over two decades, she decided at 60 to try again. She made three attempts felled by asthma, muscle fatigue, jellyfish and a tropical storm.
Nyad’s attempts at the swim were the subject of the 2013 documentary “The Other Shore.” When I talked to her for the L.A. Times a decade ago the then 64-year-old was preparing for her final attempt. “When I first started this in my 20s and when I started again when I turned...
Nyad’s attempts at the swim were the subject of the 2013 documentary “The Other Shore.” When I talked to her for the L.A. Times a decade ago the then 64-year-old was preparing for her final attempt. “When I first started this in my 20s and when I started again when I turned...
- 11/11/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Haya Harareet, the Israeli actress who played Esther opposite Charlton Heston’s titular character in the 1959 religious epic Ben-Hur, has died at the age of 89 at her home in Buckinghamshire, UK. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz broke the news, citing Harareet’s niece.
Born in Haifa, then Mandatory Palestine (now Israel), Harareet began her career in Israeli movies including the war pic Hill 24 Doesn’t Answer, which garnered international attention after it premiered in competition at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival.
She then starred in the 1956 Italian drama La donna del giorno for director Francesco Maselli, before being cast in William Wyler’s big budget remake of Ben-Hur. She landed the role of Esther, star Charlton Heston’s love interest, off the back of a 30-second silent screen test, having previously encountered Wyler in Cannes when accompanying Hill 24 Doesn’t Answer.
The blockbuster release of Ben-Hur catapulted Harareet into the limelight, and...
Born in Haifa, then Mandatory Palestine (now Israel), Harareet began her career in Israeli movies including the war pic Hill 24 Doesn’t Answer, which garnered international attention after it premiered in competition at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival.
She then starred in the 1956 Italian drama La donna del giorno for director Francesco Maselli, before being cast in William Wyler’s big budget remake of Ben-Hur. She landed the role of Esther, star Charlton Heston’s love interest, off the back of a 30-second silent screen test, having previously encountered Wyler in Cannes when accompanying Hill 24 Doesn’t Answer.
The blockbuster release of Ben-Hur catapulted Harareet into the limelight, and...
- 2/5/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix could make Oscars history.
Netflix’s arsenal of content this year could give the streamer the most best picture nominations from any studio in history, a record held by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which scored five nods at the ninth Academy Awards in 1937. It may even net the streaming giant its first best picture win after falling short with the likes of Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” and Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma.”
MGM achieved the feat when the Academy was nominating 10 films in the best picture category. “The Great Ziegfeld” was the big winner, taking home three statues. It was joined by other films released in 1936: “Libeled Lady,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “San Francisco” and “A Tale of Two Cities.” At the time, MGM was the undisputed heavyweight in Hollywood as the home to top talents such as Shirley Temple, Clark Gable, Judy Garland, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn and many more. So...
Netflix’s arsenal of content this year could give the streamer the most best picture nominations from any studio in history, a record held by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which scored five nods at the ninth Academy Awards in 1937. It may even net the streaming giant its first best picture win after falling short with the likes of Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” and Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma.”
MGM achieved the feat when the Academy was nominating 10 films in the best picture category. “The Great Ziegfeld” was the big winner, taking home three statues. It was joined by other films released in 1936: “Libeled Lady,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “San Francisco” and “A Tale of Two Cities.” At the time, MGM was the undisputed heavyweight in Hollywood as the home to top talents such as Shirley Temple, Clark Gable, Judy Garland, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn and many more. So...
