scsu1975

That was strange. The case is still unsolved, but that guy might as well have had the word "guilty" on his forehead they way he was singled out. Since the film was based on a Reader's Digest article (written some twenty years after the murder), maybe its author had an alternative theory which was worked into the film. By the way, even though Jane Wyatt was only in a few scenes, she looked really good ... I don't know if I'm getting old, or more appreciative. The public defender was played by George Petrie, who appeared in several of The Honeymooners episodes. The actual public defender, Robert DeForest, died in 1959.

I like Henry Fonda's speech in The Grapes of Wrath: "Wherever there's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there ... with a smartphone recording it."

Agreed. More special effects, fantasy, comic book stuff, etc. Saw the trailer for Dunkirk. Might be worth a look because I like history, but doubt if audiences will flock to see it.

Yes, and the court recorder kept the first Lincoln Log.

The courtroom scenes in An American Tragedy and A Place in the Sun are both pretty ludricrous, if that counts.

Hidden Figures (now playing in theaters) True story of three African-American women who worked for NASA on the Mercury program in the early 1960s. Solid performances by all, some laugh-out-loud scenes, and some very emotional moments. An important look back at the civil rights issues of the time period. The climax is a bit Apollo 13ish, and I’m fairly certain some scenes were embellished, but who cares. You should walk away from this film smiling, maybe even a bit choked up. You don’t need to understand the mathematics to enjoy the flick (but I admit, it was fun to hear some concepts I haven’t heard since my college days). The theater was almost full, with people of all ages. I was particularly happy to see some kids there, as there is much for them to take away from this film. Twice during the movie the audience broke into applause, and then applauded at the end credits as well. I don’t recall the last time I heard that at a film. And I did not see a cell phone light up the whole time. Truly a miracle.

Gets your old propeller spinning, does she?

And two Wrights make a plane

So apparently Wong was right for the part?

I'm a bit suspicious of an author who refers to Linda Darnell as a "newcomer."

Invasion USA (1952) youtube A bunch of people are in a bar, when tv reporter Gerald Mohr strolls in and starts asking everyone how they feel about a “universal draft.” Well, personally, I’m always a little chilly. The other characters in the bar consist of Peggie Castle, Dan O’Herlihy (as “Mr. Ohman” – omen, get it????), and some other clowns you don’t care about. In short order, there is an announcement that the enemy has attacked Alaska, and Sarah Palin saw them coming. The enemy quickly bomb Washington and Oregon (stock footage), but the residents are already so bombed they have no idea what is going on. San Francisco is next (stock footage), and the only survivor is Colin Kaepernick, whose ‘fro defects a missile. Hey, just rig the election, save the bombs. Meanwhile, back at the bar Mohr gets the hots for Castle. Mohr discovers that “hey, we’re going to be incinerated any day now” is a pretty good pickup line. New York City is bombed (stock footage) while Mohr and Castle stand outside the bar and watch. Washington D.C. is invaded and the Capitol is taken over. Wait, that’s actually going to happen, isn’t it? The commies take over the radio station: “The people’s government of America will take the wealth from the greedy, the speculators, and the capitalistic bourgeoisie, and distribute it among the workers whose labor will never again be exploited for the benefit of the warmongers of Wall Street,” declares Comrade Bernie Sandersovich. This film needs less of Mohr and more of Castle. The film also features two Lois Lanes, but no Superman. Gerry explains chess to Peggie, and offers to show her what “castling” means.

Don't forget "lose" and "loose."

Shakespeare had one of the worst hamlet's I've ever seen.

That was George W. Bush

Here she is, from 1916:

I get Smithsonian. It was a very interesting article. And the film is very good. The priest's murder took place in the city where I was born, Bridgeport CT. The case is still open. The movie was filmed in Stamford CT, as I recall. Recently, one of the local theaters showed it, but I couldn't get to see it. One clarification on the article: the author states that the murder took place at Main Street and High Street. While this is true, you will not find High Street on any recent maps. The street no longer exists, as the area was developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Do you also enjoy playing "Where's Waldo?"

Rocket Attack USA (1958) youtube This stinkeroo foists on us the premise that when the Reds launched Sputnik, it was the beginning of the end for the United States. The “Central Intelligence Group” sends a secret agent to Moscow to stop the Russkies from launching an ICBM. The agent is flown into the middle of nowhere, and the narrator tells us it will take our hero 1-5 weeks to reach Moscow. That’s the kind of time frame to expect from a cable company. The soon-to-be-dead agent hooks up with his contact, a soon-to-be-dead blonde babe who is worming secrets out of Boris Yeltsin (or some other drunk). The agent waits in the closet while the spy “does her thing,” shall we say. Now we get a suspenseful scene where the two agents attempt to destroy the missile, guarded by one guy. They fail miserably. Most of this takes place in almost total darkness, so we are spared the sight of the crummy acting. The missile is launched. Switch to New York City, where we are introduced to a few characters whom we know are going to be incinerated shortly. A radio announcer comes on the air and tells New Yorkers they are about to be fried. “Follow these instructions if you can’t get underground,” he says. “Cover yourself with wet newspaper and lie still until the blast has subsided. Don’t touch or eat anything and above all keep calm and follow instructions.” Translation: “Bend over, put your head between your legs, and kiss your *** goodbye.” The only recognizable face in the cast is Art Metrano, who has a bit towards the end. Metrano achieved some fame in the 1970s doing a magician schtick. “Da da dada … da da da … da da dada …dada da da ...” If you must watch this thing, I recommend taking a strong emetic, so you can get your lunch and this film out of your system at the same time.

I wasn't aware that Vladimir Putin worked for TCM.

Sunday 2 am ET: Terminal Island (1973) Synopsis: Civil War breaks out between the inmates on an island prison. Dir: Stephanie Rothman Cast: Phyllis Davis , Don Marshall , Ena Hartman Tom Selleck is in this, along with Roger E. Mosley, both of whom would later star in the tv series Magnum P.I. I don't recall the film being very good, but I do recall that Phyllis Davis looks great naked.

I remember seeing this several years ago, and I believe it is now on youtube. Helen Gardner is a bit plump as Cleopatra. On the other hand, she was an early pioneer in filmmaking, so it's worth a look.

Tor is really getting tor-tured tonight.

I gotta tell you, Jolson looks terrible in that photo.

Apparently the spammers are running out of ideas. When they run out of "first names" to call their threads, may I suggest they start using counting numbers? Last time I checked, there were an infinite number of those.

If it only took a second for this girl to become a woman, the guy wasn't doing it correctly.