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Archive for the ‘New Articles’ Category

Film School for Spielberg — One Night Stand

14 Nov

35mm THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938 version) at the Vista, Los Feliz

DATE AND TIME
Sat, November 17, 2018

10:30 AM – 1:00 PM PST

Vista Theatre

4473 Sunset Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90027

www.eventbrite.com…

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2018 10:30am: THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938, dir by Michael Curtis, 35mm, Warner Brothers, USA)

Yeah, that’s right: THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. No one has ever
come close to the swash-buckling joy and pure cinematic ecstasy of
Michael Curtiz’s 1938 masterpiece starring Errol Flynn, Olivia De Havilland, Claude Rains, and Basil Rathbone.

If you’ve never seen this version of the movie, you’ve never seen ROBIN HOOD. The movie quite possibly served as a single movie film school for much of the visual language of Steven Spielberg. Sword fights are played almost exclusively in shadow against walls. Action sequences are filled with bursts of expertly choreographed movement to and from the camera. But the whole movie holds together because of the glue of the great charismatic performances from all its leads.

Widely celebrated, director Michael Curtiz had a ridiculously talented grasp of cinematic language, blocking, action, style. If one wants to learn how to make a rip-roaring adventure movie, one studies Michael Curtiz. And this programmer suspects that Steven Spielberg spent a lot of time studying Curtiz before making such swashbucklers as JAWS and RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.

Join us for 102 minutes of pure adventurous joy as lovable rogue Robin Hood (Errol Flynn) romances the beautiful and clever Maid Marion (the luminous Olivia De Havilland), fights the corruption of the selfish Prince Guy (the ever reliable scoundrel, Claude Rains) and crosses swords with the nefarious and murderous Sir Guy (Flynn’s regular foil, Basil Rathbone).

Filled with classic sequences of irrepressible energy and verve, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD is one of the all-time great adventure movies.

— Tim

 

Classic Film Blunders: Pulling Plugs & Slipping Disks

05 Nov

FANS DUMBSTRUCK OVER FILMSTRUCK

“RIP FilmStruck, one of classic cinema’s last refuges in the streaming era”

“The beloved destination for foreign films, art-house discoveries, and movies from Hollywood’s Golden Age is shutting down.”

www-vox-com.cdn.ampproject.org…

“On the news that FilmStruck has been struck down, fans — including Hollywood directors Barry Jenkins, Guillermo del Toro and Rian Johnson — vented their shock, sadness and anger on social media.”

“FilmStruck will cease operations on Nov. 29 after two years in operation, Turner and Warner Bros. Digital Networks announced Friday.”

“The service hosted hundreds of classic, arthouse, indie and foreign films.”

variety.com…

“On Friday, the FilmStruck site posted this message: “We regret to inform you that FilmStruck will be shutting down. Our last day of service will be November 29, 2018, and we are currently no longer enrolling new subscribers. All current FilmStruck subscribers will receive an email with details about your account and the refund process as applicable.”

variety.com…

“The question that now remains hovering in the air is where are the film connoisseurs and the film fans of the future going to encounter the classics of yester-year, the films which still routinely inspire today’s directors.”

www.eadt.co.uk/ea-life/can-film-classics-survive-the-streaming-age-and-the-end-of-dvd-1-5761036…

— Tim

 

(Not So) Confidential

28 Oct

www-wsj-com.cdn.ampproject.org…

 

“We all read it,” Marlene Dietrich said, “not because it was any good . . . but to find out if we were in it.”

Errol Flynn came to Los Angeles in hopes of testifying against the magazine. Many stars fled the town and country.

 

— Tim

 

In Like Indiana Flynn?

10 Oct

www.theguardian.com…

“GOOD OLD-FASHIONED ENTERTAINMENT”

“A FUN FILM, CONSTRUCTED IN A SMART WAY”

“A DELIGHTFUL (FOUR-STAR) RAPID-FIRE ROMP”

youtu.be/fdENaF78vRU…

— Tim

 

Not In Like Flynn?

