Lions, Towers & Shields

By Shelly BrisbinTV & Film Film Reviews

Lions, Towers & Shields episodes

April 25140: Say More. Say It Now. Tell Us Everything!
By request, we take on this late-50s musical, directed by Stanley Donan. Our stars are Fred Astaire, Audrey Hepburn and Kay Thompson. (I’ll have lots to say about Kay.) Revolving, as it does around the fashion industry in Paris, Funny Face is pretty to look at, including many great costumes. It also features songs by the Gershwins and some better ones that are not by them.
Funny Face
Host Shelly Brisbin with David Almeida, Lisa Schmeiser, Micheline Maynard, Erika Ensign, and David J. Loehr.
Referenced Works
Funny Face
Show Notes & Links

Get in touch with the show at [email protected], Mastodon or Bluesky.
Check out our new LTS BookShop.org page.
The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film
Funny Face trailer
Available to stream, rent or buy digitally
On disc: Blu-ray
The Self-Referential LTS
51 The Ninotchka Cinematic Universe
115 Gene Kelly’s Guns
92 We’ve Got All The French You Need
31 The Patriarchy: You’re Swimming In It
11 Princess Anna’s Day Off
S'Wonderful: Tommy Tune & Twiggy (1983)
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.
1 hr 34 min
April 17139: Femme Fatales Are Usually Smarter
Fritz Lang directed a pair of noirs in the mid-40s, starring Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett and Dan Duryea. The other is Woman in the Window. In Scarlet Street Eddie G. Is a mild-mannered cashier who meets Kitty, a beauty who might not mean him well. And then Dan Duryea gets involved. Like any self-respecting noir classic, this one is nice to look at, and even features twelve paintings created for the film. In real-life, Eddie collected art and Dan Duryea was a nice man.
Scarlet Street
Host Shelly Brisbin with Philip Michaels, Dr. Drang, Nathan Alderman, and Micheline Maynard.
Referenced Works
Scarlet Street
Show Notes & Links

Get in touch with the show at [email protected], Mastodon or Bluesky.
Check out our new LTS BookShop.org page.
The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film
Scarlet Street trailer
Available to stream, rent or buy digitally
On disc: Blu-ray
The Self-Referential LTS
73 Manly Seamanship
15 I Know You’re A Sexist Creep, But Run!
100 The Smell Of Murder
109 More Beer!
92 We’ve Got All The French You Need
50 What Is She Talking About? Stop That!
1 Paradise City
127 Kind Of A Nice Snack
Next time, we’ll watch
Funny Face trailer
Suspense: The Man Who Was Edward G. Robinson
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.
1 hr 3 min
April 11138: The Hot Ronald Colman
Someone suggested we honor the films of 1926 — 100 years ago — and so we shall. Beau Geste has been remade often, but here is the original, starring Ronald Colman in his matinee idol period. S recent massive restoration of the film has the film looking great, with lots of footage restored. It’s a silent film, if that affects your interest, but it’s quite compelling.
Beau Geste
Host Shelly Brisbin with Micheline Maynard.
Referenced Works
Beau Geste (1926)
Show Notes & Links

Get in touch with the show at lts at theincomparable.com, Mastodon or Bluesky.
Check out our new LTS BookShop.org page.
The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film
Beau Geste trailer
Available to stream, rent or buy digitally
On disc: Blu-ray
The Self-Referential LTS
90 Ruth Chatterton Is Jacked
20 Stella Dallas Versus Veda Pierce
14 No One Told Me It’s Three Hours Long
58 He’s Culturing Me
119 I’m Still Watching…
136 The Tiffany Of John Lunds
Next time, we’ll watch
Scarlet Street trailer
Beau Geste, the novel
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.
56 min
April 04137: 714 Home Runs And At Least Two Murders
The LTS lineup drafts baseball movies for your enjoyment. At least one choice from every panelist must fall within our old-timey timeline, but newer films about bats and balls make it in, too. And don’t worry, bad baseball movies do not strike out here.
Baseball Movie Draft
Host Shelly Brisbin with Philip Michaels, Micheline Maynard, Randy Dotinga, and David J. Loehr.
Show Notes & Links

Get in touch with the show at [email protected], Mastodon or Bluesky.
Check out our new LTS BookShop.org page.
The Movies: _we draft baseball films
David
A League of Their Own
The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg
The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson
It Happens Every Spring
Phil
Angels in the Outfield (1951)
Eight Men Out
Moneyball
Bang the Drum Slowly
Micki
The Jackie Robinson Story
I Will Buy You
The Natural
Bull Durham / For Love of the Game
Randy
The Babe Ruth Story
Fear Strikes Out
The Bad News Bears
Experiment in Terror / Armored Car Robbery
Shelly
Rhubarb
The Stratton Story
Woman of the Year
It Happened in Flatbush
Next time, we’ll watch
* Beau Geste trailer
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.
1 hr 28 min
March 26136: The Tiffany of John Lunds
Happy Opening Day!
It’s Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig, in our first baseball episode. And yes, it’s all LTS inside baseball this week. We complain about the lack of actual baseball in this movie, suggest other movies with more baseball and go on a complete tangent halfway through, that no one would let me edit out.
But first, listener mail!
Pride of the Yankees
Host Shelly Brisbin with Micheline Maynard, David J. Loehr, and Randy Dotinga.
Referenced Works
Pride of the Yankees
Show Notes & Links

