Movies I Watched in February

Valerie Hobson in Blanche Fury (1948). Her costumes were very sumptuous.

This month was kind of all over the place. Most of the new-to-me movies were British. I revisited several Glenn Ford films. My Valentine's Day picks were Three Coins in the Fountain and Random Harvest. I usually don't watch a lot on TCM during their 31 Days of Oscar since they're usually ones I've already seen, but I took the opportunity to revisit All About Eve. It's a solid film of course and Thelma Ritter is amazing in it per usual, but I didn't love it. 

* indicates a rewatch

1. *Random Harvest (1942) - Ronald Colman & Greer Garson, Susan Peters
2. Blanche Fury (1948) - Stewart Granger & Valerie Hobson
3. Sleeping Car to Trieste (1948) - David Tomlinson, Paul Dupois
4. Passport to Pimlico (1949) - Stanley Holloway, Margaret Rutherford, Paul Dupois
5. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) - Alec Guinness, Valerie Hobson
6. The Undercover Man (1949) - Glenn Ford, Nina Foch, James Whitmore
7. *All About Eve (1950) - Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, Gary Merrill, Celeste Holm, Hugh Marlowe, Thelma Ritter, George Sanders, Marilyn Monroe
8. *Three Coins in the Fountain (1954) - Louis Jourdan & Maggie, Jean Peters & Rossano Brazzi, Dorothy McGuire & Clifton Webb
9. *Interrupted Melody (1955) - Eleanor Parker & Glenn Ford, Roger Moore
10. *3:10 to Yuma (1957) - Glenn Ford, Van Heflin, Felicia Farr
11. *The Sheepman (1958) - Glenn Ford & Shirley MacLaine, Leslie Neilson, Pernell Roberts
12. Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959) - Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, Sean Connery
13. *Dr. No (1962) - Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Jack Lord
14. *Dear Heart (1964) - Glenn Ford & Geraldine Page, Angela Lansbury
15. *The Pink Panther (1964) - Peter Sellers, David Niven, Capucine, Claudia Cardinale, Robert Wagner
16. Carbon Copy (1981) - George Segal, Denzel Washington
17. *The Finest Hours (2016) - Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Casey Affleck, Eric Bana

Least Favorite Film: Carbon Copy. The trailer had looked funny but it fell flat.

Favorite Movie: Sleeping Car to Trieste was really good. I watched it on Tubi.

Ronald Colman in Random Harvest (1942)

Movies I Watched in January

I read quite a few movie books this month! These included two books by Michael F. Blake that have been on my list since I read Laura's post on Classic Movie Hub: The Cavalry Trilogy: John Ford, John Wayne, and the Making of Three Classic Westerns [Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), and Rio Grande (1950)] and Code of Honor: The Making of Three Great American Westerns [High Noon (1952), Shane (1953), and The Searchers (1956)]. I then read Claude Jarman Jr.'s delightful memoir My Life and the Final Days of Hollywood (he sadly passed away on the 12th of this month at the age of 90) as well as parts of Glenn Ford: A Life by his son Peter Ford. Another interesting read was The Moon-Spinners by Mary Stewart. It was made into a Disney film in 1964 starring Hailey Mills. It differs from the movie but was very good. I ended up checking out several more books by Stewart from the library. 

I also watched season 3 of Moonlighting and started back up on The Rockford Files (I watched the pilot and first few episodes a couple years ago, but it was removed from the streaming platform it was on. I recently bought the entire series on dvd for the criminally low price of $23). 

1. Invisible Stripes (1939) - George Raft, Humphrey Bogart, William Holden, Jane Bryon, Flora Robson
2. Suspense (1946) - Belita, Barry Sullivan, Bonita Granville, Eugene Pallette
3. *Embraceable You (1948) - Dane Clark & Geraldine Brooks, S.Z. Sakall, Wallace Ford
4. *Woman on the Run (1950) - Ann Sheridan, Dennis O'Keefe, Robert Keith
5. Submarine Command (1951) - William Holden & Nancy Olson, William Bendix
6. The Americano (1955) - Glenn Ford, Cesar Romero
7. The Private War of Major Benson (1955) - Charlton Heston, Julie Adams, William Demerest, Sal Mineo
8. *To Catch a Thief (1955) - Cary Grant & Grace Kelly, Jesse Royce Landis
9. S_tan Never Sleeps (1962) - William Holden, Clifton Webb
10. Striking Distance (1993) - Bruce Willis & Sarah Jessica Parker, John Mahoney

Least Favorite Film: There was nothing wrong with it, but I doubt I'll ever revisit Invisible Stripes. I watched it for William Holden.

