In this film a young woman is watching after her ill and wheelchair ridden mother and falls in love with another young woman who has a boyfriend.
As this movie starts it feels like nice summertime fluff. Little seems to be happening, there is absolutely beautiful location shooting (in Greece), a clam and leisurely pace and a charming and beautiful young actress as the lead (Emma Mackey). As this kind of fluff, these early scenes are very charming and effective. However, as the film goes on the layers peel back and what was at first charming and relaxing is now darker and more complex. Director/Writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz (this marks her feature length directorial debut though she has worked as a screenwriter (including on the Academy Award winning Polish film, Ida (2013)) and playwright) is not afraid to make audiences uncomfortable. There are quite a few scenes here which create a real unease. She is also not afraid to take the story in unexpected directions or make the audience do much of the work themselves (both of these are on display in the film's powerful ending). The relationship between the mother and daughter remains the heart of this film and it is quite complex and well written.
My complaint about this film though is that the romance scenes often lack the depth and complexity of the mother and daughter scenes. This is due to some pretentious dialogue and the main character's love interest being quite bland and underdeveloped.
Despite some flaws, this is a very well-made art film.
The transition from silent film to sound film was one of the most turbulent and important parts of movie history. Yet somehow it remains quite underwritten about. Sure, there are plenty of books about directors or actors who worked in both silent and sound pictures that briefly discuss this transition. Despite this there are few books that discuss this transition in great detail. That is what makes this book so important to film buffs.
Scott Eyman is one of the finest writers about movie history and this masterpiece of a book stands as one of his best. It discusses this transition in great detail. The writing and research here are phenomenal creating a book that is a great read for those who are not well versed in films of this era but will still very incredibly informative to longtime old movie buffs. Once I started reading this book, it was hard to put it down. Eyman's writing style makes this an easy and gripping read having as great of a mastery of the English language as any novelist. Because of this despite the sheer amount of information here, it does not read as a textbook. Rather it creates an absorbing portrait of a time and place. It also delves not only into the films of this movement but the people that played an important role in this transition. The biographical information about such important figures as The Brothers Warner, William Fox, F.W. Murnau and Al Jolson among others give us a personal investment in these films and the people making them. Helping this book paint such a vivid picture of the time and place are tons of very open, honest and informative quotes for those who worked in the movie industry at this time. These quotes alone would worth the price of the book.
Eyman also displays an incredible knack for film analysis. When he writes about the quality of these films, he doesn't stop at simply saying if they are good or bad. Instead, he takes a deep delve into not only the acting and writing but the technical aspects as well. The best thing film criticism can do and is to cause you to look at a movie in a new way. I have seen some of the films discussed in this book many times before. However, after reading this book, I now see them in a completely different way with a new understanding of why some of them work and some don't.
This book is essential reading to anyone with even only a passing interest in film history.
Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing, It is No Secret. This song was written by cowboy singer and actor Stuart Hamblen. Before turning to God, this man's life could hardly be considered Godly. He often drank and fought, and this often landed him in jail. When in 1949 Hamblin went to a Billy Graham crusade, he turned his life over to God. The drinking and fighting were put behind him and his whole life changing. One day he was talking about this change to his good friend John Wayne (yes that John Wayne) and that it was no secret what God had done for him. John Wayne said that he should write a song with those lyrics. Stuart Hamblen had also had a brief movie career and appeared in the Roy Rogers movie, The Arizona Kid (1939).
This is followed by Leroy Van Drake with Church in the Wildwood. This recording from Leroy's 1977 gospel album, Gospel Greats.
Afterwards is Washington Phillips with his 1927 recording of Take Your Burden to the Lord and Leave it There.
Then comes Tex Ritter with Jesus Loves Me.
Next comes Kris Kristofferson and Larry Gatlin with Help Me. In 1971 Connie Smith had invited Kris Kristofferson to the Evangel Temple. Jimmie Snow (the pastor of the church) had asked Larry Gatlin, who was a member of this church and currently worker as a janitor, to come up and sing a song he wrote. That song was Help Me and it had a major effect on Kris. Kris would later say, "It was what I guess you call a religious experience. I've never had one before or since. To this day I don't know why I did it. I think Jimmy sensed I didn't know what I was doing because he asked me if I was ready to be saved and I told him I didn't know. He put his hand on my shoulder and asked me to get down on my knees. There were a number of us kneeling and I don't remember what he was saying. It was something about freedom from guilt. All I can remember is that I broke into tears. I was weeping and when it was over I felt like I had been purged. I was carrying a lot of guilt at that time. I felt I had disappointed my family, my friends, my ancestors and everybody that knew me. So I wrote that song [Why Me Lord]." Because of the effect this song had on Kris, Kris recorded the song as a duet with Larry Gatlin on his 1972 album, Jesus Was a Capricorn. Kris later talked about this saying, "I did it because I loved the song and was so grateful for the effect it had on me. To further demonstrate my gratitude, I put it on the B-side of my single Why Me instead of one of my own, giving Larry mechanical royalties on the biggest single I ever had. Payback!" The source for these quotes is the essential book, The Man Called Cash by Steve Turner.
Afterwards is The Statler Brothers with Standing On The Promises. This performance comes from the singing group's TV series, The Statler Brothers Show. This series ran on The Nashville Network from 1991 to 1998.
This is followed by The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Power in the Blood. Singing lead on this recording is Leonard Slye, who would later change his name to Roy Rogers and have a very successful movie career. The wonderful deep bass vocals are by Hugh Farr who also plays the fiddle here.
