Cinema Cemetery

“Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night”. Join us as we enter the 1950s with “All About Eve”, a story not only of young actress’s rise from devoted fan to broadway star, but everyone else in her orbit along the way.  Starring the redoubtable George Sanders and Betty Davis, “All About Eve” does what Hollywood does best; makes drama out of the drama department.  Is “All About Eve” truly one of the best, or does knowing too much do more harm than good?

Find out this week on Cinema Cemetery!

Current Rankings

4- Lawerence of Arabia
5- Gone With Wind  
11-It Happened One Night
19- All The King's Men
20-The Lost Weekend
24. Casablanca
25- All Quiet on the  Western Front
27-Rebecca
30-The Mutiny on the Bounty
35-You Can’t Take It With You 
36- Mrs. Miniver
45-A Gentlemen's Agreement
49-Hamlet
50-Cimarron (change)
60-Best Years of Our Lives
65-The Great Ziegfeld 
70- Wings
71-Grand Hotel
77-Life of Emil Zola
79- How Green Was My Valley
85- Going My Way
91- Broadway Melody 
92-Cavalcade

“Nail up anyone that gets if your way.  And if they don’t deliver, give me the hammer and I’ll do it myself!’  

This week, Cinema Cemetery wraps up the 1940s with a look at 1949’s All The King’s Men, the story of Willie Stark’s rise from “hick” lawyer to governor and aftermath left in his wake.  The story is not just about the controversial politician, but the team that gets (and keeps) him in power.  While a fictional story, Stark’s character finds multiple historical comparisons, as well as real-world reflections.  Does the “King” still reign?  Find out this week on Cinema Cemetery!

Current Rankings

4- Lawerence of Arabia
5- Gone With Wind  
11-It Happened One Night
20-The Lost Weekend
24. Casablanca
25- All Quiet on the  Western Front
27-Rebecca
30-The Mutiny on the Bounty
35-You Can’t Take It With You 
36- Mrs. Miniver
45-A Gentlemen's Agreement
49-Hamlet
50-Cimarron (change)
60-Best Years of Our Lives
65-The Great Ziegfeld 
70- Wings
71-Grand Hotel
77-Life of Emil Zola
79- How Green Was My Valley
85- Going My Way
91- Broadway Melody 
92-Cavalcade

“This is a story of a man who could not make up his mind.” Summarized by actor/director Lawerence Olivier, Hamlet tells the classic tale of the Danish prince torn between challenging his uncle to avenge his father, or leave his home for a life in peace.  A tale which is has been told time and again on stage and screen, this 1948 version sets itself apart with minimalist sets, a streamlined script (a great move for new audiences, though mortal sin to Shakespeare purists), and a bizarre yet dynamic performance by Oliver who both acts and directs.

Hamlet may be timeless, but does is this version worth watching 72 years later?  Find out this week on Cinema Cemetery!

Current Rankings

4- Lawerence of Arabia
5- Gone With Wind  
11-It Happened One Night
20-The Lost Weekend
24. Casablanca
25- All Quiet on the  Western Front
27-Rebecca
30-The Mutiny on the Bounty
35-You Can’t Take It With You 
36- Mrs. Miniver
45-A Gentlemen's Agreement
50-Cimarron (change)
60-Best Years of Our Lives
65-The Great Ziegfeld 
70- Wings
71-Grand Hotel
77-Life of Emil Zola
79- How Green Was My Valley
85- Going My Way
91- Broadway Melody 
92-Cavalcade

This week on Cinema Cemetery, two years removed from World War II, we explore a battle of a different kind against segregation on the home front.  Gregory Peck, in a role that may foreshadow his iconic Atticus, plays the role of an investigative journalist who seeks to experience the true impacts of anti-semitism in the United States by posing as a Jewish American himself.  This “experiment” impacts not only his professional engagements but personal relationship and family as well. Will Gregory Peck be able to change hearts and mind, or will the “gentlemen’s agreements” of the time hold firm?  Find out on this week’s episode of Cinema Cemetery!

Current Rankings:
 
4- Lawerence of Arabia
5- Gone With Wind  
11-It Happened One Night
20-The Lost Weekend
24. Casablanca
25- All Quiet on the  Western Front
27-Rebecca
30-The Mutiny on the Bounty
35-You Can’t Take It With You 
36- Mrs. Miniver
50-Cimarron (change)
60-Best Years of Our Lives
65-The Great Ziegfeld 
70- Wings
71-Grand Hotel
77-Life of Emil Zola
79- How Green Was My Valley
85- Going My Way
91- Broadway Melody 
92-Cavalcade

The war is over!  As WWII draws to a close, the soldiers are finally home to rejoin their families…but for many, their struggles are just beginning.  “The Best Years of Our Lives” follows three very different men (with both visible and invisible wounds) as they attempt to find their place in post-war America.  A movie that no doubt reflected many of the real concerns of the country in 1946, “The Best Year of Our Lives” takes both the nation, and this podcast, out of the War and into the future.

