Edward G. Robinson and Burt Lancaster star in "All My Sons"

All My Sons (1948) is based on the play by Arthur Miller which ran on Broadway from January 29, 1947, closed on November 8, 1949, and ran for 328 performances. The film was directed by Irving Reis and starred Edward G. Robinson and Burt Lancaster. Other members of the cast include Louisa Horton, Mady Christians, Howard Duff, Arlene Francis, and Harry Morgan.

Joe Keller has built a manufacturing business that he hopes his son, Chris (Lancaster), will one day take over. But Chris has other plans. He wants to marry Ann Deever (Horton), who was once engaged to his brother, Larry, who was missing in action during World War II and presumed dead. Kate Keller refuses to believe her son is dead and has his room exactly as he left it, even going so far as to polish his shoes on a regular basis.

Ann's father and Joe Keller were partners in a plant that manufactured airplane parts for the military. An investigation determined that the company sold the government defective equipment. It was determined that the partners sold the parts knowing they were defective. Ann's father was convicted and sent to prison but Joe was exonerated. However, there has always been some doubt as to whether or not Joe was also responsible for the faulty airplane parts. This doubt hangs heavy over the Keller home and endangers Chris's relationship with Ann and his father.

When all the secrets are revealed, will the Keller family survive?

Irving Reis (1906 - 1953) was an American writer, producer, and director of both radio plays and motion pictures. Reis got his start as a photographer, eventually photographing publicity stills for various movie studios. He went to Hollywood and became a screenwriter at Paramount in 1938. From Paramount, he went to RKO where he directed the box office hit The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947) starring Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Shirley Temple. Other films he directed include Enchantment  (1948), and The Four Poster (1952). Reis's died of cancer at the age of 47; he left a widow and three children.

Edward G. Robinson (1893 – 1973) was an American actor on the stage and screen. Robinson is a true legend from Hollywood’s Golden Age where he starred in the gangster classic Little Caesar (1931), Kid Galahad (1937), Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939), The Sea Wolf (1941), Double Indemnity (1944), and Key Largo (1948). Robinson was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 1973, but he was never nominated for a competitive Oscar.

Burt Lancaster (1913- 1994) was an American actor and producer. He won a Best Actor Academy Award for his performance in Elmer Gantry (1960). Lancaster made his film debut in The Killers (1946). After the release of that film, he was on his way as a leading man, starring in quick succession Desert Fury (1947), Brute Force (1947), Variety Girl (1947), I Walk Alone (1947), All My Sons (1948), and Sorry, Wrong Number (1948). Other popular films starring Lancaster include The Flame and the Arrow (1950), Jim Thorpe All-American (1951), From Here to Eternity (1953), The Rose Tattoo (1955), and Birdman of Alcatraz (1962).

Lousia Horton and Burt Lancaster

Why watch this film?

• It's a good film version of Arthur Miller's award-winning play.
• Edward G. Robinson delivers a great performance.
• Burt Lancaster put off making another film he was committed to because he wanted the role of Chris Keller.
• This was the film debut of Louisa Horton (Ann) who was married to director George Roy Hill (The Sting).
• The opportunity to see Arlene Francis early in her career and two years before she would become an icon on the television game show What's My Line.

To watch the film on YouTube, click on the link below.

Discussion questions:

1. Some critics have considered this movie a film noir. What category of film would you classify it as?
2. What did you think of Edward G. Robinson's performance in this film compared with his performance in The Red House?
3. Burt Lancaster really wanted to play Chris Keller; what did you make of his performance?
4. What did you think of the supporting cast? Any standouts?
5. Did this film have a theme? If so, what is it?

To join the discussion on February 7, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time click here. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation with a Zoom link to the discussion online.

Carole Lombard and Fredric March star in “Nothing Sacred”

Nothing Sacred (1937) is a screwball comedy film directed by William A. Wellman, produced by David O. Selznick, with a screenplay by Ben Hecht. Oscar Levant wrote the original music score.

New York newspaper reporter Wally Cook (March) was demoted to writing obituaries due to a scandal involving a phony African nobleman and a charity event in the nobleman’s honor. Wally begs his boss Oliver Stone (Walter Connolly) for a second chance.

Wally points out a story about Hazel Flagg (Carole Lombard), a young woman dying of radium poisoning. Wally convinces his boss that a story on the dying girl could boost the circulation of his paper the Morning Star. Wally is off to the fictional town of Warsaw, Vermont in pursuit of Hazel Flagg and her story. Wally meets Hazel and he invites her and her doctor to New York as guests of the paper. Unknown to Wally is the fact that Hazel isn’t dying of radium poisoning and that her original diagnosis was a mistake. Hazel anxious to leave the sleepy town of Warsaw for a trip to New York doesn’t let on that she’s not dying.

Will Hazel’s secret be found out and will Wally be sent back to writing obituaries once again?

William A. Wellman (1896 – 1975) got his start in the movies as an actor but decided he’d rather work behind the camera as a director. He directed his first picture in 1920. Seven years later, Wellman directed the World War I epic Wings. His other notable films in the sound era include The Public Enemy (1931), A Star Is Born (1937), Beau Geste (1939), and The Ox-Box Incident (1943).

