Movies for the Day, Saturday, September 1, 2018

Today's movies mark International Women's Friendship Month, the beginning of World War II, and International Primates Day.  Which would you watch?

The Women (1939) has an all-female cast and is
a comedy and drama about divorce, cattiness and
competition among women friends.  September
is International Women's Friendship Month.  This
movie is on the National Film Registry.





The Women










Edge of Darkness (1943) is about
a Norwegian fishing village resisting
Nazi rule during World War II.  World
War II began September 1, 1939, with
Germany's invasion of Poland.




Edge of Darkness












Virunga (2014) is a documentary about
an effort to save endangered mountain
gorillas.  It won an Emmy for Cinematography.
It takes place in Virunga National Park in the
Democratic Republic of Congo.  Today is
International Primates Day.



Virunga

Movies for the Day, Friday, August 31, 1928

Today's movies mark the birthdays of James Coburn and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and National Dog Day. 

The President's Analyst (1967) is a Cold
War satirical comedy about a psychoanalyst to
the President.  This movie stars James Coburn,
born August 31, 1928.





The President's Analyst












Young Frankenstein (1974) is a
great spoof of the classic Frankenstein
horror story, originated by Mary
Wollstonecraft Shelley, born August 30,
1797.  It is on the National Film
Registry.  It features an American Film
Institute Song, Puttin' on the Ritz.
Frankenstein Friday is the last Friday
in October.



Young Frankenstein










For the Love of Benji (1977) is a
movie about another adventure of
Benji the dog, this time in Greece and
involving spies.  August 26, 2018, was
National Dog Day.




For the Love of Benji

Movies for the Day, Thursday, August 30, 2018

Today's movies mark the birthdays of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and Huey Long and National Dog Day.

The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) is the
classic Frankenstein movie.  It is based
on the story by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley,
born August 30, 1797.  It is on the
National Film Registry.






The Bride of Frankenstein









Huey Long  (1985) is a Ken Burns documentary
about populist Depression era Louisiana
governor Huey Long, who was born
August 30, 1893, and assassinated in 1935.






Huey Long








Fluke (1995) is the heartwarming story
of a man reincarnated as a dog who
attempts to reconnect with his family.
National Dog Day was August 26, 2018.







Fluke

Movies for the Day, Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Today's movies mark International Day Against Nuclear Tests, National Dog Day, and the birthday of Charlie "Bird" Parker.








The 49th Man (1953) is about Federal
agents tracking foreign spies smuggling
parts of an atom bomb into the
United States for later detonation.  Today
is United Nations International Day Against
Nuclear Tests.




The 49th Man









Big Red (1962) is a Disney movie
about a boy hired to train an
Irish Setter and the close bond that
develops between them.  This movie
continues our celebration of National
Dog Day, which was August 26, 2018.




Big Red









Sweet Love, Bitter (1967) is loosely based
on the latter years of the life of jazz great
Charlie "Bird" Parker, born August 29,
1920, and also explores the 1960s New York
City jazz scene.





Sweet Love, Bitter

Movies for the Day, Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Today's movies mark National Dog Day, the birthday of Ben Gazzara, and a Power Rangers premiere.

Skippy (1931) is a classic children's film
based on a comic strip.  It is about two boys
who try to save a dog.  It has a simple, dated,
innocent charm.  It won an Oscar for
Directing.  August 26 was National Dog
Day.




Skippy











The Strange One (1957) is about a
cadet at a military school who has a
peculiar hold over his fellow cadets
and teachers.  It stars Ben Gazzara,
born August 28, 1930.





The Strange One














The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers:  The  Movie
(1995) is a superhero movie for kids based
on the television series which premiered
August 28, 1993.  There are sequels to this
movie.





The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

Movies for the Day, Monday, August 27, 2018

Today's movies mark the birthday of C.S. Forester, National Dog Day, and the birthday of President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Sailor of the King (1953) is about a
British prisoner on a German ship during
World War II who fights on single-handed.
This movie is based on a novel by
C.S. Forester, born August 27, 1899.





Sailor of the King

The Shaggy Dog (1959) is a family comedy
fantasy about a teenage boy who periodically
turns into a sheepdog.  There was a 1976
sequel, The Shaggy D.A.  Yesterday was National
Dog Day.






