It’s 2019 and I’m writing about an 80-year-old-film taking in $1 million in a single day at the box office. This past Sunday. Simply stupendous! Yesterday it was announced that the Sunday, January 28, 2019 80th anniversary TCM Big Screen Classics presentation of The Wizard of Oz set a record for Fathom Events as the highest-grossing…
Category Archives: Classic Movies
TCM Chapter Off to See the Wizard
Yesterday the Raleigh/Cary TCM Backlot Chapter was off to see the 80th anniversary TCM Big Screen Classics screening of The Wizard of Oz (1939). Before the show I made the acquaintance of a six-year-old Wicked Witch of the Popcorn seeing the movie for the first time in a theater with her aunt. We had a…
Tidbits: Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers
Are there any more iconic shoes in film history than Dorothy’s ruby slippers? Lovers of The Wizard of Oz (1939) movie surely cannot imagine Dorothy’s slippers being any color other than ruby red, but originally they weren’t. In the book, they are silver. The Silver Shoes are only mentioned in the original The Wizard of…
Indelible Impression: Funny Girl
I came across this iconic image today, and it made my day. Funny Girl (1968) is one of my favorite films; Barbra Streisand a favorite performer. This wonderfully captioned photo from the film made me think about all of the unforgettable moments, the great lines, the memorable scenes from the movies that have made an…
Tidbits: The Wizard of Oz
Readying to see the 80th Anniversary screening of The Wizard of Oz (1939) this month, I sought out some IMDB film trivia. Here are some tidbits I found intriguing, related to wardrobe and costume makeup. When the wardrobe department was looking for a coat for Frank Morgan (Prof. Marvel/The Wizard), it decided it wanted one that looked like…
The Wizardry of Frank Morgan
When TCM features the 80th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz (1939) later this month, Frank Morgan will take the spotlight as the title character of the beloved movie. Indeed he will always be remembered as Professor Marvel/The Wizard in one of the most famous films ever made. But my favorite performance of Frank Morgan’s,…
The His and the Girl Friday in His Girl Friday
His Girl Friday (1940) starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell has long held a place on my list of favorite films. For many years I was a slightly obsessed Cary Grant fan, so I watched the movie for his portrayal of newspaper editor Walter Burns. I focused on the His in the movie as a Cary…
2019 TCM Big Screen Classics Schedule
The 2019 TCM Big Screen Classics schedule has been released, and it’s going to be an epic year! Here’s the line up, chock full of anniversary showings: January 2019 The Wizard of Oz (1939) – 80th Anniversary from Warner Bros. Sunday, January 27 – 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. local timeTuesday, January 29 – 7:00 p.m. local timeWednesday, January 30 – 7:00 p.m. local time February 2019 My Fair…
Truly a White Christmas
Sadly the outing of the Raleigh/Cary TCM Backlot Chapter to see the TCM Big Screen Classics presentation of White Christmas was cancelled on Sunday, December 9, 2018 due to, quite fittingly, snow, snow, snow, snow, snow. Snow It won’t be long before we’ll all be there with snow Snow I want to wash my hands,…
TCM Classic Film Tour in NYC: It’s a Must!
I recently took the TCM Classic Film Tour in New York City and cannot recommend it enough! It was a great way to spend a Saturday morning in the city. The tour took three hours and was led by the very professional guide, Jason Silverman. Trained by Robert Osborne himself to lead this tour for…