Tonight's Movie: September 5 (2024)

SEPTEMBER 5 (2024) tells the story of the Israeli hostage crisis at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, as experienced from inside the ABC Sports control room.

I was intrigued by the trailer when I saw it some months ago, and when I read yesterday's Hollywood Reporter obituary of Geoffrey Mason (played by John Magaro in the film), it seemed like a good time to pull out the DVD I'd picked up and watch it.

I was quite young when the events in the film took place, and I think my parents must have shielded me from it at the time; while I remember Mark Spitz and Olga Korbut quite well, I don't remember watching coverage of the hostage situation.

I found the movie very creative in its approach; with the exception of a few brief moments, the film's entire 95-minute running time is set in the control room. Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, and Alex David were nominated for Best Original Screenplay, and I think it was deserved.

Young director Geoffrey Mason (Magaro), along with ABC executive Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard) and the head of Olympics coverage, Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin), make a series of challenging decisions as the terrorist attack unfolds. They refuse to hand over coverage to ABC News, half a world away, and they also must wrestle with how much they should broadcast live, given that anything could happen.

Ethical questions are a key aspect explored in the film, with the crew ultimately leaning hard into showing as much as they could, despite risks regarding what might be seen in a live broadcast. This led to a problem when it was suddenly realized that TVs in the Olympic Village were able to play the broadcast meant for U.S. audiences -- and thus the terrorists could see the positioning of the police.

One of the film's creative choices which I found most intriguing was that those in the control room give anchor Jim McKay directions, but we never actually see beyond the control room into the broadcast booth; we only see monitors, playing actual clips from McKay's original live coverage.

Likewise, Howard Cosell is briefly heard in archival footage.

Peter Jennings, on the other hand, appears as an onscreen character; he's played by Benjamin Walker, who captures Jennings as knowledgeable and willing to take chances, venturing into the Olympic Village during the crisis, but he's also a bit of a haughty sourpuss. It works.

I found some of the recreated technical aspects fascinating, such as Gladys Deist (Georgina Rich) creating news captions by hand and placing the ABC logo on the camera manually. Glimpses of "the way things used to be" before the computer era were quite interesting.

The crew shows ingenuity in other ways, such as sneaking film into the Olympic Village with a crew member who pretends to be an athlete and lugging a huge camera outdoors to focus on the apartment where the hostage situation was taking place. A German translator (Leonie Benesch) uses walkie-talkies to provide key intel from various sources which ABC's English-speaking employees can't understand.

It's a fast-paced, well-edited film with excellent performances, particularly by Sarsgaard and Chaplin. Sometimes movies which recreate historical events feel phony, particularly when it comes to the actors, or it's often easy to spot anachronisms which take the viewer out of the story. I had no such issues with SEPTEMBER 5. It's a gripping, fresh look at a sad day in history, and I recommend it.

The movie was directed by cowriter Tim Fehlbaum. It was filmed by Markus Forderer.

SEPTEMBER 5 is also available on Blu-ray.

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The 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival: Day Two

Day Two of the 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival began for me in traditional fashion: breakfast with friends at Mel's on Highland.

I always look forward to catching up in person over good food!

Later in the morning many of us headed to Hollywood Forever Cemetery for a service for the interment of the ashes of our friend Donna Hill.

Donna, author of RUDOLPH VALENTINO: THE SILENT IDOL - HIS LIFE IN PHOTOGRAPHS, died unexpectedly in late December of 2024. Over the last several years I enjoyed Donna's company on both Twitter and in Zoom chats, and it was an honor to attend her service. She is very greatly missed!

While at Hollywood Forever I paused at Tyrone Power's gravesite (above) to pay my respects.

Back at the Hollywood Roosevelt, the first official gatherings took place in Club TCM, including the trivia contest hosted by Bruce Goldstein.

Soon it was time to line up for the first movie of the festival, which was also the first of nine films I saw in House 4 at the Chinese Multiplex during the festival.

Above, a candid of my friend, the lovely Victoria Mature, chatting in line. She's wearing a terrific t-shirt with a poster for her father Victor Mature's great film KISS OF DEATH (1947).

My first film of the festival, MOONLIGHT AND PRETZELS (1933), was shown in 35mm and introduced by Ken Jennings of JEOPARDY!

My husband, who was No. 1 in line for the film, described MOONLIGHT AND PRETZELS as "put together with duct tape." That was apt, and also part of the movie's oddball charm.

MOONLIGHT AND PRETZELS might be described as a (very) "low rent" Busby Berkeley style musical; the most memorable number was "I've Gotta Get Up and Go to Work." Not a movie which will rank high on anyone's lists, yet I'm glad I saw it. It's fun to explore previously unknown films such as this one.

