Fred Astaire 4-Film Collection (1948-1968, Warner Archive Collection, 4 Blu-rays, NR or G, 473 min.). This musical collection includes four films dancer Fred Astaire made after he retired in 1946, the year before he created the Fred Astaire dance Studios. They include two of his all-time best films in “Easter Parade” with Judy Garland, the film that ended his retirement, and “The Band Wagon,” his first film with Cyd Charisse. Also in this collection are “Silk Stockings,” again with Charisse, and “Finian’s Rainbow,” his final musical and an early film by director Francis Ford Coppola. The films are reviewed individually.

“Easter Parade” aka “Irving Berlin’s Easter Parade” (1948, NR, 103 min.). The wonderful film, which features 17 Irving Berlin songs, opens with Fred Astaire as vaudevillian performer Don Hewes shopping, while singing “Happy Easter.” In the best part, Hewes, stops into a store where both he and a young boy (Jimmy Bates) want to purchase a large rabbit toy. To take the boy’s interest off the rabbit, Hewes sings “Drum Crazy,” while dancing and playing several drums, including some with his hands and head.

Hewes is part of a successful vaudeville/nightclub act, Nadine & Hewes, but when he delivers his Easter presents to Nadine Hale (Ann Miller of “On the Town,” “Kiss Me Kate”), she informs him the she is leaving the act for a solo career. Afterwards, while talking to bartender Mike (Clinton Sundberg of “Annie Get Your Gun”), Hewes declares that he can make any woman his successful dance partner. To fulfill this “My Fair Lady”-like boast, Hewes selects Hannah Brown (Judy Gardland of “The Wizard of Oz,” “A Star Is Born,” “Meet Me in St. Louis”), one of the dancing girls at the bar. He does not stay long enough to hear that her real skill is in singing.

In addition to getting to train with Hewes, despite needing a garter to tell her left leg from her right, Hannah meets “Professor” Jonathan Harrow (Peter Lawford of “Ocean’s Eleven,” “The Longest Day”), a friend of Hewes. While Harrow falls for Hannah, he defers to Hewes, as that is who Hannah comes to love.

The film the follows the rise of Hannah and Hewes. Musical highlights include Astaire’s extended dance number for “Steppin’ Out with My Baby” – in one portion, Astaire is dancing in slow motion, while the rest of the cast is behind him in regular speed – and the Astaire-Garland duet on “A Couple of Swells,” with both dressed as tramps, including blackened teeth. “Swells” utilizes a conveyer belt on stage. There also is a four-song vaudeville medley.

The film won an Academy Award for Best Music, Scoring by Johnny Green and Roger Edens.

The disc is stuffed with extras, including audio commentary by Astaire’s daughter Ava Astaire McKenzie and Garland biographer John Fricke; and the making-of documentary, “Easter Parade on the Avenue” (34:25), with Fricke, screenwriter Sidney Shelton, Miller and grown-up Bates among those interviewed. The latter reveals that Gene Kelly was to have starred, but he broke his ankle the weekend before shooting started, and Miller replaced Cyd Charisse, after she tore leg ligaments. Miller explains she wore a back brace during her dance numbers.

In addition, there is Garland’s “Mr. Monotony” outtake (3:09) and dailies (18:11); a radio promo with Astaire (4:24); and the March 22, 1951 Screen Guild Theater radio broadcast of the show with Garland, Kelly, Lawford and Monica Lewis (54 min.). Grade: film 4 stars; extras 3.75

“The Band Wagon” (1953, NR, 112 min.). The film is a backstage look at putting on a musical. It was directed by Vincente Minnelli (“Meet Me in St. Louis,” “Gigi,” “An American in Paris”) and was written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green (“Auntie Mame,” “Singin’ in the Rain”). It garnered Oscar nominations for writing, music scoring and costume design.

