CMBA Profile: Outspoken and Freckled

CMBA profiles one or two members every month. This edition features Kellee Pratt blogs at Outspoken and Freckled.

Kellee’s blog covers a wide range of film from the silent to today. A multitasker who teaches film classes, writes a monthly column, The Funny Papers, for The Classic Movie Hub, Co-hosts a series of annual blogathons and still finds time to attend the annual TCMFF. Read on…

What sparked your interest in classic film? 

At a young age, I watched comedy classics on Saturday mornings at a local arts center/ theatre in Taos, New Mexico. They screened sure-to-please greats like Laurel & Hardy, Our Gang, and Mack Sennett shorts. My grandmother was also an early influencer who introduced me to jazz, mid-century modern style, and classic films such as A SHOT IN THE DARK, IT’S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD and WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION.  

CMBA Profile: Viv and Larry

CMBA profiles one or two members every month. This edition features Kendra Bean who blogs at Viv and Larry. 

Kendra Bean’s Viv and Larry is a treasure trove of information on Vivien Leigh and Sir Laurence Olivier. Launched in 2007, Viv and Larry is the go to website for everything you need to know or want to know and discuss about these two immortals. But wait, there’s more! Kendra is an author, historian and museum curator. She is the author of Vivien Leigh: An Intimate Portrait and co-author with Anthony Uzarowski of Ava Gardner: A Life in Movies. There’s more to say about this California girl now living in England, but I will let her tell you.

Outlaws - The 2018 Fall CMBA Blogathon is a Wrap!

The Classic Movie Blog Association sponsored its 2018 Fall Blogathon, Outlaws, from November 15th to 19th. Outlaws of all types were featured: gangsters, cowboys, bikers, rural outlaws, con men and more were. Links to member contributions are listed below, by date posted...

Participating member blog entries posted daily, Nov. 15 - 19. Be sure to check back: 

Thurs. Nov. 15th

Caftan Woman: Yellow Sky (1948)
Louise Brooks Society: The City Gone Wild (1927)  
The Movie Night Group: Jewel Robbery (1932)
Silent-ology: The Miracle Man (1919)
Movies Silently: Children in the House (1916)
Backstory: A Guide to Classic Films: Seven Samurai (1954), The Magnificent Seven (!960 and 2016) 
Another Old Movie Blog: The Desperate Hours (1955)

Fri. Nov. 16th 
Old Hollywood Films: Edward G. Robinson in Key Largo (1948)

A Person in the Dark: The Producers (1967)
Make Mine Film Noir: The Prowler (1951)
Anybody Got a Match: The Petrified Forest (1936)
Strictly Vintage Hollywood: The Eagle 1925 

Sat. Nov. 17th
Classic Film Obsession: Warpath (1951) 
Film Fanatic: China 9, Liberty 37 (1978)
Speakeasy: Four Guns to the Border (1954)

Cary Grant Won't Eat You: My Little Chickadee (1940)

Sun. Nov. 18th
Twenty Four Frames: Point Blank (1967)
Four Star Films: Pretty Poison (1968) 
The Lady Eve's Reel Life: Underworld (1927)
Hometowns to Hollywood: Talk of the Town (1942)

Mon. Nov. 19th
Once Upon A Screen: The Career of Yosemite Sam
Stardust and Shadows: Wild Boys of the Road (1933)
Outspokened and Freckled: Three Godfathers (1948)
Le Critica Retro: I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang (1932) 
Stars and Letters: The Gunfighter (1950)
Film Noir Archive: High Sierra (1941)

Coming Soon! CMBA's 2018 Fall Blogathon

The Classic Movie Blog Association is proud to present its 2018 Fall Blogathon. The Subject is  Outlaws. Outlaws of all types are acceptable: gangsters, rural outlaws, thieves, cowboys, anyone who lives outside the law. Keep in mind that the same film cannot be submitted by more than one blogger. So, plan to have a backup. Its first come, first served. Get your thinking caps on! The blogathon will run from November 15 - 19.

An official invite via email will be sent out later this month asking for submissions.

Below are some banners you can now post on your blogs for the event.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2018 CMBA AWARDS WINNERS

Introducing the winners of the Classic Movie Blog Association's 2018 CMBA Awards. Links to the winning entries are included. Thank you to all members who participated in the awards competition, every entry was exceptional! And thanks, too, to all members who voted.

Best Film Review/Drama: The Beautiful Refugees of Casablanca by Silver Screenings

Best Film Review/Musical or Comedy: "On the Town," in Celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s Centenary by Lady Eve’s Reel Life

Best Profile of a Performer: A Mesmerizing Talent: The Life and Career of Conrad Veidt by Silent-ology

Best Classic Movie Article: Fascism, Nationalism and the Banned Films of Marlene Dietrich by Lady Eve’s Reel Life

Best Classic Movie Blog Event: The Food in Film Blogathon co-hosted by Silver Screenings and Speakeasy

Best Blog Design: Silver Scenes

Best Classic Movie Series: Olivia de Havilland vs. FX: Backlots at the Courthouse by Backlots 

 

THE 2018 CMBA AWARDS NOMINEES

The final ballot for the 2018 Classic Movie Blog Association (CMBA) Awards has gone out to all members, and the nominees for this year's awards are listed below. Congratulations and best wishes to everyone nominated!