Then it was back into Theater 4 for a 35mm screening of BLITHE SPIRIT (1945), introduced by Alicia Malone and Christine Ebersole.

Ebersole had appeared with Angela Lansbury in a stage production of the Noel Coward play which inspired the film.

BLITHE SPIRIT is not a favorite of mine, but I was glad to revisit it for the first time in 14 years. It played better for me with an appreciative audience, and the 35mm print was lovely, showing off the film's gorgeous color (colour!).

Check out photos from Day One here. Coming soon: Day Three.

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The Latest 2026 TCM Classic Film Festival Titles

Several more titles have just been announced for the TCM Classic Film Festival, which will take place in Hollywood from April 30th through May 3rd, 2026.

Newly announced titles include:

*STRANGER ON THE THIRD FLOOR (1940), starring Peter Lorre -- a movie some consider the first film noir

*PHANTOM LADY (1944) starring Ella Raines and Franchot Tone

*An 80th anniversary screening of THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946)

*ANASTASIA (1956), starring Ingrid Berman in the title role

*BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S (1961), starring Audrey Hepburn

*VANISHING POINT (1971), starring Barry Newman

*THE TOWERING INFERNO (1974), with a special presentation by special effects and sound geniuses Craig Barron and Ben Burtt

Additional information on the festival, including passes and previously announced titles, may be found at the links below.

Previously: TCM Announces 2026 Festival Dates and Theme; TCM Classic Film Festival Passes on Sale December 9th; New Titles Announced for 2026 TCM Classic Film Festival.

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The 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival: Day One

The 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival took place in Hollywood from April 24th through 27th, 2025.

As plans gear up for this year's 2026 TCM Fest, to be held in Hollywood from April 30th through May 3, 2026, over the next few days I'll be providing a photographic look back at the most recent festival.

These fun photo posts will supplement the detailed overview I posted immediately after the 2025 festival, and perhaps they will encourage anyone "on the fence" about attending this year to take the plunge!

Last year I followed my usual habit of arriving at my hotel, the Hollywood Celebrity, a day ahead of the festival opening. It's a "no frills" boutique hotel; we are always treated very well there, and indeed, the longtime breakfast room attendant welcomed us back with hugs! It was a great start to the festival weekend.

TCM's "headquarters" and Club TCM were once again at a venue which is a classic in its own right, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

I stopped in to pick up my media credential shortly after we arrived in Hollywood. This year the welcome for the media was very low-key, with no Club TCM media reception, hence I don't have the typical reception photos with TCM hosts to share this year.

It was unusual, as I think there's been a press conference or reception since I first covered the festival in 2013, but in the end the most important thing is the movies!

After a nice lunch at 25 Degrees in the Hollywood Roosevelt, where we had the pleasure of chatting with Eddie Muller and his wife Kathleen, we headed over to the Chinese Multiplex, which returned as one of the festival venues.

The TCM Classic Film Festival Boutique has been in the Multiplex lobby for the past couple of years, which is quite handy!

I always make it a practice to buy anything I'd like on Wednesday, as favored items sometimes disappear quickly. This year I think the hottest thing on sale in the boutique was this fabulous VistaVision shirt.

I also grabbed this colorful tote bag.

Later in the afternoon we headed to the Hollywood Heritage Museum for the annual reception held by the "Going to TCM Classic Film Festival" Facebook group. While I'm not on Facebook, my husband and numerous friends are, and it was great to say hello to many people for the first time at the 2025 fest.

The reception was very well attended, as seen below.

It was great to finally meet Lisa Royere at the 2025 festival! She's the co-author (with Paula Broussard) of ELEANOR POWELL: BORN TO DANCE from the University Press of Kentucky and signed copies at the Hollywood Heritage.

Lisa is currently hard at work on an upcoming biography of Irene Dunne, and during the festival she and Alicia Malone introduced A GUY NAMED JOE (1943), which starred Dunne along with Spencer Tracy and Van Johnson.

During the "golden hour" at dusk I caught a great shot of Disney's El Capitan Theatre marquee advertising THUNDERBOLTS* (2025).

Coming soon: Day Two, including the first two of the 16 films I saw at this year's festival.

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Tonight's Movie: Hold That Blonde! (1945) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

HOLD THAT BLONDE! (1945) is a sprightly comedy releasing this week on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

I was unfamiliar with this Paramount Pictures film, which casts Eddie Bracken as Ogden, a wealthy kleptomaniac.

