Classic Movie Reviews

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Episode 226 - Sextette

November 04, 2023 by Matthew Johnson in comedy, musical

“Sextette” 1978 is Mae West’s last film and showcases her talents and one liners. The movie is a wedding day mash-up of oddball characters, funny situations, antics of ex-husbands, an international peace conference, musical numbers, and a potpourri of stars. Director Ken Hughes created this big budget smorgasbord that sank at the box office.

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November 04, 2023 /Matthew Johnson
mae west, timothy dalton, dom deluise, tony curtis, ringo starr, george hamilton, alice cooper
comedy, musical
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Episode 219 - Bombshell

January 01, 2023 by Matthew Johnson in comedy

Thank you to one of our Patreon members for recommending “Bombshell” 1933 for this podcast.  Director Victor Fleming has created a fast-paced comedy.  Among Mr. Fleming’s many successes are “The Wizard of Oz” 1939 (Episode 144) and “Gone with the Wind” 1939.

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January 01, 2023 /Matthew Johnson
victor fleming, jean harlow, lee tracy, frank morgan, ted healy, franchot tone
comedy
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Episode 216 - Abbott And Costello - Buck Privates & Keep Em’ Flying

October 02, 2022 by Matthew Johnson in comedy, war

The comedy duo of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello fit the bill with their 1941 movies “Buck Privates” and “Keep ‘Em Flying”. With wars raging in Asia and Europe, there were several films in 1940 and 1941 aimed at building support for a United States military buildup.

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October 02, 2022 /Matthew Johnson
Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Jane Frazee, Judy Gray, Andrews Sisters, Martha Raye
comedy, war
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Episode 212 - Paint Your Wagon

March 28, 2022 by Matthew Johnson in comedy, action, drama, historical, musical

“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.

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March 28, 2022 /Matthew Johnson
Joshua Logan, Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood, Jean Seberg
comedy, action, drama, historical, musical
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Episode 211 - Calamity Jane

March 28, 2022 by Matthew Johnson in comedy, western, musical, historical

“Calamity Jane” 1953 is a fanciful western, musical, and comedy involving the lives of Calamity Jane, Wild Bill Hickok and many others in and around Deadwood, Dakota Territory. Director David Butler corrals together quite a group of characters for this light-hearted romp through the make-believe west with many fun songs.

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March 28, 2022 /Matthew Johnson
David Butler, Doris Day, Howard Keel, Allyn Ann McLerie, Philip Carey, Dick Wilson
comedy, western, musical, historical
1 Comment

Episode 204 - On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

August 28, 2021 by Matthew Johnson in action, drama, comedy, thriller

The 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.

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August 28, 2021 /Matthew Johnson
James Bond, george lazenby, peter hunt, diana rigg, telly savalas, gabriele ferzetti, ilse steppat
action, drama, comedy, thriller
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Episode 191 - To Be Or Not To Be

February 06, 2021 by Matthew Johnson in drama, action, comedy, historical

Masterfully directed by Ernst Lubitsch, "To Be Or Not To Be" successfully rides a fine line between satire, comedy, drama, romance and action.

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February 06, 2021 /Matthew Johnson
carole lombard, edwin justus mayer, ernst lubitsch, felix bressart, jack benny, lionel atwill, melchior lengyel, robert stack, sig ruman, stanley ridges
drama, action, comedy, historical
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Episode 190 - Some Like It Hot

January 24, 2021 by Matthew Johnson in comedy

Jimmy Kustes joins us for our discussion of "Some Like It Hot" 1959. In an earlier podcast Jimmy discussed his 2019 film "Body Swap" available on vimeo.com/on-demand. In "Some Like It Hot" Director Billy Wilder creates a romantic - dramatic comedy involving two men who play in a jazz band and accidentally witness a gangland murder in Chicago.

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January 24, 2021 /Matthew Johnson
jack lemmon, joan swawlee, mike mazurki, billy wilder, george raft, jimmy kustes, joe e brown, marilyn monroe, pat o'brien, tony curtis
comedy
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Episode 189 - Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

January 16, 2021 by Matthew Johnson in comedy

"Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House" 1948 is a delightful comedy based on Eric Hodgins's 1946 book of the same name.

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January 16, 2021 /Matthew Johnson
eric hodgin, cary grant, h.c. potter, ian wolfe, louise beavers, melvin douglas, myrna loy, reginald denny
comedy
2 Comments

Episode 173 - My Favorite Brunette

September 10, 2020 by Matthew Johnson in comedy

From 1947 "My Favorite Brunette" is a fast paced film noir parody that showcases the comedic talents of Bob Hope.

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September 10, 2020 /Matthew Johnson
alan ladd, bing crosby, bob hope, charles dingle, dorothy lamour, lon chaney jr, peter lorre
comedy
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Episode 139 - Harlem Rides The Range

January 16, 2020 by Matthew Johnson in comedy, western

We go back in time to 1939 to watch “Harlem Rides the Range”.

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January 16, 2020 /Matthew Johnson
artie young, clarence brooks, F.E. Miller, herb jeffries, lucius brooks, the four tones, richard kahn
comedy, western
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Episode 127 - The Ghost Breakers

October 23, 2019 by Matthew Johnson in comedy

“The Ghost Breakers” takes us on a horror-comedy ride from New York City to an ocean liner on to Cuba then to a seemingly deserted island mansion.

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October 23, 2019 /Matthew Johnson
william best, bob hope, paulette goddard, george marshall, paul lukas, richard carlson, anthony quinn
comedy
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