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.
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.
The Cat Creeps (1930) – Universal’s (Mostly) Lost Dark House
A look at lost Universal horror film The Cat Creeps (1930) starring Helen Twelvetrees. Contemporary reaction. Piecing the lost film together from Boo! and various versions of The Cat and the Canary.
Man Wanted (1932) – Charles Kenyon Updates The Office Wife (1930)
A look at the similarities between Man Wanted (1932) and The Office Wife (1930) with a brief focus on Charles Kenyon who wrote each screenplay. Man Wanted stars Kay Francis and David Manners.
Bright Leaf (1950), Gary Cooper Takes Over Big Tobacco
Gary Cooper shines in “Bright Leaf” a story of tobacco in the late 19th century. Not so brilliant is Cooper’s love triangle with Lauren Bacall and Patricia Neal.
I Married a Witch (1942) Starring Fredric March and Veronica Lake
Rene Clair’s I Married a Witch (1942), starring Fredric March and Veronica Lake, brings equal parts comedy, romance and fantasy to a story that later influenced the television series Bewitched. Fans will note a definite similarity.