Lucky Star (1929)

History Is Made at Night (Frank Borzage, 1937)

Moonrise (1948) dir. Frank Borzage

7th Heaven (Frank Borzage, 1927)

Man's Castle (Frank Borzage, 1933)

Marlene Dietrich, director Frank Borzage, and Gary Cooper on set of DESIRE (1936)

His Butler’s Sister (1943)

7th Heaven (Frank Borzage, 1927)

my Top Ten By Year Zine: 1930 is now on sale! i am not expecting any traction here but i figured what the hell! i have spent the last many months working on this 20-page zine dedicated to a year from one of film history's most fascinating micro-eras (Sound Gets Situated). having ten films to write about is both a jumping off-point and culmination but it's about so much more than that. it's about traversing through a year in film to the best of my ability, picking up memories and observations along the way. this zine features original collage work on every page, an essay, memories across over 50 films from 1930, and writing on 10 films of my choosing (people on sunday, city girl, king of jazz, madam satan, "dance of the hands", the big house, au bonheur des dames, ladies of leisure, laughter, and liliom). this is a labor of love for anyone who loves or appreciates film.

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended the PACKED Lobotomy Room film club presentation of ultra stylish romantic comedy Desire (1936) at Fontaine’s on 15 February 2024! What a perfect conclusion to “Valentine’s Week!” I suspect everyone present has a raging crush on both Marlene Dietrich and Gary Cooper now (assuming they didn’t have one already). Some final thoughts (and stuff I really should have included in my introduction!):

If you were wondering whether Cooper and Dietrich had “intimate knowledge” of each other – the answer is yes! The duo famously had a fling when they made the movie Morocco (1930) together. I’m unsure if they resumed their affair during production of Desire six years later – but their sexual chemistry was genuine!

I was wrong! I assumed that any time we saw Dietrich and Cooper “in Europe” it was probably Californian locations masquerading as Paris or the Spanish riviera (and let’s face it – there was loads of rear projection whizzing past every time they got behind a car!), but according to Wikipedia, “The film was shot at Paramount Studios and at the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, California and, unusual for its time, on location in France and Spain.”

Desire is truly a movie to luxuriate in. Those lavish production values! The Art Deco art design right down to the last detail (note those incredible glass cups Dietrich sips from every time she drinks coffee)!

Speaking of which: Dietrich travels with a modest amount of luggage but seems to have an infinite wardrobe of spectacular Travis Banton creations!

I love British character actress Zeffie Tilbury’s guest star appearance as criminal gang boss lady “Aunt Olga” towards the end!

Remember – the Lobotomy Room club is third Thursday of every month, so the next installment is 21 March 2024. I’ll announce the featured movie soon!

Little Man, What Now? (Frank Borzage, 1934)

Lucky Star (1929)

Kathryn Grayson-Van Heflin "Seven sweethearts" 1942, de Frank Borzage.

Moonrise (1948) dir. Frank Borzage

7th Heaven (Frank Borzage, 1927)

History Is Made at Night (Frank Borzage, 1937)