Discover Great Clifton Webb Film Series

Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell is the third and final film of the Belvedere series. The members of the retirement home steal the movie from Mr. Webb, who is no slouch. Despite few locations, the staging of the scenes with multiple characters is very engaging. This is another example of being unxepectdly being sucked in by a film airing on TCM.


Mr Belvedere Goes to College (1949) - Sorority house / 2nd film in the series

"Dragonwyck", "Great Expectations", "To Each His Own" 1946 Films

I viewed all of these on different days and did not realize until posting that the trio of films is from 1946. The other common thread is that I had not planned to watch any of them but was conveniently in front of the TV when they played. There is a certain satisfaction in enjoying spontaneous TV viewing.

Deadline - U.S.A. is New Bogart Find, 1952

TCM aired this gem about the newspaper business as part of their December 2009 Star of the Month series. First film for Bogart after his Oscar winning role in The African Queen.

Bogie is the editor of a high standards paper that has just been sold to the competition, which has no intentions of continuing the brand. Compelling cast includes Chadwick Land favorite Ethel Barrymore (73 at the time). She plays a Katharine Graham type. Both Bogie and Barrymore were nearing the end of their careers but remained in top form here.

"Man Who Came to Dinner" Facts and Fun

Man Who Came to Dinner (1942) trailer.

Monty Woolley was the witty, fussy Nathan Lane of his day. He originated the role of Sheridan Whiteside on the stage before taking the role in the film. Nice when an excellent character actor is allowed to play the lead role. Two other Christmas/Family themed films that he is also excellent in are:

Since You Went Away (1944)
The Bishops Wife (1947)

Great quotes (too many to list) from Dinner:

Nurse Preen to Mr. Whiteside: "I am not only walking out on this case, Mr. Whiteside, I am leaving the nursing profession. I became a nurse because all my life, ever since I was a little girl, I was filled with the idea of serving a suffering humanity. After one month with you , Mr. Whiteside, I am going to work in a munitions factory. From now on , anything I can do to help exterminate the human race will fill me with the greatest of pleasure. If Florence Nightingale had ever nursed YOU, Mr. Whiteside, she would have married Jack the Ripper instead of founding the Red Cross!"

Sheridan Whiteside: "I simply will not sit down to dinner with midwestern barbarians, I think too highly of my digestive system."

Sheridan Whiteside: "Is there a man in the world who suffers as I do from the gross inadequacies of the human race?"

"The Mouse that Roared" Airs Saturday 8 PM EST on TCM

I hope to catch it!

A Christmas Favorite: "Christmas in Connecticut"

I catch at least a glimpse of this Stanwyck gem around this time each year. After seeing Remember the Night for the first time, I now know this is not her only holiday classic. Stanwyck plays a Martha Stewart type living in New York writing for a ladies magazine all about domestic bliss. The catch is that she knows nothing about cooking, cleaning or marriage. Comedy ensues when she fakes her expertise for her boss and a homesick soldier on her borrowed farm.

Front Door Wreath 2009 / "Radio Days" 1987

A close up view of the this year's front door Christmas wreath, featuring a ring of pine cones and a simple ribbon. I purchased both the wreath and the spool of ribbon from Mahoney's. The bear door knocker is nicely framed by the round form.

Radio Days 1987



The Woody Allen brand does not always entice me to watch but Radio Days was worth the time investment. I also tend to enjoy the ones better that (a.) he is not in and only performs behind the camera (b.) he is not dating women several generations his junior ( in this case his absence solved (b.)). The era and tone go well with the warm nostalgia feelings the holidays raise from the ashes of cynicism. On that note, I will allow today's blog to conclude since I can offer nothing else as profound or moving. Susan may believe in Santa Clause but I don't necessarily believe in my ramblings. I think I may be a tad full of myself today.

Recently Watched on TCM

A Family Affair, the first (and the best) movie in the Andy Hardy series. It is easy to forget that Lionel Barrymore was an excellent "good guy" too and not just mean Mr. Potter from It's a Wonderful Life.



I put Random Harvest up there with Now Voyager which also has an implausible story that sweeps you away. This is Hollywood sentiment at its best.



TCM teamed up with Universal to dig Remember the Night, a mostly forgotten 1940 release from the vault. A nice Christmas movie written by Preston Sturges. Farmhand (Sterling Holloway)singing in this clip would latter be the Disney voice of Winnie the Pooh. TCM's Robert Osborne on Night, "Bless the moviemakers of that era, they weren't afraid to be sentimental on occasion."