Thursday, August 3, 2023

Movies I Watched in July

LOVE this dress on Lauren Bacall in Woman’s World (1954).

I finally read the Fred MacMurray biography by Charles Tranberg (the copy at the library disappeared and I finally found an inexpensive used copy-signed by the author!). I also read Shane by Jack Schaefer (been waiting for the library copy to be returned so I could check it out lol). I want to buy my own copy now but I want one with Alan Ladd on the cover and so far I've only seen one pictured online. I would have thought there would be several to choose from, given the popularity of the film. I also finally finished reading Mrs. Miniver. I had started reading it on the Internet Archive, liked it, ordered a copy, and then when I got it didn't get back to reading it. It doesn't have a flow to the story like the film, as each chapter was originally an article in a magazine. Some chapters felt very much like the film, while others not so much. I greatly enjoyed it though. 

* indicates a rewatch

  1. Passport to Destiny (1944) - Elsa Lanchester
  2. Horizon’s West (1952) - Robert Ryan, Rock Hudson, Raymond Burr, Julie Adams, James Arness 
  3. *Shane (1952) - Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Brandon de Wilde, Jack Palance, Ben Johnson
  4. Plunder of the Sun (1953) - Glenn Ford, Sean McClory
  5. The Las Vegas Story (1952) - Victor Mature & Jane Russell, Vincent Price, Hoagy Carmichael
  6. Woman’s World (1954) - Clifton Webb, Lauren Bacall & Fred MacMurray, June Allyson & Cornel Wilde, Arlene Dahl & Van Heflin
  7. The Tarnished Angels (1957) - Rock Hudson, Robert Stack, Dorothy Malone, Jack Carson
  8. *This Could Be the Night (1957) Jean Simmons, Paul Douglas, Anthony Franciosa 
  9. Third Man on the Mountain (1959) - James MacAurthur, Michael Rennie, Janet Munro, Laurence Naismith
  10. *Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curst of the Black Pearl (2003) - Johnny Depp, Keira Knightly, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush
  11. *Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) - Johnny Depp, Keira Knightly, Orlando Bloom
  12. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007) - Johnny Depp, Keira Knightly, Orlando Bloom, Naomi Harris
  13. Viceroy’s House (2017) - Hugh Bonneville, Gillian Anderson
  14. *Wonder Woman (2017) - Gal Gadot & Chris Pine
  15. *Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) - Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville, etc.

Least Favorite Film: Hmm, probably Plunder of the Sun. I love Glenn Ford but I don't like Sean McClory, and I just couldn't get into the story. I picked up the dvd at Goodwill. The special features were great though! Fascinating history tidbits and behind-the-scenes photos!

Favorite Movie: I really enjoyed Elsa Lanchester's performance in Passport to Destiny. A unique little film. It's been over a decade since I saw the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and I definitely enjoyed them more this time around. I'd seen several scenes from the third film before but am counting it as a first-time watch. I liked the first one best.

Love Lauren Bacall's outfit here!

7 comments:

  1. I agree -- it is WEIRD that there aren't loads of movie-tie-in-cover editions of Shane. I want one too!

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  2. My sister and I were talking about how it's been about 4 years since our last Pirates of the Caribbean binge, so maybe we should refresh. Which doesn't sound like a long time, but it is considering how frequently I usually watch those. I love the sword fighting in the second, but the first is probably still my favorite, too!

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    1. Was checking imdb to see who was in the fourth one and it looks like I've seen part of it too. I remember when it came out. My roommate was a huge Depp fan. She dressed up and everything!

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  3. I love so many of Lauren Bacall's outfits, even the more casual items looks stylish on her! On the subject of Bacall, did you see there's a new dual bio out on her and Bogart called "Bogie & Bacall"? It's getting a lot of good reviews!

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    1. I hadn’t seen that! I’ll have to track down a copy. Thanks!

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  4. I like this! Wish I kept a list of films that I watch every month. I never heard of Passport to Destiny or Horizons West so I will check those out. Third Man on the Mountain is a family favorite and just a few days ago I told my sister that I wanted to watch "that Jean Simmons film where she plays a schoolteacher working at a nightclub" and both of us couldn't remember the title! What do the asterisks denote?

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    1. It’s fun to be able to look back and see when I first watched a film or be able to tell when I was obsessed with a certain actor. I definitely think you’ll enjoy Passport to Destiny. I watched it on YouTube. That’s so funny about Jean Simmons! The asterisks mean it’s a movie I’ve seen previously. I usually put that at the top of my post but sometimes forget.

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