Othering Heist - I hadn’t seen Robert Wise’s ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW for close to forty years. I saw in at Edinburgh Film Guild with my friend Robert. We were anti-Wise becau...

Summer Under the Stars: Barbara Stanwyck - *Star of the Day:* Barbara Stanwyck *Shopworn* (1932): "A poor woman and a man from an upper-class family fall in love, but his mother will go to any len...

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Triggers in Leash (Shamley Productions, 1955) - The great British director Alfred Hitchock was a ubiquitous presence in United States pop culture from the mid-50’s into the 60’s. He was most famous, of ...

The Odyssey (2026) - Like many, I read the Odyssey as part of my high school education, but what remains are bits and pieces of iconography passed down through popular culture ...

🎶Happy National Vinyl Record Day! - Rita Hayworth Sammy Davis Jr. Shirley Jones Paul Newman Jean Simmons Sal Mineo Gene Tierney Elvis Presley Dick Clark ...

RECENTLY VIEWED: THE LAST HOUSE - Some movies entertain you for two hours and then disappear from your thoughts. Others linger long after the credits roll. Netflix's *The Last House* is on...

The Sunshine Boys - THE SUNSHINE BOYS—WILLY: “You don’t know the first thing that’s going on today. Did you ever hear the expression ‘This is where it’s at’? Well, this is whe...

Cooking With the French Chef: Pizza Variations - Welcome back to Cooking With the French Chef, in which I review episodes of Julia Child’s original show, cook out of the new edition of the French Chef Coo...

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER ROUNDUP - The dog days of summer may be from July 3 until August 11, 2026, by the calendar, but living with consecutive days—weeks—of triple-digit heat with no end i...

196. THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX, 1939 - An unforgettably majestic melodrama of romance, rivalry, and royal intrigue "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex" A romance between a powerful older w...

‘Fame is the Name of the Game’ Cool or Campy '60s TV? - *Tony Franciosa flashes a grin and his chest as randy reporter Jeff Dillon in 1966's "Fame is the Name of the Game."* *Fame is the Name of the Gam...

Ranking the MCU Movies by Favorite - One of my favorite Instagram movie accounts, Old Hollywood Swoon, recently has been ranking various groupings of movies. Movies in a franchise, or by a di...

Rewind Review: Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961) - *"Dive! Dive!"* Film producer/director Irwin Allen let audiences dive deep into the waters of adventure with *Voyage of the Bottom of the Sea*, his secon...

Don't forget . . . . Submit Louise Brooks' films for the 2026 National Film Registry - Don't forget . . . . Submit Louise Brooks' films for the 2026 National Film Registry. The Louise Brooks Society suggests these American films. *Beggars o...

The Cross and the Switchblade - Boone as David Wilkerson.Based on the 1963 autobiography, *The Cross and the Switchblade* (1970) tells the true story of David Wilkerson (Pat Boone), a sm...

A Telegraphic Tangle (1916) A Silent Film Review - Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew return in a domestic comedy about a man who stays out all night playing poker, worrying his wife. His friends try to cover for him...

Quel Rêve: Beauties of the Night (1952) - A sunny day. A house in the country. A music lesson. On the wall by the piano where the daughter of the family (Yannick Malloire) is dutifully executing he...

Top of the World: ‘Citizen Kane’ and those films that grew on me - A list of film I grew up to like much better with time. From 1933 to 2007!

Sunday Bookends: My parents partying in their 80s - It’s time for our Sunday morning chat. On Sundays, I ramble about what’s been going on, what the rest of the family and I have been reading and watching, a...

Remembering Sharon Tate - Just wanted to share a photo tribute to Sharon on the anniversary of her murder. R.I.P to Jay, Sharon, Abigail, Wojciech, Steven and unborn baby Paul. R.I....

TV… Brats (2024) - Is he forever alone? Andrew McCarthy feels he's still in limboland... Andrew McCarthy reunites with some of his cool 1980s acting peers to share their thou...

