General discussion of films, and specific recommendations of films playing in the New York City area.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Ford at Fox: Museum of the Moving Image, January 12 to February 24, 2008
I didn't spot the schedule for the Museum of the Moving Image's Ford at Fox series until the last minute. Some of Ford's most successful 30s work is coming up this weekend and next: I particularly like 1933's Pilgrimage, playing on Sunday, January 13 at 5 pm and Saturday, January 19 at 2:30 pm; and 1932's Air Mail, playing Sunday, January 20 at 2:30 pm. If your prejudice against Shirley Temple doesn't run too deep, you may also be pleasantly surprised by 1936's Wee Willie Winkie, screening Saturday, February 2 at 2:30 pm. Among the later, better-known work, I'd draw attention to the wonderful 1939 Drums Along the Mohawk, which I think is still slightly underrated - it screens Sunday, February 3 at 2:30 pm.
I was hoping someone would point out which of these films, many recently aired on TCM, all available now on DVD, were worth going to MOMI to see on the big screen. Thanks for the heads up!
ReplyDeleteHey, thanks Dan! I def. could make some time for some of these before leaving NYC.
ReplyDeleteDaniel, Eric - most Fordians would probably consider my selection of favorite early Ford on the skimpy side. I know there's a lot of enthusiasm out there for Four Sons, Judge Priest, Steamboat 'Round the Bend, and The Prisoner of Shark Island, at a minimum.
ReplyDeleteDaniel - I fell off your RSS feed for a while, but I just reestablished the connection.
I haven't seen many Ford films-I caught two on TCM when they played the Ford at Fox festival-Up the River, and The Prisoner of Shark Island. And then The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence. I can make the Pilgrimage and Born Reckless on that 19th. That is a wonderful box set, though.
ReplyDeleteEric - yeah, the box set seems really nice. Most of my comments above were about early Ford - usually people consider 1939 the dividing year for Ford, because he came on strong with three major films: Stagecoach, Young Mr. Lincoln, and Drums Along the Mohawk. If you don't know the later works, they'll probably give you more of the distilled essence of Ford. I'd definitely get acquainted with My Darling Clementine and How Green Was My Valley; I've never been wild about Young Mr. Lincoln, but it too is regarded very highly.
ReplyDeleteI have How Green Was My Valley recorded at home, but I just haven't gotten around to it.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, I've seen two of his early movies. Up the River was from 1930, and it had so many missing film cuts. Some of the scenes were hard to follow because they were missing so many lines of dialogue.