Movies I Watched in May

Donna Reed and John Wayne, They Were Expendable (1945)

This month we watched season 5 of All Creatures Great and Small. I also watched season 1 of The Madison (2026-) starring Michele Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell. The first couple episodes were good, but as the show went on the use of the F word as an adjective became veeerrrrryyy tiresome. The outhouse storyline was completely unnecessary. Didn't particularly care for the last two episodes. I know Kurt Russell will be in season two as well but how much I don't know. I also watched the first six episodes of The Other Bennett Sister (2026), which I really enjoyed but also found a bit sad (the way Mary's family treats her). 

Lots of rewatches, ocean fare, John Wayne (and Ward Bond), and Jack Lemmon

* indicates a rewatch
(?) I've seen part of it but don't think I'd seen the entire thing

1. There Was a Father (1942) - Chishu Ryu
2. *They Were Expendable (1945) - Robert Montgomery, John Wayne, Donna Reed, Ward Bond
3. *Without Reservations (1946) - Claudette Colbert, John Wayne, Don DeFore
4. Morning Departure/Operation Disaster (1950) - John Mills, Richard Attenborough, Bernard Lee
5. Borderline (1950) - Fred MacMurray & Claire Trevor, Raymond Burr
6. *Operation Pacific (1951) - John Wayne & Patricia Neal, Ward Bond
7. *Hondo (1953) - John Wayne & Geraldine Page, Ward Bond
8. The Purple Plain (1954) - Gregory Peck, Bernard Lee
9. *Mister Roberts (1955) - Henry Fonda, James Cagney, William Powell, Jack Lemmon, Ward Bond
10. Away All Boats (1956) - Jeff Chandler, George Nader, Lex Barker, Julie Adams, Richard Boone, Charles McGraw
11. The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956) - Gregory Peck & Jennifer Jones, Fredric March, Ann Harding, Marisa Parvin, Keenan Wynn
12. The Tin Star (1957) - Henry Fonda, Anthony Perkins
13. *The Apartment (1960) - Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray
14. *The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1961) - Jack Lemmon, Ricky Nelson
15. *Viva Las Vegas (1964) - Elvis Presley & Ann-Margret, William Demerest
16. (?)In Harm's Way (1965) - John Wayne & Patricia Neal, Kirk Douglas, Paula Prentiss, Henry Fonda, Burgess Meredith, Brandon De Wilde, Franchot Tone, Dana Andrews, George Kennedy
17. Return of the Gunfighter (1966) - Robert Taylor, Chad Everett, Ana Martin
18. Made in Paris (1966) - Ann-Margret, Louis Jourdan, Richard Crenna, Chad Everett
19. The Odd Couple (1968) - Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau
20. *The Emperor's New Groove (2000) - James Spade, John Goodman, Eartha Kitt
21. *Star Trek (2009) - Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Leonard Nimoy, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin
22. *Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) - above cast + Benedict Cumberbatch
23. *Star Trek Beyond (2016) - above cast + Idris Elba, Sofia Boutella

Least Favorite Film: In Harm's Way is one of those all-star affairs that's overly long and not very good. Also Kirk Douglas' character was despicable.

Favorite Movie: I rewatched a ton of movies this month, but my favorite new-to-me film is definitely The Tin Star. 

Away All Boats (1956)

Marilyn Monroe at the 1956 Royal Film Performance

The Daily Telegraph 10/30/56

In 1956, two of the most famous women in the world met. Both women were the same age - 30, but their lives could not have been more different. The occasion? The Royal Film Performance. The women? Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second and Marilyn Monroe. The result? An iconic moment in time.

How did this meeting come about?

Marilyn's arrival in London

In July 1956 Marilyn and her new husband, Arthur Miller, arrived in London, where Marilyn was set to start work on her latest film, The Sleeping Prince (later renamed The Prince and the Showgirl) with Laurence Olivier. She made it known that she hoped to meet the Queen while there and was thrilled when she was issued an invitation to the Royal Film Performance, which was held every year in aid of the Cinematograph Trade Benevolent Fund. It would take place at the Empire Theatre on Monday, October 29th. 

