Where’s the Rest of Me: Dutch and the ‘Dead End’ Kids

In the beginning, Billy Halop, Huntz Hall, Bobby Jordan, Leo Gorcey, Gabriel Dell and Bernard Punsly were collectively known as “The Dead End Kids,” due to their success in portraying streetwise juvenile delinquents in the 1937 film Dead End—adapted from the popular stage play by Sidney Kingsley. As the years progressed, the team would be referred to…

I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a heart attack today

Warning sought for burger the size of your head GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — The staff dietitian at a doctors group is asking the West Michigan Whitecaps to put a warning label on the enormous new hamburger that it's selling this season. Susan Levin of the Washington-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine sent a letter to the Grand…

R.I.P. Monte Hale

Singing cowboy Hale dies at 89 Monte Hale, a singing cowboy whose tall frame, strong voice and handsome looks led to dozens of film roles in westerns during the 1940s, has died. He was 89. Hale died Sunday at home in Studio City, Calif., after a lengthy illness, said Yadhira De Leon of the Autry National Centre…

R.I.P. Maurice Jarre

'Dr. Zhivago' composer Maurice Jarre dies at 84 PARIS (AP) — A French musicians guild says Oscar-winning film composer Maurice Jarre has died at the age of 84. Jarre is best known for writing the haunting song "Lara's Theme" from the film "Doctor Zhivago." SACEM head Bernard Miyet cites Jarre's family Monday as saying the…

“He had to take a rat…and make Thanksgiving dinner out of it…” – Gregory W. Mank, B-movie aficionado

Kino.com is currently running a small overstock sale, and while the pickings are kind of slim (though those of you planning on participating in Flickhead’s Claude Chabrol blogathon in June might want to take a gander at this), I managed to add copies of Fritz Lang’s Spione (1928) and Paul Leni’s The Cat and the Canary (1927; the recently restored Kino version) to the…

Don’t let the Rain come down

(WARNING: I am planning to reveal the outcome of the movie discussed in the review below. If you haven’t seen it and are planning to do so, you might want to move along as there’s nothing to see here.) A young Long Island housewife, Natalie Ravenna (Shirley Knight, in her finest moment onscreen), escapes her stifling existence one…

Where’s the Rest of Me: Hellcats of the Navy (1957)

Before I get into what the French would call “la nitty” and “la gritty” I must apologize profusely for not pursuing this Ronald Reagan Blog-a-thon this month as vigorously as I hoped. I had every intention of sitting down with some of Dutch’s finest B-films and making sport of them…but to be honest, I got sort…

R.I.P. Dan Seals

I love Bill Crider like a brother, but I have to stop reading his blog. His latest entry brings the devastating news of the passing of pop-country singer Dan Seals, who died of complications from a long bout with cancer at the age of 61. With his partner John Ford Coley, Seals—known as “England Dan”—recorded some of pop music’s…

Green, green Grass of home

Despite the resolution made in May 2008 to continue on with the season box sets of Adam-12 (though Universal had to farm out the series to Shout! Factory in order to do so)—and the recent decision to continue with Quincy, M.E. sets, I’ve come to a conclusion that may be even more difficult to accept than TDOY commenters insisting Curly is funnier than Shemp. I’ve accepted…

Houston, I have a problem…

From a recent post by cocktail/film noir enthusiast Vince Keenan: I have of late – but wherefore I know not – come under attack by Chinese spammers. Thus, comments are now moderated. Don’t let it hold you back. I haven’t experienced any difficulties with Chinese spammers—I think this has something to do with the fact that I can’t get…