Great Films Not on DVD: August

There I go again, neglecting my blog. I swear I have a good excuse, well for the most part. I went on vacation with my family to the lake Sunday and had a wonderful time tubing and jet skiing, although my body didn’t really enjoy it the next day. Anyways, I got back on Wednesday and was completely exhausted. That’s the good reason why I haven’t been blogging. The second part is that I’ve become addicted to the Twilight books. I said I wasn’t going to read them, but I got a ridiculously awesome price for them on Ebay. Needless to say, I couldn’t resist. I’m now on Eclipse and have less than two weeks left to finish the series. I won’t have time to finish them once school starts so I’m constantly reading. I promise to stop being a bad blogger and I’m actually going to get this post out on time. I really hope you can catch some of these movies because this is a particularly great group of films.

A Place of One’s Own (1945)
Starring Margaret Lockwood, James Mason, and Dennis Price
Airs August 2 on TCM

In this moody British ghost/mystery/love story, the elderly Mr. and Mrs. Smedhurst move into a vacant old mansion. At first they don’t believe the stories connected to the house, but when strange things start happening to the young companion they hire, they begin to believe.

Love Letters (1945)
Starring Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten
Airs August 17 on TCM
Out of all of the films Jones and Cotten made together, this one probably gets the least attention. Personally, I think its one of the most interesting movies they made which is evident in the four Oscar nominations it received.

During World War II, soldier Allen Quinton writes love letters for his best friend. While writing to his friend’s love, he finds himself falling for her as well. Once the war ends, Allen finds that his friend married the woman from the letters, but both of them are now mysteriously dead. As he searches for answers, he falls for a mysterious woman who could hold the key to unlocking the mystery.

These Three (1936)
Starring Miriam Hopkins, Merle Oberon, and Joel McCrea
Airs August 20 on TCM

Recent college graduates Karen Wright (Oberon) and Martha Dobie (Hopkins) decide to open up their own school when Karen finds out she has inherited an old farmhouse. The two set to work restoring it along with Dr. Joe Cardin who ends up in a love triangle with them. A series of miscommunications and a horrible brat named Mary Tilford (Bonita Granville) destroy the lives and dreams of Karen, Martha, and Joe.

Click here to read about my hatred for Mary Tilford

Ladies in Retirement (1941)
Starring Ida Lupino, Louis Hayward, and Elsa Lanchester
Airs August 27 on TCM

Ellen Creed (Lupino) works as a companion and housekeeper for retired actress Leonora Fiske. When Ellen’s two emotionally disturbed sisters come to live with her, things get a bit complicated. Fiske cannot stand Ellen’s sisters and wants them to leave. Feeling she has no other choice, Ellen takes matters into her own hands to make sure her sisters don’t have to leave.