Today's musical selection ends with Johnny Cash singing All of God's Children Ain't Free. This song is from the 1965 album, Orange Blossom Special. In his Johnny Cash biography, The Man Called Cash, Steve Turner calls this "Cash's most folk-inspired album." This is no coincidence as John's heart was drifting heavily towards the current folk scene at this time. He had performed at the Newport Folk Festival was spending much time with Bob Dylan, was recording songs by current folk songwriters such as Peter La Farge, and was addressing politics and social commentary in his music in a way he did much less often in the 1950's. This album contained three songs written by Bob as well as some more traditional folk music. This song (written by John himself) was a protest song of the type that was popular in the folk work at this time.
Now for a message from the reverend Billy Graham.
Now for an episode of The Lone Ranger radio show.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him. Proverbs 14:31
Be hospitable to one another without complaint. 1 Peter 4:9
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2
I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. 1 Chronicles 29:17
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
Hello, my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with one of Chuck Jones' great Bugs Bunny cartoons, Wackiki Wabbit (1943). The two castaways who try to eat Bugs in this cartoon, were caricatured to look like and were voiced by Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies writers, Michael Maltese and Tedd Pierce. Many of Chuck's cartoons of this time had great experimentation with background art, and that is certainly true here. The following are some exhibitor's reviews from the Motion Picture Herald. "Wackiki Wabbit: Merrie Melodies Cartoons: A 'Bugs Bunny' short that shows signs of getting him back into his once high place. If they like Bugs, they'll like this one. - W. Varrick Nevins, Ill, Alfred Co-op Theatre, Alfred, N.Y." "Wackiki Wabbit: Merrie Melodies Cartoon— This is one of the best Bugs Bunny cartoons of the season and it went over big here. - Thomas Di Lorenzo, New Paltz Theatre, New Platz, N.Y."
Next is a classic Fleischer Screen Songs cartoon, I Can't Escape From You (1936).
Now we join Honey Halfwitch in Trick or Cheat (1966). This short film features nearly all of the supporting characters from this series. It is also directed by Howard Post, who created the character of Honey Halfwitch. Post is better known for his comic work rather than his animation work. He created the comic strip The Dropouts and DC Comics character Anthro. He had also worked for Harvey Comics on various Casper comic books and on the Heathcliff and Care Bears comics for Marvel as well as being an editor on Looney Tunes Magazine and Tiny Toons Magazine for DC. The Honey Halfwitch films are a series of thirteen theatrically released cartoon shorts.
Next is The New Three Stooges cartoon, Behind the 8 Ball Express (1965). The three stooges voiced themselves in this series of made for TV shorts.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Next is The Trail of Donald Duck (1948). This marked the last Donald Duck short directed by Jack King. Jack King was one of Donald's best directors (if not his best), having begun directing the duck in the mid 1930's. Before that he was briefly a director of some of the black and white Looney Tunes shorts and before that he had worked at Disney as an animator. Dan MacManus, who gets a story credit here is much more prolific as an effects animator, having worked in this capacity on many Disney features and shorts from 1935 to his retirement in 1973. Some of his story sketches for this film can be seen in J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein's book on Donald Duck. This film would make its TV debut on an episode of The Mickey Mouse Club that aired December 12, 1956.
Now we join Felix the Cat in Frolics at the Circus (1920).
Next is the Terry Toons short, The Happy Cobblers (1952).
Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in Babysitting Maggie (1987). This is one of the shorts featuring the animated family that aired on The Tracey Ullman Show before they got their own TV series.
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
Resources Used
Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin.
Donald Duck: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein
In the late 1980's and early 90's there was trend in cartoons to have TV series that featured child versions of classic cartoon characters. Tiny Toons Adventures was both part of this trend, while providing a different twist on it. The series starred kid characters that were based off of the classic Looney Tunes characters but were still their own characters. They went to a school where they were taught by the classic Looney Tunes cartoons the art of cartoon comedy. The series wasn't always the most consistent and some episodes don't hold up the best. However, when the series was at its best, it was as great as any cartoon TV comedy had a right to be and because of this I feel it deserves the same praise that often goes to Animaniacs (which was made by the same people who made Tiny Toons. As wonderful as the best episodes of the show could be, the greatest highlight of the series was the direct to video movie that was based on the show.
This film doesn't just tell one story but multiple that are based on the premise of having the kids on summer vacation. Plucky goes on a road trip with Hamton's family to the theme park Happy World Land. Buster and Babs Bunny (no relation) have a water pistol fight that goes too far and the find themselves drifting out to sea. Fifi LaFume tries to get the attention of a dreamy movie star skunk, Johnny Pew. Fowlmouth invites Shirley the Loon to the movies but ends up talking through the whole show. Elmya tries to find a new kitty after Furball runs off.
What makes this movie so wonderful is that it is truly hilarious. This may actually be one of the laugh out loud funniest of the feature length Looney Tune movies. The humor consistently hits the spot (with the exception of some (though not all) of the then current pop culture references) with some truly great comedic set pieces. Some of the best of these set pieces include a Hamton's family picking up a very creepy hitchhiker that only Plucky is scared of, a wonderful movie theater scene (every single gag in this scene is hilarious) and a very clever parody of Deliverance (1972). Though I had seen this film as a kid, when I first saw it as an adult I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I laughed watching it (much of the satire makes it even funnier to an adult than to a kid). Another great reason this movie works so well, is that it does a great job balancing the different storylines. Never once do these storylines get in the way of each other and various points they do intercept in very clever ways. The use of multiple storylines also works perfectly for this type of cartoon comedy. They allow the movie to have the same silly comedic feel of the TV series and not try and turn this movie into something the TV show never was. At the same time it allows the movie to have the feel of a feature length cartoon, while not feeling like a TV episode unnecessarily stretched to feature length. This movie is also helped some solid animation by Tokyo Movie Shinsha. This animation may show its TV roots and is definitely not as extravagant as that seen in many theatrically released movies. However, with this in mind, like the TV episodes Tokyo Movie Shinsha has worked on, it is definitely on the higher end of television quality animation.
