The podcast devoted to Old Hollywood
Hollywood wasn’t betting on the massive success of a piddly little RKO adventure film starring the likes of Chester Morris and Lucille Ball. But when director John Farrow’s measly $225,000 … Continue Reading Five Came Back (1939)
ORIGINALLY POSTED JANUARY 2013 I haven’t watched Rebecca in a few years, so at this point I’m declaring that Notorious is my favorite Alfred Hitchcock film (at the moment). There’s … Continue Reading Notorious (1946)
Following the painstakingly tense Shadow of a Doubt (1943) with The Man Who Knew Too Much was always a gamble, especially since things worked together so perfectly in the last film. But … Continue Reading The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
As you wade through the inky underworld of film noir, it’s hard to find surprises after a while; Where the Sidewalk Ends is one such noir. Dana Andrews and Karl … Continue Reading Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)
You gotta love the 1960s and 1970s and their adoration of anthology horror. As with Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors (1965), Tales From the Crypt (1972), and Black Sabbath (1963), Twice-Told Tales … Continue Reading Twice-Told Tales (1963)
How can a film with the likes of Don Ameche, Martha Hyer, and Zsa Zsa Gabor be so bad? Okay, Gabor’s name should have tipped me off, but what exactly … Continue Reading Picture Mommy Dead (1966)
Originally published September 25th, 2013 With Halloween around the corner it’s time to start dusting off those Halloween DVDs to scare you and your friends. Warner Archive gets into the spirit … Continue Reading Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1971)
Director Otto Preminger created some legendary dramas and mysteries such as Laura, The Man With the Golden Arm, and Anatomy of a Murder. But by the 1960s he struggled to … Continue Reading Bunny Lake is Missing (1965)
Originally published March 2012 This is my second viewing of Double Indemnity, and my first time where I actually had to study it critically as part of my Women in … Continue Reading Double Indemnity (1944)
Director Sam Peckinpah was well-known for his violently graphic and introspective films, as well as his incredibly difficult nature that ended up dooming his career. By the mid-1970s Peckinpah struggled … Continue Reading The Killer Elite (1975)
The universal nature of cinema is best illustrated through tributes by other directors. Acclaimed French director Francois Truffaut, part of the French New Wave, was directly influenced by the work … Continue Reading The Bride Wore Black (1968)
Excitement for Klute ran high for me, as I’m a fan of anything with Roy Scheider and this was the film that garnered Jane Fonda an Academy Award. There are … Continue Reading Klute (1971)
Before Twilight Time’s recent release I’d never heard of Man Hunt, odd considering it’s directed by acclaimed director Fritz Lang, and starring 1940s heavy-hitters Walter Pidgeon, George Sanders, and Joan … Continue Reading Man Hunt (1941)
Anne Baxter played the calculating Eve Harrington in the 1950 drama All About Eve to grand aplomb. Eve is a character so villainous you’re left dying for some type of … Continue Reading Chase a Crooked Shadow (1958)
Val Lewton was well-known for taking ludicrous titles and crafting a narrative from there. In the case of Cat People or I Walked With a Zombie, the acting and storyline … Continue Reading The Leopard Man (1943)
Dragonwyck holds much in common with a lot of movies, maybe because author Anya Seaton spent a couple weeks locked up with Gothic romances. If you’ve sat and enjoyed Rebecca, … Continue Reading Dragonwyck (1946)
Ticklish Business 