Reel Old Movies

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. 

For more than 100 years, the big screen has told stories from The Great War. But the movies made during — or shortly after — World War I offer a unique perspective. 

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 say

On this date in Hollywood history -- May edition: Clint Eastwood, Rudolph Valentino, Gary Cooper, Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn celebrate birthdays, "The Postman Always Rings Twice" with Lana Turner releases, James Bond premieres in the United States and more! ... Discover what happened on days throughout May in Hollywood history, from historic film premieres and industry milestones to anniversaries of birthdays/deaths of beloved Old Hollywood figures, and more.  (And explore previous months) This story will be updated throughout the month May 31 Make his (birth)day … Clint Eastwood celebrates his 93rd birthday May 31! “Go ahead, make my day” is one of the most famous movie quotes of all time (coming in at No. 6 on AFI’s 100 best movie quotes list) and is from Eastwood’s 1983 movie “Sudden Impact,” the fourth in the “Dirty Harry” series. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ReelOldMovies.com (@reeloldmovies) May 26 The icon

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! ...

Watching old movies is a bit like archaeology: you can study human history via the artifacts, language and sets used at the time. 1923’s “The Ten Commandments” offers a few things to unearth, both on the screen and beneath the sands of a small town in California. 

Harold Lloyd's "Safety Last!" premiered April 1, 1923, and is still entertaining comedy and movie fans 100 years later.  To mark the centennial, watch the 70-minute full "Safety Last!" movie , especially the iconic clock tower climbing scene at the end. Those scenes and images are some of the most well-known of early cinema and silent movie history.  And check out even more full movies from Harold Lloyd on YouTube