Thrillers from the Vault – 8 Classic Films
Blu-ray
Mill Creek Entertainment
1935, 1939, 1940 / B&w / 1.33: 1 / Blu ray
Starring Boris Karloff, Ann Doran, Evelyn Keyes,
Written by Arthur Strawn, Karl Brown, Robert Andrews
Directed by Roy William Neill, Nick Grindé
In 1934 Boris Karloff was an unhappy actor, he was one of Universal’s most illustrious stars, yet good parts were scarce, and intelligent horror roles like hen’s teeth—the occasional work at other studios was both a boon and a welcome distraction.
In 1935 the studio loaned him to Columbia for The Black Room, a blood and thunder gothic in which Karloff would play two roles, an aristocrat and his evil twin—a dark fable played out in shadows, but a light at the end of the tunnel for the 47 year old actor who relished a challenge. Even brighter news for Karloff, Roy William Neill was signed to direct. Known for his exacting nature,...
Blu-ray
Mill Creek Entertainment
1935, 1939, 1940 / B&w / 1.33: 1 / Blu ray
Starring Boris Karloff, Ann Doran, Evelyn Keyes,
Written by Arthur Strawn, Karl Brown, Robert Andrews
Directed by Roy William Neill, Nick Grindé
In 1934 Boris Karloff was an unhappy actor, he was one of Universal’s most illustrious stars, yet good parts were scarce, and intelligent horror roles like hen’s teeth—the occasional work at other studios was both a boon and a welcome distraction.
In 1935 the studio loaned him to Columbia for The Black Room, a blood and thunder gothic in which Karloff would play two roles, an aristocrat and his evil twin—a dark fable played out in shadows, but a light at the end of the tunnel for the 47 year old actor who relished a challenge. Even brighter news for Karloff, Roy William Neill was signed to direct. Known for his exacting nature,...
- 2/28/2023
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Olivia de Havilland in the 1946 film “To Each His Own,” for which she won her first Oscar©.
(Reuters) – “Gone With the Wind” star Olivia de Havilland, considered the last surviving actress of the Golden Age of Hollywood, died on Sunday at the age of 104, the Hollywood Reporter said.
She died of natural causes at her home in Paris, where she had lived for more than 60 years, it said, citing her publicist.
De Havilland’s acting career included two Academy Awards, a victory over Hollywood’s studio system and a long-running feud with sister Joan Fontaine that was worthy of a screenplay.
She first drew attention by playing opposite swashbuckling Errol Flynn in a series of films starting in the 1930s and made an enduring impression as the demure Southern belle Melanie in “Gone With the Wind” in 1939.
Later she would have to fight to get more challenging roles – a battle...
(Reuters) – “Gone With the Wind” star Olivia de Havilland, considered the last surviving actress of the Golden Age of Hollywood, died on Sunday at the age of 104, the Hollywood Reporter said.
She died of natural causes at her home in Paris, where she had lived for more than 60 years, it said, citing her publicist.
De Havilland’s acting career included two Academy Awards, a victory over Hollywood’s studio system and a long-running feud with sister Joan Fontaine that was worthy of a screenplay.
She first drew attention by playing opposite swashbuckling Errol Flynn in a series of films starting in the 1930s and made an enduring impression as the demure Southern belle Melanie in “Gone With the Wind” in 1939.
Later she would have to fight to get more challenging roles – a battle...
- 7/26/2020
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Hollywood takes a hard look at the mundane horrors of mental asylums, and Olivia de Havilland scores another career high with her portrayal of a housewife experiencing a nervous breakdown. Some people found the show scary and a few felt it was tasteless, but Ms. de Havilland’s performance is riveting, 71 years later. Anatole Litvak’s intense direction makes good use of expressionistic visual devices, without veering into dippy Salvador Dalí psycho-surrealism.
The Snake Pit
Region B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1948 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 108 min. / Street Date April 22, 2019 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £15.99
Starring: Olivia de Havilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn, Celeste Holm, Glenn Langan, Helen Craig, Leif Erickson, Beulah Bondi, Lee Patrick, Natalie Schafer, Ruth Donnelly, Katherine Locke, Minna Gombell, Ann Doran, Jacqueline deWit, Betsy Blair, Queenie Smith, Virginia Brissac, Marie Blake, Isabel Jewell, Celia Lovsky, Mae Marsh, Doro Merande, Mary Newton, Inez Palange, Mary Treen, Minerva Urecal.