Here is footage of Marilyn arriving, as well as footage of the Queen going down 

the line meeting the stars (with audio from a 1960 interview in the background).

A crowd of around 2000 waited outside the theatre to catch a glimpse of the stars. Marilyn was one of the last to arrive at "The Queen's Show," as she had nicknamed the event. She stood outside and waved to the crowd for two minutes, while they chanted her name, before making her way inside.

source

Her dress, designed by Madame de Rachelle with Marilyn's input, caused quite a stir once she removed her cape. It was described by the Daily Telegraph as "gold tissue with topaz shoulder straps" and by the Daily Record as a strait-jacket, due to its tightness. 

The safety-pin incident actually happened at a press conference.

The Queen, however, didn't bat an eye at Marilyn's revealing dress. Rather, she remarked on the fact that they were "neighbors." With Princess Margaret, who was also in attendance, they talked about biking (Marilyn was gifted a bicycle on her arrival by the Daily Sketch). 

source

source

When asked about what she thought of the Queen afterwards, Marilyn replied that she was "very warm-hearted. She radiates sweetness." She also demonstrated her curtsy to the press. 

Marilyn apparently made a big impression on the Queen too, as she was later reported to have watched all of Marilyn's films. The source also quoted the Queen as saying, "I thought Miss Monroe was a very sweet person. But I felt sorry for her, because she was so nervous that she had licked all her lipstick off" (People, 1961). 

Whether this is true or not, I believe the Queen probably saw at least some of Marilyn's films. 

I'll leave you with this article from the Evening Standard with its' extensive write-up about Marilyn.

Mr. Miller Was Marilyn's LIFEBELT

This post is part of the Marilyn Monroe - 100th Birthday Anniversary Blogathon hosted by Hoofers and Honeys. Be sure to visit her site and read the rest of the entries celebrating the centennial of this iconic woman!

Sources: 
Morgan, Michelle. When Marilyn Met the Queen: Marilyn Monroe's Life in England. Pegasus Books, 2022. 
British and Australia Newspaper Archives

Movies I Watched in April

This month I watched season 1 of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. The entire show is on Tubi and the quality is fantastic. My family and I also watched season 4 of All Creatures Great and Small.

* indicates a rewatch

1. Secret Enemies (1942) - James Craig, Faye Emerson
2. *The Adventures of Tartu (1943) - Robert Donat, Valerie Hobson, Glynis Johns
3. China Sky (1945) - Ruth Warrick, Randolph Scott, Philip Ahn, Anthony Quinn, Ellen Drew
4. *Act of Violence (1949) - Van Heflin & Janet Leigh, Robert Ryan, Phyllis Thaxter
5. *Mystery Street (1950) - Ricardo Montalban, Elsa Lanchester, Marshall Thompson, Jan Sterling, Betsy Blair
6. Them! (1954) - James Whitmore, James Arness
7. Soldier of Fortune (1955) - Clark Gable & Susan Hayward
8. *12 Angry Men (1957) - Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Jack Warden, Ed Begley
9. *King Creole (1957) - Elvis Presley, Carolyn Jones, Walter Mattheau, Dean Jagger, Dolores Hart
10. *In Search of the Castaways (1962) - Hayley Mills, Maurice Chevalier, Michael Anderson Jr. Wilfred Hyde Park
11. *Somewhere in Time (1980) - Christopher Reeve & Jane, Christopher Plummer
12. *Swing Shift (1984) - Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Christine Lahti, Ed Harris
13. The Client (1994) - Susan Sarandan, Tommy Lee Jones
14. Under the Tuscan Sun (2004) - Diane Lane, Sandra Oh

Least Favorite Film: I would have really liked Under the Tuscan Sun if it wasn't for all of the s*x. It could have been a sweet movie. In Search of the Castaways was just as corny and cringy as it was when I first watched it 20+ years ago (checked out on VHS from the library when you still had to pay a dollar to borrow it for two days). According to the trivia on IMDb it was the third most popular film of the year after The Longest Day and Lawrence of Arabia!?!

