Jupiter’s Darling (1955)
Esther Williams always knew her career wasn’t permanent. So when the quality of her films hit a certain level she walked away, and it’s all Jupiter’s Darling’s fault. The film … Continue Reading Jupiter’s Darling (1955)
25 Days of Christmas: O. Henry’s Full House (1952)
Originally published December 2nd, 2011 This is an odd one to group with Marilyn movies as she’s literally in it for a minute (I’d say less but I didn’t time … Continue Reading 25 Days of Christmas: O. Henry’s Full House (1952)
25 Days of Christmas: A Christmas Carol (1951)
Originally published December 8th, 2014 I was wary of watching any versions of A Christmas Carol this year after I did an entire month of various adaptations for my old … Continue Reading 25 Days of Christmas: A Christmas Carol (1951)
Ticklish Business Episode #31: House on Haunted Hill (1959)
How appropriate that our 31st episode comes out on Halloween night. In the last of four special Halloween episodes I talk to writer Kimberly Pierce about William Castle’s House on Haunted Hill (1959).
Father of the Bride (1950)
A camera points to the ground, gliding along to show the chaos of a recent event, the ground littered in detritus. Has the house been looted? Is this the scene … Continue Reading Father of the Bride (1950)
Woman on the Run (1950)
Flicker Alley debuts two brand-new restorations this week with the DVD/Blu-ray combo release of Too Late for Tears (1949) and Woman on the Run (1950). Public domain victims whose copies … Continue Reading Woman on the Run (1950)
Johnny Guitar (1954)
The 1950s is easily the decade where the Western thrived. Captured in expansive CinemaScope, the Wild West never looked wilder. But with so many cowpokes roaming the range it was … Continue Reading Johnny Guitar (1954)
The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
Oft-considered one of the greatest film noirs ever made, John Huston’s The Asphalt Jungle is a story about the perils of city life…with the added bonus of a jewel heist. John … Continue Reading The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
Kansas City Confidential (1952)
Despite the ingrained conventions of film noir some films can leave you surprised. So it is with director Phil Karlson’s Kansas City Confidential. What starts as a typical heist film … Continue Reading Kansas City Confidential (1952)
The Girl Most Likely (1958)
The liminal threshold between the 1950s and 1960s seems as distinct as to be a literal crevasse between the two decades, and the clearest divide comes through in the cinema … Continue Reading The Girl Most Likely (1958)
5 Things I Noticed (and Loved) About Some Like It Hot
I was fortunate to see Some Like It Hot (1959) on the big screen Sunday, courtesy of Park Circus, as part of TCM and Fathom Events’ series. I took along … Continue Reading 5 Things I Noticed (and Loved) About Some Like It Hot
The Alligator People (1959)
As the ’50s came to a close the creature feature slammed into the wall with all the force of a wet washrag. Studio bosses tended to assume blending a person … Continue Reading The Alligator People (1959)
North by Northwest (1959)
If you’ve looked at my previous coverage on Alfred Hitchcock then you’re aware of the glaring omissions in his filmography for me. Well, cross one of the biggies off the … Continue Reading North by Northwest (1959)
An Affair to Remember (1957)
Modern day romantic films have salted me on the romances of the classics. Raised on a steady diet of reductive and trite ways to “win” someone’s heart can leave one … Continue Reading An Affair to Remember (1957)
Fridays With Debbie Reynolds: Susan Slept Here (1954)
Though it gave Debbie Reynolds her greatest performance to date, Singin’ in the Rain (1952) wasn’t a monster hit upon release and the quality of the films she made in its … Continue Reading Fridays With Debbie Reynolds: Susan Slept Here (1954)
Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
TCM couldn’t have foreseen the death of actress Debbie Reynolds when they scheduled Singin’ in the Rain to kick off their 2017 Fathom Events series. Watching the film knowing Reynolds is gone … Continue Reading Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