Cinematography:...
The Snake Pit
Region B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1948 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 108 min. / Street Date April 22, 2019 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £15.99
Starring: Olivia de Havilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn, Celeste Holm, Glenn Langan, Helen Craig, Leif Erickson, Beulah Bondi, Lee Patrick, Natalie Schafer, Ruth Donnelly, Katherine Locke, Minna Gombell, Ann Doran, Jacqueline deWit, Betsy Blair, Queenie Smith, Virginia Brissac, Marie Blake, Isabel Jewell, Celia Lovsky, Mae Marsh, Doro Merande, Mary Newton, Inez Palange, Mary Treen, Minerva Urecal.
Cinematography:...
- 6/1/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Great news for fans of vintage Film Noir! Robert Siodmak’s Phantom Lady (1944) will be available on Blu-ray March 12th From Arrow Academy.
From one of the masters of the film noir, Robert Siodmak, comes the consummate crime classic, Phantom Lady.
After a fight with his wife, Scott Henderson heads to a bar to drown his sorrows. There he strikes up a conversation with a mysterious, despondent lady who agrees to accompany him to a show uptown but withholds her name. Arriving home, Scott is met by grimly countenanced cops – his wife has been strangled with one of his neckties and he is the prime suspect. He has a solid alibi but his theatre companion is nowhere to be found and no one remembers seeing them together. When Scott is charged with murdering his wife, it falls to his devoted secretary Kansas to find the phantom lady and save Scott from the electric chair…...
From one of the masters of the film noir, Robert Siodmak, comes the consummate crime classic, Phantom Lady.
After a fight with his wife, Scott Henderson heads to a bar to drown his sorrows. There he strikes up a conversation with a mysterious, despondent lady who agrees to accompany him to a show uptown but withholds her name. Arriving home, Scott is met by grimly countenanced cops – his wife has been strangled with one of his neckties and he is the prime suspect. He has a solid alibi but his theatre companion is nowhere to be found and no one remembers seeing them together. When Scott is charged with murdering his wife, it falls to his devoted secretary Kansas to find the phantom lady and save Scott from the electric chair…...
- 2/22/2019
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Yesterday, amid a crush of sweaty people desperate for last-minute props, I visited a local Halloween superstore with my daughter, looking for a Pikachu mask. Well, there wasn’t much to choose from in the Cute Kid Division. But this particular hall of Halloween hell definitely had the adult sensibility covered. Of course there were the usual skimpy or otherwise outrageous costumes for purchase —ladies, you can dress up like a sexy Kim Kardashian-esque vampire out for a night of Hollywood clubbing, and gents, how about impressing all the sexy Kim Kardashian vampires at your party by dressing up like a walking, talking matched set of cock and balls! It’s been a while since I’ve shopped for fake tools of terror, but it seems there’s been a real advance in sophistication in the market for “Leatherface-approved” (I swear) chainsaws with moving parts and authentic revving noises,...
- 10/30/2016
- by Dennis Cozzalio
- Trailers from Hell
For Olivia de Havilland's Centennial (July 1st) we're hitting classics and curios in her career. Here's Chris Feil on a forgotten film that became a new classic musical...
I came to Olivia de Havilland's work in Light in the Piazza thanks to a (still enduring) obsession with the Adam Guettel musical, both adapted from Elizabeth Spencer's novella. While it's not surprising that the film hasn't endured (it lacks the stage version's soaring emotional heights), de Havilland's performance deserves a better place in her legacy. Even with a youthful love story as its center and gorgeous Florence as backdrop, you can't take your eyes off of the concerned mother - and not just because she spends the entire film drenched in custom Christian Dior!
As Meg Johnson, de Havilland is spending a holiday with her young daughter Clara, who falls in love with a charming Italian boy. The...
I came to Olivia de Havilland's work in Light in the Piazza thanks to a (still enduring) obsession with the Adam Guettel musical, both adapted from Elizabeth Spencer's novella. While it's not surprising that the film hasn't endured (it lacks the stage version's soaring emotional heights), de Havilland's performance deserves a better place in her legacy. Even with a youthful love story as its center and gorgeous Florence as backdrop, you can't take your eyes off of the concerned mother - and not just because she spends the entire film drenched in custom Christian Dior!
As Meg Johnson, de Havilland is spending a holiday with her young daughter Clara, who falls in love with a charming Italian boy. The...