CMBA Profile: 4 Star Films

CMBA profiles one or two members every month. This edition features Tynan Yanaga who blogs at 4 Star Films.

Tynan Yanaga’s blog 4 Star Films is not just a celebration of classic films, he dives in deep as the blogs sub-title states (Looking Deeper at the Best Classic Films). Like many of us, the more he looks the more films he find. But it’s more than that, and I am going to let Tynan speak for himself. The following is from his introduction page.

“True, I want to preserve a love of film as an art form, understand their historical context, and acknowledge their value as pure entertainment. But most importantly, there’s the human component to movies that is so important. I’m constantly drawn back to them, like so many others, because they bring us together and act as an imperfect reflection of our imperfect lives.”

THE 2018 CMBA AWARDS

It's CMBA Awards time again and an email went out to all members last night soliciting awards submissions. Entries are due by the 15th of September. Preliminary voting should be done by the end of the month and the final ballot will follow. If any member hasn't received last night's email, please advise by commenting here. Thanks!

~ Sept. 16: The deadline for entries has closed. Thanks to members for participating!  ~

CMBA Profile: Cinema Crossroads

CMBA profiles one or two members every month. This edition features Julia Ricci who blogs at Cinema Crossroads.

Julia Ricci’s  Cinema Crossroads is both smart and entertaining. Take a look at her review of the cleanest condemned film in history, The Moon is Blue.  One of my own favorite post's is Julia's take on  J.D. Sheldrake, the villainous womanizer in Billy Wilder's The Apartment.  In 2017, Julia, like many other CMBA members, attended the TCM Film Festival (she returned again in 2018). Julia is also a Film Programming Coordinator for Heartland Film in Indianapolis, Indiana, but I will let her tell you more about that in the interview below.

CMBA Profile: A Viewer's Guide to Classic Films

CMBA profiles one or two members every month. This edition features Linda J. Sandahl who blogs at A Viewer’s Guide to Classic Films.

A Viewer’s Guide to Classic Films is filled with backstories, analysis, film, and book reviews. In many cases, Linda takes a look at what these classic films say to us both then and now. Check out Linda's post The Fight for Truth: Paul Muni in The Story of Louis Pasteur. Linda has worked as an associate editor on Steven H. Scheuer’s Movies on TV, a precursor to Leonard Maltin’s similar Movies and Video Guide series. Linda is also the author of A Viewer’s Guide to Rock and Roll Films 1955-1985, now available as an ebook.

CMBA Profile: Apocalypse Later

CMBA profiles one or two of our classic movie bloggers every month. This week, we're featuring Hal Astell, from Apocalypse Later!

Apocalypse Later is a site with a lot going on. In addition to posting reviews, some quite in-depth, Hal covers a variety of events and festivals, often making appearances or running "mini-festivals" within established Cons, and even runs an Apocalypse Later Film Festival of his own. Under the imprint of "Apocalypse Later Press," he's published books on a variety of film related subjects: everything from Chaplin's years at Keystone to the work of buxom bombshell Tura Satana. Hal is nothing if not surprising, and also dedicated - the sheer volume of his work is overwhelming.

CMBA Profile: Crítica Retrô

CMBA profiles one or two of our classic movie bloggers every month. This week, we're featuring Letícia Magalhães Pereira, or "Lê," of Crítica Retrô!
 

Crítica Retrô bills itself as "Classic Film with a Tropical Twist." Coming to us out of Brazil, it appears bilingually in Portuguese and English, and may give readers a cultural perspective we don't often see on the history of film. Despite her tender years (she tells us below she started the blog while still a teenager!), Lê offers us fascinating insights into movies older than her own parents.

She'd like you to take a look at a piece she did on Brazilian-born director Alberto Cavalcanti. She says, "I did a big research to write it, and could also have fun and improve my skills at working with info graphics with all the pieces I've done for the post." We agree that it's great fun and new information for most of us who thought we knew it all about classic film. You can read the post here.

Here are her answers to our questions:

What sparked your interest in classic film?

CMBA Profile: Whimsically Classic

CMBA profiles one or two of our classic movie bloggers every month. This week, we’re featuring Kayla Rhodes, of Whimsically Classic.

Kayla, who writes the "Whimsically Classic" blog, describes herself as an "old soul," which may explain how she has so much to say about classic film. Her posts tend to be very detailed and informative, and her responses to our questions are no exception to her verbosity and wit. She would like readers to take a look at this post, her entry in last year's "National Classic Film Day" blogathon. She reviews her five favorite classic movie performers and shares why they mean so much to her. She also admits to using the opportunity to re-post favorite images of Errol Flynn and Gene Kelly, because, as she says, "If you can't post (and re-post) beefcake photos on your blog, where can you post them?" 

