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Philip Chaffin

@philipchaffin.bsky.social
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
NEXT WED at #TheNoirCollective: One of the first American films hailed as “noir” – and the most honored, with four Oscars, including Best Picture. @ctmillion.bsky.social and I are hosting THE LOST WEEKEND (1945). What happens when you hunger for the American Dream – but can’t quench your thirst
Folks might recall we were due to host this on September 2, but both Bluesky and Internet Archive were having issues. So I’m going on record here and now as saying that come rain or come shine, come hell or high water, come glitching, come buffering – even if CT and I have to host this damn movie on Zoom using sock puppets – we will be watching THE LOST WEEKEND on October 7, and as God as my witness, we will never be thirsty again.
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Reposted by Philip Chaffin
Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Today is Philip’s birthday. I wanted to do something special, so I surprised him by remastering his first solo album, which came out in 2000. It’s songs of the big-band era, and Philip is glorious. If you love the Great American Songbook, I hope you’ll give a listen.😊 music.apple.com/us/album/whe...
music.apple.com
Where Do I Go From You? (2026 Remaster) by Philip Chaffin on Apple Music
Album · 2000 · 14 Songs
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Only #DoctorWho fans will get this. Philip and I went to a sculpture garden today, he took this pic of me, and said I looked great and should post it. But when I look at it, all I see is “Don't blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast. Don't turn your back, don't look away, and don't blink." 🤷‍♂️😅
Tommy being stalked by a Weeping Angel.
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
ONE HOUR to #TheNoirCollective watch party of KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL. We’re premiering a gorgeous print newly restored by Film Masters. 🎉 My cohost CT is stuck at a shoot, so I’ll be posting his notes as well as mine. Currently brushing up on my typing skills. ⬇️ Link: archive.org/details/kans...
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Gregory so enjoyed the recent #TheNoirCollective film where a dog saved the day, we got him a little fedora, so he can be properly attired for future watch parties.
Gregory in his new fedora.
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
(2/2) Great sight gags, funny lines. (“You got the worst manners of any hombre I ever killed.”) We found the performances spot-on and hilarious. (Ida Lupino was a firecracker.) I’m sorry others didn’t care for it, but it was the merriest “new” film I’ve seen in months. 😊 @pmbryant.com #TCMParty
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Reposted by Philip Chaffin
Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Friends here loathed THE GAY DESPERADO when it aired Tuesday on TCM. We finally watched – and loved it. We started laughing at the start and never stopped. We loved the mashup and sendup of genres. The look – incl. shots of huge cacti spoofing Eisenstein’s Mexican footage – had us in stitches. (1/2)
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
THIS WED at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT, @ctmillion.bsky.social and I are co-hosting #TheNoirCollective watch party of KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL (1952), as John Payne, Lee Van Cleef and Neville Brand enjoy a peaceful vacation in Mexico. Well, peaceful for #filmnoir… Link to watch: archive.org/details/kans...
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
NEXT WED at #TheNoirCollective: John Payne discovers that revenge is a dish best served hot. Tropical hot. 🌴 @ctmillion.bsky.social and I are co-hosting KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL (1952) at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT – plus an encore showing with #FrightClub at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT. Join us! 😊
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The Noir Collective @thenoircollective.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
NEXT WED at #TheNoirCollective: John Payne discovers that revenge is a dish best served hot. Tropical hot. 🌴 @tommykrasker.bsky.social & @ctmillion.bsky.social are cohosting KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL (1952) at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT – plus an encore showing with #FrightClub at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT. Join us! 😊
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
From 1938-42, Lucille Ball was known as “Queen of the B’s” at RKO, starring in seven or eight programmers a year. Some were great, most mediocre – but through them, she developed a gift for one-liners, a flair for physical comedy and a relatability that audiences relished. #TheNoirCollective (1/4)
Three of Lucille Ball’s best roles at RKO: opposite Chester Morris in the suspense thriller FIVE CAME BACK (1939); as burlesque queen Bubbles in the feminist-tinged drama DANCE, GIRL, DANCE (1940); and opposite Henry Fonda in the Runyonesque fable THE BIG STREET (1942).
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
#Obsession is the rare film where the characters are initially defined by how they’re acting, not by who they are. We meet them under extreme circumstances, with few insights into their true nature. That will all start to change once a certain dog enters the picture. 🦮 #TheNoirCollective #TCMParty
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
ONE HOUR to #TheNoirCollective #TCMParty live watch party of OBSESSION. Please use both our hashtags. If you’re watching via our link, don’t hit play right on the hour. The TCM host will no doubt speak first; I’ll cue you when the film is starting. Link if you need it: archive.org/details/obse...
