Film Festival: Cruise Ship Romance Stowaway (1936) stars Shirley Temple as a little girl orphaned during conflicts in China. She finds happiness and love on a cruise ship with Robert Young and Alice Faye. I’ve always loved the fantasy life of people cruising on ships in the old days. Dressing up for dinner, meeting all…
1936
Swing Time wedding and gambling: Lisa’s Home Bijou
Film Festival: Weddings, Hollywood Style Swing Time (1936) opens with John “Lucky” Garnett (Fred Astaire) dancing on stage with all male dance troupe. His manager Pop Cardetti (Victor Moore) is backstage playing card tricks for money. Lucky is leaving show business to get married, to the dismay of his troupe. Lucky dresses beautifully in a…
Lisa’s Home Bijou: San Francisco
Film Festival: The City by the Bay THE GREAT 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire is one of the defining events in 20th century American history. The 1936 film San Francisco connects faces with some of the stories of the earthquake, from the wealthy owners of mansions up on the hills, to the politicians who…
Lisa’s Home Bijou: After the Thin Man
Film Festival: The City by the Bay DASHIELL HAMMETT created the sparkling detective couple Nick and Nora Charles for his novel, The Thin Man. Portrayed in the movies by William Powell and Myrna Loy, this matching of matrimonial opposites attained a long-lasting popularity. 1936’s After the Thin Man is the detective duo’s second screen outing,…