moguls and more

It's a new month, and nevermind that we missed doing the Shelf's annual Halloween Madness, but as we mentioned a while back, we've unburdened ourselves of self-imposed strictures and and deadlines. October was a very busy teaching month - with finals and new classes and more, so while we enjoyed Halloween with classic films and cartoons and family traditions as usual, we didn't get to share much with you- but we hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween season.
I was reading our friend Laura's monthly review of the schedule of Turner Classic Movies, as you should as well, and making mental notes of what to make sure to DVR, when I remembered something important: TCM begins it's massive new documentary series, Moguls and Movie Stars this month! It is truly something not to be missed. I received an advance copy and have watched the series- and have thoroughly enjoyed it.

Moguls and Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood is a seven part series that examines the rise and fall of the studio system in Hollywood. The series is narrated by Christopher Plummer and included interviews with many Hollywood Historians as well as actors, producers and more- but what stood out for me was how they interviewed the descendants of some of the Studio pioneers for the series, which added a unique perspective and voice to the overall projects. Lots of never-before seen footage and rarely seen photographs are also featured. The series charts the very beginnings of the film industry in American and charts the beginning, the peak and the ebb of the studio system in particular.

I teach a Media in American Culture Class, and incorporated some of the information (I was not allowed to screen it for them obviously, but did ask them to watch when it premeired) I had learned from the series into my section on Film in America. It never ceases to interest me to see how little people have examined our culture and media beyond their own lifetimes. A 20-something college student often knows very little of song and film, beyond the 1980s. However, I was pleasantly surprised by my last group of students, some of whom were already classic film fans, and most of whom were very interested by the history of Hollywood. Our normal one hour interactive lecture turned into an hour and a half discussion, with many questions asked of me of how the studio system worked. One student in particular was of the opinion that perhaps we ought to go back to that way of making films. While there are pros and cons to the old studio system, no one seemed to argue that there was something missing from films today, and that is a very unique thing to hear from a group of 20-something college students. I am eager to hear what those who actually watch the series on TCM will have to say.

I highly recommend setting your DVRs, TiVos or what have you, to record the new series. It is well worth your time,- it's instructive, entertaining and important- an ambitious project that only TCM could truly pull off, and it succeeds at the highest level. Moguls and Movie Stars airs every Monday from November 1st through December 13th, with repeated airings on Wednesdays and other days as well(meaning you can still catch the first episode tomorrow night). Be careful when scheduling your DVR- some listings on the schedule have the series listed by episode title rather than series title first. So here the individual episode titles and times to look for (all times are Eastern Standard Time- check your local listings) :

Moguls and Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood
Episode 1- Peepshow Pioneers: Nov. 1st at 8pm (and repeated viewings, for example, Nov. 3rd at 10 pm, Nov. 6th at 12pm - check the TCM full schedule for other repeating airings during the weeks ahead)

Episode 2- The Birth of Hollywood: Nov. 8 at 8pm

Episode 3- The Dream Merchants: Nov.15 at 8pm

Episode 4- Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? : Nov. 22 at 8pm

Episode 5- Warriors and Peacemakers: Nov.29 at 8pm

Episode 6- The Attack of the Small Screens: Dec.6 at 8pm

Episode 7- Fade In, Fade Out: Dec. 13 at 8pm

What is exceptional about this series, is that each week, TCM will also be airing some of the films mentioned and examined in the series- some of them rarely seen on Television or not available on DVD. For example, some of the silents and early pictures examined in the first episode will be shown this week on TCM- some of them in whole blocks of programming. D.W. Griffith at Biograph, for example, features many of his short films made while at the pioneering film studio. The rarely seen Ramona, with Mary Pickford will also be shown, as well as many of the early films of Thomas Edison and George Melies. Ramona is significant because the 1910 film is one the earliest surviving Biograph films intact with original title cards, and is one of the earliest films of it's kind with story structure and a narrative, a style that was still in it's infancy during that time, when most films were documentary in style. Griffith really helped to bring a strong visual storytelling style to film and is one of the earliest film pioneers to change films into a storytelling medium. Moguls and Movie Stars is highly recommended and definitely one series to clear a slot for on your television recording device of choice.

