Category: Timeless Principles

‘No Highway in the Sky’ (1951): Jimmy Stewart as a Conspiracy Theorist

Commentary If you are even casually interested in old movies, you doubtless know about James Stewart. Often affectionately called Jimmy, this Golden Era actor was a true American, often depicting inspiringly patriotic characters in Frank Capra movies. However, his filmography includes dozens of movies which are largely forgotten but deserve to be rediscovered. One such…


‘It Happened One Night’ (1934): Frank Capra’s Pre-Code Oscar Winner

Commentary The 95th Academy Awards are taking place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday, March 12. The 95th year! It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost a whole century since the first Oscars were handed out at a short, private ceremony at the Blossom Ballroom in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. I applied…


‘The Bride Goes Wild’ (1948): Uncle Bumps and the Schoolteacher

Commentary “The Bride Goes Wild” is an unfortunate name for a great movie. This 1948 romantic comedy stars Van Johnson and June Allyson in their third of five movie pairings. It really isn’t about a bride for most of the movie, and she certainly doesn’t go wild. Based on lead couple’s characters, “Uncle Bumps and…


‘Her Highness and the Bellboy’ From 1945: Royalty and Romance

Commentary “Her Highness and the Bellboy” from 1945 is an MGM film produced by Joe Pasternak starring Hedy Lamarr, Robert Walker, and June Allyson. It has become an obscure film, but it was a big hit for the studio upon its original release. Although made at the height of World War II, the film includes…


‘Housewife’ From 1934: A Pre-Code Crossover

Commentary “Housewife” is a 1934 film starring George Brent, Ann Dvorak, and a young Bette Davis. To be accurate, all three of the lead actors are young here, but Bette is noticeably more youthful than in her later, more famous roles. Movies from the early 1930s have a distinct style, and they offer fascinating insight…


‘Breakfast in Hollywood’ From 1946: Movie Stars on the Radio

Commentary Have you ever heard of Tom Breneman? Although he isn’t a big name anymore, this radio personality was the host of a 1940s radio show which attracted ten million listeners daily, “Breakfast in Hollywood.” The show became so successful that, in 1946, it inspired a movie of the same name, which was produced by…


‘Key to the City’ From 1950: Gable Goes Back to San Francisco

Commentary In 1936, Clark Gable made a very successful film called “San Francisco.” Starring alongside Jeanette MacDonald and Spencer Tracy, he played a tough nightclub owner on the Barbary Coast around the turn of the century. His character runs for public office to clean things up in the low rent district. Fourteen years later, he…


Retired Colonel Reads ‘How Humankind Came to Be,’ Receives Dream of ‘Lifeline to Heaven’

After Jim Smith read “How Humankind Came to Be” by Mr. Li Hongzhi, the English translation of which is now published on The Epoch Times’ website, he had what felt like “a semi-conscious dream.” In it, he was grabbing onto a “lifeline” to heaven. “If you do something wrong, or you sin, you lose your grip,”…


‘Young Mr. Lincoln’ From 1939: A Classic Movie About Our 16th President

Commentary Who is the most famous or beloved president of all time? Judging by Hollywood’s Golden Era, I would wager that Abraham Lincoln was the most revered former president in the 1930s-50s. Countless movies refer to Honest Abe as a role model and inspiration of determination. Depictions of the sixteenth president were also very common…


Doctors See Hope for the World in ‘How Humankind Came to Be’

When Dr. Ananias Diokno saw the article “How Humankind Came to Be” by Mr. Li Hongzhi, published by The Epoch Times, he was curious as to what answer the author would supply. “I think I know,” Dr. Diokno thought. “It is by evolution or by Creation, which is a discussion that has been going on.” But…