Sunday, June 5, 2011

Strangers on a Train (1951)





Starring Farley Granger, Robert Walker, Ruth Roman, Marion Lorne, and Leo G. Carroll. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Tennis pro Guy Haines chances to meet wealthy Bruno Anthony on a train. Having read all about Guy, Bruno is aware that the tennis player is trapped in an unhappy marriage to his wife and has been seen in the company of a senator's daughter. Baiting Guy, Bruno reveals that he feels trapped by his hated father. As Guy listens with detached amusement, Bruno discusses the theory of "exchange murders." Suppose that Bruno were to murder Guy's wife, and Guy in exchange were to kill Bruno's father? With no known link between the two men, the police would be none the wiser, would they? When he reaches his destination, Guy bids goodbye to Bruno, thinking nothing more of the affable but rather curious young man's homicidal theories. And then Guy's wife turns up strangled to death.

Shadow of a Doubt (1942)





Starring Joseph Cotten, Teresa Wright, Macdonald Carey, Hume Cronyn, Wallace Ford, and Henry Travers. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Shadow of a Doubt was Hitchcock's favorite film. A small-town high-school student comes to the realization that her beloved uncle is a mass murderer, preying upon wealthy old women.

Gaslight (1944)

Starring Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, Angela Lansbury, Joseph Cotten, and Dame Mae Whitty. Directed by George Cukor.

Leave Her to Heaven (1945)

Starring Gene Tierney, Jeanne Crain, Cornel Wilde, Vincent Price, Darryl Hickman, Gene Lockhart, Ray Collins, and Chill Wills. Directed by John M. Stahl.

Laura (1944)

Starring Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Vincent Price, Clifton Webb, and Dame Judith Anderson. Directed by Otto Preminger.

The Night of the Hunter (1955)



Starring Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Peter Graves, Lillian Gish, James Gleason, and Billy Chapin. Directed by Charles Laughton. A man who has committed murder for $10,000 hides the money and makes his daughter and son promise not to tell anyone where it is hidden. In prison awaiting hanging, the man meets his cellmate, the Preacher, who tries unsuccessfully to learn where the money is hidden. When the Preacher is released from prison he heads for the man's home, intent on finding the money.

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

Starring Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Victor Buono, and Marjorie Bennett. Directed by Robert Aldrich.

Sunday Funnies





Why Not Me - The Judds (1984)

The Door is Always Open - Dave & Sugar (1976)

Statues Without Hearts - Larry Gatlin (1977)

I've Got a Winner in You - Don Williams (1978)

Keep Me in Mind - Lynn Anderson (1973)

Crackers - Barbara Mandrell (1980)

The Midnight Oil - Barbara Mandrell (1973)

(There's) No Gettin' Over Me - Ronnie Milsap (1981)

Andrew Gold

Singer-songwriter Andrew Gold died of a heart attack at age 50 on Friday, June 3, 2011. He had two hits in the late 70s: "Lonely Boy" in 1977 and "Thank You For Being a Friend" in 1978. That song was used as the theme song for "The Golden Girls". Andrew Gold also wrote the theme song "Final Frontier" for the series "Mad About You".