Peter Lawford may be the least well-known member of the Frank Sinatra “Rat Pack.” Lawford is sometimes called “The Man Who Kept The Secrets” because of his clandestine efforts to connect his brother-in-law, John F. Kennedy, and Marilyn Monroe and his work … Continue reading
“The Razor’s Edge” is a frustrating and fascinating film from 1946. It is based on the 1944 novel by W. Somerset Maugham. The novel had been a massive best seller and the public anxiously awaited the film adaptation. Darrell F. Zanuck … Continue reading
“Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?” – An Appreciation of a Comic Gem Was Jayne Mansfield a great actress? I have no idea. But I know that her performance in “Will Success Rock Hunter?” is absolute perfection. The problem is that … Continue reading
Billy Wilder’s “Avanti!” – An Underrated Gem I will begin with three confessions. First, I think Billy Wilder may be the greatest American movie director of all time. His ability to transcend genres is unparalleled. His scripts were always ahead … Continue reading
Unexpected Movie Teams Some movie teams seem absolutely inevitable… Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn… John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara… Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon… The Marx Brothers… Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. But some teams come off as completely unexpected … Continue reading