That said, we’ll be giving away EIGHT PAIRS of tickets* to see “TCM Big Screen Classics: Love Story (50th Anniversary)” – starring Ryan O’Neal and Ali MacGraw — the way it was meant to be seen – on the Big Screen!
In order to qualify to win a pair of movie tickets via this contest, you must complete the below entry task by Saturday, January 18th at 6PM EST.
We will announce the winner(s) on Twitter on Sunday, January 19, between 6PM EST and 7PM EST.If a winner(s) does not have a Twitter account, we will announce that winner(s) via this blog in the comment section below.
In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the film’s release
ENTRY TASK (2-parts) to be completed by Saturday, January 18 at 6pm EST…
1) Answer the below question via the comment section at the bottom of this blog post
THE QUESTION: What is it about “Love Story” that makes it a classic — even today, 50 years after its release? And, if you haven’t seen it, why do you want to see it on the Big Screen?
2) Then TWEET* (not DM) the following message: I just entered to win tickets to see “TCM Big Screen Classics Presents: Love Story (50th Anniversary)” on the Big Screen courtesy of @ClassicMovieHub & @FathomEvents #EnterToWin #CMHContest link here:
*If you don’t have a Twitter account, you can still enter the contest by simply answering the above question via the comment section at the bottom of this blog — BUT PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU ADD THIS VERBIAGE TO YOUR ANSWER: I do not have a Twitter account, so I am posting here to enter but cannot tweet the message.
NOTE: if for any reason you encounter a problem commenting here on this blog, please feel free to tweet or DM us, or send an email to clas…@gmail.com and we will be happy to create the entry for you.
ALSO: Please allow us 48 hours to approve your comments. Sorry about that, but we are being overwhelmed with spam, and must sort through 100s of comments…
About the film: Harvard Law student Oliver Barrett IV (Ryan O’Neal) and music student Jennifer Cavilleri (Ali MacGraw) share a chemistry they cannot deny—and a love they cannot ignore. Despite their opposite backgrounds, the young couple put their hearts on the line for each other. When they marry, Oliver’s wealthy father threatens to disown him. Jenny tries to reconcile the Barrett men, but to no avail. Oliver and Jenny continue to build their life together. Relying only on each other, they believe love can fix anything. But fate has other plans. Soon, what began as a brutally honest friendship becomes the love story of their lives. This beloved film was nominated for seven Academy Awards®, including an Oscar®-winning musical score that became the poignant theme of the timeless romance. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this romantic classic returns to cinemas and includes exclusive insights from Turner Classic Movies.
Please note that only United States residents are eligible to enter this giveaway contest.
BlogHub members ARE also eligible to win if they live within the Continental United States (as noted above).
You can follow Fathom Events on Twitter at @fathomevents
Cooking with the Stars: Loretta Young’s Chicken Curry
Loretta Young
It’s a new year, which means it’s time for more stars and more delectable recipes! I feel like Loretta Young has been on my ever-growing list of stars that I’ve wanted to cover for ages, but this month seemed like the perfect time for many reasons. Like many of you, I’m sure, I recently dusted off my copy of The Bishop’s Wife (1947) over the holidays, which has made me realize how underappreciated and seldom discussed Loretta is nowadays in comparison to other actresses of her time. Even though she was one of my favorite actor Tyrone Power‘s most frequent leading ladies, I’m sorry to admit that even I don’t know much about her. I figured the arrival of the new year would be the perfect time to learn new facts about stars and try new types of cuisine. Besides, January 6th marks Loretta’s 107th birthday, and on February 10th, many of her belongings will be auctioned off in partnership with Julien’s Auctions. It seems like 2020 will be Young’s year at last, and I can’t wait to dive more into her career and her curry recipe!
The Young sisters, left to right: Georgiana Belzer, Loretta’s half-sister who later married actor Ricardo Montalban, Sally Blane, Loretta Young, and Polly Ann Young.
Loretta was born under the name of Gretchen Young on January 6, 1913, in Salt Lake City, Utah to Gladys and John Earle Young. Her parents separated when she was only two, and by age three Gretchen’s mother relocated along with Gretchen and her two older sisters, Polly Ann and Elizabeth Jane to Hollywood. Due to Mrs. Young’s connection to her brother-in-law, an assistant director during the early days of cinema, Gladys’ three daughters all began careers as child actresses, with Gretchen receiving her first role at the tender age of four in The Promise Ring (1917). Her performance, though uncredited, caught the eye of silent star Mae Murray, who was so taken with little Gretchen that she offered to adopt her.
Gretchen ended up living with the Murrays for a year and a half, after which she moved back in with her mother, who by this time ran a boarding house with the help of her daughters. After appearing uncredited in The Sheik (1921), Gretchen took a break from acting so she could finish school, though it wasn’t long until she found herself drawn to the screen once more. Her role in Naughty but Nice (1927) attracted the attention of another famous face: John McCormick, husband, and manager of legendary star Colleen Moore, who saw potential in the newcomer and decided to sign her to a contract. The name Loretta was given to the actress by Moore, who later claimed that it was the name of her favorite doll.
Loretta Young earned her first starring role in Laugh, Clown, Laugh (1928) opposite Lon Chaney at the age of fifteen.
Loretta entered the world of films with a bang, going from near obscurity to starring opposite Lon Chaney in Laugh, Clown, Laugh (1928) within just one year. She continued to work steadily and build her star status from the end of the silent era, making a smooth transition to early talkies. She averaged anywhere from six to nine films during any given year, and by 1930 she was so popular with audiences that her elopement at age seventeen to Grant Withers, Young’s costar in The Second Floor Mystery (1930), made headlines. Their marriage was annulled the following year, which ironically coincided with the release of their second onscreen pairing,Too Young to Marry (1931). The end of her marriage didn’t stop Loretta’s ascent into the stratosphere, however, as she continued to star in scores of pre-code classics, many of which still hold up today, such as Platinum Blonde (1931), Employee’s Entrance (1933), and Heroes for Sale (1933).
By the mid-1930s, Loretta decided to leave her home studio, First National, for rival Twentieth Century Pictures, which was on the verge of merging with Fox to create 20th Century Fox. She had previously worked there on a loan-out basis, and the career move led to her transforming from a successful actress in the industry to become one of the most renowned leading ladies in Hollywood, but that wasn’t the only major change that was to come in her life at the time.
