Month: February 2017

Recently on TCM-one of my all time favs-The English countryside never looked better than it did in master director Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon (1975). Oscar winning here cinematography by John Alcott shows us this beautiful world to the tunes of great classical music while the very engaging off screen narrator (Michael Hordern) tells us how ugly life was there along with a lot of low down gossip about social climber Barry Lyndon (Ryan O’Neal) and Lady Lyndon (Marisa Berenson) a high English society widow.

On TCM 2/13/17- By capturing the other character’s reaction to Oscar winner here Claire Trevor in Key Largo (1948) playing washed-up, boozy nightclub singer Gaye Dawn and her pathetic rendition of the torch song “Moaning Low” for a drink, master director John Huston brings out the cold lack of compassion from Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson) and the developing admiration of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall for each other.

On TCM 2/25/17 -I was moved by director’s Gregory La Cava Stage Door (1937) about a boardinghouse of aspiring actresses played by screen greats Katherine Hepburn, Ginger Rodgers, Lucille Ball with the story circling around the Oscar nominated here Andrea Leeds as Kay whose expectations are not fulfilled—catch the scene when Kay silently walks up a staircase with such a look of despair –it is one of those special movie moments.

A TCM perennial – Phantom Lady (1944) -Another creative NOIR filmed in German Expressionistic style directed by the great Robert Siodmark where in a plot to clear her boss of a murder charge secretary Carol “Kansas” Richman (played by the beautiful Ella Raines) entices shady drummer Cliff (played to perfection by movies most prolific murder victim: Elisha Cook Jr.). Catch Franchot Tone here like you never seen him before.

A TCM perennial- Photo of Oscar winning here cinematographer Burnett Guffey (a believer in simple source and fill lighting) on the set of Fred Zinnemann’s masterpiece From Here to Eternity (1953) taking a light meter reading- Look at how successfully the results catch the passion and chemistry radiating between screen greats Burt Lancaster/Deborah Kerr and Montgomery Clift/Donna Reed.

In Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)-Feb 2 birthday boy S.Z. Sakall “Cuddles” as Schwab, a theatrical backer, knew how to wisely invest his wife’s money in the play of Sam Harris (Richard Whorf) and George M Cohan (James Cagney) before the two aspiring playwrights became the rage of Broadway.