Category Archives: Uncategorized

I saw “Dark City,” a 1998 film, in a movie theater when it first came out.  I found it highly impressive, with wonderful images, a great story, a well-designed plot, and lots of wonderful and interesting ideas.  Directed by Alex … Continue reading →

The Italian cinema thought up a great idea when they decided to make a funny “caper” film in 1958.  The film, “Big Deal on Madonna Street,” follows the story of 5 completely inept small-time hoods who decide to burglarize a pawn … Continue reading →

Ernst Lubitsch’s “Monte Carlo,” released in 1930, offers Jeannette MacDonald as Countess Helene Mara.  She skips out on an elaborate marriage to a prince in the first scene and heads to Monte Carlo.  There, she meets the womanizing Count Rudolph, … Continue reading →

I value the films I can watch over and over again and always get something new from them.  My favorite film, “The Wizard of Oz,” is certainly on that list.  Another favorite of mine, “Trouble in Paradise,” from 1932, remains … Continue reading →

I think Greta Garbo’s portrayal in “Two-Faced Woman,” released in 1941, gives an indication of her broad range.  She plays Karen Borg, a rustic ski instructor who marries a magazine writer named Larry Blake, played by Melvyn Douglas.  Larry returns … Continue reading →

“Ladies of Leisure,” a 1930 film starring Barbara Stanwyck, proved to be a breakout role for her.  She plays a call girl, Kay Arnold, who tries to reform by posing for a famous and rich artist.  The artist, Jerry Strong, … Continue reading →

“We Live Again,” released in 1934, stars Frederic March and Anna Sten as lovers from different social statuses.  Prince Dmitri, a prince, is also an officer in the Czar’s army. Katusha, played by Anna Sten, plays a servant in his … Continue reading →

A wonderful pre-code film called “Bed of Roses” came out in 1933, and it concerns a prostitute named Lorry Evans, played by Constance Bennett, who lands in New Orleans after serving prison time.  There, she steals money from a cotton … Continue reading →

I couldn’t resist seeing both Alice Faye and Constance Bennett in a 1939 movie called “Tail Spin,” which tells the story of aviatrices flying in “powder puff” competitions.  Bennett, who plays a wealthy socialite named Gerry Lester, looks glamorous as … Continue reading →

Colleen Moore plays Hester Prynne in the 1934 film version of “The Scarlet Letter,” the classic novel by William Hawthorne.  The producers (Larry Darmour Productions) made the film independently using the RKO Ranch in Sherman Oaks, California, while MGM provided … Continue reading →