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A lot of films have been described as "Grand Hotel on X." But Luxury Liner (1933) (not to be confused with Luxury Liner [1948], even if both do feature George Brent) deserves special mention, because it's based on a potboiler novel, in this case by Gina Kaus, and Paramount was undoubtedly hoping to replicate some of MGM's magic. The primary plot features Brent as a doctor whose wife has run off with a financier (Frank Morgan). Brent wangles his way into serving as the ship's doctor for the trans-Atlantic trip (his rear end failing to capsize the boat). Before long Morgan is shocked--shocked!--that his paramour did not properly clear matters with her husband before leaving him (and at any rate, Morgan has met an operatic soprano in whose...career?...he takes particular interest). The B plots feature Alice White as a steerage-class gold digger who breathlessly aspires to the A decks by any means necessary, C. Aubrey Smith as a ruined textile magnate who is kinder to White than she deserves, and a couple of medical cases who help the good doctor to see what is truly best in life (namely ship's nurse Zita Johann, who of course has a Tragic Past, with which she may finally come to terms after having met Brent). Recommended if you're not allergic to melodrama.

Our fourth precode star is handsome RICARDO CORTEZ Dolores Del Rio got caught up in his charms. So did Kay Francis. He was still charming women a few years later alongside Charlie Chan. That was in Reno.

Our fifth musical star is ALICE FAYE Her most remembered films at 20th Century Fox include LILLIAN RUSSELL (1940) And THE GREAT AMERICAN BROADCAST (1941) She also tried a non-musical, FALLEN ANGEL (1945).

The L.A. cops that I have encountered were more like these two. I asked Pete to return my weed since,, hey,,,, didn't you enjoy the stuff in The Sweet Smell of Success, and I'm also a jazz guitar player,,,, but he decided to keep-for-himself.

Pretty entertaining, if nothing very original. I always get a kick out of the villain who instead of staying as far away from the police investigation as possible keeps interfering, hoping to implicate the innocent party even further. It rarely works and if it were me I would choose the first option of keeping my big trap shut. Hiding the corpse in an empty apartment that is being renovated occurs once in a while in movies and I think it happened on Perry Mason once or twice. It is easier as a temporary cubbyhole than dragging the thing around and trying to immediatelydispose of it somewhere else. Even though Gary Merrill often looks like the initial stage of a wolfman transition, I like him as an actor. He is good playing the everyday guy with a chip on his shoulder or some other problem that he can't seem to solve. I liked him as the somewhat down at the heels cop, plus how many cops, even LA ones, are somewhat conversant with Nietzsche and Hegel. While it's a solid film, I can't put it in the same league as Rear Window. The latter is a pretty close to perfect while the former is a good take on your standard crime flick.

"You keep your shirt on and I'll go get my pants on." The Giant Claw (1957)

There are several Law & Order episodes which featured neo-Nazis. Unfortunately, global/national news seems to be filled with many of them, and the survivors of the Holocaust are dying out while those claiming it never happened are multiplying.

Nah. He was in NO WAY muscular enough! Sepiatone

I've been watching Martin Scorsese's 7 part documentary on Fran Leibowitz called PRETEND IT'S A CITY on (ick) Netflix. I really love when Scorsese chooses subjects like this to immortalize on film. To date my favorites of his are KUNDUN '97, KING OF COMEDY '82 and ITALIAN AMERICAN '74 - all brilliant time capsule, charactor studies. Scorsese does it again: taking a pretty every day normal person and showing all that's extraordinary about them. His filmmaking & editing skills of choosing what to show & how to film it are so honed at this point, he's mastered it perfectly. For the ages. This is what strong filmmaking should look like. OK, so maybe I'm biased because this world is so familiar to me, Frannie even resembles me (back when I could get a haircut) and I recognize the places & situations she's speaking about. I just love her wisdom & "take" on life; a constant complaining optimist. There are several scenes of Fran walking on the 1939 World's Fair Exhibit Map of NYC housed in the Museum at Flushing Meadows making her look like Godzilla or a goddess reining over the City. Adorable. And the music chosen is perfect, always hints NYC, classic yet sometimes edgy, no cheesy "radio" hits. A good documentary tells me something I didn't already know. While I knew a lot about Fran, I was not aware she knew Charles Mingus, a fascinating segment of her story. Thank you Marty for making something (non violent) I can enjoy.

2015 reunion of some cast members of Room 222. Denise Nicholas (guidance counselor Liz McIntyre), Karen Valentine (student teacher Alice Johnson) and Judy Strangis (shy student Helen Loomis)

The Believer (2001) Ryan Gosling as a Jewish anti-semite who joins neo nazis

That's an interesting article. Phil Spector's music was everywhere during my youth. Similar to the situation with Bill Cosby, who knew someone who brought us so much entertainment and joy could be harboring such demons.

