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Directed by Michael Curtiz, Romance on the High Seas (1948) the the story of Elvira Kent (Janis Paige) and her husband Michael (Don DeFore), who suspect each other of cheating. For their wedding anniversary, Elvira books a cruise to Rio de Janeiro, but Michael suddenly cancels the trip for business reasons. Seeing an opportunity, Elvira pretends to go alone, but in fact sends Georgia Garrett (Doris Day), a singer she had met at the travel agency, in her place and under her name. By secretly staying behind, Elvira hopes to discover if Michael is indeed having an affair with his attractive new secretary, Miss Medwick (Leslie Brooks). Michael, however, is suspicious over his wife's willingness to take the trip alone, so he hires private detective Peter Virgil (Jack Carson) to see if she is sneaking around behind his back. (from left to right) Janis Paige, Don DeFore, Doris Day and Jack Carson on Romance on the High Seas . Peter joins the cruise and, as part of his job, becomes acqua...

In honour of Judy Garland's 94th birthday, which is today, this week on «Film Friday» I bring you one of her most iconic pictures, the one that should have given her the Academy Award for Best Actress. Groucho Marx was right; it was «the biggest robbery since Brinks.»  Directed by George Cukor, A Star Is Born (1954) tells the story of Esther Blodgett (Judy Garland), a band singer who saves screen legend Norman Maine (James Mason) from complete humiliation when he arrives drunk at a benefit show at the Shrine Auditorium. Once sober, Norman goes looking for Esther and finds her performing in an after-hours club. Impressed by her talent, he convinces her to leave her band and pursue a career in motion pictures, promising to introduce her to studio head Oliver Niles (Charles Bickford). Just as Esther arrives in Hollywood, Norman is called away to filming on location and is unable to reach her. Assuming that he was being insincere, Esther becomes determined to make it with or without ...

In honour of Joan Crawford's (probable) 112th birthday, which was on Wednesday, this week on «Film Friday» I bring you what is perhaps the most iconic of her films, the one that gave her the only Academy Award of her career. Directed by Michael Curtiz, Mildred Pierce (1945) is the story of the eponymous housewife and mother (Joan Crawford), who devotes herself solely to her two daughters: snobbish Veda (Ann Blyth), and sweet-natured Kay (Jo Ann Marlowe). Mildred's main goal is to provide for Veda, who craves high social status and possessions her mother cannot afford. After her husband, Bert (Bruce Bennett), loses his job, they quarrel frequently and he eventually moves out to be with his mistress, Maggie Biederhoff (Lee Patrick). Faced with a stack of bills, Mildred takes a job as a waitress.When Veda ridicules her mother for what she does for a living, even though this work has paid for her expensive singing lessons, Mildred decides to open her own restaurant. With the he...