Carole Lombard (1908 – 1942) was an American film actress best know for starring in a string of screwball comedies. So popular was she in the genre that Life magazine dubbed her “the screwball girl.” Lombard began her career in silent films, but her career was stalled when she was in a car accident that scarred her face. After the accident, she was dropped from her Fox Film Corporation contract. She underwent plastic surgery, which was relatively new at the time, hoping it would help jumpstart her career. The surgery was a success resulting in a minor scar that was hardly noticeable on screen. She made almost 40 films before her breakout role as Lily Garland opposite John Barrymore in Twentieth Century. Now a bona fide star, Lombard would be the highest-paid actor in Hollywood by the late 1930s. Lombard was Oscar-nominated for My Man Godfrey (1936) and starred in Alfred Hitchock’s only screwball comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith. In 1939, Lombard married Clark Gable and the two were the most famous couple in Hollywood. Lombard died tragically in a plane crash on January 16, 1942. She was 33 years old. Her final film was the Ernst Lubitsch comedy To Be or Not to Be (1942) which was released after her death.

Frederic March (1897 – 1975) was an American actor of both stage and film. He started his career as an extra in silent movies and by 1926 he appeared on Broadway and by the end of the decade, he was in Hollywood. March was one of the most successful actors working in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s. He starred in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932) a role for which he won a Best Actor Oscar, Design for Living (1933), Les Miserbles (1935), Anna Karenina (1935) with Greta Garbo, and A Star is Born (1937) with Janet Gaynor. In the 1940s, March starred in I Married a Witch (1942) and The Best Years of Our Lives, which brought him his second Best Actor Oscar. March was also a major star on Broadway. He won Tony Awards for Best Actor for his performances in Years Ago (1947) and Long Day’s Journey into Night (1956).

Nothing Sacred is a who’s who of 1930s character actors including Charles Winninger, Walter Connolly, Sig Ruman, John Qualen, Hattie McDaniel, and Margaret Hamilton.

Nothing Sacred has a creative title sequence.

Nothing Sacred trivia:

• This was the first screwball comedy filmed in Technicolor and Lombard’s only color film. 
• Frank Fay who plays the master of ceremonies in the film was Barbara Stanwyck’s first husband. His film career was basically over at the time of the film’s release, but he went on to Broadway fame as Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey (1944).
• The film was not a hit upon its release and recorded a loss of $400,000 at the box office.
• Lombard starred in True Confession (1937) with Fred MacMurray, the same year as Nothing Sacred. True Confession, almost forgotten today, was a huge box office success.

For more information on True Confession, which also starred John Barrymore, click here.

Fred MacMurray, Carole Lombard, and John Barrymore in True Confession

To watch the film, click on the YouTube link below. Please use this link because there are other versions that are on the channel that isn’t as good.



After you’ve watched the film, join us for a discussion on Zoom at 6:30 p.m. on August 11, 2020. The links for the Zoom meeting are below.

Stephen Reginald is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Discussion of "Nothing Sacred"
Time: Aug 11, 2020 06:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/74847286053?pwd=aFdsaElXcEdqcmZHVGthMTE0aUJyUT09

Meeting ID: 748 4728 6053
Passcode: ck2W1Q


Questions for discussion:
1. Were you surprised to see such an old film in color? Did color add anything to the narrative?
2. What did you think of Carole Lombard’s performance?
3. What did you make of the town of Warsaw? Did you understand why Hazel wanted to leave it?
4. Was Frederic March convincing as a newspaperman?
5. Was there a message or meaning behind the comedy? If yes, what was the message?

“Leave Her to Heaven”: a film noir in glorious Technicolor

Leave Her to Heaven (1945) is a Technicolor film noir directed by John Stahl, produced by William A. Bacher and Darryl F. Zanuck, and starring Gene Tierney, Cornel Wilde, and Jeanne Crain. It is based on the best-selling novel by Ben Ames Williams published in 1944. Jo Swerling adapted the screenplay.

Cornel Wilde and Gene Tierney

Tierney plays Ellen Berent, a rich socialite who meets novelist Richard Harland (Wilde) on the train to New Mexico. She thinks Richard resembles her dead father and that mesmerizes Ellen. Ellen’s relationship with her father seems to have been a strange and obsessive one. Ellen lives with her mother (Mary Phillips) and adopted sister Ruth (Crain). Ruth is really Ellen’s cousin and someone that Ellen sees as a rival rather than a beloved family member.

Ellen’s infatuation with Richard quickly turns into marriage. Richard introduces Ellen to his brother Danny who is crippled due to the effects of polio. In short order, they all move to Richard’s lodge in northern Maine called Back of the Moon. At first, all seems idyllic, but then Ellen begins to resent anyone occupying Richard’s time including Danny and her own family. Things begin to really take a downward turn when Ellen accuses Richard of enjoying Ruth’s company more than her own, implying there is something improper going on.

Will Ellen get control of her jealousy or will it destroy her and all the lives she’s touched?