- 6/28/2016
- by Chris Feil
- FilmExperience
We're counting down to Olivia de Havilland's historic 100th birthday (July 1st!). Team Experience will be looking at highlights and curiosities from her career. Here's Tim...
Olivia de Havilland is more than a living link to the Golden Age of Hollywood, more than a gorgeous movie star, more than a two-time Oscar winner. She's one of the most significant figures in the history of the American film industry: the woman who broke the back of the studio contract system when she successfully sued Warner Bros. for career independence in 1943. As Hollywood's first independent movie star since the silent era, de Havilland was suddenly in a position to make all of her own creative decisions, leading to a string of challenging dramatic roles that didn't simply trade on her good looks and holy innocent persona.
Both of de Havilland's Oscar wins came about thanks to this period of chasing her own projects,...
Olivia de Havilland is more than a living link to the Golden Age of Hollywood, more than a gorgeous movie star, more than a two-time Oscar winner. She's one of the most significant figures in the history of the American film industry: the woman who broke the back of the studio contract system when she successfully sued Warner Bros. for career independence in 1943. As Hollywood's first independent movie star since the silent era, de Havilland was suddenly in a position to make all of her own creative decisions, leading to a string of challenging dramatic roles that didn't simply trade on her good looks and holy innocent persona.
Both of de Havilland's Oscar wins came about thanks to this period of chasing her own projects,...
- 6/24/2016
- by Tim Brayton
- FilmExperience
We're counting down to Olivia de Havilland's historic 100th birthday (July 1st!). Team Experience will be looking at highlights and curiosities from her career. Here's Jason...
I'm proud of my fellow Film Experience members Dan and Josh for keeping their focus on the films so far in this series, but it seems kind of impossible to talk about Olivia de Havilland's 1946 thriller The Dark Mirror, which has her playing good and evil twins, without diving into the gossipy froth of her legendary lifetime rivalry with sister Joan Fontaine. The Dark Mirror sits somewhere between an exorcism and a single-gloved slap-fight - Fight Club via Film Noir. It offered Olivia the chance to play versions of both her and her sister's popular images, exaggerated and unloosed upon one another.
In a 2015 Time magazine piece on the sisters' feud it's said that Olivia was known for playing "pretty and charming,...
I'm proud of my fellow Film Experience members Dan and Josh for keeping their focus on the films so far in this series, but it seems kind of impossible to talk about Olivia de Havilland's 1946 thriller The Dark Mirror, which has her playing good and evil twins, without diving into the gossipy froth of her legendary lifetime rivalry with sister Joan Fontaine. The Dark Mirror sits somewhere between an exorcism and a single-gloved slap-fight - Fight Club via Film Noir. It offered Olivia the chance to play versions of both her and her sister's popular images, exaggerated and unloosed upon one another.
In a 2015 Time magazine piece on the sisters' feud it's said that Olivia was known for playing "pretty and charming,...
- 6/20/2016
- by JA
- FilmExperience
Olivia de Havilland on Turner Classic Movies: Your chance to watch 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' for the 384th time Olivia de Havilland is Turner Classic Movies' “Summer Under the Stars” star today, Aug. 2, '15. The two-time Best Actress Oscar winner (To Each His Own, 1946; The Heiress, 1949) whose steely determination helped to change the way studios handled their contract players turned 99 last July 1. Unfortunately, TCM isn't showing any de Havilland movie rarities, e.g., Universal's cool thriller The Dark Mirror (1946), the Paramount comedy The Well-Groomed Bride (1947), or Terence Young's British-made That Lady (1955), with de Havilland as eye-patch-wearing Spanish princess Ana de Mendoza. On the other hand, you'll be able to catch for the 384th time a demure Olivia de Havilland being romanced by a dashing Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood, as TCM shows this 1938 period adventure classic just about every month. But who's complaining? One the...
- 8/3/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Olivia de Havilland picture U.S. labor history-making 'Gone with the Wind' star and two-time Best Actress winner Olivia de Havilland turns 99 (This Olivia de Havilland article is currently being revised and expanded.) Two-time Best Actress Academy Award winner Olivia de Havilland, the only surviving major Gone with the Wind cast member and oldest surviving Oscar winner, is turning 99 years old today, July 1.[1] Also known for her widely publicized feud with sister Joan Fontaine and for her eight movies with Errol Flynn, de Havilland should be remembered as well for having made Hollywood labor history. This particular history has nothing to do with de Havilland's films, her two Oscars, Gone with the Wind, Joan Fontaine, or Errol Flynn. Instead, history was made as a result of a legal fight: after winning a lawsuit against Warner Bros. in the mid-'40s, Olivia de Havilland put an end to treacherous...
