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Black Magic, starring Orson Welles, Nancy Guild, Akim Tamiroff

Black Magic

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Black Magic (1949), starring Orson Welles, Nancy Guild, Akim Tamiroff

Review of Black Magic

Orson Welles‘ performance in Black Magic is absolutely riveting.  It’s a must-see performance.  He plays the role of the charlatan Cagliostro with gusto, and style.  Welles moves the audience from sympathy for the character to disgust for some of his actions, and back to sympathy.  The other performers also do an excellent job. But it’s Welles performance that makes Black Magic a must-see movie.

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The Show-Off

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The Show-Off (1946) starring Red Skelton, Marilyn Maxwell

Synopsis of The Show-Off

Amy Fisher falls in love with Aubrey Piper, a loudmouth and braggart who pretends to be more than the lowly clerk he is. She marries him, over her family’s objections.  Aubrey can’t seem to stop insulting others or interfering with their lives. He accidentally sets her inventor brother Joe’s laboratory on fire, wrecks a car, drives it without a license, gets kicked off a radio show for offending the sponsor and blows Joe’s deal with a paint company.

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Gilligan’s Island season 3 (DVD)

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Gilligan’s Island season 3

Gilligan’s Island season 3. Their three-hour tour is now a three-season television classic as the Skipper, Gilligan (Bob Denver), the Howells, Ginger, Mary Anne and the Professor settle into life on the island. The seven castaways struggle to survive the great outdoors …. And the mindless meddling of hapless Gilligan, who always seems to ruin their chances of getting back to civilization!

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The Great Rupert

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The Great Rupert (1950), aka. A Christmas Wish, starring Jimmy Durante, Queenie Smith, Terry Moore, Tom Drake, by George Pal

Synopsis of The Great Rupert

The Great Rupert – A down-on-their-luck vaudeville family can’t afford to pay rent on a run-down ground floor apartment at Christmas. An unexpected guardian angel in the form of a squirrel comes into their lives, showering them with money. Will the windfall continue? And, will their daughter fall in love with the landlord’s son? Will Jimmy Durante entertain?

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Gilligan’s Island season 2

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Gilligan’s Island: The Complete Second Season (DVD)

 

Gilligan’s Island season 2 is the second season of the classic television series, “Gilligan’s Island.” Like the other two seasons, it contains some of the funniest television ever filmed. Some of the gems include the comedy team of the Skipper and his “little buddy” Gilligan. Portrayed by Alan Hale Jr. and Bob Denver. One of the great TV comedy teams, in my opinion.

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Logan’s Run

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Logan’s Run (1976) starring Michael York, Jenny Agutter, Richard Jordan, Peter Ustinov

Synopsis of Logan’s Run

Imagine a future world where everyone is young and beautiful, and can have anything they could ever want.  Except the freedom to leave.  And everyone faces mandatory death at the age of 30. Logan is a member of an elite police force called Sandmen.  They hunt down and kill “runners,” those trying to escape the fate that awaits on their 30th birthday. Logan is assigned to infiltrate the group of runners, and has his own “deadline” pushed forward.  Logan meets Jessica, a member of a clandestine resistance group that assists runners.  He decides to escape with her to Sanctuary. This is Logan’s Run. But a fellow Sandman frantically pursues …

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Gilligan’s Island season 1

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Gilligan’s Island season 1 (DVD)

Gilligan’s Island season 1 – Most critics lambasted Gilligan’s Island as low-brow humor.  Most people, however, merely watched it and laughed until their sides ached.  I loved it then and now, and recommend it highly.  This DVD setcontains the first season’s 36 episodes, containing some of the funniest scenes ever to grace the television screen.  The slapstick interaction between the Skipper(played brilliantly by Alan Hale Jr.) and Gilligan (by the late, lamented Bob Denver) rank with the great comedy teams – a modern day Laurel and Hardy.  The Skipper and Gilligan are clowns in the classic sense, and hilarious because of it.  The rest of the cast fit that description as well. And the interactions between any of them are well worth watching.  If I had to pick a favorite episode, I couldn’t; they’re all that good, with so many classic scenes, it’s hard to choose.

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Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks

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Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks, starring Tom Baker, Elisabeth Sladen, Ian Marter

I recently re-watched Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks courtesy of BBC-TV.  I’m glad to say that it reminded me why I fell in love with this TV series. It’s well-written, well-acted, with intelligent themes that make the audience think about the questions raised. If you could go back in time and prevent the birth of Adolf Hitler – would you?

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Sudden Fear

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Sudden Fear (1952) starring Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Grahame

In this rediscovered masterpiece of film noir, Joan Crawford plays a successful playwright who marries a mediocre actor (Jack Palance) with a troubling secret. She soon discovers that he not only married her for money but that he plans to murder her with the help of his lover (Gloria Grahame). Nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Actress (Crawford), Best Supporting Actor (Palance) and Best Black & White Cinematography (Charles Lang Jr.), this taut thriller also features a score by Elmer Bernstein that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.

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