John M. Stahl (1886 – 1950) was an American film director and producer who began his career in silent movies in 1913. In 1919 he signed with the film company Louis B. Mayer Pictures, which would eventually become Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Stahl made the transition to sound and directed Imitation of Life (1934) starring Claudette Colbert which was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. In 1935, he directed Magnificent Obsession starring Irene Dunne and Robert Taylor. Other films of note include Back Street (1932) starring Dunne and John Boles, and The Keys of the Kingdom (1944) starring Gregory Peck. Many believe that director Douglas Sirk was influenced by Stahl’s melodramatic style. Sirk remade both Magificent Obsession (1954) and Imitation of Life (1959).

Darryl F. Zanuck (1902 – 1979) was an American film producer and studio executive. Zanuck began his career as a writer for silent films. Zanuck worked successfully at Warner Bros. but left the studio to become a partner in 20th Century Pictures. Zanuck and his business partner bought out Fox Studios in 1935 to form Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. He won three Academy Awards as a producer for How Green Was My Valley (1940), Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), and All About Eve (1950).

Jo Swerling (1897 – 1964) was an American screenwriter who collaborated with Frank Capra on such films as Ladies of Leisure (1930) and Platinum Blonde (1931). Other screenplays by Swerling include Double Wedding (1937), The Westerner (1940), Blood and Sand (1941), and The Pride of the Yankees (1942) for which he was-Oscar nominated. Swerling was one of the dozens of writers who worked on the script (not credited) for Gone with the Wind (1939).

Leon Shamroy (1901 – 1974) was an American cinematographer under contract to 20th Century-Fox studio. He was famous for his Technicolor work, which is exemplified in Leave Her to Heaven (1945) for which he won the Academy Award. He won four Academy Awards during his long career and shares the record for most Oscar nominations with Charles Lang (The Ghost and Mrs. Muir). Other films Shamroy shot include The Robe (1953), Love is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955), The King and I (1956), South Pacific (1958), and The Planet of the Apes (1968).

Gene Tierney (1920 – 1991) was an American actress. Tierney got her start on the stage where she played the ingenue lead in The Male Animal. Tierney made her movie debut in 1940 in The Return of Frank James starring Henry Fonda. She worked steadily in the early 1940s but established herself as a top box office star with Laura (1944). She starred in Leave Her to Heaven the next year which was the biggest hit of the year and Fox’s biggest moneymaking success until The Robe (1953). Other successes for Tierney include Dragonwyck (1946), The Razor’s Edge (1946), and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947).

Cornel Wilde (1912 – 1989) was a Hungarian-born American actor and film director. Wilde had small roles in films like High Sierra (1941) until he was signed by 20th Century Fox. He was loaned out to Columbia to play the role of Frederic Chopin in A Song to Remember (1945) for which he earned an Academy Award for Best Actor. At Fox, he was a popular leading man. For that studio, he starred in Centennial Summer (1946), Forever Amber (1947), and Road House (1948). With the decline of his acting career, Wilde produced and directed several independent productions including Beach Red (1967) and No Blade of Grass (1970).

Jeanne Crain (1925 – 2003) was an American actress who began her movie career with a bit part in the film The Gang’s All Here (1943). Now under contract to Fox, Crain was featured in Home in Indiana (1944) which was filmed in Technicolor and was a big hit. Crain was given top-billing in her next feature In the Meantime Darling (1944). She made another film that same year, Winged Victory. In 1945 she co-starred with Dana Andrews in State Fair. She was now one of Fox’s top female stars. Margie (1946) was another popular success. She had another critical and box office success with Apartment for Peggy (1948). Her peak came in 1949 with A Letter to Three Wives and Pinky for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Jeanne Crain and Gene Tierney

Other actors in the cast you will recognize are Vincent Price as Russell Quinton, Ray Collins as Glen Robie, Gene Lockhart as Dr. Saunders, Chill Wills as Leick Thorne, and Darry Hickman as Danny Harland, Richard’s younger brother.

Below is the link to the movie on YouTube. Please be sure to use this link because there are several versions on the channel that are inferior to this one. If you can, I recommend you watch this on your TV. The Technicolor is pretty amazing and you will appreciate it more on a larger screen.



On Tuesday, June 16, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. Central Time join us on Zoom to discuss this film. Below are the links to the Zoom meeting.

Stephen Reginald is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Discussion of "Leave Her to Heaven"
Time: Jun 16, 2020 06:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/71924242712?pwd=Z0JIbVA4Nml1RmtzcGd0OUozR2kvQT09

Meeting ID: 719 2424 2712
Password: 9ZaE99

Discussion Questions:
1. This is considered the first film noir shot in color. Do you think this film would have been as effective if shot in black and white?
2. What do you think motivated Ellen’s jealousy? Do you really think she loved Richard or anyone?
3. Do you think there was any sympathy for Ellen’s character in 1945? Do you have any sympathy for her today?
4. What did you think of the contrast between Ellen and Ruth?
5. This is one of Martin Scorsese’s favorite films from Hollywood’s Golden Age. He thinks that Gene Tierney was one of the most underrated actresses from the 1940s. Would you agree with Scorsese on his assessment of Tierney?

Edward G. Robinson Pursues Nazis in “The Stranger” directed by Orson Welles

The Stranger (1946) is a film noir directed by Orson Welles, produced by Sam Spiegel, and starring Edward G. Robinson, Loretta Young, and Orson Welles.

