Much of my information came from online sources (listed below) and the book pictured here, Anthony Slide’s Eccentrics of Comedy. Originally, my plan had been to thrill you all with a quick one-two punch, er, I mean series, of El Brendel-related posts. That is, until my plans were waylaid by an uncooperative fact that involved…
Turner Classic Birdman
Well, hello there, handsome! Before I begin, I’d like to call attention my new layout, if you haven’t noticed it already. This terrific blog design is courtesy Kathy at Moxie. They’ve designed several blogs I enjoy, and were kind enough to take my little personal blog as a client. I couldn’t be happier with the…
Just Imagine (1930)
In July I participated in the 2007 Blogathon for charity. During the 24-hour Blogathon I “live blogged” two movies, one of which was “Just Imagine” (1930). I didn’t finish it that night, so I decided to finally do the film justice and finish it here. You can read my two Blogathon entries about “Just Imagine”…
Sullivan’s Travels (1941)
“Sullivan’s Travels” (1941) is an unconventional comedy directed by Preston Sturges. Not a great hit in its day, the movie has since seen a renewal of interest and is considered by many to be one of Sturges’ greatest films. I, however, consider it to be a confusing mess. Like most of my movie posts, this…
The Maltese Falcon
The Maltese Falcon was, of course, a novel before it was a film. Written by Dashiell Hammett and published in 1930, the novel was used as the basis of a film three times between 1931 and 1941. The first film, “The Maltese Falcon” (1931), starred Ricardo Cortez and Bebe Daniels, two mainstays of the silent…
Gloria Grahame
Much of my information on Gloria Grahame comes from the excellent book Suicide Blonde: The Life of Gloria Grahame by Vincent Curcio. I definitely recommend this book for fans of Grahame. It’s out of print, but used copies can be found online in several stores. Grahame was a beautiful, troubled actress with a unique style…
The Big Heat (1953)
The Big Heat (1953, dir. Fritz Lang) is the quintessential classic 1950s film noir. The film begins, as they say, at the beginning: The suicide of a police officer and his hard, greedy widow looking to cash in while the body is literally still warm. She reads the cop’s suicide note and calls crime boss…
In the Background: Mrs. Potter
This post originally appeared on my previous blog in 2007, and was moved to SBBN in 2008. In October, 2008, I received a lovely email from Harry Morgan and Eileen Detchon’s grandson Jeremy Morgan, who confirmed that the photo of Mildred Potter in “M*A*S*H” is indeed his grandmother, Eileen Detchon. I would like to again…
Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies (2001)
Based on the excellent A. Scott Berg biography Goldwyn: A Biography, made-for-TV documentary “Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies” (2001) tells the life and career of Samuel Goldwyn, legendary movie producer. The book, published in 1989, is a lengthy and detailed account, while remaining highly readable and entertaining. Berg was also one of the credited…
Wings (1927)
Charles “Buddy” Rogers, Clara Bow and Richard Arlen in Wings (1927) Eighty years ago today the silent movie classic Wings premiered to general audiences. Wings, directed by William Wellman and starring Clara Bow at the height of her career, originally premiered on April 12, 1927, at the Criterion Theater in New York, four months…