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This July, HBO Max is bringing you a lot of entertainment, from the highly anticipated streaming releases of Ryan Coogler‘s Sinners and Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega‘s Death of a Unicorn. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to HBO Max next month and have a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the 12 best films coming to HBO Max in July 2025 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Woman at War (July 1) Rt Score: 97% Credit – Köggull Filmworks, Solar Media Entertainment, Gulldrengurinn, Vintage Pictures, and Slot Machine

Woman at War is an Icelandic-Ukrainian comedy-drama film directed by Benedikt Erlingsson, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Ólafur Egill Egilsson. The 2018 film follows Halla, an environmental activist trying to destroy the local aluminium business, but her priorities change...

The title of Mitchell Leisen’s classic 1939 screwball comedy Midnight is a clear allusion to Cinderella, foreshadowing the penniless American showgirl Eve Peabody’s (Claudette Colbert) inevitable entry into high society. It’s within the opening 10 minutes that Eve will meet her prince—or rather, two of them. First, she’s whisked away by the cabbie Tibor Czerny (Don Ameche), with whom she shares an instant attraction as he takes her to some working-class hotspots around Paris before she accidentally finds herself being escorted into a socialite’s swanky party. It’s there, during a game of bridge, that she captures the attention of the wealthy playboy Jacques Picot (Francis Lederer), much to the chagrin of his lover, Helene (Mary Astor), and to the delight of her husband, Georges Flammarion (John Barrymore), who sees Eve, the charming imposter, as the means to breaking up his wife’s affair.

As with many a screwball comedy,...

Warning: This article discusses topics of racism, violence, and death.

The 1960s is a great era for murder mystery movies. The decade is remembered for several classic movies everyone must watch in their lifetime, and while the earliest murder mystery films are typically from the ‘40s and ‘50s, the subgenre truly blooms in the ‘60s. Plenty of classic 1960s movies were ahead of their time, and to this day, audiences are still enthralled by these old titles.

No murder mystery is the same. Although audiences nowadays are treated to the complex narratives of movies like Knives Out, for example, these ‘60s titles prove that an old-fashioned murder investigation is a timeless concept. From secret villainous protagonists to strained and exhausted detectives, murder mystery movies from the ‘60s are like no other, and they play a significant part in how the titles we see today are formed.

Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte...

Feud: Part 2

We kicked off December with a look at the vastly underseen 2019 gem I See You (listen) before heading to Paris for Joel Schumacher’s 2004 adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera (listen). For our third episode of the month, Trace and I are headed to Louisiana for Robert Aldrich‘s unofficial Hagsploitation sequel, Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964).

In the film, Bette Davis plays Charlotte, the “mad woman” recluse who purportedly killed her lover John Mayhew (Bruce Dern) with an axe at a party thirty years earlier. In the interim, she’s been shunned by society and she’s on the cusp of eviction so a new highway can be built on her property.

Enter cousin Miriam (Olivia de Havilland), who arrives to help pack, much to the chagrin of Charlotte’s maid, Velma (Agnes Moorhead in an Oscar-nominated performance) and to the delight of Miriam’s former flame,...

Judy Garland‘s most iconic role is Dorothy Gale in “The Wizard of Oz” (1939), and her most acclaimed is Esther Blodgett/Vicky Lester in “A Star Is Born” (1954). But this Judy fan of more than 40 years picks “Meet Me in St. Louis” as her favorite. Beautifully filmed in Technicolor, with one of Garland’s best soundtracks, as well as a film that changed the actress’s life in many ways, the Vincente Minnelli-directed Christmas musical film debuted eight decades ago on Nov. 22, 1944, in St. Louis, and had its New York premiere on Nov. 28. Read on for more about the “Meet Me in St. Louis” 80th anniversary.

Based on a series of stories by Sally Benson, “Meet Me in St. Louis” depicts a year in the life of the Smith family through a series of vignettes, from the summer of 1903 until the spring of the following year, culminating at the 1904 World’s Fair in St.

12 years after his role as Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon, Humphrey Bogart starred in Beat the Devil, an underrated parody of the 1941 classic. Directed by John Huston, The Maltese Falcon has a well-earned reputation as one of Humphrey Bogart's best movies. It's arguably his second most well-known film, behind Casablanca. It was also one of the movies that helped make the actor a household name in Hollywood, as many of Bogart's movies in the 1930s actually contributed little to his recognition in the industry.

A great example of the film noir genre, The Maltese Falcon famously saw Bogart's interpretation of the Sam Spade character investigate the death of his partner in the private detective business and get embroiled in the search for a highly coveted bird statue. The murder mystery culminated in an ending quite unlike those of most Hollywood films at the time, as it implicated Mary Astor's Brigid O'Shaughnessy,...

Monsieur Spade is a sequel to The Maltese Falcon, with Clive Owen playing an older version of Humphrey Bogart's iconic character. The series follows Detective Spade in 1963 France, investigating murders and facing old adversaries in a relaxing retirement turned chaotic. Viewers can enjoy Monsieur Spade on Netflix, while the classic Maltese Falcon film is available to rent or purchase on VOD platforms.

