Category: James Stewart

Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘The Mortal Storm’

NR | 1 h 40 min | Drama | 1940 Frank Borzage’s prescient film, set in early 1930s Germany, stands out even in the subgenre of anti-fascism war films. Academia loves and respects Professor Roth (Frank Morgan) for his distinguished contribution to science, teaching, and research. But with Hitler’s rise, Roth finds himself distinguished for…


Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘You Can’t Take It With You’: What True Wealth Means

Not Rated| 2 h 6 min | Drama, Comedy | 1938 Grandpa Vanderhof’s (Lionel Barrymore) eccentric household is the only one in downtown Depression-era New York resisting Anthony Kirby’s (Edward Arnold) business ambitions. Kirby wants a moat of unencumbered land around his munitions business, even if it runs his rivals aground. But Vanderhof won’t sell…


Rewind, Review, and Re-rate: ‘The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance’

1954 | Not Rated | 2h 3m | Drama, Western Some filmmakers use a narrative trick that almost feels like cheating in order to pique curiosity about their films. This clever setup involves starting a movie in the present and having the characters elude to something critical to the story that happened in the past….


Rewind, Review, and Re-Rate: ‘Made for Each Other’: Faithfulness in Good Times and in Bad

Not Rated | 1 h 32 min | Drama, Comedy | 1939 Director John Cromwell’s film may be old hat for long-married couples, but it can be a  welcome insight for those just married or about to be. Opening credits overlay a pair of hands signing the names of his lead actors into a marriage…


‘No Highway in the Sky’ (1951): Jimmy Stewart as a Conspiracy Theorist

Commentary If you are even casually interested in old movies, you doubtless know about James Stewart. Often affectionately called Jimmy, this Golden Era actor was a true American, often depicting inspiringly patriotic characters in Frank Capra movies. However, his filmography includes dozens of movies which are largely forgotten but deserve to be rediscovered. One such…


Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Seventh Heaven’: The Lowly Find God at the 11th Hour

NR | 1 h 42 min | Drama, Romance | 1937 Set in 1914 against the backdrop of World War I, director Henry King’s movie begins with a glimpse into the lives of the poor who clean one of Paris’s lowliest hovels. It’s where the seediest mingle with the saintly, and prostitutes and pimps hustle…