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The 1950s were an era of both prosperity and great conflict. After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in a series of conflicts collectively known as the Cold War. The Soviet Union began the Space Race with the launch of Sputnik 1, while Fidel Castro became the first Communist leader in the Western hemisphere. The landmark Brown v. Board of Education court decision ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, and the Civil Rights Movement was born. Joseph Stalin died, the Vietnam War began, and Elvis Presley turned rock 'n' roll into the most popular music genre in the world.   (from left to right) Replica of Sputnik 1; Fidel Castro; the Vietnam War; Elvis Presley.   The 1950s changed Hollywood as well. As a result of the introduction of television, studios were desperate to attract audiences back to the theatres and resorted to such exotic techniques as CinemaScope and 3D film. The Cold War era zeitgeist translated into a ren...

Whether it's a funny remark, an inspirational phrase or a terribly romantic line, I love a good movie quote. Although I'm not very good at ranking my favourite things, since I change my mind faster than I flip pancakes, I thought it would be fun to compile my top 20 favourite classic movie quotes. These are quotes that have stayed with me ever since I watched these films. I know every single one of them by heart, and some I even quote myself from time to time. Some are extremely well-known, others are just lines that I really love. There is even a quote from a silent film in this! Obviously, all of my choices are restricted to the films that I have seen so far. 20. Insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops! Cary Grant as Mortimer Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)     19. Kid, the next time I say, «Let's go some place like Bolivia,» let's go some place like Bolivia. Paul Newman as Butch Cassidy in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)     18. Y...

The weather outside has been absolutely frightful, so for this week on «Film Friday» I have decided to bring you one of the most delightful films I have ever seen. This is one of those enchanting little stories that will most definitely keep you warm on a cold winter night. Directed by Henry Koster, Harvey (1950) tells the story of Elwood P. Dowd (James Stewart), a middle-aged, amiable drunk who claims to have an invisible best friend named Harvey — whom he describes as a 6'3.5" tall pookah resembling an anthropomorphic white rabbit. His friends and family wonder whether his obsession with Harvey is a product of his (self-admitted) drinking problem, or rather a sign of mental illness. When Elwood starts to introduce Harvey to guests at a society party hosted by his excitable older sister, Veta Louise Simmons (Josephine Hull), the woman has seen just about as much of his eccentric behaviour as she can tolerate. To spare her daughter, Myrtle Mae (Victoria Horne), and their fa...