Reel Old Movies

[Last updated September 2023] One silver lining of movie theaters shuffling their way back to pre-pandemic levels? A surge of classic movies heading to movie theaters in 2023 so that new and veteran fans can appreciate the vintage films on the big screen.  Hollywood studios are still trying to get new movie production back on track. Re-issues of classic films help fill that void in theaters.  “It was definitely a rebound year,” Tearlach Hutcheson, VP of film at Studio Movie Grill, told Variety in December 2022. “There’s still a lack of product from studios, and it’s going to take a while to change that.” TCM has parted ways with Fathom Events , which had been the biggest player in re-releases of classic favorites. But Fathom announced a new series that will honor classic cinema. That plus a few other national series – such as Flashback Cinema and Alamo Drafthouse special screenings – translates into more movie theater love for old movies.  Here’s a look at pre-1980 movie re-releas

On this date in Hollywood history -- January: "The Shop Around the Corner" released ... Cary Grant's birthday ... Gina Lollobrigida passes away ... Marilyn Monroe's "Niagra" premieres ... Charlie Chaplin's "City Lights" screens in Los Angeles ... "Casablanca" opens widely across the United States. Discover what happened on days throughout January in Hollywood history, from historic film premieres and industry milestones to anniversaries of birthdays/deaths of beloved Old Hollywood figures, and more. (This story will be updated throughout the month) January 12 The original “You’ve Got Mail”: 1940’s “The Shop Around the Corner” stars James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan as shop workers who fight by day and unknowingly fall in love with each other via letters at night. Versions of this premise abound in movies, but none so tender as this movie with the “Lubitsch touch,” a favorite of both fans and critics. It was released in theaters Janu

“Here’s looking at you, kid.” “We’ll always have Paris.” “Out of all the gin joints …” “Round up the usual suspects.” While today’s movies would be lucky to have one or two memorable quotes that permeate pop culture, 1942’s “Casablanca” is bursting with dozens of great lines that are woven into our language. I will argue it's the most quoted movie of all time – with many people ignorant that they’re actually quoting the movie! Not bad for a movie marking its 80th anniversary.  “Casablanca” is a staple for classic film buffs, but I encourage any Old Hollywood novice or fan of modern movies to watch for the first time. (Or if it’s been a while since you’ve seen it, re-discover it).  Don’t let the fact that it’s in black and white and decades-old deter you. The star power of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman will certainly pull you in, but the allure of “Casablanca” is also rooted in its screenplay, a masterclass of a movie script.  Which goes to show us there is no formula or one-w