The movies do have some flaws though. Chief among them is that the writers don't seem to know how to end the film and the ending is a bit too much of a dues ex machina (though in true Tiny Tunes fashion, the writers make fun of their own dues ex machina).
The movie was released on March 11, 1992 and marks what might be the first animated direct to video feature length movie. The series ended later the same year this movie was released. making this almost the perfect ending to a beloved TV series that I still think deserves more love today. When the show was rerun on Fox Kids, this movie would air as a four-part episode of the TV series.
It is a shame that the name Andy Clyde is often only recognized by the staunchest film buffs. His movie career spanned over 3 decades and after that he continued to work on TV. In the silent era, he had been comedy producer Mack Sennett's "Man of a Thousand Faces" often appearing in different costumes and make up that make him almost unrecognizable. Because of this he often appeared in multiple roles in the same film. He eventually found himself playing an old man character that he would continue playing well into the talkie era. Mostly playing this character Andy made 79 comedy shorts for Columbia Pictures. Fans of B-Westerns make best recognize him for playing the character California Carlson in the Hopalong Cassidy B movies. Vintage TV fans might recognize him for playing George MacMichael on The Real McCoys and Cully Wilson on the Lassie TV series. He would also make many guest appearances as one-off characters on many classic TV westerns.
The following is a 1932 article from Modern Screen magazine about Andy Clyde. If you have any trouble reading, click on the pages and use your touch screen to zoom in. If you don't have a touch screen, click here.
Now enjoy a short film that Andy Clyde made for Columbia, Hot Paprika (1935).
The following is a review of Hot Paprika from a 1936 issue of The Philadelphia Exhibitor (Note: the review and the reviews that follow include spoilers so watch the film before reading).
"HOT PAPRIKA. Columbia. 18 m. This has few gags that aren't outrageously burlesqued. Result is silly, depending on Andy Clyde's ability to draw laughs by appearance and dumbness. Told by the doctor that he has three months to live, Andy determines to do so with zest. He travels; finds self in Republic of Paprika; is mistaken for 'ze rich Americano who finances ze revolution. From then on, Andy is caught between Federalists and Rebels; escapes government firing squad only through intervention through rebels; wins war accidentally with machine gun. Fair"
The following is a review from The Film Daily.
"Snappy Andy Clyde goes on a trip for his health to the Latin American republic of Paprika, where he runs afoul of the revolution, he gets himself in Dutch with the government troops. Andy is lined up against the wall before a firing squad, and escapes by a fluke and saves the day for the revolutionists. Thus he becomes a national hero. Good Andy Clyde technique in a yarn that has plenty of action and excitement and a pippy senorita for the sex angle. Directed by Preston Black."
The following is an exhibitor's review for the Motion Picture Herald.
"Hat Paprika: Andy Clyde - The funniest comedy we've played in months. Audience simply howled with delight. Running time, 19 minutes. - A.N. Miles, Eminence Theater, Eminence, Ky. Small Town Patronage."
As he proved with Top Gun: Maverick, director Joseph Kosinski can take what should on paper be a typical genre flick and turn it into something excellent. Unlike many filmmakers who will probably receive more recognition, his approach to this is not to subvert the conventions of the genre but rather to simply do them so well that the audience doesn't care if they have been done before. That is what can be said about this movie. In many ways this is a conventional sports film, but these conventions are done so well that it manages to stand out among the many similar movies.
The racing scenes are excellent. The writing is tense (if only real sports could be this exciting), the driving and cinematography are top notch, the pacing is near perfect, and the auditory filmmaking is incredible. When I speak about the auditory filmmaking I am referring to quite a few aspects of it. The sound mixing is wonderful, and this movie knows just when to be loud and just when to be quiet. Because of this use of sound, we are often going back and forth from being a spectator at the racetrack (if you see this in Dolby or IMAX, you will truly feel like you are at a racetrack) to being inside the car with the character. I am also referring to the music. This includes both Hans Zimmer's score and the use of rock and pop songs on the soundtrack. Though some of the song choices may be obvious (Led Zeppelin's Whole Lot of Love; Queen's We Will Rock You), they are truly effective and get your adrenaline pumping (again especially if you see this in Dolby or IMAX).
As exciting as the racing scenes are the characters are the heart of the film. It is true that they fall into the typical conventions for characters of these types of films, but there more to them than just this. Because of this they feel completely real and believable to us. Even the supporting characters have enough personality to make them feel believable. Brad Pitt and Damson Idris' performances the main characters are truly excellent and add much of this film's heart. Brad Pitt is simply magnetic here which is completely necessary for a movie like this. Javier Bardem and Kerry Condon are truly wonderful in their supporting roles as well. Because we believe every character on screen (both because of the writing and the performances), we truly care about these races and feel the joy when they finish well and the disappointment when they don't.
This is truly a wonderful genre flick, where excellent filmmaker and performances overcome the standard conventions of the story.
Take Me Home is the first episode of Ironheart, the MCU's most recent streaming series, streaming only TV shows that tie into the Marvel movies. In this first episode Riri, a teenage inventor who has created her own Iron Man inspired suit, gets expelled from MIT for selling her inventions to college students, so those students can turn them in as assignments. Going back home Chicago, Riri is still dealing with the premature deaths of her best friend, Natalie Washington and her stepfather Gary. Meanwhile her cousin Parker Robbins tries to recruit Riri to join his gang.
