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Venice Classics will screen restorations of Stanley Kubrick’s Lolita and Pedro Almodóvar’s Matador as part of an 18-film line-up at the 82nd Venice Film Festival (August 27-Septemer 6).

Lolita is a US-uk co-production, adapted by Kubrick from Nabokov’s novel, with James Mason and Sue Lyon in the leading roles. It first played at Venice in 1962.

Matador is one of Almodóvar’s early works. The 1986 erotic thriller sees Antonio Banderas play a student matador who wrongfully confesses to murder.

Among the four Italian films are Giuseppe De Santis’ once underestimated 1952 filmRome 11:00andLuciano Salce’s 1967 filmI Married You For Fun.

Restored movies by Pedro Almodóvar, Stanley Kubrick, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Manoel de Oliveira, Krzysztof Kieślowski and Tsai Ming-Liang are set to screen as part of the Venice Film Festival’s 18-title Venice Classics lineup.

Almodóvar’s 1986 erotic thriller “Matador,” featuring Antonio Banderas as a young bullfighter and exploring themes of sex and violence in the bullfighting world – a film that Quentin Tarantino has cited an inspiration – is part of a clutch of European titles in the selection. It also includes de Oliveira’s first film “Aniki-Bóbó”; Marcel Carné’s classic noir “Quai des brumes,” starring Jean Gabin and Michèle Morgan, which was a prizewinner at Venice in 1938; and Kieslowski’s “Blind Chance, which heralded his famed “Decalogue.”

U.S. highlights comprise Kubrick’s 1962 Vladimir Nabokov adaptation “Lolita,” starring James Mason and Sue Lyon; Delmer Daves’ 1957 western “3:10 to Yuma,” redone by James Mangold in 2007 in a version starring Russell Crowe...

The Venice Film Festival has unveiled the 18 recently restored movies that will be showcased in its Venice Classics sidebar at upcoming 82nd edition.

The line-up features Delmer Daves’ 1957 western 3:10 to Yuma, based on a 1953 short story by Elmore Leonard, which was revisited by James Mangold in 2007 in a version starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale.

Other U.S. highlights include The Delicate Delinquent, starring Jerry Lewis, and Joseph L. Mankiewicz, House of Strangers, starring Edward G. Robinson in the role of a rags-to-riches Italian American banker accused of criminal activity.

The sidebar will also showcase Stanley Kubrick’s 1962 Vladimir Nabokov adaptation Lolita, starring James Mason and Sue Lyon.

European classics in the selection include Manoel de Oliveira’s first film Aniki-Bóbó, Krzysztof Kieslowski’s Blind Chance, which heralded Decalogue; Pedro Almodóvar’s Matador, and Marcel Carné’s pioneering film noir Le Quai des brumes, starring Jean Gabin and Michèle Morgan,...

Kathleen Hughes, one of the stars of the classic 1953 science fiction horror It Came From Outer Space and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, has died. The actress made headlines as the "shocked blonde" in the film, which created her iconic photo. While many might have seen the image floating around before actually watching the film, Hughes was more than just the stunning, horrified young lady and scream queen depicted in the famous shot. She played Jane, Russell Johnson's character George's girlfriend, a role that helped Hughes add more roles to her lengthy resume. According to Variety, her friend, John Jigen Griffin-Atil, reported her death, revealing that she died on Monday, May 19. Hughes was 96 years old.

Born Elizabeth Margaret von Gerkan in Los Angeles, California, Hughes was the niece of the playwright F. Hugh Herbert, known for "The Moon Is Blue." The actress decided she wanted to act after watching a film...

Kathleen Hughes, who was known for her role as the shocked blonde in the 1953 3D sci-fi classic “It Came From Outer Space,” died Monday. She was 96.

Her friend John Jigen Griffin-Atil reported her death.

The niece of playwright F. Hugh Herbert, she was born Elizabeth Margaret von Gerkan in Los Angeles. After signing with Fox in 1948, the studio changed her name and she and began acting in small roles including “Mother Is a Freshman” and “Mr. Belvedere Goes to College.”

