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JUDY GARLAND AND FRED ASTAIRE ON BROADWAY

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When was the last time you watched Fred Astaire or Judy Garland on the giant screen of a movie palace? If you live anywhere near Los Angeles you have that opportunity this coming Saturday when Easter Parade unspools at the majestic Los Angeles Theatre. It’s part of the Los Angeles Conservancy’s annual Last Remaining Seats series, a highlight of every calendar year. I’ll be there to introduce this delightful MGM musical, with its stars in top form and a bevy of tuneful Irving Berlin songs. Future best-selling novelist Sidney Sheldon wrote the screenplay and the score, by Johnny Green and Roger Edens, won an Academy Award. What more could you ask? How about a discount on your ticket price? Read on. The Conservancy’s annual series of classic films in…

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UNWRAPPING ‘THE MUMMY’

Film In Theaters Leonard Maltin Movie Reviews
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Don’t blame Tom Cruise for The Mummy. His star wattage is as high as ever, and he’s well cast as a roguish man of adventure. In fact, The Mummy is actually fun to watch…for a while. But when six writers are credited for a popcorn-type movie it’s usually a sign of trouble, recalling the old axiom about too many cooks in the kitchen. Those half-dozen writers (including such prominent names as David Koepp, Christopher McQuarrie, Jon Spaihts, and director Alex Kurtzman) have devised an intriguing origin story with an exotic female character as the focal point (apparently the contribution of yet another writer, Jenny Lumet) and dressed it up with nifty visual effects. The problem is simple: they don’t know when to quit. What a…

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CHAPLIN BOOKS—NEW AND OLD

Leonard Maltin Movie Reviews
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Charlie Chaplin is my hero, and I’ve read an awful lot about him over the years. Imagine how excited I was to discover new information and observations from a pair of books—one brand new, the other just a few years old. They both deal with his most fruitful creative period, when he produced twelve exceptional comedy shorts for the Mutual company in 1916 -17. He later referred to this as the happiest time of his life, and it shows in his work: films like Easy Street, The Immigrant, The Rink, and The Adventurer will never grow old.     CHARLIE CHAPLIN’S RED LETTER DAYS: AT WORK WITH THE COMIC GENIUS (Rowman and Littlefield) was written one hundred years ago by Charlie’s colleague Fred Goodwins as…

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STUNT MEN IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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We all have wish lists of movies we want to see. For years I’ve been on the lookout for Sons of Adventure (1948). Why this obscure B movie? Because it’s a story about stunt men made by Republic Pictures, the studio that employed the best stunt players in the business in their serials, Westerns and B pictures. What’s more, it was directed by the king of the stunt men, Yakima Canutt, the former rodeo cowboy whose many credits included the chariot race in Ben-Hur (1959). Imagine the possibilities! Now, thanks to Andrea Kalas at Paramount (which owns the Republic library) I can cross this title off my bucket list….but, as so often happens, the film does not live up to expectations. The premise for Sons…

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BRIAN COX BECOMES ‘CHURCHILL’

Film In Theaters Leonard Maltin Movie Reviews
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Brian Cox’s forceful and persuasive performance is the main reason to see Churchill. He is utterly convincing in ultra-closeups of his face as well as wider shots that reveal his body language. The screenplay allows Cox to embody all of the leader’s caprices and contradictions—in his dealings with staff, superiors, his King, and his wife Clementine (Miranda Richardson), whose patience has been depleted. This narrowly focused story takes place in the days leading up to the Allied Invasion of Normandy in 1944. I had no idea that the cigar-chomping Prime Minister was opposed to the landing, known as Operation Overlord, or that he locked horns with Gen. Eisenhower (John Slattery) and Field Marshal Montgomery (Julian Wadham) over this crucial maneuver. Historian Alex von Tunzelmann is…

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I WONDER WHAT’S WRONG WITH ‘WONDER WOMAN’

Film In Theaters Leonard Maltin Movie Reviews
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The only wonder regarding this movie is that it could be so incredibly dull. I keep hoping DC will find a key to unlock the magic inherent in its great cast of characters, but the Midas Touch continues to elude them. We already know that Gal Gadot cuts a striking figure as Diana, aka Wonder Woman, so that’s not the problem. Neither is the origin story, which follows the path laid out by creator William Moulton Marston. In fact, the opening sequence on Paradise Island is the best part of the movie, with majestic Connie Nielsen as Diana’s mother and Robin Wright as the aunt who teaches her warrior skills. This is a woman’s world, and director Patty Jenkins—the first woman given the opportunity to…

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TREASURES FROM THE DISNEY VAULT

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That’s right folks, it’s another installment of Treasures From The Disney Vault on Turner Classic Movies hosted by your truly. They’ve chosen a horse theme this month, you can read more about it HERE. Mickey’s Polo Team is a personal favorite–and if you’ve never seen it before, you’re in for a real treat. It all begins Friday June 2nd at 5pm PST/8pm ET. And in case you haven’t had a chance to listen, here are two wonderful Maltin On Movies podcast epsiodes Jessie and I had the pleasure of recording with Hayley Mills and Richard Sherman. Hayley Mills Richard Sherman Are there any treasures you’re hoping to see on the channel? Leave a comment below and let me know.

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