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Pre-Code Crazy is the resurrected series here at Shadows and Satin and over at the blog of my pal Kristina, Speakeasy, where each month we’ll recommend a pre-Code film for you to watch on TCM – we never know what the other has selected until we post, and we try to keep our lengthy streak intac read more

It all started in Queens, New York, with the 1927 murder of Albert Snyder by his wife, Ruth and her corset salesman lover, Judd Gray. The case served as the inspiration for The Postman Always Rings Twice, the 1934 debut novel of newspaper reporter-turned-author James M. Cain, which tells the tale of read more

As I mentioned in a previous post, I’m pleased to give my readers the chance to win the DVD of my all-time favorite documentary — MGM: The Lion Roars, released in 1992 and hosted by Patrick Stewart. To enter, just request a sample electronic copy of the Dark Pages film noir newsletter b read more

As I mentioned in a recent post, I celebrated TCM’s 2024 Summer Under the Stars event by recommending a picture I’d seen, as well as identifying one to watch that I hadn’t. I covered the first 10 new-to-me pictures in this post, and today I’m moving on to the next 10. Here goes . . . August read more

As I often say around these parts, my favorite month of the year is August, when TCM serves up its Summer Under the Stars (SUTS) series, where a different classic film star is featured every day and the channel airs 24 hours of their movies. This year, you might recall, for each day of the series, I read more

Once again . . . Happy New Year! Welcome to your first edition of the Film Noir Files, where my pal, Kristina, of the Speakeasy blog, and I recommend a film noir feature that’s airing on TCM in the coming month (and try not to select the same picture). Let’s dive in! I have to be honest – except read more

Happy New Year, dear readers, and welcome to 2025 here at Shadows and Satin! As I mentioned in my last post from 2024, my pal Kristina, of the Speakeasy blog, and I are teaming up to resurrect our old series, Pre-Code Crazy. As part of this collaboration, we’ll both recommend a pre-Code featur read more

Now that we have another Noirvember under our collective belts, it’s time to get back to our regularly scheduled programming. Here’s what’s on deck on TCM in the month of December in the pre-Code and film noir departments… Satiny Pick: December 2nd My Satiny pick for December read more

Parting is such sweet sorrow . . . and the end of Noirvember is a drag. But it’s been another fabulous celebration of those shadowy films that we love so much, and I’m thankful for everyone who came along for the ride. Whether you read a post, or clicked the “like” button, or read more

As we make our way to the conclusion of Double Indemnity week, it’s a pleasure to take this opportunity to salute one of the best things about this gem: the exquisite writing. Whether it was one liners, monologues, or dialogues between characters, Double Indemnity served up some of the most deliciou read more

It’s my favorite noir and one of my favorite films of all time. So you know there’s lots about Double Indemnity that I’m thankful for. Here are just a few… The opening of the film, which depicts the silhoette of a behatted man on crutches, slowly moving toward us, accompanied read more

I love lots of things – baking sweet treats (like tonight’s apple turnovers), reorganizing cabinets, browsing the stacks at my downtown library . . . And taking classic movie quizzes. I hope you do, too, because I’m serving up a super-sized quiz on this week’s focus film, Double read more

After Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, in that order, Barbara Stanwyck is one of my favorite actresses. How could she not be, with her performances in pre-Code gems like Night Nurse (1931), Ten Cents a Dance (1931), and Baby Face (1933); first-rate romantic comedies including The Lady Eve and Ball of read more

As we enter the last week of this year’s Noirvember celebration, what better time to dive into some trivia on our focus film? Pull up a chair and snack on some trivial tidbits on Double Indemnity . . . The first name of Phyllis’s hapless husband was never spoken. Billy Wilder was nominated for an read more

One of the many distinctive factors about Double Indemnity is the look of the film. It’s brought to you courtesy of cinematographer John Seitz. Today’s post shines the light on this talented and innovative cameraman. Seitz was born in Chicago in 1892 and started his career as a lab assistant at read more

I started reading From the Moment They Met It Was Murder: Double Indemnity and the Rise of Film Noir back in the spring of 2024. My writing projects this year have thrown a variety of monkey wrenches into my reading time, but I finished the book today – and just in time for Double Indemnity week read more

It’s Friday, y’all – and you know what that means! It’s time to ring up the ol’ curtain on the fourth and final noir that I’ll be spotlighting during this month. And if you know me at all, you’ve known that one of my focus films this month would have to be my all-time favorite noir (drum read more

Thanksgiving is just around the corner! I may not be quite prepared for a day full of cooking (and eating), but I’m ready to serve up some thanks for Out of the Past today! Here are the top 10 reasons I’m thankful for this gem (and I’ve tossed in a few trivia tidbits, too)! Marny, the café read more

I love lots of things – discovering new flavors of coffee, collecting vintage radios, baking (and eating) fresh bread . . . And taking classic movie quizzes. I hope you do, too, because today’s the day for our weekly quiz on our focus film, Out of the Past. Just put on your thinking caps, ligh read more

Over the years on these shadowy and satiny pages, I’ve covered all of the film’s stars and supporting players in Out of the Past – all but one: Dickie Moore. Moore played “The Kid,” the deaf-mute teen who worked at the service station for Robert Mitchum’s Jeff Bailey. Today’s Noirvember read more