Loretta Young and her daughter, Judy Lewis. Loretta did not publicly admit that she and Clark Gable were Judy’s biological parents until the posthumous release of her memoirs.
In January of 1935, Loretta journeyed to Mount Baker, Washington with the rest of the cast and crew of her newest feature, Call of the Wild (1935) co-starring MGM’s biggest leading man, Clark Gable. Despite his marriage to Maria Franklin and his multiple liaisons with Joan Crawford, Gable was drawn to Loretta, and while she was as flirtatious with him as she was with many of her other leading men, her strict Catholic upbringing made her careful not to take their relationship any further.
However, in a case of what’s now considered sexual assault perpetrated by Gable, Loretta became pregnant in the spring of the same year. In a very rare occurrence for the time, Loretta was adamant about keeping her child by any means necessary and decided to feign illness to the public and hideaway in Europe until she gave birth to daughter Judy on November 6, 1935. At first, Loretta placed Judy in the custody of her housekeeper, then in an orphanage until she was able to formally adopt the child. After a brief two months in recovery, Loretta returned to the screen in Ramona (1936), 20th Century Fox’s first three-strip Technicolor feature. The remainder of the 1930s was filled with picture after picture that each succeeded at the box office, and during this time she became most notable for her pairings opposite Tyrone Power in Café Metropole (1937), Second Honeymoon (1938), Suez (1938), and one of my absolute favorite films, Love is News (1937).
Loretta Young, seen here on March 20, 1948, with her Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Farmer’s Daughter (1947).
Loretta continued to work steadily throughout the 1940s, and though she was still highly successful as a star, only a few of her works in this decade have gone on to become well-known to modern audiences, including The Stranger (1946) opposite Orson Welles, the more recently beloved Christmas classic The Bishop’s Wife (1947) with Cary Grant and David Niven, and most importantly The Farmer’s Daughter (1947), which earned Young her first and only Academy Award for Best Actress. Her win came in the twilight of her career in motion pictures, as Loretta made only a handful of films during the late 1940s and early 1950s, but her next career move put her in front of a larger audience than ever before. Her television show began in 1953 as Letter to Loretta, an anthology series in which each episode was a dramatized response to one of her fan letters. This idea was scrapped after the show’s second season in favor of The Loretta Young Show.
Due to her overwork on the show during this time period, Loretta did not act in all of the show’s episodes, but each airing featured an introduction and conclusion featuring the actress in a stunning evening gown. The show ran until 1961, after which The New Loretta Young Show, a fictionalized sitcom starring Loretta and her six television children, attempted to take its place but quickly floundered in comparison to the original. Young spent the following decades focusing on charitable causes along with her friends and former costars, especially charities related to Catholicism. She passed away on August 12, 2000, of ovarian cancer at the age of eighty-seven and is interred at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.
Loretta Young’s Chicken Curry
1 medium onion
1 tablespoon green pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups stock
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup celery
½ cup diced raw potatoes
½ cup peas
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 teaspoon curry powder, stirred in a teaspoonful of hot stock
Brown the onion and pepper in butter.
Add stock, salt, celery, and potatoes. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Add peas, chicken and curry powder. Simmer for 10
minutes.
Serve with hot boiled rice and India chutney. Serves 6.
My version of Loretta Young’s Chicken Curry.
As I touched on before, Indian food
is largely new to me. I’ve dined with people who are more well-versed in this
type of cuisine, but this is one of the first times that I can recall ever
cooking any kind of curry before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I prepared
Loretta’s recipe exactly as stated, though the fact that the recipe includes
chicken that’s already been cooked left some room for experimentation. I
decided to cook two large chicken breasts in a buttered pan first, seasoning
with salt, pepper, curry powder, and a touch of coriander and cloves. Sautéeing
the onion and pepper in the butter and the fond left from the chicken added
just the right amount of flavor to the end result, so I would highly recommend
doing the same if you fancy remaking this dish. In retrospect, the one mistake
I very likely made while recreating this recipe was using the wrong type of
“green pepper”.
The phrase “green pepper” in vintage recipes has frustrated me for years now because it’s so vague and I nearly always buy the wrong variety. I was confused about why so little pepper was required here until I realized that the recipe was likely calling for a spicy green pepper-like a serrano, jalapeno, or chili pepper, and of course, I bought and used green bell pepper. While it may have made a difference in heat, I was still highly satisfied with my version, more than I ever thought I would be! I was so proud that my first attempt at Indian food yielded some of the best Indian food I’ve tried. On paper, I wasn’t sure about the balance of ingredients, but in the pot, everything harmonized into one scrumptious and cohesive dish. The curry flavor is present, yet not overbearing, and the chicken and potatoes make this entrée very filling! If this is a dish that intrigues you as much as it did me, I urge you to dive right in and make this a weeknight staple in your kitchen. I’m so glad that our first recipe of the year has earned a perfect five out of five Vincents!
Loretta Young’s Chicken Curry gets 5/5 Vincents
…
–Samantha Ellis for Classic Movie Hub
Samantha resides in West Chester, Pennsylvania and is the author of Musings of a Classic Film Addict, a blog that sheds light on Hollywood films and filmmakers from the 1930s through the 1960s. Her favorite column that she pens for her blog is Cooking with the Stars, for which she tests and reviews the personal recipes of stars from Hollywood’s golden age. When she isn’t in the kitchen, Samantha also lends her voice and classic film knowledge as cohost of the Ticklish Business podcast alongside Kristen Lopez and Drea Clark, and proudly serves as President of TCM Backlot’s Philadelphia Chapter. You can catch up with her work by following her @classicfilmgeek on Twitter.
That said, we’ll be giving away EIGHT PAIRS of tickets* to see “TCM Big Screen Classics: An American in Paris” – starring Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron and Oscar Levant — the way it was meant to be seen – on the Big Screen!
In order to qualify to win a pair of movie tickets via this contest, you must complete the below entry task by Sunday, January 5th at 12noon EST.
We will announce the winner(s) on Twitter on Sunday, January 5, between 6PM EST and 7PM EST.If a winner(s) does not have a Twitter account, we will announce that winner(s) via this blog in the comment section below.
An American in Paris, winner of 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Music
ENTRY TASK (2-parts) to be completed by Sunday, January 5 at 12noon EST…
1) Answer the below question via the comment section at the bottom of this blog post
THE QUESTION: What is it about “An American in Paris” that makes it a classic — even today, 69 years after its release? And, if you haven’t seen it, why do you want to see it on the Big Screen?