AMC's Monsieur Spade has left some viewers wondering if the series is actually a sequel to Humphrey Bogart's 1941 Maltese Falcon movie or something unrelated. Created by Scott Frank (Logan) and Tom Fontana (Oz), Monsieur Spade stars Clive Owen (A Murder at the End of the World) as the fictional private detective Sam Spade. Set in 1963, the series follows the legendary Detective Spade to the South of France, where he's enjoying his retirement from investigating murder cases. While his time in San Francisco was marked by brutal violence,...

In a tangential sense, no filmmaker working from 1960 onward would have gotten anywhere without the influence of John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands. But in a very real sense, Martin Scorsese has said he would have likely left film entirely had it not been for the support Cassavetes and Rowlands showed toward him early on in his career. Following the death of Rowlands last week, Scorsese released a statement paying tribute to her.

“Up there onscreen, there was no one else quite like her. That’s the kind of observation that’s often made about people after they’re gone, but in Gena’s case it happens to be true,” Scorsese wrote. “She had an extremely unusual combination of qualities. Her talent, which was extraordinary. Her bravery and commitment to her art formn— equally extraordinary. Her presence… this was someone who could hold a room by just walking in and standing there.

Martin Scorsese remembered Gena Rowlands on Thursday as an “extraordinary” actress and celebrated her formative independent film work with John Cassavetes for being “inspirations to generations of filmmakers and actors.”

“There was no one else quite like her,” Scorsese said in a statement to press. “That’s the kind of observation that’s often made about people after they’re gone, but in Gena’s case it happens to be true.”

Rowlands died Wednesday after years of living with Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that her son and “The Notebook” filmmaker Nick Cassavetes only revealed two months prior. While commercially known best for playing the older, coincidentally Alzheimer’s-stricken version of the character played by Rachel McAdams in the 2004 romance, Rowlands will be remembered for her fearless, transformative performances through the 1970s and ’80s, including her Oscar-nominated leading roles in Cassavetes’ “A Woman Under the Influence” and “Gloria.”

“She had...

Dead Reckoning, starring Bogart, echoes the intrigue and romance of The Maltese Falcon in a lesser-known film from the 50s. A planned sequel to The Maltese Falcon never materialized, but Dead Reckoning offers a similar mystery and captivating Bogart performance. While Dead Reckoning may not reach Falcon's legendary status, its charm and Bogart's charisma make it a hidden gem worth watching.

For those who enjoyed The Maltese Falcon, a lesser-known Humphrey Bogart film from the 1950s makes for the perfect viewing experience. While The Maltese Falcon may not have the same level of recognition as Casablanca, it's still commonly regarded as one of Humphrey Bogart's best movies - and for good reason. This notion is well-supported by its accolades, which include an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

There was reportedly an intention at one point for Warner Bros. to follow up the success of The Maltese Falcon with a sequel.

The preview opening of the new exhibit Meet the Stars: 100 Years of MGM Studios and the Golden Age of Hollywood on Thursday night was a crowded, buzzing affair. Held at the Hollywood Heritage Museum in the historic Lasky DeMille Barn across from the Hollywood Bowl, the event showcased the items of over 20 movie collectors. Memorabilia hunters, dressed in fedoras and flirty ’40s dresses, gabbed about their latest finds with others who have a similar passion.

The highlight of the night was when the crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to former MGM child star Cora Sue Collins (who played a little Greta Garbo in 1933’s Queen Christina), the last surviving MGM contract player from the 1930s. Sitting at a tableau that recreated a party thrown for her by MGM in 1935, Collins elegantly thanked everyone for their well wishes. Actor George Chakiris was also in attendance, and he posed next to a costume...

The Gilded Age Season 2 ended with a bang as fireworks lit up the sky over the Brooklyn Bridge, and many of the characters looked excitedly toward their future. 

The faster pace and unabashed drama of the show's sophomore season attracted new fans and kept viewers guessing what would happen each week.

Race relations and labor strikes were key elements this season and added historical heft to this soapy series that is as relentlessly entertaining as Nathan Lane's accent. 

Has The Gilded Age Been Renewed?

Yes! Fans of The Gilded Age received an early Christmas present when HBO announced the show's renewal for a third season on December 21, 2023.

How Did The Gilded Age Season 2 End?

The season-long "Opera War" between Bertha Russell and Mrs. Mary Astor seemed up for grabs until the last moments of the finale when His Grace, the Duke of Buckingham's arrival, cemented victory for Mrs.

At the inaugural Academy Awards in 1929, native Pennsylvanian Janet Gaynor made history as the first American-born performer to win an Oscar by taking the Best Actress prize for her body of work in “7th Heaven,” “Street Angel,” and “Sunrise.” Over the subsequent 95 years, 215 more thespians originating from the United States won the academy’s favor, meaning the country has now produced 68.1% of all individual acting Oscar recipients. Considering the last decade alone, the rate of such winners is even higher, at 70.3%.

