…………….Due in the U.K on 20th September, 2021, a limited edition (3,000 copies) blu-Ray of JOHNNY GUITAR. From Eurekavideo.co.uk at £24.99 and includes a 60 page collectors book among the extras.
The film has been out on blu-Ray for some time in America and Germany. Olive Films brought it out in 2012.
There have been more attractive dvd covers in the past:
…………..Gene Tierney’s portrait from LAURA can be seen in colour in the Danny Kaye film ON THE RIVIERA (1951) – Gene costars in this remake of THAT NIGHT IN RIO.
Marcel Dalio, Danny Kaye.
…………Watching “Tension” recently, a query for anyone who knows the film. I can’t figure why the Audrey Totter character murders her lover. There is a suggestion she is too timing him, but it’s still not clear why she pulls a gun.
Any ideas?
Love the duo of Barry Sullivan and William Conrad as the cops. ( Conrad is just so cool! His best pairing is with the other ultimate of cool, Charles McGraw.)
Great part for Audrey , and Richard Basehart always good.
Richard Basehart, Barry Sullivan, William Conrad
Love how the mild mannered Basehart character adopts a new persona by simply swapping his spectacles for contact lenses and wearing snazzier clothes.
And always a pleasure to see Tom D’Andrea playing a role similar to his helpful taxi driver in ”Dark Passage”. Here, he works in the drug store which Richard Basehart manages , and tries to warn Basehart about his unfaithful wife.
…………Sorry to hear of the death this month of Jane Withers at 95. Born in 1926, Jane was very popular in her Fox films of the 30s. She played opposite Shirley Temple in BRIGHT EYES (1934) . Her subsequent films were more modestly budgeted than Shirley’s, but they were very popular. She could sing, dance and was a natural mimic of the stars. She was called ‘Hollywood’s favourite brat.’
In her later years, Jane always talked of her love of old Hollywood. She was friends with Rita Hayworth since they appeared in PADDY O’DAY in 1936, and gave the eulogy at Rita’s funeral.
Having made nearly 40 films, Jane retired in 1947 to raise a family, but was brought back to the screen by George Stevens for GIANT as a Texas neighbour of the three main characters.
And then, for a decade she was on television as Josephine the lady plumber, advertising Comet cleaner.
“Bright Eyes”.
With Rita Hayworth
……….Finally, a quiz for western fans. What is Mr.Peck looking at and why:
Vienna's Classic Hollywood
I spoke briefly to Jane at The Night Of 200 stars at the Dominion. I told her how popular her films were in Britain and she said ‘ I know’!.
A bubbly personality and off screen.
This is a scane of Gregory Peck in the 1958 Western THE BIG COUNTRY. He’s leaning over the corral weighing up Old Thunder, a wild horse that nobody has so far been able to tame and ride. He decides he will ride it and break it in himself and he does.
Exactly so! He doesn’t have to prove himself to anyone else.
On Oct 17th 1948, MGM announced they had purchased John Klorer’s story “Tension” as a possible vehicle for Robert Taylor and Van Heflin, to be produced by Robert Sisk.
The film is set in Culver City which is where the MGM studios were located – coincidence?
I can see Heflin in the Basehart role.
I always thought Audrey Totter killed him because he realized what a horrid b*tch she was, and told her to take a hike.
Having watched “Tension” recently, I don’t recall scenes you mention. Maybe I wasn’t concentrating! What you say makes sense.