Reminder: Bob's Mini-Marathon on TCM

Just in case you don't already have a copy, or you'd just like to spend the day with Bob, TCM will be showing six of his movies on his birthday tomorrow. 

Times shown are Eastern:
        * 12:15 p.m. The Easiest Way
        *   1:30 p.m. Hide-Out
        *   3:00 p.m. Night Must Fall 
        *   5:00 p.m. Three Loves Has Nancy 
        *   6:15 p.m. Mr. & Mrs. Smith
        *   4:30 a.m. The Big House

And below, Roz Russell gives birthday boy, Jimmy Stewart a big hug.  Looks like they're both enjoying it.  

                                No Time for Comedy (1940)

Classic Stats

I just noticed that Blogger offers stats for the blog, so I had to dig around.

Here's an interesting one . . . most visitors find the blog via the following search keywords.

1.) Joan Crawford

2.) Classic Montgomery
Voila!

3.) Ray Milland
Seriously, he beat Bob? There must be a pent up demand for Milland photos out there. Someone jump on the opportunity!

4.) Robert Montgomery

OK, I knew he'd show up at some point. No, not LB Mayer. Really, I think they're doing SEO keyword research to help them rank better on the web.

5.) Gloria Stewart (not Stuart)
One photo on the blog and it hits the top five. Wow.

I Stepped On Ray Milland...

...aka Hollywood Pics: Part Two

A Real Hero

Kudos to the National Aviation Hall of Fame for selecting Jimmy Stewart as a 2009 National Aviation Hall of Fame enshrinee. BGen. Stewart will be honored at their annual ceremony on July 18 in Dayton, OH.

Happy Birthday, Jimmy

All the best to a soldier...

And an actor...

Happy Birthday, James Stewart

Another famous actor's birthday is this week - James Stewart's today. 100 years of Jimmy, wow...

Airplanes on the Big Screen

The EAA Fly-In convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin is one again asking folks to vote on what aviation-themed Hollywood movies to play on their outdoor screen this year. As someone who's sat under the night-time summer sky at their event, I've got a bit of an interest in the voting. For consideration this year are:

• Air America (1990)
• The Dambusters (1955)
• The Flight of the Phoenix (1965)
• Memphis Belle (1990)
• Always (1989)
• The Final Countdown (1980)
• Strategic Air Command (1955)
• Airplane! (1980)
• Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954)
• Tora Tora Tora (1970)
  

My vote(s): Strategic Air Command & Bridges at Toko-Ri

As they say - vote early, vote often!

Cocktail Per Un Cadavere

Farley Granger is in town next week to promo his new book. In addition to a book signing, the venue is showing Hitchcock's Rope on the big screen. Since (sadly) I won't be able to make the event and see Philip in action, below is my mini tribute to this often ignored, yet techinically interesting movie. I've come to realize either you love or hate Rope. Me - it's one of my Hitchcock favorites.

Really, I'd might more happy if the evil Brandon appeared at the event...

This is War - Radio Style

This is War was a 13 episode series of radio programs that ran in 1942 on 4 networks simultaneously. Each week a new Hollywood personality narrated the half hour show. Such names included Tyrone Power, Fredric March, James Stewart, James Cagney, and more.

This particular episode is the first of the series, from February 14. The narrator for the evening is Lt. Robert Montgomery.

5 MB MP3 - 30 Minutes

Powerful writing with a powerful message.

A tip of the hat to Bantaskin for digging this one up.

Jimmy is Glenn

I want to put my two cents in for a film I watched just last week - The Glenn Miller Story. I love Big Band music, so watching this was a blast. The music was a pleasure to listen to and James Stewart is excellent as Glenn Miller. And it wouldn't be a 50s Jimmy Stewart film without June Allyson as Glenn's wife, Helen. There's one night club scene where Louis Armstrong (in the flesh) invites Gene Krupa (in the flesh), Glenn & other music notables to the stage to "jam." Beautiful.

The story of Glenn's disappearance has always been an interesting one, suitable for Unsolved Mysteries. Just before Christmas 1944, the aircraft he was flying on disappeared en route to Paris. One theory was his plane was accidentally bombed from above - the theories continue to this day.

Stewart's Stamp

I was just looking into the stamp rate increase and discovered the USPS is issuing a James Stewart stamp in July as part of their Legends of Hollywood series. USPS.com reports: The stamp is a portrait of Stewart based on a publicity photograph for The Stratton Story. The painting on the selvage shows Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, the 1939 film for which he received his first Academy Award® nomination for "best actor."

The one on the right is my "concept"

More IAWL Sightings

I saw It's a Wonderful Life on the big screen this weekend. While I started losing feeling in the lower-half of my body from the "vintage" seating, it was a fun time.

Watching an old movie on the screen lets you notice little things you never did on the television.

For example:

• In the sledding scene at the beginning of the movie (where Harry slides into the water), all the kids have skull & crossbones patches on their hats.
• All the Coca-Cola advertising in Mr. Gower's drug store.
• The metal skull on Mr. Potter's desk (when George is getting offered the job with Potter).
• Being able to recognize the portraits of family members as actual photos of the actors (not filler).
  

Once I've seen my IAWL for the year, I know it's Christmas time. I remember as a kid, trying to watch every showing of it on television - or at least part of it. Now if I try to watch it on TV (I believe NBC is the only network airing it) I go nuts with all the commercials.

I'll leave you with an interesting article I ran into about Frank Capra's films and his faith. Of particular interest is the story about a stranger visiting Capra in the hospital (when he had Tuberculosis) and giving him somewhat of a "pep-talk."

Anyway, blogging may slow down a bit with the holidays around the corner. Priorities, ya know!