This is a rather weak start to the series. I hope this series improves as so far this might be the weakest of the MCU streaming series. The main character is quite unlikable. Nowhere in these 45 minutes does the episode give us a single reason to like her. She is completely self-entitled and treats those that set out to help her rather terribly. It is true that she is going through a hard time but there are people giving her a chance that many people in her position could only dream of and she is completely ungrateful for it. It is true that teenagers can be self-absorbed, but the previous Marvel series Ms. Marvel understood this, while still making the character likable. Meanwhile, this episode seems to continue the unfortunate trend of these Marvel streaming shows having much weaker and blander villains than the Marvel movies. I hope who this episode sets up as the villain doesn't turn out to be the villain of the series as he is simply a bland everyday hoodlum and weak antagonist for a superhero series. The story is as basic and unsurprising as they come. Often it just seems to be going through the motions. It also strains believability as so many characters continue to understatement and not be impressed by a teenage girl who builds a freaking Iron Man suit. She may not be the most likable character, but you can't deny that she is brilliant. Even as an MCU fan, I admit this is not very good.
This episode was directed by Sam Bailey who has previously directed episodes of such TV series as Grown-ish and Dear White People as well as co-producing the web series Brown Girls. This is her first time working on an MCU project. It was written by Chinaka Hodge, the series creator. In a career that began in the 1980's she has worked as a poet, playwright and screenwriter. This is also her first MCU project.
This film about five people receiving superpowers after receiving transplants from the same person is a textbook example of how not to make a superhero movie. Everything about this movie is terrible. The storyline is incredibly cliché. It also feels too basic to even fill its two-hour runtime, resulting in a movie that feels much longer than it is. There are also many moments that make no sense even by superhero logic. This movie also wants to be a sillier and more comedic superhero film. Sadly, none of the humor works and much of it is embarrassingly bad. The characters are bland and cliché. Because of this they never once feel real to us and therefore we don't care about anything that happens with them. The acting is often quite poor and does nothing to help these already blandly written characters. The action scenes lack any fun or excitement and simply go on for much too long. This is not helped by the extremely poor special effects. These effects are so bad that it is incredible to think this movie somehow came out in 2025.
Probably no child actress has ever been better known than Shirley Temple. Like Marlyin Monroe, John Wayne or Charlie Chaplin, even those who have never seen one of her movies know of her. They can immediately bring to mind the image of a little girl with curls dancing and singing. Those who do watch her movies can easily understand why her popularity was so great during the heyday of her career. She is simply charming and cute without ever coming across as cloying, the way so many child actors can. Most of her films may not be great masterpieces of cinema but they are still quite entertaining and fun. If you get a chance to watch one of her classic films with an audience, you will discover how much they still delight audiences today. Her career actually lasted beyond her being the little girl who sang about The Good Ship Lollypop and Animal Crackers. She appeared in some truly delightful films as a teenager, which showed her blossoming into a good actress. These later teenage films include The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947), I'll Be Seeing You (1944) and the classic John Ford-John Wayne western Fort Apache (1948).
The following is an article from a 1942 issue of Modern Screen magazine. If you can't read the pages below click on the pages and use your touch screen to zoom in. If you don't have a touch screen, click here.
After having talked about the later part of Shirley Temple's career, we turn our attention to an early film of Her's. I really enjoy the Andy Clyde short, Dora's Dunking Doughnuts (1933), which feature Shirley Temple in a prominent role. This film may not be one of Andy Clyde's funniest shorts. However, it is a really cute, sweet and charming little film that is still delightful today.
The following are some exhibitors' reviews of Dora's Dunking Doughnuts from the Motion Picture Herald. "Dora's Dunking Doughnuts: Andy Clyde - The kids and their orchestra saved this for Andy. Whoever told that guy he was funny? - Mayme P. Mussleman, Princess Theatre, Lincoln, Kan. Small Town Patronage." "Dora's Dunking Doughnuts: Andy Clyde - A little odd and very good comedy. That got a few laughs. Running time, two reels. - J.A. Verchot, Opera House, Abbeville, S.C. Small Town Patronage." "Dora's Dunking Doughnuts: Andy Clyde - A funny comedy and the audience laughed. Running time 20 minutes. - A.H. Edwards Orpheum Theatre, Orwigsburg, PA, Small town and rural patronage."
The following is from an issue of The Film Daily dated June 6, 1933. "Alfonse Corelli, musical director, wrote 'Dora's Dunking Doughnuts' for Andy Clyde's comedy, and the number has already shown signs of being in the hit class. Although the song has not been published and the picture is not ready for general release, requests have been received from several radio stations for permission to broadcast; a well-known stage producing organization has bid it for a new production, and an offer for electrical transcriptions and phonograph records has been made."
The following is from an issue of The Film Daily dated June 3, 1933. "Andy Clyde ate so many doughnuts and drank so much coffee during the making of 'Dora's Dunking Doughnuts' that he is going to emulate Ghandi and go on a hunger strike. In one scene the Scotch comic had to eat four doughnuts. This does not sound like much but when it is figured the scene was shot from four angles - and then the retakes - figure it out for yourself."
Many of you may already know that Gene Autry joined U. S. Army Air Corps during World War II. During this time as well as his regular military duties, he recorded an episode of his radio show a week. The radio show would be retitled Sgt. Gene Autry. Earlier episodes of his radio show would have a mixture of some musical performances and a western story. Around this time the western story was replaced with stories of the war. His movie career went on hold during the war though and Republic Pictures (who produced Gene's films) promoted Roy Rogers as the new "King of the Cowboys."
Here is a 1942 article from Modern Screen Magazine about Autry's entry into the military. If you have trouble reading it click on the pages below and use your touch screen to zoom in. If you don't have a touch screen, click here.
Now here is a vintage Gene Autry recording, Wildcat Mama Blues. Gene Autry receives a songwriting credit for this song. Gene recorded this song on November 16, 1931, and is backed by Roy Smeck on banjo. Other songs he recorded the same day were I'm a Railroad Man (Waiting on a Weary Train), Under the old Apple Tree and There's a Good Girl in the Mountains. All these songs featured backing by Roy Smeck. (Source: Public Cowboy no.1 by Holly George-Warren)
Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with Jesus Loves the Little Children. Jesus would state, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me." There is no doubt that Jesus did love the little children and he loves us big children too. If we will humble ourselves and become like little children, the blessings he has for us are immeasurable.
