This musical biopic chronicles the vaudeville-to-Broadway story of 1920s’ star Marilyn Miller (June Haver). From her start on the boards in Findlay, Ohio, Marilyn sings and dances her way to Broadway stardom, frequently in company with her mentor, dancer Jack Donahue (Ray Bolger).
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Frühlingssinfonie / Spring Symphony (1983) Peter Schamoni, Nastassja Kinski, Herbert Grönemeyer, Rolf Hoppe, Biography, Music
‘Spring Symphony” is a story of love, hate and artistic ambitions. Nastassja Kinski and Herbert Gronemeyer star as Clara Wieck and Robert Schumann, star-crossed classical musicians of the nineteenth century trying to overcome the stifling objections of Wieck’s father.
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Burning Secret (1988) Andrew Birkin, David Eberts, Faye Dunaway, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Drama
This symbol-filled story, filmed with sensuous detail and nuance, is set in Austria in the 1920s. While being treated for asthma at a country spa, an American diplomat’s lonely 12-year-old son is befriended and infatuated by a suave, mysterious baron.
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Mr. Music (1950) Richard Haydn, Bing Crosby, Nancy Olson, Charles Coburn, Comedy, Musical, Romance
Paul Merrick, a writer of hit musicals, prefers to lie in the sun or play golf. He does so until he goes broke and asks to borrow a large sum of money, against future earnings, from his producer, Alex Conway.
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Plenilune / Plenilunio (1999) Imanol Uribe, Miguel Ángel Solá, Adriana Ozores, Juan Diego Botto, Drama, Thriller
Romance and murder walk side by side in this psychological drama from Spain. A serial killer has been plying his grisly trade in a small town in Spain, murdering young girls and leaving their bodies in a nearby forest. A police inspector is sent in to investigate – his first case outside tumultuous Basque County in 14 years.
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Pagliacci (1948) Mario Costa, Tito Gobbi, Gina Lollobrigida, Onelia Fineschi, Drama, Musical
The fiery performance, conducted by Giuseppe Morelli with the Rome Opera Chorus and Orchestra, knocks all recent digital efforts into a cocked hat. A few cinematic liberties seem permissible to me and this is surely one of the best films of an opera.
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Oi fotografoi / The photographers (1998) Nikos Koundouros, Michalis Iatropoulos, Katerina Pavlaki, Manos Vakousis, Adventure, Drama
In a nonaligned country, where a civil conflict is raging, a team of photographers follows a mercenary war lord, whose men wreak havoc among enemies and innocents alike. The story is a modern version of the tragedy Antigone, in a time when TV and the other media present unrelieved visions of war and bloody mayhem.
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Flame Of Blood / Hono-o no Gotoku (1981) Tai Katô, Bunta Sugawara, Mitsuko Baishô, Tomisaburô Wakayama, Drama, Action
The story is set in Bakumatsu and revolves around the Bunta Sugawara character, a yakuza (of course 🙂 but instead of a modern yakuza/gangster, he’s a gambler/bakuto). After he kills someone and gets wound, is saved by a blind woman (Mitsuko Baishô), who took care of him.
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Secrets of an Actress (1938) William Keighley, Kay Francis, George Brent, Ian Hunter, Drama, Romance
A romantic drama film about a love triangle between a stage actress, her financial backer, and his friend.
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The Real Buddy Holly Story (1985) Richard Spence, Sonny Curtis, Paul McCartney, Larry Holley, Documentary, Music
The complete video biography of rock’n’roll legend Buddy Holly, produced and hosted by Paul McCartney. This entertaining and enlightening show is the most definitive biography of Buddy Holly ever assembled, featuring interviews with members of The Crickets and many of Buddy Holly’s family and friends who knew him best. Includes rare performances and Paul McCartney performs several of Buddy Holly’s songs.
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