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ARIES Dear Aries, you are never one to back down from any sort of confrontation. But you’re now realizing that the best course of action may be to chill out before blowing up at others. This will help you find a moment of peace and then you can more successfully express your fiery and often combustible temper. TAURUS Gossip is circulating in your peer group. Yes, they’re rumors about you. But before you go full speed ahead seeing red, take a step back and breathe. Don’t panic! Find time to think about how you want to deal with these issues. GEMINI You’re feeling a little lost these days. It’s time to ponder and reflect on the goals you once had. You may decide that you want to change the direction you’re heading in, or to slow down the amount of projects you’ve started. Spend a few moments relaxing. CANCER It’s good to take the high road sometimes. But even if you know that you’re right in a situation, it’s wise to see where others are coming from, too. In other words, be aware of your role in resolving conflicts and show some empathy. Particularly with people who are close to you. LEO You’re proud. And you are learning to control your passions. Continue to assert your feelings in matters that are important to you. However, keep in mind that the viewpoints of others may not always be diametrically opposed to your own. It’s possible to achieve greater understanding, dear Leo. VIRGO Start taking back your power and standing tall. This will allow you to feel confident and strong again. Also it’s important that you shift the focus away from others who do not appreciate you or your sentiments. Give yourself all the space you need. LIBRA Fluctuations in your daily routine may be sapping too much energy from you. This ongoing state of flux means you have been feeling as if your life is spinning out of control. It may be wise to restructure your schedule. Devise plans that are realistic. You do not have to solve every single problem or rule the world. SCORPIO Set boundaries with others. Yes, this may not be easy for everyone, especially when you have difficulty maintaining limits that you require from others. But take some time and try to be honest with what you want and need. Then, you won’t find yourself in all of these sensitive predicaments! SAGITTARIUS Life is about learning to balance the relationships in your life, especially the most intense relationships. Be careful not to give your all to a partner or demand a lot of attention. Remember that being together requires a fair amount of give and take. If you are able to find a middle ground in your relationship, it will keep you both from acting foolish. CAPRICORN Okay, you are not known to be very domestic, that’s a given. But this month, you feel inclined to begin a cooking project or a sewing project to pass the time. You may even want to do your taxes by yourself this year. These projects and activities will keep you busy and productive, even when the rest of the world is in the doldrums. AQUARIUS Dear Aquarius, life is always so full of drama. But not everything is the end of the world, is it? Why not step back and count your blessing for a change. Seek out some new hobbies and make some new friends. It certainly wouldn’t hurt. PISCES You need to start facing your fears. And come up with the answer to an important question. What do you really want? Situations might cause you to choose between your actual way of life and a more suitable way to live it. Don’t fret about the unknown. Take a chance and change your old habits.

Just want to mention here that these two exceptional actors would both star a year later in the taut drama The Slender Thread. (...and one of my favorites of Mr. Poitier's...and of Miss Bancroft's, for that matter)

I like this schedule very much! My main concern is how you will break the news to Errol that you are partying down with Moondoggie.

Last night I trotted out the old chestnut ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW '76 that I usually have on Halloween because it can easily be interrupted for trick or treaters. This time I watched it through silently like my first viewing in 1976, in a virtually empty, quiet theater. I remember my reaction well, the film adaptation was so dynamic! The movie made the performances intimate (although when seeing the stage show, I was in the front row center) while expanding the experience with the marvelous sets & orchestration. While thrilled it became a Saturday Night Midnight feature at our local neighborhood "palace", I stopped going around 1980 when people started acting out in front of the screen. The movie is wonderful, I don't know why people find it "terrible". Every performance is spot on & my eyes wandered to different actors this viewing, often catching really funny emoting. I noticed Brad & Janet's bedroom sets were exactly the same set just with different lighting & noticed graffiti on the tile wall of the laboratory, never noticed before. What a 1976 audience called "cheesy" special effects were actually pretty expensive for the day (castle rising) but still gave a 50's creature feature vibe. Some effects (like the plaster/cheesecloth castings) were extremely low tech, but cleverly done retaining the feel the stage show. I especially love the Criminologist's pasted photo/text folder & classroom pull down dance steps. The songs are great, with a rockabilly feel...the 50's were very popular for newly emerging punk scene in the mid 70's. Meatloaf was spectacular, his voice was so high back then! The costuming was incredibly daring for the time and actually set the tone for Punk and later Goth, now all pretty mainstream styling. But to me, the real strength in the movie is the editing. It's sharp, succinct and never drags. The musical interludes are paced perfectly in the story. The editing prowess & humor has been overlooked because it's become so familiar, but someone had to think up the triple Dr Scott-Janet-Brad-Rocky-Silence schtick. There is a lot of camp classic film references here, but it's never a cheap shot for laughs, more of an acknowledgment of movies we loved growing up. That seems to be the universal thematic chord the film carries.