The narrative follows a would-be musical through all the stages of writing, casting, production, choreography, rehearsals, failure on the road and eventual Broadway triumph. Starring Jack Buchanan, Nanette Fabray and Oscar Levant, the musical is built around the song catalog of lyricist Howard Dietz and composer Arthur Schwartz, who also contributed one new song, the iconic "That's Entertainment."

Fred Astaire, as Tony Hunter, dazzles in numbers set in a train station ("By Myself"), a penny arcade ("A Shine on Your Shoes"), a backlot Central Park ("Dancing in the Dark") and a smoky cafe ("The Girl Hunt Ballet"), the latter two with Cyd Charisse. There also is “Triplets,” with the three starting out in high chairs and then dancing on their knees to appear as if they had baby short legs. The film ends with “The Girl Hunt Ballet” by Charisse (character Gabrielle Gerard); Charisse was trained as a ballet dancer.

Extras include audio commentary by Liza Minnelli (the director and Judy Garland's daughter) and Michael Feinstein; a 1973 TV special, “The Men Who Made the movies,” on Vincente Minnelli (58:25); the making-of documentary, “Get Aboard! The Band Wagon” (37:09), with Schwartz’s son Jonathan, Comden and Green, Liza Minnelli, Fabray, choreographer Michael Kidd and Charisse; a short of Buchanan performing with The Glee Quartet (6 min.); and the cartoon “The Three Little Pups” (6:46). Grade: film 4 stars; extras 3.75 stars

“Silk Stockings” (1957, NR, 117 min.). In this musical, suggested by “Ninotchka” by Melchoir Lengyel, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse are paired again. Set in Paris, Astaire is Steve Canfield, a film producer who has convinced Russian classical pianist Peter Boroff (Wim Sonneveld) to allow his music to be adapted for the film. Russia, however, wants Boroff to return home, away from the excesses of the West. Canfield, falsely, claims Boroff’s father was a French traveling salesman.

Russian Commissar of Arts Vassili Markovitch (George Tobias of “Sergeant York,” “The Set-Up”) sends three agents to bring back Boroff. They are Bibinski (Jules Munshin of “On the Town,” “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”), Ivanov (Joseph Buloff of “Reds,” “Somebody Up There Likes Me”) and Brankov (Peter Lorre of “The Maltese Falcon,” “M,” “Casablanca” and, see below, “Stranger on the Third Floor”). The choice of Lorre was an unusual one, as the three Russian agents are played mostly for laughs as they get seduced by liquor, women and the freer Western lifestyle. The trio sings the comic “Siberia.”

When the three agents fail their mission, Markovitch sends strict Ninotchka Yoschenko (Charisse) to bring back all four. However, once there, she is wooed by Canfield, even though she says “dancing is a waste of time” as one goes nowhere. However, Canfield’s charm and Western clothes soon have Ninotchka dancing in her hotel room. (For dance purposes, all the locations are very wide open.)

Janis Paige (“Please Don’t Eat the Daisies,” “Romance on the High Seas”) plays Peggy Dayton, the American actress who is to star in Canfield’s film.

As in “Easter Parade,” there is quite an age difference between Astair and his leading lady, and the late “The Ritz, Roll and Rock” seems a bit-forced rock number to try and bring Astaire up to date with current musical trends.

Extras include “Cole Porter in Hollywood” (10:15), with host Charisse, Adnre Previn and Paige; “Paree, Paree,” starring Bob Hope and Dorothy Stone, who both sing as the short has five Cole Porter songs (20:53; “Find Me a Primitive Man” is a highlight); an MGM orchestra performing “Poet and Peasant Overture” (9:07); and the ability to go directly to the musical numbers. Grade: film 3.25 stars; extras 3 stars

“Finian’s Rainbow” (1968, G, 145 min.). Fred Astaire plays Finian McLonergan, an Irish immigrant looking for Rainbow Valley with his daughter Sharon (recording star Petula Clark of “Goodbye, Mr. Chips,” “The Runaway Bus”). Finian has stolen a leprechaun’s pot of gold, which he plans to plant somewhat near Fort Knox, so it will multiply. After wandering on foot throughout the country during the opening credits, they arrive at Rainbow Valley just in time to stop racist Senator Billboard Rawkins (Keenan Wynn of “Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb”) from acquiring Woody Mahoney’s property for back taxes.