Favorite Movie: It would have to be Them! I had lots of great rewatches too. 

Anytime I see Dick Wessel in a movie I have to take a screenshot. Here he is in Them!

Movies I Watched in March

This month my family and I watched seasons 2 & 3 of All Creatures Great and Small. I also got back into The Rockford Files - I'm almost done with season 1. I started reading Hayley Mills' memoir, Forever Young. I found an autographed copy at a used bookstore for $7!!!

* indicates a rewatch

1. Hotel Reserve (1944) - James Mason
2. Johnny in the Clouds/The Way to the Stars (1945) - John Mills, Michael Redgrave, Trevor Howard
3. Canyon Passage (1946) - Dana Andrews & Susan Hayward, Brian Donlevy, Patricia Roc, Lloyd Bridges, Andy Devine, Hoagy Carmichael, Ward Bond
4. *Gentleman's Agreement (1947) - Gregory Peck & Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield, Celeste Holm, Anne Revere, Dean Stockwell, June Havoc, Jane Wyatt
5. Fort Dobbs (1958) - Clint Walker, Virginia Mayo, Brian Keith
6. The Gallant Hours (1960) - James Cagney
7. The Cardinal (1963) - Tom Tryon, John Huston, Romy Schneider, Carol Lynley, Burgess Meredith, Ossie Davis
8. *The Mean Season (1985) - Kurt Russell
9. *Big Trouble in Little China (1986) - Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, James Hong
10. *Overboard (1987) - Goldie Hawn & Kurt Russell, Roddy McDowall, Katherine Helmond
11. Rose Hill (1991 Hallmark) - Jennifer Garner, Kevin Zegers
12. Stepmom (1998) - Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandan, Ed Harris
13. *Shanghai Noon (2000) - Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, Lucy Lui
14. The Magic of Ordinary Days (2004 Hallmark) - Keri Russell

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (2026) - Elvis Presley

Least Favorite Film: I watched an hour of Cimarron (1960) but it was on the depressing side. I'll probably finish it one day though. The Cardinal was ok. Romy Schneider's final scene, however, was excellent (acting-wise). 

Favorite Movie: Hotel Reserve was interesting. I want to seek out more of Mason's early work.

Recognize anything? Hint: It's 50 seconds in ;)

Movies I Watched in February

Call Northside 777

This month me and my family watched the first season of All Creatures Great and Small (the current one). I really enjoyed seeing Diana Rigg in a couple of episodes!

* indicates a rewatch

1. One Hour with You (1932) - Maurice Chevalier & Jeannette McDonald, Genevieve Tobin, Charles Ruggles, Roland Young
2. One in a Million (1936) - Sonja Henie, Don Ameche, Adolph Menjou, Jean Hersholt
3. *The Awful Truth (1937) - Cary Grant & Irene Dunne, Ralph Bellamy
4. *Stagecoach (1939) - Claire Trevor & John Wayne, Thomas Mitchell, Donald Meek, Andy Devine
5. Lost Angel (1943) - Margaret O'Brien, James Craig, Marsha Hunt, Keenan Wynn
6. Cinderella Jones (1946) - Joan Leslie & Robert Alda, S.Z. 'Cuddles' Sakall, Edward Everrett Horton
7. Call Northside 777 (1948) - James Stewart, Lee J. Cobb, Richard Conte, Helen Walker
8. The Stratton Story (1949) - James Stewart & June Allyson, Frank Morgan, Agnes Moorehead
9. Riding Shotgun (1954) - Randolph Scott, Wayne Morris
10. Just My Luck (1957) - Norman Wisdom, Margaret Rutherford
11. *27 Dresses (2008) - Katherine Heigl & James Marsden
12. The Best of Me (2014) - James Marsden (with alternate ending)
13. *Tomb Raider (2018) - Alicia Vikander, Dominic West
14. What Happens Later (2023) - Meg Ryan & David Duchovny

Least Favorite Film: One in a Million and Cinderella Jones. One Hour with You had a lot of singsong rhyming dialogue. 