I checked out SINNER'S HOLIDAY a WARNER BROS VITAPHONE ALL-TALKING MOTION PICTURE! from 1930 on TCM ON DEMAND. [still THRILLED to PIECES that it's not OSCAR MONTH BTW...] It was worth watching for three things: 1. JAMES CAGNEY in his FILM DEBUT is SEXUAL ELECTRICITY and has, perhaps, one of his most challenging parts and scenes and he is outstanding; EVEN AT THE ONSET, IT'S CLEAR THAT IF CAGNEY IS IN THE PICTURE YOU WERE GONNA GET YER NICKEL'S WORTH!! 2. JOAN BLONDELL in an early role (maybe her first as well?)- she is a brunette but in all other respects, she is 100% the JOAN BLONDELL we all know and love- WORLD WEARY as ALL GET-OUT. JOAN BLONDELL, not here for your BS since 1930 BUT, most fascinating of all was the performance of 3. LUCILLE LAVERNE as CAGNEY'S MOTHER (and CHIEF DEFENDER)- she would later voice THE WICKED QUEEN/ THE WITCH in Disney’s SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, and her voice in SINNER'S HOLIDAY sounds MUCH like the one she uses in character as THE WITCH. You can also see that the Disney animators clearly used some of her features for THE WITCH. she is absolutely outstanding AND THE BEST THING IN THE FILM. THIS CHICK WAS HARDCORE MOST UNFORTUNATE THOUGH, IT IS TO NOTE THAT CAGNEY and BLONDELL are NOT the FILM'S LEADS, that's two UTTER DEADBEATS played by GRANT WITHERS and some broad whose name I'm not even gonna look up SHE STUNK SO BAD. They both MURDERED every minute they were on screen and it was a DAMN SHAME that it was a 60/40 split with them stealing most of the one hour screen time from JIMMY, JOAN and LUCILLE. Still an interesting film, a little slow for a Precode, but for those who also like CARNIVAL FILMS, this one will appeal to you.

Requiem for a Dream Next: Causing a Disturbance at a Wedding

This last batch of Netlix arrivals gave me three “true story” films. I had no idea. I don’t read the blurbs and I know practically nothing in advance of the films I generally watch. So this was a weird coincidence. The first one was THE DIG (1921) about a stupendous archeological find on the eve of WW2 on a field in England. Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) is an amateur excavator (though powerfully imbued with a consummate skill) is hired by Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan) to dig up her vast holding. Basil is his 60s and married and Edith is probably about 35 (in real life back then she was in her 50s) but a special and touching relationship develops between them, totally Platonic. The Authorities get wind of the find and want to take it over for the British Museum. Additional characters appear whose stories seem to dilute the significance of the beginning, including a love triangle. A sudden dumbing down of the main story line might be suspected, perhaps to recapture a viewer who might have been tiring of all the “boring” archeology. And yet the magnificence and glory of the find has effective moments of cinematic treatment. The second one I might have known the subject matter if I knew my history better. RED JOAN (2018) as a young lady had no early desire to be a radical or even a politico, but she met a guy who was and she was drawn in. The story is probably well known so I won’t say any more about that. At the outset of the story, Judi Dench is seen as a retiree living a simple life. The door knocks and she is taken in by the authorities on a charge of treason. She haltingly and reluctantly answers questions and the flashbacks that ensue make up most of the picture. There is a harsh criticism that Judi was under used as she has a relatively small amount of screen time. I disagree. Every time they left the flashback and returned to her in the question room are special moments and her weight as an actor comes through. Her character, now in her 80s, was played with restraint and intelligence. The third one deals with the inception of the Oxford Dictionary, the daunting magnitude of which finds researchers and writers in an impasse. How to continue? They find a possible savior in James Murray played oh so effectively by Mel Gibson. I haven’t see him in later films and I was nearly overcome by his magnificent looks and demeanor. Wow, Mel, who knew? Not a fave, I find his Hamlet and his Braveheart much to be desired. But here, he is astonishingly good. Murray is like Basil Brown (above), a greatly learned man but without credentials. So impressive is he, however, that they put him in charge. A parallel story and seemingly disparate story line deals with a man (Sean Penn) who shoots an innocent man by accident, who subsequently is deemed insane. The stories finally converge. The movie is The Professor and the Madman (2019). Sean Penn is equally brilliant in role not easy, in my estimation. His wild and sometimes histrionic portrayal contrasts with Gibson’s more traditional gentlemanly gravity, both equally great. All of these films have fine moments, make no mistake. But they seem to slip into sentimentality. This doesn’t ruin the movies. But it grates a little with me. I am an incorrigible lover of MasterPiece-type TV productions of the old school that told stories without the excess of sentimentality, ostentatious displays of sensationalism, overly lurid scenes and frothy film scores. These types of productions are “stuffy” to some viewers. But I was still more or less engrossed with all three films and I would recommend them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y2rlzEz0oQ /

