The Film:
The Flowers of St. Francis is Roberto Rossellini’s answer to the despair
of the Italian neorealism he had previously been credited with initiating;
through a disconnected series of events in the story of the popular saint,
it affirms Christian beliefs at their most pure. The original Italian title
‘Francesco, giullare di Dio’ translates as “Francis, the Jester of God.”
It is even more inspirational than Pier Paolo Pasolini’s The Gospel According
to St. Matthew mainly because of the natural behavior of the characters.
. . . Glenn Erickson,Read More »
Classics
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Roberto Rossellini – Francesco giullare di Dio aka Saint Francis, God’s Jester aka Flowers of St. Francis (1950)
1941-1950ClassicsItalyRoberto Rossellini -
Marlen Khutsiyev – Iyulskiy dozhd AKA July Rain (1966)
1961-1970ClassicsDramaMarlen KhutsiyevUSSRQuote:
Lena is about to marry when she finds out her fiance is a bad person. After leaving him, she seeks for a sense in her life through adventures with artists who are also searching their own identity. When raining, she meets Zhenya.Read More » -
Don Weis – The Adventures of Hajji Baba (1954)
USA1951-1960AdventureClassicsDon WeisIn the 1950s, historical spectaculars set in the Far or Middle East became the repository for exploitive tales of eroticism, pure lust, and concupiscent freedom. The “decadence” of previous times gave American filmmakers an excuse to satisfy viewers’ libidinal and voyeuristic desires. All this holds true for The Adventure of Haji Baba, a racy, sex-soaked oasis of a film. John Derek stars as an Persian barber given a mission to escort the beautiful princess Fakzia across a desert to her wedding. Read More »
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Chuck Jones – Rabbit Fire (1951)
1951-1960AnimationChuck JonesClassicsUSAQuote:
Daffy Duck and Bugs argue back and forth whether it is duck season or rabbit season. The object of their arguments is hunter Elmer Fudd.Read More » -
Chuck Jones – Rabbit Seasoning (1952)
1951-1960AnimationChuck JonesClassicsUSAQuote:
Daffy Duck tricks Elmer Fudd into believing it’s rabbit season; but Bugs Bunny uses a female disguise and faulty pronouns to fight back.Read More » -
Chuck Jones – Duck! Rabbit, Duck! (1953)
1951-1960AnimationChuck JonesClassicsUSAQuote:
The final installment of the “Hunting Trilogy” once again has Elmer out hunting, while Bugs and Daffy try to con him into shooting the other.Read More » -
Otto Preminger – The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955)
1951-1960ClassicsOtto PremingerUSAWar

Synopsis:
The true story of General Billy Mitchell, a pioneering crusader for the Army’s fledgling air corp. In spite of an impressive performance during the First World War, the commanders of America’s armed forces still think of the airplane as little more then a carnival attraction. Even after sinking an “unsinkable” captured German battleship from the air, Mitchell sees funds dry up and friends die due to poor equipment. He is court-martialed after questioning the loyalty of his superiors for allowing the air corp to deteriorate.Read More » -
John G. Adolfi – A Successful Calamity (1932)
1931-1940ClassicsComedyJohn G. AdolfiUSAPlot: Henry Wilton is an elderly millionaire saddled with his selfish young second wife Emmy ‘Sweetie’ Wilton and a pair of spoiled grown children (Peggy and Eddie). To test his family’s mettle, Henry pretends to have gone broke. Just as he suspected they would, his children rally to their father’s side and change their ways: Peggy forsakes the fortune hunter George Struthers for the nice young man she’s really in love with, the polo coach Larry Rivers; while Eddie applies for a demanding job and performs admirably. Only Sweetie seems to desert Henry. Written by RobertRead More »
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Leo McCarey – Duck Soup [+commentary] (1933)
1931-1940ClassicsComedyLeo McCareyUSA
Quote:
The small state of Freedonia is in a financial mess, borrowing a huge sum of cash from wealthy widow Mrs. Teasdale. She insists on replacing the current president with crazy Rufus T. Firefly and mayhem erupts. To make matters worse, the neighboring state sends inept spies Chicolini and Pinky to obtain top secret information, creating even more chaos.Read More »






