Classic Movie Reviews

“Cover Girl” released in 1944 is a Technicolor musical that highlights the beautiful dancing of Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly’s choreography and dancing genius. Director Charles Vidor gives Mr. Kelly the opportunity to create several wonderful dance sequences including the “Alter-Ego Dance” and a sound stage dance along an entire street that was accomplished in one take. It was a foreshadowing of t...

”Farewell to Manzanar” from 1976 is our upcoming podcast Episode 150. Prior to that podcast we provide some background on the internment of people during World War II. On February 19, 1942 President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 – Authorizing the Secretary of War to Prescribe Military Areas – to prevent possible acts of espionage and sabotage. Executive Order 9066 empowered the military to...

“An American in Paris” from 1951 is one of the many excellent films starring Gene Kelly. The movie won six Academy Awards including Best Picture. We reviewed two other Gene Kelly films “On the Town” 1949, Episode 2 and “Singin’ in the Rain” 1952, Episode 20. Director Vincent Minnelli had a long and productive career and his leadership shows in this film and the musical numbers. Gene Kelly as the w...

We take a virtual tour of Astoria and discuss some of the 400 films made in Oregon.  Astoria is our starting point and there is much to cover in this beautiful city of 10,000 on the banks of the Columbia River and near the Pacific Ocean.  The Astoria Oregon Tourist Bureau at www.travelastoria.com has information on the area.  A special place is the Oregon Film Museum www.oregonfilmm...

1939 was the year when many of the finest films were made. Films from that year include “Gone with the Wind”; “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”; “Goodbye, Mr. Chips”; “Stagecoach”; and “Dark Victory”. For our podcast we discuss another of the excellent films from 1939, “The Wizard of Oz”. Director Victor Fleming did a masterful job bringing L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s fantasy to the screen. King...

This is a bit different than our regular show and we go into quite a bit of depth on our feelings about race and nationalism in film. The episode consists of an opening by Matt followed by an excerpt from our "Yankee Doodle Dandy" episode and the closes out with some comments by Matt.  In our recent podcasts we have reviewed films that began the long and continuing journey to broaden diversit...

With its theatrical release a few months after the Pearl Harbor attack of December 7, 1941, “Yankee Doodle Dandy” from 1942 is a tribute to the musical career of George M. Cohan. This is a well-crafted and patriotic film. Michael Curtiz had a career as Director of over 150 films in Europe and then the U.S. He left no stone unturned when it came to putting this movie together. James Cagney as Georg...

“Sounder” the 1972 film is set in 1933 during the Great Depression.  The Morgan’s are a family of sharecroppers in Louisiana who face the devastating effects of a scarcity of food.  Director Martin Ritt is masterful in telling this story and it is one of his many excellent films.  Arrest, prison time, segregation, unrelenting work demands and low crop prices are all factors for the...

From 1959 “Odds Against Tomorrow” is a taut and foreboding film about a bank robbery, racial hatred and human weakness that many people think is also an allegory for the cold war tension at that time between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. Director Robert Wise selected early spring of March 1959 and creative cinematography using black and white film to successfully capture a cold, bleak feel of impending do...

We go back in time to 1939 to watch “Harlem Rides the Range”.  The Producer and Director Richard C. Kahn made low budget films as the second movie on a double feature.  “Harlem Rides the Range” is among a small group of movies featuring an all black cast.  Riding together, Herb Jeffries as Bob Blake and Lucius Brooks as Dusty fight crime on the range.  A catchphrase was “men of...

In the Heat of the Night” from 1967 takes us to the small town of Sparta, Mississippi and the suspicion, tension and conflict surrounding the murder of Phillip Colbert a wealthy business owner who is building a manufacturing facility in the community. Director Norman Jewison weaves together a drama of mystery, race relations, dangerous misunderstandings, statutory rape, abortion and resistance to...

This podcast we take time to discuss some of the many comments we have received from listeners to our Classic Movie Reviews podcasts. We love getting comments and they are  helpful as we refine our approach and strive to improve the content and quality of the podcasts. We appreciate all the comments and encourage people to keep letting us know how we are doing. We hope you enjoy our discussio...

