From The Nation archives, reviews of a dozen vintage films reflecting “the hardships and aspirations of Americans in the first Great Depression”: Metropolis (1927) The Jazz Singer (1927) City Lights (1931) King Kong (1933) It Happened One Night (1935) A Night of the Opera (1935) Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) Ninotchka (1939) Of Mice and Men (1939) The Grapes [...]
Archive for March 7th, 2009
Movies for Hard Times: Classic Reviews of Depression-Era Films from “The Nation” Archives
Posted in American History, Cinema, Economy, Popular Culture on March 7, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
The Book(s) of Lies: Books British Readers Lie About Reading
Posted in Books, Europe, Literature on March 7, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
“In Woody Allen’s clever 1983 mockumentary ‘Zelig,’ the title character lies about having read ‘Moby-Dick’ so he can fit in with the crowd – kicking off a career as a face-changing human chameleon. “Turns out there are a lot of Zeligs around: a recent survey found that more than two-thirds of respondents admitted to lying about having read [...]
Heinrich Boll, Karl Marx Papers Lost in Cologne Archive Collapse
Posted in Architecture, Books, Europe, Literature, Museums & Exhibitions, Writers & Writing on March 7, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
“For the best part of a decade, the heirs of German writer and Nobel prize laureate Heinrich Böll worked on hammering out a deal with the city of Cologne over the transfer of his private papers to the state archives. “Three weeks ago, city officials held a special ceremony to mark the historic handover: for [...]
Today’s Sign of the Apocalypse: “Reader’s Digest” Prepares for Bankruptcy
Posted in Business, Economy, Magazines & Newspapers, Sign of the Apocalypse on March 7, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
“Reader’s Digest Association Inc., the closely held magazine publisher, hired law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP to explore restructuring options including a possible bankruptcy filing, a person familiar with the situation said.” (via Bloomberg) [While I have never been a reader of the Digest, and have always scoffed at their library of "condensed books," Reader's Digest was [...]