The film concerns Mr. Wilson (Robinson) of the United Nations War Crimes Commission and his hunt for Nazi war criminal Franz Kindler (Welles). Kindler was careful to erase all traces of evidence that would connect him to his war crimes, but it is known that he had an affinity for clocks.

Edward G. Robinson, Loretta Young, and Orson Welles

In an effort to locate Kindler, Robinson releases Meinike, a former associate of Kindler’s. Robinson hopes that Meinike will lead him to Kindler. Upon Meinike’s release, he travels to Harper, a small town in Connecticut. Kindler has created a new identity and life for himself there in the person of Charles Rankin, a teacher at a prep school. He is engaged to marry Mary Longstreet, (Young) the daughter of a Supreme Court Justice.

Will Kindler escape prosecution for his war crimes or will Wilson be successful in bringing him to justice?

The Stranger has the distinction of being the only film that Welles directed that was a commercial hit. After the back-to-back box office disasters of Citizen Kane (1941) and The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), no one wanted to hire Welles to direct. In order for Welles to direct, he had to sign an agreement that he would owe the studio a substantial sum of money if he didn’t meet his obligation to bring the picture in on time and on budget. In fact, Welles brought the picture in a day ahead of schedule and under budget!

Major cast members from The Stranger at the dinner table

Excerpts of the documentary film Nazi Concentration Camps (1945) were included when Wilson’s character is explaining the crimes of Kindler and other Nazis. Director George Stevens, along with James B. Donovan, and Ray Kellogg assembled the film from footage they took during the liberation of Europe for that documentary.

Orson Welles (1915- 1985) was an American actor, writer, director, and producer. He is considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, with Citizen Kane considered by many to be the greatest film of all time. Welles got his start on the stage. He formed the Mercury Theatre with John Houseman in 1937. Many of the actors from his repertory theatre starred in his first two films. Welles had a reputation for being difficult and undisciplined which contributed to his low output of films. In spite of all that, his reputation as a Hollywood genius remains untarnished.

Sam Spiegel (1901 – 1985) was an American independent film producer. Speigel won Best Picture Academy Awards for three of the most famous American films of the twentieth century: On the Waterfront (1954), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), and Lawrence of Arabia (1962). His three Oscar wins are a record for an independent producer.

Russell Metty (1906 – 1978) was an American cinematographer. He won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Color for Spartacus (1960). Starting his career at RKO, Metty photographed Bringing Up Baby (1937) and Room Service (1938). Other films he photographed include Magnificent Obsession (1954), There’s Always Tomorrow (1955), Written on the Wind (1956), and All That Heaven Allows (1956) all directed by Douglas Sirk. Some of his later films include Flower Drum Song (1961), Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), The Omega Man (1971), and That’s Entertainment (1974).

Edward G. Robinson (1893 – 1973) was an American actor of the stage and screen. Robinson is a true legend from Hollywood’s Golden Age where he starred in the gangster classic Little Caesar (1931), Kid Galahad (1937), Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939), The Sea Wolf (1941), Double Indemnity (1944), and Key Largo (1948). Robinson was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 1973, but he was never nominated for a competitive Oscar.

Loretta Young (1913 – 2000) was an American actress. She entered show business as a young girl working in silent films. Silent film icon Colleen Moore gave her the name Loretta (she was born Gretchen Young). With the advent of talkies, Young became a leading lady, landing a long-term contract at 20th Century-Fox. Studio head Darryl F. Zanuck paired her with Tyrone Power and the two were a movie team for a time. Young tired of the parts she was getting at Fox and she decided to leave the studio and become a freelance actor, which was a risky proposition. After a slow start where she reduced her per film fee, she managed to get back on top, winning the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1948 for The Farmer’s Daughter. When film roles dried up, Young ventured into the new medium of television, becoming one of its earliest pioneers with the anthology series The Loretta Young Show.

To watch this film on YouTube, click on the link below. Be sure to use this link because there are several versions of this film on YouTube that are of poor quality.

After you have watched the film, join us on Zoom for a discussion. Below are the links to follow.

Stephen Reginald is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Discussion of "The Stranger"

Time: Jun 2, 2020 06:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/79106851740?pwd=cHRHSm1DVUtIckVSOVFZY2dBZjJDdz09

Meeting ID: 791 0685 1740

Password: 5Wqk1Z

Questions for discussion:

1. Noir or not? Does this film fit the film noir model as you know it?

2. What did you think of Edward G. Robinson’s performance?

3. From what you know of Orson Welles, did this feel like a Welles film?

4. Was Loretta Young’s character believable?

5. Did the ending surprise you? If yes, how did you think it would end?

“The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry”—Film Noir Set in New England

The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry (1945) is a film noir directed by Robert Siodmak. The plot revolves around Harry Quincy (George Sanders) a bachelor who supports his two sisters Lettie (Geraldine Fitzgerald) and Hester (Monya Macgill). The younger sister, Lettie, is self-centered and needy and doesn’t want her brother to marry and leave her. When Harry begins a romance with Deborah Brown (Ella Raines) things get complicated.