DIPLOMANIACS ...and also ANIMANIACS THE GOLDEN CALF WIDE OPEN FACES (1938) HORSE PLAY (1933) THE SANTA CLAUSE AN AMERICAN TAIL SHANGHAI NOON SHANGHAI KNIGHTS I'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER (1934) FAMILY PLOT THE RIGHT THAT FAILED (1922) FRENCH DRESSING (1927) LOCK, STOCK, AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS FEVER PITCH BRIDE AND PREJUDICE ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS both THE SQUEAKQUEL and CHIP-WRECKED (which is why I never saw either one of these)

SPEEDRACER5's SCHEDULE Sunday, June 5 DAYTIME THEME: CHALLENGE #1: Lucille Ball, Queen of the B's at RKO 6:00am GO CHASE YOURSELF (1938) Lucille Ball, Joe Penner, Richard Lane. Dir. Edward F. Cline. RKO. 75 mins. (p/s). 7:15am THE AFFAIRS OF ANNABEL (1938) Lucille Ball, Jack Oakie, Ruth Donnelly. Dir. Ben Stoloff. RKO. 75 mins. (p/s). 8:30am NEXT TIME I MARRY (1938) Lucille Ball, James Ellison, Lee Bowman. Dir. Garson Kanin. RKO. 65 mins. (p/s). 9:45am BEAUTY FOR THE ASKING (1939) Lucille Ball, Patric Knowles, Donald Woods. Dir. Glenn Tryon. RKO. 68 mins. (p/s). DAYTIME THEME: CHALLENGE #4 Gemini Twins: Double Trouble 11:00am THE PARENT TRAP (1961) Hayley Mills, Maureen O'Hara, Brian Keith. Dir. David Swift. Disney. 124 mins. (p/s). 1:15pm KISSIN' COUSINS (1964) Elvis Presley, Arthur O'Connell, Glenda Farrell. Dir. Gene Nelson. MGM. 96 mins. (p/s). 3:00pm THE DARK MIRROR (1946) Olivia de Havilland, Lew Ayres, Thomas Mitchell. Dir. Robert Siodmak. Universal. 85 mins. (p/s). 4:30pm TWICE BLESSED (1945) Preston Foster, Lee Wilde, Lyn Wilde. Dir. Harry Beaumont. MGM. 76 mins. (p/s). 6:00pm TWINS (1988) Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, Kelly Preston. Dir. Ivan Reitman. Universal. 112 mins. PREMIERE--2006 EXEMPT PRIMETIME: Girls Trip! 8:00pm WHERE THE BOYS ARE (1960) Dolores Hart, Yvette Mimieux, Paula Prentiss. Dir. Henry Levin. MGM. 99 mins. (p/s) 9:45pm SHAG: THE MOVIE (1989) Phoebe Cates, Bridget Fonda, Annabeth Gish. Dir. Zelda Barron. Palace Pictures. 100 mins. (p/s). 11:30pm SUNKIST STARS AT PALM SPRINGS (1936) 19 mins. (p/s). SILENT SUNDAY NIGHT 12:00am GIRL SHY (1924) Harold Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston, Richard Daniels. Dir. Fred Newmeyer. Harold Lloyd Corp. 82 mins. (p/s). 1:30am HAUNTED SPOOKS (1920) Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, Wallace Howe. Dir. Alf Goulding. Hal Roach. 25 mins. (p/s). TCM IMPORT 2:00am MASCULINE FEMININE (1966) Brigitte Bardot, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Chantal Goya. Dir. Jean-Luc Gordard. Royal Films International. 103 mins. (p/s). 3:45am CONTEMPT (1964) Brigitte Bardot, Jack Palance, Michel Piccoli. Dir. Jean-Luc Godard. Embassy Pictures. 103 mins. (p/s). 5:30am SO YOU WANT TO GIVE UP SMOKING (1942) Short Film. 10 mins. (p/s). 5:45am SO YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR HAIR (1946) Short Film. 11 mins. (p/s). Monday, June 6 DAYTIME THEME: CHALLENGE #2 BAD GUYS: A Tribute to Dan Duryea 6:00am BALL OF FIRE (1941) Barbara Stanwyck, Gary Cooper, Dan Duryea. Dir. Howard Hawks. RKO. 111 mins. (p/s). 8:00am SCARLET STREET (1945) Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett, Dan Duryea. Dir. Fritz Lang. Universal. 103 mins. (p/s). 9:45am CRISS CROSS (1949) Burt Lancaster, Yvonne DeCarlo, Dan Duryea. Dir. Robert Siodmak. Universal. 88 mins. (p/s). 11:15am MINISTRY OF FEAR (1944) Ray Milland, Marjorie Reynolds, Carl Esmond. Dir. Fritz Lang. 84 mins. (p/s). DAYTIME THEME: Whirlwind WWII Romance 12:45pm THE CLOCK (1945) Judy Garland, Robert Walker, James Gleason. Dir. Vincente Minnelli. MGM. 90 mins. (p/s). 2:15pm THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU (1944) Dennis Morgan, Eleanor Parker, Dane Clark. Dir. Delmer Daves. Warner Brothers. 99 mins. (p/s). 