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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...

A nice bit of foreshadowing can make any movie even more fascinating to watch. These subtle clues about events yet to come will often go over the heads of the audience the first time around, but can be exciting to notice upon a rewatch. After all, these brief moments can prove that the filmmakers knew exactly what they were doing all along, having thought about exactly how the film would end from the moment it started.

Some iconic movies, however, take this idea even further. Every once in a while, a film is made that subtly reveals key details of the ending within the very first sequence. A carefully constructed opening scene has the ability to hint at where the film may be heading, even if viewers don't realize that it is all being laid out right in front of them. While they may be overlooked on their first viewing,...

The classic 1960s sitcom Bewitched has remained a beloved staple of American television, with its memorable characters, whimsical plotlines, and groundbreaking portrayal of an independent female lead. The show’s unique twist—a suburban housewife who is secretly a witch—combined humor with fantasy, captivating audiences over eight seasons from 1964 to 1972.

Unfortunately, most of the original cast members have passed away, leaving behind a legacy that still resonates with fans today. Here’s a look at the lives of the Bewitched cast and where they are now.

Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stephens Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha. | ABC

Elizabeth Montgomery starred as Samantha Stephens, a kind-hearted witch who tries to live a normal suburban life while balancing her magical heritage. Samantha’s character broke stereotypes, showcasing a strong and independent woman in a time when television often depicted women in domestic roles. Montgomery’s portrayal earned her five Primetime Emmy Award...

Sitcom kids aren’t supposed to play favorites, but with all of her TV dads now performing on that big Nick at Nite in the sky, the actress who played Tabitha on Bewitched is finally ready to get real about her comedy paternity.

Erin Murphy, now 60, played half-witch/half-mortal toddler Tabitha Stevens on the 1960s sitcom. Her first TV dad was played by Dick York, who wasn’t any happier with his daughter’s witchcraft than he was with his wife’s.

But York had a painful, degenerative spine condition that forced him to leave Bewitched after its fifth season. For Seasons Six through Eight, Tabitha had a new daddy in Dick Sargent, a man equally fixated on keeping his daughter’s powers at bay.

Who was the better Darrin Stevens — first daddy or second daddy? “My entire life I have been so diplomatic because I loved them both,” Murphy told People.

Rod Serling's eerie sci-fi anthology series "The Twilight Zone" still, to this day, tops lists of the best TV shows of all time. In a 2023 article in Variety, listing the 100 greatest shows of all time, it was listed at #14, just behind "Succession," although that ranking smacks of recency bias. The #1 show on that list, incidentally, was "I Love Lucy," which is wholly correct. Over here on /Film, we listed "The Twilight Zone" as the greatest horror TV show of all time, which is also correct. "Tales from the Crypt," however, didn't crack the top 30, so we may need to do some soul-searching. 

The original "Twilight Zone" ran from 1959 to 1964, which is an astonishingly long run for an anthology series. In that time, the show attracted numerous notable sci-fi writers and aspiring directors, bringing genre writing deeper into the pop consciousness. Serling became a minor deity of sorts, appearing at...

The end-credit sequence of Agatha All Along references many movies and TV shows, each of them connecting to the spooky nature of the MCU Disney+ series. By the time of Agatha All Along episode 2s ending, the witchy, Halloween vibes of the show become prevalent. From the eerie, spooky depiction of the Witches Road that serves as the shows main setting to the seven witches of Agatha Harkness coven, Agatha All Along is wisely versing itself in a weird, mysterious world and tone.

This tone extends to the shows end-credit sequence. As the names of Agatha All Alongs ensemble cast and talented crew are displayed in gothic writing, references to other movies and TV shows can be spotted in the background. While some of the elements shown in the end-credits sequence relate to the shows in-universe aspects like the MCUs Witches Road location, others are from real-world projects that share...

Bewitched is one of the most popular shows of all time and was even ranked No. 50 on TV Guide‘s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time, proving that the love of magic is real. The series, starring Elizabeth Montgomery as the mystical Samantha Stephens, Dick York and later Dick Sargent as her mortal husband Darrin Stephens and Agnes Moorehead as her powerful mother Endora, aired from 1964 until 1972. Of course, since the show began 60 years ago, most of the cast members have since passed away. Let’s find out who is still alive and what they’re up to now. Erin Murphy (60) Tabitha Stephens Everett Collection; Jerod Harris/Getty Images Unsurprisingly, the only surviving cast members are the kids from the show. During the show’s third season, Samantha and Darrin had their first child, a daughter named Tabitha who eventually shows that she inherited the family’s magical powers. At first,...

Fred R. Krug, a producer, director and cinematographer who worked on such nature-focused TV programs as Animal World, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom and The Magical World of Disney, has died. He was 94.

Krug died June 4 of natural causes at his home in Solvang, California, his daughter, Vivian Krug-Cotton, told The Hollywood Reporter.