Geraldine Fitzgerald, George Sanders, and Ella Raines

Director Siodmak once again directs a wonderful cast in one of the most unusual and controversial films noir released in the 1940s. Sanders has one of the best roles of his career and he isn’t playing a sophisticated cad, a role he practically patented. As “Uncle Harry,” Sanders plays an aging bachelor stuck supporting his two sisters in the old family mansion. The Quincy family was one of the town’s most prominent families, but we learn through the film’s opening scenes that they lost most of their money during the depression. Harry works in the local mill, designing patterns for the fabrics they produce.

When Deborah, a young designer from New York arrives at the mill, she and Harry instantly hit it off. They eventually plan to be married, which doesn’t sit well with the self-centered Lettie. Will love prevail or will Lettie’s scheming ruin Harry’s life and a chance at happiness?

Like Charles Laughton in Siodmak’s The Suspect, Sanders gives one of his most subtle and layered performances in The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry. His Harry is innocent, naïve, and sweetly charming. When was the last time anyone described a Sanders characterization as innocent? Sanders reveals an acting range that he was rarely ever to express on screen and it’s wonderful to see.

Fitzgerald as Lettie has one of the best roles of her career as the younger sister who manipulates her brother and abuses her older sister, Hester, all the while pretending to be a paragon of virtue and respectability.

Raines as Deborah finds herself once again ably directed by Siodmak, having starred in The Suspect the year before. As a young career woman, she exudes confidence and femininity. It’s no wonder Harry is attracted to her; she’s the opposite of his needy sisters.

Robert Siodmak (1900 – 1973) had a very successful career in Hollywood and is best known for his thrillers and films noir. He signed a seven-year contract with Universal and directed The Killers (1946), the film that made Ava Gardner a star. He worked with some of the top movie stars during Hollywood’s Golden Age, including Deanna Durbin, Gene Kelly, Burt Lancaster, Dorothy McGuire, Yvonne de Carlo, Olivia de Havilland, and Barbara Stanwyck. Often compared to Hitchcock in his prime, he never got the recognition that the Master of Suspense did, but most of his films hold up remarkably well and are worth watching.





George Sanders (1906 – 1972) was a British film and stage actor who also had a fine singing voice. Hollywood was looking for a villain to star opposite a young Tyrone Power in Lloyd’s of London (1936) and Sanders more than fit the bill. His performance in that film would forever stamp him as a sophisticated bad guy. Before his acting career, he worked in the textile industry, which must have helped him with his role in The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry. In the 1960s, Sanders played Mr. Freeze in the Batman (1966) television series.

Geraldine Fitzgerald (1913 – 2005) was an Irish stage and film actress. Fitzgerald’s film debut was Dark Victory (1939) starring Bette Davis. That same year she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as Isabella Linton in Wuthering Heights. Fitzgerald’s movie career was hampered by her battles with studio management at Warner Brothers, where she was under contract. The role of Lettie in The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry was one of her best screen performances.

Ella Raines (1920 – 1988) was born in Washington State where she studied drama at the University of Washington. Howard Hawks spotted her in a college production and signed her to a contract. Right out of the gate, she starred in some big movies, including Preston Sturges’s Hail the Conquering Hero and Tall in the Saddle (both 1944) where she shared equal billing with John Wayne. As her movie career declined in the 1950s, Raines worked in series television starring as Janet Dean, Registered Nurse (1954-55). She appeared on the cover of Life magazine twice, once in 1944 and in 1947.


Join us on April 21 at 6:30 p.m. Central Time for a discussion on Zoom. To watch the movie on YouTube and for information on joining the discussion on Zoom, click here.


Questions for discussion:

1. Noir or not? The setting for The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry is a small New England town, not your typical noir setting. What do you think and why?
2. Does this film have a femme fatale? If yes, who is she?
3. What did you think of George Sanders and his characterization? Have you ever seen him in a role like this?
4. Geraldine Fitzgerald is an interesting character. What did you make of her? Did you sympathize with her in any way?
5. Ella Raines’s character was a real contrast to the other two female characters (Harry’s sisters). She’s independent and confident in her own skin.
6. Joan Harrison produced this movie. She started out as Alfred Hitchcock’s secretary. Do you think the fact that this movie was produced by a woman gave the film a different perspective on the genre?
7. What did you think of the ending? Was it satisfying? Explain.

“High Sierra” to screen at PianoForte March 11

High Sierra (1941) starring Ida Lupino and Humphrey Bogart will screen March 11, 6:45 p.m. at PianoForte, 1335 S. Michigan Ave., 2nd Floor. Admission is $5 for all admissions.

Ida Lupino and Humphrey Bogart

After the success of They Drive By Night (1940, Lupino was emerging as a major star at Warner Bros. Bogart desperate to advance to lead roles, talked George Raft (director Raul Walsh’s first choice) out of taking the role. It proved to be his breakout performance; he would never again play second leads.

Bogart plays Roy (Mad Dog) Earle recently released from prison and eager for one big-time robbery so he can retire in comfort. Along the way, he meets Marie Garson (Lupino), a rootless young woman who falls in love with him. Planning the big heist isn't an easy job, but Roy is willing to risk it all for his one big chance at a new life with Marie.

Interested in classic film? Consider joining the Chicago Film Club. It’s free to join and you’ll be made aware of classic movies screened in Chicago.

