She remembers the “hot packs”–towels soaked in boiling water, wrung out, then wrapped around her legs. She remembers the blisters. She remembers the endless hours of physical therapy, the manipulation of her limbs, especially her right leg, the one affected by polio. She also remembers the kindness of her doctors and nurses, the friendships she […]
Thursday, October 30 (7:30 p.m.) The Witching Hour (Paramount, 1923) In this second of three film adaptations (1916, 1923 and 1934) of Augustus Thomas’ hit Broadway play, Jack Brookfield (Elliot Dexter)–a gambler with clairvoyant and hypnotic powers–is able to win at cards through his unique gift. However, when he inadvertently hypnotizes young Clay Whipple (future […]
What follows is a guest post by Carla Arton and Harrison Behl, processing technicians in the Recorded Sound Section, Library of Congress In May 2013, the staff-led Packard Campus Institute (PCI) hosted a presentation on the National Jukebox by Gene DeAnna, Head of the Recorded Sound Section at the Library of Congress. In his presentation, Gene showcases […]
The following is a guest post by Cary O’Dell, Assistant to the National Recording Preservation Board. Sometimes TV comes full circle. Certainly this is true among certain small screen genres. For example, Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts, which debuted over the tube on December 6, 1948 and picked its weekly winning singer/comic/dancer via an in-studio applause-o-meter, […]
Thursday, October 23 (7:30 p.m.) Dark Passage (Warner Bros., 1947) In their third movie together, Humphrey Bogart plays an escaped convict, wrongly accused of his wife’s murder, who takes refuge in the apartment of a mysterious woman (Lauren Bacall) he has just met. Delmar Daves directed this film noir that is notable for the use […]
Thursday, October 16 (7:30 p.m.) Murphy’s Romance (Columbia, 1986) James Garner received his only Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the title character Murphy Jones, a widowed druggist in a small Arizona town. He develops a cautious friendship with Emma (Sally Field), who moves to town with her son Jake (Corey Haim) to start a […]
This is a guest post by Janet McKee, Recorded Sound Reference Librarian in the Library’s Recorded Sound Section. Repeatedly over the years a recording purporting to be the voice of Walt Whitman has surfaced. Sadly, it has long been the opinion of the reference staff at the Library of Congress that the recording, like […]
Thursday, October 9 (7:30 p.m.) James Garner on Television Maverick (ABC, 1957-1962) Although he had already appeared in several movies, Maverick is generally credited with launching James Garner’s career. He starred as Bret Maverick, a cardsharp from Texas who traveled across the Old West and on Mississippi riverboats, regularly getting in and out of trouble. […]
Like any right-minded individual, I rejoiced in the return of baseball to the Nation’s Capital in 2005 and have certainly reveled in the Washington Nationals’ fabulous 2014 season. Exciting as it has been (the post All-Star Game surge, Jordan Zimmermann’s no-hitter on the last day of the season, the eager anticipation of post-season glory), I […]
Thursday, October 2 (7:30 p.m.) National Newspaper Week Double Feature Five Star Final (Warner Bros., 1931) Edward G. Robinson stars as a corrupt newspaper editor who uses exploitation to bolster the paper’s circulation. Nominated for an Oscar as the year’s best film, Five Star Final was a condemnation of yellow journalism. This archetypal newspaper movie […]