A pioneer in wildlife TV documentaries and travel shows, the Swiss-born Krug dined with Picasso, worked with The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl and danced with the Nicholas brothers.

He also collaborated with the likes of Gypsy Rose Lee, Louis Armstrong, Cornel Wilde, Jayne Mansfield, Dana Andrews, Jean Simmons, Agnes Moorehead, Art Linkletter and Tippi Hedren.

Krug’s career took him to the jungles of Peru, Ecuador and Brazil; to India, Zululand, South Africa and the Serengeti in Kenya; to the high country of New Zealand; and to the mountains of Italy.

Friedrich Roy Krug was born on Aug.

The 1962 Western film "How the West Was Won" showcased a star-studded ensemble cast, including John Wayne, Henry Fonda, James Stewart, and Debbie Reynolds. The movie's unique structure featured five different stories following the Prescott family, allowing each actor to have their moment to shine. "How the West Was Won" was a major success, grossing $50 million on a $15 million budget, and was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning three.

A 1962 Western put together an impressive cast that elevated the film and made it an instant classic that would also become a box office champion and a critically acclaimed hit. Casting has always been one major factor in a movie's success, not just in terms of what the actors can deliver, but also the star power that comes with them. It was no different for Westerns, a genre that shaped some of the greatest actors of all time. Likewise, the works of actors like John Wayne,...

In 1967, Agnes Moorehead made history as the first woman (and second performer) to receive Primetime Emmy nominations in two categories at once. By winning for her work on “The Wild Wild West” while also competing as a star of “Bewitched,” she blazed a trail for 55 other actresses who have since been given double or even triple chances at Emmy glory. Scroll through our chronological photo gallery to find out who else is included in this special group.

Over the years, 14 women have simultaneously competed for two acting Emmys at multiple points in their careers. The overall record for most entries on this or the corresponding male list belongs to Cloris Leachman, who was doubly recognized seven different times between 1973 and 2006.

Whereas James Earl Jones is the only male actor to have ever won two Emmys in a single year, eight actresses have accomplished the same feat. Aside from Leachman (1975), that...

Months before she won the 2023 Best Comedy Supporting Actress Emmy for the first season of FX’s “The Bear,” it was reported that Ayo Edebiri would move up to lead for season two. According to our odds chart, she looks set to become the 12th woman to reap both supporting and lead Emmy bids (in that order) for a single role on a single series. If she takes the gold again, she will become the first to win both comedy actress awards in that order for one show.

Edebiri’s win in the supporting race at the strike-delayed 75th Emmys was preceded by victories in lead for season two at the 2024 Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards. Having just blocked Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Abbott Elementary”) from achieving back-to-back supporting Emmy honors, she now faces the challenge of fending off two former lead champions: Jean Smart and Quinta Brunson.

Edebiri would...

Upon sweeping the four main drama acting categories at the 2021 Emmy Awards, “The Crown” stars Olivia Colman, Josh O’Connor, Gillian Anderson, and Tobias Menzies all joined a special roster of lead or supporting TV academy honorees who were not part of their shows’ original casts. As members of the expansive Netflix series’ second of three distinct ensembles, this quartet and their co-stars were replaced ahead of season five by a new group of actors, some of whom could be added to said exclusive winners club later this year.

According to Gold Derby’s odds, the performer from the sixth and final season of “The Crown” with the best shot at Emmy glory is supporting female frontrunner Elizabeth Debicki. She played the role of Princess Diana for two seasons, finishing the job started by younger season four cast member Emma Corrin. The characters embodied by predicted nominees Imelda Staunton (Queen Elizabeth II...

Bewitched was a magical sitcom from 1964 that broke stereotypes with its strong female characters and smart writing. The main cast members like Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York have passed away, but their legacy lives on in TV history. Adam Stephens actor David Mandel-Bloch, one of the few surviving cast members, co-owns a restaurant with his twin brother Greg.

David Mandel-Bloch is one of only three actors from the main Bewitched cast who's still alive. The 1964 Bewitched series kicked off a magical franchise, leading to spin-offs, an animated adaptation, and a theatrical Bewitched movie remake starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell. The fantasy sitcom follows a witch named Samantha who marries an ordinary man, Darrin, and tries to lead a normal suburban life. Samantha's family is not a fan of the marriage and frequently interferes with their lives, usually with Darrin the hapless victim of their many spells gone wrong.

Bewitched...

The first Oscar ceremony in 1928 took place at the famous Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, with tickets going for five dollars (about $70 in today’s money). The ceremony lasted only about 15 minutes, and was hosted by director William C. deMille and actor Douglas Fairbanks, who was also the first president of the motion picture academy. Winners in 12 categories were announced weeks prior to the event, which was the only Oscar ceremony in history to not be broadcast on radio.

