A Guy Named Joe

I finally watched this MGM film released in March of 1944. I’ve put off watching it because…well it was going to be a tear jerker and I have to be in a certain mood to watch a movie I know I will need a box of tissue to get through. But recently after finding letters…

Pillow to Post

A special Birthday shout out for Willie Best one of my favorite character actors. In the 1945 Warner Bros. Romantic Comedy Pillow to Post the world is at war and on the home front in this movie everything is topsy turvy. Ida Lupino’s character Jean Howard wants to help the war effort but has been…

Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima

Sunday May 13, 1917 three children Lucia 10, Francisco 9, and Jacinta 7, cousins from the small village of Fatima, Portugal are visited in a small cove in the countryside by Mary the Mother of Jesus. In 1916 Germany had declared war on Portugal. Democrats, Centrists, Sectarianism, Evolutionists and Atheists abound in 1917 Portugal, and…

How Gary Cooper saved Hollywood.

Gary Cooper as a man embodied “honor and decency” ( Smith, The Film 100), along with an unaffected manner that made him appear strong in the face of danger. His dream to draw newspaper cartoons for a living was put on hold when he made a trip to California in 1924 and landed a role…

Al St. John

TCM’s Star of the Month for April features Character Actors. I would like to give a shout out for my favorite Silent Era Character Actor… Cousin Al St. John. 100 years ago in 1917 cousin Al St. John starred or co-starred in 11 shorts, some with Paramount’s Famous Players ~ Lasky Corporation with his Uncle…

The Fighting 69th

On yesterday’s date one hundred years ago April 6, 1917 the United States entered WW I. In The Fighting 69th this 1940 Warner Brothers film remembers three real life heroes during the U.S. involvement on the front lines in France: Journalist and Poet Joyce Kilmer, Catholic Priest, Army Chaplain Father Francis Duffy and Major William…

Happy Land

TCM’s NOW PLAYING guide for April lists tonight as Frances Dee night. However the TCM website lists tonight as Faye Dunaway night and if you do a Happy Land search it lists May 17 as Frances Dee night, well whichever night this movie is premiered it is well worth watching. Rochellelynn this is not a…

Oscar ~ America America

The only nominated film for Best Oscar in 1963 that I had seen at the local theatre was How the West Was Won and at the time I was very disappointed that this film featuring Debbie Reynolds, Gregory Peck, Jimmy Stewart, Carroll Baker, and a cast of thousands did not win Best Picture. However fifty…

Oscar ~ Best Picture 1963

Frank Sinatra, introduced as a Producer/Director from Warner Brothers handed out the Oscar for the Best Picture, the nominees were: America America, Cleopatra, How the West Was Won, Lilies of the Field and Tom Jones. As Frank read the Best Picture nominee titles the picture of a fake movie marquee with the title of the…

Oscar ~ Best Actor 1963

Anne Bancroft the Best Actress for 1962 presented the Best Actor Award: The Best Actor nominees were: Albert Finney for Tom Jones, Richard Harris for This Sporting Life, Rex Harrison for Cleopatra, Paul Newman for Hud and Sidney Poitier for Lilies of the Field. Technically four of the five nominees were British. Sidney Poitier a…

Oscar ~ Best Actress 1963

Gregory Peck the Best Actor in the previous year presented the Best Actress Award. The Best Actress nominees for 1963 were: Leslie Caron for The L-Shaped Room, Shirley Maclaine for Irma La Douce, Rachel Roberts for This Sporting Life, Natalie Wood for Love with the Proper Stranger, and Patricia Neal for Hud. Three out of…

Oscar ~ Best Supporting Actor 1963

Patty Duke presented the Best Supporting Actor award .The Best Supporting Actor nominees for 1963 were: Nick Adams for Twilight of Honor, Bobby Darin for Captain Newman, M.D., Hugh Griffith for Tom Jones, John Huston for The Cardinal, and Melvyn Douglas for Hud. I love watching the Oscar clips from the classic Oscars, scouring the…