- 7/2/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
'The Devil Strikes at Night,' with Mario Adorf as World War II era serial killer Bruno Lüdke 'The Devil Strikes at Night' movie review: Serial killing vs. mass murder in unsubtle but intriguing World War II political drama After more than a decade in Hollywood, German director Robert Siodmak (Academy Award nominated for the 1946 film noir The Killers) resumed his European career in the mid-1950s. In 1957, he directed The Devil Strikes at Night / Nachts, wenn der Teufel kam, an intriguing, well-crafted crime drama about the pursuit of a serial killer – and its political consequences – during the last months of the mass-murderous Nazi regime. Inspired by real events, The Devil Strikes at Night begins as war-scarred Hamburg is deeply shaken by the horrific murder of a waitress. Through the Homicide Bureau, inspector Axel Kersten (Claus Holm) begins an investigation that leads him to a mentally disabled laborer,...
- 5/11/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Organisers at the Seattle International Film Festival (Siff) announced the complete line-up of 450 films from 92 countries on Wednesday. The festival runs from May 14-June 7.
The Overnight starring Jason Schwartzman will close the event and as previously announced Spy (pictured) with Melissa McCartney will kick off proceedings. Kevin Bacon will receive career achievement in acting award.
“This year’s festival is bigger and more international than ever, with a record 92 countries represented,” said Siff artistic director Carl Spence. “Adding to our diverse international line-up is our new programme, Culinary Cinema, which features 11 fantastic new films.
“And I’m particularly excited to welcome Kevin Bacon as this year’s Tribute Guest – Siff will now be only one-degree of separation away!”
Galas and premieres include Max Landis’ directorial debut Me Him Her, Chris Evans in Before We Go, Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segal in the Centerpiece Gala End Of The Tour . Inside Out, Mr. Holmes and [link...
The Overnight starring Jason Schwartzman will close the event and as previously announced Spy (pictured) with Melissa McCartney will kick off proceedings. Kevin Bacon will receive career achievement in acting award.
“This year’s festival is bigger and more international than ever, with a record 92 countries represented,” said Siff artistic director Carl Spence. “Adding to our diverse international line-up is our new programme, Culinary Cinema, which features 11 fantastic new films.
“And I’m particularly excited to welcome Kevin Bacon as this year’s Tribute Guest – Siff will now be only one-degree of separation away!”
Galas and premieres include Max Landis’ directorial debut Me Him Her, Chris Evans in Before We Go, Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segal in the Centerpiece Gala End Of The Tour . Inside Out, Mr. Holmes and [link...
- 4/29/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Dark Mirror
Written by Nunnally Johnson
Directed by Robert Siodmak
U.S.A., 1946
A doctor is found murdered in his own condo one morning by the cleaning lady, a knife plunged into his heart. The police, led by the lively Lt. Stevenson (Thomas Mitchell), learn very soon of a possible suspect…or suspects. The recently departed had in fact proposed to a lovely looking girl named Terry Collins (Olivia de Havilland), presently the prime suspect in the investigation, that is, until Stevenson discovers the existence of her twin sister Ruth (de Havilland as well). Neither will reveal very much about who was where and doing what on the night of the murder, putting Stevenson in quite the pickle. Enter psychiatrist Scott Elliot (Lew Ayres), who has dedicated his academic and professional life to the study of twin siblings. He accepts to assist Stevenson by having private sessions with each sister individually.
Written by Nunnally Johnson
Directed by Robert Siodmak
U.S.A., 1946
A doctor is found murdered in his own condo one morning by the cleaning lady, a knife plunged into his heart. The police, led by the lively Lt. Stevenson (Thomas Mitchell), learn very soon of a possible suspect…or suspects. The recently departed had in fact proposed to a lovely looking girl named Terry Collins (Olivia de Havilland), presently the prime suspect in the investigation, that is, until Stevenson discovers the existence of her twin sister Ruth (de Havilland as well). Neither will reveal very much about who was where and doing what on the night of the murder, putting Stevenson in quite the pickle. Enter psychiatrist Scott Elliot (Lew Ayres), who has dedicated his academic and professional life to the study of twin siblings. He accepts to assist Stevenson by having private sessions with each sister individually.
