Monthly Archives: August 2012
“Three on a Match” on TCM
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Three on a Match is going to air on Turner Classic Movies on Thursday, August 30th at 10:00am PST.
I have extolled the virtues of Three on a Match (or it’s glorious lack of virtue) on numerous occasions on this site. It’s the film where I first encountered Ann Dvorak back in 1995, which got this wild ride of mine rolling. It’s got sex, drugs, kidnapping, reform school, and magnified nose-hair plucking. It’s got Joan Blondell, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Warren William, Lyle Talbot, and on and on. It packs all this into 63 minutes.
Three on a Match is airing as part of TCM’s Summer Under the Stars tribute to Warren William. I also recommend catching Skyscraper Souls which is airing right before Three on a Match at 8:15am. It’s another solid pre-Code and watched back-to-back with this one, shows how versatile Warren William could be.
Happy watching!
“The Crowd Roars” on DVD
Image from emovieposter.com
The Crowd Roars is finally available on DVD via the Warner Archive. Directed by the venerable Howard Hawks, this car racing drama is one of only two times Ann was paired up with James Cagney, as well as Joan Blondell. This was also the second and last time Ann worked with Howard Hawks who had launched her career a few months earlier in Scarface. This was also the film where Ann and Warner Bros were introduced to each other. The studio became smitten with the 20-year-old actress and soon purchased her contract from Howard Hughes, a move they soon came to regret.
The Crowd Roars is not Ann’s strongest performance, or film, but anything directed by Howard Hawks with James Cagney and Joan Blondell is worth watching.
Enjoy!
“G Men” on TCM
G Men is going to air on Turner Classic Movies on Tuesday, August 14, at 7:30am PST.
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My apologies for the late notice on this one, though in my defense, I am feverishly working on the Ann-D bio to meet my October 1st deadline. G Men is being shown as part of James Cagney’s “Summer Under the Stars” day. Ann’s role in this one is small, but potent, and she and Cagney are great together. It’s a pity they only appear in this and The Crowd Roars together. Enjoy!
Happy Birthday Ann!
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Today marks what would have been Ann Dvorak’s 101st birthday. Fire up the media player of your choice, turn on an Ann movie, and celebrate the life and career of this amazing actress.