Monthly Archives: December 2011

Even though the fans love it and reviewers call it a Christmas classic, I haven’t seen “Miracle on 34th Street” that many times.  But each time I’ve watched the 1947 movie directed by George Seaton, I feel better about the … Continue reading →

Ava Gardner made a film in 1951 called “Pandora and the Flying Dutchman,” a color extravaganza that also starred James Mason and Nigel Patrick.  The story concerns a 500 year-old seaman floating alone on a ghost ship who meets his … Continue reading →

A very charming Christmas film from 1947 called “It Happened on Fifth Avenue” stars Victor Moore as a homeless man (Aloysius T. McKeever) with a brilliant idea.  When millionaires board up their summer mansions in New York City for the … Continue reading →

I watched an enjoyable science fiction film from 1936 called “Things to Come.”  William Cameron Menzies directed the film, which stars Raymond Massey, Ralph Richardson and Margaretta Scott.  Since H. G. Wells wrote the screenplay from his own story, the … Continue reading →

Years ago, one of the local TV stations in Pittsburgh (my home town) screened the 1935 film “Top Hat,” starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers.  During the opening credits, the titles say “A Pandro S. Berman Production” after the credit … Continue reading →

It happens every year.  The studios wait until the end to release the best movies.  I find no exception this year, although Terrance Malick’s “The Tree of Life,” released in May, could qualify as the best movie of the year. … Continue reading →