2) Then TWEET* (not DM) the following message: I just entered to win tickets to see “TCM Big Screen Classics Presents: An American in Paris” on the Big Screen courtesy of @ClassicMovieHub & @FathomEvents #EnterToWin #CMHContest link here:
*If you don’t have a Twitter account, you can still enter the contest by simply answering the above question via the comment section at the bottom of this blog — BUT PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU ADD THIS VERBIAGE TO YOUR ANSWER: I do not have a Twitter account, so I am posting here to enter but cannot tweet the message.
NOTE: if for any reason you encounter a problem commenting here on this blog, please feel free to tweet or DM us, or send an email to clas…@gmail.com and we will be happy to create the entry for you.
ALSO: Please allow us 48 hours to approve your comments. Sorry about that, but we are being overwhelmed with spam, and must sort through 100s of comments…
About the film: Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron sing and dance to the music of George and Ira Gershwin in this winner of six Academy Awards®, including Best Picture. When ex-GI Jerry Mulligan (Kelly) remains in Paris to pursue life as an artist, he is discovered by a wealthy patroness interested in more than his art. But Mulligan falls in love with a French shop girl (Caron) who is engaged to his best friend. This musical classic includes exclusive insights from Turner Classic Movies.
Please note that only United States residents are eligible to enter this giveaway contest.
BlogHub members ARE also eligible to win if they live within the Continental United States (as noted above).
You can follow Fathom Events on Twitter at @fathomevents
Classic Movie Hub and Fathom Events Partnership Continues! Year-Long Movie Ticket Giveaways to TCM Big Screen Classics
For the fifth consecutive year, Fathom Events and TCM present TCM Big Screen Classics — a year-long series of 15 movie classics shown on the Big Screen, each accompanied by insightful, specially-produced commentary from favorite TCM hosts. And — CMH is thrilled to say that — also — for the fifth consecutive year — we will be partnering with Fathom Events for our monthly classic movie ticket giveaways.
That said, Classic Movie Hub will be giving away tickets to each of the TCM Big Screen Classics playing throughout 2020. And, just like last year, it will be simple to enter… All you have to do is check back on this Blog every month OR follow us on Twitter at @ClassicMovieHub or on Facebook for our monthly contest announcements. Then complete that month’s entry task, and you will be entered into a random drawing to win a pair of tickets to that month’s movie event! That’s it!
And — if you can’t wait to win tickets, you can purchase them online by visiting FathomEvents.com, or at participating theater box offices.
So, now, as they say, let’s get the show on the road — with a list of the movie events.
An American in Paris, Jan 19 and 22:Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron sing and dance to the music of George and Ira Gershwin in this winner of six Academy Awards®, including Best Picture.
Love Story, Feb 9 and 12: Harvard Law student Oliver Barrett IV (Ryan O’Neal) and music student Jennifer Cavilleri (Ali MacGraw) share a chemistry they cannot deny – and a love they cannot ignore. Despite their opposite backgrounds, the young couple put their hearts on the line for each other.
The Color Purple: Feb 23: Academy Award® winner Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey star in director Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Color Purple.
King Kong, March 15: In the classic adventure that made her a star, Fay Wray plays the beautiful woman who conquers the savage heart of a giant ape.
A League of Their Own, Apr 26, 27 and 29: Big league box office stars Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty and Tom Hanks pitch up as The Rockford Peaches, a brash and ballsy team of tryers with a talent they were never meant to have and the guts to take it all the way!
Airplane!, May 17 and 20: Robert Hays and Julie Hagerty join panicky passengers, inept ground controllers and an inflatable auto-pilot (named “Otto,” of course!) in the disaster-film spoof voted “one of the 10 funniest movies ever made” by the American Film Institute.
The Shining: details to follow.
Annie: June 14 and 17: Director John Houston’s film adaptation of the Broadway smash hit, ANNIE, which in turn was based on the perennial cartoon favorite, Little Orphan Annie. This musical extravaganza features stunning performance by Carol Burnett, Bernadette Peters, Tim Curry and Albert Finney.
Blues Brothers June 28 and July 1: Comedy icons John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd star in the outrageously funny musical comedy The Blues Brothers.
Ghost, July 19 and 22 : One of the most memorable romantic films ever and winner of two Academy Awards®, Sam (Patrick Swayze), living as a ghost, discovers his death wasn’t just a random robbery gone bad.
Babe, Aug 9 and 12: Academy Award® winner and Best Picture nominee, Babe is the inspirational story of a shy Yorkshire piglet who doesn’t quite know his place in the world.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Sept 13, 14 and 17: Richard Dreyfuss stars as cable worker Roy Neary, who along with several other stunned bystanders experience a close encounter of the first kind – witnessing UFOs soaring across the sky. After this life-changing event, the inexplicable vision of a strange, mountain-like formation haunts him.
Psycho, Oct 11 and 12: Join the Master of Suspense on a chilling journey as an unsuspecting victim (Janet Leigh) visits the Bates Motel and falls prey to one of cinema’s most notorious psychopaths – Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins).
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Nov 8 and 9: A feisty misfit sent to a mental hospital inspires his fellow patients to assert themselves, much to the chagrin of the strong-willed head nurse, who turns out to be more dangerous than any of the inmates. Based on the novel by Ken Kesey and the play by Dale Wasserman.
Fiddler on the Roof, Dec 13 and 14: Director Norman Jewison offers this uplifting classic about a poor Jewish milkman (Topol) in Czarist Russia who, along with his devoted family, battles financial challenges and growing anti-Semitism within his village.
Please stay tuned for contest announcements throughout the year for your chance(s) to win!
Around this time last year, in a column titled Christmas in the West, I took a look at a pair of
Christmas-themed films starring Gene Autry and Roy Rogers.
Alas, there are very few Westerns with a Christmas theme, so this
year I’m going to swing in a totally opposite direction, into the bleakness of
winter, with a look at “Noir-Tinged Westerns.”
These are darker Westerns than the norm, with a style strongly
influenced by the postwar film noir movement. They often have a crime or
mystery theme and a hero who is psychologically conflicted or morally
ambiguous. Here are a few of my favorite “noir Westerns” of 1947-48,
presented in alphabetical order:
…..
