The Private Affairs of Bel Ami is going to air on Turner Classic Movies on August 19th at 9:30pm PST. 

For those of you still checking this site every now and then and haven’t seen The Private Affairs of Bel Ami, I hope you land on this post before it airs tonight! It’s probably my favorite post-War Ann Dvorak film, and who can resist a title that stars George Sanders and Angela Lansbury? Ann looks absolutely stunning in the period costumes, and it’s one of her more understated roles. Her performance as Madeleine is the polar opposite of what many have come to expect from Ann, which goes to show just how versatile she could be as an actress. 

The above portrait from my collection (sorry for the glare-filled iPhone pic) is from Bel Ami with an inscription that reads, “For Norma- The lady who made me look like ‘Madeleine’ – Best of everything always, Ann.” Norma Koch was the costume designer for Bel Ami and would later win an Academy Award for What Ever Happened to Baby Jane. This is an item I totally forgot about and recently found in a closet. I know. But, it now has a place of honor on the piano, because it really is an amazing piece. 

Sorry for being MIA lately. I’ve been doing weird things like writing My Little Pony comic books and leading a Girl Scout Troop, along with the full-time job so my time for updates here has been rather nonexistent these days. 

Enjoy Bel Ami!