Actor and comedian Bob Hope holds the record for the most frequent Oscar host with 19 appearances either solo or as co-host. For most of the 1990s and early 2000s, Billy Crystal was synonymous with the Oscars, hosting on nine occasions, always bringing out his now-classic medley of songs that interpolated the titles of the Best Picture nominees for that year. Crystal’s fellow “Comic Relief” host Whoopi Goldberg made history twice when she...

In its own way, Sol Saks' 1963 sitcom "Bewitched" was a subversive work. Inspired by movies like "I Married a Witch" (1942) and "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" (1957), "Bewitched" followed the everyday, quotidian, brightly-lit travails of a typical white suburban couple named Darrin Stephens and Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery). 

The twist was that Samantha was a centuries-old witch, descended from a long line of magic-users. Endora (Agnes Moorehead), Samantha's colorful mother, would occasionally drop in, as would her father Maurice (Maurice Evans from "Planet of the Apes"), and uncle Arthur (legendary comedian Paul Lynde). The witches and warlocks on the show would often attempt to drive a wedge between Samantha and Darrin, but their love would prevail in the end. 

Beginning in the show's third season, the Stephens had their first child, Tabitha (Erin Murphy and Diane Murphy). In the sixth season, they were joined by baby Adam (David Lawrence and Greg Lawrence). 

Sadly,...

You never knew exactly what you would get when "The Twilight Zone" began. The series — produced and largely written by celebrated Emmy-winning writer Rod Serling — was a loose collection of fantastical tales. Some were supernatural, some were science fiction. Some were comedies, and some were scary as hell.

It should come as little surprise that the "scary as hell" episodes are among the most memorable installments of the series. William Shatner's desperate screaming that there's a man on the wing of the plane in "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" was instantly iconic, and repeatedly remade. Agnes Moorehead silently fighting off an invading force of tiny homicidal aliens in "The Invaders" was strange and shocking, and seemingly set the stage for future "tiny monster" horror movies like "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" and "Gremlins."

But perhaps no "Twilight Zone" episode is more overwhelmingly terrifying than the one about a little kid with godlike powers.

"The Twilight Zone" may have been an anthology series that featured a new cast of actors every single week, but it had a star. Series creator Rod Serling, an Emmy Award-winning screenwriter who personally wrote 92 episodes of the 156-episode series, was also the show's headliner. Every episode began with Serling introducing the story, teasing the unexpected ironies that would befall the latest characters. His pleasingly gravelly voice and serious business suit gave him an on-air authority usually reserved for news anchors, which gave a powerful legitimacy to the strange tales that were about to unfold.

Rod Serling was indelibly linked to "The Twilight Zone" in front of and behind the camera and was a driving force behind its bizarre tales of sci-fi and supernatural. So it might stand to reason that Serling, as a producer and a frontman for the series, wouldn't play favorites with the many episodes of the show.

It takes about 10 minutes of wordless character- and world-building to realize no one is really going to speak in No One Will Save You. It's a gimmick, certainly, but in the hands of writer-director Brian Duffield, it's also a high-concept window into a story about guilt and isolation. Since being released directly to Hulu on September 22, the film has been trending and attracting glowing reviews from critics and horror luminaries like Guillermo Del Toro and Stephen King.

No One Will Save You: Brilliant, daring, involving, scary. You have to go back over 60 years, to a Twilight Zone episode called "The Invaders," to find anything remotely like it.

Truly unique.

King's praise references a 1961 episode of The Twilight Zone, "The Invaders," in which Agnes Moorehead plays a woman who has to fend off an alien invasion while alone and isolated in a nearly dialogue-free episode.

One of the reasons "The Twilight Zone" endures today is its uncanny ability to tell any kind of story. Even the most classic episodes often feel like they were made for completely different reasons, and only share between them a whiff of the uncanny or supernatural. "The Night of the Meek" is one of the sweetest, kindest episodes of television ever filmed. "The Eye of the Beholder" is one of the most daringly experimental and powerful.

But sooner or later, "The Twilight Zone" always comes back around to the realm of absolute terror. Godlike children transforming hapless adults into Jack-in-the-Boxes, man-eating aliens from outer space, paranoid suburbanites ripping each other to pieces ... there's a frightening episode of "The Twilight Zone" for just about anybody.

And one of the scariest they ever filmed took place in a tiny cabin, with only one actor — one of the greatest of her generation — and she never says a word.

Animated reboots of Bewitched and The Partridge Family are in the works. Premiered first in 1964, Bewitched followed a witch named Samantha who, after marrying an ordinary mortal man, Darrin Stephens, vows to live the life of a typical suburban housewife but is unable to resist using her magical powers to solve everyday problems. The classic sitcom-inspired the 2005 film of the same name starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell. On the other hand, The Partridge Family premiered in 1970 and is loosely based on the Cowsills, following a family of pop musicians who embark on humorous adventures.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Sony is developing animated takes on the two classic sitcoms, Bewitched and The Partridge Family. The animated reboots are said to be aimed at younger viewers. However, both projects are in early development and do not yet have writers attached due to the WGA strike. Sony Pictures Television executive Joe D’Ambrosia...

