We Watch and Review Classic Movies
“Only Angels Have Wings” 1939 takes place in the fictional South American town of Barranca. There is danger, romance, and drama surrounding Barranca Airways a struggling business with fatalistic pilots, money worries, unpredictable weather, few planes, and difficult human relationships.
Read MoreOur podcast covers two excellent time travel movies. “Time After Time” 1979 from Director Nicholas Meyer transports us to H.G. Wells and his search for Doctor John Leslie Stevenson known as Jack-the-Ripper. “Somewhere in Time” 1980 by Director Jeannot Szwarc is the timeless love story between Elise Mckenna and Richard Collier.
Read MoreWe incorrectly said Robert Wise never directed a western. Mr. Wise directed these westerns - “Two Flags West” 1950, “Tribute to a Bad Man” 1956, and “Blood on the Moon” 1948. We apologize for our oversight. The creativity of Mr. Wise is seen throughout “Blood on the Moon”.
Read More“The Lion” 1962 is a family/adventure film set on an animal preserve in Kenya. Director Jack Cardiff relies on excellent movie making skills to fill the screen with beautiful scenes of Africa and wildlife. Mr. Cardiff‘s experience includes Cinematographer for films such as “Black Narcissus” 1947 (Episode 98) and “The African Queen” 1951.
Read More“Mogambo” 1953 is a romance-adventure film set in Africa. Thank you to Patreon listener Arthur who recommended we include the movie in a podcast. Director John Ford built the film around African locations and music from African tribes. The film has many elements found in the 1932 movie “Red Dust”.
Read More“King Solomon’s Mines” 1951 is the second film version depicting the danger and romance facing a group as they search for a missing husband and lost treasure in Africa in 1897.
Read More“The 39 Steps” 1935 is a spy movie with action taking place in the United Kingdom. Director Alfred Hitchcock packs the film with elements such as an innocent man on the run, a Hitchcock cameo, and the “MacGuffin” plot device important to the drama.
Read More“Secret of the Incas” 1954 an adventure film that influences“Indiana Jonas and the Raiders of the Lost Ark” 1981. In “Secret of the Incas” Charlton Heston as Harry Steele has a hat, coat, and other things similar to those of Indiana Jones played by Harrison Ford in “Raiders of the Lost Ark”.
Read More“Paint Your Wagon” 1969 is a western – musical film. Director Joshua Logan faced multiple challenges including remote locations, cast members with differing ideas and styles, a ballooning budget, and studio anxieties.
Read More"Hondo" 1953 is a 3D western directed by John Farrow with John Ford directing the final scenes because Mr. Farrow had to leave to complete another film.
Read More"Paths of Glory" 1957 is a World War I drama that somewhat reflects the Souain Corporals affair a true story of four French soldiers executed in 1915 for failure to follow orders.
Read MoreThe sixth James Bond film takes center stage with "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" from 1969. Long time industry veteran Peter R. Hunt makes his Director debut for this film. Mr. Hunt's quick film cutting accentuates the action. This may be the Bond film that most closely follows the novel's themes.
Read MoreTerence Young returns to helm "From Russia with Love" 1963. Mr. Young's direction keeps the swagger in James Bond as it was initially captured in "Dr. No". Istanbul, Turkey, is the scene for much of the spy drama as James Bond and MI6 battle the Soviet Union's SMERSH (an actual counter-intelligence group) and the deadly agents of SPECTRE.
Read MoreSean Connery is the first James Bond, the British MI6 agent - code name 007.
Read MoreThe George Lukas film was instrumental in launching the era of the movie blockbuster. The musical score by John Williams and the production values perfectly match the film's story.
Read More"The Mark of Zorro" is a 1940 film based on The Curse of Capistrano written in 1919 by Johnston McCulley. This film is the wrap-up in our tribute to Basil Rathbone. The film follows on the success of the 1920 silent movie "The Mark of Zorro" starring Douglas Fairbanks.
Read More"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" 1939 is the second and last of the Sherlock Holmes films from 20th Century Fox. However, good news for us Holmes fans because Universal Studios produced another twelve Holmes films from 1942 through 1946.
Read MoreMasterfully directed by Ernst Lubitsch, "To Be Or Not To Be" successfully rides a fine line between satire, comedy, drama, romance and action.
Read MoreNASA is about to launch the first crew to Mars. Three Astronautics are strapped in the spacecraft. However, Dr. James Kelloway a NASA executive played by Hal Holbrook knows the craft's life support system will fail killing all onboard. The three Astronauts are ordered off the spacecraft and forced to fake the mission. Dr. Kelloway's massive cover-up is meant to deceive the President, Congress and public.
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