Blood on the Moon (Robert Wise, 1948)
Blood on the Moon starring Robert Mitchum
This is one of my top favorites in this Western subgenre, and it’s
sadly underseen as it’s not yet available on DVD in the United States.
Fortunately it does turn up occasionally on Turner Classic Movies.
The noir credentials behind Blood on the Moon are strong: It comes from the “House of Noir,” RKO, and was directed by Robert Wise, who the previous year directed Lawrence Tierney and Claire Trevor in one of my very favorite film noir titles, Born to Kill (1947). Blood on the Moon was filmed by Nicholas Musuraca, who did superb work on many film noir titles, including the all-time noir classic Out of the Past (1947). What’s more, Blood on the Moon stars Out of the Past star Robert Mitchum.
Barbara Bel Geddes and Robert Mitchum
Mitchum plays Jim Garry, a “loose rider” (love that term) who finds himself in the middle of a range war. Barbara Bel Geddes is on one side of the battle, with Robert Preston on the other; Bel Geddes plays a spunky gal who’s a good shot, who just might reform the gun-slinging Garry.
As shot by Musuraca, the movie has terrific atmosphere, from the
rainstorm which opens the film to a shadowy barroom brawl and moody,
cloud-filled skies.
Blood on the Moon Publicity Still
The script by Lillie Hayward was based on a story by Luke Short, whose work inspired other “noirish Westerns,” including Ramrod and Station West, both discussed below. The script puts forth a tough story which veers from heartbreak to humor. One of the best moments has Walter Brennan, who has previously endured an enormous loss, kill a man and then laconically say to a surviving character, “I always wanted to shoot one of you, and he was the handiest.”
The deep supporting cast includes noir legend Charles McGraw, along with Tom Tully and Phyllis Thaxter. ’30s cowboy star Tom Keene also appears in a supporting role; in this later phase of his career, playing small supporting roles, Keene changed his billing name to Richard Powers.
A highly recommended film worth seeking out.
…..
Pursued (Raoul Walsh, 1948)
Pursued
Robert Mitchum stars again, this time as the psychologically tormented
Jeb Rand, who’s troubled by a childhood nightmare he doesn’t really remember;
he simply knows something in his earliest years went very
wrong.
Jeb was adopted at a young age by Ma Callum (Dame Judith Anderson), and things get a little odd when Jeb falls in love with his adoptive “sister,” Thorley (Teresa Wright). They’re not actually related, of course, and that’s actually the least strange aspect of Jeb’s family life; at one point he must shoot his adoptive brother (John Rodney), and then there’s Ma Callum’s brother-in-law (Dean Jagger) who wants to kill him. But why?
Robert Mitchum and Teresa Wright
The interesting script was written by Wright’s husband, Niven
Busch. Mitchum tended to be a deceptively low-key performer, but here his Jeb
is positively stoic as he deals with everything thrown his way, including his
own wife threatening to shoot him on their wedding night!
Robert Mitchum and Teresa Wright
There’s much to absorb watching this film, from the well-acted,
very troubled characters to the mystery to the film’s visual style. Famed
cinematographer James Wong Howe does a marvelous job creating the film’s
memorable, literally dark look, with many scenes shot at night.
I’ve seen this Warner Bros. film several times and always notice
new things, which I feel is one of the marks of a really good movie.
…..
Ramrod (Andre de Toth, 1947)
Ramrod
Western favorite Joel McCrea stars in Ramrod, which was directed by Andre de Toth. McCrea plays a recovering alcoholic who had fallen into drinking after the deaths of his wife and child. Dave accepts as job as “ramrod” for rancher Connie Dickason (Veronica Lake, who was married to de Toth). Connie is at odds with her father (Charlie Ruggles), who had driven her fiancee out of town, and unknown to Dave she arranges a stampede that kills multiple people.
While McCrea’s Dave has a troubled past, he’s still the straight
arrow viewers expect from the actor. Lake’s Connie, on the other hand, is a
coldhearted femme fatale who’s only looking out for No. 1 —
and thankfully she has a nice comeuppance at movie’s end.
Veronica Lake and Joel McCrea
The great cast also includes Preston Foster as a villainous rancher allied with Connie’s father; Arleen Whelan as the woman who quietly loves Dave; Donald Crisp as the upright sheriff; and best of all, Don DeFore in a scene-stealing role as McCrea’s charming, sexy sidekick. (Yes, Don DeFore! Who knew?!)
McCrea would likewise go on to star in another noirish Western, Colorado Territory (1949).
Ramrod was
distributed by United Artists. It’s another terrific movie whose reputation has
grown over the years.
…..
Station West (Sidney Lanfield, 1948)
Station West
I briefly wrote about Station West here close to
a year ago in a column on “Unexpected Western Leads,” but it’s worth looking at this
title a little more in this different context.
Station West is another movie from the “house of noir,” RKO. It teams a pair of stars from film noir classics, with Dick Powell (Murder, My Sweet) as an undercover detective and Jane Greer (Out of the Past) as the saloon gal who also proves to be something of a femme fatale. Film noir regular Raymond Burr is also on hand playing a nervous lawyer.
Dick Powell and Jane Greer
Powell’s detective, Lt. John Haven, is on a mission to solve the
murders of two soldiers in a frontier town where he’s not entirely sure who he
can trust.
In some ways this is the most “noir” of the quartet of
films discussed here, having the feel of transporting Powell, Greer, and Burr’s
typical film noir characters straight into the Western milieu.
Thanks to Frank Fenton and Winston Miller’s great screenplay,
Powell offers up sardonic quips and wisecracks on a par with his earlier role
as Philip Marlowe. There’s also a fistfight between Powell and Guinn “Big
Boy” Williams which is quite memorable for its realism and brutality; like
Marlowe, Powell’s Lt. Haven is smart but also finds himself “worked
over” pretty well.
Jane Greer and Dick Powell
Greer gets a chance to sing as the mysterious saloon owner, and there’s also some wonderful singing by Burl Ives which offers commentary on the action. I enjoy noting that while Greer and Ives sang in this film, former musical star Dick Powell did not!
The superb photography was by Harry J. Wild, who had shot Powell’s Murder, My Sweeta few years previously, as well as Powell and Burr’s Pitfall, released the very same year. The scenes with beautiful cloud and rock background formations were filmed by Wild in Sedona, Arizona.
There are a few other titles of this era which could also be described as “noir-tinged.” If anyone would like to recommend a favorite not mentioned above, please feel free to make suggestions in the comments!