Favorite Movie: Lost Angel was really cute. I also enjoyed The Stratton Story, though it was a little more personal for me as my dad lost his leg in a motorcycle accident in his early 20s (before any of us kids were born). Riding Shotgun was good (though I feel like it needed to be longer to explain better why the entire town was so quick to condemn someone they knew).

Movies I Watched in January

This month I watched season two of A Man on the Inside. It was good but not as heartfelt as the first season. I was glad to see some recurring characters from season 1 and there was a fun casting surprise. I also watched The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries (1999-2000) starring Diana Rigg. Also finally watched Elvis' first movie. Now the only one I have left is Kissin' Cousins, but I don't know if I can bring myself to actually watching it. The trailer looks pretty bad lol.

1. Thank You, Jeeves! (1936) - David Niven, Arthur Treacher, Willie Best
2. More Than a Secretary (1936) - Jean Arthur & George Brent, Ruth Donnelly, Reginald Denny
3. *After the Thin Man (1936) - William Powell & Myrna Loy, Elissa Landi, James Stewart
4. *Another Thin Man (1939) - William Powell & Myrna Loy, C. Aubrey Smith, Virginia Grey, Patric Knowles, Ruth Hussey
5. *Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) - James Stewart & Jean Arthur, Claude Rains, Thomas Mitchell, Edward Arnold, Eugene Palette, Harry Carey, Guy Kibbee, Beulah Bondi
6. *It’s a Wonderful World (1939) - Claudette Colbert & James Stewart, Nat Pendleton, Guy Kibbee
7. *The More the Merrier (1943) - Jean Arthur & Joel McCrea, Charles Coburn
8. They Got Me Covered (1943) - Bob Hope & Dorothy Lamour
9. The Second Woman (1950) - Robert Young & Betsy Drake, Florence Bates
10. Sky Full of Moon (1952) - Carleton Carpenter, Jan Sterling, Keenan Wynn
11. *The Naked Spur (1953) - James Stewart, Robert Ryan, Janet Leigh, Ralph Meeker, Millard Mitchell
12. The Bounty Hunter (1954) - Randolph Scott, Dolores Dorn, Marie Windsor, Ernest Borgnine
13. Love Me Tender (1956) - Richard Egan, Debra Paget, Elvis Presley, James Drury
14. The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1956) - Jane Russell & Richard Egan, Joan Leslie, Agnes Moorehead
15. Ride Lonesome (1959) - Randolph Scott, Pernell Roberts, Karen Steele, James Best, James Coburn, Lee Van Cleef
16. Dear Brigitte (1965) - James Stewart & Glynis Johns, Cindy Carol, Bill Mumy, Ed Wynn, Fabian, Brigitte Bardot
17. Before We Go (2014) - Chris Evans & Alice Eve

Least Favorite Film: Surprised myself by realizing I don't really like Another Thin Man?! There are several funny parts of course, but overall I wasn't much on it. I'm guessing this is the fourth time I've watched the first four films (I really wish I had started keeping track of my films in college when I started more new-to-me films). We got the last two Thin Man films on dvd later. The plot of The Revolt of Mamie Stover is pretty terrible but it was filmed in Hawaii so at least the scenery is gorgeous.

Favorite Movie: I really enjoyed everything else I watched. I didn't remember much of It's a Wonderful World and found it way funnier than I remembered! I wish there were more Jeeves movies. They Got Me Covered was also really funny. The Second Woman reminded me of Rebecca (1940).