Since the fourth season of HBO’s “Succession” focuses on finally providing an answer as to whether Logan Roy’s media empire can survive in the hands of his three youngest children, it’s only fitting for the actors who play said offspring to now be on the same tier when it comes to awards consideration. Soon after former supporting Emmy nominee Kieran Culkin joined his TV brother (Jeremy Strong) and dad (Brian Cox) in submitting as a lead this year, Sarah Snook, who portrays youngest Roy sibling Shiv, followed suit. This move means she will very likely be counted among nine other women who each procured supporting and lead Emmy bids (in that order) for a single role on a single series.

As a featured “Succession” performer, Snook earned her first two TV academy notices in 2020 and 2022. She lost on both outings to “Ozark” actress Julia Garner, who she...

The Bat

Blu-ray

The Film Detective

1959 / 1.85: 1 / 80 Min.

Starring Agnes Moorehead, Vincent Price

Written by Crane Wilbur

Directed by Crane Wilbur

Crane Wilbur’s The Bat is a murder mystery starring Agnes Moorehead and Vincent Price—but the real mystery is how Hollywood managed to pair these diabolically funny entertainers in only one film. They shared little to no screen time in 1951’s The Adventures of Captain Fabian and 1957’s The Story of Mankind, but in Wilbur’s mild-mannered horror show, Moorehead and Price are toe to toe—and generate enough chemistry for a dozen lovably corny crime thrillers just like The Bat.

Despite Price’s presence it’s Moorehead’s show; she plays Cornelia Van Gorder, a prolific mystery writer in the mode of Mary Roberts Rinehart—who, not coincidentally, wrote The Circular Staircase, the source material for the The Bat. As the no-nonsense Van Gorder, Moorehead’s steely...

Cinedigm announced today that The Film Detective, the classic film restoration and streaming company, will release the late 1950s horror classic, The Bat (1959), on special-edition Blu-ray and DVD on October 25, 2022.

The predator has steel claws and rips his victims to shreds! But who is he? Vincent Price (House of Wax, The Last Man on Earth) thrills in this horror classic about a down­trodden country estate that becomes the site of a horrific murder. Agnes Moorehead (Bewitched, Hush … Hush, Sweet Charlotte) co-stars in this picture in one of her many commanding, on-screen performances. Other co-stars include Gavin Gordon (Murder by Invitation) and Darla Hood of the Our Gang comedies in her final film role.

Prolific writer/director Crane Wilbur (He Walked by Night, Crime Wave) helms this feature, alongside an impressive gallery of weirdos who are guaranteed to give you the creeps. Which of them is the mysterious killer known as “The Bat?...

Twice-Told Tales

Blu-ray

Kino Lorber

1963 / 1.66: 1 / 120 Min.

Starring Vincent Price, Sebastian Cabot, Joyce Taylor

Written by Robert E. Kent

Directed by Sidney Salkow

Released in October of 1963, the first review of Sidney Salkow’s Twice-Told Tales appeared in 1623: “Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale.” That line from Shakespeare’s King John is a nice summation of Salkow’s horror anthology, an undernourished melodrama that finds its salvation in, no surprise, the reliably entertaining Vincent Price.

Nathaniel Hawthorne used that Shakespearean quip as the title of his own collection of reprinted material, published in March of 1837. The book had a cover price of one dollar, which might have been close to the budget for Salkow’s movie—a remarkably cheap-looking production, even for Admiral Pictures. The company, headed by Grant Whytock with funding from Edward Small, specialized in cutting corners—they even worked their chintzy magic on Roger Corman’s Tower of London,...

Of all fantasy sitcoms over the years, have any been more fantastic than Bewitched? Created by Sol Saks, the show starred Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stephens, a witch hiding in suburbia, while Dick York (initially) played her mortal husband, Darrin Stephens, and Agnes Moorehead played her magical mother, Endora. And the alchemy of talent in front of and behind the camera made the series a magical success for ABC: Bewitched ended its first season as the top show on the network and the No. 2 show on television. Bewitched ended after eight seasons on March 25, 1972, and to mark the 50th anniversary of that series finale, we’re rounding up fascinating facts about the show — from casting secrets to modern-day homages. Moorehead got the part of Endora after a chance encounter with Montgomery. Montgomery ran into the Oscar-nominated actress at a Bloomingdale’s department store and asked her if she had ever considered doing television.