4:00pm THE SAILOR TAKES A WIFE (1945) Robert Walker, June Allyson, Hume Cronyn. Dir. Richard Wharf. MGM. 92 mins. (p/s). 5:45pm ON THE TOWN (1949) Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Ann Miller. Dir. Gene Kelly. MGM. 98 mins. (p/s). 7:30pm MIGHTY MANHATTAN, NEW YORK'S WONDER CITY (1949) 20 mins. (p/s). PRIMETIME: BFFs Carl Reiner & Mel Brooks 8:00pm EXCAVATING THE 2000 YEAR OLD MAN (2012) Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, Bob Newhart. Dir. Matthew Buzzell. Shout! 44 mins. (p/s). 8:45pm THE PRODUCERS (1967) Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Dick Shawn. Dir. Mel Brooks. Embassy Pictures. 88 mins. (p/s). 10:15pm THE JERK (1979) Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Carl Reiner. Dir. Carl Reiner. Universal. 95 mins. PREMIERE #1 12:00am YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974) Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Madeline Kahn. Dir. Mel Brooks. Fox. 105 mins. (p/s). 1:45am DEAD MEN DON'T WEAR PLAID (1982) Steve Martin, Rachel Ward, Carl Reiner. Dir. Carl Reiner. Universal. 88 mins. (p/s). 3:15am ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS (1993) Cary Elwes, Amy Yasbeck, Patrick Stewart. Dir. Mel Brooks. Fox. 114 mins. PREMIERE #2 5:15am THE MAN WITH TWO BRAINS (1983) Steve Martin, Kathleen Turner, David Warner. Dir. Carl Reiner. Fox. 90 mins. PREMIERE #3 Tuesday, June 7 DAYTIME THEME: HURRAY FOR HOLLYWOOD! 6:45am IT'S A GREAT FEELING (1949) Dennis Morgan, Doris Day, Jack Carson. Dir. David Butler. Warner Brothers. 85 mins. (p/s). 8:15am SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS (1942) Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake, Robert Warwick. Dir. Preston Sturges. Paramount. 91 mins. (p/s). 10:00am JAILHOUSE ROCK (1957) Elvis Presley, Judy Tyler, Mickey Shaughnessy. Dir. Richard Thorpe. MGM. 96 mins. (p/s) 11:45am MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (1949) Terry Moore, Ben Johnson, Robert Armstrong. Dir. Ernest B. Schoedsack. RKO. 94 mins. (p/s). 1:30pm INSIDE DAISY CLOVER (1965) Natalie Wood, Christopher Plummer, Robert Redford. Dir. Robert Mulligan. Warner Brothers. 128 mins. (p/s). 3:45pm VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1967) Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, Sharon Tate. Dir. Mark Robson. Fox. 122 mins. (p/s). 6:00pm THE MUPPET MOVIE (1979) Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear, Animal. Dir. James Frawley. Associated Films. 97 mins. (p/s). 7:45pm LOS ANGELES "WONDER CITY OF THE WEST" (1935) 8 mins. (p/s). PRIMETIME: TCM SPOTLIGHT: European Vacations 8:00pm SUMMERTIME (1955) Katharine Hepburn, Rossano Brazzi, Isa Miranda. Dir. David Lean. 100 mins. (p/s) 9:45pm ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953) Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert. Dir. William Wyler. Paramount. 118 mins. (p/s). 11:45pm UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN (2003) Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, Lindsay Duncan. Dir. Audrey Wells. Walt Disney Studios. 113 mins. PREMIERE #4 1:45am GIDGET GOES TO ROME (1963) Cindy Carol, James Darren, Jessie Royce Landis. Dir. Paul Wendkos. Columbia. 103 mins. (p/s). 3:30am COME SEPTEMBER (1961) Rock Hudson, Gina Lollobrigida, Sandra Dee. Dir. Robert Mulligan. Universal. 112 mins. (p/s). 5:30am VISITING ITALY (1951) James A. Fitzpatrick. 7 mins. (p/s). 5:45am ROMANTIC RIVIERA (1951) James A. Fitzpatrick. 8 mins. (p/s). Wednesday, June 8 DAYTIME THEME: Be Still My Heart, Happy Birthday Moondoggie! 6:00am GIDGET (1959) Sandra Dee, James Darren, Cliff Robertson. Dir. Paul Wendkos. Columbia. 95 mins. (p/s). 7:45am FOR THOSE WHO THINK YOUNG (1964) James Darren, Pamela Tiffin, Woody Woodbury. Dir. Leslie H. Martinson. United Artists. 96 mins. (p/s). 9:30am THE LIVELY SET (1964) James Darren, Pamela Tiffin, Doug Mcclure. Dir. Jack Arnold. Universal. 