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To celebrate Glenn Ford's 100th birthday, which is on Sunday, this week on «Film Friday» I bring you my second favourite of his films  —  the first being  The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963). Directed by George Marshall, The Gazebo (1959) tells the story of Elliott Nash (Glenn Ford), a television writer and director who is being blackmailed by a man named Dan Shelby (Stanley Adams) over old nude photographs of his wife, Nell (Debbie Reynolds). Elliott does not tell Nell, the star of a Broadway show, about this situation, but works feverishly to make enough money to pay off Shelby's demands. Ultimately, he decides that murder is the only way out. He makes preparations, incorporating some advice from his friend, District Attorney Harlow Edison (Carl Reiner). When the presumed blackmailer shows up at his house to collect the money, Elliott shoots him and then hides the body in the concrete foundation being poured for the antique gazebo Nell has bought.   The next ...

To celebrate Debbie Reynolds' 84th birthday, which happens to be today, this week on «Film Friday» I bring you one of my favourite of her films. Directed by George Marshall, It Started With a Kiss (1959) tells the story of Joe Fitzpatrick (Glenn Ford) and Maggie Putnam (Debbie Reynolds), an Air Force sergeant and a dancer who meet at a charity ball, where he purchases a raffle ticket from her for a custom-built luxury car. After a two-day courtship, Joe marries Maggie and then travels to Spain to join his company. Maggie meets him there a month later, with the news that he has won the raffle and now owns a 1955 Lincoln Futura. Although she is happy to see Joe, Maggie soon questions the sudden commitment to one another. Worried that she might get pregnant before she can determine if they are suitably matched, Maggie declares they must have a trial marriage without sex for thirty days. The following day, the car arrives at the port of Cadiz. As they drive back to Madrid, Joe and ...