Posted in 1953, Budd Boetticher, Festivals, screenings, Glenn Ford, Julie Adams, Universal (-International) on February 22, 2013 | 3 Comments »
To mark the anniversary of the siege of the Alamo, The Egyptian is running Budd Boetticher’s The Man From The Alamo (1953), starring Glenn Ford and Julie Adams.
It’s good. It’s in 35mm. And Miss Adams will be in attendance.
Saturday, February 23, 7:30PM
The Egyptian Theatre
6712 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90028
Posted in 1953, 1954, 3-D, Budd Boetticher, Jack Arnold, Julie Adams, Technical, Universal (-International), Van Heflin on October 17, 2012 | 8 Comments »
The 3-D Film Archive has posted a terrific new article, “An In-Depth Look At Creature From The Black Lagoon.” This is a site that just keeps getting better and better — be sure to check out their history of the early-50s widescreen race.
Going beyond Creature, the article covers Universal’s contributions to 3-D technology and widescreen exhibition, which I found fascinating. I also didn’t realize that by the time of Creature‘s release, the 3-D fad was already dying out, and many of its bookings were flat. (It’s amazing they even bothered with 3-D for Revenge Of The Creature.)
They also review the new 3-D Blu-ray edition of Creature From The Black Lagoon, appearing in the eight-disc set Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection. I’ve heard many positive things about the film’s new transfer, but was alarmed to learn here of its re-convergence — director Jack Arnold’s unique, deeper effects set it apart from other 3-D pictures.
Since Julie Adams stars in Creature, I opted for a couple stills from one of her other Universal 3-D films, Wings Of The Hawk (1953). It co-stars Van Heflin and was directed by Budd Boetticher. Sadly, it’s very hard to see these days.
Speaking of Miss Adams, have you read her book?
Posted in Julie Adams, Television on July 3, 2012 | 8 Comments »
Here in North Carolina, we won’t know what to do without Andy Griffith. He passed away early this morning.
The Andy Griffith Show became a bit of a problem for both Andy and his home state — creating images neither could live up to. But when you ignore all that, his show was one of the best TV ever offered (maybe the best) — and since many episodes were based on his recollections of life in and around Mount Airy, he has to be one of the best story men the medium has ever known.
Andy’s seen here with Julie Adams in a 1962 episode (“The County Nurse”) of The Andy Griffith Show. About a quarter mile from where I type this, there’s a statue of Andy and Opie, a gift to Raleigh from TV Land. Wonder if the flowers have started showing up yet?
Stephen Bowie, another North Carolinian, is as shaken up as I am. Our local CBS affiliate obviously had an obituary in waiting. It covers a lot of ground.
Posted in 1953, Julie Adams, Universal (-International) on June 4, 2012 | 32 Comments »
In a recent post on the Fox MOD program, there were considerable comments on Tyrone Power. In one of those, Blake Lucas called Power’s U-I Western The Mississippi Gambler (1953) “in its art direction and Technicolor photography, as well as romantic melodrama, a definitive 1950s Universal-International movie. Hey, both Julie Adams and Piper Laurie (who has the better female role) are in it.”
The brought up a question I’m sure we can debate for a while — What picture would you dust off to show someone what a 50s Universal Western is?
Posted in 1952, Books, Julie Adams, Raoul Walsh, Rock Hudson, Universal (-International) on February 2, 2012 | 5 Comments »
Been making my way through Julie Adams’ book The Lucky Southern Star, taking it slow so I can really enjoy it rather than blaze through it and wish it was twice as thick. I recommend the book highly.
It gets a lot of flak for various things, but I think The Lawless Breed(1952) is a terrific picture. You can’t team up Adams, Raoul Walsh, John McIntire and Rock Hudson and not come away with something worthwhile. It has a beauty to it, with a debt to Director of Photography Irving Glassberg, that makes it special. We can also thank Universal for giving it a lovely transfer for DVD.
In the book, Julie gives us this story about making the film:
“In one of the saloon scenes, a number of character actors were lined up drinking at the bar. One bearded fellow was puffing madly away on a giant cigar, with puffs of smoke rising up towards the ceiling. The camera was rolling, the scene was going on and suddenly our director shouted, “Cut! His muff is on fire!”
Could that be him in the shot below?
Posted in 1952, Ads, posters & art, Anthony Mann, Jimmy Stewart, Julie Adams, Rock Hudson, Universal (-International) on December 31, 2011 | 2 Comments »
These don’t require much explanation. It’s the cover and one spread from the original program for Anthony Mann’s Bend Of The River (1952). Click on ‘em, they get bigger. Enjoy.
Posted in 1959, Character actors, Joel McCrea, Julie Adams on October 12, 2011 | 16 Comments »
Over the last couple nights, I’ve spent some time — hours of it — digging around The Timothy Carey Experience. It’s a terrific blog, full of images and video of Carey’s many parts in TV and movies — from his uncredited walk-ons in stuff like Hellgate (1952) to substantial parts in The Killing (1956) and The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie (1976). And plenty of shows like CHiPs and Columbo. (Why wasn’t he ever in The Rockford Files?)
Timothy Carey is one of my favorite character actors, and he’s never less than mesmerizing. In the early days of his career, he gave unhinged performances in regular roles. Somewhere along the way, casting people starting putting him in parts meant to be unhinged — Lord High ‘N Low in Head (1968), for instance.
He’s seen above in an uncredited appearance in The Gunfight At Dodge City (1959). You know Joel McCrea has his work cut out for him when he’s trying to clean up a town where Timothy Carey wears a badge. The Gunfight At Dodge City is a good little Western, by the way. Great cast — McCrea, Julie Adams, John McIntire, Nancy Gates, Carey, etc., good ‘Scope cinematography and direction by the always-reliable Joseph M. Newman. (The DVD of it looks good, too.)
Posted in 1952, Anthony Mann, Festivals, screenings, Jimmy Stewart, Julie Adams, Universal (-International) on October 6, 2011 | 5 Comments »
Laura posted about an upcoming appearance by Julie Adams at The Egyptian Theater on October 27th where Bend Of The River (1952) and The Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954, in 3-D no less) will be shown. Miss Adams will be signing copies of her new book, The Lucky Southern Star: Reflections From the Black Lagoon, which I’m dying to get my hands on.
These are two of my favorite films, and I can’t think of a better way to spend an evening. Laura, my Creature Pez dispenser and I are really jealous.