Get in touch with the show at [email protected], Mastodon or Bluesky.
Check out our new LTS BookShop.org page.
The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film
Pride of the Yankees trailer
Available to stream, rent or buy digitally
On disc: DVD
The Self-Referential LTS
23 A Perfect Spherical Cow
60 Celebrate The Teresa Wright-Aissance
21 Yum Yum And The Nerd
100 The Smell Of Murder
Next time, we’ll:
draft some baseball movies!
Lou Gehrig's Farewell Speech
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.
1 hr 8 min
March 21135: Call It A Noirlodrama
The son of a man convicted of murder faces bullying, then suspicion when he is accused of a crime, too. Directed by Frank Borzage, the film is moody, dark and a bit gothic. Dane Clark and Gail Russell are your leads, with a late-film appearance by Ethel Barrymore. And you’ll hate young Lloyd Bridges. Noir czar Eddie Muller calls Borzage ‘relentlessly romantic,” which is a huge contrast to this film, which Muller ranks it among his top 25 noir films.
Moonrise
Host Shelly Brisbin with Randy Dotinga, Nathan Alderman, and Micheline Maynard.
Referenced Works
Moonrise (1948)
Show Notes & Links

Get in touch with the show at [email protected], Mastodon or Bluesky.
Check out our new LTS BookShop.org page.
The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film
Moonrise
Available to stream, rent or buy digitally
On disc: Blu-ray
The Self-Referential LTS
5 I Love Dead Lucy
98 Toshirô Mifune Can Get It!
129 There Are No Cars
96 I Think He Might Be A Sociopath
70 Things Just Keep Happening And Nothing Makes Sense
Next time, we’ll watch
Pride of the Yankees trailer
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.
1 hr 3 min
March 12134: Hotness Is A Reason
Gene Tierney does comedy. John Lund is not bad. And THELMA RITTER IS THE BEST.
The Mating Season
Host Shelly Brisbin with Micheline Maynard and Nathan Alderman.
Referenced Works
The Mating Season
Show Notes & Links

Get in touch with the show at [email protected], Mastodon or Bluesky.
Check out our new LTS BookShop.org page.
The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film
The Mating Season trailer
Available to stream, rent or buy digitally
Full movie on YouTube
On disc: DVD
The Self-Referential LTS
127 Kind Of A Nice Snack\
46 A Rough 35
132 Clothes, Cars And Acreage
52 If Douglas Sirk Made Friday The 13th
86 Bring A Fan And A Bucket
70 Things Just Keep Happening And Nothing Makes Sense
21 Yum Yum And The Nerd
Next time, we’ll watch
Moonrise
The Internet Movie Cars Database
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.
50 min
December 11, 2025133: Clown Car Full of Raincoats
Deanna Durbin and Gene Kelly. Gotta be a musical, right? Actually, it’s a film noir, whose connection to Christmas is limited at best. So much misdirection, and I haven’t even told you the plot.
Christmas Holiday
Host Shelly Brisbin with Randy Dotinga and Micheline Maynard.
Referenced Works
Christmas Holiday
Show Notes & Links

Get in touch with the show at [email protected], Mastodon or Bluesky.
Check out our new LTS BookShop.org page.
The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film
Christmas Holiday trailer
Available to [stream free on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MohRnxRWuGc&t=161s]
The Self-Referential LTS
60 Celebrate The Teresa Wright-Aissance
131 Temu Cary Grant
109 More Beer!
67 Gene Kelly’s Butt
64 Justice For Bill
10 The Nicest Gangster Ever
114 There’s Lots Of Nice Coats…
126 The Women, With A Cat
70 Things Just Keep Happening And Nothing Makes Sense
We’ll return in Spring 2026
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.
1 hr 9 min
December 04, 2025132: Clothes, Cars and Acreage
Tracy and Hepburn do “battle of the sexes” and help Judy Holiday launch her film career. There’s a random Cole Porter song, and T & H are adorable. George Cukor directs a great script.
Adam's Rib
Host Shelly Brisbin with David J. Loehr, Nathan Alderman, and Micheline Maynard.
Referenced Works
Adam's Rib
Show Notes & Links

Get in touch with the show at [email protected], Mastodon or Bluesky.
Check out our new LTS BookShop.org page.
The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film
Adam’s Rib trailer
Available to stream, rent or buy digitally
On disc: Blu-ray
The Self-Referential LTS
92 We’ve Got All The French You Need
115 Gene Kelly’s Guns
26 You Were Made To Be Murdered
131 Temu Cary Grant
127 Kind Of A Nice Snack
2 Diva With A Monkey
Next time, we’ll watch
Christmas Holiday trailer
Escerpt from Mr. Broadway
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.
1 hr 3 min
November 13, 2025131: Temu Cary Grant
Billy Wilder tells the story of a man’s (Ray Milland) alcoholic weekend, and the lies he tells to family and friends about his drinking. Surprisingly gritty and emotional for the era, and photography that heightens the mood. Also, Jane Wyman, Philip Terry, and Frank Faylen again.
The Lost Weekend
Host Shelly Brisbin with Nathan Alderman and Micheline Maynard.
Referenced Works
The Lost Weekend
Show Notes & Links

Get in touch with the show at [email protected], Mastodon or Bluesky.
Check out our new LTS BookShop.org page.
The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film
The Lost Weekend trailer
Available to stream, rent or buy digitally
On disc: Blu-ray
The Self-Referential LTS
100 The Smell Of Murder
72 He’s Got Acreage
128 Annette Bening Energy
33 Nice Guy, Or Good Man?
60 Celebrate The Teresa Wright-Aissance
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.
1 hr

About Lions, Towers & Shields

From the publisher's feed

A celebration of films from the classic Hollywood era. Shelly Brisbin leads a merry band through recaps and reviews of great old movies from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s.