95 mins. PREMIERE #5 11:15am GIDGET GOES HAWAIIAN (1961) James Darren, Michael Callan, Deborah Walley. Dir. Paul Wendkos. Columbia. 102 mins. DAYTIME THEME: "...So Kiss a Little Longer...Hold hands a little longer..." 1:00pm KISS ME KATE (1953) Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ann Miller. Dir. George Sidney. MGM. 111 mins. (p/s). 3:00pm KISS THE BLOOD OFF MY HANDS (1948) Joan Fontaine, Burt Lancaster, Robert Newton. Dir. Norman Foster. Universal. 79 mins. PREMIERE #6 4:30pm KISS TOMORROW GOODBYE (1950) James Cagney, Barbara Payton, Helena Carter. Dir. Gordon Douglas. Warner Bros. 102 mins. (p/s). 6:15pm KISS OF DEATH (1947) Richard Widmark, Coleen Gray, Victor Mature. Fox. 101 mins. (p/s). PRIMETIME THEME: CHALLENGE#3 BEN MANKIEWICZ' PICKS 8:00pm CASABLANCA (1942) Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid. Dir. Michael Curtiz. Warner Brothers. 102 mins. (p/s). 9:45pm CITIZEN KANE (1941) Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore. Dir. Orson Welles. RKO. 119 mins. (p/s). 11:45pm ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (1976) Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jason Robards Jr., Dir. Alan J. Pakula. Warner Brothers. 138 mins. (p/s). 2:30am PATHS OF GLORY (1958) Kirk Douglas, Adolphe Menjou, Ralph Meeker. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. United Artists. 86 mins. (p/s). 4:00am ACE IN THE HOLE (1951) Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling, Bob Arthur. Dir. Billy Wilder. Paramount. 119 mins. (p/s) Thursday, June 9 DAYTIME THEME: "Join Me, Perhaps You May Be Able to Help Solve a Mystery" 6:00am THE THIN MAN (1934) William Powell, Myrna Loy, Maureen O'Sullivan. Dir. W.S. Van Dyke. MGM. 80 mins. (p/s). 7:30am THE CANARY MURDER CASE (1929) William Powell, Louise Brooks, Jean Athur. Dir. Malcolm St. Clair. Paramount. 80 mins. PREMIERE #7 9:00am THE HOUND OF BASKERVILLES (1939) Basil Rathbone, Richard Greene, Nigel Bruce. Dir. Sidney Lanfield. Fox. 80 mins. (p/s). 10:30am NANCY DREW AND THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE (1939) Bonita Granville, Frankie Thomas, John Litel. Dir. William Clemens. Warner Brothers. 60 mins. (p/s). 11:30am FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK (1941) Errol Flynn, Brenda Marshall, Ralph Bellamy. Dir. Lloyd Bacon. Warner Brothers. 96 mins. (p/s). 1:15pm THE MALTESE FALCON (1941) Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre. Dir. John Huston. Warner Brothers. 100 mins. (p/s). 3:00pm MURDER MY SWEET (1944) Dick Powell, Claire Trevor, Anne Shirley. Dir. Edward Dmytryk. RKO. 95 mins. (p/s). 4:45pm LAURA (1944) Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb. Dir. Otto Preminger. Fox. 88 mins. (p/s). 6:15pm KISS ME DEADLY (1955) Ralph Meeker, Albert Dekker, Paul Stewart. Dir. Robert Aldrich. United Artists. 104 mins. (p/s). PRIMETIME: STAR OF THE MONTH: ROBERT STACK 8:00pm WRITTEN ON THE WIND (1957) Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack. Dir. Douglas Sirk. Universal. 92 mins. (p/s). 9:45pm THE TARNISHED ANGELS (1958) Rock Hudson, Robert Stack, Dorothy Malone. Dir. Douglas Sirk. Universal. 91 mins. (p/s). 11:30pm AIRPLANE! (1980) Robert Hays, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack. Dir. David Zucker. Paramount. 88 mins. (p/s). 1:00am TO BE OR NOT TO BE (1942) Carole Lombard, Jack Benny, Robert Stack. Dir. Ernst Lubitsch. United Artists. 99 mins. (p/s). 2:45am THE LAST VOYAGE (1960) Robert Stack, Dorothy Malone, George Sanders. Dir. Andrew L. Stone. MGM. 91 mins. (p/s). 4:30am SABRE JET (1953) Robert Stack, Coleen Gray, Richard Arlen. Dir. Louis King. 90 mins. (p/s). Friday, June 10 DAYTIME THEME: Judy Garland's 100th Birthday 6:00am A STAR IS BORN (1954) Judy Garland, James Mason, Jack Carson. Dir. George Cukor. Warner Brothers. 