Any one else seen This Property Is Condemned? It was made in the mid-'60s but set in Mississippi in the '30s. Mama Starr runs a boarding house for railroad men with the help of her daughters, the beautiful Alva and the tomboy Willie. One day, Owen Legate arrives at the boarding house and turns everything upside down -- he's a railroad man who has to make recommendations on who will and won't continue to work for the railroad during the Depression, and then Alva falls in love with him.

I was surprised that this one isn't better known. Natalie Wood and Robert Redford play Alva and Owen, with Mary Badham (she played Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird) as Willie. Charles Bronson plays Mama's boyfriend (Papa Starr is long gone before the movie starts), and Robert Blake has a minor role. Tennessee Williams wrote the one-act play that inspired the movie. Francis Ford Coppola has a writing credit, and Sidney Pollack directed.

Wood's performance as the Tennessee Williams heroine is amazing -- she clearly would have made a superior Blanche DuBois. Redford seems content to let Wood carry the movie, which was probably a wise decision even if it is hard to believe that he loves her as much as she loves him.

The plot has a few twists, even if most of them won't surprise anyone familiar with Williams' work -- imagine Amanda Wingfield and Blanche DuBois as mother and daughter, and you're halfway there. But it's far too well done to be forgotten as it has been.

Where did you see it, Fred? I've always meant to watch it -- I like Natalie Wood and Robert Redford together.

I remember seeing The Uninvited years ago ... would love to see it again. Not too long ago, I came across a DVD with Cat People and Curse of the Cat People (the Val Lewton versions). I'd seen both before, but was glad to watch them again.

I've seen This Property Is Condemned when it showed back on AMC in the long ago times. It's beautifully shot and Mississippi is so lush. Natalie is very good in it, and at the peak of her beauty.

It's one of Mary Badham's only credits aside from Mockingbird, though she did also appear in the very last episode of The Twilight Zone ("The Bewitchin' Pool").

for those who might be interested, the trailer for The Witches (from the Roald Dahl story of that name).

Oh! I forgot to mention last week that my next-door neighbor and I streamed Antebellum. It turned out not to be what I expected, but very good nonetheless. Likely surprising no one, Janelle Monáe is extremely good in the lead role.

I played the girl in the one act when I was in high school. Great play.

Where did you see it, Fred? I've always meant to watch it -- I like Natalie Wood and Robert Redford together.

I recorded it from TCM. They showed it last month in their tribute to Natalie Wood.

If you haven't heard, Dune is now scheduled to open in October 2021.

NYFF Virtual Cinema report:

As you may recall, I got tix for Nomadland, La Nuit des rois/Night of the Kings, and Undine, the latter of which finally came available last night. I'm sorry to say that, while I loved Paula Beer (as always), for me, Undine did not live up to Phoenix or Transit. Still, it has a great atmosphere and performances, so if you have a higher tolerance for magical realism than I do (which almost anyone does) you might just love it.

The other two were absolutely fantastic. I can't recommend them highly enough. Along with First Cow, my favorites of the year so far. As someone who wanted to like The Rider more than I did, I was glad to see Chloe Zhao hit it out of the park with Nomadland. I can't imagine it not being up for multiple Oscars. In a just world La Nuit des rois also would be, but we'll see. It is the Cote d'Ivoire's submission for Best International feature and it is all about storytelling so I would think it would get a nomination at least.