More Odds and Ends

Catching up with a few items on the bulletin board today. First up, congratulations to Moira of The Skeins, Silver Screen Oasis, and TCM's Movie Morlocks, who will be a guest programmer on Turner Classic Movies on November 30th. Moira and three other Morlocks will visit with Robert Osborne to discuss their film choices. Moira’s pick is crime drama, “Touchez Pas Au Grisbi” (1954). Moira is also a member of the Classic Movie Bloggers Association (CMBA), and knows more about classic film than most of us. I’m really looking forward to Moira’s film for the evening and her always intelligent comments.

Next up: Last month I blogged here about the Warner Theatre of Torrington, Connecticut. Also in one of the photos you can see the Yankee Pedlar Inn across the street. Recently a reader, Mr. Jeffrey (have a look at his blog jdbrecords), commented that the Yankee Pedlar was the location for director Ti West’s horror film “The Innkeepers” (2011). Apparently at least some of the movie was shot in Torrington, but unlike the hotel in the movie, the Yankee Pedlar is not closing down. You can stay there any time. Especially if you like ghosts. That part is true.

Actually, the Warner Theatre is supposed to be haunted, too.

Actually, not to be ho-hum about it, but New England is chock-full of haunted places. You can’t spit without hitting a ghost.

But it’s still pretty in the fall.

Actually, there is more than one Yankee Pedlar Inn in New England, too. Probably all haunted.

Half the McDonald's in New England are haunted.

I'm only kidding.

Where was I?

Boo!!!

Scare you?  Relax, its only me.

Next up: Thank you to another reader who recently emailed me regarding this past post on the movies filmed at the Long Beach Airport in California. Apparently, they’ve done some renovating lately and revealed some interesting tile on the floor after pulling up the carpet. You can see here on their Facebook page.

Next up: Just a brief preview of coming attractions. I’ll be tackling “I Married a Witch” (1942) for Halloween, and am hoping to cover a couple football films in November. Next month I also expect to cover the Delmar Davies tobacco-growing soap opera “Parrish” (1961) with particular emphasis on the location shooting. This was done in my neck of the woods.

Also in November, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939).

Late November, early December I’m going to try a series on movies about women in the armed services. We’ll be looking at “Keep Your Powder Dry” (1945), “Never Wave at a WAC” (1953), “Skirts Ahoy” (1952), and “Cry Havoc” (1943). One of these things is not like the others. To coin a phrase.

I dropped the ball this summer when I wanted to cover “The Long, Hot Summer” (1958), to conclude a trio of Martin Ritt-directed films. The other two I covered in the spring were “No Down Payment” (1957) and “Casey’s Shadow” (1978). I messed up a couple chances to record the movie. I’ll just put that one on the back burner for now and get to it as soon as I can.

Finally, I’ll be signing books and speaking on my novel Beside the Still Waters at the Chicopee Falls Women’s Club meeting this Thursday, October 18th at the American Legion on Exchange Street in Chicopee.

And I’ll see you here this Thursday as well for a look at “Caught” (1949) with Barbara Bel Geddes, Robert Ryan, and James Mason.