Podcasts for Classic Film Fans: August Round-up

This was an especially satisfying month of podcast listening. I loved the conversations and the revelations in these episodes. Show title links to ep:

Unspooled 

The Night of the Hunter 

August 17, 2022 

This episode perfectly captures the bizarre, brutal, beautiful magic of Charles Laughton’s sole directorial effort, The Night of the Hunter. I’ve read a full book about the making of this movie and still learned many great tidbits here. Also, co-host Amy has a voice that’s an ASMR dream.

Pop Culture Happy Hour 

Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward 

July 25, 2022 

I was glad to hear this overview of the new Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman docuseries directed by Ethan Hawke before I watched. It got me in the right frame of mind. Basically, that Woodward is due much more credit for her career accomplishments and that this love story was more complicated than most classic film fans know.

Keep It 

The Audacity of Nope: Angelica Jade Bastién 

July 27, 2022 

In addition to sharing her views on the new release Nope, film critic Angelica Jade Bastién also has a lot to say about the new Newman and Woodward documentary in addition to a wide-ranging array of views about classic movies. While her insight is always fascinating, a heads up to the more sensitive that her language is colorful and I realize that’s not for everyone. 

The Micheaux Mission 

Losing Ground (1982) 

March 1, 2022 

I love how hosts Len and Vince thoughtfully challenge each other. It’s why this is one of my favorite film podcasts. You rarely see that kind of elegant discourse anymore and it’s so satisfying. This was a good analysis of Losing Ground, notable for being the second feature film directed by an African-American woman, but also an entertaining flick. I also liked the opening conversation about which black films should be added to the Criterion Collection.

On Blu-ray: Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford in The Frisco Kid (1979)

 

I found the first twenty minutes of The Frisco Kid (1979) so broadly silly and irritating that I didn’t know if I was going to make it. The goofball stereotypes and bad accents had me wondering what I’d gotten myself into. In the end I didn’t fall in love with the film, but while watching a recent Warner Archive Blu-ray release of this unusual flick, I did find myself fascinated by Gene Wilder’s performance. 

In this Robert Aldrich-directed comic western, Wilder stars as a Polish student of Judaism who has failed so badly that he is sent far away to San Francisco to be a rabbi for a small population of Jews in the midst of the 1850s gold rush. Almost immediately he is robbed and loses his transportation to the West coast. He runs into a bandit (Harrison Ford) who is amused by him and can’t stand to see him starve on the open prairie so he helps him travel the Wild West. 

The copy on the Blu-ray case claims that this film rivals Wilder’s previous success Blazing Saddles (1974) for laughs. That is far from true, but he does make The Frisco Kid worth watching. It would have been best if he could have completely toned down the Jewish/Polish mugging, but there are plenty of moments he does find sincerity and an appealing gravity in his role as a man who is strong because he refuses to give up his moral code, but he knows when he must make compromises. 

It is a tender performance, full of earnestness that I wish more actors would embrace. I can’t imagine anyone else playing this role successfully; it works because Wilder is adept at finding the humanity in any character he plays, no matter how broad. I was continually impressed by how he found depth and feeling in this part with so little of either on the page. 

Two years after his breakout success in Star Wars (1977) Harrison Ford is appealing as Wilder’s savior, if not particularly engaging. He lacks the charisma which brought life to his more legendary roles. It doesn’t help that he and Wilder don’t have a strong chemistry, though that’s not to say it’s entirely absent. 

In essence, the film is enough: amusing enough and exciting enough, but not a must-see unless you are a Gene Wilder completest. Ford fans might enjoy seeing him in an early role, but they could also be disappointed as it pales so much in comparison to his greater productions. 

There is also a trailer for the film on the disc as a special feature. 

Many thanks to Warner Archive for providing a copy of the film for review.

On Blu-ray: Errol Flynn in Adventures of Don Juan (1948)

 

Adventures of Don Juan (1948) marked Errol Flynn’s return to the swashbuckling genre that made his name after a nine-year absence. Though more seasoned and slightly humbled by life, Flynn is as dashing as he ever was in a story that amusingly mirrored his own active love life. The film looks and sounds magnificent on a new Warner Archive Blu-ray I recently viewed. 

