George Sidney’s The Harvey Girls combines my most beloved film genre – the musical – with my most dreaded – the western. What results is a splendid woman centered story about dreams, romance, civilizing the west (ah), and finding your place in the great big world. The Santa Fe California Limited of the Atchinson, Topeka…… Continue reading I’ve done a lot of dreaming with The Harvey Girls (1946)
The medical profession is one of the most exciting to explore on screens big and small. Hollywood has a tendency to glamorize doctors and emergency rooms. This is not the case with Three Men in White, but it does take a somewhat lighthearted approach to the field of medicine and the lives of doctors. Dr.…… Continue reading Someone call the doctor!: Three Men in White (1944)
Frank’s Capra’s Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) is one of those movies that never gets old. I dissolve into uncontrollable laughter each time I watch it, and it actually gets funnier the more I see it. While I don’t have the film memorized, I can quote much of it. And it has one of the…… Continue reading The Brewster Family Curse
Although I’m traveling this weekend, I couldn’t pass up the chance to write a special post in honor of today’s birthday girl, June Allyson. Born Eleanor Geisman on October 7, 1917 in the Bronx, Junie willed herself into stardom. She became the quintessential wholesome girl next door. While I’ve heard that she’s unpopular among classic film fans (most people…… Continue reading June Allyson in The Secret Heart (1946)
MGM’s extravagant, star filled musical is a tonic of good cheer that’s very close to my heart. I watched it one night after some miserable days. Musicals always brighten my mood, so I hoped Thousands Cheer would do the trick. It did, and then some. Although the plot leaves a lot to be desired, the…… Continue reading Favorite films: Thousands Cheer (1943)
“What has Gable got for me? Or Mrs. Johnson’s blonde boy Van?” Once upon a time, these lyrics from “Prehistoric Man” in On the Town applied to me. I thought Van Johnson was about the most boring boy next door MGM ever imagined. But Van, reaching out from the grave, didn’t want me to merely change…… Continue reading Summer Under the Stars: Van Johnson in Two Girls and a Sailor (1944)
Ernest Hemingway’s short story “The Killers” was published in Scribner’s Magazine in 1927. It’s written in his typical style; simple, blunt, direct, free of glossy words and phrases. Hollywood released two film adaptations based on it. Both turn this bare bones story into a fully formed narrative with distinct characters. Two men walk into a…… Continue reading The Killers vs. The Killers
