The Best Picture of 1936 is....."The Great Ziegfeld." This biopic of Broadway producer Florenz "Flo" Ziegfeld Jr. got the full MGM treatment: Big stars, lavish sets, authentic costumes, and extravagant, full-blown musical numbers. It won three Oscars: Best Picture (Hunt Stromberg), Best Dance Direction (Seymour Felix), and Best [..]
The Courtship of Eddie’s Father (1963)
"The Courtship of Eddie's Father" is a romantic comedy about a widower finding himself the victim of matchmaking efforts by his nine-year-old son. Glenn Ford and Ronny Howard do an excellent job in the lead roles, superbly directed by Vincent Minnelli ("Meet Me In St. Louis" [..]
The Thrill of It All (1963)
"The Thrill of It All" is a romantic comedy film about a housewife who suddenly becomes famous when she is featured on television soap commercials. Her doctor husband has a difficult time adjusting to her new-found fame, and he plots to foil her career and return her [..]
From Russia With Love (1963)
In the second spy film in the 007 series, "From Russia With Love," James Bond continues to have trouble with SPECTRE, this time on land, on the sea, and in the air. Director Terence Young ("Dr. No" 1962) and the people at Eon Productions continue to [..]
Tom Jones (1963)
The Best Picture of 1963 is....."Tom Jones." This is a story of the adventures of a young man who was abandoned as a baby and raised by a wealthy nobleman. Director Tony Richardson ("A Taste of Honey" 1961) put together a film which is difficult to follow because [..]
Get Shorty (1995)
"Get Shorty" is a comedy film about a Miami mobster who unwittingly gets involved with the production of a Hollywood motion picture. Director Barry Sonnenfeld ("The Addams Family" 1991) created a gangster comedy that has some laughs, but is dragged down by segments of the film containing boring [..]
Steamboat Round the Bend (1935)
"Steamboat Round the Bend" is a comedy film starring Will Rogers as a steamboat captain who enters his boat into a winner-take-all race on the Mississippi River. Director John Ford ("The Grapes of Wrath" 1940) kept things running smoothly at the helm of this 82-minute picture. [..]
A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
"A Tale of Two Cities" is the dramatic story of people's lives set in England and France just before and during the French Revolution. This film adaptation of the 1859 novel by Charles Dickins is crisply directed by Jack Conway ("Boom Town" 1943), from a lucid screenplay by [..]
China Seas (1935)
Get ready for loads of action and adventure on the "China Seas" with Clark Gable and company. The cast behind Gable in this top-rate MGM production includes Rosalind Russell as his fiance, Jean Harlow as the ex-girl friend, Wallace Beery as a big-time trouble maker, [..]
In Old Kentucky (1935)
"In Old Kentucky" is a comedy film telling the story of two feuding families who decide to settle a dispute with a horse race. This "comedy" in reality provided few laughs and a weak storyline due to unfocused direction by George Marshall ("How the West Was [..]