Current Rankings:
 
4- Lawerence of Arabia
5- Gone With Wind  
11-It Happened One Night
20-The Lost Weekend
24. Casablanca
25- All Quiet on the  Western Front
27-Rebecca
30-The Mutiny on the Bounty
35-You Can’t Take It With You 
36- Mrs. Miniver
60-Cimarron 
65-The Great Ziegfeld 
70- Wings
71-Grand Hotel
77-Life of Emil Zola
79- How Green Was My Valley
85- Going My Way
91- Broadway Melody 
92-Cavalcade

This week Cinema Cemetery kicks off this pre-summer weekend by exploring a far bleaker one. 1945’s The Lost Weekend explores the life of Don Birnam as he bounces from bottle to bar on a 48 hour+ bender.  Birnam’s conversations and flashbacks reveal his lifelong battle and goals of writing a novel, all while struggling with the virtual prison of his own addiction.  At the time, and even today, this film is an unflinching look at the power of addiction and its effect on all involved.  Will Cinema Cemetery recommend this film for your weekend?  Find out here!

Current Rankings:

4- Lawerence of Arabia

5- Gone With Wind 

11-It Happened One Night

24. Casablanca

25- All Quiet on the  Western Front

27-Rebecca

30-The Mutiny on the Bounty

35-You Can’t Take It With You 

36- Mrs. Miniver

60-Cimarron 

65-The Great Ziegfeld 

70- Wings

71-Grand Hotel

77-Life of Emil Zola

79- How Green Was My Valley

85- Going My Way

91- Broadway Melody 

92-Cavalcade

Cinema Cemetery continues its World War II mini-series with a look at 1944’s “Going My Way”.  Starring the iconic Bing Crosby as the young Father O’Malley who is sent St. Dominic’s to aid the aging Father Fitzgibbon.  In this cross between Sister Act and Mary Poppins, Bing Crosby use the classic tropes of music…and reverse psychology to help aid this struggling community.  

While Mr. Crosby isn’t Dreaming of White Christmas here, he still has plenty of tunes for the contemporary audience.  Is “Going My Way” a way worth going?  Find out on this week’s Cinema Cemetery!

Current Rankings:

Current Rankings:

4- Lawerence of Arabia

5- Gone With Wind 

11-It Happened One Night

24. Casablanca

25- All Quiet on the  Western Front

27-Rebecca

30-The Mutiny

35-You Can’t Take It With You (changed)

36- Mrs. Miniver

60-Cimarron 

65-The Great Ziegfeld 

70- Wings

71-Grand Hotel

77-Life of Emil Zola

79- How Green Was My Valley

91- Broadway Melody 

92-Cavalcade

Cinema Cemetery jumps headlong to this tail of life on the homefront during World War II.  Dealing with everything from flower contests to Anti-Gift-Of-The-Magi to Dunkirk to literal-shotgun marriages, Mrs. Miniver, a near-propaganda film, shows the new reality of life in Europe as the second World War breaks out.  Does this film stand the test of time?  Find out on this week's episode!

Current Rankings:

4- Lawerence of Arabia

5- Gone With Wind 

11-It Happened One Night

25- All Quiet on the  Western Front

27-Rebecca

30-The Mutiny

57-You Can’t Take It With You

60-Cimarron 

65-The Great Ziegfeld 

70- Wings

71-Grand Hotel

77-Life of Emil Zola

79- How Green Was My Valley

91- Broadway Melody 

92-Cavalcade

"Round up the usual suspects!" Casablanca continues Cinema Cemetery's trek through World War II, this time exploring life in "unoccupied France" on the outpost city of Casablanca in Morocco. Here, refugees both wealthy and poor, await the chance to flee the war-ravaged Europe and escape to the United States.  Deception, treason, bribery, and an occasional bout of Dueling Pianos are all common place.

Hailed by some as one of the greatest movies of all time, do Humphrey Bogart and Casablanca still hold up, or does it only now amount to a hill of beans. Here's looking at you as you are listening to us on this week's episode of Cinema Cemetery.


Current Rankings:

4- Lawerence of Arabia

5- Gone With Wind 

11-It Happened One Night

25- All Quiet on the  Western Front

27-Rebecca

30-The Mutiny

35-You Can’t Take It With You (changed)

36- Mrs. Miniver

60-Cimarron 

65-The Great Ziegfeld 

70- Wings

71-Grand Hotel

77-Life of Emil Zola

79- How Green Was My Valley

91- Broadway Melody 

92-Cavalcade

"How green was my valley then!"  A great question for a podcast that is half color blind.  In this week's episode, Cinema Cemetery explores How Green Was My Valley,  a tale of loss and change in a small Welsh mining town during the late Victorian era.  As Huw Morgan, played by a young Roddie McDowall looks back on his life and his family, he reflects on how a community must sometimes change to survive...and sometimes breaks under the strain.

Additionally, Cinema Cemetery asks two key questions: 1) Just how green was the valley and 2) was Citizen Kane snubbed!?  The first of our Was It Snubbed series, we look at both the winner and the challenger.  As the years have passed and hindsight has run the course...was Citizen Kane denied the prize?!

Find out this week on Cinema Cemetery!

Music by Chaze Hearne

Rankings so far:

4- Lawerence of Arabia

5- Gone With Wind 

11-It Happened One Night

25- All Quiet on the  Western Front

27-Rebecca

30-The Mutiny

57-You Can’t Take It With You

60-Cimarron 

65-The Great Ziegfeld 

70- Wings

71-Grand Hotel

77-Life of Emil Zola

91- Broadway Melody 

92-Cavalcade