…..
— Laura Grieve for Classic Movie Hub
Laura can be found at her blog, Laura’s Miscellaneous Musings, where she’s been writing about movies since 2005, and on Twitter at @LaurasMiscMovie. A lifelong film fan, Laura loves the classics including Disney, Film Noir, Musicals, and Westerns. She regularly covers Southern California classic film festivals. Laura will scribe on all things western at the ‘Western RoundUp’ for CMH.
In watching the opening of Lady in the Lake (1947), if you didn’t know any better, you’d think that you’re about to take in a lightweight Christmas movie along the lines of It’s a Wonderful Life. You hear an earnest-sounding choir warbling “Jingle Bells,” “The First Noel,” and a medley of other Christmas favorites, and the names of the film’s performers are on cards featuring delightfully vintage holiday scenes.
But this ain’t no Christmas movie, and it’s no lightweight, either. It’s
undeniably noir – a fact that becomes clear when the last thing we see at the
end of the credits is the shot of a gun.
Lady in the Lake tells a typically complex noir tale of a private detective – Phillip Marlowe – who’s hired by a crime book editor to find her boss’s missing wife. The entire picture is presented in the unique “camera I” method of filming, in which the camera serves as the eyes of director and star Robert Montgomery. In addition to Montgomery, the cast included Audrey Totter as the book editor, Leon Ames as her boss, and Lloyd Nolan as a police detective.
Audrey Totter and Robert Montgomery
In celebration of the holiday season, this month’s Noir Nook serves up
some trivial tidbits about this non-Christmas Christmas movie.
Robert Montgomery, who plays Marlowe, is only
seen on screen as a reflection in mirrors or windows, or in a few scenes when
he directly addresses the viewer.
The film’s trailer touts the movie as a
“revolution innovation in film technique” and “a startling and daring new
method of storytelling – a milestone in movie making . . . mysteriously
starring Robert Montgomery and YOU!”
The movie was based on a 1944 Raymond Chandler
novel.
Raymond Chandler wrote the original screenplay for the movie, but Montgomery wasn’t satisfied with it and hired writer Steve Fisher to do re-writes. Chandler was unhappy with the changes that Fisher made to his story, but he still demanded a screenplay credit. When he saw the final result, though, Chandler asked that his name be removed from the picture.
Incidentally, Steve Fisher wrote the 1941 novel I Wake Up Screaming, and went on to pen the screenplays for several other noirs – Dead Reckoning (1947), I Wouldn’t Be In Your Shoes (1948), and Roadblock (1951).
Robert Montgomery and Lloyd Nolan on set
Lady in the Lake was Robert Montgomery’s directorial debut. He’d been wanting to direct for a number of years, and while appearing in They Were Expendable in 1945, he’d filled in when director John Ford fell ill. Montgomery did such a commendable job that the execs at MGM told him that he could pick a script and they’d allow him to be at the helm. He picked Lady in the Lake.
The film was Montgomery’s last picture for MGM,
where he’d been under contract for nearly 20 years.
The reviews for Lady in the Lake were mostly favorable. The film was described in Time as “unusual, effective and clever,” and the critic for the New York Times stated: “You do get into the story and see things pretty much the way the protagonist, Phillip Marlowe does, but you don’t have to suffer the bruises he does. Of course, you don’t get a chance to put your arms around Audrey Totter, either.”
The film’s credits list the actress Ellay Mort in the role of Crystal Kingsby – also known as the Lady in the Lake. The credit is an inside joke – the name is the phonetic spelling of the French phrase “elle est morte” or “she is dead.”
…
– Karen Burroughs Hannsberry for Classic Movie Hub
Karen Burroughs Hannsberry is the author of the Shadows and Satin blog, which focuses on movies and performers from the film noir and pre-Code eras, and the editor-in-chief of The Dark Pages, a bimonthly newsletter devoted to all things film noir. Karen is also the author of two books on film noir – Femme Noir: The Bad Girls of Film and Bad Boys: The Actors of Film Noir. You can follow Karen on Twitter at @TheDarkPages. If you’re interested in learning more about Karen’s books, you can read more about them on amazon here:
Silents are Golden: 6 Important Flappers Of The Silent Screen
Earlier this year I wrote a column about how youthful “flapper” trends influenced silent films and vice versa. I briefly went over the notable screen flappers, just so you’d get the gist of who was popular. Well, I’ve decided those brief mentions simply aren’t enough–let’s take a closer look at some of the most influential 1920s screen flappers, the bobbed-haired gals who would inspire a generation.
…..
6. Gladys
Walton
Gladys Walton
While touring the William S. Hart studio one day in 1919, the teenaged Gladys Walton was asked if she had any interest in appearing in pictures. After talking the matter over with her mother, who thought it sounded like fun, Gladys embarked on a busy and profitable movie career.
The “flapper” as we know her today was just
coming into vogue when Gladys entered films. Hardworking and full of bubbly
energy, she was a natural fit for screen flappers. Her madcap characters in
features like Pink Tights (1920) and The Guttersnipe (1922) earned her the
title of “Little Queen of the Flappers.” Universal would capitalize on her
popularity in film after film.
They churned out so many films, in fact, that Gladys grew exhausted. After a
three-year stretch without a break from filming, she took an impromptu vacation
to Hawaii without informing the studio. After this, she would only appear in a
few independent productions before retiring from show business to happily focus
on raising a family.
…..
5.
Marie Prevost
Marie Prevost
Born in Canada and raised in Los Angeles, Marie Prevost became a Sennett Bathing Beauty in 1917. An attractive brunette who was a talented swimmer, she was soon a featured player in Sennett’s comedies, gaining fans with appearances in Hearts and Flowers (1919) and Down on the Farm(1920). She headed to Universal in 1921, where she became one of the earliest actresses to be identified with flapper roles.
A big star of the 1920s, Marie stayed busy in a number of light comedies. By the end of the silent era, she transitioned to talkies but began to have a hard time getting featured roles. Sadly, she became concerned with gaining too much weight and started using extreme diets in an attempt to control it. This, combined with alcoholism, lead to her early death at age 38 in 1937.
…..
4.
Virginia Lee Corbin
Virginia Lee Corbin
Virginia Lee Corbin’s career started when she was only four years old. An angelic-looking, golden-haired youngster (she was a natural brunette but her mother decided she would be blonde), she was an artists’ model for Christmas cards and the like before getting into films. Signing with the Fox Film Company in 1917, she became a major child star, thanks to her “kiddie” roles in Jack and the Beanstalk and the subsequent Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp and The Babes in the Woods, all filmed in 1917.
