On YouTube: Forever Bombshell Mamie Van Doren, Jimmy Stewart Impressions and a Tribute to Anthony Perkins

 

A celebration of Mamie Van Doren on posted on her birthday. This smart, gorgeous, funny, tough lady has beaten the odds and thrived, while remaining a bombshell.

 

Jimmy Stewart is one of the most beloved actors of all time, and you can see that in the affectionate way he has been impersonated over the years. Stewart himself had a sense of humor about being the inspiration for so many impressions. He even acknowledged that part of the reason he was so easy to impersonate was because he knew the persona that appealed to audiences and he stuck to it.

 

Anthony Perkins was memorable in Psycho because he wasn't the typical movie killer. That clean-cut sweetness, mixed with high-strung anxiety and a bit of awkwardness were a part of the persona he embodied for most of his career, and it looked very different in other genres. The darker horror persona he took on for a lot of his work after he started doing Psycho sequels doesn't characterize most of his career or even his work in the years right after Psycho. These clips are all about the Perkins that audiences saw the most in his long career.

Watching Classic Movies Podcast: Pre-Code Essentials Authors Kim Luperi and Danny Reid

There is no period in film history quite like the so-called pre-Code era, where the new production code put in place to keep the film industry in line didn’t quite do what it was intended to do for a few years. Kim Luperi of I See a Dark Theater and the Pre-Code Instagram account and Danny Reid of Pre-Code.com have studied and written about this cinematic period for several years. We talked about their new book from TCM, Pre-Code Essentials: Must-See Cinema from Hollywood's Untamed Era, 1930-1934, unpacked some of the most intriguing films from their selections, and mulled over why Pre-Codes are endlessly fascinating and popular with classic film fans Buy a signed book from Larry Edmunds: https://www.larryedmunds.com/product-page/pre-code-essentials-must-see-cinemafrom-hollywood-s-untamed-era-1930-1934 Book event information: https://linktr.ee/precodehollywood Keep up with Kim: https://www.iseeadarktheater.com/ https://www.instagram.com/precodedotcom/ Keep up with Danny: https://pre-code.com/

On YouTube: Saucy Pre-Code Moments Part 9, Skeletons in Classic Movies and Cats in Classic Movies

 

Hard to believe it, but here is the NINTH installment of Saucy Pre-Code Moments!

   

From fearful, to playful, skeletons make some of the most memorable moments in classic movies and cartoons.

   

This Classic Movie Cat Video stars a kind of kitty different from the pampered pets you see on social media. Far from the world of cat trees and fancy water fountains, they are often strays, frequently ill-tempered, feared by grown men, and even in some cases are the tiny, furry creatures who bring everything crashing down.

Watching Classic Movies Podcast: Esther Bley of Queer Animation

 

My guest is Esther Bley, creator of the beautifully-curated Queer Animation database and writer for Cartoon Research. We talked about queer images in animation from the pre-Code era to the present day, how cartoon representation differs from live action, and the animation they find most interesting from each era. 

 

Listen here 

Queer Animation 

Esther’s Work at Cartoon Research 

More links for Esther: 

Patreon 

Instagram 

Tiktok 

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Queer Animation Playlist

(includes titles discussed in this episode)

 Esther’s Recommendations:

 Pedro + Tony? (2001)

 Unanimated (2011)

 Achilles (1995)

Watching Classic Movies Podcast: Bogart and Huston Author Nat Segaloff

The six films that Humphrey Bogart and director John Huston made together are some of the best of Hollywood’s golden age. These men are also complex and endlessly fascinating. I spoke with author Nat Segaloff about their shared legacy and his new book, Bogart and Huston: Their Lives, Their Adventures, and the Classic Movies They Made Together. 

Listen Here

Check out Nat Segaloff’s many books, and see a cute pic of his Italian Greyhound Louie at his official site 

Watching Classic Movies Podcast: Hayley Mills' Young Adult Roles with Kate Gabrielle

Lately I’ve been fascinated by the roles Hayley Mills played in her early adult years. The parts she picked in an effort to shake off the Disney child-star image are a mixed bag, but through it all Mills was always mesmerizing. I could think of no one better to discuss this with than Kate Gabrielle, artist and author of the Scathingly Brilliant blog. 

 

Listen here

Kate’s official site 

Kate’s Hayley Mills pin sets 

More about Kate: 

Patreon 

Instagram 

Linktree

Watching Classic Movies Podcast: Born in Flames (1983) Director Lizzie Borden

From the first rebellious strains of the title tune by The Red Crayola, I knew Born In Flames (1983) was going to be a special movie. It was an honor to talk about this timeless film with Director Lizzie Borden. She was deeply involved with the production of a new Blu-ray release of the film from Criterion Collection. We had a great talk about how Born in Flames was made, its evolving influence over the years, and how it felt to look back on it all in the production of this remarkable release.

On YouTube:

 

Or listen here 

The Official Born in Flames Website 

Kathleen Hanna discusses Born in Flames 

Criterion Collection Release of Born in Flames 

Born in Flames Soundtrack Playlist