Mahoney (Don Francks of “My Bloody Valentine”) and research botanist Howard (Al Freeman Jr. of “Malcolm X,” TV’s “One Life to Live”) have crossbred menthol and tobacco, but the crop has yet to burn, as it actually puts out fires. Mahoney gives an acre and a home to Finian as he helped pay the taxes. Mahoney also falls for Sharon, and she for him, although it becomes a triangle when leprechaun Og (a fun Tommy Steele of “Half a Sixpence,” “The Happiest Millionaire”) shows up to get his gold back, but also falls for Sharon. Og later falls for Susan the Silent (ballet dancer Barbara Hancock), singing the classic “When I’m Not Near the Girl I Love.”

Speaking of the songs, several are catchy, composed by Burton Lane (“On a Clear Day You See Forever”) with lyricist E.Y. Harburg (“The Wizard of Oz”). They include Sharon’s homesickness derived "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?" and “Old Devil Moon.”

A subplot that does not age well has Sharon’s wish transform the bigoted senator into an African-American, which causes her to be accused of witchcraft. The Broadway show began in 1947 and ran for 725 performances.

The film is an early one by director Francis Ford Coppola (the “Godfather” trilogy, “Apocalypse Now”) and could have used some work on its book.

Extras include an audio commentary and introduction (5:26) by Coppola; a look at the Broadway premiere (25:37); and the ability to go directly to a musical number. Grade: film 3 stars; extras 2 stars

Rating guide: 5 stars = classic; 4 stars = excellent; 3 stars = good; 2 stars = fair; dog = skip it

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Tarzan and His Mate (1934, Warner Archive Collection, Blu-ray, NR, 104 min.). This is the second, and best, of the six Tarzan films made by Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O’Sullivan, who play Tarzan and Jane, for MGM.

Martin Arlington (Paul Cavanagh of “Flame of Calcutta,” TV’s “Jungle Jim”) has come to Africa to search for the Elephants’ Graveyard, with Tarzan the only white man to know the way. He is traveling with Harry Holt (Neil Hamilton of “Tarzan the Ape Man,” TV’s “Batman”), who is still in love with Jane. They talk Jane into asking Tarzan to being their guide, but do not let him know that they plan to take all the ivory they find. It is a 14-day trek to Mutia Escarpment, the mountain ridge which natives will not allow whites to pass over.

Interestingly, Holt brings along new fashions for Jane and even a gramophone in an attempt to woo her from Tarzan. Arlington takes a more physical approach, which Jane rejects and which pisses off Tarzan. When Tarzan learns of the planned ivory looting, he stops guiding the group, but Holt shoots an elephant, so it will be dying and lead them to the graveyard.

Action highlights include natives attacking the convoy and apes throwing rocks on the party as they climb the mountain. Fun moments have ape Cheetah climbing on Tarzan and Tarzan examining the gramophone and Jane’s gown.

This edition of the film restores Hays office cuts, including Jane’s lengthy semi-nude morning swim, some topless tribal women and some of the warfare action. There is plenty of jungle danger in the film, with Tarzan fighting a rhino and then an alligator underwater, and Jane being threatened by a leopard and alligators. Tarzan even gets knocked out by a bullet graze.