09 Oct

A Tepid Tribute? A Wishy-Washy Swashbuckler? A Faux-Flynn Flim Flam? A B-movie Bomb?

www.canberratimes.com…

m.flicks.com…

— Tim

 

A Star is Born – Again

08 Oct

And Hollywood’s Gone Ga Ga.

tinyurl.com…

How good could Flynn have been as Norman Maine? Great. Better than all the rest, I believe.
(As long as they didn’t make him sing!)

Flynn’s Film? Errol’s Oscar?

ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR (AND FIVE?)

tinyurl.com…

Ga Ga Land (2018)

Not So Funny Girl (1976)

Judy Judy Judy (1954)

Hooray for Hollywood? (1937)

The First Star is Born? (1932)

Who do you think is best in the leading roles?

Constance Bennett, Janet Gaynor, Judy Garland, Barbara Streisand, or Lady Ga Ga?

Lowell Sherman, Fredric March, Janes Mason, Kris Kristofferson, Bradley Cooper?

Do you agree with this ranking?

tinyurl.com…

— Tim

 

Supreme Court Justice

07 Oct

No, not that Supreme Court Justice. The justice being sought from the Supreme Court in the just-filed ODH v. FX.

pagesix-com.cdn.ampproject.org…

P.S. I’m not sure all the justices will be able to keep up with our Lady O.

img.washingtonpost.com…

— Tim

 

In Eirinn Like Flynn

03 Oct

“Many stories have circulated about Errol’s visits to Belfast, the most repeated (and uncorroborated!) tales are about the excitement he caused at local dances, packed with adoring girls who’d heard that Flynn was to grace their Saturday-night bop!”

www.newsletter.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/potential-links-between-a-local-first-world-war-hero-and-an-american-civil-war-ship-1-8655123…

“Ian Rippey, Secretary of the Co Armagh Wildlife Society, reckons that Flynn definitely visited Belfast, and has information about a positive sighting. And Mr Rippey’s letter ended with an intriguing postscript: “Captain Thomas Blood…had Irish Presbyterian if not Ulster connections.” But first, Ian explained why he’s sure that Flynn came to Belfast.”

“A Miss Rene Liggett of Armagh informed me a good few years ago that she remembered seeing Errol Flynn at Queen’s University, Belfast, when she was a student. I assume that she studied biology under Errol Flynn’s father…I knew Miss Liggett from when I joined the Armagh Field Naturalists Society (now the Co Armagh Wildlife Society) in 1974 until her death. I don’t know whether “Miss Liggett saw Errol Flynn only once or on a number of occasions. All she said was that she had seen him…Miss Liggett died in a nursing home some years ago.”

www.newsletter.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/famous-fictional-pirate-based-on-irish-double-agent-who-stole-crown-jewels-1-8245783…

— Tim

 

Friends @ The Old House

25 Sep

Singing legend and Errol’s friend, John McCormack, has a new album!

amp-irishexaminer-com.cdn.ampproject.org…

McCormack is widely regarded Ireland’s greatest ever singer and was, in his day, the equivalent in classical terms, of Elvis or the Beatles. He made over 600 recordings across opera, Irish folk, religious music and songs from Russia, Germany, Italy and France.

He settled in America where his friends included the likes of Errol Flynn and John Barrymore. He built “San Patrizio”, in Runyon Park, where Errol later lived when it was known as “The Pines” (featured very prominently as Errol’s estate in the final scene of the movie “Breathless” with Richard Gere.)

McCormack’s left LA in 1938, intending to return to his beloved San Patrizio, but never made it back, due apparently to WWII and ensuing illness. A&P heir, and In with Flynn man, Huntington Hartford, subsequently purchased the property, with Errol famously residing there late in his own life.

“The Old House” may have been McCormack’s last recording. Perhaps it was partially inspired by and/or invoked memories of San Patrizio.

Here are great photos of the old estate:

hollywoodphotographs.com…

THE OLD HOUSE by Runyon Canyon resident, John McCormack
(Not to be confused with This Ole House by Mulholland Farm resident, Stuart Hamblen)

— Tim

 

See Errol Flynn’s Ghost!

20 Sep

Sunday in Jersey City!

www.errolflynnsghost.com…

articles-nj-com.cdn.ampproject.org…

— Tim