For a complete schedule of films and information on PianoForte, click the link here.

“They Drive By Night” to screen at PianoForte February 24

They Drive By Night (1940) starring George Raft, Ann Sheridan, Ida Lupino, and Humphrey Bogart will screen February 24 at PianoForte, 1335 S. Michigan Ave. 2nd Floor. Admission is $5.

Alan Hale, Ida Lupino, and George Raft in They Drive By Night

George Raft and Humphrey Bogart play brothers and independent truck drivers. It’s tough going for the two, battling against the big trucking companies, but somehow they always come through. Along the way they meet waitress Ann Sheridan and Ida Lupino, the latter bent on a romance with Raft in spite of the fact he’s in love with Sheridan. The film did wonders for Lupino’s career with audiences supposedly clapping during her courtroom scenes. After this film, she was one of the biggest stars on the Warner Bros. lot.

Raft, Ann Sheridan, and Humphrey Bogart

It would take High Sierra (1941)—screening March 11—to make Bogart a star. Raft turned down the role of Roy “Mad Dog” Earle because he was tired of playing bad guys. Bogart thought the part could move him from playing second leads to major star status. He was right and after High Sierra, Bogart never received second billing ever again.

Lupino came to Hollywood in 1933 under contract to Paramount. She was dubbed “the English Jean Harlow.” When she came to the states, she was a bleached blond with thinly tweezed eyebrows, which was a typical look during the early 1930s. After receiving good notices for her role in The Light That Failed (1939), on loan-out to Columbia, Lupino got noticed by Mark Hellinger at Warner Bros. Her role in They Drive By Night resulted in Lupino being signed by the studio to a long-term contract, becoming one of their fastest rising stars.

Raft and Sheridan were established stars at Warner Bros. with Sheridan being dubbed “The Oomph Girl.” Raft was part of Warner’s Bros. “Murderers Row” that also included other movie tough guys James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson. Both had long successful careers in film. 

Interested in classic film? Consider joining the Chicago Film Club. It’s free to join and you’ll be made aware of classic movies screened in Chicago.

For a complete schedule of films and information on PianoForte, click the link here.

“Fallen Angel” to screen at PianoForte February 3

Fallen Angel (1945) starring Alice Faye, Dana Andrews, and Linda Darnell will screen on February 3 at PianoForte, 1335 S. Michigan Ave. 2nd Floor. Admission is $5.

Andrews stars as a grifter hoping to swindle two rich sisters (Faye and Anne Revere) while romancing Stella (Darnell) a diner waitress.

Anne Revere and Alice Faye

This was director Otto Preminger’s follow-up to Laura released the year before. The cinematography was by Joseph LaShalle, who won an Academy Award for his work on Laura. Also on board for Fallen Angel was David Raksin, who wrote the film score. He composed the music for Laura, one of the most famous film scores in movie history. Last, but not least, Andrews who played Mark McPherson opposite Gene Tierney in Laura, has the male lead in Fallen Angel. Andrews made five films with Preminger, more than any other leading man.

Faye, the musical queen on the Fox lot, was looking to move into dramatic roles. She loved Laura and wanted to star in a similar mystery. As already noted, she got a lot of the same talent that was involved with that film noir classic. When Faye saw the finished film, she felt that the movie emphasized Darnell’s role to the detriment of her own. She was so distressed that she walked out on her contract. Studio boss Darryl Zanuck begged her to come back, promising her roles in prestige films in the planning stages like The Razor’s Edge, but Faye was done. She didn’t return to the big screen until 1962’s State Fair.

Dana Andrews, Percy Kilbride, and Linda Darnell

Darnell was signed to a contract at 20th Century Fox at age 15. Because she looked older than her age, she worked as a leading lady from the outset, with the studio claiming she was 19. Her role in Fallen Angel helped turn her into a popular pin-up during World War II. In 1944, Look magazine named her one of the four most beautiful women in Hollywood, along with Hedy Lamarr, Ingrid Bergman, and Fox colleague, Gene Tierney.

Interested in classic film? Consider joining the Chicago Film Club. It’s free to join and you’ll be made aware of classic movies screened in Chicago.

For a complete schedule of films and information on PianoForte, click the link here.

Chicago Film Club resumes January 10, 2020

The new season of the Chicago Film Club will begin on January 10 at a new venue. The new venue is PianoForte at 1335 S. Michigan Ave. 2nd Floor. We’re excited to be in this new space, which will make classic movie watching more enjoyable.

If you love classic movies, this is the club for you. You’ll have fun learning about the classical Hollywood period of filmmaking as well as interacting with other classic movie fans. Each movie will be introduced, providing important background information to make the movie watching experience as enjoyable as possible. Q & A and discussion time after each film viewing will give everyone a chance to contribute their impressions and opinions. It will be like going to film school, but with no tests, quizzes, or finals!

Forgotten Film Noir
Some of the films screened will feature films noirs that have been “forgotten” or passed over by some of the more iconic or famous films from the genre, but are every bit as enjoyable.

