Classic and James Bond films unite
As with Love Story, I had never heard of Footsteps in the Fog. Perhaps this is because the film has been overshadowed by similar outings such as Gaslight (1944), The Lodger (1944) and Dragonwyck (1946). But this should not be so, as Footsteps in the Fog is just as impressive as its similarly gothic predecessors. It has the same paranoid, moody atmosphere, the same intensely psychological storyline,… Continue reading The Poison of Thine Lips: Stewart Granger in Footsteps in the Fog (1955)
I came across Love Story by chance when I purchased the ITV boxset of Margaret Lockwood's films. I bought it because I wanted to see The Wicked Lady, as I had been very unimpressed by the Michael Winner remake, but had been told the original was wonderful. And then, also quite by coincidence, I listened to a bonus episode… Continue reading Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May: Stewart Granger in ‘Love Story’ (1944)
I can't remember how I first discovered Now Voyager. It just seems to have come into my life and never left. There are movies like that. They become lifelong treasures, friends that you can visit whether you're feeling triumphant or lonely. Now Voyager has been like that for me. Whether I'm on the top of the world like Charlotte… Continue reading The Pain of metamorphosis: Bette Davis in ‘Now Voyager’
Watching a film where Bette Davis plays the female lead is really something. From Now Voyager to Jezebel, Bette never put a foot wrong. But seeing her play both female leads. Well that's really something. And she did it twice, almost twenty years apart, in A Stolen Life and Dead Ringer, in which she played identical twin sisters. And while both of these… Continue reading Walking through the looking glass: Bette Davis in ‘A Stolen Life’ and ‘Dead Ringer’
Doris Day is an actress who I've always known about but only recently really become aware of. I seem to be saying that a lot lately. Remember John Barrymore? It's rather strange really, because Doris was not only admired by my gran, but also has the distinction of being the biggest box office draw in… Continue reading Calamity Doris
This post does discuss some sensitive subjects that may be potentially triggering. So please read on at your own risk of maybe unleashing an evil alter ego. Ya just never know. Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novel has become one of the most famous novels of the English literary canon. It has been adapted numerous times… Continue reading The Doctor and the Demon: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1920)
Sharpe, which ran from 1993 to 1997 with fourteen episodes and then had two specials in 2006 and 2008, is one of my absolute favourite British television series. It's right up there with Agatha Christie's Poirot and Morse for me as an example of a series that is not only quintessentially British, but quintessential quality. This is largely to do… Continue reading Viva la Sharpe: Sharpe’s Revenge
Edie Sedgwick was an icon of the 1960s, even though her star shone incredibly brightly for barely a year. She was Andy Warhol's It Girl of 1965, and made several movies with him, the most famous of which is probably Poor Little Rich Girl, which was partly autobiographical for Edie. Edie's life was marred by tragedy and mental illness.… Continue reading The Girl with the Silver Hair
Laird Cregar has been on the periphery for me for a good while, but for some reason, I just never actively sought out his films. This was despite my admiration for his portrayal of the sleazy, cowardly, mint popping secondary villain in This Gun For Hire, which was his second film with my absolute favourite actor, Alan… Continue reading The Loveliness of Laird: Discovering the Films of Laird Cregar
I am pleased to say that I will be writing about a truly memorable villainess for The Great Villain Blogathon hosted by Shadows and Satin, Speakeasy and Silver Screenings. So please watch this space!
Pale Writer 