Small Town Girl

OK, last Robert Taylor movie this week...I promise.

TCM recently showed 1936's Small Town Girl, based on the book of the same name by Ben Ames Williams. Since it showed up in my TiVo list, I thought I'd give it a try.


It's the day of the Yale vs. Harvard football game. Kay Brannan (Janet Gaynor) is trodding away at her job at the small town grocery, when mobs of hyped up college students whiz by in fur coats, banners, and donkeys. She's missing out the fun of the game and, in modern terms, is bummed out.After the game, and a tantrum over the repetative pattern of dinner time at her parents' house, she storms out for an evening walk. Along drives RT (Dr. Bob Dakin) in a slick white convertible roadster, looking for directions to Tait's Tavern. You know where this is going. Kay semi-reluctantly gets into the car to lead the way.

I'll tell you, I've never seen so much drunk driving in a movie. Not that I want to lecture folks here, but boy, times have changed.

After a night of multiple bottles of champagne, Kay & Dr. Bob get married. Kay knows what's up, but Dr. Bob is drunker than a skunk. He has been taken advantage of, so to speak. Heh, here's the kicker - Dr. Bob has a fiancee.

By no means is this movie the next Citizen Kane, just another fun-to-watch romantic comedy from the 1930s. So hide your car keys, sit back, grab a Cosmo, and watch up.

Oh, and guess who else is in the movie - Jimmy Stewart, with eighth billing as Elmer.

A Night on the Town

Jimmy & Gloria Stewart. Wish I had a date/year for this one - I'm going to guess late 1940s.

Happy 60th

I wasn't going to buy it, but now that I read that It's a Wonderful Life has been given a "facelift," I might just buy it again:

Republic first released this film on DVD back in 1998, and the transfer was fine for its day. Paramount has recently taken over distribution of the film however, and for its 60th anniversary, they've taken the opportunity to restore the film and create a brand new high-definition master. The new disc features a superior video presentation in the original full frame aspect ratio. While the previous DVD had a slightly digital look to it, this new image is wonderfully smooth and detailed, without appearing edgy or artificially filtered. It's presented in the original B&W, and features excellent contrast, texture and shadow detailing. The image is noticeably cleaner than the previous DVD, with far less visible dust, dirt and nicks on the print, and with an appropriately film-like quality that's very pleasing to the eye. The audio is improved as well, presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 mono. Dialogue is clear at all times, and the track thankfully fixes the defects that hampered the previous DVD's audio, which caused the sound to occasionally take on a muffled quality.

Learn more here.

I do have to admit, Walgreen's sells a new building from Bedford Falls each year - the mini ceramic, collectible ones. I am a proud owner of Martini's bar & bring it out each year.

Movie Lot to Beachhead

Every once in a while I walk over to ye olde bookshelf & start looking at what I have. What usually happens is I grab something & say to myself, "wow, I forgot I had that." The "aha" moment this time was a book called:

Movie Lot to Beachhead The Motion Picture Goes to War and Prepares for the Future
By the Editors of Look
1945

It's not the rarest book. I see it pop up at antique shops here & there. Look Magazine probably cranked out thousands of these things back in their heyday.

Overall, it's an interesting collection of real wartime photos, with a focus on Hollywood's contribution to the war. You've got a chapter on Jimmy Stewart; another on the making of God is My Co-Pilot; Foxhole Circuit (entertaining the troops), Private Snafu; Hollywood is Just Another Town at War and more.

Let me grab you a part from the chapter titled "Costumes by Uncle Sam:"

"...Such is one aspect of filmdom at war. There are others. Robert Montgomery, suave drawing-room comedian, having two destroyers shot from under him in the South Pacific . . . Clark Gable, screen idol, winning the Air Medal for bomber missions of German-held territory. . . Gene Autry, crooning cowboy, refused by the Air Forces because of age, taking flying lessons and getting into the Air Transport Command . . . Jackie Coogan, the "kid" grown up, piloting the first glider landing behind Japanese lines in Burma . . . Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., urbane son of a famous father, winning the Silver Star for service at Salerno."

To this day I can't believe someone like Clark Gable was on bomber missions over enemy territory. Imagine if he was captured as a prisoner of war...

August Attractions

For you DVD nuts out there, the August edition of Classic Coming Attractions is up on The Digital Bits web site.

Two quick notes from my end:

• October 31: the 60th anniversary edition of It's a Wonderful Life comes out. I love this movie, but really, what can you add to a movie that you've already re-issued two million times? I already own a VHS gift box set & the required upgrade to DVD. Did they find a missing scene where George goes postal on Mr. Potter?

• November 14: The Cary Grant: Screen Legend Collection: Thirty Day Princess, Kiss and Make Up, Wings in the Dark, Big Brown Eyes, and Wedding Present. Ahh yes, Cary movies from the 30s - now that's what I'm talkin' about..

I've Read Everything

I can go home now.

CelebHeights.com - people are debating how tall Robert Montgomery was. I kid you not. Check it out. Let me grab you a blurb from this *high-intensity* discussion:

"I see a 2 1/2" to 3" difference in height in that picture between Jimmy Stewart and Robert Montgomery, making Montgomery about 6' to 6'-0.5"

More Jimmy

More photos, just because I can...

Brig. Gen. James M. Stewart

I love Jimmy Stewart. A great actor and a down to earth person. Did you also know that he flew combat bomber missions in WWII? Instead of giving the lowdown here, I thought I'd offer some sites that offer much more info than I can provide:

• Jimmy Stewart, Bomber Pilot - a book that came out last year, by Starr Smith. It's in my *to read* pile.
  
• Air Force Museum - Has some items of his on display, including his leather bomber jacket
• IMDB Bio