Author Archives: Jennifer Garlen

Silver Screen Standards: Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

Posted on March 13, 2025 by Jennifer Garlen

Witness for the Prosecution (1957) On my most recent visit to London, I went to see a stage production of Agatha Christie’s 1953 play, Witness for the Prosecution, and of course I had to rewatch the 1957 film adaptation again … Continue reading →

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Silver Screen Standards: The Major and the Minor (1942)

Posted on February 18, 2025 by Jennifer Garlen

The Major and the Minor (1942) I’m not sure you could make a picture like The Major and the Minor (1942) today, and given the Lolita undertones of the story that might be a good thing, although writer and director … Continue reading →

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Silver Screen Standards: On Dangerous Ground (1951)

Posted on January 9, 2025 by Jennifer Garlen

Silver Screen Standards: On Dangerous Ground (1951) Deep frost permeates Nicholas Ray’s 1951 noir classic, On Dangerous Ground, freezing both the soul of its protagonist and the stark winter landscape that dominates the second half of the film. Both constitute … Continue reading →

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Silver Screen Standards: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Posted on December 12, 2024 by Jennifer Garlen

Silver Screen Standards: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) While I’ve never had any interest in diamonds, I do enjoy watching Marilyn Monroe sing about them in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), the Technicolor film adaptation of the 1949 stage musical based on … Continue reading →

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Silver Screen Standards: My Favorite Wife (1940)

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Jennifer Garlen

My Favorite Wife (1940) I’ve shown a lot of comedies to my lifetime learners over the years, but I’ve rarely heard an audience laugh as uproariously as they did during a recent screening of My Favorite Wife (1940), which we … Continue reading →

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Silver Screen Standards: House on Haunted Hill (1959)

Posted on October 26, 2024 by Jennifer Garlen

House on Haunted Hill (1959) I fell in love with the wacky low-budget horror films of the 1950s and 60s as a kid, when public domain chillers aired late at night and I secretly stayed up to watch them on … Continue reading →

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Silver Screen Standards: Blithe Spirit (1945)

Posted on September 12, 2024 by Jennifer Garlen

Blithe Spirit (1945) Supernatural comedy is one of my favorite movie genres any time of year, but I’m especially drawn to it once the first Halloween decorations start to materialize. After a recent viewing of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir … Continue reading →

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Silver Screen Standards: Leave Her to Heaven (1945)

Posted on August 8, 2024 by Jennifer Garlen

Leave Her to Heaven (1945) The mingling of film noir and melodrama can yield strange but beautiful fruit, as it does most memorably in 1945’s Leave Her to Heaven, adapted by Jo Swerling from the 1944 novel by Ben Ames … Continue reading →

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Silver Screen Standards: The Ladykillers (1955)

Posted on July 11, 2024 by Jennifer Garlen

The Ladykillers (1955) Like most Gen Xers, I grew up associating Sir Alec Guinness with his role as Obi Wan-Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy. Only as an adult did I discover his earlier work and his tremendous talent … Continue reading →

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Silver Screen Standards: The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Jennifer Garlen

The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) When Roger Corman died on May 9, 2024, at the impressive age of 98, his passing marked the end of a brilliant cinematic career that began in the 1950s and continued for more than … Continue reading →

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