- 11/23/2020
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Criterion adds another excellent title to its collection of Jim Jarmusch films this week with the Blu-ray and DVD releases of Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, a 1999 feature that stands alongside Dead Man as one of Jarmusch’s richest and most fascinating movies. Like Dead Man, Ghost Dog follows a stripped-down narrative that’s made extraordinarily complex by the sophisticated network of cinematic, literary, and historical allusions Jarmusch weaves through it; in another director’s hands the same story could be a routine genre programmer, but the force and depth of Jarmusch’s philosophical vision elevates the film to a level […]
The post Ghost Dog, Moonstruck and Libeled Lady: Jim Hemphill's Home Video Recommendations first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Ghost Dog, Moonstruck and Libeled Lady: Jim Hemphill's Home Video Recommendations first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 11/20/2020
- by Jim Hemphill
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Criterion adds another excellent title to its collection of Jim Jarmusch films this week with the Blu-ray and DVD releases of Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, a 1999 feature that stands alongside Dead Man as one of Jarmusch’s richest and most fascinating movies. Like Dead Man, Ghost Dog follows a stripped-down narrative that’s made extraordinarily complex by the sophisticated network of cinematic, literary, and historical allusions Jarmusch weaves through it; in another director’s hands the same story could be a routine genre programmer, but the force and depth of Jarmusch’s philosophical vision elevates the film to a level […]
The post Ghost Dog, Moonstruck and Libeled Lady: Jim Hemphill's Home Video Recommendations first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Ghost Dog, Moonstruck and Libeled Lady: Jim Hemphill's Home Video Recommendations first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 11/20/2020
- by Jim Hemphill
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
HBO Max is out with its list of everything new coming to the streaming service in October and everything leaving at the end of the month.
The list includes HBO Originals like the limited series “The Undoing” starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant, out Oct. 25, and David Byrne’s “American Utopia” special event about Byrne’s Broadway show that electrified audiences, out Oct. 17.
There is also Nathan Fielder’s comedic docuseries “How To With John Wilson,” out Oct. 23, and the first season finale of “Lovecraft Country” on Oct. 18.
Among the things leaving at the end of the month are “Amelie,” “Ocean’s 11,” “V For Vendetta,” “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” and “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.”
Read the full list here:
Oct. 1
A World of Calm, Documentary Series Premiere
Akeelah And The Bee, 2006 (HBO)
All-Star Superman, 2011
American Dynasties: The Kennedys, 2018
American Reunion, 2012 (HBO)
Analyze That,...
The list includes HBO Originals like the limited series “The Undoing” starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant, out Oct. 25, and David Byrne’s “American Utopia” special event about Byrne’s Broadway show that electrified audiences, out Oct. 17.
There is also Nathan Fielder’s comedic docuseries “How To With John Wilson,” out Oct. 23, and the first season finale of “Lovecraft Country” on Oct. 18.
Among the things leaving at the end of the month are “Amelie,” “Ocean’s 11,” “V For Vendetta,” “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” and “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.”
Read the full list here:
Oct. 1
A World of Calm, Documentary Series Premiere
Akeelah And The Bee, 2006 (HBO)
All-Star Superman, 2011
American Dynasties: The Kennedys, 2018
American Reunion, 2012 (HBO)
Analyze That,...
- 10/1/2020
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
With Lovecraft Country still providing HBO and HBO Max with its horror content through October, the streamer is looking elsewhere for its spooky season offerings. HBO Max’s new releases for October 2020 feature some truly awesome horror library titles.
Jordan Peele’s Us, John Carpenter’s The Thing, and David Fincher’s Se7en all arrive on Oct. 1. That alone should be enough to last you through spooky season. And if it doesn’t, It: Chapter Two is right there as well. October is also a big month for Batman and Superman with Man of Steel arriving on Oct. 1 along with a whole of animated specials dropping that same day.
In relation to the library titles, this isn’t HBO Max’s strongest month from an original perspective. But there is still plenty to like here. The West Wing election special arrives on Oct. 15. That will be followed by David Byrne...
Jordan Peele’s Us, John Carpenter’s The Thing, and David Fincher’s Se7en all arrive on Oct. 1. That alone should be enough to last you through spooky season. And if it doesn’t, It: Chapter Two is right there as well. October is also a big month for Batman and Superman with Man of Steel arriving on Oct. 1 along with a whole of animated specials dropping that same day.
In relation to the library titles, this isn’t HBO Max’s strongest month from an original perspective. But there is still plenty to like here. The West Wing election special arrives on Oct. 15. That will be followed by David Byrne...
