Anniversary Alert! “With All the Frills Upon It:” The 70th Anniversary of “Easter Parade.”

By Michael LyonsAh, classic Hollywood Musicals from MGM.  Only there, could a popular song become an entire film!In 1948, the Studio used one of songwriter Irving Berlin’s most classic holiday songs, “Easter Parade,” as the basis for a full-blown, feature-length, song and dance musical starring none other than Fred...

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Fun for “EveryBunny!”: The Rankin/Bass Easter Specials

By Michael LyonsThey’re the Studio that has become so closely associated with Christmas that the Yuletide Season would seem like a “Blue Christmas” without them.  However, they have also done their part to put some “Spring” into Easter.Rankin/Bass, the Studio whose versions of Rudolph and Frosty, among many, set the...

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A Lucky Pair: The Perfect St. Patrick’s Day Double Feature!

By Michael LyonsNeither movie was released in March, but through the years they have become as closely associated with St. Patrick’s Day as Parades, corned beef and cabbage, green beer, bagpipe music, shamrocks and even shamrock shakes!“The Quiet Man” and “Darby O’Gill and the Little People” have become viewing staples...

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Anniversary Alert! Built Ford Tough: The 25th Anniversary of “The Fugitive”

By Michael Lyons“Thrillers are a much-debased genre these days, depending on special effects and formula for much of their content.  “The Fugitive” has the standards of an earlier, more classic time, when acting, character and dialogue were meant to stand on their own, and where characters continued to change and...

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The Losers‘ Club: Seldom Seen Best Picture Oscar Nominees

By Michael Lyons“The Wizard of Oz,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Star Wars” and “E.T. - The Extra Terrestrial.”  Not only are they cinematic masterpieces, they’re all “losers.”  These four films have been remembered by audiences through the years, but they were forgotten by The Academy Awards.  Each movie was...

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