That’s the title of a Boris Karloff mad-scientist movie, but it’s a tag that might also be hung on Mr. Karloff himself. After all, his film career lasted five decades! He may not have had a thousand faces like Lon Chaney, but didn’t he come awfully close? So, for Halloween, here’s a mini-tribute to the screen’s [...]

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Here’s Part Two of my look at Wizard of Oz cast members and their pre- and post-Oz interactions. Below are some of the pre-Oz match-ups. Frank Morgan (the Wizard) and Ray Bolger (the Scarecrow) were both in two Nelson Eddy musicals: Rosalie (1937), starring Eleanor Powell, and Sweethearts (1938), starring Jeanette MacDonald. Morgan, who romanced Billie [...]

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Moviegoers, specifically fans (and who isn’t one?) of The Wizard of Oz (1939), may get a special tingle when they come upon a post-Oz movie that reunites two of Oz‘s iconic players.  Though the stars are playing other roles, you somehow still feel that, deep down, they are forever their Oz identities.  Here are three [...]

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Another recent DVD release that warrants celebration is Fox’s Road House (1948), a wonderfully tawdry melodrama enlivened by first-rate quips.  It’s the quintessential film of the great Ida Lupino.  To some, Lupino was the poor man’s Bette Davis, but not to those of us who love and admire her talent, guts, and surprising versatility.  My [...]

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The recent DVD box set of ten Tyrone Power movies, billed the Matinee Idol Collection, doesn’t feature any well-known titles.  Power’s classic films have already been released on DVD (notably Nightmare Alley, my personal favorite), so it’s nice to see some overlooked films find their way to audiences after many decades of obscurity.  Of the [...]

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