I am working on the essay for best picture of 1931-32. Eight hundred words and I've only just cleared my throat—wait until I really get going!Been busy lately. Not only was Monday opening day, with Katie-Bar-The-Door and I joining Mister Muleboy, The Amazing Ms. M, Bellotoot and Yodel Heidi to take in the ongoing disaster that is the Washington Nationals, but I've been preparing for the next go-round of Katie Award nominations. 1932-33 wasn't just the single longest award season ever covered by an Oscar ceremony—encompassing all movies released during a seventeen month period running from August 1, 1932 to December 31, 1933, as the Academy prepared to abandon its nutty split-year scheme—it was also one of the richest periods in movie history, with classics such as King Kong, Duck Soup, Trouble in Paradise and Dinner at Eight leading the way.
I've watched no fewer than fifty movies in the process of coming up with a list of nominees, which is great fun but takes time away from writing. Hopefully you'll agree with my choices—or more to the point, you'll know where to look to find your own choices.
In the meantime, here's a picture of Jean Harlow and Clark Gable from the classic adventure-romance, Red Dust.
