Originally posted on Backlots:
In this age of digital media and computer generated cartoons, the golden era of the Disney studio tends to be pushed to the back of our collective mind. It is often difficult for the modern viewer, accustomed to the strikingly lifelike animation coming out of the Pixar and Dreamworks studios, to see the quality behind such a film as Snow White… Continue reading
Originally posted on Once upon a screen…:
The home of the classics, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) played Frank Capra‘s 1934, Best Picture Academy Award winner, It Happened One Night this past weekend. This is, for some reason, a film I never think of when I consider Capra’s great films, and he made many of them, but I was reminded on Sunday of how shiny a… Continue reading
Originally posted on Backlots:
A magnificently crafted screenplay and powerhouse comedic performances by Carole Lombard, William Powell, and Alice Brady are the hallmarks of this beloved zany comedy that is unmatched in its blend of screwball camp and surrealist humor. It has become one of the most respected comedies to come out of Hollywood, and its… Continue reading
I Welcome Middle Age
Kansas is a fickle state, weather-wise. Yesterday was in the mid 70’s. But today dropped like brick to a cold, wet and brisk 30’s. Today’s brutal awakening to the change of season is what I typically expect for my birthday week. Yup, my birthday is approaching in just a few days. So, it’s more than Autumnal leaves that seem to be changing in my life. … Continue reading I Welcome Middle Age
Originally posted on Backlots:
The extraordinarily talented Natalie Wood, who stole our hearts at the age of 9 in Miracle on 34th Street (1947) and made the rare successful transition to meaningful roles as an adult, was tragically taken from us 31 years ago in an accident off Catalina Island. Last year, the case of her death was reopened when law enforcement gained some new information about… Continue reading
Originally posted on Once upon a screen…:
Years ago, while taking a film course on Hollywood’s, “The Studio Years,” I was given what I thought then was an odd assignment. We were discussing the period in Hollywood when an acting “technique,” for lack of a better word, referred to as “The Method” changed attitudes toward acting, acting preparation and filmmaking to some degree. Based on… Continue reading
Originally posted on cinematically insane:
People in old movies don’t seem to know how to kiss. Without a doubt, there are plenty of iconic lip locks from the films of the 1930s and ‘40s, often accompanied by lush orchestrations that infer burning passion. But characters rarely make out like they mean it. Classic film kisses tend to be rigidly closed-mouthed, as if the lovers are trying… Continue reading
Outspoken & Freckled 