Best Movie Musical
Classic Films
Is there anyone into classic films who doesn’t like Singin’ in the Rain (1952)? Given that 19-year-old Debbie Reynolds had never danced before, and the script had to be written ... Read more
Posts by: David English
Silly Little Irish Story
Classic Films
One of John Ford’s most popular films — The Quiet Man (1952) — almost didn’t happen. According to Jordan R. Young’s book John Ford’s The Quiet Man, Ford first tried ... Read more
Best Film Ever Made?
Classic Films
If you’re going to write about classic films, you have to stick your neck out — and take the chance others will stick their tongues out in response. OK, here ... Read more
Same Only Different
Classic Films
The Awful Truth (1937) is one of the least appreciated of the top screwball comedies, in part because director Leo McCarey isn’t as well known as directors Frank Capra, George ... Read more
The Forgotten Man
Classic Films
While the screwball comedy is a byproduct of the Great Depression, not every screwball comedy reflects the era head-on. My Man Godfrey (1936) is both a spoof of — and ... Read more
Concentric Layers
Classic Films
How can a film be loathed at the time of its release, yet be recognized as great many years later? The answer varies according to each film. In the case ... Read more
Who Cares Whodunit
Classic Films
What if someone created a murder mystery so entertaining you didn’t care who did the murder? That’s the case with The Big Sleep (1946). Based on Raymond Chandler’s first novel, ... Read more
Still There
News
Ten of my Vegas photos are still on display at the Leica Store in Las Vegas. They went up last August, and the plan was for them to be exhibited ... Read more
No Man’s Land
Classic Films
Though the two films are worlds part, Paths of Glory (1957) has a lot in common with Dr. Strangelove (1964). Both were directed by Stanley Kubrick, both are hard-hitting anti-war ... Read more
Falling in Love Again
Classic Films
Ask film buffs about director Josef von Sternberg, and you may receive a blank stare. Others assume that The Blue Angel (1930), his best known film, was probably the work ... Read more
Heaven on Earth
Classic Films
Wim Wender’s Wings of Desire (1987) is an unusual film. It’s the story of the guardian angels who watch over the citizens of Berlin. One angel (named Damiel) yearns to ... Read more
Fragmentary Images
Classic Films
When I think of classic short films, I usually recall the silent comedies of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, or Harold Lloyd. Or I might remember my favorite cartoons from Walt ... Read more
A Question of Balance
Classic Films
What can I say to convince you to see Jean Renoir’s Grand Illusion (1937), if you haven’t already seen it? (If you have already seen it, you won’t need convincing). ... Read more
A Tangible Presence
Classic Films
The Wind (1928) is a high watermark (if you’ll excuse the pun) for both its star and director. Lillian Gish had played mostly innocent waifs in D. W. Griffith’s films. ... Read more
Lasting Impression
Classic Films
What’s better than a chilling ghost story? How about four ghost stories rolled into one? Kwaidan (1965) is based on a collection of Japanese ghost stories published in 1904. The ... Read more