- 9/30/2020
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
HBO Max is serving up a lot of great new movies this October. Fittingly for the spooky season, the Warner Bros. streaming service is adding a fair few classic horrors to its library next month, but there’s really something for everyone going up – from comedies to romances to sci-fi to superhero films.
Speaking of that last genre, DC lovers will be pleased to note that 2013’s Man of Steel, the movie that kicked off the Dceu, is among the titles arriving on October 1st. Besides that, there’s a bunch of animated DC pics dropping the same day, including Superman/Batman: Public Enemies and All-Star Superman. 2005’s Constantine featuring Keanu Reeves, meanwhile, also debuts on the service from the 1st.
That’s not the only film starring the beloved actor headed to the platform, though, as probably the highlight of October’s haul is the addition of the...
Speaking of that last genre, DC lovers will be pleased to note that 2013’s Man of Steel, the movie that kicked off the Dceu, is among the titles arriving on October 1st. Besides that, there’s a bunch of animated DC pics dropping the same day, including Superman/Batman: Public Enemies and All-Star Superman. 2005’s Constantine featuring Keanu Reeves, meanwhile, also debuts on the service from the 1st.
That’s not the only film starring the beloved actor headed to the platform, though, as probably the highlight of October’s haul is the addition of the...
- 9/24/2020
- by Christian Bone
- We Got This Covered
In 2009 — when the Academy Awards went to 10 Best Picture nominees for the first time since 1943 — the preferential system of voting, which had been used from 1934 to 1945, was reintroduced. The academy did so as it believed this “best allows the collective judgment of all voting members to be most accurately represented.”
We have detailed how the preferential voting system works at the Oscars in the modern era. So, let’s take a look back at those dozen years early in the history of the academy when it first used this complicated counting to determine the Best Picture winner rather than a simple popular vote. (At the bottom of this post, be sure to vote for the film that you think will take the top Oscar this year.)
See Best Picture Gallery: Every winner of the top Academy Award
1934
This seventh ceremony marked the first time that the Oscars eligibility period was the calendar year.
We have detailed how the preferential voting system works at the Oscars in the modern era. So, let’s take a look back at those dozen years early in the history of the academy when it first used this complicated counting to determine the Best Picture winner rather than a simple popular vote. (At the bottom of this post, be sure to vote for the film that you think will take the top Oscar this year.)
See Best Picture Gallery: Every winner of the top Academy Award
1934
This seventh ceremony marked the first time that the Oscars eligibility period was the calendar year.
- 2/28/2018
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Ronald Colman: Turner Classic Movies' Star of the Month in two major 1930s classics Updated: Turner Classic Movies' July 2017 Star of the Month is Ronald Colman, one of the finest performers of the studio era. On Thursday night, TCM presented five Colman star vehicles that should be popping up again in the not-too-distant future: A Tale of Two Cities, The Prisoner of Zenda, Kismet, Lucky Partners, and My Life with Caroline. The first two movies are among not only Colman's best, but also among Hollywood's best during its so-called Golden Age. Based on Charles Dickens' classic novel, Jack Conway's Academy Award-nominated A Tale of Two Cities (1936) is a rare Hollywood production indeed: it manages to effectively condense its sprawling source, it boasts first-rate production values, and it features a phenomenal central performance. Ah, it also shows its star without his trademark mustache – about as famous at the time as Clark Gable's. Perhaps...
- 7/21/2017
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Esther Williams: Swimwear-garbed star of MGM Technicolor musicals dead at 91 Esther Williams, known for her swimming skills and ability to smile and keep her makeup and coiffure intact underwater in several MGM Technicolor aqua-musicals of the ’40s and ’50s, died in her sleep earlier today at her Beverly Hills home. Williams, who in recent decades launched a successful swimwear line, was 91. (Photo: Esther Williams publicity shot ca. 1945.) Born on August 8, 1921, in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood, Esther Williams began honing her swimming skills at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Following several victories in swimming competitions, she looked forward to taking part in the 1940 Olympics. World War II, however, interfered. In the early ’40s, she was reportedly discovered by an MGM scout while appearing as a "bathing beauty" at the World’s Fair in San Francisco. The swimming champion would write in her 1999 autobiography The Million Dollar Mermaid that...
