Do you love Christmas movies and watch them over and over? I was recently challenged to make a list of my top ten favorite classic films, a task I find close to impossible. But it became clear that Christmas movies are at the top of the list. Every year I watch the same films over…
Culture
In “Lisa’s Home Bijou”, I’ll share my reviews of classic films and hopefully inspire you to have a few film festivals of your own. I am proud to claim Betty Grable as a distant cousin. My “film career” began when my parents named me for Leslie Caron’s character in “An American in Paris.”
The Big Parade WWI silent film: Lisa’s Home Bijou
Film Festival: Silent Greats The Big Parade (1925) is a silent classic, crafted by director King Vidor to be a memorable look at the American boys who fought in France during the Great War. War stories are an important part of our storytelling tradition. We attach romance to the idea of boys going off to…
Cimarron pioneer Oklahoma story: Lisa’s Home Bijou
Film Festival: The West and Southwest Cimarron was the first Western film to receive an Academy Award. It’s an epic saga depicting the changes in pioneer Oklahoma through the eyes of the Cravat family. The film is considered to be an accurate representation of the times, based on Edna Ferber‘s meticulous research. In Cimarron, Ferber…
It Came From Outer Space sci-fi : Lisa’s Home Bijou
Film Festival: Science Fiction in the 1950s It Came From Outer Space (1953) is a classic sci-fi film based on a Ray Bradbury story. It is important to the genre because the outer space aliens that crash on Earth have no interest in invading or harming humans. John Putnam is an amateur astronomer who makes…
Lisa’s Home Bijou: St. Louis Blues
Film Festival: Summertime Blues St. Louis Blues is the 1958 Hollywood version of W. C. Handy’s life, formulated as a vehicle for his music as opposed to an accurate biographical portrayal. However, St. Louis Blues is well worth it because of the music and the fine performances.Although his exact place in the pantheon of blues greats…