Favorite Movie: I really enjoyed The Private War of Major Benson. It was interesting seeing Heston in a comedy and the story was fun. 

SJP's character in Striking Distance has the same exact bedspread that I had growing up! I recently found another one in like new condition in my uncle's storage unit and brought it home. 

Cinema Wedding Gowns: The Man from Colorado (1948)

Today's wedding gown is worn by Ellen Drew in her disastrous marriage to Glenn Ford in the 1948 film The Man from Colorado. 

The film is set just after the Civil War so the gown reflects the fashions of that time with a pleated full skirt and pointed waist, long sleeves that extend past the wrist, and a row of buttons all of the way up to the small pointed collar. It is made of a heavy ivory satin. Notice the glove on her right hand. The long tulle veil (draped over her arm) is attached to a floral headpiece that looks a little more 1940s than 1860s. 

Fluttery lace sleeves have been added over the long sleeves for a unique look. There isn't a great view of the back but it looks like it may be similar to a shawl but attached. I wonder if this dress was worn in a previous film sans the lace detail. It would be a great way to recycle the costume while giving it a new look. Note the drop earrings.

2024 Movie Stats

In the year 2024 I watched 117 new-to-me movies and 69 movies that were rewatches for a total of 186.

New to me: 117 (90 pre-1970, 27 post-1970)

Rewatches: 69 (52 pre-1970, 17 post-1970)

Total: 186 (142 pre-1970, 44 post-1970)

Where I watched them: 

TCM: 61 (19 rewatches)

Library (DVD & Apps): 8 (1 rewatch)

Personal DVD: 35 (27 rewatches)

YouTube & OK: 30 (12 rewatches)

Paid Streaming Services: 9 (2 rewatches) 

TV & Free Streaming Services: 42 (8 rewatches)

Theater: 1 (1 rewatch)

Here are my top ten movie discoveries:

Arizona (1940) - Jean Arthur & William Holden, Warren William

Cottage to Let/Bombsight Stolen (1941) - Leslie Banks, Alastair Sim, John Mills, Michael Wilding

They All Kissed the Bride (1942) - Joan Crawford & Melvyn Douglas

The Captive Heart (1946) - Michael Redgrave

No Highway in the Sky (1951) - James Stewart, Marlene Dietrich, Glynis Johns, Kenneth More

3:10 to Yuma (1957) - Glenn Ford, Van Heflin

The Sheepman (1958) - Glenn Ford & Shirley MacLaine, Leslie Neilson

The Notorious Landlady (1962) - Kim Novak & Jack Lemmon, Fred Astaire

The Wrong Box (1966) - Michael Caine, John Mills, Ralph Richardson

The Boys in the Boat (2023) - Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner

Classics I finally watched: 

The Big Trail (1930) - John Wayne

The Story of G.I. Joe (1945) - Burgess Meredith, Robert Mitchum

State Fair (1945) - Jeanne Craine & Dana Andrews

Black Narcissus (1947) - Deborah Kerr, Kathleen Byron, David Farrar, Sabu, Jean Simmons

Twelve O'Clock High (1949) - Gregory Peck, Dean Jagger, Gary Merrill, Hugh Marlowe

Wagon Master (1950) - Ward Bond, Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Joanne Dru

3:10 to Yuma (1957) - Glenn Ford, Van Heflin

The Miracle Worker (1962) - Anne Bancroft, Patty Duke

Die Hard (1988) - Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman

Band of Brothers (2001-limited series) - Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, Donnie Wahlburg, etc.

         

Number of movies per decade:

1910s: 0 
1920s: 1 (1 rewatch)
1930s: 11 (3 rewatches)
1940s: 49 (21 rewatches)
1950s: 71 (27 rewatches)
1960s: 10 (0 rewatches)
1970s: 5 (1 rewatch)
1980s: 8 (2 rewatches)
1990s: 7 (3 rewatches)
2000s: 8 (4 rewatches)
2010s: 13 (6 rewatches)

2020s: 3 (1 rewatch)

Number of movies per month:

January: 23 (6 rewatches)
February: 16 (4 rewatches)
March: 17 (2 rewatches)
April: 17 (7 rewatches)
May: 12 (6 rewatches)
June: 14 (5 rewatches)
July: 13 (7 rewatches)
August: 11 (64rewatches) 
September: 14 (8 rewatches)
October: 10 (3 rewatches)
November: 20 (7 rewatches)
December: 19 (10 rewatches)



Number of Foreign Language Films: 4 (1 rewatch)

Number of Documentaries: 22

Most Watched (Leading) Movie Stars: 

William Holden - 11 films

Glenn Ford, Robert Ryan - 9 films

Robert Mitchum, Burt Lancaster - 8 films

Deborah Kerr - 7 films 

Kenneth More, Jack Hawkins, John Mills - 6 films

Stars I discovered/grew to love/crushed on: Kenneth More, Jack Hawkins, William Holden, Bruce Willis, Aidan Turner

*To see last year's stats, click here.