With Margot Robbie attached to a new "Pirates of the Caribbean" feature, there is now talk of updating Milton Caniff's "Terry and the Pirates" comic strip character 'Dragon Lady', based on 'Lai Choi San', a real woman pirate from the South China Sea :

Inspired by movie characters played by actress Anna May Wong, the 'Dragon Lady' term has since been applied to describe 'powerful women'.

Caniff's 'Dragon Lady', aka 'Madam Deal', debuted in in the first "Terry and The Pirates" Sunday strip story (1934), as a beautiful seductress, who fell in love with Terry's older sidekick 'Pat Ryan'.

In the years leading up to World War II, she became a force for good.

During the 1940's, actress Agnes Moorehead played the character on radio.

In the "Terry and the Pirates" film serial (1940), Dragon Lady was played by Sheila Darcy.

Click the images to enlarge... ...

Our Oscar Volley series continues with Cláudio Alves and Nick Taylor doing a deep dive on a category near and dear to their hearts...

Nick: First, quick introductions! What drew us to this category, you ask? The Supporting Actress category was one of my favorite fields to rummage through when I was initially exploring the Oscars. Tilda Swinton, Lupita Nyong’o, Sandy Dennis, Thelma Ritter, Mo’Nique, Dianne Wiest, Agnes Moorehead - all led me to new ideas about film and performance I hadn’t dreamed of before then. Watching talented actresses carve out whole worlds from the corners of their films became one of my favorite things to search for in movies.

I have a very specific memory of discovering the Supporting Actress Smackdown after watching Kramer vs Kramer for the first time only a few weeks after the podcast on 1979 dropped and listening to the discussion with rapt attention. And...

A thousand releases down the line, Criterion gives us a special edition of the most creatively brilliant & innovative movie in history, as the label debuts selected 4K releases. It’s a four-disc set, with three Blu-rays that hold a huge quantity of well-chosen and well-produced extras. What can be said about Kane that hasn’t been debated decades ago? Our Declaration of Principles is to just try and tell the truth: we try a ‘civilian’ approach, sketching the film’s wonderments without assuming the reader is already a true believer in the Cinema God Orson Welles. Which Welles definitely is.

Citizen Kane 4K

4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray

The Criterion Collection 1104

1941 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 119 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date November 23, 2021 / 47.96

Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Agnes Moorehead, Ruth Warrick, Ray Collins, Erskine Sanford, Everett Sloane, William Alland, Paul Stewart, George Coulouris, Fortunio Bonanova.

Cinematography: Gregg Toland...

Hello, dear readers! Before those of us in the States get ready to gobble down our Thanksgiving dinners later this week, we have a brand new batch of horror and sci-fi home entertainment releases to look forward to first. One of this writer’s favorite films of all time, Philip Kaufman’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) is getting the 4K treatment from Kino Lorber this Tuesday, and Arrow Video is resurrecting both The Snake Girl and the Silver Haired Witch and Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge on Blu-ray as well (this is also very exciting news in my world). Arrow is also re-releasing a handful of other titles—The Cat O’ Nine Tails, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, and C.H.U.D.—and the first season of Rod Serling’s Night Gallery is headed to Blu-ray as well.

Other releases for November 23rd include Chupa, Lair,...

Like everyone else, we love Lucy and celebrate the anniversary of Lucille Ball‘s landmark laffer “I Love Lucy,” which debuted on CBS exactly 70 years ago today on Oct. 15, 1951. The show won the Emmy for Best Situation Comedy twice and Ball claimed two trophies as well.

Ball went on to win two more Emmys for the last two seasons of her second series, “The Lucy Show”. In 1967, she edged out “Bewitched” stars Elizabeth Montgomery and Agnes Moorehead and “That Girl’s” Marlo Thomas. By the way, Montgomery never won an Emmy, despite nine nods, including five for her work as that witch with a twitch. The following year, in what was to be her final Emmy race, Ball prevailed yet again. Her competition: Montgomery and Thomas, as well as Barbara Feldon (“Get Smart”) and Paula Prentiss (“He and She”).

Watch that moment from the 1967 Emmycast when Ball wins. As her...

Actor, producer and director Norman Lloyd, best known for his title role in Hitchcock’s “Saboteur” and as Dr. Daniel Auschlander on NBC’s “St. Elsewhere” and famously associated with Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater, died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 106.

His friend, producer Dean Hargrove, confirmed his death and said “His third act was really the best time of his life,” referring to the many historical Hollywood retrospectives and events Lloyd had participated in over the past few decades. Lloyd often said his secret to his long and mostly illness-free life was “avoiding disagreeable people,” Hargrove recounted.

Lloyd was hand-picked by Alfred Hitchcock to play the title character and villain in 1942’s “Saboteur,” and it was his character who tumbled to his death from the top of the Statue of Liberty in the pic’s iconic conclusion.

But the hard-working multihyphenate gained his highest profile only...