At this point, 96.8% of American-born acting Oscar victors have hailed from one of 34 actual states. Of those constituting the remainder, three originated from the federal District of Columbia, while four were born in the territory of Puerto Rico. New York (home to 49 winners) is the most common birth state among the entire group, followed by California (34), Illinois (13), Massachusetts (11), and Pennsylvania (11).

Bearing in mind our specific birthplace focus, the 16 states...

The invention of sound is, arguably, the film industry's defining technological development. After audiences' rapturous reception to The Jazz Singer, movie production would never be the same. Although a wonder, transitioning into talkies wasn’t a walk in the park for everyone. Some established actors weren’t interested in this new technique, believing they only needed their faces to work magic. Others couldn't adapt for a myriad of reasons: personal circumstances, audiences not connecting auditorily with their favorite performer, or studio interference (all scenarios Singin' in the Rain fondly parodied). The lattermost fate almost befell the great Mary Astor. A prolific actress best known for her most celebrated film, The Maltese Falcon, Astor's career began in the silent realm. Imagine a world where her contributions ended in the same era because her studio fired her — just because of her voice.

Monsieur Spade provides closure on the fate of Brigid O'Shaughnessy after The Maltese Falcon, revealing her release from prison, brief romantic reunion with Sam Spade, and eventual involvement in criminal activities before her death. Sam Spade, played by Clive Owen, is portrayed as an older, mellowed-out version of the iconic private detective first brought to life by Humphrey Bogart in the 1941 film, with Owen's performance honoring Bogart's portrayal through his delivery and demeanor. The series Monsieur Spade serves as a sequel to the 1941 movie adaptation of The Maltese Falcon, expanding on the story and resolving loose ends, providing a connection between the two through the character of Sam Spade and the performance of Clive Owen.

What happened after The Maltese Falcon's ending has finally been explained, thanks to Monsieur Spade. Directed by John Huston and released in 1941, The Maltese Falcon is the second big-screen adaptation of the novel of the same name,...

Dashing, magnetic superstar Ricardo Montalbán got his start in the 1940s, appearing in numerous notable hit films in his native Mexico, playing a variety of roles in romantic dramas, historical comedies, and other swashbuckling adventures. His natural dazzle and ineffable "it" qualities caught the eye of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1947, and he shot the English-language film "Fiesta" with Esther Williams, Cyd Charisse, and Mary Astor. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Montalbán became incredibly busy, starring in romances, dramas, and an enormous amount of American TV, including one-shot TV movies and multiple notable hit shows. He was in "Dr. Kildare," "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," "Gunsmoke," "Hawaii Five-o," and, of course, "Star Trek," playing the charismatic tyrant Khan Noonien Singh. 

A new generation of Montalbán fans was born with the debut of "Fantasy Island" in 1978. On "Fantasy Island," Montalbán played the mysterious Mr. Roarke, the manager of Devil's Island, a remote, hard-to-get-to tropical paradise...

Certain moments in film have an uncanny ability to jolt us out of our seats, leaving us stunned. An on-screen slap can be just as unforgettable. Take, for instance, the scene in The Maltese Falcon, a three-time Oscar nominee, where Sam Spade, played by Humphrey Bogart, disarms and slaps Joel Cairo (Peter Lorre) while telling him, "When you're slapped, you'll take it and like it," in defense of Brigid O'Shaughnessy (Mary Astor), who had initially slapped Cairo before he drew a gun on her. Or the "snap out of it" slap by Loretta (Cher) to Ronny (Nicolas Cage) in the late Norman Jewison's 1987 romantic comedy-drama Moonstruck when Ronny tells her that he was in love with her!

In 2020 – for the first time in seven years – the Best Supporting Actress Oscar category saw a lone nomination, meaning that a film was recognized there and nowhere else. This achievement is attributed to Kathy Bates (“Richard Jewell”), who competed for no major precursors except the Golden Globe but still managed to bump Critics Choice, SAG, and Globe nominee Jennifer Lopez (“Hustlers”). Perhaps unsurprisingly given the length of the streak she broke, there has yet to be a lone contender in any of her category’s subsequent lineups.

Since the introduction of the two gendered supporting Oscars in 1937, there have been 57 female lone nominees and 54 male ones, with over half of the entrants on the former roster having been added before 1977. The one who directly preceded Bates was Helen Hunt, whose inclusion in her lineup was much more heavily predicted. Coincidentally, both women had the perceived advantage of being former Best Actress champions,...

If you’re on any form of social media, you probably know that on January 1, an early incarnation of Mickey Mouse entered the public domain. This prompted the usual memes putting the beloved character in decidedly adult situations and, in just a few months, we’ll be treated to a Mickey Mouse slasher film.

For a different, more pastoral, approach to elevated fan fic — this one conducted with the approval of the Dashiell Hammett Estate, rather than public domain — look to six-episode limited series Monsieur Spade, which will roll out on AMC, AMC+ and Acorn TV.