Did you keep track of the movies you watched in 2024? Was there a star or movie you discovered that you can't live without now? Let me know in the comments!

Movies I Watched in December

Jubal (1956)

This month I watched Die Hard for the first time. So the big question is of course: is it a Christmas movie? My verdict is... kind of. It felt like Home Alone but for adults. It put me in a Bruce Willis mood so I finally started watching Moonlighting again (I had watched three episodes earlier this year but couldn't get into it - it's on Tubi now as well as Hulu).

*indicates a rewatch

1. Fugitive Lovers (1934) - Robert Montgomery & Madge Evans, Nat Pendleton, Ted Healy & the Three Stooges
2. *First Love (1939) - Deanna Durbin & Robert Stack
3. *Dodge City (1939) - Errol Flynn & Olivia De Havilland, Bruce Cabot, Alan Hale, Guinn ‘Big Boy’ Williams, Frank McHugh, John Litel, Ann Sheridan, Henry Travers
4. Young and Willing (1943) - William Holden, Eddie Bracken, Susan Hayward, James Brown, Martha O'Driscoll, Barbara Britton
5. *Christmas in Connecticut (1945) - Barbara Stanwyck & Dennis Morgan, S. Z. Sakall, Reginald Gardner, Sydney Greenstreet, Una O'Conner
6. The Small Back Room/Hour of Glory (1949) - David Farrar, Kathleen Byron, Jack Hawkins
7. *The Heiress (1949) - Olivia de Havilland & Montgomery Clift, Ralph Richardson, Miriam Hopkins
8. *Born to be Bad (1950) - Joan Fontaine, Robert Ryan, Zachary Scott, Joan Leslie, Mel Ferrer
9. *Shadow in the Sky (1952) - Ralph Meeker, James Whitmore, Nancy Davis, Jean Hagen
10. *The Holly and the Ivy (1952) - Ralph Richardson, Celia Johnson
11. *White Christmas (1954) - Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen, Dean Jagger, Mary Wickes
12. *The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956) - Glenn Ford, Marlon Brando, Eddie Albert
13. Jubal (1956) - Glenn Ford, Ernest Borgnine, Rod Steiger, Valerie French, Felicia Farr, Charles Bronson
14. 3:10 to Yuma (1957) - Glenn Ford, Van Heflin, Felicia Farr, Leora Dana
15. Blind Date (1987) - Bruce Willis & Kim Basinger
16. Die Hard (1988) - Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman
17. Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990) - Bruce Willis
18. *Home Alone (1990) - Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O'Hara, John Heard, John Candy
19. Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) - Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson

Least Favorite Film: Young and Willing.

Favorite Movie: Definitely 3:10 to Yuma! It's one of those movies where I wanted to watch it again right after it finished. I also really enjoyed Jubal (obviously) and Die Hard. 

Here's a few articles/blog posts I enjoyed on the two Glenn Ford films: 

Jubal - Jeff Arnold's West

3:10 to Yuma - Hamelette's Soliloquy: Post 1 - Post 2 - Post 3 

Killing Time: 3:10 to Yuma & the Lonesome West

3:10 to Yuma - Indiana University 

Favorite Quote: Robert Ryan to Joan Fontaine in Born to Be Bad (1950): "Have you seen the view? It looks better with me in it."

3:10 to Yuma (1957)

Movies I Watched in November

This month was William Holden month. For a long time I wasn't much on Holden but now I can say I'm a fan. I was actually surprised at just how many of his films I've already seen over the years. I'll definitely be rewatching some. I rewatched Sunset Boulevard for the first time in several years and was struck by how young he looks to me in it now lol. I am currently reading Close-Up on Sunset Boulevard: Billy Wilder, Norma Desmond, and the Dark Hollywood Dream by Sam Staggs. I also checked out Nancy Olson Livingston's autobiography, A Front Row Seat: An Intimate Look at Broadway, Hollywood, and the Age of Glamour.