By Tim McGlynn

“What does he care if the land ain’t free?”

The Warner Archive has done itself proud with their new release of MGM’s splendid 1951 production of Showboat. This Technicolor spectacular is actually the third film version of the Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein classic, which is based on a novel by Edna Ferber. The Freed unit at MGM pulled out all the stops for this effort and cast Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ava Gardner, Joe E. Brown, Agnes Moorehead, Marge and Gower Champion and William Warfield in this turn- of -the last century story set in the deep South.

Cap’n Andy and his wife Parthy use their paddle Wheeler, the Cotton Blossom, to put on shows up and down the Mississippi River. Their daughter, Magnolia, dreams of playing a part but is discouraged by her strict mother. One day a charming, but down and out gambler...

By Tim McGlynn

“What does he care if the land ain’t free?”

The Warner Archive has done itself proud with their new release of MGM’s splendid 1951 production of Showboat. This Technicolor spectacular is actually the third film version of the Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein classic, which is based on a novel by Edna Ferber. The Freed unit at MGM pulled out all the stops for this effort and cast Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ava Gardner, Joe E. Brown, Agnes Moorehead, Marge and Gower Champion and William Warfield in this turn- of -the last century story set in the deep South.

Cap’n Andy and his wife Parthy use their paddle Wheeler, the Cotton Blossom, to put on shows up and down the Mississippi River. Their daughter, Magnolia, dreams of playing a part but is discouraged by her strict mother. One day a charming, but down and out gambler...

MGM’s remake of the grand musical can’t be ignored — the restored transfer is stunning, demonstrating the studio’s technical skill at full tilt. There are good aspects to this version, even if it’s mostly a missed opportunity more notable for production backstories than for itself. It’s Kathryn Grayson’s high water mark at MGM, and Howard Keel does yeoman’s work on his side. MGM’s musical arrangements of the Hammerstein / Kern songbook is as good as ever. Most critics in 1951 thought it superior because it was in Technicolor; and it was one of the top $ money earners of the year.

Show Boat

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1951 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 108 min. / Street Date February 23, 2021 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel, Joe E. Brown, Marge Champion, Gower Champion, Robert Sterling, Agnes Moorehead, Leif Erickson, William Warfield, Regis Toomey, Adele Jergens, Owen McGiveney,...

MGM’s remake of the grand musical can’t be ignored — the restored transfer is stunning, demonstrating the studio’s technical skill at full tilt. There are good aspects to this version, even if it’s mostly a missed opportunity more notable for production backstories than for itself. It’s Kathryn Grayson’s high water mark at MGM, and Howard Keel does yeoman’s work on his side. MGM’s musical arrangements of the Hammerstein / Kern songbook is as good as ever. Most critics in 1951 thought it superior because it was in Technicolor; and it was one of the top $ money earners of the year.

Show Boat

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1951 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 108 min. / Street Date February 23, 2021 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel, Joe E. Brown, Marge Champion, Gower Champion, Robert Sterling, Agnes Moorehead, Leif Erickson, William Warfield, Regis Toomey, Adele Jergens, Owen McGiveney,...

Peering into the past through the rosiest of glasses, Pollyanna is the dream child of two dedicated nostalgists, Walt Disney and writer/director David Swift. Considering the sentimental story line—a young orphan charms a morose midwestern town with her “glad game”—the film is even-tempered and never bathetic, thanks mainly to 13-year old Hayley Mills, a natural actress if ever there was one. The wonderful little lady is surrounded by a cast of sturdy pros including Jane Wyman, Richard Egan, and a memorable turn by Agnes Moorehead as the town’s head crank.

The post Pollyanna appeared first on Trailers From Hell.

With Margot Robbie attached to a new "Pirates of the Caribbean" feature, there is now talk of updating Milton Caniff's "Terry and the Pirates" comic strip character 'Dragon Lady', based on 'Lai Choi San', a real woman pirate from the South China Sea :

Inspired by movie characters played by actress Anna May Wong, the 'Dragon Lady' term has since been applied to describe 'powerful women'.

Caniff's 'Dragon Lady', aka 'Madam Deal', debuted in in the first "Terry and The Pirates" Sunday strip story (1934), as a beautiful seductress, who fell in love with Terry's older sidekick 'Pat Ryan'.

In the years leading up to World War II, she became a force for good.

During the 1940's, actress Agnes Moorehead played the character on radio.

In the "Terry and the Pirates" film serial (1940), Dragon Lady was played by Sheila Darcy.

Click the images to enlarge... ...

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.”

That haunting line opened Daphne Du Maurier’s treasured 1938 romantic thriller “Rebecca,” which was published in 1938. Lauded by critics, it quickly became a best-seller and has been in print ever since. And for good reason.

