Check out my latest YouTube video where I review two Kino Lorber Studio Classics Blu-rays: Arise, My Love (1940) and No Time for Love (1943). Both are Paramount films directed Mitchell Leisen and starring Claudette Colbert. Arise, My Love (1940) is a light romantic drama set in WWII starring Ray Milland. No Time for Love (1943) is a hilarious screwball comedy starring Fred MacMurray and also featuring Ilka Chase and June Havoc.
"As a writer you strive for a sense of truth." — Horton Foote
Playwright Horton Foote (1916-2009) had been honored with many awards and nominations in his lifetime including Emmy awards, Tony nominations, the National Medal of Arts and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. He won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) and the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Tender Mercies (1983). But chances are, despite his widespread recognition, you may not have heard his name.
Directed by Anne Rapp, Horton Foote: The Road to Home shines a spotlight on a talented and sensitive writer who was often misunderstood and underappreciated by Hollywood. Foote grew up in Wharton, Texas, a small town that would be the inspiration for his many plays for theater, television and film. His original stories were inspired by his local community. He changed real names to fictitious ones and Wharton transformed itself into Harrison, Texas, to protect the locals, and frankly himself from scrutiny. He was particularly attracted to sensitive characters who faced great challenges but still continued on. His stories weren't grandiose nor were they commercial. But they were powerful. And unlike many of his peers, Foote wrote great parts for women. Vulnerable but strong, these women were central to the stories and not just moving pieces that only served the plot.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Foote wrote many teleplays for shows like American Playhouse, The Dupont Show of the Mount, Playhouse 90 and more. He preferred to write original pieces or adapt his own work but would sometimes adapt other writers work to screen. Foote almost turned down the opportunity to adapt Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird to screen but was convinced by his wife and business partner to give it a go. The result was a resounding success with Foote winning, much to his surprise, his first Academy Award. For Foote, adapting another writer's work was something he did sparingly. He really had to like the material and sympathize with the writer. He called it a painful process because it required him to be both involved in the material and to also be objective. Hollywood saw potential in Foote but didn't know how to work with him. Foote took criticism well however he was firm in his convictions. His work had to be authentic and true to his vision. A commercial writer he was not. He wrote many movie screenplays but only a handful made it to the screen with To Kill a Mockingbird and Tender Mercies being his best known work.
"A gentle, sweet man who had a sharp eye and a sharp mind." — Edward Albee
Rapps' documentary takes the viewer on a journey into the world of Horton Foote. There are interviews with Foote's daughters as well as Edward Albee, Robert Duvall, Matthew Broderick, directors, actors, filmmakers and others who worked with Foote during his lifetime. Although Foote died in 2009, the documentary has a lot of footage of Foote talking about his life and career, his love of Wharton and his never ending desire to tell stories. Throughout the film are theatrical scenes, mostly acted out soliloquies from Foote's theatrical plays.
Horton Foote: The Road to Home is a loving and tender tribute to a great dramatist.
Horton Foote: The Road to Home premiered at the 2021 Woodstock Film Festival. Visit the film's official website for more information.
The 2021 summer reading challenge is officially over. Congrats to everyone who participated! You all did great work. It was a joy to read/listen/watch all of your reviews.
Here is the list of participants (a whopping 14 finalists!) who finished by the challenge by reading and reviewing 6 classic film books:
Andy W.
Angela P.
Breanna M.
Chuck P.
John M.
Jess I.
Kara L.
Karen B.
Molly S.
Nathan J.
Robert B.
Sarah A.
Shawn H.
Woodson H.
These participants were automatically entered into a giveaway to win a single disc Kino Lorber DVD or Blu-Ray of their choice (under $25 USD). Using Random.org I chose three of the finalists and those winners are:
John M.
Molly S.
Robert B.
Here is the final round-up up reviews. Make sure you check out the first and second round-up for more reading delights!
"Although this is an academic book, I do think that it's an accessible one that may appeal to a general reader who is interested in the subject matter."
"If there's one thing I learned about Lauren Bacall that will stay with me after reading her autobiographies it's this: she possessed a steel spine and the confidence to be who she was every moment of her life."
"When Elizabeth Spencer’s 1960 novella “Light in the Piazza” was adapted for film, the movie is nearly identical to the original printed word. This doesn’t often happen."
"a deep, thorough, dive into the making, production, and influence of the film that bridges genres and created an iconic role for one of the great film actresses in history."
"This is a fine book to give as a gift; to put out in the den next to a crackling fire as the snow is falling outdoors, or like for me, to read in early September with 80 degree temperatures and a cold iced tea."
"While we don’t know whether the emotions described in the book are really the way Grace Kelly felt, I think the author taps into Grace’s work and the way she is perceived today."
"One of my favorite things about the book is that Borgnine devotes roughly half of the book to covering many of his films – from the popular to the obscure – sharing his recollections from each."
"A couple of bright spots in the midst of the gloom – I discovered two new-to-me movies by reading the book: Peggy Shannon’s Deluge (1933) and Sidney Fox’s Bad Sister (1931)."
"It opens with her detailed description of taking LSD at the suggestion of Cary Grant. If this doesn’t give you a clue of what kind of wild ride this book would be, I don’t know what will."
"If you’re a fan of Jarman, The Yearling, the San Francisco festival, or just enjoy behind-the-scenes tales of old Hollywood, you’ll enjoy this memoir."
"You can tell that the authors actually love the movies that they pair the recipes with. There is just so much careful attention to detail with the recipes and the films that inspired them."
"I found all the essays and interviews entertaining and informative especially the closing interview with Kevin McCarthy which was surprisingly poignant"
"James Curtis has done a wonderful job with this encompassing volume in illuminating the filmmaking talents and contributions of William Cameron Menzies..."
"As a biography, this book was thoroughly researched, relatively chronological with thematic chapters and very thorough. The writing is engaging but is inevitably weighed down by its subject matter."
"Stenn’s biography of Clara captures her talent as an actress and her alluring star persona while examining Bow’s tumultuous private life that differed wildly from her glamorous screen image."
"Riders of the Purple Sage is a perfect showcase of Zane Grey’s engrossing Western melodramas and the picture of the American West that heavily influenced early Western films. "
"Anyone who loves classic film and is familiar with Utah would also enjoy learning about how Utah became the favorite location of numerous filmmakers."