Hailing from the powerhouse creative duo of Scott Frank (The Queen’s Gambit) and Tom Fontana (Oz) and boasting a likably droll central turn by Clive Owen, Monsieur Spade takes Hammett’s Sam Spade and drops him into a bucolic retirement in the South of France. There, rather than reconfiguring the protagonist for an ironic excursion to the dark side,...

The Gilded Age explores the clash between old money families, like the van Rhijns, and new money families, like the Russells, during the industrial revolution. The social scheming between the van Rhijns and the Russells intensifies due to their houses facing each other on coveted 61st street. The characters in The Gilded Age, such as Bertha Russell and Agnes van Rhijn, navigate the complexities of high society and are driven by ambition, power, and the desire to protect their legacy.

At the crescendo of industrial innovation and unprecedented capital growth in the United States, Max's The Gilded Age examines the machinations of two prominent New York families; the van Rhijn-Brooks and the Russells. Led by stately matriarch Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski), the van Rhijns are considered old money because they can trace their ancestors all the way back to the Mayflower. They are the closest thing to aristocrats that America has,...

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Gilded Age season 2, episode 1!

Marion discovers that her former love interest, Mr. Raikes, got married to someone else, but she finds support from her aunts and friend Peggy. Marion's cousin Dashiell moves to New York City, potentially becoming a new love interest for her. Mr. Russell considers busting the union his laborers belong to, and tensions rise as soldiers aim firearms at striking laborers.

The Gilded Age, Julian Fellowes' American answer to Downton Abbey, has returned for a second season overflowing with social subterfuge, emotional tumult, and some shocking story reveals. In the bombastic first episode of the season, Easter Sunday has brought the wealthiest members of New York City's society into the streets for the holiday, with many revelations to be shared amidst the pageantry.Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon), armed with her newfound fortune from her husband's railroad empire, continues to maintain...

f it was the summer of the megawatt blockbusters “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” September has turned into a month of sequelitis with “The Nun 2,” “Equalizer 3” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3.” Even Kenneth Branagh’s “A Hunting in Venice,” is the third installment in the actor/director’s Hercule Poirot mystery series. It’s all a bit of a snooze. That wasn’t the case 70 years ago this month.

There were some oddball films that were released September, 1953 including “Cat-Women of the Moon” with Sonny Tufts and Marie Windsor and “The Sins of Jezebel” starring Paulette Goddard. But 70 years ago, audiences were introduced to a new wide-screen format and young actress who would become one of the biggest stars of the 1950s and ‘60s and Clark Gable returning to a role he originated in 1932.

Twentieth Century Fox’s Darryl F. Zanuck unveiled the studio’s new widescreen process Cinemascope...

Four years after “Black Panther” became the first Oscar-winning film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” cast member Angela Bassett has made history as the first person to achieve academy recognition for an MCU performance. Included among the numerous actors with whom she reunites in the 2022 sequel is Lupita Nyong’o, who first played her role of Nakia four years after earning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for “12 Years a Slave.” If Bassett ends up prevailing in the same category this year, Nyong’o will be the 16th woman to have acted in a film that won the same Oscar she previously received.

Until this year, “12 Years a Slave” was the only acting Oscar-nominated film Nyong’o had appeared in. Two of her cast mates in the 2014 Best Picture winner – Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender – respectively competed for the male lead and supporting prizes but eventually...

Burbank, Calif., February 15, 2023 – As part of the year-long centennial celebration for the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. Studio, three classic and beloved films from the Warner Bros. library – The Maltese Falcon, Cool Hand Luke, and Rebel Without a Cause – will be available for purchase on 4K Ultra HD Disc and Digital this April.

On April 4, The Maltese Falcon and Cool Hand Luke will be available to purchase on Ultra HD Blu-ray™ Disc from online and in-store at major retailers and available for purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu and more.

On April 4, Rebel Without a Cause will be available to purchase on Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc from online and in-store at major retailers. On April 18 it will be available for purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu and more.

The Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc will include each feature film in 4K with Hdr...

Film Noir is a universe based around mystery, the femme fatale, and the detective. Sex, lies and murder is the seductive tone that created the visually stimulating art form of cinema that began in the 1940s with The Maltese Falcon.

The film is considered the first real noir that starred Mary Astor and Humphrey Bogart and set off a chain of mainstream hits of films including Double Indemnity; Mildred Pierce; The Postman Always Rings Twice and The Third Man.

The Faces of Noir: Studio Portraits Featuring the Silver Screen Stars Ava Gardner, Humphrey Bogart & Rita Hayworth

The genre ‘Noir’ was coined by French critic Nino Frank and would define the cat-and-mouse murder mystery era of film with memorable fiendish crooks, stylish bombshells, and deadly characters who set the silver screen alight for two decades.

Films that have stood the test of time with style and substance include Alfred Hitchcock’s...

About 43 minutes into the 1933 pre-code horror classic “King Kong,” aspiring actress Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) finds herself on a remote island struggling to free herself from the two stone pillars she’s tied to as an offering for the giant ape its inhabitants worship. The trees rustle, and then we see him. Kong. The camera quickly cuts to Wray, who instantly freezes, holding in her breath as if her life depended on it. The camera zooms in on the ape’s face, his eyes growing wide, then suddenly cuts back to Wray, who lets out the most iconic blood-curdling scream in cinema history.

