Lions, Towers & Shields

148: Priced to Move for Criminals

Nicholas Ray makes his film debut directing “They Live By Night,” a noir love story. Not your usual, noir dude obsessed by a bad woman, but an actual relationship, conduc

147: Roddy McDowall: An Actor's Life

Author (and friend of the show) Samuel Garza Bernstein is back with a story about a character who was central to Hollywood’s Golden Age and beyond. His new book, Roddy Mc

146: I Think They Did It!

Here is an early film by David Lean about a chance encounter at a train station that leads to complicated feelings for both parties. It’s “Brief Encounter.” Ceilia Johnso

145: Hungry Like The Wolf

Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Alfred Hitchcock. OK, I’m pretty much done. What else shall I say? WWII intrigue, a love story, a well-played villain. These are also things I

144: Cut-Rate Hitchcock

It’s the final edition of Lions, Towers & Trek, wherein we feature someone from Star Trek: The Original Series in a film they made before the show. Here’s DeForest Kelley

143: There is no Leather in Corinth

If you’ve watched Star Trek, you’ve probably had your share of “I know that person” moments, when it comes to guest stars. So let us consider Ricardo Montalbån, long befo

142: Shatner Makes A Good Vulcan

William Shatner made his film debut in this Richard Brooks adaptation of the Dostoevsky novel. Bill is the youngest of the brothers, and he’s fourth-billed, behind Yul Br

141: The Neighborhood Is Monument Valley

This summer we celebrate the intersection of classic film and Star Trek. And Lions, Towers & Trek begins with a big one. John Ford’s classic western is an uncomfortable m

140: Say More. Say It Now. Tell Us Everything!

By request, we take on this late-50s musical, directed by Stanley Donan. Our stars are Fred Astaire, Audrey Hepburn and Kay Thompson. (I’ll have lots to say about Kay.) R

139: Femme Fatales Are Usually Smarter

Fritz Lang directed a pair of noirs in the mid-40s, starring Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett and Dan Duryea. The other is Woman in the Window. In Scarlet Street Eddie G.

138: The Hot Ronald Colman

Someone suggested we honor the films of 1926 — 100 years ago — and so we shall. Beau Geste has been remade often, but here is the original, starring Ronald Colman in his

137: 714 Home Runs And At Least Two Murders

The LTS lineup drafts baseball movies for your enjoyment. At least one choice from every panelist must fall within our old-timey timeline, but newer films about bats and

136: The Tiffany of John Lunds

Happy Opening Day! It’s Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig, in our first baseball episode. And yes, it’s all LTS inside baseball this week. We complain about the lack of actual ba

135: Call It A Noirlodrama

The son of a man convicted of murder faces bullying, then suspicion when he is accused of a crime, too. Directed by Frank Borzage, the film is moody, dark and a bit gothi

134: Hotness Is A Reason

Gene Tierney does comedy. John Lund is not bad. And THELMA RITTER IS THE BEST. Shelly Brisbin with Micheline Maynard and Nathan Alderman.

133: Clown Car Full of Raincoats

Deanna Durbin and Gene Kelly. Gotta be a musical, right? Actually, it’s a film noir, whose connection to Christmas is limited at best. So much misdirection, and I haven’t

132: Clothes, Cars and Acreage

Tracy and Hepburn do “battle of the sexes” and help Judy Holiday launch her film career. There’s a random Cole Porter song, and T & H are adorable. George Cukor directs a

131: Temu Cary Grant

Billy Wilder tells the story of a man’s (Ray Milland) alcoholic weekend, and the lies he tells to family and friends about his drinking. Surprisingly gritty and emotional

130: Big Teeth, Bad Hair

Another tale of evangelicals who use their charisma to con the faithful. Burt Lancaster, Jean Simmons, Shirley Jones and a cast of 50s heavies are all on hand. Based on S

129: There Are No Cars

he team behind our previous Spooky Season entry CAT PEOPLE — producer Val Lewton and director Jacques Tourneur — return with the Jane Eyre-inspired tale of a naive nurse