Item #2- Criterion Collection Sale!
Time to publish this news far and wide! Barnes and Noble is having their 50% Criterion Collection Sale! If you find yourself drooling over those fantastic Criterion Collection sets, but then quickly wiping that grin off your face when you see the price, your time has come! Check out the sale page on the Barnes and Noble site for more details. Not only that, shipping is free if you order $25 or more online. I don't work for B&N, but darn it, I know a good sale when I see one. Check it out now.



If only those who dream about Hollywood knew how difficult it all is.

week of the duke, roundup pt. III

In today's part of the roundup we'll cover the rest of the great DVDs hitting the shelves this week. And trust me, there are several you'll want to add to your collection and some you at least want to add to your Netflix queue. That means that we have a rare situation this week in which we actually have a tie for Top Shelf Picks. It was too difficult to choose, so we didn't. So we present to you our other Top Shelf Picks of the Week!

DVD continued:

Top Shelf Picks of the Week II and III
Ball of Fire and Scarface
Two great classics that have long deserved to be on DVD finally arrived this week: Ball of Fire and the original Scarface. Both are directed by the unrivaled Howard Hawks, and no two films could be more different. The man had range!
Last year, we posted a comprehensive review of Ball of Fire, so you can read that by going to this link. Needless to say, we've been anticipating picking this one up the minute it hit the shelves, so The Shelf is a very happy place this week. Unfortunately the DVD is bare bones. No extras to speak of. I am not going to complain too much (last year we suggested: "It would be nice for some great extras- maybe a feature on Stanwyck or Cooper or a documentary about Screwball Comedies or on Howard Hawks."). This is one of those times where we are just glad to have the movie in an excellent DVD presentation, although more thought could have gone into a commentary or something else to inhance the experience of watching the film. That being said, the print is exquisite. The black and white print is crisp and clean, and I've seen no hint of grain or dust. The sound is equally excellent, showing that the masters must have held up extremely well over the years. It has looked great on TCM when it's been featured, it looks just as good, if not better on DVD.
Howard Hawks' Scarface has been one of the most sought after of the gangster films for classic film DVD fans. The original has been surpassed in modern culture by the Brian DePalma/Al Pacino remake. Tony Montana is, of course, more well known than Tony Camonte. That's OK, pop culture and film change and go in different direction. Now that the original is on DVD, it's my hope that it will be "re-discovered" by the same culture that pops off lines like "Let me introduce to my little friend" with great mirth. It was shocking in its day, and its power can still pack a punch today.
Paul Muni leads a steller cast, including George Raft, Boris Karloff and Ann Dvorak. Muni is a wonderful actor, and he brings an element of homicidal glee, infantile need and desire, and dangerous obsession to the character of Tony Camonte. The Ben Hecht screenplay (adapted from the novel of the same name by Armitage Trail) is wonderfully paced and excellently written. You've got to keep up, but you won't get lost. It is a stunning film, and one I have longed to have in a clear, clean print on DVD. I haven't checked it out yet, but we will soon and we'll have a review up next week. In the meantime, I can safely recommend the DVD on the merits of the film alone, because this is what we've got. And to really understand the genesis and rise of the gangster film you need to really to start by seeing two: The Public Enemy and Scarface. And now we have both on DVD.

