Ah, James Stewart: the innocent, lovable screwball we all know and love. He’s the admirable, passionate, naive young Jefferson Smith in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). He’s the dedicated family man and pillar of the community as George Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life (1946). He’s charming. He’s sweet. He’s good ole aw-shucks Jimmy Stewart. But Stewart turns…
Peter Morgan (James Stewart) has been sent to New York City to retrieve his womanizing cousin, Keith (James Ellison), and bring him back to their small college town of Old Sharon. He finds Keith in a nightclub, but is unable to convince his love-struck cousin to come with him. However, when Peter meets the object…
Roughly a decade before the Civil War, Reverend Ethan Wilkins (Walter Huston) accepts a position ministering to an isolated, poverty-stricken town in Ohio called Pine Hill. Though the townspeople had promised to pay Ethan an annual salary of $400, he is informed upon his arrival that they cannot afford to pay him that much, and…
Today, my contribution to The Lady Eve’s Month of Vertigo celebration is up at TLE’s Reel Life–all about Kim Novak’s sometimes underestimated contributions to the film. Thanks again, Eve, for inviting me to participate and allowing me the chance to revisit this film! And for more things Vertigo, here are some thoughts about the film that…
I adore The Shop Around the Corner. I say that mainly to warn you that this post will feature much fawning and adoration for one of the best films I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing. And the fact that it has become a holiday classic over the years is merely a bonus, meaning more…
Hello, Classic Film World! I apologize for my absence from the blog (and especially to Brandie and Nikki for leaving them to keep things going so swimmingly without help- *pause for a moment of applause*). So, I’m getting back in gear with Therapy Thursday again… and I’m taking it a different direction. Today, I’m doing…
Frank Capra’s indelible brand of feel-good morality tales, sprinkled with romance and humor, has led to his films being labeled as “Capra-corn” by some critics. And it’s true that some of his most beloved and well-known movies tend toward the sentimental. But to deride Capra’s work as mere schmaltz is to ignore the sheer talent…
You may notice that we updated our blog banner this week in a slight fit of housekeeping. Yeah, I like to fuss. When I was done uploading the new banner, I asked my friend Michelle to come look at it and tell me what she thought. This gave rise to my best Alex Trebek impression…
True Classics 