When Ogden chances to meet Sally (Veronica Lake), who's being blackmailed to steal a famous necklace, it's a match made in heaven. The instantly smitten Ogden wants to prevent Sally from stealing the necklace and marry her instead.

Indeed, Ogden's psychiatrist (George Zucco) says true love will cure Ogden's compulsion to steal!

A bunch of people on both sides of the law are circling around the necklace, including Police Inspector Callahan (Albert Dekker). Ogden and Sally throw the suspicious Callahan off the track by claiming to be newly married.

The story becomes pretty manic, including the amusing presence of Willie Best as Ogden's loyal (to a point) valet Willie. This being a comedy, all's well that ends well!

The movie flies by in just 76 minutes, energetically directed by George Marshall. I wasn't sure what to expect, especially as I love Lake but only tolerate Bracken, and I quite enjoyed it.

Bracken and Lake have good chemistry, and there are a number of genuinely funny moments, especially a prolonged sequence with Bracken hiding from the bad guys under a hotel table. 

No surprise since I'm a fan, but I found Lake quite charming, especially in the scene where she shocks Ogden by pretending to be married, for the benefit of the police detective.  

The movie was written by Earl Baldwin, E. Edwin Moran, and Walter DeLeon based on a play by Paul Armstrong. It was shot in black and white by Daniel L. Fapp.

The supporting cast includes Donald MacBride, Norma Varden, Lewis L. Russell, Frank Fenton, Ralph Peters, and Ralph Dunn. Don't blink and you can spot the world's busiest extra, Bess Flowers, as a dinner guest.

The print is for the most part excellent, though there's one scene towards the end where some vertical lines suddenly pop up. Sound quality is also strong.

The extras consist of a commentary track by Julie Kirgo and Peter Hankoff, plus a gallery of eight trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber.

I had a good time watching this and especially appreciate that Kino Lorber has made Veronica Lake movies such as this, THE HOUR BEFORE THE DAWN (1944), and SAIGON (1947) available for home viewing at long last.

I'll be crossing my fingers that other hard-to-see Lake films, such as MISS SUSIE SLAGLE'S (1946) and THE SAINTED SISTERS (1948), will also find their way to Blu-ray!

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...

...The Hollywood Reporter speculates about the future of Turner Classic Movies if Netflix purchases Warner Bros., which owns the channel...and there's more on the subject from IndieWire.

...Annette Bochenek shares important historic locations from the life of actress Ellen Drew in her column at Classic Movie Hub.

...The Criterion Channel's February streaming lineup includes a collection of pre-Code films directed by Mervyn LeRoy and movies featuring spectacular stunts.

...At Comet Over Hollywood, Jessica has written about June Haver and Mark Stevens in I WONDER WHO'S KISSING HER NOW (1947).

...Farran Smith Nehme's essay on CAPTAIN BLOOD (1935), part of the new Criterion Collection Blu-ray release, is now available to read on the Criterion website.

...There's now an annual film Tombstone Film Festival. This year's edition opens in Tombstone, Arizona, on January 29th. Thanks to Billie Dawn for the info.

...Utah's Kanab Film Festival, which started in 2019, will not take place this year due to funding challenges, but it will return in 2027.

...Here's a review of Chester Morris and Adele Mara in ALIAS BOSTON BLACKIE (1942) by Katie Carter at her site Katie at the Movies.

...Coming from the Warner Archive Collection in March: A four-film Humphrey Bogart Blu-ray set. It contains some very good titles, including a personal favorite of mine, CONFLICT (1945). (Via Ashley.)

...Attention Southern Californians: For information on the American Cinematheque's Nitrate Film Festival 2026, coming to the Egyptian Theatre in February, please visit my post with all the info.

...Also, a last-minute notice that Victoria Mature will introduce John Ford's MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (1946) at the Egyptian Theatre on Sunday, January 25th. CLEMENTINE of course stars Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp and Victoria's father, Victor Mature, as Doc Holliday.

...Notable Passing: Disney animated director Roger Allers (THE LION KING) has sadly died at 76.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my January 17th column.

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Quick Preview of TCM in February

It's time for a quick peek ahead at next month's schedule on Turner Classic Movies.

February will be unusual for TCM in that the first half of the month is a "normal" schedule, and then on February 13th the annual 31 Days of Oscar festival begins.

This year 31 Days of Oscar runs through March 15th, the day of the Oscars ceremony.

TCM will show the movies grouped by themes such as "Oscar Goes to a Fantasy World," "Oscar Goes to a Wedding," and "Oscar Goes to Paris." TCM has posted a preview video.

Focusing on the first half of February, the Star of the Month will be...Bugs Bunny!

Bugs Bunny cartoons will be featured on the evenings of February 2nd through 6th, screened in between feature films.

