My nephew Harry just turned 19 and got his first tattoo, from which it’s easy to deduce that he’s a film nut and who his favorite filmmaker is. Extremely cool.
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Category Archives: Movies
LILLIAN
By Edward Steichen.
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A TRIBUTE
. . . to Suzanne Farrell on her birthday today, created by a 13 year-old girl in Russia named Tamara Pkhakadze.
Farrell was the greatest dancer I ever saw perform in person, greater even than Baryshnikov, and one of the great artists of our time.
With thanks to Toni Bentley, who wrote a profile for The New York Times of Pkhakadze, which you can read here.
MY RIFLE, MY PONY AND ME
KIM
KIRBY AND KATHLEEN
I won’t say that every shot in John Ford’s Rio Grande is brilliantly lit, composed and choreographed, an example of cinematic craft at its highest pitch of elegance and beauty. Perhaps five percent of the shots in the film don’t fit that description. On the other hand, neither Citizen Kane nor Vertigo achieves that level of perfection from shot to shot, and very few films exceed it, Seven Samurai, Chimes At Midnight and The Conformist being among the few that come readily to mind.
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ESSENTIAL
John Ford’s Rio Grande is one of the greatest of all Westerns, one of the greatest of all American movies. The new Blu-ray edition of it from Olive Films belongs in every home.
For some thoughts on the film, so simple on its surface, so complex underneath its surface, click here.
SAVE A GOOD THOUGHT
. . . for her.
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MARLENE
Near the front, Europe, Winter, 1944-45.
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AN LP COVER FOR TODAY
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BEN JOHNSON
A while back I ran a section of the above photo as a banner on the site, and identified it as one of Ben Johnson competing in a rodeo before he entered movies. In fact, it’s a picture of Ben’s father, a noted rodeo champion in his day. Thanks to Paula Vitaris, expert on all things Ben Johnson, for this info, who also notes that Ben, Jr. didn’t start entering rodeos until after he’d worked in the movies and had money for the entrance fees. She further notes that he remains (and I’m sure will always remain) the only man to win both a rodeo world championship and an Oscar.
You can find Paula’s excellent Ben Johnson site here.
TUESDAY ON THURSDAY
Via Jessica Ritchey . . .
ON THE SET
La Strada, 1954.
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AN EXPLOITATION MOVIE POSTER FOR TODAY
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THE BRIDE MAKES UP
With thanks to Facebook friend Jessica Ritchey.