The Directors: Robert Siodmak

A number of great directors fled Germany in the thirties to work in America, among them Fritz Lang, Ernst Lubitsch, Billy Wilder, Douglas Sirk and Joseph von Sternberg.   Less known to the general public is today's honoree, Robert Siodmak (pronounced see-odd-mack), although he was well-known to fans of film noir since most of his American work falls into that category.

Guilty Pleasures: Rancho Notorious

1952 Western

From RKO

Directed by Fritz Lang

Starring

Marlene Dietrich

Arthur Kennedy

Mel Ferrer

William Frawley

George Reeves

Lloyd Gough

Jack Elam

Frank Ferguson

John Kellogg

Rodd Redwing

Don Murray

This man will be 92 years old at the end of this month and he's still working!  How impressive.  His first four films are some of his best and he continued to do rather high profile ones through the mid-60s.  And then what happened?  Something did because the quality of the work offered to him diminished.   I think the answer is as old as Hollywood and we'll discuss.

From the 1950s: The Last Time I Saw Paris

1954 Romance Drama
From Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Directed by Richard Brooks

Starring

Elizabeth Taylor

Van Johnson

Walter Pidgeon

Donna Reed

Eva Gabor

George Dolenz

Kurt Kasznar

Roger Moore

Sandra Descher

Celia Lovsky

From the 1940s: The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer

1947 Comedy

From RKO

Directed by Irving Reis

Starring

Cary Grant

Myrna Loy

Shirley Temple

Rudy Vallee

Ray Collins

Harry Davenport

Johnny Sands

Veda Ann Borg

Don Beddoe

Lillian Randolph

Rhonda Fleming

I always had a special fascination for this actress.   I was drawn to Hollywood's great beauties and I confess I had a real yen for redheads.  She more than filled the bill and was quite popular with the public.  She was an actress who appealed to both men and women.  I thought she seemed like she was having a good time.  She always said her story in show biz was the Cinderella story.