4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Raoul Walsh Edition

Posted on March 11, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!

126 years ago today, film director Raoul Walsh was born in New York City. He started out as an actor and a second unit director, learning how to make films under the tutelage of D.W. Griffith. He made his directorial debut in 1915 with Regeneration, which is considered to be the first gangster film. Refusing to sidelined after losing an eye in an auto accident, Walsh continued to direct and his career stretched from the silent era all the way to the mid-60s. Walsh directed westerns, war films, and gangster films. He was a master of tough but sometimes quirky action films. Martin Scorsese continues to cite Walsh as being an influence on his own work.

Today. we pay tribute to Raoul Walsh with….

4 Shots From 4 Raoul Walsh Films

The Big Trail (1930, dir by Raoul Walsh, DP: Lucian Andriot and Arthur Edeson)

The Roaring Twenties (1939, dir by Raoul Walsh, DP: Ernest Haller)

Gentleman Jim (1942, dir by Raoul Walsh, DP: Sidney Hickox)

White Heat (1949, dir by Raoul Walsh, DP: Sidney Hickox)

8 Shots From 8 Horror Films: The 1930s

Posted on October 1, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!

This October, I’m going to be doing something a little bit different with my contribution to 4 (or more) Shots From 4 (or more) Films. I’m going to be taking a little chronological tour of the history of horror cinema, moving from decade to decade.

Today, we take a look at the 1930s.

8 Shots From 8 Horror Films

Dracula (1931, starring Bela Lugosi as the Count, Dir by Tod Browning, DP: Karl Freund)

Frankenstein (1931, dir by James Whale, DP: Arthur Edeson)

White Zombie (1932, directed by Vincent Halperin, DP: Arthur Martinelli)

The Mummy (1932, directed by Karl Freund, DP: Charles Stumar)

The Invisible Man (1933, dir by James Whale, DP: Arthur Edeson)

Bride of Frankenstein (1935, dir James Whale, DP: John J. Mescall)

Mark of the Vampire (1935, dir by Tod Browning, DP: James Wong Howe)

Son of Frankenstein (1939, directed by Rowland V. Lee, DP: George Robinson)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special John Huston Edition

Posted on August 5, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

116 years ago today, the writer/director/actor John Huston was born in Nevada, Missouri. Today, we honor his life and films with….

4 Shots from 4 John Huston Films

The Maltese Falcon (1941, dir by John Huston, DP: Arthur Edeson)

The Misfits (1961, dir by John Huston, DP: Russell Metty)

The Night of the Iguana (1964, dir by John Huston, DP: Gabriel Figueroa)

Under the Volcano (1984, dir by John Huston, DP: Gabriel Figueroa)

4 Shots From 4 Boris Karloff Films

Posted on October 21, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Since we yesterday paid our respects to the great Bela Lugosi, it only seems right that today, we should honor Boris Karloff. By all account, Boris Karloff was a remarkably gentle and friendly man. Perhaps that’s why he could find the soul in almost any character, even the ones who didn’t have one.

It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Boris Karloff Films

Frankenstein (1931, dir by James Whale, DP: Arthur Edeson)

Bride of Frankenstein (1935, dir James Whale, DP: John J. Mescall)

Black Sabbath (1963, dir by Mario Bava, DP:Ubaldo Terzano and Mario Bava)

Targets (1968, dir by Peter Bogdanovich, DP: Laszlo Kovacs)

Pre-Code Confidential #13: Wallace Beery in John Ford’s FLESH (MGM 1932)

Posted on July 8, 2017 by gary loggins

cracked rear viewer

Long before his John Wayne collaborations, John Ford had worked to perfect his own style as a filmmaker. Even though the cranky, idiosyncratic Ford, who directed his first film way back in 1917, had his directing credit removed from 1932’s FLESH, it is credited as “A John Ford Production”, and one can tell this is definitely a “John Ford Picture”. The man himself thought the film was lousy, and most critics agreed, but I’m in the minority opinion. I think it’s worthy of reappraisal for film lovers to get a glimpse of some vintage Ford, with solid performances by Wallace Beery, Karen Morley, and Ricardo Cortez. Plus, as a long-time pro wrestling buff, the grappling game setting appeals to me, as do the many Pre-Code themes and moments.