And thus, the scream queen was born.

“I’d become Hollywood’s scream queen without even realizing it,” Wray told journalist James Bawden in a 1989 interview. After the film wrapped, Wray recorded what she called an “Aria of Agonies” — screams and moans for the editors to use as they pleased.

Click here to read the full article.

Rock and roll lives on in the history of this Tudor-inspired 1938 home in Hollywood Hills. Previously owned by The Doors drummer and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member John Densmore, the home played host to band rehearsals downstairs in a room made from the garage. Led by frontman Jim Morrison, the LA-born 1960s band could be seen rehearsing through the windows, where neighbors would often watch them playing.

Tucked away in Laurel Canyon with views overlooking Los Angeles from downtown all the way to the Pacific Ocean, the 1,813 square foot residence sits on an 8,495 square foot lot with three bedrooms. Famous past neighbors of the canyon include old Hollywood movie stars such as Ginger Rogers, Errol Flynn, Laurence Olivier, and Mary Astor, as well as singers Carole King and Joni Mitchell.

Currently on the market for 2,199,000, the home is centrally located near Hollywood nightlife,...

Friday marks 100 years since the former child star’s birth. And, while she was never allowed to properly grow up on screen, her performances show range – and some standout songs

A very silly and frankly odd musical, although perhaps not quite odd enough to qualify for cult status. Judy Garland plays a girl called Pinkie who is worried about her widowed mother, played by Mary Astor – and believes she needs to get remarried to a nice man. So with her pal Buzz, she in effect kidnaps her bemused but indulgent mother in a trailer and tours around the country looking for a likely stepdad candidate – and hits on Walter Pidgeon. As so often, Garland steals it with a standout song, this one being Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart.

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“You’LL Take It And Like It”

By Raymond Benson

The late Peter Bogdanovich called it “the first great detective movie.” That statement is possibly arguable, but there is no question that the 1941 version of The Maltese Falcon was the beginning of something new. Film historians will forever debate what the first film noir might have been, but Falcon is one of the contenders. The film presented a cynical, hard boiled detective in Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart), utilized German expressionism in its cinematography and design, and a pessimistic tone. Falcon also truly launched Bogart into the A-list. Prior to this, Bogart usually played villains in crime pictures, third billed or ever further down the line.

The Maltese Falcon is of course based on Dashiell Hammett’s 1930 novel, originally serialized in 1929. Warner Brothers immediately bought the film rights, and an initial adaptation was made...

For almost 100 years, the motion picture academy has honored the best in film, but many times the winners aren’t always the best remembered, or the films that go on to become classics. At the 14th ceremony, “How Green Was My Valley” famously won Best Picture over “Citizen Kane,” now considered by most filmmakers, historians and cinephiles as the greatest movie ever made – and even those who disagree acknowledge its profound influence on the industry. Additionally, there were quite a few now-classic films and performances that either didn’t win, or were snubbed altogether. Let’s flashback 80 years ago to the 1942 Oscars ceremony.

SEE15 biggest Oscar Best Picture upsets, ranked

Hosted by Bob Hope, the ceremony took place on February 26, less than three months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and a month after beloved actress Carole Lombard was killed in a plane crash – while returning home after selling war bonds.

As the director and producer of both “House of Gucci” and “The Last Duel,” Ridley Scott is poised to score big when the 2022 Oscar nominations are announced three months from now. Reaping double Best Picture or Best Director bids would make the 83-year-old the first to pull off either feat since Steven Soderbergh did so in 2001. Even if he ends up being left out of both lineups, he could still make history if academy voters decide to recognize the work of his two leading ladies. If Jodie Comer (“The Last Duel”) and Lady Gaga (“House of Gucci”) are both chosen to compete for Best Actress, Scott will become the fifth person to direct female leads from different films to nominations in a single year.

The first of these rare occurrences dates back to the third Oscars ceremony in 1930 when Nancy Carroll (“The Devil’s Holiday”) and Gloria Swanson (“The Trespasser...

A dark, steely performance from Humphrey Bogart is at the cynical heart of John Huston’s adaptation of the classic detective novel

John Huston’s adaptation of the Dashiell Hammett novel, as well as having the greatest MacGuffin of all time, is a ringing disproof of Raymond Chandler’s belief that detective stories depend on men coming through doors with guns. People arrive with guns a good deal in The Maltese Falcon, but mostly without them; Humphrey Bogart’s Sam Spade makes a point of telling us he prefers to be unarmed, and he has a very cool line in disarming other people. And what a superb performance from Bogart: darker, steelier and more ambiguous than his Rick in Casablanca, with all the world-weary cynicism, but none of the romantic sacrifice – just a strangely opaque manipulative streak, a need to use the women that cross his path. It’s a tough wised-up routine,...