Universal Cinema Classics
Scarface is just one of four films being released this week under the Universal Cinema Classics banner. The three other films are:
Unconquered, So Proudly We Hail, and No Man of Her Own
Universal continues to dig in their catalog to bring out some classics that deserve to be seen. Earlier this year this first wave hit and brought fans some great films. This is the next wave of releases, with more planned for the rest of the year. No Man of Her Own stars Clark Gable and Carole Lombard in this lightweight comedy about a card shark who falls in love while hiding out from the police in a small town. Side note: this film was made sometime before Lombard and Gable fell in love and got married. So Proudly We Hail features Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard and Veronica Lake in a the story about American Army nurses trapped behind enemy lines in the Phillippines in the beginning of World War II, after MacArthur's retreat to Australia. Gary Cooper and Paulette Goddard star in Cecil B. DeMille's Unconquered, a sort of colonial America romantic pot-boiler. You've got to see it, at least to witness Boris Karloff as leader of the Native Americans gunning for our hero. All films include an introduction by film historian and Turner Classic Movies host, Robert Osbourne.

Speaking of Gary Cooper...

MGM is really putting out the Gary Cooper material this week. First off, the box set:
MGM Movie Legends Collection: Gary Cooper

This box set features for films: The Cowboy and the Lady, The Real Glory, Vera Cruz, and The Winning of Barbara Worth. Vera Cruz, a western starring Cooper and Burt Lancaster, is perhaps the best known film out of this set. The Cowboy and the Lady starts Merle Oberon as the socialite daughter of a politician who runs off to continue her social lifestyle without ruining her father's political apsirations. She doesn't count on meeting and falling in love with Rodeo cowboy, Stretch (Cooper). The Real Glory features Cooper as a doctor left behind by the American Army in the Phillippines in 1906 to try to get local leaders to defend themselves against dangerous invaders. The Winning of Barbara Worth is an interesting choice, because it is a silent film. Silent films are an unusual entry for box sets. I wish they would trust consumers enough to do it more often. Nonetheless, it looks intreguing and you can learn more about the film from Leonard Maltin here.
Three other Gary Cooper films are being individually released. They also carry the banner label of "Movie Legends Collection." Why the just weren't added to the box set, or released as a Vol. II set, I don't know. Either way, you can click the links for more info: Casanova Brown ,

The Wedding Night and The Adventures of Marco Polo

Criterion:

Sansho the Baliff and The Third Man two disc Special Editon
Two films that are being released by Criterion this week include the reissue of The Third Man in a special two disc edition. The added features may be worth upgrading to this edition if you have the previous Criterion release. Check out this review over by DVD Savant for a closer look. This movie is a Shelf favorite so I think the added documentaries definitely warrent checking it out.

Sansho the Baliff is an interesting Japanese film that is often sited by critics as one of the best aside from Kurosawa's films. It is the very tragic story of two children separate from their parents and sold into slavery, and grow up amid suffering and oppression.


Westerns:

Still with me? Good! I told you this was a banner week for classic film releases. Well, hang on we've got more Westerns than you can shake a stick at! We're going to talk about a highly anticipated Jimmy Stewart western and then give a quick rounddown of the rest of the westerns on tap for this week.

Broken Arrow (Mini-Review)
James Stewart stars is this excellent, thought-provoking story that is based on the historical account of the Apache leader Cochise and the attempts to create a treaty of peace during a time of hostile and relentless war. Stewart plays Captain Tom Jeffords, former soldier and Army Scout who oversees the mail route through dangerous Apache territory. While out panning for gold, Jeffords comes across a wonded Apache boy and heals him and nourishes him back to health. They are soon come upon by a patroling Apache group of men who let Jeffords go unharmed. Jeffords begins to think that there is honor and a sense of fair play among the Apache and he decides to attempt to talk to their leader Cochise about at least letting the mail riders go through in safety. Cochise admires Jefford's courage and honesty, and the two eventually become good friends. So much so, that when a new Army General arrives in the territory with orders to make a lasting peace with the Apache, he seeks out Tom Jefford's help in talking to Cochise. The men agree to an attempt at a treaty and peace, but there are factions on both sides that believe it can never happen. The film also stars Jeff Chandler, who won an oscar for his excellent portrayal of Cochise. This film was perhaps one of the more balanced films of its time, in terms of seeking to portray both sides in a fair light. The digital transfer of the print is fantastic, as the technicolor really comes out and shines, especially during landscape scenes. The sound is as good, and there are several extras included on the DVD, including a reproduction of press material that is digitally accessible with your remote. Two Movietone news segments about the film are included, but for some reason Fox continues to just show the pertinent clips, rather than the whole Movietone reel. I know this doesn't bother many others, but I personally would rather have the entire reel. All in all, this DVD is a great presentation of a classic western. Fans of the genre and of James Stewart or Jeff Chandler in particular will definitely want to pick this up.

