Put the blame on mame, boys. And also on George McCreedy and Glenn Ford. It’s a love triangle and an erotic noir. But many people just focus on Rita Hayworth’s song and the dress she sang it in. Gilda also features plenty of gay subtext, which we’ll discuss at length, as well as why some films of this era “got away” with gay themes, while others did not. I also believe we’re setting a record for references to past LTS episodes. I’m not mad at that.

Gilda

Shelly Brisbin with Philip Michaels, Micheline Maynard and Randy Dotinga

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

Next time, we’ll watch

Spellbound (1945)

Featuring Randy Dotinga’s article on gay subtext in film noir

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To paraphrase IMDB, it’s a love story until it’s an obsession story. Then it really gets weird. Gene Tierney is gonna make you kinda mad in this Technicolor, noir thriller. We love it!

Leave Her to Heaven

Shelly Brisbin with Lisa Schmeiser and Nathan Alderman

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

Next time, we’ll watch

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By the late 1950s, big-budget musicals were in color and wide screen, and MGM made several really great ones. Late-period Cole Porter wrote the songs, and Fred Astaire is paired with a much younger partner (surprise!), Cyd Charisse in this remake of 1939’s Ninotchka - Garbo’s last great film. For extra credit, watch both. Enjoy the comedy stylings of Peter Lorre and his commissars, and the delightful Janice Paige, too.

Silk Stockings

Shelly Brisbin with Philip Michaels and David J. Loehr

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

Next time, we’ll watch

Leave Her to Heaven (1945)

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.