Extras include two shorts, “What Price Jazz” (17:04) with Ted Fiorito & His Orchestra, and “The Spectacle Maker” musical (20:15). Grade: film 3.75 stars; extras 2 stars

Mogambo (1953, Warner Archive Collection, Blu-ray, NR, 116 min.). Clark Gable stars in this remake of Victor Fleming's steamy pre-code 1932 classic “Red Dust,” which also starred Gable. Both were adaptations of the same material, but this, John Ford's version, is a more picturesque Technicolor production. Most of the cast members and character names are changed, plus the setting is moved from a Vietnamese rubber plantation to the African savannah. In ways, the film is as much a travelogue as the lightly smoldering love triangle between the three main characters. The on-location shoot is a highlight of the film.

This time Gable plays Victor Marswell, who oversees a remote African outpost with his business partner John “Brownie” Brown-Pryce (Philip Stainton) and their alcoholic employee, Leon Boltchak (Eric Pohlmann). In addition to leading hunting safaris, Marswell captures live animals for zoos and other purposes.

Marswell is surprised to have a new guest in Eloise "Honey Bear" Kelly (Ava Gardner), who is waiting for the next week’s boat out. She is elegant, but sharp-tongued. Nonetheless, his annoyance turns to romance during the week. Marswell ignores her departure as Linda and Donald Nordley (Grace Kelly and Donald Sinden), a married couple, arrive, hoping to study apes. The husband falls sick from a preventative shot and Marswell gets closer to Linda. Then Eloise’s boat is damaged and she is back staying at the camp.

Marswell continues to mostly ignore Eloise, who seems not to mind that much and, in fact, tries to warn Linda about how he acts.

The film has a nice gorilla sequence and Marswell’s test of courage provides some excitement.

Extras include a James A. FitzPatrick Traveltalk, “Land of the Ugly Duckling,” on Hans Christian Andersen and Denmark (8:55), and the Tom and Jerry cartoon “Just Ducky” (6:54). Grade: film 3 stars; extras 2 stars

Stranger on the Third Floor (1940, Warner Archive Collection, Blu-ray, NR, 64 min.). Peter Lorre (“Silk Stockings” above) is his more menacing usual self in this efficient thriller, directed by Boris Ingster. Ingster only directed two more films, but he was a producer on TV’s “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” The film has been considered one of the first film noirs.

In the film, aspiring reporter Michael Ward (John McGuire of “Your Uncle Dudley”) is the key witness at the murder trial of young Joe Briggs (Elisha Cook Jr. of “The Big Sleep,” “The Maltese Falcon,” “House on Haunted Hill,” “Rosemary’s Baby”), who is accused of cutting a café owner's throat. While Ward’s fiancée Jane (Margaret Tallichet of “It Started with Eve”) feels the evidence is too circumstantial, Briggs is found guilty, mainly due to a prior conviction for stealing $5 form a gas station, and is sentenced to death. Weirdly, the judge and some jurors fall asleep during the trial; I guess because it was a slam-dunk case.

 Soon, there is a second, similar murder in Ward’s apartment building, with the victim someone Ward has publicly threatened. Since Ward found the victim in both cases, he is accused of the neighbor’s murder. There are lots of Ward’s inner thoughts given, especially as he wonders if it would have been better had he not seen Briggs next to the body, even though that led to a $12 raise, which meant he could now marry Jane.

Lorre plays the actual unhinged murderer, who ends up threatening and confessing to Jane.

Extras include the Merrie Melodies cartoons “Ceiling Hero” (8:49) and “Wacky Wildlife” (7:40); and three “Mystery in the Air” radio episodes, each narrated by Lorre. They are “Beyond Good and Evil” (28:58), “Crime and Punishment” (25:40) and “The Mask of Medusa” (29:01). Grade: film 3.25 stars; extras 2.75 stars

Blue Moon (2025, Sony Pictures Classics, Blu-ray, R, 100 min.). The wonderfully-written and well-acted film tells the story of one night in the life of lyricist Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke of “Training Day,” two “Black Phone” films, TV’s “The American Revolution”). Hart, of course, is best known as half of the successful songwriting team of Rodgers and Hart, with Richard Rodgers the composer half.