- 4/10/2015
- by Edgar Chaput
- SoundOnSight
Blu-ray Release Date: Sept 30, 2014
Price: Blu-ray $49.99
Studio: Warner Home Video
Classic romance drama Gone With the Wind — perhaps The classic romance drama film — turns 75 and is celebrated with another Ultimate Collector’s Edition, but the set does have some new features.
Limited and numbered with new memorabilia, packaging and special features, the Gone With the Wind 75th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition Blu-ray set includes a replicaof Rhett Butler’s handkerchief and a music box paperweight playing Tara’s theme with an image on top of the Rhett-Scarlett kiss.
Also included is a 36-page companion booklet featuring a look at the timeless style of the film, written by New York fashion designer and Project Runway finalist Austin Scarlett, whose signature look reflects the romantic elegance of the Gone With the Wind era.
The new special features on the Blu-ray disc are:
footage of Clark Gable (It Happened One Night...
Price: Blu-ray $49.99
Studio: Warner Home Video
Classic romance drama Gone With the Wind — perhaps The classic romance drama film — turns 75 and is celebrated with another Ultimate Collector’s Edition, but the set does have some new features.
Limited and numbered with new memorabilia, packaging and special features, the Gone With the Wind 75th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition Blu-ray set includes a replicaof Rhett Butler’s handkerchief and a music box paperweight playing Tara’s theme with an image on top of the Rhett-Scarlett kiss.
Also included is a 36-page companion booklet featuring a look at the timeless style of the film, written by New York fashion designer and Project Runway finalist Austin Scarlett, whose signature look reflects the romantic elegance of the Gone With the Wind era.
The new special features on the Blu-ray disc are:
footage of Clark Gable (It Happened One Night...
- 6/28/2014
- by Sam
- Disc Dish
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: May 28, 2013
Price: DVD $24.95, Blu-ray $29.95
Studio: Olive Films
Barbara Stanwyck and Wendell Corey get deceptive in The File on Thelma Jordon.
The 1950 film noir drama The File on Thelma Jordon is directed by noir veteran Robert Siodmak (The Dark Mirror).
In the film, Barbara Stanwyck (1953′s Titanic) is the titular Thelma Jordon, a woman who seduces the married Assistant District Attorney (Wendell Corey, Hell’s Half Acre) and pulls him into a web of theft and murder. When her aunt’s mansion is burglarized and the woman is murdered, Thelma calls the Assistant Da to help her cover up evidence that may incriminate her. When she emerges as the prime suspect, the infatuated Assistant Da tries to sabotages the prosecution.
Featuring gorgeous cinematography by George Barnes (Spellbound) and a alluring score by Victor Young (The Quiet Man), the movie makes its DVD and Blu-ray premiere with this release.
Price: DVD $24.95, Blu-ray $29.95
Studio: Olive Films
Barbara Stanwyck and Wendell Corey get deceptive in The File on Thelma Jordon.
The 1950 film noir drama The File on Thelma Jordon is directed by noir veteran Robert Siodmak (The Dark Mirror).
In the film, Barbara Stanwyck (1953′s Titanic) is the titular Thelma Jordon, a woman who seduces the married Assistant District Attorney (Wendell Corey, Hell’s Half Acre) and pulls him into a web of theft and murder. When her aunt’s mansion is burglarized and the woman is murdered, Thelma calls the Assistant Da to help her cover up evidence that may incriminate her. When she emerges as the prime suspect, the infatuated Assistant Da tries to sabotages the prosecution.
Featuring gorgeous cinematography by George Barnes (Spellbound) and a alluring score by Victor Young (The Quiet Man), the movie makes its DVD and Blu-ray premiere with this release.
- 5/3/2013
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
It has just been announced that six new levels have been released for Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land:
“Whereas before the player fought against diabolical forces that wished to destroy humanity, in the newly launched Dlc levels for ‘Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land’, this is reversed as the player now has to end the world. In the six new levels released today, entitled ‘Kaul’s Diary’, the player instead controls the villainous cult leader from the original game, Docktor Kaul. In a series of encounters set before the events of ‘The Wasted Land’ the player controls Kaul and his minions as they attempt to put his genocidal vision into action. To play the new levels, players need a copy of the original game and simply then select ‘Extra Levels’ and purchase Kaul’s Diary there. The Dlc costs $2.99/£1.79/€2.39 from the App Store and more platforms are expected to follow soon.