The Noir Alley films for the first two weekends of February will be TALK ABOUT A STRANGER (1952) and VICE SQUAD (1953). I found VICE SQUAD, starring Edward G. Robinson, a lot of fun.

Filmmakers receiving multifilm tributes in the first half of February include John Carradine, Michael Schultz, Kathryn Grayson, Margaret Rutherford, Ernst Lubitsch, and Walter Matthau.

February programming themes will include Bomba the Jungle Boy, pilots, Westerns, schools, and lost loves.

I'll have a more detailed look at the schedule for the first half of February posted here around the end of the month, followed by a separate 31 Days of Oscar post later in February.

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Nitrate Film Festival 2026 at the Egyptian Theatre

Last year I attended a pair of wonderful screenings at the American Cinematheque's Nitrate Film Festival 2025.

I had the chance to see festival screenings of ROPE (1948) and PORTRAIT OF JENNIE (1948) at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. The latter was a perfectly timed Valentine's Day screening.

The American Cinematheque has just announced its Nitrate Film Festival 2026, to take place next month at the Egyptian.

This year I'll have the joy of attending a nitrate screening of MY MAN GODFREY (1936) on Valentine's Day! I bought tickets the minute I heard about it.

The other films in this year's series are THE GOOD FAIRY (1935), NOTHING SACRED (1937), BLITHE SPIRIT (1945), DEAD RECKONING (1947), SAMSON AND DELILAH (1949), and the Japanese film WIFE! BE LIKE A ROSE! (1935).

Nitrate prints are rarely shown; the Egyptian is one of only five theaters in the United States licensed to show these rather "dangerous," highly flammable prints. Nitrate prints have been described as the closest material to what was shot on the movies' actual sets.

When I saw CASABLANCA (1942) on nitrate several years ago, I wrote "That gleaming, glistening print was alive in a way that the most beautiful digital prints simply will never be."

This year's nitrate festival is currently scheduled to run between February 13th and February 22nd. Last year tickets sold so briskly that some additional screenings were added, so that's a possibility, but I recommend that anyone interested in attending buy tickets immediately to avoid disappointment.

Complete details, including ticket information, may be found at the American Cinematheque website.

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Tonight's Movie: I Love Melvin (1953) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

I LOVE MELVIN (1953), a breezy MGM charmer, has just been released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection.

The movie was previously released on a remastered Warner Archive DVD in 2011, when I reviewed it.

I LOVE MELVIN might be a relatively minor MGM musical, running just 77 minutes, but it's fun and engaging thanks to a great cast and plentiful musical numbers.

Debbie Reynolds plays Judy, a young Broadway dancer who falls -- quite literally -- for Melvin (Donald O'Connor), the assistant to a photographer (Jim Backus) at Look Magazine.

Melvin is so taken with lovely Judy -- who incidentally wears a great Helen Rose wardrobe -- that he pretends to be a Look photographer so he can schedule endless shooting sessions with her.

This pretense leads to complications, but, as I noted back in 2011, OConnor is so winning in his love for Judy that the audience is willing to forgive his tall tales. And Reynolds is absolutely adorable.

The movie has a marvelous supporting cast, starting with favorites Allyn Joslyn and Una Merkel as Judy's parents and darling Noreen Corcoran as Judy's kid sister Clarabelle. Corcoran is so cute one can understand why Judy agrees to take her little sister along on a movie date with Melvin.

Other faces on hand are Richard Anderson, Les Tremayne, and, very briefly, Barbara Ruick. Robert Taylor also turns up for a highly enjoyable cameo.

Viewers with a careful eye might spot Robert Fuller, later of EMERGENCY!, in the somewhat crazy yet very creative "football" dance number; others with minor parts include Steve Forrest, Lyn Wilde, and Matt Mattox.

The movie is filled with catchy tunes and enjoyable dances, including a number with O'Connor and Reynolds dancing in her living room and O'Connor's roller skating number.

The film also looks great, shot in Technicolor by Harold Rosson. It was directed in sprightly fashion by Don Weis.

The screenplay was written by George Wells with additional dialogue by Ruth Brooks Flippen, based on a story by Laszlo Vadnay.

For a few additional thoughts on the film itself, please click over to my 2011 review.

The Warner Archive Blu-ray print is from a 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the original Technicolor camera negatives. It looks and sounds fantastic.

Extras include the trailer; a two-minute outtake of the "A Lady Loves" number; the cartoons THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSUM (1952) and TV OF TOMORROW (1952); and an always-welcome song selection menu for quick access to the musical numbers.

