The Doorway to Hell (1930) Review: The Good, The Bad & How to Watch American Film, Crime, Drama Academy Awards, 1931- Nominee: Best Writing, Original Story The early 1930s in Hollywood were marked by a frantic, electric energy as the industry found its voice—literally. In the middle of this transition, a gritty little gem called The Doorway to Hell slipped into theaters, offering a blueprint for the gangster epics that would soon dominate the silver screen. While it often sits in the shadow of the titans that followed, this film captures a specific, raw moment in cinematic history that feels surprisingly modern even today. More on Wikipedia or Mubi The Brutal Elegance of The Doorway to Hell At its heart, the story follows a young gang leader who attempts to trade the chaos of the underworld for a quiet, respectable life. It is a classic American tragedy wrapped in the smoke of a speakeasy. The narrative leans heavily into the irony of a man trying to es...
Watch Call Me Madam (1953)
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Call Me Madam (1953) American Film, Comedy, Romance, Satire, Satire
Official. Selection
Call Me Madam is a 1953 American Technicolor musical film directed by Walter Lang, with songs by Irving Berlin, based on the 1950 stage musical of the same name.
The film, with a screenplay by Arthur Sheekman, starred Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor, Vera-Ellen, Billy DeWolfe, George Sanders, and Walter Slezak. The film replaced "Washington Square Dance" with the older "International Rag", and interpolated "What Chance Have I With Love?" from Berlin's Louisiana Purchase (sung and danced by Donald O'Connor). A soundtrack album was released by Decca
both as a 10-inch LP and as a set of three 7-inch EPs, and was released
on CD in 2004 by Hallmark. The numbers "The Hostess with the Mostest'"
and "You're Just in Love" are included on the Rhino RecordsCD set Irving Berlin in Hollywood. The film was out of circulation for many years but was issued on DVD in 2004.
Merman won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy. Alfred Newman won the Oscar for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture, and Irene Sharaff was nominated for her costume design. Lang was nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures by the Directors Guild of America and the Grand Prize at the 1953 Cannes Film Festival, and Sheekman's screenplay was nominated Best Written American Musical by the Writers Guild of America.
Ethel Merman was unique in the annals of the American Musical Theater
-she was responsible for the success of more shows, and introduced more
songs that became Broadway standards (and by the best composers) than
any other performer - even Mary Martin and Gwen Verdon never quite
de-throned the First Lady of Musical Theater. But Merman is one of those
whose talent didn't quite transcend the big screen, despite several
attempts. Anyone seeing her on the screen today may well wonder what all
the fuss was about, but take it from an eyewitness: Merman was a force
of nature who had to be seen live to be appreciated - when she set foot
on a stage, she OWNED that stage, the scenery, and every seat, patron,
and brick of that theater. More on Wikipedia or Mubi
Cannes Film Festival, 1953- Official Selection Academy Awards, 1954- Winner: Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture, Nominee: Best Costume Design, Color Golden Globes, 1954- Winner: Best Actress - Comedy or Musical Trailer
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