As my maternal Grandfather's Grandmother was a McCrea (whose farm mailbox proudly proclaimed "Scots Since 1847") and he married a Cochran, I claim whatever Scottish-Irish-Celtic-Gaelic links that are available to add some pizzazz to an otherwise drab WASP background -- plus I love Cape Bre...

Given next month's Guest, I've postponed my return to On Sunset Boulevard: The Life and Times of Billy Wilder in favor of Lee Server's Sam Fuller: Film Is a Battleground.

With his appearances on THE PHIL SILVERS SHOW, THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, and THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW (just saw him there last night), Mr. Melvin seemed like a part of the family. Always a joy to watch.

jdb1 wrote: There was so much fear and paranoia then (of the "Red Scare" kind), and we were subject to City-wide air raid drills, and public service announcements in the media about A Bomb attacks and all. We little pitchers listened with wide eyes and big ears to the adults around us tal...

mrsl wrote:

Speaking of western, as the U.S. widened from the Atlantic ocean to the Pacific, everything, by decades, was considered 'The West' if it was west of Chicago and St. Louis which were the unmarked end of civilization.

Why did you use the past tense? Ever been to Rockford?

Just when the world needs more guitars sounding like bagpipes, BIG COUNTRY rides to the rescue! It's cold, crisp and white outside at the Windy City Chapter of the RECORD PARTY , which brings to mind McCABE AND MRS. MILLER , which brings to mind LEONARD COHEN . Sisters of Mercy [youtube]http://www.y...

The Steve Allen Show -- My introduction to zaniness and my first glimpse of Jerry Lee Lewis. The Ed Sullivan Show --Myron Cohen and The Beatles. Jackie Vernon and Robert Goulet. Morcambe & Wise and Sophie Tucker. A show that was beyond criticism and inhabited its own universe. The Smothers Brot...

I'm very glad to have finally caught it. Aldo Ray has never been on my short (or long) list of favorite performers, but I thought he was wonderful. Brian Keith and Anne Bancroft were good and James Gregory -- well, regardless of whether he's a good guy or a bad guy -- he was at his unctous best. But...

Jon -- If you ever need anything beyond "the glory" to keep this going, let us know. I joined TCM in October and, to quote B.B. King, the thrill is gone. One of the beauties of this site is that, due to the breadth of knowledge of the members and their writing abilities, it is a pleasure t...

Barbara Stanwyck in The Furies, The Cattle Queen Of Montana, The Maverick Queen and Forty Guns

Tell your friend, MissG, about FORTY GUNS. Stanwyck's no tomboy in that...she has more testosterone than anyone in the movie (don't let that final scene fool you).

Welcome, Stuart. You claim to be a friend of MissG's and, yet, there is no mention of John Ford on your list of favorites. Hmmm...do you really know her? My younger daughter, a college sophomore and Technical Theatre major, will be in your fair land in mid-May for a theatre class led by one of her p...

I was very pleasantly surprised by THE TIN STAR . Although I've always liked Tony Perkins (esp. THE TRIAL , PSYCHO , and CATCH-22 ), I admit to some trepidation with the concept of him as a sheriff in the Old West. After my initial shock, I thought he was quite good -- his more modern approach to ac...

John Ford, John Ford, John Ford? Did he direct any Westerns? Well, Missy, I'm a-lookin' for a gunfight in the "Favorite Western" Corral between Ford and Tourneur for the champeenship ( Stars in My ) Crown . If Pappy wins, we're sending in the Cat People , The Leopard Man , and a Curse of t...

Despite the Charles Burnett Collection being beside our TV, we watched KILLER OF SHEEP last night on TCM. I was choking back tears...of joy, of sadness, of exhilaration and amazement over the artistry...from start to finish. Mrs. ChiO prefers Billy Woodbury 's BLESS THEIR LITTLE HEARTS; her explanat...

This is today's feature that has me excited. Samuel Fuller is one of my favorite directors and Gene Evans was born for being in his movies. Although I haven't seen it, I'm guessing that it's bold, hard-hitting, lurid and shocking...or at least I hope so.