MGM musical fans will want to grab this Blu-ray. It's a wonderful disc, and this is a bouncy movie with considerable "rewatch" value to make the investment in the disc worthwhile.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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98th Annual Academy Awards Nominations

The 98th annual Academy Awards nominations were announced this morning.

The complete list of nominees was published by The Hollywood Reporter.

As was the case last year, I may check out a couple films at some point, but this year's crop of Oscar nominees doesn't hold a great deal of interest for me. I'm sharing the list here for those who may wish to check it out.

I've seen one of the 10 Best Picture nominees, F1: THE MOVIE (2025), which I suspect may have been included as it's a more traditional film appealing to mainstream audiences.

I've also seen one nominee for Best Animated Feature, ZOOTOPIA 2 (2025). I liked it but am not sure it's worthy of the Oscar in this category.

Disney's ELIO (2025) also received a nomination; I hope to catch up with it in the future.

The Oscars ceremony will air on March 15, 2025.

The annual "31 Days of Oscar" festival on Turner Classic Movies will run from February 13th through March 15th this year.

Previous Oscar nomination posts: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025. There was no Oscars post in 2009 and just a brief news roundup mention in 2021.

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Tonight's Movie: The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The Warner Archive Collection has recently released some enjoyable romantic comedies on Blu-ray, including the previously reviewed IT'S LOVE I'M AFTER (1937) and I LOVE YOU AGAIN (1940).

Another romantic comedy out from the Warner Archive in the last few weeks is THE BRIDE CAME C.O.D. (1941), starring a pair of powerhouse actors, James Cagney and Bette Davis.

Somehow I had never managed to see this one before, and I quite enjoyed it.

Is it the greatest film Cagney or Davis ever made? Of course not. And no, it's not really even a top-drawer rom com.

What it *is* is a diverting, enjoyable 92 minutes, a good time with an amazing cast. I watched it during a stressful week -- clearing out my childhood home due to my mother's recent passing -- and it was exactly what I needed. Nothing too deep or demanding, just fun. Go in without the high expectations one might have with these names attached, sit back, and enjoy.

Davis plays the wealthy, flighty daughter of Eugene Pallette, who has impulsively decided to elope with narcissistic nightclub singer Jack Carson after knowing him only four days. Carson's blithely oblivious character is one of the best things about the movie.

Davis's outraged father hires a pilot (Cagney) who needs to earn money fast to kidnap his daughter and fly her to meet him in Amarillo.

The plane is forced down and lands safely in the California desert, where Davis and Cagney stumble across a ghost town inhabited by an old man (Harry Davenport) who thankfully has plenty of food.

Father and fiance eventually show up in the ghost town, with the media and law enforcement trailing along, but in the meantime Cagney and Davis have discovered a spark of attraction...

The spark between Cagney and Davis admittedly isn't much, but it was just enough to make me smile, as they acted out a script written by Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein, based on a story by Kenneth Earl and M.M. Musselman.

Davis looks great in a wardrobe by Orry-Kelly, and she seems to be having fun with her change-of-pace role, sandwiched in between the drama of THE GREAT LIE (1941) and THE LITTLE FOXES (1941).

Cagney could play this kind of pugnacious character (who's, of course, really a nice guy) in his sleep, and I enjoyed his interactions with actors such as Davenport, Carson, and Pallette.

One of the best things about the film is the extensive supporting cast. The players not already named above include Stuart Erwin, Edward Brophy, George Tobias, William Frawley, Douglas Kennedy, William Hopper, Herbert Anderson, Chick Chandler, John Gallaudet, James Flavin, and Richard Travis. They simply don't make casts like this anymore, and it's a true delight seeing all these faces on the screen.

Look for Mary Brodel as a phone operator early in the film; classic movie buffs will recognize her instantly, as she looks just like her sister, Warner Bros. star Joan Leslie. Leslie, of course, starred with Cagney in YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942) the following year.

THE BRIDE CAME C.O. D. was directed by William Keighley and filmed in black and white by Ernie Haller. Locations included Burbank Airport and Death Valley.

The Blu-ray print is from a 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative. It looks and sounds great.

Plentiful extras include the trailer, plus a trailer for the Warner Bros. film HONEYMOON FOR THREE (1941); a newsreel; the shorts CARNIVAL OF RHYTHM (1941) and FORTY BOYS AND A SONG (1941); the cartoons: PORKY'S POOCH (1941), SADDLE SALLY (1941), RHAPSODY IN RIVETS (1941), and THE BIRD CAME C.O.D. (1942); and best of all, a December 1941 Lux Radio Theater production of the story starring Bob Hope and Hedy Lamarr.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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