As she grew older, she took breaks from the screen but made personal appearance tours and acted in vaudeville. As her teen years approached, she started to find a new niche as a “flapper type.” She had a variety of roles in the 1920s but films like Broken Laws (1923) and The Honeymoon Express (1926) were keys to this new “jazz baby” image, culminating in the classic Bare Knees (1927). Of flapper culture, Virginia once said, “It’s not what you wear on your body that counts. It’s what you wear in your head.” Her personal life was unhappy, involving clashes with her mother and a divorce that resulted in separation from her two children, but she had the distinction of being one of the few child stars to successfully transition to adult roles.
…..
3. Joan
Crawford
Joan Crawford
Yes, that Joan Crawford, of the shoulder pad and severe eyebrow fame. While today we know her for roles in films like Mildred Pierce, in the late 1920s she was the embodiment of flapper culture–with a strong emphasis on the Charleston.
Her real name was Lucille LeSueur, and she had
an unhappy childhood in a broken family. A talented dancer, when she was a
teenager she started working in theater and eventually became a chorus girl in
New York City. Looking to break into pictures, she got a five-year contract
with MGM and her name was changed to the catchier Joan Crawford (although she
thought it sounded like “crawfish”).
Eager to become a star, she gained publicity by performing in Charleston contests. MGM started giving her bigger roles, and her dancing skills shone in Jazz Age features like Our Dancing Daughters(1928). Her marriage to Douglas Fairbanks Jr. also heightened her stature in Hollywood. While she’s known more today for brooding film noir and bitter feuds, it’s fascinating to know that in the 1920s she was the symbol of youthful exhilaration.
….
2.
Clara Bow
Clara Bow
Few who knew Clara Bow when she was a tomboy from an impoverished Brooklyn family probably imagined she would become one of Hollywood’s brightest stars. Clara’s family life was tumultuous and she often escaped by going to movies. While a teen, the naturally radiant Clara entered a 1921 Fame and Fortune Contest, which she managed to win. One thing leads to another, and small film roles started coming her way.
Studios started taking notice of her charisma, and she began to be associated with flapper roles. Expressive and sexy, with a touch of wistful sadness, she soon rocketed to stardom in films like The Plastic Age(1925) and It(1927).
Her thriving career was marred by the talkies, which she found very stressful, and growing schizophrenia. She married the thoughtful Rex Bell and had two sons, but toward the end of her life, she had to live apart from them, looked after by a nurse.
…..
1..Colleen Moore
Colleen Moore
Regular readers might remember the buoyant Colleen from my article on her last year. And if you aren’t familiar with her, you should be–she was arguably the biggest embodiment of “flapper culture” in Hollywood. Getting the acting bug at a young age, family connections allowed her to try for a screen test in Chicago, which lead to a modest six-month film contract. When she got off the train in Hollywood, she knew she was home.
Once the contract was up, Colleen pressed on,
spending years playing a series of ingenues until hitting upon the role of Pat
Fentriss in Flaming Youth (1923). She
loved the role and decided she was meant for the “flapper” niche, solidified by
her freshly-bobbed hair. Audiences adored Colleen and she starred in hit after
jazzy hit, becoming one of the biggest stars of the Roaring Twenties.
By now you might be wondering: Where is Louise Brooks? While she’s considered an icon today, in the 1920s she was not considered a major star. Always cynical of Hollywood, she did her best work with G.W. Pabst in Europe. Fading from the cinema scene by 1940, she was fortunate to be rediscovered by critics in the 1950s. Let’s give Louise a nod.
Louise Brooks
I hope you enjoyed this brief overview of these stars–as charming and lively today as they were back in the Jazz Age. Hopefully, they’ll continue to be appreciated for many decades to come.
Lea Stans is a born-and-raised Minnesotan with a degree in English and an obsessive interest in the silent film era (which she largely blames on Buster Keaton). In addition to blogging about her passion at her site Silent-ology, she is a columnist for the Silent Film Quarterlyand has also written for The Keaton Chronicle.
Claude Jarman Jr. Child Star of The Yearling
Talks about The Yearling, Director Clarence Brown and More
CMH is thrilled to say that we’re kicking off a series of exclusive video interviews and articles with Claude Jarman Jr. today. Claude made his feature film debut starring as ‘Jody Baxter’ opposite Gregory Peck and Jane Wyman in the beloved classic film, The Yearling. The film premiered in Los Angeles 73 years ago today on December 18, 1946, so we thought this was a wonderful way to celebrate!
Claude chats with us today about how he was discovered and what it was like filming his debut film with director Clarence Brown. He also shares some personal photos and shows us a very special gift given to him by Clarence Brown and producer Sydney Franklin.
Claude also provided some photos and press clippings from his personal collection (below) — so please enjoy those too!
A Big Thank You to Claude for his time — and for sharing his wonderful memories with us!
…..
Photos and Clippings from Claude’s Personal Collection:
Claude and his family at the Premiere of The Yearling, December 18, 1945 – Los Angeles. Claude Jarman Sr. (his dad), Mildred Ann Jarman (his sister), Claude, Mildred Jarman (his mother)
…..
Cover of the Program for the LA Premiere of The Yearling, 1946
Stay tuned for more from Claude Jarman Jr. over the next few months, including more videos and some guest articles. And, if you want to learn more about Claude’s experiences in Hollywood, you can read his book My Life and the Final Days of Hollywood. It’s delightful and I highly recommend it!
Thanks so much for watching and reading. Hope you enjoyed!
…..
–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub
About Claude Jarman Jr.: Claude Jarman Jr. was discovered in a fifth grade class room in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1945 by film director Clarence Brown, taken to Hollywood where he starred with Gregory Peck and Jane Wyman in THE YEARLING. After receiving an Academy Award for his performance he went on to appear in ten additional films including John Ford’s RIO GRANDE with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara and also William Faulkner’s story of racial strife in INTRUDER IN THE DUST.
The Funny Papers: A Christmas Miracle Comes for Trudy Kockenlocker
Many a cinephile enjoy debating what films merit the definition for a holiday movie. Ever since Preston Sturges directed The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1944), the controversy surrounding the film was less focused on whether it’s a Christmas movie, but more on the shock that it ever passed the production code under Breen’s watchful eyes.