Favorite Quote: "That poor kid. That poor, spooky little kid." James Stewart, a literature professor, upon learning his son is a genius at math in Dear Brigitte.

Ralph Meeker in The Naked Spur (1953)

2025 Movie Stats

In the year 2025 I watched 104 new-to-me movies and 71 movies that were rewatches for a total of 175.

New to me: 104 (78 pre-1970, 26 post-1970)

Rewatches: 71 (46 pre-1970, 25 post-1970)

Total: 175 (124 pre-1970, 51 post-1970)

Where I watched them: 

TCM: 50 (14 rewatches)

Library (DVD & Apps): 8 (2 rewatches)

Personal DVD: 52 (46 rewatches)

YouTube & OK: 23 (3 rewatches)

Paid Streaming Services: 13 (2 rewatches) 

TV & Free Streaming Services: 28 (3 rewatches)

Theater: 1 (1 rewatch)

Here are my top ten movie discoveries:

The Winning of Barbara Worth (1926) - Ronald Colman, Vilma Banky, Gary Cooper

She (1935) - Randolph Scott, Helen Gahagan, Helen Mack, Nigel Bruce

Sleeping Car to Trieste (1948) - David Tomlinson, Paul Dupois

To the Victor (1948) - Dennis Morgan & Viveca Lindfors

The Cure for Love (1949) - Robert Donat & Renee Asherson

It Happens Every Spring (1949) - Ray Milland, Paul Douglas, Jean Peters

The Private War of Major Benson (1955) - Charlton Heston, Julie Adams, William Demerest, Sal Mineo

The Tall T (1957) - Randolph Scott, Richard Boone, Maureen O'Sullivan

No, My Darling Daughter (1961) - Juliet Mills, Michael Redgrave, Roger Livesy

The Man Who Would Be King (1975) - Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Christopher Plummer

Classics I finally watched: 

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) - Alec Guinness, William Holden, Jack Hawkins

The Americanization of Emily (1957) - Julie Andrews & James Garner, Melvyn Douglas, James Coburn

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Jack Hawkins

Planet of the Apes (1968) - Charlton Heston

The Way We Were (1973) - Barbra Streisand & Robert Redford

Out of Africa (1985) - Meryl Streep & Robert Redford

         

Number of movies per decade:

1910s: 0 
1920s: 2 (0 rewatches) - both Ronald Colman lol
1930s: 16 (2 rewatches)
1940s: 44 (16 rewatches)
1950s: 41 (17 rewatches)
1960s: 21 (11 rewatches)
1970s: 5 (3 rewatches)
1980s: 8 (5 rewatches)
1990s: 14 (6 rewatches)
2000s: 9 (6 rewatches)
2010s: 5 (4 rewatches)

2020s: 10 (1 rewatch)

Number of movies per month:

January: 10 (3 rewatches)
February: 17 (10 rewatches)
March: 12 (8 rewatches)
April: 10 (2 rewatches)
May: 20 (8 rewatches)
June: 14 (5 rewatches) -exactly the same as last year!
July: 12 (3 rewatches)
August: 12 (3 rewatches) 
September: 11 (3 rewatches)
October: 15 (6 rewatches)
November: 25 (10 rewatches)
December: 17 (10 rewatches)



Number of Foreign Language Films: 0

Number of Documentaries: 11

Most Watched (Leading) Movie Stars: 

Randolph Scott - 13 films

Robert Redford - 10 films (only 3 were new to me though)

Glenn Ford & Sean Connery - 7 films (mostly rewatches)

Jack Hawkins & Charlton Heston- 5 films 

William Holden, Dennis Morgan, Humphrey Bogart - 4 films

Stars I "discovered": Mostly continued with last year's stars, but explored more Charlton Heston and Randolph Scott.

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

Did you keep track of the movies you watched in 2025? Was there a star or movie you discovered that you can't live without now? Let me know in the comments!