Du Maurier wraps readers around her little finger with this addictive tale of a timid young woman-her name is never mentioned-who meets and falls in love with an enigmatic wealthy widower, Maxim de Winter, while in Monte Carlo working as a paid companion to the obnoxious American, Mrs. Van Hopper. Max and the young woman soon fall in love. They marry and he takes her home to his gothic estate Manderley run with an iron-fist by the tightly wound housekeeper Mrs. Danvers who is obsessed with the late, charismatic Rebecca, the late wife of Maxim.

Two years after its publication, “Gone with the Wind” producer David O. Selznick...

This CinemaScope musical remake of 1939’s The Women is highly watchable, especially in this flawless digital remaster. The actresses that bare their claws, compete for husbands and just plain cat-fight are a choice batch, with favorites from the ’50s the ’40s the ’30s — plus a few wildflowers that bloomed cinematically for only a few years (Dolores Gray) and one that somehow managed immortality (Joan Collins). It’s highly watchable despite, or maybe because of, its criminally outdated recipe for marital bliss. Did women really go for this fantasy — did anybody ever really live like this?

The Opposite Sex

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1956 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 116 min. / Street Date October 27, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: June Allyson, Joan Collins, Dolores Gray, Ann Sheridan, Ann Miller, Leslie Nielsen, Jeff Richards, Agnes Moorehead, Charlotte Greenwood, Joan Blondell, Sam Levene, Alice Pearce, Barbara Jo Allen, Sandy Descher, Carolyn Jones, Jerry Antes, Harry James, Art Mooney,...

Like everyone else, we love Lucy and celebrate the anniversary of Lucille Ball‘s landmark laffer “I Love Lucy,” which debuted on CBS exactly 69 years ago today on Oct. 15, 1951. The show won the Emmy for Best Situation Comedy twice and Ball claimed two trophies as well.

Ball went on to win two more Emmys for the last two seasons of her second series, “The Lucy Show”. In 1967, she edged out “Bewitched” stars Elizabeth Montgomery and Agnes Moorehead and “That Girl’s” Marlo Thomas. By the way, Montgomery never won an Emmy, despite nine nods, including five for her work as that witch with a twitch. The following year, in what was to be her final Emmy race, Ball prevailed yet again. Her competition: Montgomery and Thomas, as well as Barbara Feldon (“Get Smart”) and Paula Prentiss (“He and She”).

Watch that moment from the 1967 Emmycast when Ball wins. As her...

Jen and Judy have one more thing between them, but this one is no secret at all. “Dead to Me” stars Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini both scored Best Comedy Actress Emmy nominations Tuesday, joining a short list of co-stars to be nominated in the same year.

The two are just the seventh pair to be shortlisted together (for a total of 13 sets of nominations) since 1966, when the Emmys established the category as we know it. The most recent duo was “Grace and Frankie’s” Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in 2017. The only other instance this century occurred in 2005 when “Desperate Housewives” bagged three spots for Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman. The trio broke through 16 years after another trio — “The Golden Girls'” Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan and Betty White — notched the last of their four straight nominations together in 1989.

This is the sixth Emmy nomination for Applegate, who...

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...

The Bat

Blu ray

The Film Detective

1959 / 1.85:1/ 80 min.

Starring Vincent Price, Agnes Moorehead

Cinematography by Joseph Biroc

Directed by Crane Wilbur

Released during the dog days of summer in August of 1959, The Bat was an air-conditioned summer treat for the eight year-old unprepared for a blood and thunder horror movie – even if this mild thriller does star that consummate killer Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead as a novelist who dabbles in murder – the more gruesome, the better.

Price plays Malcolm Wells, a small-town doctor who’s just witnessed the confession of one John Fleming, a larcenous bank president who’s embezzled a fortune from his own vault. Knowing an opportunity when he sees it, Wells promptly shoots Fleming and sets off to find the loot, hidden in a creaky mansion called The Oaks. Waiting for him is Cornelia Van Gorder (Moorehead), a specialist in pulp fiction unaware that the...

Last year, Christina Applegate earned a surprise Best Comedy Actress Emmy nomination for her then-new show “Dead to Me,” while her leading lady co-star Linda Cardellini was left out in a cold. But the pair may have double to celebrate this year as Cardellini has just entered the top six in sixth place in our odds, setting the stage for them to be just the 13th pair of co-stars to be nominated in the category and just the third in 31 years.

