precodes Archives * Spellbound with Beth Ann

TCMFF 2017’s Early Announced Films, How Classic Are They?

Beth Ann Gallagher
Film Festivals, TCM Film Festival, The Road to TCMFF 2017
Mar 5, 2017
6 Comments

Let’s review what’s being offered together!

Black Friday Treat: The Bargain of the Century (1933)

Beth Ann Gallagher
1930s, Black Friday, Charley Chase, Comedies, Directors, Era, Hal Roach, Holidays, Length, Producers, Shorts, Slapstick, Thelma Todd, ZaSu Pitts
Nov 27, 2015
2 Comments

Feeling Black Friday fatigue? Here’s a delightful Thelma Todd and ZaSu Pitts comedy teaming, The Bargain of the Century (1933), that pokes fun at battling for bargains for you! The duo’s slapstick antics bring humor to scenes best experienced secondhand. In their quest for a good deal, the women give and get bruises in a…

The William Wellman Blogathon: Maybe It’s Love (1930)

Beth Ann Gallagher
Blogathons, Collegiate, Comedians & Comediennes, Comedies, Directors, Joan Bennett, Joe E. Brown, Pre-Code, William Wellman, William Wellman
Sep 13, 2015
5 Comments

After William Wellman got sick of his treatment at Paramount Pictures, he showed why his nickname “Wild Bill” stuck. He covered Producer B.P. Schulberg‘s desk in manure and left a note on top of the pile reading: “Here’s what I think of your lousy script!” Despite his bad boy behavior, Wellman was in demand. He could make any…

For the Love of Film Blogathon: The Tin Man (1935)

Beth Ann Gallagher
1930s, Blogathons, Comedies, Era, For the Love of Film, Patsy Kelly, Pre-Code, Slapstick, Thelma Todd
May 17, 2015
8 Comments

I’ve been planning a post on The Tin Man for a while, and the For Love of Film: The Film Preservation Blogathon has provided the perfect push to write about this odd comedy short. Every year the blogathon has a theme, and this year’s theme is science fiction. The Tin Man fits the theme like Frankenstein…

For the Love of Film Blogathon 2015

Beth Ann Gallagher
1910s, Blogathons, Era, Film Preservation, For the Love of Film, Science Fiction, Silent Film
May 12, 2015
9 Comments

Yesterday I wanted some background noise TV, but when I turned it on an error message popped up on my screen, and that led me to contacting cable support, who worked me through a series of steps only to tell me that my receiver/DVR combo unit had died. I thought I had lost all my…

Cinefest 35 Storifyed!

Beth Ann Gallagher
Cinefest, Comedies, Cowboy Films, Documentaries, Drama, Film Festivals, Musicals, Pre-Code, Romantic, Silent Film, War Films, Westerns
Apr 7, 2015
2 Comments

In advance of my write-up of Cinefest 35, I’ve curated an account of the Syracuse Cinephile Society‘s final film festival from my and other attendees’ social media postings. You can read our shared excitement as the festival unfolded and all the great tidbits we shared about the films and our experiences. It was over much too…

The Pre-Code Blogathon: Trouble in Paradise (1932)

Beth Ann Gallagher
Available on DVD, Blogathons, Herbert Marshall, Kay Francis, Miriam Hopkins, Pre-Code, Pre-Code, Uncategorized
Apr 4, 2015
2 Comments

It’s hard not to get seduced into enjoying Trouble in Paradise. Ernst Lubitsch‘s 1932 pre-code delights on all levels. Leads Miriam Hopkins, Kay Francis, and Herbert Marshall look their best while giving career high performances. The dialogue they speak with ease is witty, naughty, and quotable. They move about in gorgeous art deco sets. The…

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