Criss Cross (1948) will launch the series. This exciting film noir stars Burt Lancaster (The Killers 1946) and Yvonne DeCarlo, most famous today for playing Lily Munster on the 1960s television comedy The Munsters. DeCarlo had a significant career in film and her role as Anna shows just how versatile an actor she was. Also starring is Dan Duryea, one of the movies most popular character actors. Duryea often portrayed crooks and bad guys and his role as mobster Slim Dundee is no exception.

The film was directed by Robert Siodmak (The Spiral Staircase 1946) who directed Lancaster in his breakout performance in The Killers. Siodmak was a German film director who immigrated to the United States, along with his younger brother Curt who was a prominent screenwriter at Universal Studios. Robert was a studio director at Universal. He is credited with discovering Lancaster, Ernest Borgnine, Tony Curtis, and Debra Paget. Siodmak directed some of the most popular films of the 1940s.

Chicago Film Club Full Schedule
Save these dates. The full movie list is below; mark these dates on your calendar!*

January 10: Criss Cross (1948)
January 22: Gun Crazy  (1950)
February 3: Fallen Angel (1945)
February 24: They Drive By Night (1940)
March 11: High Sierra (1941)
March 30: Leave Her To Heaven (1945)
April 8: The Woman in The Window (1944)
April 22: This Gun for Hire (1942)
May 4: Scarlet Street (1945)
May 20: Call Northside 777 (1948)
June 3: Gaslight (1944)
June 26: House of Strangers (1949)

All movies will screen at 6:45 p.m. Admission is $5 for everyone.

To stay on top of all the Chicago Film Club screenings, join us on Meet Up (it’s free to join). Besides these screenings, we’ll inform you of other classic movie events happening in Chicago.

Dates subject to change. Be sure to check this blog and the Meetup site for the latest information and updates.

Field Trip: "Lawrence of Arabia" on the Big Screen at AMC River East 21 September 1

Lawrence of Arabia on the big screen
Date: September 1 
Where: AMC River East 21, 322 East Illinois, Chicago, IL 
Time: 1:00 p.m.

Winner of 7 Academy Awards® including Best Picture of 1962, Lawrence of Arabia stands as one of the most timeless and essential motion picture masterpieces. The greatest achievement of its legendary, Oscar®-winning director, David Lean (1962, Lawrence of Arabia: 1957 The Bridge on the River Kwai), the film stars Peter O'Toole - in his career-making performance - as T.E Lawrence, the audacious World War 1 British army officer who heroically united rival Arab desert tribes and led them to war against the mighty Turkish Empire. This predominant classic is not one to miss, don't pass up your chance to see this revolutionary title on the big screen!

Screenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. The unique event includes exclusive insight from Turner Classic Movies.

This digital print of Lawrence of Arabia is presented in 4K. Utilizing 8K scans of the 65mm original negative, the picture was painstakingly restored, removing the damage, deterioration and fading it had experienced over 50 years. Accompanied by remastered 5.1 audio, the film is presented in its original 2.20 aspect ratio, along with the original overture and intermission.

If you’d like to join the Chicago Film Club Meetup group for this event, I’ll be holding a Meetup sign till 12:45 p.m. by the concessions. Depending how everyone feels, we can go to the theater bar for a discussion afterward.

You may purchase tickets in advance or at the theater. For more information click on the link below. https://www.fathomevents.com/events/tcm2019-lawrence-of-arabia-1962?date=2019-09-01

Left to Right: Anthony Quinn, Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif

Screening of "Stage Door" at Daystar Center August 11

Stage Door (1937)

Where: Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street, Room 102

When: August 11, 2018

Time: 6:45 p.m.

Hosted by Stephen Reginald

Stage Door (1937) is a comedy/drama about aspiring actresses trying to make it big on Broadway. The actresses all live in the same theatrical boarding house, which is the setting for some of the wittiest dialogue ever put on film. The all-star cast includes Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Adolphe Menjou, Gail Patrick, Andrea Leeds, Lucille Ball, Eve Arden, and Ann Miller. This is the movie where Hepburn actually says, “the calla lilies are in bloom again.”

Ginger Rogers, Lucille Ball, and Katharine Hepburn

Directed by the great Gregory La Cava (My Man Godfrey 1936) who manages to get magnificent performances from all the players. One of the great movies from the 1930s.

Backstory: In 1937, Katharine Hepburn’s career was in decline. She had starred in several back-to-back box office failures. On the on the other hand, Ginger Roger’s career was exploding. Having become a superstar as Fred Astaire’s premier dancing partner, she had begun to branch out in dramatic and comedy roles on her own. Hepburn’s role was initially diminished to that of a supporting player with Rogers being the main star. Hepburn complained to the bosses at RKO and director La Cava and she eventually got her part increased and shared equal billing with Rogers on screen and in publicity materials. After the release of Bringing Up Baby (1938), which was another box office flop, Hepburn was out at RKO and off the screen for two years until her triumph in The Philadelphia Story (1940).

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion

Twice a month we screen classic films and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Stephen Reginald is a freelance writer and editor. He has worked at various positions within the publishing industry for over 25 years. Most recently he was executive editor for McGraw-Hill’s The Learning Group Division. A long-time amateur student of film, Reginald hosts “Chicago Film Club,” a monthly movie event held in the South Loop, for the past two years. Reginald has also taught several adult education film classes at Facets Film School, Chicago.

