For my second week in Elliot Lavine's 50's film noir class, we're presented with a dynamic double-bill: a film full of women where few hold any power, and a film with only men - and, for once, a woman in charge. Marie Allen (Eleanor Parker) enters prison Before the “women in prison” film devolved into … Continue reading LES FEMMES FORTES: Caged and The Hitchhiker
ACES TRUMP A PAIR OF QUEENS: Ellery Queen Episodes 13 and 14
Kind of a low point in the series for me here. Just sayin’ . . . Jim Hutton as Ellery Queen with Tom Reese as Sergeant Velie EPISODE THIRTEEN: THE ADVENTURE OF THE SUNDAY PUNCH (Written by Larry Alexander ; original airdate 1/11/76) The Cast: The big name in this guest cast is Lloyd Nolan … Continue reading ACES TRUMP A PAIR OF QUEENS: Ellery Queen Episodes 13 and 14
QUEEN’S GAMBIT: Ellery Queen Episodes 11 and 12
With this installment, we reach and pass the halfway mark in our single season of Ellery Queen, and I can only express my disdain for NBC, which moved the show around from time slot to time slot and save a little invective for shows like The Streets of San Francisco, which played opposite our hero, drained ratings, … Continue reading QUEEN’S GAMBIT: Ellery Queen Episodes 11 and 12
BURLESQUE QUEENS OF THE NILE: EQ Episodes 9 and 10
EPISODE NINE: THE ADVENTURE OF VERONICA’S VEILS (Written by Robert Pirosh; original airdate 11/13/75) The Cast: A gem of a cast in a burlesque background, beginning with George Burns who, even though he only has a cameo, rates top billing! Burns spent most of his hundred years performing. He was “discovered” when, as a seven-year-old … Continue reading BURLESQUE QUEENS OF THE NILE: EQ Episodes 9 and 10
COOKIES FULL OF ARSENIC: Film Noir of the 50’s, Week One
“I was born when she kissed me. I died when she left me. I lived a few weeks while she loved me . . . “ No, my friends, I haven’t forsaken books on this blog about them. It’s just that January has been a month for movies and TV. Maybe it’s the rain. Maybe … Continue reading COOKIES FULL OF ARSENIC: Film Noir of the 50’s, Week One
THE QUEENS OF HEARTS: Ellery Queen Episodes 7 and 8
EPISODE SEVEN: THE ADVENTURE OF COLONEL NIVIN’S MEMOIRS (Written by Robert E. Swanson; original airdate 10/23/75) The Cast: Another cast consisting primarily of television actors, many with a rich pedigree in the medium. I have a special fondness for Rene Auberjonois because, like Paul Shenar from “Miss Aggie’s Farewell,” he was a founding member of … Continue reading THE QUEENS OF HEARTS: Ellery Queen Episodes 7 and 8
IN THE QUEEN’S PARLOR: Ellery Queen Episodes 5 & 6
ELLERY QUEEN MYSTERIES: Episodes Five and Six We are on a roll and cooking with gas and every other mixed metaphor with two fine episodes. The first ranks as one of the top puzzles in the series and the second has one of the best casts. Plus, Frank Flannagan and Simon Brimmer continue to add … Continue reading IN THE QUEEN’S PARLOR: Ellery Queen Episodes 5 & 6
ELLERY QUEEN: Episodes Three and Four
Episodes Three and Four prove that Levinson and Link were not trying to create another Burke’s Law where the detective has some lovely run-ins with a bunch of old stars before one of them is randomly shown to be the killer. Here, they’re going for a cleverer show, with actual clues leading to surprise endings. There are … Continue reading ELLERY QUEEN: Episodes Three and Four
BOOK CLUB ’22: January, Going In Blind
“‘We are at war’ he whispered into the darkness. ‘Every combatant in the world is against us - fighting our peace with every weapon they know.’ He sat up suddenly and shook his fist into the darkness. ‘I’ll beat you,’ he exclaimed so loudly that Schnucke stood up and came to the bedside. ‘You think you’ve wrecked … Continue reading BOOK CLUB ’22: January, Going In Blind
HAIL TO THE QUEENS: Ellery Queen Eps 1 and 2
Ellery Queen Mysteries, the brainchild of ace screenwriting team and lifelong EQ fanboys Richard Levinson and William Link, last only one season consisting of twenty-two episodes. With one exception, every one of these was an original story conceived by the team (although some episodes were written by others) and co-produced with Peter S. Fischer, with … Continue reading HAIL TO THE QUEENS: Ellery Queen Eps 1 and 2
Ah Sweet Mystery! 