154mins. (p/s) 8:45am ZIEGFELD GIRL (1941) James Stewart, Judy Garland, Lana Turner. Dir. Robert Z. Leonard. MGM. 131 mins. (p/s). 11:00AM FOR ME AND MY GAL (1942) Judy Garland, George Murphy, Gene Kelly. Dir. Busby Berkeley. MGM. 104 mins. (p/s). 12:45pm EASTER PARADE (1948) Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Peter Lawford. Dir. Charles Walters. MGM. 103 mins. 2:30pm STRIKE UP THE BAND (1940) Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, June Preisser. Dir. Busby Berkeley. MGM. 120 mins. (p/s). 4:30pm BABES ON BROADWAY (1942) Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Fay Bainter. Dir. Busby Berkeley. MGM. 118 mins. (p/s). 6:30pm THOROUGHBREADS DON'T CRY (1937) Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Sophie Tucker. Dir. Alfred E. Green. 80 mins. (p/s). PRIMETIME: Judy Garland 100th Birthday 8:00pm THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger. Dir. Victor Fleming. MGM. 101 mins. (p/s) 9:45pm MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944) Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor. Dir. Vincente Minnelli. MGM. 113mins. (p/s) 11:45pm MATCH YOUR MOOD (1968) 7 mins. (p/s). UNDERGROUND: Space Babes 12:00am BARBARELLA (1968) Jane Fonda, John Phillip Law, Anita Pallenberg. Dir. Roger Vadim. Paramount. 98 mins. (p/s). 1:45am CAT-WOMEN OF THE MOON (1953) Sonny Tufts, Victor Jory, Marie Windsor. Dir. Arthur Hilton. Astor Pictures. 64 mins. PREMIERE--EXEMPT 3:00am QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE (1958) Zsa Zsa Gabor, Eric Fleming, Lisa Davis. Dir. Edward Bernds. Allied Artists. 80 mins. (p/s). 4:30am FIRE MAIDENS OF OUTER SPACE (1956) Anthony Dexler, Susan Shaw, Paul Carpenter. Dir. Seymour Roth. Topaz Film. PREMIERE--EXEMPT Saturday, June 11, 2022 DAYTIME THEME: Here Comes the Bride 6:00am JUNE BRIDE (1948) Bette Davis, Robert Montgomery, Fay Bainter. Dir. Bretaigne Windust. Warner Bros. 97 mins. (p/s). 7:45am FATHER OF THE BRIDE (1950) Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett, Elizabeth Taylor. Dir. Vincente Minnelli. MGM. 93 mins. (p/s). 9:30am SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (1954) Howard Keel, Jane Powell, Russ Tamblyn. Dir. Stanley Donen. MGM. 103 mins. (p/s). 11:15am THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987) Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright. Dir. Rob Reiner. Fox. 100 mins. PREMIERE #8 DAYTIME THEME: Marriage Troubles 1:00pm TWO FOR THE ROAD (1967) Audrey Hepburn, Albert Finney, Eleanor Bron. Dir. Stanley Donen. Fox. 112 mins. (p/s). 3:00pm THE MARRYING KIND (1952) Judy Holliday, Aldo Ray, Madge Kennedy. Dir. George Cukor. Columbia. 93 mins. (p/s). 4:45pm WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (1966) Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal. Dir. Mike Nichols. Warner Brothers. 131 mins. (p/s). 7:00pm HOLLYWOOD MY HOMETOWN (1965) Ken Murray. 52 mins. (p/s). PRIMETIME: THE ESSENTIALS: Saturday Night Fever 8:00pm SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (1977) John Travolta, Karen Lynn Gorney, Barry Miller. Dir. John Badham. Paramount. 119 mins. (p/s). 10:00pm GREASE (1978) John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing. Dir. Randal Kleiser. Paramount. 110 mins. (p/s). NOIR ALLEY: Ann Savage 12:00am DETOUR (1945) Tom Neal, Ann Savage, Claudia Drake. Dir. Edgar G. Ulmer. PRC Pictures. 68 mins. (p/s) 1:45am MIDNIGHT MANHUNT (1945) William Gargan, Ann Savage, Leo Gorcey. Dir. William C. Thomas. Paramount. 64 mins. PREMIERE #9 3:00am RENEGADE GIRL (1946) Alan Curtis, Ann Savage, Edward Brophy. Dir. William Berke. Affiliated Productions. 65 mins. PREMIERE #10 4:15am PYGMY ISLAND (1950) Johnny Weissmuller, Ann Savage, David Bruce. Dir. William Berke. Columbia. 69 mins. (p/s). 5:30am THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF TUPPERWARE (1959) 29 mins. (p/s).