Screening of "The Little Foxes" at Daystar Center July 24

The Little Foxes (1941)

Where: Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street, Room 102

When: July 24, 2018

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Hosted by Stephen Reginald

During the turn of the 20th century in the Deep South, the Hubbard family is fighting for control of a cotton mill predicted to earn them millions. Bette Davis stars as Regina who is more calculating and crafty than her brothers. Directed by the legendary William Wyler, The Little Foxes was nominated for 9 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

General Admission is $5. $3 for Students and Seniors.

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!

You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion

Twice a month we screen classic films and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Stephen Reginald is a freelance writer and editor. He has worked at various positions within the publishing industry for over 25 years. Most recently he was executive editor for McGraw-Hill’s The Learning Group Division. A long-time amateur student of film, Reginald hosts “Chicago Film Club,” a monthly movie event held in the South Loop, for the past two years. Reginald has also taught several adult education film classes at Facets Film School, Chicago.

Screening of "Humoresque" at Daystar Center July 14

Humoresque (1946)

Where: Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street, Room 102

When: July 14, 2018

Time: 6:45 p.m.

Hosted by Stephen Reginald

Joan Crawford is Helen Wright, a wealthy patroness of the arts who is used to getting what she wants. She falls in and out of relationships with men, but things change when she meets Paul Boray (John Garfield), a talented young violinist. Helen’s love for Paul becomes obsessive and brings her to the breaking point. Will their love survive or will it destroy them both?

Warner Bros. pulled out all the stops with this lushly produced melodrama. For this film they employed some of the best talent behind the camera, including cinematographer Ernie Haller (Gone With the Wind) and director Jean Negulesco (Johnny Belinda, How to Marry a Millionaire).

General Admission is $5. $3 for Students and Seniors.

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!

You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

John Garfield and Oscar Levant

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion

Twice a month we screen classic films and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Stephen Reginald is a freelance writer and editor. He has worked at various positions within the publishing industry for over 25 years. Most recently he was executive editor for McGraw-Hill’s The Learning Group Division. A long-time amateur student of film, Reginald hosts “Chicago Film Club,” a monthly movie event held in the South Loop, for the past two years. Reginald has also taught several adult education film classes at Facets Film School, Chicago.

Field Trip: “West Side Story” at AMC River East 21 on the big screen June 24

West Side Story on the big screen
Date: June 24 
Where: AMC River East 21, 322 East Illinois, Chicago, IL 
Time: 2:00 p.m.


This electrifying musical, with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics from Stephen Sondheim, sets the ageless tragedy of Romeo and Juliet in the slums of 1950’s New York. The event will feature exclusive insight from TCM Host Ben Mankiewicz.

You may order tickets in advance by clicking here. Or purchase tickets at the theater.

If you’d like to join the Chicago Film Club Meetup group for this event, I’ll be holding a Meetup sign by the concessions. Depending how everyone feels, we can go to the theater bar for a discussion afterward.

I will be holding this sign by the concessions.

For more information on the Chicago Film Club, click this link.

Screening of "It Started with Eve" June 9 at Daystar Center

It Started with Eve (1941)

Where: Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street

When: June 9, 2018

Time: 6:45 p.m.

Hosted by Stephen Reginald

It Started with Eve (1941) is a romantic comedy starring Deanna Durbin, Charles Laughton, and Robert Cummings. Cummings is Johnny Reynolds, the son of millionaire Jonathan Reynolds (Laughton) who is on his deathbed. Johnny’s father’s one wish is that he would get to see his son’s fiance, Gloria Pennington (Margaret Tallichet) before he dies. When Johnny discovers that Gloria and her mother are not at their hotel, he asks hatcheck girl Anne Terry (Durbin) to pretend to be his fiance for the evening. Things get complicated when the elder Reynolds has a “miraculous” recovery and Johnny scrambles to explain to his fiancee that Anne means nothing to him. Then there’s his father who has taken an immediate liking to Anne. Anne is an aspiring opera singer who hopes to get to sing at a party that Jonathan is planning to introduce his "future daughter-in-law" to his influential friends and associates. Will Johnny be able to fool his father long enough so that Anne gets her big break?

Durbin was one of the highest paid movie actress in the world when It Started with Eve was released. This film is considered one of her best, in a film career that saw the actress headline 21 movies from 1936 to 1948. New York Times critic Bosley Crowther lauded the film and the performances of Laughton and Durbin. He said, “Miss Durbin is as refreshing and pretty as she has ever been and sings three assorted songs—including a Tchaikovsky waltz—with lively charm.” Durbin and Laughton became great friends during filming. They made another movie together, Because of Him in 1946.

Deanna Durbin, Robert Cummings, and Charles Laughton

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!

You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion

Twice a month we screen classic films and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Stephen Reginald is a freelance writer and editor. He has worked at various positions within the publishing industry for over 25 years. Most recently he was executive editor for McGraw-Hill’s The Learning Group Division. A long-time amateur student of film, Reginald hosts “Chicago Film Club,” a monthly movie event held in the South Loop, for the past two years. Reginald has also taught several adult education film classes at Facets Film School, Chicago.