Favorite films

Recent reviews

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  Loan Shark 1952

  ★★★½ Watched 16 Mar 2025

  Pretty good noir, another of the late career George Raft tough guy variety. He’s ex-con going undercover to crack the loan shark ring (natch) that killed his brother-in-law. Being Raft, we get the requisite rumba-esque dance scene with love interest Dorothy Hart. The waitress’ exchange with George (“Those kinda eyes call for a slap in the face.” “You have nice eyes yourself.”) as he’s staring right at her, um, “eyes”, a true LOL moment. Villains were appropriately slimy.

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  Forgotten Sweeties 1927

  Watched 16 Mar 2025

  Another very funny Charley Chase from his '27 run. Sure, painting your feet and putting a wig on them- and raising them as high/far apart as he did, is a TAD unrealistic. But hey, it's comedy, a minor quibble.

Popular reviews

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  Honor Among Lovers 1931

  ★★★ Watched 16 Mar 2023 2

  Claudette Colbert is a private secretary taking many unwanted advances from her boss and then gets fired for getting married. And turns out, the boss is the good guy in this story! Solid Pre-Code drama with a couple flashes of excellence- particularly the scene where Claudette offers herself for money, and her slow walk up the stairs of her Art Deco pad. (Side note: I’m not sure what was more disconcerting here, Ginger Rogers’ ditz routine or Frederic March’s mustache.)

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  Our Blushing Brides 1930

  ★★★½ Watched 19 Sep 2018

  Joan Crawford didn’t just carry OUR BLUSHING BRIDES, she grabbed it by the horns and full-on dragged it across the finish line- and I mean this as the highest possible compliment. She was unbelievable in this one- charming, engaging, charismatic, stunning, wonderful.