After leaving Fox, she was cast by Paul Henreid in “For Men Only,” where she caught the eye of writer-producer Don McGuire, who helped her get a contract at Universal-International. Her next role, in director Jack Arnold’s “It Came From Outer Space,” would prove to be her most enduring, thanks to a publicity still that appeared on everything from birthday cards to advertising campaigns.

Kathleen Hughes in “It Came From Outer Space...

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, Tubi is streaming one of the greatest romantic comedies ever — for free. Tootsie, the Dustin Hoffman cross-dressing comedy that ruled the box office in 1982, is now streaming on the free, ad-supported streamer. Tootsie had a difficult journey from page to screen; inspired by a 1970s play written by Don McGuire (Bad Day at Black Rock), it was initially to have been directed by Dick Richards before passing to Hal Ashby (Harold and Maude) over creative differences.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Teri Garr gifted us with one of the most humane, hilarious looks at the various stages of grief that come with a break-up in the span of about one minute in Tootsie. It's one of the funniest, most epic break-up scenes of all time, opposite scene partner, Dustin Hoffman. Directed by Sydney Pollack and written by Larry Gelbart and Don McGuire, Tootsie is considered one of the greatest comedy films ever made. Passing away at the age of 79 this past Tuesday, a great part of Garr's legacy comes from her unforgettable role as Sandy Lester in the rom-com.

San Francisco, Dec 8 (Ians) Qualcomm has announced that Samsung Electronics will be the official smartphone partner of its Snapdragon Pro Series in 2023, one of the largest multi-title mobile esports leagues.

Snapdragon Pro Series’ participants at the Mobile Challenge and Mobile Masters levels will use Samsung Galaxy devices powered by Snapdragon, Qualcomm said in a blogpost on Wednesday.

“We’re committed to bringing high-performance Samsung Galaxy devices powered by Snapdragon to the hands of billions of gamers around the world to promote both camaraderie and competition,” said Stephanie Choi, executive vice president and head of global marketing, Samsung.

“As the Official Smartphone Partner of the Snapdragon Pro Series, this announcement deepens our existing collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies and is an important next step in our pursuit to advancing mobile technology in the esports world,” she added.

Snapdragon Pro Series will feature Samsung across various regions — North America; India; Europe, Middle East and North Africa; and Asia-Pacific.

Murray Schisgal, whose writing brought a 1964 Tony Award nomination for the Broadway play Luv and a 1982 Oscar nomination for the hit Dustin Hoffman comedy Tootsie, died Oct. 1 at a nursing home in Port Chester, New York. He was 93.

His death was announced by his son Zach Schisgal. A cause of death was not disclosed.

Schisgal, a Brooklyn native, first came to public notice in 1963 with the popular Off Broadway plays The Typists and The Tiger. Two years later his Broadway debut, the absurdist hit comedy Luv, was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play and for Best Author of a Play. Directed by Mike Nichols, Luv starred Eli Wallach, Ann Jackson and Alan Arkin.

A 1967 film version of Luv, starring Jack Lemmon, Elaine May and Peter Falk, directed by Clive Donner, was largely ignored, as was 1967’s The Tiger Makes Out, the film version of Schisgal’s play The Tiger starring Wallach and Jackson,...

Tootsie, the musical adaptation of the hit 1982 Dustin Hoffman comedy, has announced its opening date and Broadway venue: Director Scott Ellis’ staging will begin previews March 29, 2019, at the Marquis Theatre, with an opening date of Tuesday, April 23.

The musical, from Scott Sanders Productions, will makes its world premiere this fall in a pre-Broadway engagement at Broadway In Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre, Sept. 11 – Oct. 14, with an opening night Sept. 30, 2018.

Tickets for the Broadway production go on sale to the general public Oct. 1.

Tootsie, the story of a talented but difficult actor who struggles to find work until an audacious, desperate stunt – no spoilers necessary if you’ve seen the movie – lands him (or her) the role of a lifetime.

The musical features an original score by David Yazbek, book by Robert Horn, choreography by Denis Jones and musical direction by Andrea Grody. It’s based on the story by Don McGuire...