Betrayed (1988)

Romper Stomper (1992) with a young Russell Crowe

I liked her in the Shirley Temple movie Stowaway (1936). She sings a good song "One Never Knows"

I like Alice Faye with Tyrone Power in the classic In Old Chicago. Great Twenty Century Fox movie that I haven’t seen on TCM in decades.

Had the opportunity to meet and speak with Mr. Apted after the screening of one of his "Up" films. In particular, I spoke with him about his film, "The Collection" that he'd directed with Laurence Olivier, Malcolm McDowell, Alan Bates and Helen Mirren. He was very humble and approachable.

"The Last Time I Saw Paris" is a classic, and in 1941 it had the resonance of France having fallen to the Nazis. It's a beautiful song and would have been my choice, although "Blues in the Night" is a great song, too.

Yeah yeah, I know folks. (...I should have never posted that Conqueror pic up there, huh)

Going to the Forum for a concert. Yea, the only time I was ever busted, was as a minor, going to a Blue Oyster Cult concert when L.A. had police chief Ed Davis. (most of us young punks just called him Adolf since he was hardcore). But I wasn't charged, since it was an illegal search and seizure. I just keep repeating parts of the US Constitution until my legal guardian, who was "cool" picked-me up. The cops were glad to get me out of there!

Good point, but in this case probably best explained by the thought that his character was taking night courses at UCLA in order to get his law degree. (...and among its curriculum was probably Philosophy 101)

Those are all wigs. Which means that at one time for another, he CHOSE to look like that.

Davis, Brad

“I met him on a Monday and his name was PHIL...” OH DO RUN GIRL, OH DO RUN!!! RUN!!!!!

Tuesday, January 19 10 p.m. Adam’s Rib (1949). I thought they should remake this and have it about George and Kellyanne Conway.

"Hey! I didn't marry her just because she's kind to animals, ya know!"

Here ya go, Lorna. Christopher Lloyd as Uncle Fester post his Cy Sperling encounter in that movie... (...yeah, I'd say there IS some resemblence here too, alright!)

Since the TCM online schedule doesn’t show themes anymore, it can be difficult to figure out what the common thread is throughout the day. (The TCM monthly Now Playing Newsletter still lists the themes.) It suddenly dawned on me that the daytime theme for tomorrow (Jan. 20), “Guys Named Joe,” is a tribute to Inauguration Day. (Sometimes I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer.) Here is the lineup shown in the way the programmers intended: TCM DAYTIME - GUYS NAMED JOE 06:00 AM drama Ode to Billy Joe (1976) 08:00 AM comedy Polo Joe (1936) 09:30 AM comedy The Fabulous Joe (1947) 10:45 AM war The Story of G.I. Joe (1945) 12:45 PM suspense Joe Smith, American (1942) 02:00 PM romance A Guy Named Joe (1943) 04:15 PM musical Pal Joey (1957) 06:15 PM adventure Mighty Joe Young (1949) This is followed by the “Whodunit Wednesdays” primetime theme which goes on throughout the evening.

Shaw, Teddy--Ginger Rogers in Having Wonderful Time

note: this is one of the most beautiful songs i have ever heard also note: i chose this video because the THUMBNAIL PHOTO FOR IT SPEAKS 1,000 WORDS, however the accompanying images in the video are of RONNIE and the RONETTES performing.

Richard Lindheim, Co-Creator of CBS' 'The Equalizer,' Dies at 81 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/richard-lindheim-co-creator-of-cbs-the-equalizer-dies-at-81

The Philadelphia Film Critics Circle selected the Netflix film "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" as its Best Picture of 2020. The drama, adapted from the late August Wilson's Tony Award-winning play, also won the award for Best Actress (Viola Davis as the title character). The award for Best Director went to Chloé Zhao for "Nomadland." Here is the full list of winners and runners-up: Best Picture: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom; Runner-up: Da 5 Bloods Best Director: Chloé Zhao, Nomadland; Runner-up: Kelly Reichardt, First Cow Best Actor: Delroy Lindo, Da 5 Bloods; Runner-up: Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Best Actress: Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom; Runners-up: Aubrey Plaza, Black Bear; and Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman Best Supporting Actor: Chadwick Boseman, Da 5 Bloods; Runner-up: Leslie Odom, Jr., One Night in Miami... Best Supporting Actress: Amanda Seyfried, Mank; Runner-up: Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Best Script: Kelly Reichardt and Jonathan Raymond, First Cow; Runner-up: Eliza Hittman, Never Rarely Sometimes Always Best Animated Film: Soul; Runner-up: Wolfwalkers Best Documentary: Time; Runner-up: Dick Johnson Is Dead Best Foreign Language Film: Jumbo; Runner-up: La Llorona Best Breakthrough Performance: Sidney Flanigan, Never Rarely Sometimes Always; Runner-up: Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Best Directorial Debut: Regina King, One Night in Miami...; Runner-up: Andrew Patterson, The Vast of Night Best Cinematography: Joshua James Richards, Nomadland; Runner-up: Chris Blauvelt, First Cow Best Soundtrack/Score: Soul; Runner-up: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Fascinating! Thank you! That’s really pretty wild, The suggestion that any woman would pass over George Brent in his prime for Frank Morgan!!!!! (I know we all like to kid George, but in the early 30s he was a really good looking guy)