I've also been watching some Powell and Pressburger films that I hadn't seen yet. The documentary has just been added to kanopy if your library offers that service and you missed it on TCM.

I read Ladd: The Life, The Legend, The Legacy of Alan Ladd by Beverly Linet. It was good, though I found the foreboding sentences ending in ". . ." to be overly dramatic. 

* indicates a rewatch

1. Something Always Happens (1934) - Ian Hunter & Nancy O'Neil
2. Arizona (1940) - Jean Arthur & William Holden, William Wellman, Edgar Buchanan
3. Texas (1941) - William Holden, Glenn Ford, Claire Trevor, Edgar Buchanan
4. ...One of Our Aircraft is Missing (1941) - Godfrey Tearle, Eric Portman, Hugh Williams, Googie Withers
5. *A Canterbury Tale (1944) - Sheila Sim, John Sweet, Eric Portman
6. *Phantom Lady (1944) - Ella Raines, Franchot Tone, Alan Curtis, Thomas Gomez, Elisha Cook Jr.
7. The Unseen (1945) - Joel McCrea, Gail Russell, Herbert Marshall
8. *Miracle on 34th Street (1947) - Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O'Hara & John Payne, Natalie Wood
9. The Man from Colorado (1948) - Glenn Ford, William Holden, Ellen Drew, Edgar Buchanan
10. *Sunset Boulevard (1950) - William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Nancy Olson
11. Union Station (1950) - William Holden, Nancy Olson, Barry FitzGerald, Jan Sterling
12. *Harvey (1950) - James Stewart, Josephine Hull, Cecil Kelloway, Jesse White, Peggy Dow
13. The Tales of Hoffmann (1951) - Moira Shearer 
14. Joe MacBeth (1956) - Paul Douglas & Ruth Roman
15. 23 Paces to Baker Street (1956) - Van Johnson & Vera Miles
16. *The Story of Vickie (1954-German) - Romy Schneider, Magda Schneider, Adrian Hoven
17. The Key (1958) - William Holden, Sophia Loren, Trevor Howard
18. The World of Suzie Wong (1960) - William Holden & Nancy Kwan, Sylvia Syms, Michael Wilding
19. *Little Women (1994) - Winona Ryder, Christian Bale, Susan Sarandon
20. Painted Lady (1997-TV Movie) - Helen Mirren, Iain Glen, Franco Nero, Lesley Manville

Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger (2024)

Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes (2024)

Least Favorite Film: Rewatched Harvey for the first time since college and, while it had several funny scenes, I'm just not much on it. It bothered me the way the patients were treated by the doctor. Painted Lady started out fine but got really disturbing in the middle (I actually still have one hour left). Gail Russell needed to slap Joel McCrea for trying to gaslight her in The Unseen. 

Favorite Movie: I enjoyed several movies this month, but especially Arizona and The Key. Neither were what I expected.

Texas (1941)

Movies I Watched in October

Eve Arden, Fashion Designer (The Arnelo Affair)

Not a lot of movies this month. Finished season 4 of Only Murders in the Building and rewatched season 1 of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Also watched It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown twice. 

1. *Topper (1937) - Roland Young, Cary Grant & Constance Bennett, Billie Burke
2. The Saint's Double Trouble (1940) - George Sanders, Bela Lugosi
3. China (1943) - Alan Ladd, Loretta Young, William Bendix
4. The Arnelo Affair (1947) - Frances Gifford, John Hodiak, George Murphy, Eve Arden
5. Fearless Fagan (1952) - Carleton Carpenter & Janet Leigh, Keenan Wynn
6. The Turning Point (1952) - William Holden, Alexis Smith, Edmund O'Brien
7. *Stalag 17 (1953) - William Holden
8. *Love is a Many Splendored Thing (1955) - Jennifer Jones & William Holden
9. North West Frontier (1959) - Kenneth More, Lauren Bacall
10. Tiger Bay (1959) - John Mills, Hayley Mills

Alan Ladd: The True Quiet Man (1999) - The Hollywood Collection

Least Favorite Film: The only part about Fearless Fagan I didn't like is when they showed the lion being abused by his new trainer. It was hard to watch.

Favorite Movie: Hayley Mills was fantastic in Tiger Bay.

Favorite Quotes: (Hint - they're both Eve Arden)

I'm the repulsive type before I've had my morning coffee.

(After staying for breakfast) Thanks for the calories. 

I just love this soundtrack