Reel Old Movies

What do classic movie fans and Taylor Swift fans have in common? A love of Clara Bow.  Pop superstar Swift announced during her Grammy Award win on Sunday that her 11th studio album would release April 19, 2024.  Called "The Tortured Poets Department," the album features a final track titled "Clara Bow," spotted by fans.  Who is Clara Bow? Clara Bow was an actress of the silent movie era and she epitomized the Roaring Twenties' flapper girl. Bow (born July 29, 1905, died September 27, 1965) starred in blockbuster after blockbuster, but her most famous is the classic 1927 silent comedy, “It” (no, not the horror movie). In "It," Bow plays a plucky shop girl in the silent movie with such exclamations – via title cards – as “Hot socks!” and “Sweet Santa Claus, give me him!” The concept of someone having “it” (that certain something, charisma) was popularized in the movie and Bow would forever be known as the “It Girl.” ( Watch for free on Youtube ) In-d...

Classic movie lovers have a slate of film festival options in 2024, for everyone from film noir fans to silent film enthusiasts.  Below is a list of famous (and perhaps not-so-famous) film festivals celebrating classic movies along with announced or tentative dates for 2024, in rough chronological order: 

Who needs fictional beach reads when you can get your fill of murder, romance, drama and more from books about Hollywood’s history and stars? Here’s a round-up of a few new(ish) books from the last few years to get you through the dog days of summer. 

One of the original pair of iconic ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" disappeared in 2005. The mystery had been the subject of numerous investigations, documentaries and even a podcast series.  The iconic shoes were recovered in 2018 in an FBI sting, but the mystery remained of who stole the ruby slippers from The Judy Garland Museum in Minnesota and how they got away with it.  Now, some of those answers may be imminent after a 76-year-old man was indicted this week, the first charges in the case. Terry J. Martin was indicted Tuesday with one count of theft of a major artwork, according to U.S. Justice Department officials. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported that Martin is 76 and lives 12 miles south of the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.  The indictment and news release by the Justice Department do not give details about how the crime was allegedly committed and who and where the shoes were held before the 2018 recovery. They do...

Today, audiences are going to the movies to watch Alexander Molony and Jude Law in the 2023 "Peter Pan and Wendy"  released this week, but almost 100 years ago, audiences were flocking to the theaters to see the first big screen appearance of "Peter Pan." 

The Anna May Wong-inspired Barbie is already sold out on the Mattel toy site and in other places. 

Someone with a spare $26,000 bought a piece of pivotal movie history, after an original copy of the 1927's "The Jazz Singer" script sold at auction this weekend. 

On this date in Hollywood history -- April edition: Charlie Chaplin was born, Harold Lloyd's "Safety Last!" premieres, a bevy of classic movie stars' birthdays including Doris Day, Bette Davis, Gregory Peck, Spencer Tracy and more! ...

[Updated February 23, 2026] Last year didn't see as many pre-1980 movies re-released in movie theaters as in years past, but fingers crossed for 2026.  Here's a list (and so far, it's slim pickings!) of classic movie re-releases coming soon to a theater hopefully near you.  These are roughly pre-1980 movies being released nationally or at least broad regionally.  As always, check out your local independent movie theaters: they are gems for classic movie screenings and I cannot track all of those! (My tiny town's old one-screen movie theater played a Hitchcock retrospective last year, for example. The audiences were mostly younger adults which spurred hope for the next generation of classic movie fans.) In the meantime, whether you're an old movie expert or just starting out, check out a few books for classic film fans: *  Beginner's Guide to Classic Movies *  It’s a Wonderful Life: Quotes and inspiration from the 1946 classic movie  *...

“Charade” starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant is among the 25 movies inducted to the National Film Registry, the Library of Congress announced Wednesday, December 14. 

"Gaslighting" is Merriam-Webster’s word of 2022. 

“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 formul...