This is followed by Dick Robertson with his 1933 recording of The Last Round Up.
Afterwards is Willie Nelson with It's Not for Me to Understand. Willie talked about this song in his book, It's a Long Story: My Life, "The questions raised by the Bible - questions that had been entertained by deep thinkers like Khalil Gibran and Edgar Cayce - had no easy answers. I imagined a blind boy in a school yard, listening to the other children play. Again, the questioning began ... 'It's Not for Me to Understand' became one of the key songs and led to even more pleadings on my part. The sign came in the form of the lyrics. I don't feel that I wrote them. More accurately, I have to say that I felt like I channeled them." This song comes from one of Willie's best albums 1971's Yesterday's Wine. Willie himself would say, "I thought Yesterday's Wine was my most honest album to date."
Then comes Backwoods Bluegrass with Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. This hymn began with a man named Anthony Showalter. As a fan of gospel music and an elder in a Presbyterian church, he held many "singing schools" at various churches in the south. One day he received two letters from former students who were struggling after their wives had passed. To respond to these letters, Showalter consulted scripture. He came across Deuteronomy 33:27, "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." After reading this verse lyrics for a song chorus went through his head and he wrote down, "“Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.” After using this in the letters to his former students he sent this chorus to his friend hymnist, Elisha Hoffman. In the letter he also wrote, “Here is the chorus for a good hymn from Deuteronomy 33:27, but I can’t come up with the verses.” Hoffman then wrote the rest of the lyrics to which Showalter put to music. The hymn was published in 1887.
Next comes The Sons of the Pioneers with What Wonderful Joy. The group recorded this song in Chicago in September 1941.
Now for Merle Haggard with a medley of Take My Hand Precious Lord and Jesus Hold My Hand. This comes from his 1971 gospel album, The Land of Many Churches. On this recording The Carter Family is providing the background vocals.
Afterwards is The Stanley Brothers with What a Friend We Have in Jesus. This is truly a lovely recording of this old hymn.
Today's musical selection ends with Johnny Cash with his self-penned I Came to Believe. John recorded this song in 1984, however the song would not be released until 2014, after John had passed. It was released on the album, Out Among the Stars, which was a collection of newly discovered lost recording sessions John did in the 1980's.
Now for a sermon from Martin Luther King Jr.
Now for an episode of Roy Rogers' TV show.
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. Proverbs 16:9
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Isaiah 40:29
But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 1 John 2:11
The rich and the poor have a common bond; the Lord is the maker of them all. Proverbs 22:2
You shall not oppress a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns. Deuteronomy 24:14
You must not exploit or oppress a foreign resident, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt. Exodus 22:21
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
Hello, my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again, it is time for some classic cartoons.
We begin with a classic Frank Tashlin Porky Pig cartoon, Porky's Railroad (1937). This is one of the many cartoons of this time that used the formula of Porky being placed in a different job. In fact, earlier the same year Tashlin had directed a very similar Porky Pig cartoon, called Porky's Building (1937). That film like this one featured Porky up against a rival for his job. This cartoon opens up using of Tashlin's favorite types of gags that of words appearing on the screen to introduce the action. Often times he would do this in the form of a "disclaimer", but here he simply introduces the two trains. Also notice the ship that Porky picks up is the SS Leon named after the cartoon's producer Leon Schlesinger.
Now we join our friend Honey Halfwitch in The Defiant Giant (1966). In this cartoon Honey helps out a giant who is in trouble. This film also features Honey's friend Stanley the Sorcerer, who is a takeoff of W.C. Feilds.
Next is the Terry Toons short, The Temperamental Lion (1940).
Now for Donald Duck in Crazy Over Daisy (1950). This short film places Donald Duck, Daisy Duck and Chip and Dale in the gay 1890's and works as almost a companion piece to the Mickey Mouse cartoon, The Nifty Nineties (1941). Mickey and Minne even make a cameo dressed like they were in that film. This Donald Duck short had the working titles Built for Two and Date with Daisy. However, it would eventually be named after Oliver Wallace's song for the cartoon. This song would later become almost a theme song for Donald and the duck would whistle it in various cartoons to follow. This short film would make its TV debut on an episode of the Disneyland anthology series entitled Where Do the Stories Come From? (1956). It is hard not to feel very sorry for Donald in this cartoon.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Next comes a masterpiece of a cartoon, Minnie the Moocher (1932) starring the one and only Betty Boop. This cartoon is a pure example of what the Fleischer studio did better than anyone else. The film is full of incredibly creative, surreal and just plain weird gags that are executed to complete perfection. This cartoon is the first of three Bettys to feature jazz singer Cab Calloway (the other two being Snow White (1933) and the Old Man of the Mountain (1933)). In all three of these cartoons, the singer was not only used to sing his song, but his iconic dancing was captured by the dancer via rotoscope. A review in the Film Daily stated "This swell Max Fleischer musical cartoon is the best turned out so far with the cute pen and ink star, Betty Boop, who seems to get more sexy and alluring each time and her boyfriend Bimbo. The musical selection is supplied by Cab Calloway and his orchestra and what these boys can't do to the Minnie the Moocher number is not worth mentioning."
Now for silent movie time with Felix the cat in Felix Full O' Fight (1925).