CMBA eBooks Available on Amazon!

Last year, CMBA hosted two great blogathons: Underseen and Underrated and Banned and Blacklisted. We had a number of really fine entries for both events and these essays have been collected and edited by Annette Bochenek into two new ebooks available for purchase on Amazon and for free on Smashwords.

You may have seen them being promoted on Facebook at the CMBA Private Screening Room, but if not, here is some more detail about them.... please check them out!

Underseen and Underrated: Celebrating Lesser-Known Classic Films

This collection of ten essays turns the spotlight on rare films including Afraid to Talk ( 1932 ), Carrie ( 1952 ), Simon and Laura ( 1955 ), A Majority of One ( 1961 ), and Between the Lions ( 1977 ). John Greco, Patricia Schneider, Jocelyn Dunphy, and Ivan G. Shreve Jr. are among some of the contributors.

All proceeds from Amazon sales go towards the National Film Preservation Foundation.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Underseen-Underrated-Celebrating-Lesser-Known-Classic-ebook/dp/B0764K1GJN

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/751566

Banned and Blacklisted: Too Hot to Handle 

This collection of thirteen essays explores the films and actors who were affected by censorship, whether it be the result of the Hays Code, racism, or the McCarthy-era blacklist scare. Contributors to this ebook include Lara Fowler, Annette Bochenek, Danilo Castro, and Kellee Pratt among others.

All proceeds from Amazon go towards the National Film Preservation Foundation.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079NQ74VF/

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/788764

CMBA Profile: Chaplin Film by Film

CMBA profiles one or two of our classic movie bloggers every month. This week, we’re featuring  Brian J. Robb, of Chaplin: Film by Film

Chaplin: Film by Film is a project after our own heart. On the centenary of the release of each of Charlie Chaplin's movies, blogger Brian J. Robb posted an homage to that film. This gave him a very busy 2014, but as Chaplin's output slowed down, Robb opted to surge ahead of him (he's all the way up to September, 1918, now!). In general, each post includes a synopsis, basic production information, stills, historical background, film analysis, and some excerpts from contemporary reviews. Whether you're a complete novice or a Chaplin expert, you're bound to learn something and have fun doing so. 

Brian would like you to take a look at this post, in which he discusses Chaplin's historic contract with Mutual Film Company for $670,000, which made him the highest paid film maker at the time. It's an original write up of a much-reported event, one that contributed to the rise of the Hollywood "star system" that followed. According to Brian, "It’s a nice, self-contained story covering a pivotal period in Chaplin’s professional and personal life, and a good jumping on point for readers keen to discover more about Chaplin, including his two years of filmmaking prior to that point and everything that followed from it."

CMBA Profile: Classic Film Observations and Obsessions

CMBA profiles one or two of our classic movie bloggers every month. This week, we’re featuring Jocelyn Dunphy, of Classic Film Observations and Obsessions:

Classic Film Observations and Obsessions is the expression of one woman’s fixation on classic film. Jocelyn likes to focus on one actor, director, or theme in films and run through as many movies and as much reading as she can, until she moves on to another focus. In 2016, for example, she put a lot of time into Van Heflin, a one time winner of Best Supporting Actor who shows up in a surprising range of movies. More recently, she’s been looking at Werner Herzog, who she got to see live at a screening. When Jocelyn sinks her teeth into something, she doesn’t let go easily!

Jocelyn would like you to take a look at this post, from the centennial of the birth of actor Robert Mitchum. It’s another example of her going in depth into the workings of an actor who fascinate her. It’s a review of the 1973 Mitchum movie “The Friends of Eddie Coyle,” a lesser-known movie she was lucky enough to see screened in a theater in Boston. She tells us of the post, “I think it captures my own voice well, in how I logged my own reactions to the movie.  I think those who read it will get a good sense of who I am as a blogger and film enthusiast.” We would have to agree!

CMBA Profile: Louise Brooks Society

The CMBA profiles one of our classic movie blogs each month. This month we're featuring Thomas Gladysz, of the Louise Brooks Society:
The Louise Brooks Society is one of the most prolific and professional of the blogs in CMBA. Almost every day, there are updates on the site, and the writing and information is top-notch. It's a blog with a very specific focus - a silent film goddess with a short career but an iconic image. Author Thomas Gladysz has been running the society for over twenty years now, and he never seems to run out of things to say or images to share Louise and her world. 

CMBA Profile: Classic Movie Man

The CMBA profiles one of our classic movie blogs each month. This month we're featuring Stephen Reginald, of Classic Movie Man

A look at Classic Movie Man is like being invited to a great film festival. Stephen Reginald, the writer of Classic Movie Man, posts news about local screenings in Chicago, meetups, and presentations he's giving, and his love of classic film comes across in everything he writes. One section, "The Film Club," is dedicated specially to these kinds of local events. Stephen has also lectured on classic movies at the Facets Film School, and this article in Chicago Magazine makes it sound like these discussions were too fun to miss out on.