The End Of The Affair(1955)

One of Deborah Kerr's greatest performances can be found in this British-American film adapted from the 1951 novel of the same name by Graham Greene. The novel is partly based on Greene’s own love affair with Lady Catherine Walston and he dedicated the novel to her. The film is directed by one of my favourite Noir…

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A Tree Grows In Brooklyn(1945)

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn is a deeply moving coming of age story in which a child comes to perceive the adults in her life very differently to how she has done so previously. It is also a tale in which the cruelness of reality encroaches upon the dreams and aspirations of individuals and crushes them…

Stray Dog(1949)

“He felt he would suffocate on the bus. A baby was crying. The cheap perfume of the woman next to him was nauseating.” This voiceover is heard almost three minutes into the film as we see Toshiro Mifune’s young detective Murakami squashed together with fellow passengers on an overcrowded bus hurtling through the streets of…

The Master Of Suspense Blogathon Arrives!

Hitch stands by his films. Welcome to the first edition of what I hope will become an annual celebration of the work of the director Alfred Hitchcock. The event begins today on the anniversary of Hitchcock's death in 1980. Check back to this page over the weekend to read all the entries as they come…

Foreign Correspondent(1940)

Foreign Correspondent was the second film that Alfred Hitchcock made in America following his adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier's novel Rebecca(1940). These days it's become something of an overlooked and underappreciated entry in Hitchcock's filmography, which is a great shame because it has a lot going for it and contains two of the most memorable…

Rope(1948)

Rope is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s most macabre and daring films. It is best remembered today as the director's experimental film that was seemingly shot all in one take. It wasn’t well received upon release and it is still considered a somewhat weaker Hitchcock film by some fans and critics. I've never been of this opinion…

The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers(1946)

The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers was directed by Lewis Milestone(All Quiet On The Western Front, Edge Of Darkness)and produced by Hal B. Wallis. The screenplay by Robert Rossen and the uncredited Robert Riskin was based upon the short story Love Lies Bleeding by John Patrick. When filming commenced, Milestone would leave the set for…

Sherlock Jr(1924)

Sherlock Jr is a timeless gem and one of Buster Keaton's greatest achievements as an actor, stuntman and director.  The film may well only last for 45 minutes but it manages to be more stunning, inventive and memorable than many a film which lasts for several hours.   The name is Holmes. Buster Holmes. Sherlock Jr…

Announcing The Master Of Suspense Blogathon

I think it's high time that we had another Blogathon. This time I'm inviting you all to join me to celebrate the work of the Master of Suspense, Mr. Alfred Hitchcock. For the purposes of this event you can write about any of Hitchcock's films, his British films versus his American ones, his series Alfred…

My Two Favourite Danny Kaye Films

Danny Kaye(1911-1987). Image source Wikimedia Commons. Danny Kaye was a man of many talents. He was a brilliant dancer, a gifted comedian(both in terms of delivering funny dialogue as well as performing physical comedy), he was also a terrific singer, hosted his own television series(1963-1967) and was a conductor, pilot and chef. Danny was also…

Vertigo(1958)

This haunting Alfred Hitchcock film surprisingly wasn't all that well received upon its release in May, 1958, and received quite a mixed response from audiences and critics. Vertigo was undoubtedly the darkest film that the director had made up to that point and it would appear as though its themes and content were too much…

Recommending Four Romantic Films And One TV Series For Valentine’s Day

Love is in the air around the world today. The perfect excuse then for me to recommend four of my favourite romantic films and one romantic TV series to everyone. Priceless(2006) This French film is romantic, hilarious and sexy in equal measure. Mistaken identity leads to true love set against the backdrop of the beauty…