Lions, Towers & Shields

This is episode #50, so it’s special! And Baby is one of my favorite movies of all time. Howard Hawks directs Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and a sweet little kitty! It’s a screwball comedy, and Hepburn as a comedienne is a revelation. If you hate it, you might not want to join, because unlike many other episodes, where I encourage dissent, I will fight you on this one. You should also know that I can quote way too many lines.

Bringing Up Baby

Host Shelly Brisbin with David J. Loehr and Nathan Alderman.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

Next time, we’ll watch

Silk Stockings (1957)

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I love you, but I’ve got to go! Let’s meet in six months at the top of the Empire State Building. In 1939, Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne had a date. In 1957, it was Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. In each movie, something keeps the lovers from meeting up as planned. And though it was a dumb thing (according to me) the movies remain classics of the romance genre.

Love Affair/An Affair to Remember

Host Shelly Brisbin with Annette Wierstra and Erika Ensign.

The Movies: review/commentary on a single classic film

Next time, we’ll watch

Bringing Up Baby (1938)

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We enter the gritty world of… Charles McGraw’s voice, in this 1952 noir directed by Richard Fleischer. You may know him from 20,000 Leagues under the Sea and (spoiler alert) Soylent Green is people! In The Narrow Margin, a cop must protect a woman scheduled to testify against a killer. Much of the action takes place on a cross-country train, in which the visual margins are indeed narrow.

The Narrow Margin

Host Shelly Brisbin with David J. Loehr and Nathan Alderman.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

Next time, we’ll watch

Love Affair Affair to Remember (1939/1957)

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Let’s cut to the chase: this film gave birth to the modern term, gaslighting. Charles Boyer needs to drive Ingrid Bergman crazy so he can steal her jewels - a crime he first tried to commit against Ingrid’s aunt, years before. George Cukor takes an unusual turn at dark, noirish storytelling, and Bergman wins an Oscar. Joseph Cotten costars, and Angela Lansbury makes her film debut at age 19.

Host’s note: Gaslight may be triggering for someone who has experienced an abusive relationship. And that may be surprising information about a black-and-white film from 1944. We encourage you to approach the film itself carefully if depictions of manipulation in relationships might be uncomfortable for you.

Gaslight

Host Shelly Brisbin with Annette Wierstra, Erika Ensign, and Nathan Alderman.

Get in touch with the show at [email protected] or on the socials at liontowershield. Hey hey, we are on Blusky, @liontowershield.theincomparable.com.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

Next time, we’ll watch

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This choice stems from the enthusiasm of some regular LTS panelists. Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell and Ann Sothern are your stars, along with the unrelated Douglases, Kirk and Paul. A letter written to three women by their “bad friend” pretty much freaks everyone out, and it’s most definitely a female-centered story, well-directed by Joe Mankiewicz. Go figure.

A Letter to Three Wives

Host Shelly Brisbin with Annette Wierstra, Nathan Alderman, and Lisa Schmeiser.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

Next time, we’ll watch

Gaslight (1944)

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Please enjoy a heaping helping of film noir with a side of anti-Communism. Sam Fuller’s 1953 “Pickup on South Street” is well-directed, and especially well-acted by Thelma Ritter, Richard Widmark and character actor Murvyn Vye - but you can call him Tiger. There’s a crackerjack score, and a reasonably suspenseful plot, too, and the cinematography is inventive and compelling.

Pickup on South Street

Host Shelly Brisbin with Nathan Alderman.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

Next time, we’ll watch

Letter to Three Wives (1949)

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Who’s that lady? This is what Alan Curtis and Ella Raines need to know. Alan is accused of murdering his wife, but he says he has a perfect alibi - he was spending the evening with a stranger at the time of the murder. Ella is determined to prove his innocence, and goes to great lengths to do so. Franchot Tone is along to help solve the mystery as well. It’s directed by Robert Siodmak and produced by Hitchcock collaborator, Joan Harrison.

Phantom Lady

Host Shelly Brisbin with Erika Ensign, Nathan Alderman, and David J. Loehr.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

Next time, we’ll watch

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Marlene Dietrich and Cary Grant? No, Marlene Dietrich and Herbert Marshall? Marlene and a cute little kid? Marlene in the Deep South? This movie will surprise you. IT is part of the cycle of films she made with Josef von Sternberg during her early American career. And our heroine goes through A LOT. I’d argue it’s among Dietrich’s most sympathetic roles. In this episode, I find myself arguing with my panelists about the worthiness of this movie!

Blonde Venus

Host Shelly Brisbin with David J. Loehr and Nathan Alderman.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

Next time, we’ll watch

Phantom Lady (1944)

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This is Shelly’s current favorite classic holiday movie. It begins just before Christmas and runs New Years, and that totally counts! It’s sweet, it’s a romance and it’s well-acted. It stars Ginger Rogers, Joseph Cotten and a teenaged and bratty Shirley Temple.

I'll Be Seeing You

Host Shelly Brisbin with Annette Wierstra and Erika Ensign.

Next time, we’ll watch

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Who among the female stars of the 30s and 40s retains more ID today than Bette Davis? She was the queen of the Warner lot when she wasn’t fighting with her bosses, and she played her share of scenery-chewing roles as both a young woman and an older one. But All This and Heaven Too is not one of these. The Davis we meet here is deep in melodrama, certainly, but her performance is controlled and quiet. She loves Charles Boyer, and he loves her, but nothing’s going right for them. Behold, LTS does romance!

All This and Heaven Too

Host Shelly Brisbin with Philip Michaels, Lisa Schmeiser, and Erika Ensign.

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

Next time, we’ll watch

I’ll Be Seeing You (1944)

Support this show and other shows like it on The Incomparable network by becoming a member. Members get early access to podcasts, bonus episodes, and more.