The Shaggy Dog









LBJ:  The Early Years (1987) is about the early
career of President Johnson, from 1934 to 1963.
LBJ was born August 27, 1908.  This TV movie
won an Emmy for Editing.




LBJ: The Early Years

Movies for the Day, Sunday, August 26, 2018

Today's movies mark an Antarctic expedition, National Dog Day, and the Little League World Series.








The Secret Land (1948) is a documentary
of a massive American naval exploratory expedition
to Antarctica, which commenced August 26,
1946.  It won an Oscar for Best Documentary-Feature.







The Secret Land









Lady and the Tramp (1955) is a
passionate and beloved animation
from Walt Disney, about a romance
between dogs from different sides of
the track.  Today is National Dog
Day.





Lady and the Tramp









The Great American Pastime (1956) is
a comedy about a father coaching his son's Little
League team and romance intruding.  Today
is the last day of the 2018 Little League
World Series.





The Great American Pastime

Movies for the Day, Saturday, August 25, 2018

Today's movies mark horse racing at Saratoga, International Bat Night, and the birthday of Leonard Bernstein.








Saratoga (1937) is about horse breeding,
gambling and romance at Saratoga.  The premier
race of the Saratoga racing season, the Travers
Stakes, is today.






Saratoga








The Bat (1959) is a horror movie
about a crazed killer known as The
Bat.  August 25 to 26, 2018, is
International Bat Night.





The Bat










Great Performances (1971-) is the very
fine series on PBS.  The episode, Bernstein
and the New York Philharmonic, won an
Emmy in 1976 for Outstanding Classical
Music Program.  Leonard Bernstein was born
August 25, 1918.


Great Performances

Movies for the Day, Friday, August 24, 2018

Today's movies mark the birthdays of Duke Kahanamoku and MarleeMatlin and the eruption of Vesuvius.







Big Wednesday (1978) is about California
surfing buddies in the 1960s and 1970s.
Duke Kahanamoku, born August 24, 1890,
is considered the father of international
surfing.





Big Wednesday








Children of a Lesser God (1986) is about
a school for the deaf and a romance between
a teacher and a woman janitor.  This
movie won an Oscar for Best Actress, to
Marlee Matlin, born August 24, 1965.





Children of a Lesser God









Pompeii:  The Last Day (2003) is a TV
movie dramatizing the destruction of the
Roman city of Pompeii when Mt. Vesuvius
erupted August 24, 79 (A.D.).  This movie
won an Emmy for Sound Editing.





Pompeii: The Last Day

Movies for the Day, Thursday, August 23, 2018

Today's movies mark the birthdays of Gene Kelly and Barbara Eden and the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.







Invitation to the Dance (1956) is essentially
Gene Kelly dancing.  Three stories are told
through dancing, without words.  Kelly
was born August 23, 1912.







Invitation to the Dance









I Dream of Jeannie (1965 to 1970) is
an iconic TV sitcom starring an astronaut,
played by Larry Hagman, and a genie he
keeps in a bottle, played by Barbara Eden,
born August 23, 1934.





I Dream of Jeannie

Treme (2010 to 2013) is a television
series set in a New Orleans neighborhood
about three months after Hurricane Katrina
(August 23 to August 31, 2005).  There are
36 episodes.  It won an Emmy in 2014 for
Sound Mixing for the episode Sunset on
Louisianne.




Treme

Movies for the Day, Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Today's movies mark the birthday of Ray Bradbury, the first America's Cup, and the birthday of E. Annie Proulx.







The Angry Red Planet (1959) is about
mars monsters and spacemen.  Ray
Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles is
a great science fiction book.  Bradbury
was born August 22, 1920.






The Angry Red Planet

White Squall (1996) is about teenage boys learning
to sail and rely on each other.  It is set in the 1960s.
The first America's Cup sailing race was August 22,
1851.




White Squall

The Shipping News (2001) is a family
drama set in Newfoundland.  It is based
on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by
E. Annie Proulx, born August 22, 1935.





The Shipping News

Movies for the Day, Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Today's movies mark Poet's Day, the admission date of Hawaii to the Union, and National Senior Citizens Day.

Pyassa (1957) is about a
struggling Indian poet.  Today
is Poet's Day.







