High Society (1956)
High Society , for me, rates as a comfort movie - you know, like comfort food it gives a sense of gemutlichkeit, that nearly indefinable feeling of warmth, friendliness, and good cheer - comfort! I remember seeing this movie as a kid, and I certainly didn't understand the premise, or innuendo, but it had Bing Crosby in it! Of course, today I'm more like - it has Grace Kelly in it! That being said - along with Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Celeste Holm also starred, and there was even a couple short clips …
Murder, My Sweet (1944)
Ha! Wuddaya say about one of the seminal film noir offerings that hasn't been said a million times before? Here's an excellent introduction by TCM: PRIMARY CAST: Dick Powell, Claire Trevor, Anne Shirley. Of course, Claire Trevor plays the femme fatale , and does a great job. However, betraying my Ginger versus Maryanne predilection, I thought Anne Shirley stole the show REVIEWS: The December 31, 1944 edition of Variety had a taut review of Murder, My Sweet, which is apropos for a tight film noir. But - the Fil…
Remember the Night (1940)
The Law Said She Was Bad...He Said She's Terrific! Remember the Night is another of those classic movies set at Christmastime that I absolutely love. It stars Fred MacMurray and one of my favorites - Barbara Stanwyck ! Much like Christmas in Connecticut , this film has the humor, homey-ness and nostalgia that I enjoy so much at Christmas. In a Nutshell Just before Christmas, Lee (Barbara Stanwyck) is caught shoplifting from a jeweler, making this her third offense. I'm not sure if the three strike rule was in effect back…
The Man Who Came To Dinner (1942)
So, we come to one of my favorite movies across all genre and eras - The Man Who Came to Dinner. I don't remember the first time I saw it, but I know that for years I didn't know the name of the movie, and, in the days before the internet, I just couldn't find it. That all changed when I got internet service - I have no idea when that was, but this was one of the first things I searched for. I have loved every movie Monty Woolley has been in, so this movie is a shoe-in, The Man Who Came to Dinner also stars Bette Davis and Ann…
Since You Went Away (1944)
Since You Went Away is a star-studded movie set on the home-front of World War II. This is another of those movies that's like comfort food to me, along with the likes of The Man Who Came to Dinner, The More the Merrier, and a host of Christmas classics. Among the great stars in this movie are Joseph Cotten who is one of my favorites ( Niagara and Shadow of a Doubt ), and Monty Woolley ( The Bishop's Wife and The Man Who Came to Dinner ) who always makes me smirk, thinking I'll probably end up like him - crotchety and k…
Portrait of Jenny (1948)
Portrait of Jennie was a surprisingly good movie! As much as I love old movies. .. and as long as I've been watching them, I only recently learned of this one. And I'm glad I did. Joseph Cotten is one of my favorite actors ( Shadow of a Doubt being one of my top five movies), and who doesn't like Jennifer Jones ? REVIEWS: Bosley Crowther absolutely pans this movie in his March 30, 1949 New York Times review. Here's a snippet: "...the long-bow that's drawn in the sound-track and the splurge of the final …
Ladies in Retirement (1941)
Ida Lupino Makes the Show I'm not sure why I loved this movie so much, it's a bit stark, but there's a certain charm to it. Of course it stars Ida Lupino , so that just might explain it all! It also starred Evelyn Keyes and Elsa Lanchester who also appeared in one of my all-time favorite movies, The Bishop's Wife . From Huggo on IDb : In the late nineteenth century, Ellen Creed works as the live-in companion to Miss Leonora Fiske, a retired actress who lives in the English countryside and who still retains her theatrical …
Beware, My Lovely (1952)
Beware, My Lovely is a simple, straight-forward psychological thriller set in a beautiful house at Christmastime (which makes it a great Christmas movie for me) just after World War I. It stars Robert Ryan (who plays a great psycho) and Ida Lupino - one of the greatest of all time! REVIEWS: Here's an excellent classic review by Bosley Crowther from the September 13, 1952 edition of the New York Times. Crowther doesn't seem to give much respect for this kind of movie, "clearly contrived and designed for no other p…
