The Classic Film and TV Cafe is a blog devoted to classic movies and television series, ranging from the silent film era to the 1980s. Come into the Cafe and join in the conversation!
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Boone as David Wilkerson. Based on the 1963 autobiography, The Cross and the Switchblade (1970) tells the true story of David Wilkerson (Pat Boone), a small-town Pennsylvania pastor who moves to New York City to minister to gang members and drug addicts amidst the violent, crime-ridden streets of the late 1960s. Facing intense hostility, Wilkerson attempts to bring a message of hope to rival…
Robert Donat as Chips. Based on James Hilton's novella, Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) follows the life of Mr. Charles Chipping (Robert Donat), a shy and somewhat rigid Latin teacher at the English boys’ school Brookfield. Early in his career, he struggles to connect with students and colleagues, remaining an unremarkable figure—until a chance meeting changes everything. While on holiday in the Alps,…
We have described the 15 movies below in one sentence. Your task is simple: Name the movie! As always, please answer no more than three questions per day so more people can play and have fun. Try not to research your answers as it'd be pretty easy to google the plot and get a film's title. Note that all these movies are connected...and it's a pretty obvious connection. 1. A troubled con artist…
Connie Francis & Harve Presnell. When the Boys Meet the Girls (1965). What possessed a Hollywood producer to pitch a 1960s update of the George and Ira Gershwin stage musical Girl Crazy starring Connie Francis, Liberace, Louis Armstrong, Herman's Hermits, and Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs? We may never know. But shockingly, the movie was made and now we can experience When the Boys Meet the Girls .…
Hayley Mills and Hywel Bennett. These days, The Family Way (1966) is best-known for featuring one of Hayley Mills' first grown-up roles and a music score by Paul McCartney. Viewers expecting a song-laden soundtrack by McCartney will be disappointed. It's a pretty pedestrian instrumental score, to be honest, though notable because Paul did it while still a Beatle. On the other hand, Hayley Mills…
Stanley Baker as Captain Langford. Set during the Burma Campaign of World War II, Yesterday’s Enemy (1959) follows a small, exhausted remnant of a British Army brigade struggling to escape through the jungle after being cut off by advancing Japanese forces. Led by the hard-edged Captain Alan Langford (Stanley Baker), the group stumbles upon a village held by the Japanese and seizes control after a…
Richard Greene as Robin Hood. Sandwiched between The Men of Sherwood Forest (1954) and A Challenge for Robin Hood (1967), Hammer Films produced Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960). This action opus about the legendary English outlaw stands out for one big reason: It stars Richard Greene, famous for playing the title role in The Adventures of Robin Hood TV series. As all Robin Hood fans know, that's…
We love classic cinema throughout the year, but Saturday, May 16th, is a special opportunity to share that love with others. It's the 12th annual National Classic Movie Day! Here are 12 ways that you can celebrate this wonderful day: Host a Watch Party : Gather friends or family to watch a favorite classic film. You can make it special by creating a "theatrical" atmosphere with dim lighting, cozy…
Pat Boone. Pat Boone as a bad boy? Well, he doesn't really play a bad boy in April Love (1957), but his character Nick is sentenced to probation after being arrested for joyriding in Chicago. To keep him out of trouble, his mother sends Nick to his uncle's rural Kentucky farm. Aunt Henrietta welcomes him, but Uncle Jed (Arthur O'Connell) isn't so sure about the big city troublemaker. Nick feels…
Ida Lupino as Emily Bronte. With a top-flight cast, rich source material, and high production values, Devotion (1946) has all the makings of a classic film biography of the Bronte sisters. And yet, when "The End" finally flashed on the screen, all I could do was ponder how things went so terribly wrong. It's not a dreadful movie, mind you--but it's inaccurate, inconsiderate, and empty. The…