“Unwelcoming Committee”

By Raymond Benson

Although the picture takes place a couple of months after the end of World War II in the year 1945, Bad Day at Black Rock is really a western. The setting is a desert town that’s barely a whistle stop for a train that hasn’t halted there in four years; the main street looks as if it’s right out of Dodge City, and the opening credits are designed in big, colorful, bold words that spread across the wide CinemaScope screen. Even director John Sturges is primarily known for his many westerns.

Good Guy Spencer Tracy rides into town—on that train—and is met with inexplicable hostility from everyone he meets. All he wants is to find a guy named Komoko—a Japanese farmer who supposedly lives just out of town. Most of the residents seem afraid to help Tracy. The ones who...

Don’t mess with the one-armed man — did you know that at 56 years, Spencer Tracy could whup Ernest Borgnine to a frazzle? John Sturges knocked this one out of the ballpark and booted his career into high gear. It’s well remembered… but does anyone remember that the subject is the murder of a Japanese-American? It’s a combo social issue film And a tough guy western.

Bad Day at Black Rock

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1955 / Color / 2:40:1 widescreen / 81 min. / Street Date January 17, 2016 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Anne Francis, Dean Jagger, Walter Brennan, John Ericson, Ernest Borgnine, Lee Marvin, Russell Collins, Walter Sande, Robert Griffin, Harry Harvey.

Cinematography William C. Mellor

Film Editor Newell P. Kimlin

Original Music André Previn

Written by Millard Kaufman, Don McGuire story by Howard Breslin

Produced by Dore Schary

Directed by John Sturges

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Warning to...

Above: Italian 4-foglio for The Joker is Wild (Charles Vidor, USA, 1957). Art by Enzo Nistri.Frank Sinatra, arguably the most important entertainer of the 20th century, was born 100 years ago today. I’ve become a little obsessed with him over the past week after watching Alex Gibney’s terrific 2-part, 4-hour HBO portrait Sinatra: All or Nothing at All. This of course got me thinking about Frank in movie posters, and I realized that I could barely come up with images of Sinatra posters in my head. While his best album covers are indelible and iconic, his movie posters tend to be less so. Scrolling through his filmography I realized that part of the problem is that his greatest films—On the Town, From Here to Eternity, Guys and Dolls, Some Came Running, Ocean’s 11—were almost always ensemble films in which Sinatra was never the standalone star, and so...

Above: Italian 4-foglio for The Joker is Wild (Charles Vidor, USA, 1957). Art by Enzo Nistri.Frank Sinatra, arguably the most important entertainer of the 20th century, was born 100 years ago today. I’ve become a little obsessed with him over the past week after watching Alex Gibney’s terrific 2-part, 4-hour HBO portrait Sinatra: All or Nothing at All. This of course got me thinking about Frank in movie posters, and I realized that I could barely come up with images of Sinatra posters in my head. While his best album covers are indelible and iconic, his movie posters tend to be less so. Scrolling through his filmography I realized that part of the problem is that his greatest films—On the Town, From Here to Eternity, Guys and Dolls, Some Came Running, Ocean’s 11—were almost always ensemble films in which Sinatra was never the standalone star, and so...

'Humoresque': Joan Crawford and John Garfield. 'Humoresque' 1946: Saved by Joan Crawford Directed by Jean Negulesco from a screenplay by Clifford Odets and Zachary Gold (loosely based on a Fannie Hurst short story), Humoresque always frustrates me because its first 25 minutes are excruciatingly boring – until Joan Crawford finally makes her appearance during a party scene. Crawford plays Helen Wright, a rich society lush in love with a tough-guy violin player, Paul Boray (John Garfield), who happens to be in love with his music. Fine support is offered by Paul's parents, played by Ruth Nelson and the fabulous chameleon-like J. Carroll Naish. Oscar Levant is the sarcastic, wisecracking piano player, who plays his part to the verge of annoyance. (Spoilers ahead.) Something wrong with that woman The Humoresque scenes between Paul and his mother are particularly intriguing, as the mother conveys her objections to Helen by lamenting, "There's something wrong with a woman like that!

