Spook Louder - 1943

Spook Louder (1943), a Three Stooges short, offers a little bit of Halloween creepiness, some wartime references, and several pies thrown in several faces.

The boys start out as door-to-door salesmen selling a "miracle reducing machine."  A woman answering the door -- slim as a rail and towering over the gents, is the first and easiest laugh-out-loud sight gag.  From there, as always happens to our heroes, circumstances in the struggle to pay the rent get considerably muckier.  Or yuk-ier.

They are hired by an inventor of a death ray (check your local directory), to watch his house while he goes off to Washington, D.C., with his invention to offer to the government that will kill millions.  And no, it's not the one you're thinking, but hindsight gives us a feeling of discomfort that audiences in 1943 couldn't imagine.

Three enemy spies show up in Halloween costumes, and the Stooges, (Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Howard), must thwart their attempts to infiltrate the house.

But we must consider the philosophical question:  What is really more spooky and terrifying -- three men in silly Halloween costumes, or Three Stooges holding a bomb?

I leave it to you.

Happy Halloween!

  ************

Jacqueline T. Lynch is the author of Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. and Movies in Our Time - Hollywood Mirrors and Mimics the Twentieth Century and Hollywood Fights Fascism and Christmas in Classic Films. TO JOIN HER READERS' GROUP - follow this link for a free book as a thank-you for joining.

Upcoming Zoom Talk - Christmas in Classic Films

This is to announce that next month I'll be doing a Zoom presentation on my book Christmas in Classic Films.

The talk is being hosted online by Sal St. George and the St. George Living History Productions.  Mr. St. George is an Adjunct Professor and Lecturer presenting programs across the U.S.A. specializing in Old Hollywood, and Motion Picture & Television history.  St. George Living History Productions has presented Zoom programs to thousands of viewers worldwide. Mr. St. George initiated Virtual Road Trips to Celebrity Museums and so far, those Zoom Road Trips have taken his audience to:

The Will Rogers Museum, The Red Skelton Museum, The John Wayne Museum, The P.T. Barnum Museum, The Mary Pickford Exhibition, The Lizzie Borden Museum, The Rosemary Clooney Museum, The It's a Wonderful Life Museum, The Clark Gable Museum, The Phil Silvers Museum, The Laurel and Hardy Museum, The Buffalo Bill Cody Center, The Ginger Rogers Museum, James Dean Museum, The Patti Page Exhibition, Edward Hopper Museum, The Yogi Berra, The Donna Reed Museum, and much more.

It's a great privilege to be invited to present my book in this special venue, and I'm looking forward to enjoying a fun discussion on how Christmas is pivotal in some films which really are not "Christmas movies."

The event is scheduled for Monday, November 20th at 10:00 a.m. ET.  Please join us, I'd love to meet you on Zoom.  

Here's the login info below:

Time: November 20, 2023, 10:00 A.M. Eastern Time (U.S. and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting at this link:

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Meeting ID: 822 3865 2855
Passcode: 731986

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Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/khK5PZZgT 

See you there!

  ************

Jacqueline T. Lynch is the author of Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. and Movies in Our Time - Hollywood Mirrors and Mimics the Twentieth Century and Hollywood Fights Fascism and Christmas in Classic Films. TO JOIN HER READERS' GROUP - follow this link for a free book as a thank-you for joining.

Happy 100th Birthday, Glynis Johns!

 

A very happy 100th birthday to Glynis Johns, whose work we've mentioned in previous posts on suffragettes in movies and in No Highway in the Sky (1951).

A most joyous milestone, indeed, for this lovely veteran of screen and stage.  Well done, Sister Suffragette!

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Jacqueline T. Lynch is the author of Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. and Movies in Our Time - Hollywood Mirrors and Mimics the Twentieth Century and Hollywood Fights Fascism.  Her latest book is Christmas in Classic Films. TO JOIN HER READERS' GROUP - follow this link for a free book as a thank-you for joining.

Cable TV kicks me to the curb

Vintage Radio & Communications Museum of Connecticut, 

Windsor, CT, photo by JT Lynch

The day has finally come when my cable television company has, in effect, announced, “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”   

In other words, they are dropping Turner Classic Movies from my subscription, and if I want it back, I must pay another $12 per month to subscribe to another tier of "service."

My company is Spectrum, but this obviously is not an uncommon event and many of you have already experienced this disappointment, or perhaps have never even been offered TCM as part of your package.  I've enjoyed the channel for over twenty years, at least, and it has made a great difference in my life and in the writing of this blog.  I'll miss it very much.

I do intend at some point to "cut the cord," as they say and find my way to cheaper, possibly better, service.  But at present, that's not possible.  I care for my older sister at home who has a number of serious medical issues and she is used to her own favorite channels (she watches far more TV than I do), and changing to a completely different setup would be too disruptive and confusing for her.   I can live without TCM for a while; there are certainly other outlets to enjoy classic films, and like many of you, I have a number of favorites on DVD and VHS that I continue to enjoy.

But it is something of a milestone for me, that I cannot help but look upon with some wistful remembrance.

 ************

Jacqueline T. Lynch is the author of Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. and Movies in Our Time - Hollywood Mirrors and Mimics the Twentieth Century and Hollywood Fights Fascism.  Her latest book is Christmas in Classic Films. TO JOIN HER READERS' GROUP - follow this link for a free book as a thank-you for joining.

Happy 95th Birthday to Ann Blyth!

 

Today is the 95th birthday of Hollywood star Ann Blyth.  The photo above is from her 1951 film I'll Never Forget You, one of my favorites.  She co-stars with Tyrone Power in a haunting time-travel romance.  It's a beautiful film, and her work is deeply moving.  I hope you get a chance to see it soon.

Happy birthday to a stellar actress and a lovely woman.

For more on this movie and the rest of her fascinating career that paralleled so many innovations in media and shifts in entertainment in the twentieth century, have a look at my book Ann Blyth:  Actress. Singer. Star.

For more on the movie, and her career, have a look at my book on Ann's career -- Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star.

eBook edition (Amazon)

print edition available at Amazon and also my Etsy shop.

audiobook edition

Also available in eBook at:

Kobo

Barnes & Noble

Apple iBooks

...and a variety of other online shops!

For more on my other books and plays, please see my website: JacquelineTLynch.com  

"Lynch’s book is organized and well-written – and has plenty of amusing observations – but when it comes to describing Blyth’s movies, Lynch’s writing sparkles." - Ruth Kerr, Silver Screenings

"Jacqueline T. Lynch creates a poignant and thoroughly-researched mosaic of memories of a fine, upstanding human being who also happens to be a legendary entertainer." - Deborah Thomas, Java's Journey

"One of the great strengths of Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. is that Lynch not only gives an excellent overview of Blyth's career -- she offers detailed analyses of each of Blyth's roles -- but she puts them in the context of the larger issues of the day."- Amanda Garrett, Old Hollywood Films

"Jacqueline's book will hopefully cause many more people to take a look at this multitalented woman whose career encompassed just about every possible aspect of 20th Century entertainment." - Laura Grieve, Laura's Miscellaneous Musings''

"Jacqueline T. Lynch’s Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. is an extremely well researched undertaking that is a must for all Blyth fans." - Annette Bochenek, Hometowns to Hollywood