Category Archives: The Story Behind the Film
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas? Wait Till You See the Original Lyrics
What’s Christmastime without a gathering around the TV for Meet Me in St. Louis? And who can forget that classic scene as the snow drifts softly past the window, and Esther (Judy Garland) comforts her little sister Tootie (Margaret O’Brien), who’s distraught over leaving their beloved home. Remember how Esther gently croons that she better …
Tony Shalhoub Affectionately Recalls His BIG NIGHT
Seeing a pristine print of a favorite film on the big screen—and then listening to one of the stars reminisce about it afterward? Now that’s a Big Night. Last night, RogerEbert.com editor-at-large Matt Zoller Seitz presented the 1996 classic as part of his fabulous “Movies with MZS series” at the IFC Center in New York’s West Village. Normally …
TINTYPE TUESDAY: The Wild Goings-On Behind the Scenes of THE WIZARD OF OZ!
Welcome to another edition of TINTYPE TUESDAY. This week, we’re off to see The Wizard of Oz! But before heading out, let’s take a peek at what was really going on behind the curtain. The Kansas tornado was nothing compared to the blizzard of cast and script changes—not to mention the many mishaps, including a …
TINTYPE TUESDAY: Behind the Scenes of MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET!
Welcome to another edition of TINTYPE TUESDAY! Does the current crop of Christmas movies make you yearn to go back to 1947? I mean even more than you normally do? Then let’s journey together back to that magical time… …when the lovely Maureen O’Hara was ready to pretty much punch someone in the face. She’d …
STREAMING SATURDAYS: Celebrating the Armistice Day Centennial with the Anti-War Classic JOURNEY’S END
Welcome to another edition of Streaming Saturdays, where we embed free films for you to watch right here! In honor of the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day—which marked the close of was to be The War to End All Wars—we bring you Journey’s End. The most powerful war movie I’ve ever seen, it’s also the least bloody—maybe because …
STREAMING SATURDAYS! Film Noir Meets the French Revolution in THE BLACK BOOK
Welcome to another edition of Streaming Saturdays, where we embed free, fun movies for you to watch right here! “We’ll always have Paris.” In this case, the Paris of powdered wigs and guillotines. The Black Book (also called Reign of Terror) may be the only film noir set during the French Revolution—and if that sounds odd, …
MoMA Presents “Leo McCarey: Seriously Funny,” Covering the Undersung Director from the Silents Onward
“I only know I like my characters to walk in clouds, I like a little bit of the fairy tale. As long as I’m there behind the camera lens, I’ll let somebody else photograph the ugliness of the world.” —Leo McCarey If you’re anywhere near New York this month, prepare to walk in the clouds. …
A Film Noir Feast! TOO LATE FOR TEARS and WOMAN ON THE RUN Are Gorgeously Restored on DVD
A double dose of classic noir has just hit the DVD shelves. Two lost gems, Too Late for Tears and Woman on the Run, have been restored to their dark and gorgeous glory by the UCLA Film & Television Archive. The DVD sets—which include standard and Blu-ray discs as well as tons of special features—mark the first of what …
Sister Celluloid 
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