r/oldmovies

Watched Niagara (1953) for the first time last night. Can’t believe it’s taken me this long to see this film.

Marilyn Monroe is absolutely the standout. She’s gorgeous, of course, but there’s so much more to her performance than that. She brings a real sense of danger and vulnerability to the role. Whenever she’s on screen, you can’t help but watch her.
The Technicolor is also stunning. Everything looks so rich and vibrant and the filmmakers make fantastic use of Niagara Falls as a location. The falls aren’t just pretty scenery they become an important part of the atmosphere and the story itself.

I also really enjoy the pacing. The plot takes its time building the suspense but it never feels slow and everything gradually comes together in a really satisfying way.

Just a gorgeous, entertaining piece of classic Hollywood filmmaking. And honestly, seeing Marilyn Monroe in all that beautiful Technicolor is reason enough to watch it.

A deliciously clever British mystery with an almost absurdly good cast. Alistair Sim, Robert Newton and Trevor Howard are all terrific, with Newton bringing his usual volatile charm and Howard wonderfully brooding. Alistair Sim's eccentric Inspector Cockrill really is having a ball, everyone is on top form. It's really a cracking little thriller: witty, atmospheric and beautifully acted. One you'll recommend, just like i am now! ✌️😊

My plans for the evening ! I'll leave a comment tomorrow to let you know what I thought of it. (As usual, I'm watching it in French). The channel is following up with Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943).

Just watched Tarzan’s Fight for Life (1958), and this one is pure old-school adventure fun! Gordon Scott makes for a pretty good Tarzan. The story is pretty straightforward, but there’s plenty of jungle action, colorful characters, animals, and peril to keep things moving. The Technicolor is gorgeous, too, and the whole thing has that wonderfully pulpy MGM adventure-movie feel. It’s not exactly high art, but it’s an entertaining way to spend an afternoon. And honestly, sometimes that’s all you need from a Tarzan movie!

My dad ran the station theater at a very small military base for a year, and came back with this stack of lobby cards, mostly from the 60s. Drama, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Romance, Action, Musicals ... about 150 in all, I think. I pulled some to search for on streaming, but haven't watched more than 4 or 5 yet.

I knew this existed! I'd fished around for answers on reddit and most offered up Hawk the Slayer, but this is it! It popped up on my FB feed out of nowhere. It's got the magic bow with the big red stone! It turns out it was going to be a series but failed to launch so they rolled it into a movie and it aired once!

Does anyone else remember this questionable endeavor ?

Kiss the Blood Off My Hands — great recommendation. What a strange, grubby little film.

Burt Lancaster basically swedgin his way through a supposedly post-war London underworld, looking like he could either punch through a brick wall or pull people limb from limb.. i mean, eventually, he gets sentenced to prison and to the cat-o'-nine-tails!! — nine knotted cords used as a flogging whip. Not exactly community service. and yes it was a thing, that and birch

And then Robert Newton turns up and completely owns the fucking thing. What a man. He had that extraordinary ability to make a character seem like he'd been dragged in from some genuinely disreputable pub rather than written in a screenplay. There's something wonderfully unhinged about him.

Apparently Newton was a pretty serious character behind the scenes too — he'd insist on two days' notice before shooting so he could get himself properly into character. Lancaster and producer Harold Hecht were apparently so impressed with him that they were already looking at another film for him while they wethere still editing this one.

Also fascinating how much of that grim London was actually Hollywood pretending to be London. Somehow they pull it off.

Really enjoyed this one. Properly tough, atmospheric noir, and Newton is fucking brilliant in it.

Watched My Man Godfrey (1936) again today, and it remains one of the sharpest, funniest screwball comedies ever made. William Powell is charming as the forgotten man who turns the tables on high society, while Carole Lombard delivers one of the most lovable performances of the era. Beneath the sparkling wit is a surprisingly thoughtful story about class, dignity, and second chances. A true classic that only gets better with every viewing.

Fun bit of trivia: this episode was written by Robert Bloch, author of Psycho, and got banned by the show’s own sponsor for being too dark for 1962 primetime. Full story in the comments if anyone’s curious.

“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” (S7) is one of the more obscure entries in the Hitchcock Presents catalog, and there’s a good reason for that: it never aired. Robert Bloch — who wrote the novel Psycho two years earlier — wrote the script, and Revlon, the show’s sponsor, decided it was too dark and gruesome for their audience and pulled it before broadcast.

It’s also one of only two episodes of the entire series that’s in the public domain, which is the only reason most people can watch it today.

Cast-wise it’s a strange mix: Larry Kert (Broadway’s original Tony in West Side Story) as a trapeze artist, and Diana Dors (“the British Marilyn Monroe”) as a scheming character named Irene. The ending is one of the better twists in the whole seven-year run.

Full breakdown + the episode itself here: https://youtu.be/qS8hG-GC-yE?is=K05gzIqiztGF9RBv Has this one come up here before? It seems to fly under the radar even among people who know the show well.