After exploring “The Civil War,” “Baseball” and “Country Music,” award-winning documentarian Ken Burns and his frequent collaborator Lynn Novick examined the importance of being Ernest Hemingway in their three-part PBS documentary “Hemingway.” Premiering in April to strong reviews and Emmys buzz, the series weaves Papa’s biography with excerpts from his fiction, non-fiction, and personal correspondence. The series also reviews the mythology around the larger-than-life Hemingway, who penned such classic novels as “The Sun Also Rises,” “A Farewell to Arms,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “The Old Man and the Sea,” to reveal the truth behind the bravado.

Feature film adaptations of Hemingway’s works had mixed results. Hemingway Bff Gary Cooper excelled in 1932’s “A Farewell to Arms” and 1943’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” receiving an Oscar nomination for the latter. John Garfield gave one of his strongest performance in 1950’s superb noir “The Breaking Point,” based...

Netflix’s new anime The Way of the Househusband is a hilarious slice-of-life comedy worth checking out.

“There are few things in this world funnier than watching an otherwise extremely scary individual being forced to do something mundane. That is the exact form of comedy that Netflix’s new slice-of-life anime series The Way of the Househusband is predicated on, and it’s uproariously funny every single time.”

Read more at Thrillist.

Old Hollywood actress Mary Astor and her Purple Diary were at the center of the biggest sex scandal in the 1930s.

“In 1936, Mary Astor, star of The Maltese Falcon (1941), was the center of a Hollywood scandal so big, it knocked news of Hitler off the front page. Her estranged husband stole her private diaries, called the Purple or Lavender Diary, to use in a bitter custody battle.”

Read more at Mental Floss.

The CW’s live-action Powerpuff Girls just released some behind-the-scenes photos,...

Fathom Events had grand designs for 2020, but those plans ended early when a global pandemic spread far and wide last March. Things have been touch and go ever since, with theaters closing, reopening, and reclining across the nation for the past 9 months. Now, Fathom Events is ready to get back to providing classic entertainment as they have officially announced their TCM Big Screen Classics Series for 2021. This epic event will be bringing a dozen cinematic masterworks to theaters nationwide starting this January. And they are kicking it all off with the 1941 masterpiece The Maltese Falcon, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary.

Next year, film aficionados can enjoy a yearlong journey spanning nine decades of cinema history, through a dozen of some of the movie industry's greatest titles, as Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies present the seventh annual TCM Big Screen Classics series. Featuring acclaimed films released from 1941 to 1996, and encompassing legendary dramas,...

Have you listened to the 1938 Smackdown yet? Such a lively conversation about very memorable movies, for better and worse. We've embedded it again below but some of my personal favourite bits are Steven Weber's Jimmy Stewart impression, Joanna Robinson's reaction to the "twist" in Of Human Hearts, Glow's Britney Young talking about having a very expressive face and directors asking you to tone it down, and Claudio's deep hatred of opera voices of the 1930s via The Great Waltz. 

As A Special Bonus Treat

I was the guest star on "And the Runner Up" Podcast this week discussing 1938 as well though our focus on that podcast was the Best Picture battle between Boys Town and You Can't Take It With You. You can listen to that here. Kevin is such a great guy and will be one of our panelists for the 1965 Smackdown in October.

1938 Articles

The...

Before each Smackdown, Nick Taylor considers alternates to Oscar's Best Supporting Actress roster...

Thank you to everyone who recommended performances from 1938 to look into! And a big thanks, especially, to joel6, whose suggestion inspired today's write-up.

Mary Astor made five movies in 1938. Three of them - Listen, Darling, Paradise for Three, and There’s Always a Woman - are still relatively easy to track down online. One of these missing titles, Woman Against Woman, barely seems to exist anymore. I also couldn’t find No Time to Marry anywhere, which is a shame since it sounds like an actual leading role. But the three titles one can easily find all provide a snapshot of this endlessly talented actress doing her thing across a wide range of genres and archetypes...

“Somewhere out there at this moment, a murder is being contemplated, and all I can do is wait for death. I start at death, and I have to work my way back to life. And when I find life, I have to destroy it.”

Lon Chaney in Inner Sanctum Mysteries Blu-ray Collection From Mill Creek Entertainment Arrives September 22nd

Get ready for unlimited thrills and chills as all six classic Inner Sanctum Mysteries come to Blu-ray for the first time ever. Based on the popular radio shows of the 1940’s, this collectible set is a must-own for every classic mystery and horror fan.

You’ll have a hauntingly good time with horror icon Lon Chaney, Jr., as he gives timeless performances in these spooky feature-length films.

Calling Dr. Death – 1943 – A doctor is not sure if he murdered his wife and has his nurse try to find the truth by hypnotizing him.

Netflix officially closed their deal to acquire the Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard and will team with the venue’s nonprofit American Cinematheque. Deadline first broke the news last August of the streamer’s interest in the Sid Grauman built venue.

