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Since Halloween is a few days away, I thought it would only be appropriate if this week on «Film Friday» I brought you a horror picture. Although I'm not a fan of the genre, I loved this particular film. As the poster claims, «You'll get the shock of your life!» Directed by Jack Clayton, The Innocents (1961) begins when Miss Giddens (Deborah Kerr), a minister's daughter, is engaged by the wealthy master of Bly House (Michael Redgrave) as governess for his niece Flora (Pamela Franklin) and his nephew Miles (Martin Stephens). Upon arriving at Bly, Miss Giddens is warmly greeted by Flora and Mrs. Grose (Megs Jenkins), the housekeeper. Soon after, she receives a letter from Miles's boarding school explaining that he is being expelled for attempting to corrupt his fellow students. Mrs. Grose assures her that Miles is not a bad child, but Miss Giddens is apprehensive about meeting the boy. When Miles returns to Bly, he appears to be an angelic, well-mannered child, and Mis...

In honor of Deborah Kerr's 95th birthday, which is today, this week on «Film Friday» I bring you what is perhaps one of her best remembered pictures. This is one of my personal favourites of hers, and also the film that made me a Robert Mitchum fan.   Directed by John Huston, Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957) begins when United States Marine Corporal Allison (Robert Mitchum) finds himself stranded on a deserted South Pacific island in 1944. He finds an abandoned settlement and a chapel with one occupant, Sister Angela (Deborah Kerr), an Irish Catholic novice nun who has not yet taken her final vows. She herself has only landed there a few days before with Father Philips, who has since died. Despite their extreme differences in backgrounds and outlooks, their are respectful of each other's vocation and soon form a close bond. For a while, Allison and Sister Angela have the bountiful island completely to themselves, but then a detachment of Japanese troops arrives to set up a w...

Ava Gardner and Deborah Kerr on the set of The Night of the Iguana (1964).

This week on "Film Friday," I am celebrating Cary Grant's 112th birthday (which was on Monday) by telling you about one of my absolute favorites of his films. It has also been considered one of the most romantic films of all time by the American Film Institute. Theatrical release poster Directed by Leo McCarey, An Affair to Remember (1957) tells the story of fail ed artist Nickie Ferrante (Cary Grant) and nightclub si nger Terry McKay (Deborah Kerr) , who meet aboard a luxury liner headed for New York from Italy. They are instantly attracted to one another, even though they are both already engaged — Nickie to socialite Lois C la rk (Neva Patterson) and Terry to K enneth Bradley (Richard Denning). They kindle their attraction by spending a romantic afternoon in Villefranche with Nickie's grandmother, Janou (Cathleen Nesbitt), who seems to think that Terry is the "right" woman for her grandson. Upon their return to the ship, the couple dec...