Coach

I, CLAUDIUS

I had lots of sympathy for the protagonist, seeing the spot he was in, and how one thing led to another, even with the gruesome disposal of the body. But when he wrote that ransom note he lost that sympathy to a large degree. Good to see such a rare and interesting film on Noir Alley.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDGE ROY BEAN (1972)

Don't forget "All in the Family" adding little Stephanie when Mike and Gloria moved on.

Barry Levinson too. He worked on Carol Burnett's variety show.

Warner Baxter was getting to be too old to chase and fight criminals in the late 40s with the Crime Doctor serial. He was having health issues when he made the last one, The Crime Doctor's Diary in 1949, and passed at the age of 62, 3 years later.

What about Stallone in "The Expendables?" And, I don't know if I got this right or not, but wasn't a big reason for "The Rifleman" to go off the air was age. Johnny Crawford was turning into a teen and he wasn't that little kid so reliant on his Pa anymore? Seems like I read that somewhere.

GOMER PYLE U.S.M.C.

LASSIE

♍ ☠️ ♉ 💐 ♊ 🏹

Nero Wolfe

This reminds me of a scene in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) Blanche (Vivien Leigh) wonders about Stanley's (Marlon Brando) astrological sign. Blanche: "I bet you were born under Aries. Aries people are forceful and dynamic. They love to bang things around." Stella tells Blanche Stanley was born five minutes after Christmas. Blanche: "Capricorn! The Goat!" In the play (cut from the film) Blanche says she was born under the sign of Virgo the Virgin. Stanley: "Hah!"

The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams

http://pre-code.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/BlackCat193412.png My favorite of his performances was in The Black Cat (1934), his character was more emotional and humorous then his other standard horror film hero types.

Hardcastle & McCormick

EVERY DAY'S A HOLIDAY

DR. MONICA

Dirk Bogarde Next: The Lady Eve (1942) Heaven Can Wait (1943) The Paradine Case (1947) Monkey Business (1952) Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

ELLERY QUEEN

Quincy, M.E.

Hey, all I know about this is that even as big a jerk as Alan Brady was, he kept the same three writers on HIS show for five seasons. (...but other than that.....)

The Guns of Will Sonnett

Trapper John M.D.

Mama's Family

SAMSON AND DELILAH (1949)

Sanford and Son

Charlie's Angels

DR KILDARE

THE SAINT

Another movie, like Frankenstein (1931), that is a victim of its own success. It spawned an entire genre of take-offs and sequels, fun enough to watch in their own right, but which were essentially campy exploitation that robbed the original of due respect for its more sober elements. A fine movie, exciting, well-crafted, and at times moving. The identification of the scientist (Dr. Serizawa) who develops the doomsday weapon with the monster, who both share the same fate, sends a powerful cautionary message. Its open discussion of atomic weapons and parallels with Hiroshima and Nagasaki must have been a shock to Japanese audiences. The monster's morphing from destroyer to ally and protector of the Japanese people, notwithstanding his continual leveling of Tokyo, must be a way for them to feel in control over the horror of nuclear weapons.

EDISON THE MAN

Have you seen THE UNFAITHFUL WIFE? A fave that I go back to from time to time. Shephane Audran has been around and never really disappoints. But it is the work of Michel Bouquet that enthralls. He has a sort of Olivier manner about him. He has much more to do than Shephane. His answer to the possibility that his wife has stepped out in very much in the Hitchcockian vein and plays out accordingly, very engrossing.

Have you seen I SEE A DARK STRANGER, that she made right after VACATION ? .... She is somewhat unrecognizable there but not in the same sense, The dowdiness is not there but she appears so young that I had to look twice to make sure. Some of early films are like that. It didn't take long for her grow out of this "young girl" phase and to grow into how we normally see her in later films. I am mesmerized by her in STRANGER. She falls into a rather dangerous political situation and she is continually preoccupied what she should do (like a fish out of water) as the story progresses, and as a result we get a lot close-ups and facial acting. I love Deborah Kerr. Robert Donat in VACATION, who plays sophistication so well finds a notch something below that, at least early on, when he comes across as a sort of stumble bum. Deborah does look different early on, she too is imbued with, well, what you said, dowdy. A way in both actors to suggest estrangement, though it's not immediately clear at the time. I love the movie.

I watched some of COFFY (1972) on TCM last night. I love that movie. It's good... and bad.

Peppertree, Mary - Deanna Durbin in For the Love of Mary

Watched "Quick Money" this morning on TCM -- a 1937 comedy with only a couple of names still remembered today (Hattie McDaniel and Jack Carson, neither of whom in a lead role here), about a guy returning to his home town ostensibly to build a resort but a small group of citizens suspects something's up. This is the kind of obscure film I love discovering on TCM, this one featuring some great satire on small town American life.