Barnyard Babies (1935) is a typical cutesy Happy Harmonies cartoon. With the focus being on cuteness and a lack of slapstick, it is hard to believe that this is from the same studio that would bring us Tom and Jerry the following decade. However, this film does have its charms. This is a given considering the talent that was involved. This included a top-notch cast of animators. Carl Urbano animates the opening scene, the introduction of the master of ceremonies, the start of the song number and the duck coming out of the cider drunk. Cal Dalton animates the mother duck putting her kids into the water, the second chorus of the song number, the duck going into the apple cider, the "fan" dance, the lady that's known as Lou and the drunk duckling on stage with the horse. Pete Burness animates the pigs eating, the sheep and the pig singing together, the pigs walking in front of the curtain, the worm going in the hole, the duck swallowing the spring and the drunk duckling interrupting the show. Gil Turner animates the cow and horse braying at each other, the animals being excited for the show to start and the old gray mare. Joe D’Igalo animates the sign being put up and everyone reading the sign. Frankie Smith animates the rooster reacting to the sign being put up and the babies taking their first bow as well as them bowing after the song number. Jim Palbin animates the rooster telling his wife about the sign and being disappointed that the baby won't come soon enough to take place in the baby contest, the rooster pacing and the climax. Bob Allen animates the rooster using the hot towel to warm up the egg, the pigs singing together. George Grandpre animates the animals entering the barn, the little cow's solo, the duckling trying to get a hold of the rope leading the chicken to spin out of control and the clock moving quickly. Tom McKimson (older brother of Looney Tunes director Robert McKimson) animates the little chick and the duck singing together, the duck falling out of his mother's arms and bouncing on the saw and the piano solo. Lee Blair (husband of famed Disney artist Mary Blair and an accomplished Disney artist himself) animates the horse riding the broomstick pony. Bob Stokes animates the little horse reciting. Lee Blair commented on the difference of working on an MGM cartoon to working on a Disney cartoon. He stated, “They didn’t work with big storyboards like they do at Disney’s. They worked pretty well straight ahead off of a detail sheet—a bar sheet. They called them ‘detail sheets.’” He would continue, “From those detail sheets, they would make a set of exposure sheets, and you would be handed them as a scene.” At MGM they often used live action comedies as reference. Lee would remember, “We used Charlie Chaplin a lot. We’d get old Charlie Chaplin films, and we had a hand-cranked projector; I had it alongside my animation board…We’d crank his walks and pratfalls and study those.”
Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in Closted (1988). This is one of the shorts made for The Tracey Ullman Show before the family got their own TV series.
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
Resources Used
Donald Duck: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein
In this film a woman, who is a secret agent, must save the day when terrorists attack her best friend’s wedding. This combination of Bridesmaids and Die Hard should have been a sure-fire formula for a comedy. Somehow though this good comedy premise was completely wasted and despite a gung-ho performance from Rebel Wilson, the film simply falls flat. It is a comedy without a single laugh. Despite seeing this in a movie theater I did not hear the audience laugh once. The humor itself is incredibly lazy. Much of it simply relies on the main characters being immature and horny. As is too common in modern comedies, the filmmakers make the mistake of thinking that this is funny in and if itself. In reality this type of humor requires just as much effort as any other. Meanwhile the fight scenes and the attempts at slapstick are simply too mild. Action movies are getting increasingly over the top to the point when what we see here simply pales in comparison. Somehow the parody is less over the top and silly than the real thing. Therefore, the parody is also less humorous and fun than the real thing as well.
The only thing that almost keeps this movie afloat is that the main character is quite likable and Rebel Wilson is excellent in the role.
It is a shame when a good comedic premise is wasted and even more when a good comedic talent is wasted. Unfortunately, both are the case here.
A well-made but forgettable post-apocalyptic thriller.
This movie about a family surviving on a farm after the U.S. has fallen off in the middle of a second Civil War, doesn't have an original bone in its body. Everything that is done here has been done before. The moral of not simply shutting everybody out because there are people you can't trust out there, is one that has been in countless movies, and this film adds nothing to that. However, this is not to say that this is a bad movie by any means. In fact, there is quite a bit to like here. This movie has a good sense of atmosphere that pulls you in from the very start. The action scenes (though very gory) are tense and exciting. The visual filmmaking is quite well done. In fact, it quite impressive that this is the feature film debut of director, R. T. Thorne. Thorne had previously work on music videos for the likes of Drake and Snoop Dogg and on many TV shows, including Degrassi: The Next Generation, Degrassi: Next Class, Backstage, Blindspot and Utopia Falls (which he created). The characters are all quite likable and the relationships between family members are quite heartfelt. However, while this movie does most things quite well, there is nothing about it that is done exceptionally well. Because of this it is bound to simply get lost in the countless similar films and be completely forgotten about.
There is a lot to like about this movie but there is also nothing to make it stand out from similar films.
Note: This movie did not have a short film before us. I am a huge fan of Pixar's short films. I have often liked them just as much, if not more than the features they accompanied. Because of this I find myself continuously disappointed whenever a Pixar movie comes to movie theaters without an accompanying short. I hope that new shorts will come back to accompany all Pixar movies in the future.
Michael's Movie Grade: B
A delightful Pixar film.
This movie's storyline about a young boy who wishes to be abducted by aliens because he doesn't feel like he belongs on Earth combines some typical Pixar charm with a Spielbergian style fantasy. If it doesn't reach the heights of the best Pixar films that is only because the best Pixar movies are some of the best family films ever made. This movie still pulls on your heartstrings though in a way only Pixar can. This film's greatest asset is the main character himself. Elio is a character that we can all see a bit of ourselves in. Most, if not all, of us have felt at one time or another like outsiders no matter where we are. Many of us as kids have fantasized about something similar to Elio's desire to find some place outside of this world where he would belong. This film taps into the basic human desire to belong and therefore will speak to most any audience, though especially to younger audiences. At the same time, we can relate to his aunt, who loves him but struggles to relate to or understand him at times. The relationship between them may be of a broken family but there is still a real sweetness behind it. The basic storyline is great having us see what we would have fantasized about as kids play out, while also showing us that we should not take what we do have in this life for granted. This may be a typical moral for a family movie, but it is very well told. This movie also benefits from some great visuals especially in the sci-fi environment we see in the second and third acts.