- 6/6/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
This is my second year in a row reviewing The TCM Classic Film Festival, which is quickly becoming one of the largest, most important, and most fun fests in Los Angeles. Like last year, I ran from screening to screening, giddy with excitement and wired from the constant stream of images.
The festival ran from Thursday through Sunday. I was only able to attend the last two days, but over the course of the weekend I managed to watch ten feature films and a 90-minute program of Bugs Bunny cartoons.
Usually, when I go to things like this I try to watch as many film noir and pre-code movies as I can. On Saturday, I was determined to make variety my theme of the day, and TCM made this easy for me. At any given time, there were five or six movies playing — everything from silent films and early classics to musicals,...
The festival ran from Thursday through Sunday. I was only able to attend the last two days, but over the course of the weekend I managed to watch ten feature films and a 90-minute program of Bugs Bunny cartoons.
Usually, when I go to things like this I try to watch as many film noir and pre-code movies as I can. On Saturday, I was determined to make variety my theme of the day, and TCM made this easy for me. At any given time, there were five or six movies playing — everything from silent films and early classics to musicals,...
- 5/1/2013
- by Jonathan Weichsel
- Planet Fury
A marketing survey has revealed that Warner Brothers is considering starting their own online movie streaming service that would compete directly with companies like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu Plus.
Warner Brothers is considering launching an online streaming service to compete with providers like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu Plus. Called Warner Archive Streaming, the service would primarily offer classic movies, cartoons, and TV shows from its extensive catalog, rather than new releases. If successful, the service could catapult Warner Brothers as a major player in the booming online video streaming business.
Details of the plan emerged after Warner recently asked their consumers to participate in an online survey about the service. According to a source with intimate knowledge of the survey, Warner measured interest in a streaming service that would offer many of its older titles not readily available on DVD or Blu-ray. Warner currently has a program called Warner Archive,...
Warner Brothers is considering launching an online streaming service to compete with providers like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu Plus. Called Warner Archive Streaming, the service would primarily offer classic movies, cartoons, and TV shows from its extensive catalog, rather than new releases. If successful, the service could catapult Warner Brothers as a major player in the booming online video streaming business.
Details of the plan emerged after Warner recently asked their consumers to participate in an online survey about the service. According to a source with intimate knowledge of the survey, Warner measured interest in a streaming service that would offer many of its older titles not readily available on DVD or Blu-ray. Warner currently has a program called Warner Archive,...
- 4/22/2012
- by feeds@themoviepool.com (Victor Medina)
- Cinelinx
Myrna Loy Myrna Loy Biography: Intro You've written books on Mae West and Rudolph Valentino. Why Myrna Loy? Shortest answer: I saw her on Libeled Lady on TCM one night, and said to myself, "She is so delightful. Has there been a book on her?" Longer answer: My previous book was on Valentino, who "discovered" Myrna when she was a Prologue dancer at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre and gave her the first screen test she ever had. I liked the link. The subtitle of your Myrna Loy book is "The Only Good Girl in Hollywood." How was Loy a "Good Girl"? Or was she? The title comes from something said about Myrna by John Ford when she was starting out as a silent-film actress and kept getting assigned roles as an exotic vixen. Ford said, "Wouldn't you know? The one they have playing tramps is the only good girl in Hollywood.
- 3/12/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Myrna Loy biography: The Only Good Girl in Hollywood Many believe that Myrna Loy is the best American actress never to have been nominated for an Academy Award. Despite having played leads and supporting roles in more than 100 movies (in addition to a few dozen bit parts during the silent era), Loy was invariably bypassed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. But that's the Oscar and the Academy's loss. For starters, Loy was a delightful light comedienne in movies such as W.S. Van Dyke's The Thin Man and Jack Conway's Libeled Lady. One of the greatest — and most beautifully politically incorrect — dialogue exchanges in movies can be heard in Rouben Mamoulian's 1932 musical Love Me Tonight: Jeanette MacDonald: "Don't you think of anything but men, dear?" Myrna Loy: "Oh yes, schoolboys." Loy could be a remarkable dramatic actress as well, as can...