There are many other westerns being released this week, including a re-release of the Lee Van Cleef and Yul Brenner Sabata films. Please check the links for more details:
White Feather
Fury and Furnace Creek
Fort Courageous
Gun the Man Down
The Hills Run Red
Convict Stage

Gun Fight
Sabata, Adios Sabata and Return of Sabata

Musicals:
Tired yet? Don't give up on me now, we're almost done. We can't finish this MEGA SUPERSIZE edition of the roundup without mentioning some 20th Century Fox musicals being released!

Pigskin Parade:

This is very notable for being Judy Garland's first feature film. She sings at least three songs on the film that I can recall (I haven't seen it in years). The story revolves around a married couple who are coaches for a small college. They attempt to bolster the football team's lineup when they discover a young "hillbilly" type kid who has a rocket arm. It's a typical formulaic Fox "college musical" which creates a loose story around which song and dance sequences fall into place. Still it's a fun and lightly entertaining time. Several extras make the DVD an excellent purchase: Included are three featurettes: Making the Team: The Talent of Pigskin Parade, Remebering Judy: Lorna Luft On Judy Garland and Meet the Coach: Darryl F. Zanuck. Also included is a Restoration Comparison and the nominal Still Galleries.

Can-Can:
Speaking of a fun time, Fox is also releasing an entertaining Frank Sinatra musical, Can-Can. The film also stars the legendary Maurice Chevalier, Louis Jourdan, Juliet Prowse and a young Shirley MacLaine. Can-Can is set in France in 1896, and is the story of a night club owner, Simone, whose dancers specialize in the saucy dance known as the Can-Can. While it is forbidden, law enforcement is usually too busy looking and talking to Simone's girls to notice. Then a judge decides to rurn up the heat and come down hard on the club. Simone decides to turn up the heat in own way on the judge, which doesn't sit to well with her boyfriend. This 1960 film is based on the Broadway hit of the same name, and the film itself won several Oscars. It isn't the caliber of the musicals that you are used to, but it is light fun and it's entertaining to see the stars perform the Cole Porter tunes. The DVD includes several interesting features. Featurettes: A Leg Up: The Making of Can-Can, The Classic Cole Porter and Book By Burrows: The Man Who Wrote Can-Can. Also included are the trailers, restoration and still galleries.

On the Riveria:

I love Danny Kaye, and this is one his films that I haven't seen. It also stars the lovely Gene Tierney. Kaye plays Jack Martin, an American entertainer working cabarets on the French Riviera. When he does an impression of a wealthy businessman, Henri Duran (Kaye in a dual role), even his own wife (Tierney) is fooled. Martin finds out that this is not a good thing as Duran is a philanderer and convinces Martin to impersonate him at a party at his home when he has to go on business elsewhere. The problems increase when several of Duran's former flings decide to face off with him. Side note: from what I have read, there is an appearance of the famous painting of Gene Tierney from the film Laura, that is included in the film. It is the only time that the painting is seen in color on film. The DVD also includes some admirable extras. The effort by Fox is duly noted, and we hope it continues. Several featurettes on the DVD are: The Rivera Story: A Remarkable Impersonation, A Portrait of Danny Kaye and The Jack of Clubs: Choreographer Jack Cole. Still Galleries, restoration comparisons and the theatrical trailer round out the disc.