Semiquincentennial Movie Project #32: Car Wash - *The Semiquincentennial Movie Project *is an ongoing celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. During the course ...

The Suburban Jungle: When Noir Bled Out of the City - Many American films noir of the early 1940s were anchored to big cities — Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York. So were a number of returning World War II ...

O Desespero de Veronika Voss (1982) / Veronika Voss (1982) - Por muitos anos, se alguém me perguntasse qual meu filme preferido de Fassbinder, eu responderia sem pensar duas vezes: “O Desespero de Veronika Voss”...

‘Jail Bait’ (1954) – Part One - Back at it with the latest public domain movie I’ve run across that looks interesting. Someday, I have to check out more of the Pre-Code stuff to see what ...

Classic Movie Travels: Ronnie Schell - Classic Movie Travels: Ronnie Schell Ronald Ralph Schell was born on December 23, 1931, in Richmond, California, to David and Marguerite Schell. His father...

New Psychotronic Sisters Episode: 70s TV Movies - On this week’s episode we each brought two 1970s TV Moves that had something supernatural or suspenseful, and the result is this 4-movie Grab Bag starring ...

A SEASON TO HIS VOICE: BING'S SUMMER SONGS - There’s a certain kind of summer that doesn’t come from a thermometer or a calendar—it arrives on a breeze carrying music. And if you happen to wander in...

Gossip Friday: Bear Hunting Trio - From July 1937: Screen Stars to Hunt Bear in Glacier National Park Two popular Hollywood screen stars, Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy, and Director Jack Con...

A Movie that Grows on You: April in Paris (1952) - Have you attended a theatre or cabaret show in Paris? We, sadly, have not. That was something we missed on a trip to Paris many years ago, even though ther...

Przebój na lata (2026) - Uniwersalne kino, które może i nie będzie – niejako wbrew tytułowi – ponadczasowym szlagierem, ale tu i teraz wypada dobrze i wiarygodnie, zwłaszcza że t...

The Film Noir Files for August 2026 - Welcome to The Film Noir Files, the noir series here at Shadows and Satin and over at Speakeasy, the blog authored by my pal Kristina, where each month we ...

Sacrifice and Survival on the Waterfront: “Min and Bill” (1930) - Directed by George Hill, *Min and Bill* (1930) is a pivotal Pre-Code comedy-drama starring Marie Dressler as Min Divot and Wallace Beery as Bill. Set alo...

Announcing: The Return Of The Silent Movie Day Blogathon! - Hello everyone, I hope you’ve been enjoying the ‘Merica themed posts so far this summer! Let’s kick off August with some happy news–the Silent Movie Day bl...

The Fourth Master of Suspense Blogathon: Twisted love in Notorious (1946) - NOTE: There’s gonna be spoilers. Just watch Notorious if you haven’t already. Treat yourself! Few films appear as effortlessly taut and elegant as Notoriou...

The Great Gatsby (1949) - *Are you asking yourself: How can The Great Gatsby be called a film noir? I asked myself that very question when I learned that Kino Lorber has recently ...

The Miracle Worker - When I was a child, my mother’s Aunt Irene would sometimes visit us. Irene was deaf, but she communicated by reading lips and speaking in what sounded like...

Panic in Year Zero: Father knows best - "You keep your gun handy. Our country is still full of thieving, murdering... patriots."

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Silent Movie Day Blogathon - [image: Silent Movie Day Blogathon Banner with Buster Keaton.] After a couple of years’ hiatus, the *Silent Movie Day Blogathon* is back! This year I’ll ...

A Terrible Shock: August 1926 - One hundred years ago this month, Grace Kingsley was writing about the usual assortment of casting news and Hollywood party-going, and she debunked some go...

Rosalind Byrne - Rosalind Loretta Mooney, later know as Rosalind Byrne, was born on February 19, 1904, in St Marys, Ohio, to William and Mary Mooney. Her parents were promi...

