Ruth's Old Movie Reviews
Have you attended a theatre or cabaret show in Paris? We, sadly, have not. That was something we missed on a trip to Paris many years ago, even though there was much else to enjoy. We were reminiscing about that trip the other day when we re-watched the Doris Day musical April in Paris (1952). Day stars as a chorus … Continue reading →
Well, here’s something we never saw coming: An Alfred Hitchcock movie that doesn’t quite hang together. Number Seventeen (1932) is a thriller about a group of criminals who meet in a vacant house – at #17 – to retrieve a diamond necklace. But! There’s a detective prowling about who may blow the scheme wide open. We in the audience are … Continue reading →
Well, we just watched the 1943 version of Jane Eyre, based on the 1847 novel by Charlotte Brontë. As you know, Jane Eyre (the character) is a strong-willed, free-thinking young woman in Victorian England who clashes with authority and potential suitors alike. She suffers no fools. There have been dozens of film adaptations of Jane Eyre, the first of which … Continue reading →
To celebrate Canada Day this year, we’re watching 10 of the Best Canadian Films from the 1940s. Well, to clarify, these are the best 1940s short films from Canada’s National Film Board (NFB), and one of them is an Oscar winner, believe it or not. These shorts explore Canadian culture, experimental animation, and WWII and its aftermath. Combined, they present … Continue reading →
If you’re in the mood for a good ol’ fashioned Western, here’s a dilly for you. When the Daltons Rode (1940) is a brisk Western about four brothers who become outlaws when pushed too far by a greedy land developer. Get this: It’s based on an actual Old West gang known as the Dalton Brothers. The film stars Randolph Scott … Continue reading →
Dear Reader, we just finished reading a delightful, soon-to-be released novel about Hollywood censorship, and we think you’ll love it. Rough Cuts, by American novelist Glenn R. Miller, is a lighthearted look at the politics of Hollywood film censorship in the mid 1920s, and is told from the perspective of two men. The first is an acclaimed, but aging, Hollywood … Continue reading →
Sometimes we need a film where society’s rules are cheerfully trampled upon. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) is the perfect example of joyful anarchy. The titular character, Ferris Bueller, is a high school senior who, with his girlfriend, fakes an illness to take the day off school. His goal is to cheer up his best friend, a fretful hypochrondiac named … Continue reading →
We (yours truly) can never decide if we’re a fan of 1970s’ cinema. There are some legendary films from the 1970s, but also some productions that are tiresome in their self-importance. One film that falls into the latter category is The Revolutionary (1970), starring Jon Voight as an idealistic university student/ladies’ man who wants to change society in the gentlest … Continue reading →
The best thing about 1930s screwball comedies is the practical solutions they offer for everyday problems. Look at A Bride for Henry (1937). Not only is it an excellent guide for choosing a marriage partner, it has useful advice on getting back at your fiancé. Before we delve further into this business of revenge, there are a few prerequisites: Such … Continue reading →
We just discovered a new (to us) Barbara Stanwyck film, and we can’t wait to share it with you. Internes Can’t Take Money (1937) is a Depression-era film with themes of desperate hope and exploitation. It’s about fulfilling dreams by doing the grunt work it takes. A man studies to become a doctor; a woman searches for her lost child. … Continue reading →