And... that's a wrap! That was a really MEGA SUPERSIZE edition of the roundup. I hope we've made it easier for you to separate the good stuff from out of the stacks and stacks of junk. We know this was a lot to go through, but classic film fans don't often have a bang-up week like today. Warner Brothers continues to lead the way, but after today's releases I am getting more confidence in MGM and Fox's efforts to dig out the gems in their vaults. The Fox Musical and Western DVDs are particularly note worthy for the fine prints and the thought given to the special features, including the on -disc reproduction of press and pr material. Those discs are highly recommended.

Don't go away yet, Shelfers. We've got a bang up conclusion to the Week of the Duke later today and tomorrow. Stay tuned...



Listen, Little Boy, in this business there's only one law you gotta follow to keep out of trouble: Do it first, do it yourself, and keep on doing it.

return of the roundup

This is it: The long awaited (at least by a few) return of the roundup! The weeks since Christmas are traditional dry spells, as far as releases go, but that's OK. We need a break to catch-up with all the goodies we may have received during the Holidays, or to pay bills for those goodies. Or begin to pay the bills. *Sigh...*
Nonetheless, we are back! It's nice to get back in the swing of things. We got several nice releases this week, and some great stuff on over on TCM (and they've got some great stuff coming up- but more on that next week.) They may have announced the nominations for the Oscars today, but I couldn't tell ya' much about them. I haven't seen any of the films. So you came to the wrong place for prognostication. If it's classic films on DVD you are after- well, buckle up, cause we're about to take off.

DVD
Top Shelf Pick of the Week!
Robert Mitchum Signature Collection
Last year one of my favorite "Bargain Bin Discoveries" was Volume 1 of Warner Brother's Film Noir Box set. I really loved the set and got it for a price that I'm afraid to mention here, because I don't believe the retailer has any more copies. Let me just say it was a steal. One of the first movies I watched was Out of the Past starring Robert Mitchum. I loved it, and thought it really brought him more out of obscurity for me.
I've always kind of liked Robert Mitchum. I hadn't really sought out his films, but when I came across them I would watch. He had a rough-hewn, laid back cool about him. He always seemed to be a tough, no-nonsense character. Heck, when he did those beef commercials, I always knew that eating beef was manly, but hearing Robert Mitchum talk about it...hell, I though it wasn't manly if you didn't eat steak. "It's what's for dinner, by God. And don't screw around with it." Yessir, Mr. Mitchum.
This set includes several films that aren't necessarily among his best, but certainly demonstrate the range and breadth of his career. I think that is what these Signature sets have become. They seem to be more about the actor, his range and versatility than just his or her greatest hits. Included in this set are the films: Home from the Hill, Macao, Sundowners, The Yakuza, Angel Face, and The Good Guys and the Bad Guys.

Criterion Collection: Yojimbo and Sanjuro
If you have never seen these films, you are in for a treat. Directed by the phenomenal Japanese director, Akira Kurosawa (Seven Samurai), Yojimbo was the inspiration for Sergio Leone's A Fistfull of Dollars, on its own terms an influential Spaghetti western starring Clint Eastwood. (For those keeping score, Yojimbo is based on Dashell Hammett's story Red Harvest. An American film inspires a Japanese film, which inspires an Italian film, which launches the career of an American star and inspired Bruce Willis in Last Man Standing. If that isn't a global market, I don't know what one is.) Yojimbo is the story of a nameless Samurai who comes into a down bitterly divided by two warring clans. The Samurai decides to take matters into his own hands and help the farmers out by pitting the factions against one another.
Sanjuro is a sequel of sorts which finds that our nameless Samurai now has a name: Sanjuro. Sanjuro comes into another town and helps another Samurai at the mercy of some corrupt officials. The sequel is more of an action comedy than the first film, but both films are excellent. This set is a re-release of sorts, but as with last year's Seven Samurai, the films have been digitally restored, the audio improved and new special features added. Check it out.