“Whereas before the player fought against diabolical forces that wished to destroy humanity, in the newly launched Dlc levels for ‘Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land’, this is reversed as the player now has to end the world. In the six new levels released today, entitled ‘Kaul’s Diary’, the player instead controls the villainous cult leader from the original game, Docktor Kaul. In a series of encounters set before the events of ‘The Wasted Land’ the player controls Kaul and his minions as they attempt to put his genocidal vision into action. To play the new levels, players need a copy of the original game and simply then select ‘Extra Levels’ and purchase Kaul’s Diary there. The Dlc costs $2.99/£1.79/€2.39 from the App Store and more platforms are expected to follow soon.
- 9/3/2012
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Sept. 4, 2012
Price: DVD $24.95 each, Blu-ray $29.95 each
Studio: Olive Films
Olivia De Havilland doesn't like what she sees in The Dark Mirror.
The Dark Mirror (1946) and Secret Beyond the Door (1947), two classic film noir crime movies, make their DVD and Blu-ray debuts from Olive Films.
The Dark Mirror finds Olivia De Havilland ( Gone with the Wind) portraying twin sisters who are implicated in a Hollywood murder, while a police detective (Thomas Mitchell) must figure out if one or both were involved in the killing. As a psychiatrist approached by the detective to help with the complicated case, Lew Ayres agrees to see them separately and he’s immediately attracted to one of them and fears the other one to be killer. But he’s also worried that if he’s wrong he could end up on a slab in the morgue himself.
The movie features taut direction...
Price: DVD $24.95 each, Blu-ray $29.95 each
Studio: Olive Films
Olivia De Havilland doesn't like what she sees in The Dark Mirror.
The Dark Mirror (1946) and Secret Beyond the Door (1947), two classic film noir crime movies, make their DVD and Blu-ray debuts from Olive Films.
The Dark Mirror finds Olivia De Havilland ( Gone with the Wind) portraying twin sisters who are implicated in a Hollywood murder, while a police detective (Thomas Mitchell) must figure out if one or both were involved in the killing. As a psychiatrist approached by the detective to help with the complicated case, Lew Ayres agrees to see them separately and he’s immediately attracted to one of them and fears the other one to be killer. But he’s also worried that if he’s wrong he could end up on a slab in the morgue himself.
The movie features taut direction...
- 6/21/2012
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Olivia de Havilland, The Heiress Olivia de Havilland vs. Warner Bros. Pt.2 "From the age of 18 when I began my career as Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream," Olivia de Havilland would tell entertainment journalist Robert Osborne, "I always wanted to play difficult roles in films with significant themes. With the exception of that first Shakespearean film, no equivalent opportunities were given me at Warner Bros." (Actually, In This Our Life, for one, does have "significant themes." It also features black characters, not caricatures, something uncommon at that time.) De Havilland added that "absolutely no one in the industry thought I would win the case. When I at last succeeded, lots of flowers and telegrams began to arrive, which, of course, made me very happy." [Olivia de Havilland at 2008 Bette Davis tribute.] Following de Havilland’s legal victory, Warner Bros. made sure its remaining contract player Ida Lupino received top billing when the Curtis Bernhardt-directed 1943 drama Devotion,...
- 6/6/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Jessica Chastain, The Help 2012 Oscar Predictions – Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Albert Brooks, Kenneth Branagh, Nick Nolte, Viggo Mortensen The list of potential Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nominees is nearly as long as the list of female cast members in Tate Taylor's socially conscious comedy-drama The Help. In fact, several The Help actresses are either likely or possible Oscar contenders. Much like in the Best Supporting Actor category, in which only Christopher Plummer is a true shoo-in for his role in Mike Mills' Beginners, the only shoo-in in the Best Supporting Actress category is The Help's Octavia Spencer, winner of a Golden Globe, and a SAG Award and BAFTA nominee. Now, how could North American critics' fave Jessica Chastain not be a shoo-in? Well, Chastain is a near shoo-in. Though not a strong probability, it's certainly possible that she won't get enough first/second place votes...
- 1/23/2012
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
Chicago – Diabolical twins, obsessed journalists and jail-breaking thugs are heading their way to the Music Box Theatre. The Film Noir Foundation’s third installment of “Noir City: Chicago” features no less than sixteen restored 35mm prints of must-see cinematic rarities. Ten of these noir classics have yet to land a DVD release, thus making this festival all the more essential for local cinephiles.