From February 20-23, 1921, the Poli ran Bunty Pulls the Strings, starring Leatrice Joy as Bunty Biggar, Russell Simpson as Tammas Biggar, and Raymond Hatton as Weelum. The film was released in January of 1921, at seven reels, and is presumed lost. Plot: In a Scottish village, Bunty Biggar keeps house for her father Tammas ever since his wife died. One of Bunty’s brothers is in the city, while the other is still at home. Susie Simpson, a widow, has designs on Tammas. She places some money in his care to win his favor. Susie’s nephew Weelum is in love with Bunty, but he hasn’t enough money yet to marry the girl. When Tammas discovers his oldest son has stolen some money, he gives the boy the money that Susie left with him. Tammas’ childhood sweetheart, Eelen Dunlop, appears at the Biggar home. When Susie learns who she is, she asks Tammas for her money back. Then Bunty “pulls the strings” to save the situation. She gives her father the savings that she and Weelum had accumulated, to replace the debt. It is then discovered that Susie had cheated Weelum out of his inheritance. Susie is forced to make restitution and a double wedding takes place – Weelum and Bunty, and Tammas and Eelen. The only stills I could find are scenes with Leatrice Joy and Raymond Hatton: The film was based upon a successful stage production of the same name, written by Graham Moffatt. Critics generally praised the movie. Picture-Play Magazine wrote that the film was “so pretty, so genteel, and refined that it could be shown at any church on a Sunday night.” Motion Picture News noted “the selection of exteriors or rather the building of exteriors is a revelation in detail and correct atmosphere. The incident provided is excellent, with many a good, clean comedy bit, captioned by clever titles, some from the original play. Acting honors and opportunity in the various roles are pretty equally divided.” Photoplay remarked “come awa’ to this quaint little Scotch village (nestling perhaps in the Hollywood hills though you’d never suspect it) and forget modern mysteries and problem plays and sex trash. … it is an appealing story, well directed and convincingly portrayed by an excellent cast.” Wid’s Daily added that the film was “really pleasing entertainment” with “fine Scotch atmosphere and some good touches of humor.” Some of the exterior shots are shown below: Also on the bill was the team of Sam Dody and Henry Burman, performing a musical skit entitled “Italian Topics and Tunes.” They were described as having “one of the best w o p acts in vaudeville.”

Last night I watched Alimony (1949), with Martha Vickers, John Beal, and Hillary Brooke. This "B" noir \ crime film was OK. Since I'm a big fan of Martha Vickers I did enjoy the scenes she was in, and felt she did a fine job as a selfish gal out to make it anyway she can. Hillary Brooke was also good as the nice girl. John Beal was the disappointment. He just didn't have enough juice and there were too many scenes were he was the main actor with other supporting players (who were a lot more interesting than he was), such as Leonid Kinskey (bartender in Casablanca). Douglass Dumbrille, know for his slimy character roles was the best actor in the film, playing,,, no surprise a slimy lawyer like he did in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town. Beal has two playing piano \ singing scenes, and frankly he stunk. At only 70 minuities it was worth the time, and Martha looked very beautiful.

I still haven't seen nearly enough Claude Chabrol films and have liked most of those I've seen. A double tour (French title means "twice locked"; film is sometimes called Leda in English), is an exception. I wouldn't want to see it again. Visually it is interesting, as Chabrol and the gifted cinematographer Henri Decae create and explore the house of a painter, Leda, played by Antonella Lualdi. The script, however, is a disaster. We're supposed to hate the bourgeois family, especially the mother, yet the mother never does anything that merits our hatred. She's a devout Catholic and won't give her husband a divorce, but that's scarcely a reason for the audience to hate her. I think we're supposed to see Kovacs, the character played by Jean-Paul Belmondo, sympathetically as someone who tries to expose and break up this bourgeois family, but he's so utterly obnoxious that I was ready to convert to Catholicism and go to Mass three times a day. A murder mystery plot occurs, but not well-done, and the identity of the murderer is obvious long before the welcome end of the film. A double tour, Chabrol's third film, after Le beau Serge and Les cousins, is somewhat interesting as a step along Chabrol's path to much better films. The very next film, Les bonnes femmes, gets the tone right, gets all the elements right, as far as I'm concerned.

I just watched last month's TCM recording of VACATION FROM MARRIAGE '45 starring Deborah Kerr & Robert Donat: I don't know what I was thinking- maybe because of the title-but was expecting a screwball type comedy. I love Deborah Kerr and knew a movie directed by A Korda would be a visual treat at least. Boy, was I surprised! I didn't even recognize Kerr in the first 20 minutes, she played Cathy, a young but dowdy, timid housewife. She was married to Donat (Robert both really & charactor) who was equally timid, a milquetoast. WW2 breaks out, and both Cathy & Robert are enlisted. They face all that's thrown at them heroically. They meet people, see things, expanding themselves. Three years later, the War's over and they face being reunited, dreading it, knowing how much they have changed. I have to interject here, because of the lockdown, my partner & I have been separated since Jan 1 2020 and we are facing similar circumstance! It's actually reassuring to know this is nothing new. 😎 I won't spoil the ending for you, it's a super great one told with symbolism & heart. Very British. The photography is magnificent, I believe some of the footage was filmed in London showing lots of rubble & damage. The photography was beautiful and the story edited well. Adorable Glynis Johns who's still with us btw (97!) is a standout and exemplifies the term "supporting actor" I've really come to appreciate her talent the more I see her. Wow-still gorgeous!