The Stratton Story, 1949, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Starring James Stewart, June Allyson, Frank Morgan, Agnes Moorhead. Directed by Sam Wood. B&W, 106 minutes. Texas farm boy Monty Stratton (James Stewart) will walk ten miles from his home to pitch in a local …
Tag: 1940s
Blossoms in the Dust
Blossoms in the Dust, 1941, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Starring Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Felix Bressart. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy. Technicolor, 99 minutes. Edna Kahly (Greer Garson) and her sister Charlotte (Marsha Hunt) are both to be married, hoping for a double wedding. …
Little Women (1949)
Little Women, 1949, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Starring June Allyson, Janet Leigh, Elizabeth Taylor, Margaret O’Brien, Mary Astor. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy. Technicolor, 121 minutes. As the Civil War rages, the March family– sisters Meg (Janet Leigh), Jo (June Allyson), Amy (Elizabeth Taylor), …
Penny Serenade
Penny Serenade, 1941, Columbia Pictures. Starring Cary Grant, Irene Dunne. Directed by George Stevens. B&W, 120 minutes. In a series of flashbacks, brought to mind by favorite songs, Julie Adams (Irene Dunne) recollects the story of her marriage to Roger …
Julia Misbehaves
London showgirl Julia Packett has some unconventional methods for getting by. Although she's married to wealthy William Packett, they've been separated for years, and she has always refused to accept any money from him. Instead, she resorts to conning it …
The Sea Hawk
The Sea Hawk, 1940, Warner Bros. Starring Errol Flynn, Brenda Marshall, Claude Rains. Directed by Michael Curtiz. B&W, 128 minutes. It is 1585, and Spain is in the process of overtaking and ruling the world. King Philip II of Spain …
Heaven Can Wait (1943)
Heaven Can Wait, 1943, 20th Century Fox. Starring Don Ameche, Gene Tierney, Charles Coburn. Directed by Ernst Lubitsch. Technicolor, 114 minutes. An elderly Henry Van Cleve (Don Ameche) has met his demise, and believing he is not fit for heaven, …
Mrs. Parkington
There is no family wealthier than the Parkingtons, and the clan has gathered together for Christmas. The youngest of the family, Jane, confides in her great-grandmother, Susie Parkington, that she plans to elope with one of her father's employees, Ned. …
The Bells of St. Mary’s
The Bells of St. Mary’s, 1945, RKO Pictures. Starring Bing Crosby, Ingrid Bergman. Directed by Leo McCarey. B&W, 126 minutes. Father Chuck O’Malley (Bing Crosby, in a reprisal of his role from Going My Way) has been assigned to pastor …
It’s a Wonderful Life
It’s a Wonderful Life, 1946, RKO Radio Pictures. Starring James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore. Directed by Frank Capra. B&W, 130 minutes. Colorized version also available. Local boy George Bailey (James Stewart) is at a crossroads, and how he got …
Classic for a Reason 