Author Archives: Phil Hall

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Ricardo Cortez: The Magnificent Heel

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During the 1920s and 1930s, Ricardo Cortez was one of Hollywood’s most versatile leading men. His best known films include D.W. Griffith’s “The Sorrows of Satan,” Greta Garbo’s first American film “Torrent” and the original 1931 version of “The Maltese Falcon.” In this episode of “The Online Movie Show,” we celebrate the life and career of this remarkable talent with Dan Van Neste, author of the book “The Magnificent Heel: The Life and Films of Ricardo Cortez.”

The episode can be heard here.

“The Online Movie Show” is produced at Platinum Wolfe Studios.

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The Bootleg Files – Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music

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BOOTLEG FILES 616: “Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music” (filmed version of award-winning 1981 Broadway show).

LAST SEEN: It is on YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: A VHS release in 1984.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Most likely due to music rights clearance issues.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: It’s possible.

In March 1980, Lena Horne announced that she would be retiring from show business. That did not last very long. In May 1981, she was back in what became the crowning commercial achievement of her long and often tumultuous career: the Broadway production “Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music.” The show ran for 333 performances, earned Horne a special Tony Award, then successfully toured North America and played in the West End to standing ovations.

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The Post (2017)

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Steven Spielberg’s latest bad movie attempts to recapture the emotional drama surrounding the 1971 publication of the Pentagon Papers. One might imagine that the film would highlight the challenges and consequences faced by Daniel Ellsberg in ferrying the documents out of the realm of government classified restrictions, or the efforts of the New York Times in bringing these astonishing documents to the public. Instead, the crux of the film is curiously focused on the Washington Post, which was late to reporting the story but wound up picking up the publication of the Pentagon Papers’ contents after the Nixon White House threw temporary legal obstacles in the Times’ path.

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Danger Boys: Punks in Osaka

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Nick Romi is one of the most exciting new talents in today’s independent film scene. On this episode, we highlight his new feature documentary, “Danger Boys: Punks in Osaka,” and learn about the challenges of shooting this Japanese-based nonfiction music production.

The episode can be heard here.

“The Online Movie Show” is produced at the Platinum Wolfe Studios.

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The Bootleg Files: The Spirit of Charles Lindbergh

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BOOTLEG FILES 615: “The Spirit of Charles Lindbergh” (1984 short directed by and starring Orson Welles).

LAST SEEN: It is on YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: The rarest and least known of Welles’ output.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: The full short deserves to be a special feature on a future DVD release.

Everybody is aware that Orson Welles began his filmmaking career with the biggest bang imaginable – you know, that film about the megalomaniac newspaper publisher obsessed over his childhood sled. However, few people are aware that Welles ended his filmmaking career with a whisper: a three-minute short intended as a private video for an ailing friend.

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The Monkees in “Head”

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What a difference a half-century makes: dismissed by critics and ignored by audiences when first released in 1968, the Monkees’ sole feature film “Head” is now considered a cult classic rich with innovative psychedelic effects, razor-edged satire and a wonderful score. On this episode of “The Online Movie Show,” we reconsider this last hurrah of Monkee-mania with Peter Mills, author of “The Monkees, Head, and the 60s.”

The episode can be heard here.

“The Online Movie Show” is produced at the Platinum Wolfe Studios.