This movie does have its flaws though. Despite this movie having so many comedic moments, none of them are that funny. I simply expected more laughs from a Pixar film. I also felt that the side characters we kind of bland and that the third act felt too neat and tidy to fully work.
This movie was directed by Adrian Molina (co-director of Coco(2017)), Madeline Sharafian (who had been a writer on Coco, Onward(2020) and Turning Red(2022)) and Domee Shi (director of Turning Red and the Pixar short Bao(2018)).
Though I often agree with critics, there are times when I simply don't know where they are coming from. This is one of those times. While the basic storyline of revenge, lust for gold and legacies built on lies may be nothing new or groundbreaking for this genre, this a solid and very entertaining western. There are no big twists here and what you see on the surface is exactly what the film delivers. However, sometimes a simple story, well told is all you need from a western. This movie tells its story very well. The basic story may be familiar but there is a reason for that. It is a good story, and I felt myself invested from the very start. The characters are great. They may not be especially complex and your first impressions, pretty much say everything about them but you like or hate (depending on if they are a good or bad guy first) these characters and truly care about what happens. The performances from the three leads (Pierce Brosnan, Samuel L. Jackson, Brandon Lessard) are all quite good. Brosnan is great as the sheriff bringing some great humanity and power to what could have been your typical western role. He also fits perfectly in this western setting, and I would love to see him in more westerns in the future. Young Brandon Lessard holds his own with the bigger name cast. However, it is Samuel L. Jackson, who runs away with the film. He is simply enjoying playing a character who is pure evil and loves every minute of it. It is obvious that Jackson enjoyed himself, just as much as the character enjoys the violence he creates around him. This makes for a dynamic performance that even those who don't like the film have to appreciate. The filmmaking may not show off, but it delivers exactly what one would want from the film. In the tradition of John Ford and other classic western directors, the location shooting in Montana is absolutely beautiful to look at. The action scenes are also very well done, feeling appropriately tense and exciting. Meanwhile at only a little over 90 minutes, the movie is engrossing for its whole runtime.
However, I admit that the familiarity of this film, makes it hard for the movie to stand out among so many similar westerns.
With westerns coming out less and less today to have one as well made and engrossing as this come out is a pure delight.
Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with Whispering Hope. This beautiful hymn comes from the pen of Alice Hawthorne (the pen name for poet Septimus Winner), who is best known for her contributions to children's music with songs like, Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone? and Ten Little Indians.
This is followed by pianist Floyd Cramer with a lovely instrumental version of How Great Thou Art. This comes from his 1971 instrumental gospel album, Sounds of Sunday.
Afterwards is Dick Curless with I Love to Tell the Story. When recovering from a sickness, Arabella Katherine Hankey wrote a poem about the life of Christ. This poem was broken into two parts the first being called The Story Wanted (published in January 1866) and the second called The Story Told (published in November 1866). I Love to Tell the Story comes from this second part. In 1869 William G. Fisher put this text to music and that is the version we know today. Still, it is worth noting that Hankey wrote her own music for these words, but her music was seldom used and is now forgotten.
For Father's Day, here is The Talleys with How Deep the Father's Love for Us. This comes from their 2012 album, Love Wins.
Then comes Blind Willie McTell with his 1940 recording of Old Time Religion.
Next comes The Sons of The Pioneers with their 1937 recording of One More River to Cross. Our good friend Leonard Slye (aka Roy Rogers) takes the lead vocal here, but like many of the best Sons of the Pioneers recordings, the highlight is the group's great harmonies. The incredible Hawaiian steel guitar player, Sam Koki joins the boys on this recording and does a fine job.
Afterwards comes Johnny Cash performing Greystone Chapel from his legendary 1968 album, At Folsom Prison. This song was written by Glen Sherley, who was an inmate in Folsom at the time. The song was given to John by a minister at Folsom Prision. Glen Sherley also wrote another hit country song, Portrait of My Woman, which was made a hit by Eddy Arnold. After this song's success Sherley would even record a live album in Folsom, while still being in prison. When he got out of prison, Johnny Cash met him at the gates. Sherley would even become a part of John's live shows. However, when Sherley would threaten to kill some of those on the shows and similarly violent threats against people, John had to let the singer and songwriter go. Singing background on this song is The Statler Brothers and Carl Perkins can be heard as one of the guitar players. The Statler Brothers and Carl Perkins were both part of John's live shows as well.
Today's musical selection ends with The Monroe Brothers with their 1936 recording of I Dreamed I Searched Heaven for You.
Now for a sermon from Greg Laurie appropriate for Father's Day.
Now for an episode of The Lone Ranger radio show entitled In His Father's Footsteps (1952).
And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place. Acts 17:26
So, Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him."
