This Christmas: Line Dance
Posted on December 15, 2015 at 8:00 am
I’m going to post clips from ten of my favorite holiday films, starting with one I recommend every year, This Christmas
Happy 100th Birthday, Frank Sinatra!
Posted on December 12, 2015 at 10:09 am
Happy centenary to the Chairman of the Board, the Voice, Old Blue-Eyes, Frank Sinatra, one of the greatest stars of all time.
These are some of my favorite Sinatra movies.
On the Town, with Gene Kelly and Jules Munchin
He won an Oscar for From Here to Eternity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvaXp2OM_F0He played Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls:
With Doris Day in Young in Heart:
With Kim Novak, Rita Hayworth and the gorgeous songs of Rodgers and Hart in Pal Joey:
High Society, the musical remake of “The Philadelphia Story,” featured a duet with Bing Crosby:
“High Hopes” from Hole in the Head won an Oscar for best song and became the theme song of the Kennedy campaign:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaPTweZ2_fIThe original Ocean’s 11 starred “the rat pack,” including Sinatra and his Las Vegas co-stars and pals Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford:
Robin and the Seven Hoods introduced one of Sinatra’s biggest hits, “My Kind of Town (Chicago Is),” and gave him a chance to sing with Dean Martin and Bing Crosby:
Olivia Gentile on the Best Grandparents in Movies
Posted on December 1, 2015 at 11:13 pm
Olivia Gentile‘s terrific Grandparent Effect blog has an outstanding new list of the best movie grandparents. Some of the films are not for kids (or adults who don’t like bad language) but all of them are terrific.
I’d add to her list the Shirley Temple version of “Heidi” as well, with the wonderful Jean Hersholt as the alm-uncle/grandfather, “Little Lord Fauntleroy” with C. Aubrey Smith and Freddie Bartholomew, and “Roommates,” inspired by a real-life grandfather who raised his grandson and cared for his great-grandchildren as well, starring Peter Falk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRZ_YDGw7Rg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNNloERKTrI
Rotten Tomatoes Ratings for the Most-Loved Christmas Movies
Posted on November 19, 2015 at 8:27 am
Here’s a great chart showing the critics ratings for the most popular Christmas movies, thanks to Gracenote and Rottentomatoes. Just hover your cursor over a dot to see which movie it represents and how the reviews match up to the audience ratings. For more information, see this list of Christmas films from prettyfamous.com.
List: Movie Nells
Posted on November 14, 2015 at 3:53 pm
I’m sorry Sandra Bullock’s film, Our Brand is Crisis, isn’t getting more attention. I thought it was smart and funny and loved Bullock’s performance. But I admit another reason I liked it was that the wonderful actress Ann Dowd played a character who shares my first name, Nell.
I often joke that my parents collect antiques, starting with the names they gave their daughters. I love my name — it is simple but rare. It has literary connections thanks to Charles Dickens, and musical connections, especially if you’re in a barbershop quartet. And I’m happy to share my name with my friend, the brilliant writer/director Nell Scovell, and with Nell Carter and Charles II’s famous love, Nell Gwynn.
Here are my other favorite movie Nells.
1. Debbie Reynolds in “The Gazebo.”
2. Jodie Foster in “Nell”
3. Julie Harris in “The Haunting”
4. Sarah Jessica Parker in “Dudley Do-Right” (I vastly prefer the original television series but have to mention SJP)
5. Eva Marie Saint in “Raintree County” (Elizabeth Taylor has the flashy role, but Eva Marie Saint as Nell is the woman whose love for Montgomery Clift provides him with some stability and peace.)
6. Marilyn Monroe in “Don’t Bother to Knock”