The American Cinematheque organization, established in 1984 will remain a non-profit, with the organization’s curation team intact, and along with Netflix will continue to expand the cinema’s movie and event programming. Netflix will invest in the theatre’s renovation and will use the revitalized space for special events, screenings and premieres during the week. The Cinematheque will continue to program and operate a second historic theater, the Aero in Santa Monica.

“The Egyptian Theatre is an incredible part of Hollywood history and has been treasured by the Los Angeles film community for nearly a century,” said Scott Stuber, head of Netflix Films. “We’re honored to partner with...

Netflix and the American Cinematheque are partnering on a deal to invest in the restoration of the historic, century-old Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard, the two groups announced Friday.

TheWrap reported in April 2019 that Netflix was in early talks to buy the Egyptian Theatre from American Cinematheque, and the deal has now closed, though it was reported at the time the deal is part of an effort to restore the cinema and not expand to brick and mortar theater operations.

Netflix will invest in the theater’s renovation and will use the space for events, screenings and premieres during the week, while the non-profit film organization American Cinematheque will continue to curate its movie program on the weekends. The announcement says that the partnership will allow American Cinematheque to expand the scope of its event programming, festivals and educational outreach.

Also Read: Netflix Saves NYC's Historic Paris Theatre From Closure...

by Nick Taylor

One way to search for great performances outside of Oscar's history books is merely to check in on what the great character actresses of their day were busy doing besides not getting their due. In 1947 just to cite a few examples, You couldn’t go wrong with Mary Astor, warm and sympathetic as the mother of sickly Liz Taylor in Cynthia, and even better at nimbly flipping through the morally compromised history of a saloon-owner afraid her daughter will run away with a dangerous man in Desert Fury. There’s also Elsa Lanchester as the housemaid in The Bishop’s Wife, so piquantly observant in a role that often invites stooging. But if we’re talking supporting actresses, surely the first stop for anyone seeking out the heavies of Classic Hollywood is Agnes Moorehead. Moorehead’s performances n Dark Passage and The Lost Moment were my first stops...

Walter Huston and May Astor in Dodsworth is currently available on Blu-ray From Warner Archive. Ordering information can be found Here

” Love has got to stop some place short of suicide. “

Based on the best-selling novel by Sinclair Lewis, this “handsome, intelligent film” (Los Angeles Times) garnered seven Academy Award ® nominations, winning one*, and is “one of the authentic masterpieces of the 1930s” (Filmex Guide). Sam Dodsworth (Walter Huston) is a small-town rags-to-riches millionaire who finds that his money cannot bring him happiness. His unsatisfied wife, Fran (Ruth Chatterton), seeking glamour and sophistication, persuades him to take her on a grand tour of Europe, where she promptly deserts him for a romantic but penniless baron. Brokenhearted, Sam meets Edith (Mary Astor), an understanding widow who arouses passions he never thought he had and sets him on a collision course with his wife, unleashing a torrent of desire, betrayal and shocking revelations.

It’s ‘Marriage Story’ circa 1936. Talk about older shows that still pack a dramatic wallop… William Wyler’s most celebrated ’30s film is this Sinclair Lewis adaptation. The Production Code frowned on disrespecting the institution of marriage, but Wyler & writer Sidney Howard keep the divorce theme intact — their well-off couple learn more about each other and simply grow apart. Industrialist Walter Huston gets pushed a little too far. His social-climbing wife Ruth Chatterton doesn’t appreciate what she’s got, while luscious Mary Astor is the Depression equivalent of a Malibu Earth Mother.

Dodsworth

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1936 / B&w / 1:37 flat Academy / 101 min. / Street Date March 24, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: Walter Huston, Ruth Chatterton, Paul Lukas, Mary Astor, David Niven, Gregory Gaye, Maria Ouspenskaya.

Cinematography: Rudolph Maté

Film Editor: Daniel Mandell

Original Music: Alfred Newman

Written by Sidney Howard from his play of the novel by Sinclair Lewis...

This remake of Warners’ 1924 John Barrymore feature gives us Elizabeth Taylor in the Mary Astor role, Stewart Granger as the fashion dandy of the Restoration Period, and a scene-stealing Peter Ustinov as a lonely, needy Prince of Wales. The history is still weak, but it at least doesn’t turn Brummell into a typical swashbuckler. Compensating are English actors that can get any script up on its feet, and Liz Taylor’s blue-violet eyes. And the Oswald Morris cinematography improves greatly on the MGM house style.

Beau Brummell

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1954 / Color / 1:75 widescreen / 113 min. / Street Date March 10, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: Stewart Granger, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter Ustinov, Robert Morley, James Donald, James Hayter, Rosemary Harris, Paul Rogers, Noel Willman, Peter Dyneley, Peter Bull, Finlay Currie, David Peel.

Cinematography: Oswald Morris

Film Editor: Frank Clarke

Art Direction: Alfred Junge

Original Music: Richard Addinsell

Written by Karl Tunberg from...