The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:34
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12
But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled. 1 Peter 3:14
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
Hello, my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again, it is time for more classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with one of the best of the many celebrity caricature cartoons of the 1930's, Disney's Mother Goose Goes Hollywood (1938). Without any of the sentimentality or pathos seen in other Silly Symphonies of this time, this is a pure comedy cartoon and a top notch one at that. While this film is best enjoyed by those who recognize all the movie stars that are being caricatured here, like the best of these celebrity caricature cartoons, this is still a lot of fun for those who don't know them. This short itself was a culmination of various ideas that had been pitched around the Disney studio starting in 1932. This included ideas for an abandoned Silly Symphonies short from the mid-1930's called The Hollywoods, which would have taken place in a forest full of birds and animals that closely resembled popular Hollywood stars. This also included an idea of a proposed Silly Symphony entitled Mother Goose Land, which would find the Mother Goose characters feeling like they were too old fashioned for modern audiences and deciding to jazz up their image with modern music. These two shorts that were abandoned, were revived and combined to create Mother Goose Goes Hollywood. As work commenced on this new film, there were so many ideas that it was even considered releasing this as a two-reeler (most cartoon shorts ran one-reel in length). Ultimately though the picture would be released as a one-reeler. Like all Disney films of this period the short benefits from a top-notch cast of animators. Izz Klein animated the opening with Mother Goose in the scroll and the scenes involving Laurel and Hardy. Bob Stokes animates the scenes with Kathrine Hepburn, Eddie Cantor and the blackbirds singing. Ward Kimball (one of Walt's famed Nine Old Men) animates the scenes involving Hugh Herbert, Ned Sparks, The Marx Brothers, Joe Penner (including the cameo by Donald Duck) and much of the big dance number. Grim Natwick (who was greatly responsible for the design of Betty Boop) animated scenes involving Charles Laughton, Spencer Tracey, Freddie Bartholomew, W.C. Feilds and Charlie McCarthy. Jack Campbell (a very underrated Disney animator who is best known for his work on the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio (1940)) animates scenes involving Greta Garbo, Edward G. Robinson and Wallace Beery. Don Patterson animated the orchestra on the shoe as well as caricatures of George Arliss and Clark Gable. It is worth noting that Laurel and Hardy are Simple Simon and the Pie Man here as the real Laurel and Hardy almost played the same Mother Goose characters in their feature film Babes in Toyland (1934). This short cartoon made its TV debut on an episode of The Mickey Mouse Club that aired on February 11, 1958.
Now we join Honey Halfwitch in Clean Sweep (1967).
Next comes a delightful black and white Porky Pig cartoon, Get Rich Quick Porky (1937). This was an early cartoon for director Bob Clampett (1937 was his first year as a director) and while it may not be as wild as some of the director's later work, there is plenty to enjoy here. This cartoon also marked the last appearance of Porky's sidekick, Gabby Goat. There is not much to Gabby besides him being grumpy and easily irritated, but the contrast between him and the more optimistic Porky makes for delightful watching. Two of the animators on this movie would later become great Looney Tune directors in their own right. Chuck Jones animates the wonderful scene with the dog, the gopher and a bone as well as the film's ending. Norm McCabe animates Gabby underground with his jackhammer as well as Porky handing the deed to Honest John.
Up next is the Terry Toons short, The Wolf's Pardon (1947). This movie, like today's first cartoon takes Mother Goose characters into the then current pop culture.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
In the 1930's the Fleischer Studio's Popeye cartoon had reached an incredible level of popularity even rivaling that of Mickey Mouse. These simple black and white seven-minute cartoons captured the hearts of moviegoers just as much as any feature film. Because of this both Paramount encouraged the cartoon studio to create something bigger with Popeye. The result was a series of three two-reel full color cartoons starring the cartoon sailor. These films were over twice the length of an average Popeye cartoon, and they felt bigger in every way possible. My personal favorite of the three is the second, Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba and His Forty Thieves (1937). This one has the same larger than usual and visual gorgeous look as the others, but in my opinion the humor in this short is probably the funniest. The cartoon was later edited down to a seven-minute short with some new animation featuring Popeye and his nephews for a cheater cartoon, Popeye Makes a Movie (1950). The following are some exhibitor reviews from the Motion Picture Herald, "Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba and His Forty Thieves (Color Special): Popeye the Sailor - A two-reel cartoon that means nothing more at the box office than a single. Does not compare with 'Sinbad the Sailor' in entertainment. Running time, 17 minutes. A. Goldson, Gold Coast Theatre, Chicago, Ill. Neighborhood Patronage." "Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba and His Forty Thieves: Popeye the Sailor - Not nearly as funny as it ought to have been. Still most everyone enjoyed it. Popeye needs a change of diet anyway. One tires of too much spinach. - L. A. Irwin, Palace Theatre, Penacook, N.H. General Patronage." "Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba and His Forty Thieves: Popeye the Sailor - Ran it to bolster 'Rosalie' and really believe it drove in a few. Play it. They'll enjoy it. Running time, 20 minutes. - A.E. Eliassen, Rialto Theatre, Paynesville, Minn., Small Town and Rural Patronage." "Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba and His Forty Thieves: Popeye the Sailor - Played this with 'College Holiday.' We put this in as a double attraction and which met with a great success. Played the Easter Sunday with very good business. Had a large matinee. Popeye sure pleases the children. -Edelstein Amusement Company, Homer Theatre, Hibbing, Minn. General Patronage." "Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba and His Forty Thieves: Color Special - This is an extra price cartoon of two reels, which was just one reel too long. They can't sustain an audience's attention for the extra length, and it got boresome before it was halfway through. Don't buy it. Kids will like it of course but you don't pay off with them. - A.E. Hancock, Columbia Theatre, Columbia City, Ind. General Patronage."
Now for one of Walt Disney's silent Alice Comedies, Alice's Circus Days (1927). Like all of the Alice Comedies, this film features a live action Alice entering an animated world. Playing Alice is Lois Hardwick, the fourth and last child actress to play the character. However, at this time the series was winding down and the filmmakers were focusing more on the animated characters then Alice herself. Animators on this movie include Ub Iwerks, Rollin "Ham" Hamilton, Hugh Harmon, Paul Smith and Rudolph Ising (who was also the live action cameraman).
Next is a Fleischer Screen Song short, I've Got Rings on My Fingers (1929). So, get ready to sing along and follow the bouncing ball.
Now for one in a series of 22 Short Films About Springfield (1996).
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
Resources Used
Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman.
Walt in Wonderland: The Silent Films of Walt Disney by J. B. Kaufman and Russell Merritt.
