Film historian Anthony Slide discusses his new anthology book The Truth at Twenty-Four Frames per Second. Topics range from Lillian Gish to Betty White.
5 Nazi movies: Joseph Goebbels’ ‘Third Reich’ cinema - a crucial and extremely popular propaganda tool - promoted the White Nationalist German ethos.
The Academy has instituted Best Picture hiring and representation ‘Oscar Diversity’ quota requirements whose goals and potential effectiveness are debatable.
The COVID-19 positive test of actor Robert Pattinson has halted - once again - The Batman while unsettling the already wobbly film industry.
Playwright Arthur Miller vs. Red Scare paranoia: The Crucible and the Salem witch hunts demythologize the concept of ‘American exceptionalism.’
Arthur Miller movies: Visions of the shattered American Dream in the ‘subversive’ family dramas All My Sons and Death of a Salesman.
Citizen Kane and Song of the South actress Ruth Warrick became All My Children snob Phoebe Tyler and a Confederate flag critic.
The Women remake with Meg Ryan. In the old Margalo Gilmore (on Broadway, 1936), Norma Shearer (1939), and June Allyson (1956) role, 1990s Hollywood Sweetheart Meg Ryan plays a materially…
Magnificent Obsession book by Anthony Slide. Whereas Lloyd C. Douglas’ 1929 Magnificent Obsession book dealt with a playboy’s urge to restore the eyesight of the woman he had accidentally blinded,…
Valentino with Rudolf Nureyev and Michelle Phillips. Ken Russell’s 1977 Rudolph Valentino biopic Valentino is based on the dubious 1966 bio (“Was he a great lover – or a sham?”)…
“Movies” or…? Quo Vadis: One of the first feature films ever made, Enrico Guazzoni’s Italian epic came out in 1913, going on to become a global sensation. Should American “moving…
‘Under the Volcano’ screening: John Huston’s ‘quality’ comeback starring daring Albert Finney As part of its John Huston film series, the UCLA Film & Television Archive will be presenting the…
Crime novel The Blank Wall by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding. While her husband is away during World War II, housewife Lucia Holley – the sort of “Everywoman” who looks great in…
Antihero Ricardo Cortez in Symphony of Six Million, with Irene Dunne. Directed by Gregory La Cava, this 1932 family/romantic melodrama may have been one of Cortez’s favorite among his own…
How to be a Latin Lover: Ricardo Cortez, formerly known as Jacob Krantz from a working-class family of Austrian/Hungarian immigrants that had settled in New York City, succeeded in restyling…
“Latin Lover” Ricardo Cortez, who went on to play a series of all-American scoundrels and criminals, in addition to similar unsavory types of other nationalities. Although never as big a…
In the Fade with Diane Kruger: Fatih Akin’s Avenging Woman drama may give its German-speaking star the chance to become next awards season’s Isabelle Huppert. Diane Kruger: 2017–18 awards season’s…
Cannes Film Festival winners: The Square with Claes Bang. “Gobsmackingly weird” Cannes Film Festival favorite may have a tough time landing a Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award nomination. As…
Frances Dee movies: From ‘An American Tragedy’ to ‘Four Faces West’ Frances Dee began her film career at the dawn of the sound era, going from extra to leading lady…
One of cinema’s early comediennes, Dorothy Devore: between 1918 and 1930, the Ft. Worth-born actress was seen in nearly 100 movies, both features and shorts. Among them were Salvation Sue,…
Danielle Darrieux in ‘La Ronde.’ Film icon Danielle Darrieux turns 100: Longest ‘star career’ in movie history? Screen legend Danielle Darrieux is turning 100 today, May 1. In all likelihood,…
Comedy actress Alice Howell on the cover of film historian Anthony Slide’s latest book: Pioneering funky-haired performer “could have been Chaplin” – or at the very least another Louise Fazenda.…
Best Picture Arrival – Shawn Levy. Dan Levine. Aaron Ryder. David Linde. Fences – Scott Rudin. Denzel Washington. Todd Black. Hacksaw Ridge – Bill Mechanic. David Permut. Hell or High…
Barack Obama and me: Vikram Gandhi’s Barry movie brings to mind the various things the author has in common with the former American president.
2016 movies Things to Come (pictured) and Elle have earned French cinema icon Isabelle Huppert her – surprisingly – very first National Society of Film Critics Best Actress Award. 2016…
Film historian Anthony Slide discusses the frenzied and once hugely popular ‘everyman’ British comedian Arthur Askey, who has finally become a biographical subject.
Frank and Ava movie interview: Frank Sinatra portrayer Rico Simonini discusses the indie drama about singer’s turbulent marriage with Ava Gardner.
Jimmy Edwards. Best known for his radio and television work – Take It from Here in the former medium; Whack-O! in the latter – British comedian Jimmy Edwards was seen,…
Roy Rogers, Singing Cowboy of 1940s and 1950s Hollywood. Known for his affable characterizations and, both on and off screen, “traditional values” stance, the King of the Cowboys – step…
‘Making Love’: Groundbreaking romantic gay drama returns to the big screen As part of its Anniversary Classics series, Laemmle Theaters will be presenting Arthur Hiller’s groundbreaking 1982 romantic drama Making…
Starring an excellent Michael Fassbender in a dual role, Ridley Scott’s suspenseful Alien: Covenant takes the franchise in a more discerning direction.
Christian movies: Starring Nicolas Cage, the widely panned 2014 apocalyptic thriller Left Behind was a box office bomb – unlike (relatively) recent popular “faith movies” such as Heaven Is for…