Eddie Bracken and Betty Hutton star in a holiday screwball
Written and directed by the king of screwball comedies, Preston Sturges, The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1944) is a silly, madcap twist on a wartime immaculate conception like a Mayberry vision of the Hollywood Canteen crossed with the birth of baby Jesus. Well, not exactly.
Hutton, Demarest, and Lynn make for a silly, slapstick trio.
Betty Hutton portrays Trudy Kockenlocker a small-town girl with a big, patriotic heart for soldiers going off to World War 2. Eddie Bracken is Norval Jones, the nervous, klutzy fella-next-door who has always been in love with her. Trudy is the prettiest gal in town who charms with a sweet disposition, high octane energy that thumps like a snare drum, and emotions ready to bubble up at the drop of a hat. Trudy’s family includes her fourteen-year-old sister Emmy (Diana Lynn) who is mature beyond her years, level-headed. and dry-humored and her overly strict cop dad, Constable Kockenlocker (William Demarest). There are many character roles of note that frequently pop up, including Brian Donlevy (as “Gov. McGinty”) and Akim Tamiroff (“the Boss”), reprising their roles from Preston Sturges’s The Great McGinty (1940).
Trudy takes Norval’s car for a ride that forever changes both their lives.
After Trudy convinces Norval to go solo on their date so she
can sneak away to entertain the deploying troops at a dance, what she believes
to be her patriotic duty, things don’t exactly go as planned. At the dance, she
drinks spiked lemonade and receives a head injury on a mirrored ball while
dancing with a constant stream of dancing soldiers. Trudy meets up with Norval
at eight o’clock in the morning with an intoxicated glow and a very foggy
memory of the night’s events. Norval gets her home and takes the heat, despite
his complete lack of any wrongdoing.
Confiding privately to her little sister, Trudy reveals a
wedding ring with a vague memory of giving pseudonyms for a marriage ceremony.
She admits she has no memory of who her ‘husband’ actually is. Sure enough, Trudy
and Emmy visit both the town doctor and attorney to reveal that Trudy’s
pregnant, and with no clue or recourse of what to do next. Emmy is confident
that Trudy must marry Norval immediately to hide this secret.
Emmy (on Papa’s reactions): “He won’t say much, he’ll
just shoot Norval so full of holes he’ll look like a swiss cheese.”
Emmy (on how Norval fits into this): “He brought you home at 8 o’clock in the morning, didn’t he? He fits in like a skin on a wienie.” (On Norval’s suitability to marriage) “He was made for it. Like the ox was made to eat, and the grape was made to drink. I’ll get you the swiss on rye.”
Porter Hall, Betty Hutton, and Eddie Bracken hilariously stammer through an elopement.
As Trudy tries her best to recall her mystery husband, all she can remember is that his last name was something ending in a “z” or “ski”, like “Private Ratzky-Watzky.” Things grow more chaotic and screwy from there, as Norval and Trudy attempt to elope. In a hilarious scene of nerve-wracked nuptials, Betty Hutton and Eddie Bracken stutter and stammer through this scene like none ever witnessed on the big screen. Their covert attempt to salvage Trudy’s reputation is interrupted with a bevy of various law enforcement that results in Norval being taken to jail. Equally funny is the scene where Constable Kockenlocker helps him break out of jail and into a bank. Needless to say, everything goes all haywire.
You may be asking yourself by now, where does this film
become a Christmas movie? Everything gets resolved on Christmas day when Trudy-
and Norval, by proxy- become parents, in the most extraordinary way that
becomes a world-wide event. Even Hitler himself becomes rattled. For the sake
of those who haven’t seen this screwball delight, I’ll keep some details and the
ending our little secret.
No one is safe from satire in this classic slapstick. This
film mocks motherhood, marriage, shotgun weddings, small towns, the criminal
justice system, law enforcement, unrealistic and repressive societal morality
codes, and, frankly, pretty much everything.
If you pause to think about it, it’s not exactly the most flattering view of our servicemen going off to war. I’m still amazed this passed the censors in 1944. Consider the portrayal of the mystery military serviceman- who essentially took advantage of a girl (who was either loopy from spiked lemonade and/or a concussion from a disco ball- regardless she was not in her right head), then marries her after he suggested doing so under phony names. To recap, our Ratsky-Watsky gave false names for a fast wedding to a compromised young woman that he just met that night, which results in pregnancy, knowing he was shipping off to war the next morning and made no attempt to contact her or leave even a note, let alone a copy of the marriage certificate. The film simply assumes they’ll never see this soldier again, which is hardly a vote of confidence that he ever had any decent intentions. Trudy’s limited memory only recalls his name as “Ratzky Watzky” and the fact that his name begins with “rat” doesn’t seem like merely a coincidence.
Meanwhile, nervous Norval’s inability to serve his country is
explained as an extreme case of anxiety-driven nerves and hypertension, where
he envisions ”spots” every time he attempts to sign up. He’s a jumpy, bundle of
overly-excited energy. And yet, not only does he consistently do the honorable
thing at every turn, he stands up for Trudy no matter what. He displays the
most clear-headed, calm confidence when defending his love for Trudy. Despite
his frequent fears, Norval faces them, time and time again. Ultimately and
unexpectantly, he’s the cowardly lion that turns out to possess more courage
than them all.
Norval (dancing around the topic of marriage on the porch):
“Can’t expect a girl to see much in a civilian, these days. Even an unwilling
civilian. If they had uniforms for them, it might be a little different.”
If anything, this film seems to be championing the unsung heroes of the war. Who is braver? The one in the uniform who goes off to war but lacks honor back home? Or the men and women who must continue forging onward back home but exhibit their honor and bravery without a uniform? I don’t think The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1944) is actually suggesting all soldiers were engaging in dishonorable send-offs or lacked integrity as a whole. In fairness, we never meet the mystery GI so his side of the story is impossible to assume.
This is an all-out, belly-laughing, screwball comedy, after all; not a societal morality bellwether. But, to this day, I find it to be a startling surprise in the Hays Code annals of golden Hollywood history. If you’re a fan of screwball classics like Sullivan’s Travels (1941) and The Palm Beach Story (1942), I think you’ll really enjoy Preston Sturges’s The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek, especially during the holidays.
