God Speed Anita Page (1910-2008)

Anita Page was one of the last few silent screen stars still alive. I remember watching her play one of the sisters in Broadway Melody of 1929. And believe it or not, she actually has a film coming out later this year! Amazing. God Speed Anita Page!

Out of the Past, Into the Now: The Women (1939) or is it (2008)?

The Sunday New York Times featured an article discussing the newest incarnation of the famous Clare Booth Luce play The Women. Nothing, since the George Cukor film that so many of us love and hold dear to our hearts, has been able to capture the magic of that theatrical all-women spectacle. There have been some really bad remakes like The Opposite Sex (1956), which in my opinion was the opposite of good (its got men, people!!!). And there have been some good remakes, like the televised Broadway play that featured Cynthia Nixon, of Sex and the City fame, in the title role.

It's been a long process to get the newest remake underway and in theatres. But can it hold up? Can Eva Mendes capture the cutting wit and ruthlessness of Crystal Allen (Joan Crawford in the original) when she says "there is a word for you ladies, but it isn't used in society... outside of a kennel". We'll just have to wait and see. The new film, features "little-girl-voiced blonde" Meg Ryan (in contrast to the "mellifluent brunet" Norma Shearer) and hits theatres on September 12th, with TCM fast on its heels, showing the original version on September 15th. In the meantime, check out the NYT article online as well as their chart comparing and contrasting the 1939 version to the 2008 one. Enjoy!

Article

Chart

Susegado, Preminger-wise

It's been kind of quiet lately, classic film-wise (as Jack Lemmon would say in The Apartment). I'll be taking a brief hiatus for the Labor Day weekend and I hope to come up with lots of new posts!

In September, I'll be starting my new Otto Preminger series. It's to prepare for my friend Kevin's lecture in November. If it weren't for the postal office losing my Netflix movies, I would have already started! Alas, I shall have to wait.

Here are the films I plan on watching and posting about here. If you are saying to yourself, why in the name of Helios is she not watching such Preminger classics as Laura, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Whirlpool, Fallen Angel, River of No Return and Anatomy of Murder? That's because I've already seen them, Silly! With so many Preminger films to see, I can't afford any repeats.

Angel Face (1953)
Advise and Consent (1962)
The Cardinal (1963)
Man with the Golden Arm (1956)
Daisy Kenyon (1947)
Stalag 17 (1953)
Carmen Jones (1954)
Bonjour Tristess (1958)

Check it out!

My good friend Kevin has just written a review on the classic film noir Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950). Go read it on Steve-O's site Noir of the Week!

Please also stop by Christian's excellent blog The Classic Film Show. And if you have spotted an image of a classic film star in your city (on the side of a building, on a shop sign, etc) please contribute to his "Stars in the City" post. An amazing idea and I'm excited to dust off my camera and give a shot (literally).