Pyassa









Hawaii (1966) is an epic story
set in Hawaii in the 1800s.  It
is based on the novel by James
Michener.  It was followed by
The Hawaiians (1970).  Hawaii was
admitted to the Union on August
21, 1959





Hawaii

Age-Old Friends (1989) is about two
aging friends in a retirement home, one
aging physically and the other mentally.
This TV movie won Emmys for Lead Actor,
to Hume Cronyn, and Supporting Actor,
to Vincent Gardenia.  Today is National
Senior Citizens Day.



Age-Old Friends

Movies for the Day, Monday, August 20, 2018

Today's movies mark National Aviation Day, VISTA, and an Australian expedition.

Zero Hour! (1957) is about a potential
air disaster.  It was later spoofed in 1971
as Airplane!  Yesterday was National Aviation
Day and also Orville Wright's birthday.  This
week is National Aviation Week.




Zero Hour!

A Year Toward Tomorrow (1966)
is a documentary that won an Oscar for
Short Subjects about VISTA, which is
based on a law signed August 20,
1964.


A Year Toward Tomorrow







Burke and Wills (1986) is about the
first expedition to attempt a crossing
of the Australian continent.  It began
August 20, 1860.




Burke and Wills

Movies for the Day, Sunday, August 19, 2018

Today's movies mark National Aviation Day and the birthdays of Renee Richards and President Bill Clinton.







No Highway in the Sky (1951) is about
an airplane's fateful flight, the investigation,
and prediction of another crash.  Today is
National Aviation Day (also Orville Wright's
birthday).





No Highway in the Sky









Second Serve (1986) is a biopic
about Renee Richards, eye surgeon,
professional tennis player, and male-to-
female woman.  Richards was born
August 19, 1934.




Second Serve












Primary Colors (1998) is about
the Presidential campaign of a
candidate like Bill Clinton.  Clinton
was born August 19, 1946.




Primary Colors

Movies for the Day, Saturday, August 18, 2018

Today's movies mark National Honey Bee Day and the birthdays of Alfred Hitchcock and Robert Redford.

City of Wax (1934) is a live action film
about the life of a bee.  It won an Oscar
for a short film.  Today is National Honey
Bee Day.






City of Wax










The Trouble With Harry (1955) is a
black comedy from Alfred Hitchcock
in which a corpse causes problems in
a New England community.  This
movie continues our series of Hitchcock
movies.  Alfred Hitchcock was born August
13, 1899.



The Trouble With Harry











Three Days of the Condor (1975) is an
espionage thriller starring Robert
Redford in a memorable role.  Redford
was born August 18, 1937.





Three Days of the Condor

Movies for the Day, Friday, August 17, 2018

Today's movies mark the birthdays of Mae West, Alfred Hitchcock, and Robert DeNiro.

I'm No Angel (1933) is a vehicle
showcasing Mae West, born August
17, 1893, as a performer with many
wealthy suitors and comedic implications.







I'm No Angel

Foreign Correspondent (1940) is
a Hitchcock movie set in London
about an American reporter and an
espionage ring at the beginning of
World War II.  This highly regarded
film by Alfred Hitchcock, born August 13,
1899, continues our August Hitchcock
series of movies.



Foreign Correspondent












Taxi Driver (1976) is a disturbing portrait
of a violent loner.  This thrilling movie
features an American Film Institute Villain,
Travis Bickle.  It stars Robert DeNiro, born
August 17, 1943.  It also features an AFI Quote:
"You talking to me?"  This movie is on the
National Film Registry.





Taxi Driver

Movies for the Day, Thursday, August 16, 2018

Today's movies mark India Independence Day, the birthday of Alfred Hitchcock, and the Little League World Series.

The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935) is
about the British Empire in India and
especially about several British soldiers on
the frontier in India.  Yesterday, August 15
(1947) was India Independence Day and this
is our second India movie to mark that day.  This
is a critically acclaimed movie. 




The Lives of a Bengal Lancer






North by Northwest (1959) is a classic
Hitchcock movie about a New
York City advertising executive mistakenly
pursued as a spy.  This thrilling movie features
iconic scenes at Mt. Rushmore and with a crop
duster.  It is on the National Film Registry.  This
mystery movie continues our series of Alfred
Hitchcock films; he was born August 13, 1899.



North by Northwest

The Bad News Bears (1976) is a family
film about a Little League baseball team; it
combines comedy and drama.  It was followed
by The Bad News Bears In Breaking Training (1977)
and The Bad News Bears Go To Japan (1978).  The
Little League World Series starts today, August
16, 2018, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.



The Bad News Bears