Returning to Academy Award winning Best Picture Rebecca (1940) about ten years after I first watched it and immediately after reading the novel by Daphne Du Maurier.
Classic Movie Reviews by Cliff Aliperti
Spoiler-free reviews of movies from Hollywood's Golden Age, especially the 1930s. Most reviews also include research into background of the film and, when relevant, the history surrounding the subject of the movie.
The Story of Temple Drake (1933) – Paramount Adapts Faulkner’s Sanctuary
A review plus background information about Paramount pre-Code The Story of Temple Drake (1933), adapted from Sanctuary by William Faulkner. Book and adaptation are compared and contrasted. Casting and path to screen are covered, including George Raft’s refusal to appear in the film. Biographical information about stars Miriam Hopkins and Jack La Rue. Lengthy article, over 5,500 words, first appeared in Classic Movie Monthly #5.
Remember the Night (1940) Starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray
Background and action in Paramount’s Remember the Night (1940), directed by Michell Leisen from a screenplay by Preston Sturges, featuring a budding romance between Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray during the Christmas season. With special attention given to character actor Willard Robertson, whose loquacious lawyer steals the show out of the gates. Lengthy article, over 5,000 words, that first appeared in Classic Movie Monthly #4.
The Wolf Man (1941), Lon Chaney Jr., and the Universal Horror Legacy
Coverage of the Universal horror classic The Wolf Man (1941) including the emergence of its star Lon Chaney Jr. This article also covers the second wave of Universal horror releases and the timing of this particular release, five days after the attack upon Pearl Harbor. Previously published in Classic Movie Monthly #2.
Three on a Match (1932), A Second Look: Bogart, Action, Warren William
A second look at pre-Code classic Three on a Match (1932) includes an appraisal of early Humphrey Bogart movies, contemporary reaction, and a checklist of stars. Plus Warren William.
Pick-Up (1933) Starring Sylvia Sidney and George Raft
Paramount pre-Code Pick-Up (1933) is the first of three movies co-starring Sylvia Sidney and George Raft. Also features William Harrigan and Lilian Bond. Based on a story by Viña Delmar and directed by Sidney-regular Marion Gering.
Are These Our Children? (1931) Starring Eric Linden and Arline Judge
Wild RKO pre-Code gem Are These Our Children? (1931) examines Prohibition-era youth gone wild. Includes brief biography of star Eric Linden. Also co-star Arline Judge.
The Woman Accused (1933) Starring Nancy Carroll and Cary Grant
Ten authors spoil the broth in Paramount pre-Code The Woman Accused (1933) starring Nancy Carroll and Cary Grant. Featuring one shocking scene with Grant, Jack La Rue, and a rawhide whip.
No Man of Her Own (1932) Starring Clark Gable and Carole Lombard
Noted for pairing Clark Gable and Carole Lombard a few years before they began their romance, Paramount’s No Man of Her Own (1932) is entertaining beyond their unsurprising screen chemistry. Post features several background notes about film’s complicated pre-production.
Terror Aboard (1933) – Grand Hotel of Murder on the High Seas
One passenger drops after another in Terror Aboard (1933), Paramount’s pre-Code preview of the far-off slasher genre. An all-star cast of B-players is led by John Halliday in this tale of multiple murders at sea.
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