"That Is One Nutty Hospital..."

By Raymond Benson

Comedy fans can now officially rejoice! The Criterion Collection has produced a fabulous Blu-ray edition of Sydney Pollack’s outstanding laugh riot, Tootsie, although one could safely say the picture not only belongs to Pollack, but to Dustin Hoffman, the movie’s star. It was his baby all the way, from its conception to its final, brilliantly written, acted, and directed finish. The American Film Institute voted Tootsie to be the Number 2 best comedy of all time (after Some Like it Hot, coincidentally another film in which men dress up as women!); whether or not you agree with that ranking, you have to admit it is a virtual lesson in how to make a good, funny movie.

The story is already well-known: struggling middle-aged actor Michael Dorsey (Hoffman) decides to dress up as a woman to audition for a soap opera, and...

Armored Car Robbery

Directed by Richard Fleischer

Written by Earl Felton, Gerald Drayson Adams et al.

U.S.A., 1950

The subject of a common argument amongst film lovers pertains to a given movie’s length. Was the movie too short, too long or just the right length? The easy answer is, naturally, that it depends on the film and what story the screenwriter and director want to tell. Said easy answer is but an open door to many other directly related questions, the most crucial being ‘How well do the screenwriters and director go about telling said story during the specified running time?’ That is where the real debate lies. Movie A required more time to flesh out character arcs, to which one can reply that, on the contrary, movie A is long enough as is. The shorter the film, the more economical the creators must be, although if done right,...

Dial 1119

Directed by Gerald Mayer

Written by Hugh King and Don McGuire

U.S.A., 1950

If there is one thing about older films which can cause a surprise among modern audiences, it is the acting style of the period. A frequent complaint coming from those whose exposure to movies of the 30s, 40s and 60s is limited is that the variety of the acting is vastly different from what is typically experienced today. Back then, being a bit more on the theatrical, or melodramatic side, was a good thing, whereas in the early 21st century, subtlety is what people admire most. Imagine what a melodramatic performance serving a mentally challenged character would be like, a thought which could very well turn people away from watching Marshall Thomspon in Dial 1119, but those people will have missed perfectly calculated, chilling role.

Director Gerald Mayer, nephew of the legendary producer Louis B.

Film Noir Classic Collection: Vol. 5, has dusted off eight films of the celebrated genre and adapted them to DVD format. Collections like these, which bring older films to newer light, are godsends regardless (to a degree) of which films are selected, because as timeless as some of these stories and performances might be, the barrier of being stuck in an old format can bury them forever. And these stories deserve to be told. If you watch a few well made noir thrillers you will no doubt see the seeds that were planted in the heads of crime-thriller filmmakers the likes of Martin Scorsese or Michael Mann. Though there are better films in the noir genre that this collection could have culminated, there are also a lot worse. Any fan of noir films or old mysteries and thrillers will be pleased at what this box set has to offer.

Desperate (1947)

Directed...

Late screenwriter Larry Gelbart accused Dustin Hoffman of refusing to give him credit for writing Tootsie.

Gelbart died last month after a battle with cancer but in an interview conducted a year before his passing, he blamed the actor for declaring it was his pal Murray Schisgal who conceived of the 1982 comedy, about an entertainer who dresses as a woman to find work.

But Gelbart, who won an Academy Award for co-writing the film, was adamant the idea for the screenplay was his own.

He told Mike Sacks, "Tootsie is my vision, despite Dustin Hoffman's lifelong mission to deprive anybody of any credit connected with that movie, except for his close friend, the writer and producer Murray Schisgal.

"I say that because Dustin appeared with James Lipton on (TV series) Inside the Actors Studio in 2006 and declared that the Tootsie idea sprang from Schisgal's intestines. I don't know much about gastroenterology, but I do know that the central theme for Tootsie came from me. And the central theme was that Dustin's character, Michael Dorsey, would become a better man for having been a woman. That was the cornerstone of the film. All of the other details are just floating around that idea."

Gelbart shared his Best Original Screenplay Oscar with Schisgal and Don McGuire.