Directors Archives * Page 2 of 3 * Spellbound with Beth Ann

Bird of Paradise (1951) & The Power of a Great Moment

Beth Ann Gallagher
1950s, Appreciations, Bird of Paradise (1951), Debra Paget, Delmer Daves, Directors, Guy Maddin, Moments, Movies
Apr 6, 2016
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When watching Debra Paget, For Example (2015) and seeing clips of the actress‘s work, I was struck by the beautiful colors and dramatic shots that could be found in many of her films, which I had presumed to be mostly B movies. Maybe they weren’t all quality or fully successful pictures, but I caught myself finding aspects…

Review: Debra Paget, For Example (2015)

Beth Ann Gallagher
Debra Paget, Directors, Documentaries, Film Essays, Mark Rappaport, Movie Reviews
Apr 3, 2016
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Beautiful, classic film era actress Debra Paget never quite became an A-list star. Despite being in some high profile films, she was mostly relegated to genre roles, usually playing exotic parts and often wearing skimpy and skin-tight costuming. Filmmaker Mark Rappaport chose her as the subject of one of his latest video essays, Debra Paget, For Example…

#52FilmsByWomen

Beth Ann Gallagher
#52FilmsByWomen, Directors, Viewing Campaigns, Women Film Directors
Mar 5, 2016
0 Comments

During my recent blogging hiatus, I took a movie-watching pledge that’s perfect to share with you during March, which is Women’s History Month. I pledged to watch 52 Films By Women. I’m watching at least one film directed by a woman a week. I started fulfilling my pledge in January. I’m not alone in joining the…

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…

Criterion Blogathon: Judex (1963)

Beth Ann Gallagher
1960s, Blogathons, Channing Pollock, Criterion, Directors, Édith Scob, Era, Foreign, Francine Bergé, French, Georges Franju, Michel Vitold, Remakes
Nov 22, 2015
4 Comments

Why the fervor over the Criterion Collection? When DVD technology was new, I read in Movieline and other magazines filmmakers and actors praising the technology and claiming watching DVDs was like taking a film class. DVDs offered extras that most VHS tapes did not. Today the content on DVDs and Blu-rays varies. They might contain…

Tab Hunter Confidential at CAIFF 2015

Beth Ann Gallagher
Anthony Perkins, CAIFF, Classic Hollywood, Debbie Reynolds, Directors, Divine, Documentaries, Dolores Hart, Film Festivals, Jeffrey Schwarz, John Waters, LBGTQ, Natalie Wood, Tab Hunter
Oct 4, 2015
6 Comments

Today we know that Hollywood heartthrob Tab Hunter had a secret. While he was working hard to become an actor appreciated for more than his looks, he was a gay man living in the closet, and that fact would have destroyed his career if it became common knowledge. It would have shattered his all-American boy image…

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…

Using a Moment to Define a Character

Beth Ann Gallagher
Alfred Hitchcock, Directors, Films, George Sanders, Joan Fontaine, Matthew Weiner, Quotations, Rebecca
May 13, 2015
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“You know that scene in Rebecca when Joan Fontaine is exploring the room where everything is monogrammed “Rebecca,” and George Sanders just appears in the window? It’s a ground-floor room, and he’s sitting in the window. He just slides his leg over the sash and walks into the room. You’re like, That guy could’ve come…

Happy Easter!

Beth Ann Gallagher
1900s, Directors, Easter, Era, Films, Holidays, Julienne Mathieu, Les oeufs de Pâques, Segundo de Chomón, Silent Film, Trick Films
Apr 5, 2015
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As an Easter treat, here’s the delightfully magical silent short Les oeufs de Pâques. The film was written and directed by Segundo de Chomón for Pathé Frères. A contemporary of Georges Méliès, de Chomón was often compared to the other director due to their work in trick films, but the Spanish director would go on to work…

Tune in Tonight or Set Your DVRs! Souls for Sale Re-Airs on TCM.

Beth Ann Gallagher
Airing on TCM, Available on DVD, Eleanor Boardman, Movies About Making Movies, Must Watch List, Rupert Hughes, Silent Film, Tune in or DVR
Jan 19, 2014
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This month marks the eighth anniversary of the Turner Classic Movies broadcast premiere of Souls for Sale (1923), and the network obliges silent film buffs by re-airing the film tonight at 9 PM PT/Midnight ET. Viewers who have never seen Rupert Hughes‘s film before or those who love movies about making movies are in for a treat!…

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