When not performing marketing as her day gig, Kellee Pratt teaches classic film courses in her college town in Kansas (Film Noir, Screwball Comedy, Hitchcock, Billy Wilder and more). She’s worked for Turner Classic Movies as a Social Producer and TCM Ambassador (2019). Unapologetic social butterfly, she’s an active tweetaholic/original alum for #TCMParty, member of the CMBA, and busy mom of four kids and 3 fur babies. You can follow Kellee on twitter at @IrishJayhawk66 or her own blog, Outspoken & Freckled (kelleepratt.com).
But in SCCM, the Martians wear green tights, matching capes and a football helmet with weird metal protrusions that give the appearance of a Halloween costume gone wrong. I can deal with that.
Wouldn’t you be grumpy like Voldar (Vincent Beck) if you had to wear that outfit? That’s probably why he doesn’t want Santa Claus (John Call) and his holiday cheer on Mars in Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.
SCCM is the seasonal equivalent of Plan 9 From Outer Space. Both were made with little money (and look it), both were panned on their release, yet both have persevered to gain “legendary” status as cult classics.
It almost didn’t happen, though, until SCCM was pulled from obscurity with an appearance on The Canned Film Festival, a 1986 late-night TV series, and the Mystery Science Theatre 3,000 Christmas special in 1991. In 2011, it “won” a Fandango poll when it topped the list of the 10 worst Christmas movies.
Since then, the movie is frequently shown
around the country and has had multiple stage versions, including a recent one
in Denver. And why not? In a time when holiday fare has the same “boy/girl meet
in a small town and discover the meaning of Christmas,” a strange sci-fi
seasonal film just might provide some holiday cheer – unusual as it may be. Let’s
start with the story.
…..
Martian parents are worried. Their kids are
depressed. They’ve lost their appetites, don’t rest without sleep spray, and
blankly stare for hours at the “video set.” (Ah, too much screen time is not
just a problem on Earth.)
Like all Martian children, King Kimar’s kids are glued to KID-TV, broadcasting Santa Claus from the North Pole all the way to Mars. That’s Pia Zadora at right as young Girmar.
Even King Kimar (Leonard Hicks), the Martian leader, is having trouble with his son (Bomar) and daughter (Girmar) who binge-watch “ridiculous Earth programs” broadcast from KID-TV where it’s Santa Claus all the time. (Note the cleverness of “mar” for Martians in their names: Kimar for King Martian, Bomar for Boy Martin and Girmar for Girl Martian.)
The king and his council seek advice from the
800-year-old wise one who identifies the problem immediately: the Martian kids
were never kids! They never played, laughed or had fun. So while Earth children
are joyfully anticipating Santa’s arrival, the kids on Mars are pouting and
asking questions like “What’s a doll” and “What’s tender loving care?”
Martian kids see Santa Claus show off his Martian toys in a broadcast from Earth’s KID-TV.
So what’s a Martian King to do? Kidnap Santa
Claus to bring holiday cheer to Mars, of course.
But not everyone is into the idea – namely
council member Voldar (he has a handlebar mustache, so we know he’s evil).
“All this trouble over a fat little man in a
red suit,” Voldar grumbles.
Wait until he sees all the fat little men in red suits on Earth. Who is the real Santa? Well, little Earthlings, Billy and Betty can help with that, especially if it involves a trip to the North Pole.
Martians, led by King Kimar, center, stumble upon Billy and Betty on Earth. Although the king is kind, Voldar (left) has other plans for Santa and the kids.
But these kids quickly realize Voldar has it in for them. And once the Martians find Santa (who charms their most evil weapon, Torg, a tin foil robot, they’re all on a road trip to Mars for equal doses of peril, laughs and weirdness.
…..
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians sprung from the imagination of producer and writer Paul Jacobson who wanted to create family entertainment. He later called it “a yuletide science-fiction fantasy.” I don’t know how the film played on its original release since it’s such a mish-mash of oddities. Most of the Martians are kind, but there are children in peril scenes, which are always uncomfortable at best – even if it involves an attacking polar bear who is clearly just a guy in a furry suit.
Our villain Voldar is a bit goofy despite trying to kill Santa and the kids (there’s that peril again). When he leads a group to sabotage Santa’s factory and stop the “toy nonsense,” it plays out like a comedy bit with The Three Stooges.
The first meeting between the Earth kids and their frowny Martian counterparts doesn’t go as well as the cheerful King hoped. Luckily, Santa is about to make an appearance.
But I do love the excitable script that is packed with statements that demand an exclamation point: “Something is happening to the children of Mars!” …. “We need Santa Claus on Mars!”… “Now you belong to Mars!”
How does Santa Claus conquer the Martians? Let’s just say the big finale isn’t as much a battle for survival as it is a kids’ fight with bubbles. Terrifying? No. High drama? Not even close. But is it a Yuletide science-fiction fantasy B-movie? Absolutely.
…..
Trivia
This was the first film to feature Mrs. Claus.
The Martian King’s daughter, Girmar, was played by 8-year-old Pia Zadora – best remembered as the Golden Globe winner for the incest film Butterfly.
The wonderful actor playing Santa Claus is John Call, who was appearing on Broadway in Oliver!
It’s widely reported that SCCM used the same military stock footage seen in the opening of Dr. Strangelove.
* * * * *
One last note. If you’ve seen Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, you’ll notice it bears more than a striking resemblance to SCCM (although Nightmare is far superior in all ways). Both have a leader (King Kimar on Mars, Jack Skellington in Halloweentown) who wants to do good by his people. Each kidnaps Santa Claus (pronounced Santy Claus on Mars, Sandy Claws in Halloween Town) to bring Christmas home with disastrous results. Each film has a ridiculously catchy theme song, too. I can’t help but think that Burton has seen SCCM and it influenced his creativity in some way.
Where to watch SCCM
It’s available for sale; to rent on such services such as Google Play and iTunes; and to stream on Amazon Prime.
…
–Toni Ruberto for Classic Movie Hub
Toni Ruberto, born and raised in Buffalo, N.Y., is an editor
and writer at The Buffalo News. She shares her love for classic movies in her
blog, Watching Forever.
Toni was the president of the former Buffalo chapter of TCM Backlot and now
leads the offshoot group, Buffalo Classic Movie Buffs. She is proud to have put
Buffalo and its glorious old movie palaces in the spotlight as the inaugural
winner of the TCM in Your Hometown contest. You can find Toni on Twitter at
@toniruberto.
