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70MMThirty visually stunning films that illustrate the grandeur of large-format filmmaking.

MOVIE MOMENTS THAT MAKE LIFE WORTH LIVINGOur collection of ten little moments of breathtaking beauty, expert craftsmanship and happy accidents that rank as our favorites.

25 GREAT SILENT MOVIE POSTERSOur selection of artwork from the early days of motion pictures that expertly illustrate the tone and tale of the films they represent.

GREAT CLOSING LINES
One hundred films whose final words of dialogue make indelible lasting impressions.

CINEMATIC RIDESTen films where carnival attractions add to the plot and give their protagonists a cheap thrill.

12 GREAT MOVIE SONGSElvis, The Beatles and The Supremes join our list of favorite movie themes of the 1960s.

ERROL FLYNN GETS WHACKEDThe actor recalls an unforgettable moment with Bette Davis on the set of The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex.

20 DIRECTORS / 20 FILMSSome of the world’s best moviemakers from Hollywood’s Golden Era provide a behind-the-scenes look at their creations.

LOS ANGELES IN THE 1920SVintage clips offer a look at famous boulevards, studios, theaters, eateries and more.

BILLY WILDEROur favorite lines of dialogue from the Oscar-winning writer/director.

WILHELM SCREAMWe trace the history of one of the most famous and beloved sound effects in movies.

WOODY ALLENChoice lines of dialogue, from Take the Money and Run to Midnight in Paris.

JOHN QUALENFive of our favorite performances from the character actor’s lengthy career.

KATHARINE HEPBURNTen authoritative moments when Kate's movie character speaks her mind.

UFA MOVIE POSTERSA look at the early one sheets from the longest standing film studio in Germany.

THE LANGUAGE OF NOIRWe celebrate tough talk from the best of Hollywood’s gritty crime dramas.

HELICOPTER OVER HOLLYWOOD

Aerial shots of Hollywood in 1958 includes Griffith Observatory, Grauman’s Chinese Theater and major studios.

AMERICAWe celebrate one of the most exuberant dance numbers committed to film, a thrilling showcase for freakishly talented folks with music in their bones.

HOLLYWOOD POSTCARDSTen vintage postcards revealing the glories of Southern California's movie mecca.

MAJOR FILMS, MINOR GAFFESTwenty-five mistakes in some of the greatest movies ever made.

BEAUTIFUL WOMENTen of the most physically stunning females to grace the silver screen.

BEAUTIFUL MENFilm giants Cary Grant and his ilk will have to wait. Here we look at ten not-so-obvious choices—actors blessed with incredible good looks, if not legendary status.

NEBRASKANSA look at some of the memorable talents—from Astaire to Zanuck—to come from the Cornhusker State.

ELVIS PRESLEYFive essential films for the Elvis movie fan.

FOOTBALLFive classic films where gridiron shenanigans drive the plot. 

GREAT ENDINGSA memorable tussle in Death Valley caps Erich von Stroheim’s broken classic.

IN THE COOL, COOL, COOL OF THE EVENINGJane Wyman and Bing Crosby charm with the Oscar-winning song from Here Comes the Groom (1951).

 AMERICAN LANDMARKS ON FILM From the Empire State Building to the Golden Gate Bridge, we take a look at ten famous sights that added drama to the movies.

RAVES AND RASPBERRIES We select some choice bits from reviews by the late Roger Ebert.

THE GIRL HUNT BALLETWe revisit the stylish Fred Astaire dream ballet from The Band Wagon (1953).

KUNG FU POSTERS AT AMPASIf you’re in Beverly Hills anytime between April 18 and August 25, check out Kick Ass! Kung Fu Posters from the Stephen Chin Collection exhibited in The Academy Grand Lobby Gallery and featuring more than 800 posters and related materials.

STANLEY KUBRICKLACMA’s exhibition of the legendary director’s work features scripts, set models, costumes and props and is open from November 1 through June 30, 2013.

BERLINALE 2013Our recap of the 19 films we saw at this year’s festival.

IOWA FILMS & STARSTen contributions the Hawkeye State has made to motion picture history.

SCREEN TESTSAudition footage from Monroe, Dean, Brando and others.

FOX THEATEROur fond look back at one of San Francisco’s grandest movie palaces.

AUTOBIOGRAPHIESTen great titles penned by industry legends.

THE BAND WAGONNanette Fabray recalls a glaring mistake in the 1953 classic musical.

TRIGGERWe celebrate the life and somewhat creepy afterlife of Roy Rogers's favorite mount.

CHARACTERS: AGNES GOOCHPeggy Cass's memorable turn as a plain Jane coaxed into living a little in Auntie Mame (1958).

DESIGNS ON FILMA handsome volume by author and designer Cathy Whitlock chronicles the history of Hollywood set design.

AL HIRSCHFELDWe select our ten favorite movie posters by the famed caricaturist.

REBECCAFive screen tests for Hitchock’s 1940 classic, with comments by David O. Selznick.

BETTY HUTTONTwelve films that exemplify the charms of this freakishly energetic performer.

CHARACTERS: BABY ROSALIEIn a daffy send-up of Shirley Temple, June Preisser plays an aging child star in MGM's let's-put-on-a-show musical, Babes in Arms (1939).

PRESTON STURGESSnippets of dialogue from six of the writer/director’s best films.

ANSELMO BALLESTEROur gallery of ten striking one sheets from the Italian poster artist.

GREAT MOVIESCelebrating the cool jazz short, Jammin’ the Blues (1944).

CEDRIC GIBBONS
We take a good look at the work of MGM’s legendary art director.

10 GREAT POSTERSOur look at striking works of art that just happen to sell movie tickets.

JOSEPH L. MANKIEWICZSmart dialogue from the Oscar-winning screenwriter.

MUST READMGM: Hollywood's Greatest Backlot provides a fascinating look at a lost treasure.

BESTSELLERS

A dozen books that became publishing phenomena and, at times, well-made and popular films.


LOST HORIZONA dud receives its due as we explore the elements that made this 1973 musical so preposterously memorable.

GEORGE GERSHWINTen classic songs as seen on the silver screen.

DESERT NOIROur report from this year’s Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival in Palm Springs.

DIAMOND SETTINGSWe take a look at five of our favorite baseball movies of the ‘40s and ‘50s.

FRED ASTAIREFive lively numbers from the peerless hoofer.

PLUNDER ROADFilm noir at its best—and most economical. No backstory, a lean look and just 72 minutes long.

RED DREAM FACTORYWe profile eight films from a unique Russian-German film studio of the twenties and thirties.

W.C. FIELDSTen of his most memorable character names.

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Tuesday
Jul032012

July 3

DateTuesday, July 3, 2012 at 04:56PM | CommentPost a Comment

Jim Backus dies of pneumonia in Los Angeles, 1989. As a dumb kid, I only knew Jim Backus as Thurston Howell III on television’s Gilligan’s Island. As my appreciation for classic films grew, I was surprised to see him share the big screen with such heavy hitters as James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), playing Dean’s ineffectual father, and Katharine Hepburn in Pat and Mike (1952), playing a golf club manager consoling her after a bad round. Backus made his first movie in 1930 with The Truth About Youth, the first in a six-decade-long film career distinguished by character roles and voice-over work, particularly in the popular Mr. Magoo animated shorts. One of his oddest achievements was a top 40 hit in 1958 with “Delicious!,” a novelty recording he made where he and a female companion simply drink champagne and have a few laughs. Appleknocker and His Group provide the instrumental background; the woman in question has been identified by various sources as either Phyllis Diller or Hermione Gingold.

Take a listen:

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