The evening is March 31, 1943, arguably the worst night of Hart’s life, as it is the opening night of the new Broadway musical “Oklahoma!” written by Rodgers and his new lyricist partner Oscar Hammerstein II (Simon Delaney). Even Hart foretells it will be the biggest hit in Rodgers' already illustrious career. Rodgers (Andrew Scott of “Spectre,” “Victor Frankenstein”) took the pause in working with Hart due to his alcoholism and unreliability as a working partner. Hart, who left the show’s premiere early, is very bitter about the situation, taking jabs at the show and especially Hammerstein's lyrics, while still trying to appear supportive.

Hart, 47 and seven months before his death, is now at Sardi's, which later that evening will be the site of the post-show gathering in wait of critic reviews. Hart commiserates with bartender Eddie (Bobby Cannavale of “The Station Agent,” “Ant-Man”), filling him in on his upcoming “date” with 20-year-old Elizabeth Weiland (Margaret Qualley of “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,” TV’s “Fosse/Verdon”), a Yale student with whom he hopes his platonic friendship will become romantic.

Hart also spends a lot of time talking with writer E.B. “Andy” White (Patrick Kennedy of TV’s “The Queen’s Gambit”), whom he recognizes at a nearby table. In a cute bit, Hart is introduced student George Roy Hill (David Rawle of TV’s “Moone Boy,” “Small Town, Big Story”), the future director of “The Sting” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” among others. Hart tells Hill to do friendship stories, not love stories.

The film earned Oscar nominations for Hawke as Best Actor and for Robert Kaplow for Best Original Screenplay. Grade: film 3.25 stars

Knock Knock Ghost: The Complete First Season (Canada, 2014, OutTV, 2 Blu-rays, NR, 307 min.). The reality series, which lasted three seasons, is hosted by comedian Richard Ryder, who appears with actor Brian Doyle, as well as psychic medium/paranormal researcher Jim Hunt. The group travels to six locations in Ontario, Canada that are supposed to be haunted and conducts experiments to test whether it is possible to prove the existence of ghosts.

Ryder brings some humor, and a bit of vulgarity – mostly to the introductions – and Doyle basically acts scared. Most of the humor comes during outtakes as the closing credits are shown. Whether they prove there are ghosts is up in the air as Hunt is the only one who sees and communicates with the ghosts. Frankly, he could be making it all up.

Some orbs – traveling lights that supposedly represent spirits – are captured on camera, and the spirit box Hunt uses sometimes picks up a word or a phrase. The locations include Fort George at Niagara on the Lake, the Grand Theatre in London, Fort Henry in Kingston, Blythewood Manor in Niagara Falls and the St. Thomas Psychiatric Ward in St. Thomas. The history of the locations is interesting. I am still not sure about the presence of ghosts. Grade: season 3 stars

Loopy De Loop: The Complete Collection (1959-1965, Warner Archive Collection, 2 Blu-rays, NR, 315 min.). Loopy De Loop is a French-Canadian wolf with a mission: to change wolves' image. It is not an easy job, even for a loup as charming as Loopy, as the poor fellow is usually rewarded with a smack on his head. However, hope springs eternal in the heart of this non-savage beast as he tries to undo wolf's big, bad reputation by rendering aid to the likes of Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Little Bo Beep, Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, D'Artagnan, Dr. Jekyll and others with hilarious results.

Loopy (voiced by Daws Butler of “Yogi Bear”) is a gentleman wolf who speaks English with a marked Québecois accent. He always wears a characteristic tuque knit cap and scarf. A self-appointed Good Samaritan, he tirelessly fights to clear the bad name of wolves and opens every short with his trademark introduction "I am Loopy De Loop, the good wolf."

The animated theatrical series was produced and directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera after they left MGM and opened their new studio, Hanna-Barbera Productions. There were 48 cartoons produced and released to theatres by Columbia Pictures. Grade: collection 3.5 stars