Fiddler on the Roof: Two Disc Special Edition
If you love musicals, and you don't already own the previous special edition, this will be an enjoyable edition to your DVD library. The musical is excellent and the songs very memorable. However, this is a repackage special edition set. Most of the previous features are present, except everything is spread out on two discs as opposed to a flip disc, like the previous edition.
There are a few new special features added here, but if you own the previous edition, you'll have to make the choice about whether or not it's worth the double dip. Nothing against the film, but for me, I'm sticking with the set I have.

Music
Kenny Wayne Shepherd: 10 Days Out:Blues from the Backroads
Don't let this simple cover fool you: this is a very important album. Kenny Wayne Shepherd, young blues guitarist extraordinaire, took a road trip in 2004 to record some of the surviving blues guitarists of the previous blues generation. Kenny isn't the frontman here, he takes a sideman role to let the masters take center stage and record some of their best work. The artists are the famous (BB King) as well as the little known (Gatemouth Brown, Wild Child Butler and lady blues guitarist, Etta Baker). Some of them have passed away since the album and accompanying documentary were recorded, making this an album to treasure for a long time to come. Shepherd captures the blues in it's truest habitats, the porches, the kitchens, and the dives. This is a must have.

Books
The Averaged American: Surveys, Citizens, and the Making of a Mass Public
by Sarah Elizabeth Igo
This may seem an odd choice, but I am intrigued by the book. Igo takes a look at the history of surveys and polls and their effect on American culture and Americans in general. She examines the roll that they have played in the 20th century and how they have come to create such a wide spread influence today. This is very much about not just the creation of public opinion, but the creation of the importance of public opinion. This is no social science textbook, rather a history of the "mass public", and it's (perhaps over-inflated) importance in mass media and it's manipulation by the same. Igo is a history professor out of U Penn, and early reviews make me very interested. I believe it is more relevant than reviews surmise. I may report back when I get my hands on it and finish reading it.

Television:
This week: All new- NCIS, The Unit, and Numb3rs. Crossing Jordon is back as well. Don't forget that come February, The Amazing Race and the Mighty Phil K. return for an All-star version of the race!

Turner Classic Movies
Shelf picks for TCM

Jan. 23: Framed (1947) with Glenn Ford in a pot-boiler. Angels Over Broadway (1940) features Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Rita Heyworth, and don't forget the Boston Blackie marathon: Meet Boston Blackie (1941, Confessions of Boston Blackie (1941), Alias Boston Blackie (1942), and Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood (1942).

Jan. 24: Federico Fellini's excellent La Strada (1954). Then catch Kirk Douglas in Detective Story (1951), Lonely Are The Brave (1962), and Ace In the Hole (1951).

Jan. 25: It's the classic Shelf favorite: Anatomy Of A Murder (1959). Later don't miss Martin and Lewis in The Caddy (1953). Then sit back and enjoy an evening of musicals: Summer Stock (1950) and The Harvey Girls (1946).

Jan. 26: Paul Newman classics: Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (1958), The Hustler (1961) and Hud (1963).

Jan. 27: Start your day with the sci-fi classic The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957), then head right into the action with Gunga Din (1939). Also don't miss the classic Anthony Mann / James Stewart Western, The Naked Spur (1953).

Jan. 28: First it's Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday in Dragnet (1954). Then watch the film that inspired Webb to create his classic police drama: He Walked By Night (1948).

Jan. 29: Watch Tod Browning's classic, Freaks (1932) and then the sad tale of The Elephant Man (1980).

It's good to be back, kids. And don't go away- next week there is even more roundup goodness and February looks to be an awesome month for classic film fans. So stay tuned. Plus we have Part II and Part III of our Book series coming up during the rest of this month, more wisdom from Wolf and our picks for the best DVDs of 2006 in year-end roundup. So don't go away! Well, if you must, at least be sure to come back...



Cooper. Two coffins... No, maybe three.