The week-long festival kicks off Friday, Aug. 12, and includes criminally overlooked performances from Hollywood legends such as Humphrey Bogart, Anne Bancroft, Barbara Stanwyck, Olivia de Havilland, Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters and Burt Lancaster. Acclaimed noir historians Alan K. Rode (“Charles McGraw: Biography of a Film Noir Tough Guy”) and Foster Hirsch (“Detours and Lost Highways: A Map of Neo-Noir”) will be presenting the pictures while offering their wealth of historical and filmic insight.
Among this year’s most priceless treasures is “Deadline USA,” starring Bogart as...
The week-long festival kicks off Friday, Aug. 12, and includes criminally overlooked performances from Hollywood legends such as Humphrey Bogart, Anne Bancroft, Barbara Stanwyck, Olivia de Havilland, Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters and Burt Lancaster. Acclaimed noir historians Alan K. Rode (“Charles McGraw: Biography of a Film Noir Tough Guy”) and Foster Hirsch (“Detours and Lost Highways: A Map of Neo-Noir”) will be presenting the pictures while offering their wealth of historical and filmic insight.
Among this year’s most priceless treasures is “Deadline USA,” starring Bogart as...
- 8/11/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
By David Savage
One of the most anticipated genre film festivals on the North American circuit is Noir City, the annual San Francisco Film Noir Festival, hosted at the glorious Castro Theatre – itself a cinematic landmark and “character” in countless movies filmed in the City by the Bay. This year’s edition, with the theme of “Who’s crazy now?” kicks off January 21st and runs through the 30th, 2011. Over the 10 day span, a tantalizing lineup of twenty-four films will be screened – including three brand new 35mm prints funded by the Film Noir Foundation, High Wall (1947); Loophole (1954) and The Hunted (1948).
“We show films you can’t see anywhere else,” said Noir City co-founder and noted film historian Eddie Muller over the phone from his Bay Area home. “We are the only festival that goes out of its way to preserve rare titles, then uses those proceeds to restore other rare titles.
One of the most anticipated genre film festivals on the North American circuit is Noir City, the annual San Francisco Film Noir Festival, hosted at the glorious Castro Theatre – itself a cinematic landmark and “character” in countless movies filmed in the City by the Bay. This year’s edition, with the theme of “Who’s crazy now?” kicks off January 21st and runs through the 30th, 2011. Over the 10 day span, a tantalizing lineup of twenty-four films will be screened – including three brand new 35mm prints funded by the Film Noir Foundation, High Wall (1947); Loophole (1954) and The Hunted (1948).
“We show films you can’t see anywhere else,” said Noir City co-founder and noted film historian Eddie Muller over the phone from his Bay Area home. “We are the only festival that goes out of its way to preserve rare titles, then uses those proceeds to restore other rare titles.
- 1/2/2011
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
HollywoodNews.com: “The Dark Mirror” (1946), in which Olivia de Havilland plays twin sisters suspected of murder, will be screened as the next feature in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ series “Oscar Noir: 1940s Writing Nominees from Hollywood’s Dark Side” on Monday, July 12, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The film will be introduced by screenwriter John August (“Go,” “Big Fish”).
“The Dark Mirror” earned an Oscar® nomination for Writing – Original Motion Picture Story (Vladimir Pozner). Nunnally Johnson wrote the screenplay and Robert Siodmak, who received a nomination the same year for directing “The Killers,” directed the film.
At 7 p.m. the Oscar-nominated Upa animated short “The Tell Tale Heart” (1953) and the episode “Human Target” from the 1941 serial “Adventures of Captain Marvel” will be screened as part of the evening’s pre-feature program.
“Oscar Noir” is a summer-long series featuring 15 film noir classics from the 1940s,...
“The Dark Mirror” earned an Oscar® nomination for Writing – Original Motion Picture Story (Vladimir Pozner). Nunnally Johnson wrote the screenplay and Robert Siodmak, who received a nomination the same year for directing “The Killers,” directed the film.
At 7 p.m. the Oscar-nominated Upa animated short “The Tell Tale Heart” (1953) and the episode “Human Target” from the 1941 serial “Adventures of Captain Marvel” will be screened as part of the evening’s pre-feature program.
“Oscar Noir” is a summer-long series featuring 15 film noir classics from the 1940s,...
- 6/30/2010
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
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