This remake of Warners’ 1924 John Barrymore feature gives us Elizabeth Taylor in the Mary Astor role, Stewart Granger as the fashion dandy of the Restoration Period, and a scene-stealing Peter Ustinov as a lonely, needy Prince of Wales. The history is still weak, but it at least doesn’t turn Brummell into a typical swashbuckler. Compensating are English actors that can get any script up on its feet, and Liz Taylor’s blue-violet eyes. And the Oswald Morris cinematography improves greatly on the MGM house style.

Beau Brummell

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1954 / Color / 1:75 widescreen / 113 min. / Street Date March 10, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: Stewart Granger, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter Ustinov, Robert Morley, James Donald, James Hayter, Rosemary Harris, Paul Rogers, Noel Willman, Peter Dyneley, Peter Bull, Finlay Currie, David Peel.

Cinematography: Oswald Morris

Film Editor: Frank Clarke

Art Direction: Alfred Junge

Original Music: Richard Addinsell

Written by Karl Tunberg from...

I’ve said it before, but it’s really wonderful that Briarpatch creator and showrunner Andy Greenwald decided to gender-swap the lead from Ross Thomas’ novel. Not only did it give Rosario Dawson a chance to headline a series, but it provided her an opportunity to play a character-type that she’s so strongly suited for. I imagine when casting a noir, Dawson would strike some as being perfect for the femme fatale, but Briarpatch proves she makes a better Bogart than a Mary Astor.

“Breadknife Weather” is an incredible showcase for Dawson. Finally being forced to emotionally confront the death of her sister, Dawson careens from anger, gallows laughter, quite reflection, disgust, and good old fashioned grief. We finally get the details about Allegra’s past in San Bonifacio, her parents’ tragic death, and her past relationship with her sister, including the last time that she saw Felicity alive.

Above: Italian 4-foglio for Dodsworth; illustrated by Anselmo Ballester.William Wyler’s 1936 masterpiece of mid-life crises and European travel, Dodsworth, will play in all its glory at Alice Tully Hall in a brand new restoration at this year’s New York Film Festival. To be introduced by playwright and director Kenneth Lonergan and Wyler’s daughters Catherine and Melanie, it will be a tony affair, as befitting this classiest of productions. Based on Nobel Prize-winning author Sinclair Lewis’ 1929 novel—which had already been adapted very successfully for the stage by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Sidney Howard—about a wealthy midwestern industrialist, Sam Dodsworth (Walter Huston), who retires and takes his restless wife (Ruth Chatterton) on a grand tour of Europe, produced by Samuel Goldwyn, and shot by Rudolph Maté, who had previously shot Dreyer’s Vampyr and The Passion of Joan of Arc, Dodsworth was a prestige production par excellence. And...

With this year marking the 40th anniversary of Ridley Scott's Alien and the 25th anniversary of Frank Darabont's adaptation of Stephen King's The Shawshank Redemption, Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies are teaming up to celebrate in style and bring both films back to theaters:

Press Release: Denver – July 23, 2019 – After a spectacular first six months of 2019, Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will bring seven more classic films to movie theaters in the second half of the year, beginning with Barbra Streisand starring in Gene Kelly’s lavish adaptation of Hello, Dolly!, and ending with a newly announced presentation of the MGM musical classic Meet Me in St. Louis.

For its 50th anniversary, Hello, Dolly! is back where she belongs: on the big screen, playing Sunday, August 11, and Wednesday, August 14. Winner of three Academy Awards®, Hello, Dolly! kicks off the second half of 2019’s TCM Big Screen Classics series,...

“It’s our last dance in St. Louis. I feel like I’m going to cry!”

The movie Meet Me In St. Louis turns 75 this year but the Tivoli Theater’s got it beat by 20 years!

75 years after its premiere, experience Meet Me In St. Louis in the beautifully restored main auditorium of the Tivoli Theatre. Surrounded by the grandeur and opulence of a bygone era, marvel at the timeless tale of the Smith girls in the lead-up to the 1904 World’s Fair. The screening is May 16th at 7pm. A Facebook invite can be found Here

On May 24, 2019, the Tivoli officially turns 95 years old. Accordingly, on May 16th, 2019, we will celebrate this milestone in a cinematic way, by showing Meet Me In St Louis (1944; this year marks 75 since its release). This film, being of special importance to the city of St. Louis (which turns 255 this year), was deemed the most appropriate film to play.

William Wyler and a trio of fantastic actors make indelible movie history from a grim story by Henry James. How much of love is bald opportunism? How many successes married their way into money? And what’s a lovesick woman to do when a beau may not be true? This may be the key Wyler picture, with the strongest ‘staircase’ scene of them all.

The Heiress

Blu-ray

The Criterion Collection 974

1949 / B&W / 1:37 flat full frame / 116 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date , 2019 / 39.95

Starring: Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift, Ralph Richardson, Miriam Hopkins, Vanessa Brown.

Cinematography: Leo Tover

Film Editor: William Hornbeck

Original Music: Aaron Copland

Written by Ruth and Agustus Goetz from their play, from the book by Henry James

Produced and Directed by William Wyler

One of Hollywood’s finest directors, William Wyler turned out a high percentage of bona fide classics, distinguished adaptations of books and plays.