When it comes to Roman epics, I usually figure they are going to be big productions full of battles and bloodshed. Underwater musical numbers are not usually on the docket. However, for the 1955 Cinemascope spectacle Jupiter’s Darling, the star is Esther Williams. She’s gonna get we at some point. Heck, she could’ve starred in…
The Cry Baby Killer, released in 1958, is one of those films that is mentioned from time to time but that very few people have actually seen. It has one big claim to fame, it is the film debut of one Jack Nicholson. We always say that everyone has to start somewhere, but in this…
Living here in Colorado, the Air Force is a big deal for us. I drive past a pretty large Air Force base on my way to work every day, and just about 60 miles to the south is the Air Force Acaemy in Colorado Springs. Back when today’s film was released, the Air Force still…
Growing up in the Chicago area we had a program that aired on Sunday afternoons called Family Classics. The kindly host Frazier Thomas, who also was on Bozo’s Circus, would introduce the films sitting in a big chair in front of a fireplace. I’m pretty sure that I saw a portion of today’s movie on…
I know that Frank Sinatra appeared in a lot of movies, but I never think of him as a movie star. His role in Guys and Dolls makes sense. After all, it’s a musical and he was a singer. He doesn’t sing in The Manchurian Candidate, but he’s well suited to that role. I definitely…
When it comes to movie musicals, there are certain titles that have become iconic. The Sound of Music…The Wizard of Oz…Singin’ in the Rain…and, of course, I Love Melvin! (Insert sound of needle scratching off a record here). Okay, maybe not that last one. Coming just a year after the release of what I, and…
When Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis first started in the movie biz, their contract with Paramount Pictures was such that they were able to make one film away from the studio each year through their own production company. The team’s first film, My Friend Irma, was a hit and a sequel went into production, but…