Flynn’s Don Juan has been so busy with the ladies that he can’t remember the names of his conquests anymore. Escaping his latest scandal, he takes on employment as a fencing instructor for the Spanish monarchy. He has been accepted by Queen Margaret (Viveca Lindfors) thanks to the encouragement of a mutual friend. 

In his time at the royal court, Juan falls for the reserved queen. He also uncovers a Duke’s (Robert Douglas) devious plot to overthrow the monarchy and go to war with England. While he predictably wins the queen’s heart and conquers the duke, his response to these victories reflects a newfound wisdom in both character and actor. 

Overall this is a triumphant return to swashbuckling for Flynn. The production itself is grand, from the jaunty (if a tad repetitive) Max Steiner score to the impeccably detailed beauty of the sets and costumes. For lovers of the genre and star, this film delivers. 

I came away less satisfied with some of the casting; not because it wasn’t good, but rather because it paled next to the more brilliant pairings in Flynn’s past. Swedish actress Lindfors is an appealing queen, but her chemistry with Flynn is so flat that when they finally find themselves in a romantic clinch, it doesn’t make much sense. Likewise, Robert Douglas is a worthy villain as the duke, but his heavy-handed fencing style made me long for the fleet-footed elegance of Basil Rathbone. 

Special features on the disc are DVD carryovers including commentary by director Vincent Sherman and historian Rudy Behlmer, a Warner Night at the Movies 1948 short subjects gallery including a newsreel, the Joe McDoakes comedy short So You Want to Be on the Radio, the travel short Calgary Stampede, the cartoon Hare Splitter and a theatrical trailer. 

Many thanks to Warner Archive for providing a copy of the film for review.

Watching Classic Movies Podcast--George Stevens Jr. Talks About His Memoir My Place in the Sun: Life in the Golden Age of Hollywood and Washington

I was honored to spend time with my guest, director, writer, producer, and playwright George Stevens Jr., founder of the American Film Institute, creator of the AFI Life Achievement Award and the Kennedy Center Honors, and winner of honors including the Emmy, Oscar, Peabody Award, and Writers Guild Award. 

He began his career helping his father, Hollywood director George Stevens make films and later moved to Washington D.C. to make films for Edward R. Murrow, where in addition to his eventual work with AFI, he worked with nearly every president from Kennedy to the present day and knew some of the most celebrated artistic talents and political minds of his times. 

Mr. Stevens’ new memoir, My Place in the Sun: Life in the Golden Age of Hollywood and Washington is a fascinating document of the different worlds, societal shifts, and amazing people he experienced. I found myself tearing up multiple times reading this moving tale of triumph and loss which celebrates a remarkably rich life. It’s awesome story shared by a kind and humble man. We had a great talk about some of his key moments. 

My Place in the Sun: Life in the Golden Age of Hollywood and Washington is a publication of University Press of Kentucky.

George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey, directed by George Stevens Jr. is currently available on HBOMax.

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Watching Classic Movies Podcast: The Many Phases of Ava Gardner With Ava Gardner Museum Board Member Lora Stocker

My guest, Lora Stocker is a graphic designer, artist, and illustrator who has worked with Turner Classic Movies social media. She’s also a board member of and social media strategist for the Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield, North Carolina. 

We talked about the different phases of Gardner’s five decade career, how she went from an untrained discovery to an accomplished actress, and both her popular films and some lesser known suggested picks. 

Films featured in this episode: 

Ghosts on the Loose (1943) 

Whistle Stop (1946) 

The Killers (1946) 

The Bribe (1949) 

Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951) 

City on Fire (1979) 

Earthquake (1974) 

Night of the Iguana (1964) 

Tam Lin (1970)

Lora Stocker on Twitter and Instagram 

The Ava Gardner Museum website

The show is available on Spotify, PocketCasts, Breaker, Stitcher, Anchor, Google, Radio Public, and YouTube.

Watching Classic Movies podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts! If you are enjoying the show, please give it a 5-star review and share it with your friends.

Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month, click on the Support button here.