80th Anniversary

I was introduced to How Green Was My Valley through Frasier (and no one was surprised). There’s an episode where Frasier goes to several different video rental stores just to find this one movie — How Green Was My Valley.…

Two of my favorite actors are James Stewart and Cary Grant, so The Philadelphia Story is one of my favorite movies. Yet, I’m not blind to the fact that this movie…hasn’t really aged well. In the…

Pinocchio (1940) celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, which is astounding to me. It’s staggering to think that animation has been around for well over 80 years at this point, let alone Disney being relevant for a similar…

It’s been 80 years since my beloved Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) was released, but its message still rings true: politics sucks. Unless, of course, James Stewart is your senator. Then everything is great! But let’s…

For some people, The Wizard of Oz is all about the timeless characters. For others, it’s the classic songs. And for many, it’s a green menace who left generations of kids with nightmares. The Wicked…

Actress Lauren Bacall, from the classics To Have and Have Not (1944) and The Big Sleep (1946), is the quintessential noir actress — and an embodiment of director Howard Hawks’ ideal woman. The type she…

Stagecoach (1939) features a man many have come to know and idolize, one who made a significant mark on hardcore, iconic American cinema. This, of course, was John Wayne. The “Duke” had an acting career…