Shadow of a Doubt 1943: Shadow Under a Sunny Sky, Danger in the Doilies Part 2 - Alfred Hitchcock’s Double Faces: Shadow of a Doubt and Psycho 1960 In both Shadow of a Doubt and Psycho, Hitchcock builds suspense around characters who li...

Pre-Code Movies on TCM, August 2026 - Hello again everybody! I apologize for the missing months there– my move from Germany to Colorado has been tumultuous, from having to re-purchase every app...

All 12 Angry Men, Ranked - Six years ago, I did a thing here. For 2020, the series of posts was very simple: I ranked the 12 Angry Men in order of my personal preference, from Januar...

Life’s a Beach - *'Life's a bitch.'* ~ Pierre (Gérard Philipe) After the war the French could turn their tastes towards darker subjects, having endured years under the cr...

Myrna Loy - Summer Theatre - The days of summer theatre when big screen stars came to a tent or barn near you. Here's Myrna Loy at the Colonie Summer Theatre in Colonie, New York...

Summer Under the Stars 2026: TCM Festival Highlights - It has been quite a while since I visited with you on Once...

We all need Paul Varjark’s shoulder to lean on – Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Blake Edwards, 1961) - My review of the iconic film Breakfast at Tiffany's (Blake Edwards, 1961), an adaptation of Truman Capote's novella of the same name. Continue reading →

The Small Town Hell of WIDOW'S BAY (2026) - *Widow's Bay*, the 2026 horror-comedy series on Apple TV, gives viewers plenty of reasons to shudder with its darkly funny evocation of 70s and 80s horro...

1985 Alice in Wonderland – Classic Literature on Film Blogathon - So, this may seem strange that I’m dedicating a post to a TV movie from the 80s, but hear me out, classic movie community! There are so many classic star...

The Rawhide Years - I like westerns. I like writing about them and I like talking about them. And I like good westerns. There of course is the rub, and while it’s not the exis...

Season Three Episode Twelve --- The Two Jakes - Well, as promised, we’re fully in the era of neo – noir. And not just any neo – noir; this example will take some explaining. We chose it for specific reas...

Buffalo-made ‘Trouble with Christmas Mistletoe’ has July premiere - Grab a frozen hot chocolate – Christmas is coming early with another Buffalo-made holiday movie premiere. “The Trouble with Christmas Mistletoe,” which fil...

Blanche Grady - Incredibly beautiful, with a superb figure, Blanche was a sought-after model, working with prestigious photographers and modeling for publications like Vog...

Losing Her Mind in Africa: THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951) - Despite Kate Hepburn’s reputation for relishing a good challenge and competitively pushing herself towards personal excellence, she couldn’t have possibly ...

Ann Blyth (1927/1928-2026) - This evening, The Hollywood Reporter broke the sad news that Ann Blyth passed away yesterday, Wednesday, June 24, at the age of 98. Some other sources had ...

How You Know Your Friends Know You - Two water bottles arrived for me today, with a movie camera on front and quotes on the back. This is one is, of course, a quote from my favorite actress,...

Three Strangers (1946) - Premiered January 23, 1946: THREE STRANGERS, starring Sidney Greenstreet, Geraldine Fitzgerald, and Peter Lorre. Directed by Jean Negulesco (The Mask of Di...

“Screen Guild Theater”: Hollywood Radio Series - Of all the drama anthologies from old time radio, Screen Guild Theater was one of the most varied and unique radio shows. Every week, Hollywood actors came...

BREATH (Kim Ki-duk, 2007, South Korea) - Kim Ki-duk has a way without words. *BREATH* is exhaled into the cold mo(u)rning air, its life quickly fading and becoming intangible. Yeon is apathet...

Pre-Code Girl Summer Line - Just in time for summer, I've launched a new design in the Spellbound with Beth Ann Threadless shop. Check-out my Pre-code Girl Summer line! The post Pre...