Since the Emmys established genre-specific categories in 1966, these are the only times co-stars have been nominated for Best Comedy Actress in the same year:

1. Elizabeth Montgomery and Agnes Moorehead, “Bewitched” (1967)

2. Cathryn Damon and Katherine Helmond, “Soap” (1978)

3. Cathryn Damon and Katherine Helmond, “Soap” (1980) (Damon won)

4. Cathryn Damon and Katherine Helmond, “Soap” (1981)

5. Jane Curtin and Susan Saint James, “Kate & Allie” (1984) (Curtin won)

6. Jane Curtin and Susan Saint James, “Kate & Allie” (1985) (Curtin won)

7. Bea Arthur,...

“I Love Lucy” is the subject of a heartfelt tribute from “Will & Grace” on April 9. In “We Love Lucy,” Grace (Debra Messing), Jack (Sean Hayes) and Karen (Megan Mullally) each imagine themselves as Lucy Ricardo opposite Will (Eric McCormack) as her hubby Ricky. Part of the fun is seeing this trio of talent also play Fred and Ethel in various combinations.

“Will & Grace” and “I Love Lucy” both won Best Comedy Series at the Emmys. The former did it in 2000; Hayes and Mullally won that year as well. McCormack prevailed in 2001 and Messing in 2003. “Will and Grace” is only the third TV series in Emmy history in which all four of the main cast won awards, following “All in the Family” and “The Golden Girls.”

Of the quartet of talent on “I Love Lucy,” it was only the women — Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance — who won over the TV academy voters.

Bewitched follows the unorthodox lives of Darrin (Dick York) and Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) Stephens. Samantha is no ordinary housewife, as she's a witch. Her relatives pop in and out of their home, causing humorous or catastrophic situations depending on the day.

Related: Bewitched: 10 Jokes That Aged Poorly 

Darrin often has to cover up his wife's witchcraft in front of clients and his boss Larry, and always manages to do so despite the odds. Endora (Agnes Moorehead) was usually the relative causing the most havoc, casting spells on Darrin without notice and against Sam's wishes. That said, here are the 10 worst things Endora did to Darrin.

We have a relatively quiet week of home media releases ahead of us this week, but the titles that are coming out are a rad bunch of films nonetheless. Scream Factory is doing the Dark Lord’s work with both the Collector’s Edition of April Fool’s Day and the HD release of Frankenstein: The True Story. If you missed it in theaters back in January, Nicolas Pesce’s The Grudge (2020) is headed to various platforms this Tuesday, and Arrow Video has put together a stellar Special Edition release of Philip Ridley’s The Passion of Darkly Noon as well.

Other Blu-ray and DVD releases for March 24th include Endless Night, Cabal, Hunter’s Moon, The Zombinator, and The Wizard: Collector’s Edition.

April Fool’s Day: Collector’s Edition

Good friends...with some time to kill. When Muffy St. John invited her college friends up to her parents' secluded...

Bewitched is a classic sitcom about a witch trying to live life as a mortal. Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) doesn't always manage to adapt to mortal life, but she gives her best efforts. She loves her husband and respects his wishes as best she can, all the while managing a household and her many witchy relatives, including her critical mother, Endora (Agnes Moorehead). Samantha was usually dressed at her best, and definitely had pieces that screamed 1960s, and later, the 1970s. We're looking at 10 of her best outfits on the show, ranked.

Related: 10 Of The Best Outfits Featured In "Crazy Rich Asians" ...

Based on Mary Shelley’s timeless novel Frankenstein, Jack Smight's Frankenstein: The True Story is coming to Blu-ray on March 24th from Scream Factory, and ahead of its release, we've been provided with the full list of bonus features and a look at the cover art:

Press Release: Get ready to experience the horror and suspense of the timeless Frankenstein story. On March 24, 2020, Scream Factory™ will unleash the epic horror classic Frankenstein: The True Story on Blu-ray. Directed by Jack Smight and teleplay by Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy, this gruesome, heart-pounding thriller features an incredible cast, including James Mason, Leonard Whiting (Romeo & Juliet), David McCallum, Jane Seymour, Nicola Pagett (An Awfully Big Adventure), Michael Sarrazin, and Agnes Moorehead. Frankenstein: The True Story retells Mary Shelley’s unforgettable story. Victor Frankenstein’s medical experiments result in the shocking discovery that he can revive the dead. But when the...

Going into this year’s Golden Globes, Jennifer Lopez is currently predicted to win Best Film Supporting Actress with 69/20 odds in Gold Derby’s combined predictions for her performance in this past summer’s box office hit, “Hustlers.” On paper, you’d think the Hollywood Foreign Press Association would easily do that in a heartbeat, like how they awarded Sylvester Stallone Best Film Supporting Actor in 2015 for “Creed.” However, what may not bode well for Lopez’s chances is the fact that she is the only recognition the film itself received from the Golden Globes.

To date, only seven contenders have won this award as their film’s lone nomination: Cate Blanchett (“I’m Not There”), Angelina Jolie, Mira Sorvino (“Mighty Aphrodite”), Dianne Wiest (“Bullets Over Broadway”), Brenda Vaccaro (“Once is Not Enough”), Agnes Moorehead and Janet Leigh (“Psycho”). Can JLo overcome that important stat to become the eighth?

SEEWill Jennifer...