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Tonight at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT, join #TheNoirCollective and #TCMParty for OBSESSION (1949), live on TCM. TCM’s theme is “Dog Stars,” so if there’s a dog in your life, bring a pic to post during the watch. After all, aren’t *all* our dogs stars? 🐕‍🦺 Link if you don’t have TCM: archive.org/details/obse...
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
The first album of film music I ever produced was all Leonard Rosenman. (It was my first time producing at Abbey Road. I was petrified! 😅) Leonard was not only a genius composer, but a lovely, generous collaborator. I have such fond memories of those sessions – and Dan’s thread below is a must-read.
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
THIS WED at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT, @vanstanwyck.bsky.social and I are hosting #TheNoirCollective #TCMParty live watch party of OBSESSION (1949). TCM is saluting Dog Stars, so this party is going to the dogs. Details to come! 🐶 @tcmparty.bsky.social Link if you don’t have TCM: archive.org/details/obse...
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
NEXT WED, #TheNoirCollective and #TCMParty are again teaming up for a live watch. What can I say? We tried to stay apart, but can’t fight the OBSESSION (1949). @vanstanwyck.bsky.social and I are hosting this British noir classic. For those without TCM, we’ll supply a link. 😊 @tcmparty.bsky.social
OBSESSION, airing Wednesday, September 9 on TCM at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT. Join us! 😊
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The Noir Collective @thenoircollective.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
NEXT WED, #TheNoirCollective and #TCMParty are again teaming up for a live watch. We tried to stay apart, but can’t fight the OBSESSION (1949). @tommykrasker.bsky.social & @vanstanwyck.bsky.social are hosting this noir classic. And for those without TCM, we’ll supply a link. 😊 @tcmparty.bsky.social
OBSESSION, the British noir classic, airing on TCM on Wednesday, September 9, at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT. Join us! 😊
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
I consider ‘Days and Nights in the Forest’ not only Satyajit Ray’s masterpiece, but one of the greatest films ever made. I’ve been waiting decades for a restoration – and if you don’t know the film, or have only seen it in one of those ghastly YouTube transfers, I urge you to seek it out. ⬇️
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Preston Sturges was #BOTD, and I’ve seen a lot of praise for the films he wrote & directed. But 3 of my 4 favorite Sturges screenplays were directed by others: The Good Fairy (1935) by William Wyler, and Easy Living (1937) and Remember the Night (1940) by Mitchell Leisen. Find them. Savor them. 😊
Frank Morgan and Margaret Sullavan face off in The Good Fairy; Jean Arthur is blinded by a runaway sable coat in Easy Living; Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray encounter a stubborn cow in Remember the Night. 
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Philip says I look ten years younger than when we arrived at the beach on Tuesday. So instead of leaving today as planned, I’ll be staying here however long it takes me to get back to looking 35. You may not see me for a while. 😅
Me at the beach.
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The Noir Collective @thenoircollective.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
NEXT WED at #TheNoirCollective: one of the first American films hailed as “noir” – and the most honored. 4 Oscars, incl. Best Picture. @tommykrasker.bsky.social & @ctmillion.bsky.social host THE LOST WEEKEND (1945). What happens when you hunger for the American Dream – but can’t quench your thirst?
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
A puppy who is loving his beach vacation. 
Gregory at the seashore.
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The Noir Collective @thenoircollective.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
THE LOST WEEKEND (1945) – director Billy Wilder and cinematographer John F. Seitz’s Oscar-winning Best Picture, with Ray Milland as a struggling writer who embarks on a four-day bender – coming next Wednesday at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT. See our pinned post. See you then! 😊 #TheNoirCollective
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
NEXT WED at #TheNoirCollective: One of the first American films hailed as “noir” – and the most honored, with four Oscars, including Best Picture. @ctmillion.bsky.social and I are hosting THE LOST WEEKEND (1945). What happens when you hunger for the American Dream – but can’t quench your thirst?
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The Noir Collective @thenoircollective.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
This Wed at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT, Anne Baxter, Richard Conte, Ann Sothern and Raymond Burr are trapped in Fritz Lang’s tale of urban passion and paranoia. Who will survive? @andrian6.bsky.social hosts #TheNoirCollective watch party of THE BLUE GARDENIA (1953). Link to watch: archive.org/details/the-...
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The Noir Collective @thenoircollective.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
NEXT WEDNESDAY at #TheNoirCollective: After drowning her sorrows with Pearl Divers, Nat King Cole and the wrong man, Anne Baxter awakens to memory loss, a murder charge – and Richard Conte hunting THE BLUE GARDENIA. @andrian6.bsky.social is hosting this 1953 Fritz Lang classic. See you then!