La Poison (1951): A Venomous Comedy - This post is my contribution to the CMBA 2026 Spring Blogathon "Make 'em Laugh." Not long ago I was discussing *The Banshees of Inisherin* in a film gro...

The Awful Truth 1937 - Tonight's Cary Grant fix is by way of the excellent screwball comedy, 1937's The Awful Truth. Also starring Irene Dunne and Ralph Bellamy, directed and ...

Somewhere in Time (1980) - Director: Jeannot Szwarc Writer: Richard Matheson, based on his novel *Bid Time Return* Stars: Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer In...

Woman Under the Influence, A (1974) - “Mabel is not crazy; she’s unusual.” Synopsis: When a construction worker (Peter Falk) finds himself unable to handle the increasingly unconventional beh...

Painful Pilots: "Dream Wife" - It started with a martian. The success of *"My Favorite Martian,"* which premiered on CBS in the fall of 1963, kicked off a parade of supernatural sitcoms...

Employees' Entrance: The Monsters We Make - This is my entry in *The Classic Movie Blog Association Early Shadows and Pre-Code Horror Blogathon*. Click *HERE* for more monstrous fun. This store is ...

Coming Up Shorts! with… The Little Rascals: The Restored Silents, Volume 1 - Welcome back for another full post of Coming Up Shorts! This time, I’m going with the Hal Roach theatrical shorts featuring The Little Rascals, and some of...

BLOGGER’S NEWS - It was on September 14, 2017 that I was one of eight speakers at the first one-day conference dedicated to Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo. The conference was...

Buster Keaton’s Cops and Laurel & Hardy 1928 Year Two - Buster Keaton’s masterpiece Cops (1922) is one of his seven films inducted into the Library of Congress National Film Registry as a work of “enduring impor...

Silent Cinema Of Latin America; Pt.1 Mexico - [image: imageedit-1-8609976754] Reading any standard film history of the silent era one would easily get the idea that the early days of film were limite...

“Sarah Jane—Don’t!” - This is an entry for “Cry Me a River,” the CMBA 2025 Spring Blogathon. Note: If you’re new to Imitation of Life, you might want to start with a viewing or ...

Book Review: The Carry On Companion, by Robert Ross - The Carry On Companion by Robert Ross is a reasonably comprehensive look at a British comedy institution, the Carry On films. Beginning with Carry On Serge...

Cinematic Blindspots — 1945 in Film - Happy 2025, classic film fans! I’m beyond delighted to head into this new year as I have so much to look forward to, particularly the upcoming birth of my ...

Audio Commentary for 1933's THE BITTER TEA OF GENERAL YEN - This past summer I was honored to be asked by Sony to record the audio commentary for *The Bitter Tea of General Yen* (1933). This feature is part of t...

2024 Holiday Gift Guide - The holiday season is upon us once again and the countdown to Christmas is underway! As you plan to gather with friends and family over the holidays, let...

Sailing the Golden Era seas - Come aboard, Aaron Spelling is expecting you! * Published specifically for The Spellingverse Blogathon hosted by Gill at Realweegiemidget Reviews. * ¤¤¤ I ...

Eternally Marilyn - photo by Milton Greene Like so many summer days in Los Angeles, this one began as a balmy and sunlit morning. It would grow warmer and sunnier, but the l...

Publication Day - Not movie related but… TRANSGESSIONS, my latest collection of short stories is out now as an eBook and paperback. You can order your copy here. If you like...

Dear "Ginge", Love Fred: Fred and Ginger's Correspondence - For one of cinema's most beloved screen partnerships, we don't know a whole lot about Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers's offscreen relationsh...

“His Name is Engraved in the Ripple Hall of Fame” — Season One, Episode Ten: Springtime in the Ghetto (April 19, 1974) - As the episode opens, Florida is at her sewing machine, working on a new slipcover for the living room sofa. The whole household is abuzz as the family pre...

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