This podcast takes us to “Christmas in Connecticut” from 1945. We find Elizabeth Lane played by Barbara Stanwyck embroiled in hijinks surrounding her supposed expertise in food and home matters, her nonexistent marriage, a baby (or two), an imagined home in Connecticut and fast paced comedy and a budding romance all deftly put together by Director Peter Godfrey. Participants in this freewheeling a...

In this Patron Tier 2 and 3 only episode, Matt and I visit about a favorite holiday movie “A Christmas Carol” aka "Scrooge" from 1951. Charles Dickens’ story from 1843 has been told on film and television several times. The 1951 film was adapted and crafted by Director Brian Desmond Hurst and Screenwriter Noel Langley. The result of their collaboration is a wonderful movie that contains many theme...

“Giant” from 1956 is the sprawling, multiple decades story of the Benedict family, Jeff Rink, strong women, oil, cattle, conflict in race relations, power, political influence and the gulf between wealth and poverty. Edna Ferber’s 1952 novel is brought to life on a large, 3 hour 18 minute Academy Award winning, scale by Director George Stevens. “Shane” 1953 is another award winning film from Mr. S...

The ground-breaking " The Twilight Zone " television series turns 60 this year and to celebrate Fathom Events brought six episodes to the big screen. I went to the screening and recorded some audio on my way there and right after the showing. Then Bob and I spent some time talking about the show and the impact it had on us and to television and movies in general.  "The Twilight Zone" is avail...

Hailey, Matt and I visit about “Rebel Without a Cause” from 1955. The film was James Dean’s second major role. Director Nicholas Ray frames a drama of high school students dealing with overwhelming emotions, out of control situations, a lack of love and confusion about their lives, family and place in the world. Joining Mr. Dean’s Jim Stark is Natalie Wood as Judy and Sal Mineo as John “Plato” Cra...

Bob and Nancy sit down to talk about "Miracle on 34th Street" and Nancy poses the question of whether or not all the fancy dress was just for the movie and Bob wonders if everyone dressed that way when going out shopping! Check us out on Patreon at www.patreon.com/classicmoviereviews for even more content and bonus shows. 

With “Miracle on 34th Street” released in 1947 we join Santa and the holiday festivities beginning with Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and concluding on Christmas Eve. The talented Edmund Gwenn is Kris Kringle. Doris Walker played by Maureen O’Hara convinces Mr. Kringle to be Santa in the parade. As Santa he is a huge success and has a positive influence on just about everyone. He then is hired to...

James Dean’s first major film was “East of Eden” from 1955. It is the starting point for our coverage of his three big film roles in a career that ended with his death at age 24. John Steinbeck’s novel is the basis for the film. In 1962 Mr. Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature “for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humour and keen social percep...

“Alien” is a landmark film. It marks a turning point in horror cinema, blending ultra realistic science fiction with mind bending body and creature horror. In many ways, you can delineate horror cinema before “Alien” and after “Alien”.  Masterfully directed by Ridley Scott and starring Sigorney Weaver in her break out role, the film spawned a media franchise/empire that is still going strong...

We wrap up our salute to the music of Bernard Herrmann with “Journey to the Center of the Earth” from 1959. Under Henry Levin’s direction the Jules Verne classic is brought to life in a fun and engaging adventure. The cast led by James Mason and Arlene Dahl is delightful to watch as we join them on this trip into an unknown world. Mr. Mason as Sir Oliver Lindenbrook is quite taken by his own renow...

Welcome to our first Patreon podcast post! “The Ghost Breakers” takes us on a horror-comedy ride from New York City to an ocean liner on to Cuba then to a seemingly deserted island mansion. Bob Hope as crime reporter Larry Lawrence leads the way through a collection of sometimes dangerous and sometimes funny situations. At his side is the trusty partner/valet Alex portrayed by William Best. As the...

“The Wrong Man” is a true story of Christopher Emmanuel "Manny" Balestrero and his family and the fallout of his being wrongly accused of several armed robberies. The film is directed by Alfred Hitchcock and stars Henry Fonda and Vira Miles. The music is by Bernard Hermann. This is the third film in our Bernard Hermann film festival. The music is more restrained than the other films we’ve reviewed...

We’re excited to announce we are launching on Patreon on October 24th! All the details in the show notes!