Tag: Romance
-
He Who Gets Slapped (1924)
The 1924 silent classic, He Who Gets Slapped, did not air on TCM as part of its Lon Chaney marathon that I recorded on October 14, 2020. Instead, it aired as part of its circus movie marathon exactly a month later. Wherever you’re able to see it, I highly encourage that you do. For my…
-
The Unknown (1927)
Joan Crawford once said that she learned more about acting from watching Lon Chaney work than from anyone else in her career. “It was then I became aware for the first time of the difference between standing in front of a camera and acting.” She appeared with Chaney in The Unknown (1927) during the first…
-
The Blackbird (1926)
If you’ve ever wanted to see Lon Chaney, “the Man of a Thousand Faces,” transform into one of his misshapen characters, there are a couple scenes in The Blackbird (1926) that at least give you a glimpse. He quickly pulls his ankle into the air, twisting his leg at the knee, then jerks his shoulder…
-
Satellite in the Sky (1956)
Now comes Satellite in the Sky, a version of the mid-century British sci-fi film I’ve mentioned the last couple of days… but one with a budget. Shot in CinemaScope in Warner Color, this was the first color science fiction movie made in the UK. It looks gorgeous and feels newer than 1956. It’s a shame…
-
The Mad Genius (1931)
When I think of Michael Curtiz, I automatically associate him with Casablanca (1942.) I forget the number of classic horror films he directed, starting with this one, The Mad Genius (1931.) With nearly 179 credits (according to IMDb) in his 50+-year career, it’s not surprising that he made movies of all genres. I forget this,…
-
Love from a Stranger (1937)
aka Night of Terror Get out your whiteboards and markers for this one… In 1924, Agatha Christie (you may have heard of her) wrote a short story called, Philomel Cottage. In it, a woman named Alix Martin inherits a fortune. Her boyfriend, Dick Windyford, disapproves of her financial independence. When she meets Gerald Martin and…
-
The World, The Flesh and The Devil (1959)
Besides wanting to watch it ever since I read its synopsis, I was encouraged when TCM host Ben Mankiewicz spoke highly of The World, The Flesh and The Devil in its introduction prior to a recent airing. Sadly, I was disappointed on both fronts. While there are interesting elements of the “last man on earth”…
-
4D Man (1959)
The fundamental requirement for enjoying an atomic age horror/sci-fi film is suspension of disbelief. It’s not usually difficult for me to not only accept, but to also embrace, ridiculous scientific actions and nonsensical reactions. However, every once in a while, I see a movie that strikes me as so silly, I can’t see beyond them.…
-
A Place of One’s Own (1945)
Henry Smedhurst (James Mason) and his wife (Barbara Mullen) have always wanted a place of their own and, at retirement age, they are finally able to buy one… for a steal. While they’re aware that Bellingham House has sat vacant for 40 years, if they knew its reputation, I’m not sure they wouldn’t have bought…
-
Invisible Ghost (1941)
Next off my stack of unwrapped, unwatched movies… Written by Helen Martin & Al Martin Directed by Joseph H. Lewis Starring Bela Lugosi, Polly Ann Young, John McGuire, Clarence Muse, Betty Compson, Ernie Adams Released April 25, 1941 RT 64 min. Home Video Kino Lorber (Blu-ray) Classic Horrors rating = 8 (out of 10) WHY I’VE NEVER SEEN IT In July,…
Classic Horrors Club 