A Movie Post

Gentle Readers and Dear Friends  thanks for stopping by today to wrap up our week.  Although I am stitching away in the evenings - I have nary a snap to show.  I am still needle and flossing exchange pieces.  I hope to finish - finish them this weekend.  I was digging around in the stash heap - pulling floss for the Challenge piece -  and found a great older sampler I might just have to stitch.  I am about half way through the design of the Challenge Sampler and at this point I am still pretty happy with how it is working out. 

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On to the movies - I had two very good films from NetFlix this week that you might enjoy.  The first is a John Wayne film - now, you know he was not one of my favorite actors but after seeing so many of his non-cowboy films through NetFlix I have had a change in my perception and really enjoy his skills in front of and behind the camera.  The JW film this week is "Island in the Sky" - 1953 - directed by William Wellman and produced through JW's production company Wayne-Fellows.  Staring with Wayne are the usual other fine actors that appear in many of his films - including Lloyd Nolan, Walter Able, James Arness and Andy Devine.  The film was shot in Truckee, California at Donner Lake so there is lots of gorgeous scenery. This adventure film is basically about a plane crash and survival until rescuers arrive.  "Island in the Sky" is often overlooked  and forgotten due to the next years release of "The High and the Mighty " which completely over shadowed the earlier film.  Here is the original trailer -

I really enjoyed this film - good story - good acting - and some great photography!!

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The second film is another in the Shirley Temple Film-a-thon - last night was "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" - 1938 - starring Shirley Temple, Randolph Scott, Gloria Stewart, Jack Haley, Helen Westley, Bill Robinson and William Demarest.  Once again Shirley is an orphan but this time she is dumped on her great aunt by a conniving step father.  Eventually becoming a Radio Star.  Back in walks the step father to rip her from her now happy life and wealthy future.  Smart little Shirley fixes his wagon and it wraps with a happy ending.  A really fun film with some great song and dance numbers.  Here is a clip form the film that reprises many of her earlier popular film songs.....

The original film is of course B&W - all I could find was this colorized clip, sorry.  

Another winner Temple film that is worth a look.

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As you might know TCM (the best TV Channel ever) is running the August "Summer Under the Stars" where they focus on a Star for 24 hours.  Today the focus is on my gal Claudette Colbert - love me some Claudette!!!  A few of the super films they are showing today are "Three Came Home" - 1950, "Midnight" - 1939 - "It Happened On Night" - 1934 and "Since You Went Away" - 1944 - which also features Shirley Temple as a Claudette's teenager daughter.  All great films and worth a look.  Tomorrow is James Stewart Day and some of the great films they are showing include..."Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" - 1939, "Bell , Book and Candle" - 1959 and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" - 1962.  Sunday's Star is often looked at as the second Banana or as a character actor but he had some great roles and was in some super films.  I am talking about Ralph Bellamy and some of the films they are showing include...  "The Wedding Night" - 1935, "His Girl Friday" - 1940 and "The Awful Truth" - 1937.  I hope you can see some of them but if you can't get TCM or are too busy this weekend most of these films are on DVD so go rent one - you will not be disappointed.
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There you go sports fans.  Thanks again for stopping by - have a great weekend!!!

Take care,

edgar