David Richardson Dies: ‘The Simpsons’, ‘Two and a Half Men & ‘F Is For Family’ Writer-Producer Was 65 https://deadline.com/2021/01/david-richardson-dies-two-and-a-half-men-the-simpsons-f-is-for-family-writer-producer-1234675878/

Mitchum Next: Jane, Bridget and Peter

George Washington Jr. (1924)

Hey now, Tom! AT LEAST give some credit to Nip for not posting a pic of Susan and the big lug together in THIS turkey here anyway...

It's an RKO film, so it's in the TCM library and features so many big-name stars. I'm sure it'll be shown a least a few times this year.

Alexander, Ross

The "stupid minds, stupid, stupid!" sound bite was my alert sound when I was a Mac tech. I liked loading it into unsuspecting employees desktops. (that and "I want a BIG one" from this) Actually got in trouble when the boss heard that one^^ Ed Wood films are rife with stupid lines, no surprise there: "Pull The String" (wha?) and Tor's perfect line, "Time for Go To Bed"

Doris Next: Jane, Gail and Theresa

I really liked Kiss Me Kate. I just watched it for the first time early last year?? Maybe the year before? I don't even remember now. It was fairly recent, however. Normally, I'm not a fan of Kathryn Grayson. I find her singing to be very shrill and unpleasant to listen to. However, in this film, she seemed to have toned it down a smidge, or perhaps it was just less annoying in this movie. I loved Ann Miller's "Too Darn Hot" number. I especially loved her scenes with Tommy Rall, Bobby Van, and Bob Fosse. I loved Howard Keel in this movie, and there was so much more of him to see in this film o.O While I haven't seen Taming of the Shrew performed in the manner in which Shakespeare intended, I have seen 10 Things I Hate About You, also based on 'Shrew.' It was easy to draw parallels between the characters in that film and the characters in 'Kate' and I was able to keep straight who was who and what was happening in the play within the film. I actually thought that Kathryn looked great in her "play wig" and costumes. I found her "real-life" blonde wig to be very unflattering. I loved the costumes in this film and I enjoyed how colorful it was. This was a great movie, one that I had put off seeing for such a long time. Ann is really great Stage Door that she made with Lucy when she was 14. It is fascinating to see her holding her own with the likes of Lucy, Ginger Rogers, Eve Arden, and Katharine Hepburn.

Dear Betty How could you had been that naughty. Regards Bea Authur PS.. God will get you for that.

I watched "Kiss Me Kate" this afternoon for the first time. It was great! Must have had 20 songs! I recognized some parts from "That's Dancing". The movie had some great Ann Miller dancing! I love watching her dance!! I loved this part... I think Ann Miller is one of the prettiest actresses around. She began dancing at 5. She was discovered at 13 by Lucille Ball. She said she was 18. "Kiss Me Kate" also starred Kathryn Grayson. Most of the movie was shown on stage showing "The Taming of the Shrew" being acted out. Kathryn Grayson, with a red wig & heavy makeup, looked like Eleanor Parker. Lori

THE WINNING TEAM 1952

Our fourth child star is VIRGINIA WEIDLER She had lead roles in GIRL OF THE OZARKS (1936) and BAD LITTLE ANGEL (1939). She played supporting roles in THE WOMEN (1939) and THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940). In every film, on every occasion, she always put her BEST FOOT FORWARD (1943).

During the wrap-up for The Glass Key, Eddie mentioned that next weekend he would be returning to his “official Noir Alley lair” to present Barbara Stanwyck’s Witness to Murder (1954). For fans of Noir Alley trivia, I suspect this Eddie material was recorded sometime early last year. Witness to Murder was originally scheduled to be shown on Noir Alley the weekend of April 18, 2020, but was preempted when TCM changed things up for the virtual TCM Film Festival. So this presentation has probably been sitting on the shelf ever since. Regardless, as Eddie says, “you do not say no to Barbara Stanwyck!”