Houdini

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...

The Pride and the Passion

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...

I Love Melvin

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...

At War with the Army

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...