- 3/12/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Ronald Reagan, Knute Rockne: All American Kay Francis, William Powell, Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow: Packard Campus Movies Thursday, September 1 (7:30 p.m.) The Wanderers (Orion, 1979) Set against the urban jungle of 1963 New York's gangland subculture, this coming of age teenage movie is set around the Italian gang the Wanderers. Directed by Philip Kaufman. With Ken Wahl, John Friedrich and Karen Allen. Action drama. Rated R. Color, 117 min. Thursday, September 8 (7:30 p.m.) Mildred Pierce (Warner Bros., 1945) A housewife-turned-waitress finds success in business but loses control of her ungrateful teenaged daughter. Directed by Michael Curtiz. With Joan Crawford, Zachary Scott and Ann Blyth. Drama. Black & White, 111 min. Selected for the National Film Registry in 1996. Friday, September 9 (7:30 p.m.) Pre-code Drama Double Feature Jewel Robbery (Warner Bros., 1932) A wealthy, married woman becomes captivated by a debonair jewel thief. Directed by William Dieterle. With Kay Francis and William Powell. Comedy,...
- 9/15/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
William Powell, Kay Francis, Jewel Robbery Kay Francis, William Powell, Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow, John Barrymore, and Mary Astor are some of the stars featured in September at the Library of Congress' Packard Campus in Culpeper, Virg. [Packard Campus Movie Schedule.] Kay Francis and William Powell can be seen together in Jewel Robbery (1932), a charming pre-Code comedy directed by, of all people, William Dieterle. Dieterle would become closely associated with some of Warner Bros.' most tedious biopics, usually starring Paul Muni. The year of 1932 was a good one for the Francis-Powell combo, who also starred in Tay Garnett's highly successful — and quite moving — melodrama One Way Passage. William Powell can also be seen in another charming comedy, Libeled Lady (1936), co-starring Powell's frequent screen partner Myrna Loy, in addition to Spencer Tracy and future Powell fiancee Jean Harlow. Deftly directed by the underrated Jack Conway, Libeled Lady went on to receive a...
- 9/15/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
James Stewart remains one of the most beloved film actors in Hollywood history. Well, at least in the United States, where Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington are considered the apex of studio-era filmmaking. Stewart's shy, naive, wholesome, aw-shucksy boy-next-door (later man-next-door) manner continues to endear him to millions whose idea of shyness, naiveté, wholesomeness, and boy-next-doorishness has nothing to do with mine. In fact, I wonder if anyone anywhere, whether in the United States or elsewhere, has ever lived next door to a "boy" who acted, sounded, romanced, and punched — lest we confuse shyness with softness — like Stewart. I'm glad I haven't. Today, Turner Classic Movies has been presenting several James Stewart movies as part of its "Summer Under the Stars" film series. Right now, TCM is showing John Ford's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), considered by many the director's best post-The Searchers effort.
- 8/14/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Lucille Ball, Easy to Wed Lucille Ball Centennial on TCM: Stage Door, Best Foot Forward Schedule (Et) and synopses from the TCM website: 6:00 Am Du Barry Was A Lady (1943) A night club employee dreams he's Louis Xv, and the star he idolizes is his lady love. Dir: Roy Del Ruth. Cast: Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Gene Kelly. C-101 mins. 8:00 Am Panama Lady (1939) An oil man forces a cabaret singer to work for him after she tries to rob him. Dir: Jack Hively. Cast: Lucille Ball, Allan Lane, Steffi Duna. Bw-65 mins. 9:30 Am Without Love (1945) A World War II housing shortage inspires a widow to propose a marriage of convenience with an inventor. Dir: Harold S. Bucquet. Cast: Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Lucille Ball. Bw-111 mins. 11:30 Am Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949) An inept secretary goes to work for a bogus real estate firm thinking it's for real.
