Mae West is often remembered as someone who pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in early Hollywood and American society at large. Not only was she an actress and singer, but she was also a comedian, playwright, and screenwriter. She began her entertainment career as a child and in vaudeville, but her first brush… Read more »
For me, one of the most difficult things about teaching film is to convince students to not only sit through end credits, but to actually pay attention to them. Marvel seems to have found the trick to this (at least the sitting-through-the-credits part, and probably only in theaters): exploit the franchise’s extended narrative by putting… Read more »
Last month I was in Indianapolis for a conference, and I had the opportunity to join a tour at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. Now, I’ve been to the Eiteljorg in the past, and enjoyed my time there; but this particular visit was my favorite.
On March 27, the Indiana University Cinema will be screening the documentary Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story as a part of the International Arthouse Series and this year’s Science on Screen series. Hedy Lamarr was a fascinating and incredibly influential woman in America, and not just because she was an actress of the Classical Hollywood period…. Read more »
For anyone who has seen an Anthony Mann western and/or had the chance to see MAN OF THE WEST (1958) at the IU Cinema on Thursday, January 18, 2018, it’s clear Anthony Mann had a unique style. And while it probably wouldn’t matter to the director himself, his Westerns aren’t often thoroughly discussed—at least not… Read more »
One of my favorite actresses from Studio Era Hollywood is Ida Lupino; in fact, she’s one of the reasons I love Raoul Walsh’s High Sierra (1941). Many people know of Lupino as a Hollywood actress, but few know her as a director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in film and television from the mid- to… Read more »