Favorite films: Little Women (1949)

It is Christmas Eve once again, so I wanted to write about one of my favorite Christmas films. This adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's novel is my favorite, not least because June Allyson stars as the feisty and irrepressible Jo March. It's usually overlooked compared to the other four. I have not watched the latest …

Happy 80th birthday to Margaret O’Brien!

I just adore Margaret O'Brien, and I'm beyond thrilled to be celebrating her 80th birthday. Film critic James Agee once said she was "almost as hypnotizing as Garbo", but I'd go further and say she really was just as hypnotic. Her performances were characterized by an intensity that's so surprising for a small child. She was …