- 8/6/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
One of MGM's brightest stars of the 1930s, Jean Harlow died of uremic poisoning in 1937. At the time, the 26-year-old actress had been playing opposite Clark Gable in what turned out to be her last film, Saratoga. Perhaps because she died so young, Harlow has remained a well-known film personality from that era. Her MGM vehicles — Dinner at 8, Bombshell, China Seas, Wife vs. Secretary, Libeled Lady — are often shown on Turner Classic Movies; David Stenn has written a well-regarded biography; and now comes Mark Vieira and Darrell Rooney's Harlow in Hollywood: The Blonde Bombshell in the Glamour Capital 1928-1937 (Angel City Press, 2011). Celebrating Jean Harlow's centenary (she was born on March 3, 1911), Harlow in Hollywood is a both a written and a (stunning) visual chronicle of Jean Harlow's career, as Vieira and Rooney cover Harlow's ascendancy from movie extra and bit player in the late 1920s [...]...
- 4/12/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
William Powell, Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow, Spencer Tracy in Jack Conway's Libeled Lady Turner Classic Movies' Jean Harlow film series continues this evening with four of Harlow's MGM vehicles — Bombshell, Personal Property, Reckless, and Libeled Lady — and one supporting appearance in Warner Bros.' The Public Enemy. Harlow really doesn't have much to do in The Public Enemy (1931). She looks about as out of place in this otherwise solid William A. Wellman crime drama as she is in Frank Capra's melodrama Platinum Blonde, released that same year. James Cagney, however, looks anything but out of place as a sociopathic gangster. Cagney, in fact, was so right for that particular role that early on in the production he exchanged gangsters with fellow player Edward Woods. In Victor Fleming's Bombshell, Harlow, known as the Blonde Bombshell, stars in a send-up of her own Hollywood stardom (and Clara Bow's as well). Personally,...
- 3/15/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
"MGM writer Harry Ruskin recalled: 'The day "the baby" died there wasn't one sound in the commissary for three hours... not one goddamn sound.'" That's from Dina-Marie Kulzer's overview of a life cut short in 1937 by kidney failure. Jean Harlow was all of 26, but she'd appeared in 36 films and — a first for any movie actress — on the cover of Life. She would have turned 100 today and to celebrate, the Kitty Packard Pictorial is hosting a rich and varied blogathon running through Sunday. Do go and explore.
By the way, out this week from Warner Home Video and TCM's new series of four-title DVD packages is TCM Greatest Classic Legends: Jean Harlow, featuring Dinner at Eight (1933), Libeled Lady (1936), China Seas (1935) and Wife Vs Secretary (1936). TCM also wants Angelenos to know that on Sunday, Darrell Rooney and Mark A Vieira, authors of Harlow in Hollywood: The Blonde Bombshell in the Glamour Capital,...
By the way, out this week from Warner Home Video and TCM's new series of four-title DVD packages is TCM Greatest Classic Legends: Jean Harlow, featuring Dinner at Eight (1933), Libeled Lady (1936), China Seas (1935) and Wife Vs Secretary (1936). TCM also wants Angelenos to know that on Sunday, Darrell Rooney and Mark A Vieira, authors of Harlow in Hollywood: The Blonde Bombshell in the Glamour Capital,...
- 3/3/2011
- MUBI
Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Dark Victory, Four Daughters, Citizen Kane, The More the Merrier, The Talk of the Town, A Star Is Born, Love Affair, Stagecoach, Libeled Lady, The Awful Truth, and Casablanca are among the 80 Best Picture nominees represented in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ new exhibition "The More the Merrier: Posters from the Ten Best Picture Nominees, 1936 – 1943," currently being held the Academy’s Grand Lobby Gallery in Beverly Hills. Admission is free. The Academy’s poster exhibition focuses on the eight consecutive years during which there were ten annual Best Picture Oscar nominees, an homage of sorts to the 2010 renewal of that old [...]...
- 2/10/2010
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
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