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
And no, it has nothing to do with Episode 2 of THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, also called “Man Hunt,” although Frances Bavier (Aunt Bee) was in the 1952 film Bend of the River, directed by Anthony Mann, whose The Tin Star was scripted by Dudley Nichols, who wrote #ManHunt. 🤷‍♂️ #TheNoirCollective #TCMParty
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
And of course, I’m sure you’re asking yourselves, “Is it anything like that DESIGNING WOMEN episode also called ‘Man Hunt,’ in which Suzanne accompanies Mary Jo to the supermarket to help her land a man?” – and sadly, the answer is no. But here’s a scene from it anyway. #TheNoirCollective #TCMParty
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
ONE HOUR to #TheNoirCollective #TCMParty live watch party of MAN HUNT. Please use both our hashtags. If you’re watching via our link, don’t hit play right on the hour. The TCM host will no doubt speak first; I’ll cue you when the film is starting. Link if you need it: archive.org/details/man-...
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
BTW, if you’ve never seen MAN HUNT, and are curious about the premise – well, if you know #DoctorWho, it’s a little like this episode: #TheNoirCollective #TCMParty
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The Noir Collective @thenoircollective.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
ONE HOUR!!!! #TheNoirCollective #TCMParty
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The Noir Collective @thenoircollective.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
This Wednesday at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT, @tommykrasker.bsky.social is hosting #TheNoirCollective and #TCMParty live watch party of MAN HUNT (1941). We’ll be leaving it to Tommy to make all further announcements. @tcmparty.bsky.social Link to watch if you don’t have TCM: archive.org/details/man-...
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
This Wed at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT, I’m hosting #TheNoirCollective and #TCMParty watch party of MAN HUNT (1941), airing live on TCM. Pull up a chair – and lock your door. This is noir; you never know who’s out there… @tcmparty.bsky.social Link to watch if you don’t have TCM: archive.org/details/man-...
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
I was in the passenger seat, buckled up, holding a puppy and an ice cream cone, and trying to take a selfie. All things considered, I do not think I did too badly. 😅😅
Tommy, Gregory, and espresso gelato.
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The Noir Collective @thenoircollective.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Joan Bennett may not have time for Walter Pidgeon, but you should definitely make time for MAN HUNT (1941) next Wed at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT: our first “live watch” with our friends at #TCMParty. (For those who don’t have TCM, we’ll supply a link.) See our pinned post. See you then! 😊 #TheNoirCollective
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
NEXT WED, #TheNoirCollective and #TCMParty – in an unprecedented feat of derring-do – join forces for a MAN HUNT (1941). I’ll be hosting this proto-noir classic – directed by Fritz Lang – which airs on TCM in our usual slot. And for those without TCM, we’ll be posting a link to watch, as always. 😊
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
1. REMEMBER THE NIGHT (1940) Moving but not mawkish, insightful but not insistent. I know no holiday film as nurturing; it’s been a Xmas tradition in our home for 20 years. (Barbara Stanwyck, as a lady thief, delivers my personal credo: “I told you my mind works differently.”) #TheNoirCollective
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
2. MIDNIGHT (1939) American golddigger Claudette Colbert hits Paris and accepts an unusual offer from John Barrymore. Leisen imbues Brackett and Wilder’s crackerjack script with style, warmth and grace, refusing to sacrifice subtlety for speed. The zenith of the screwball era. #TheNoirCollective
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
3. ARISE, MY LOVE (1940) A screwball that gets serious. American flyer Tom Martin (Ray Milland) and reporter “Gusto” Nash (Claudette Colbert) take turns pursuing each other across Europe, as the continent plunges into chaos. Colbert‘s favorite film; she was never more luminous. #TheNoirCollective
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
4. KITTY (1945) In 1783, cagy Sir Hugh Marcy (Ray Milland) performs a Pygmalion on cockney wench Kitty (Paulette Goddard) to marry her off for money. Perhaps Leisen’s finest, with a cast to die for, incl. Reginald Owen, Constance Collier and – as Gainsborough – Cecil Kellaway. #TheNoirCollective
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
5. HOLD BACK THE DAWN (1941) Stranded in Tijuana, Romanian gigolo Georges Iscovescu (Charles Boyer at his smarmy best) will cross any line to cross into the States. 6 Oscar nods, incl. Best Picture & Best Actress. Olivia de Havilland is revelatory as an unworldly schoolteacher. #TheNoirCollective
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
6. EASY LIVING (1937) Preston Sturges wrote a very verbal comedy; Leisen tempered it with a sumptuous production design (by his favorite Art Director Ernst Fegté) and peppered it with pratfalls. Both a savage sendup of corporate America and the sweetest of screwball fairytales. #TheNoirCollective
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Claudette Colbert reminisced late in life, “I loved working with Mitch. I adored him as a person and admired him as an artist. He was a brilliant visionary, as you undoubtedly know, which was a great help to his cinematographer and gave extra dimension to any script he directed.” #TheNoirCollective
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Ray Milland – who starred in 8 Leisen films – reflected, “He never let an actor down. He cared about every aspect of filmmaking deeply and what’s more, he knew how to get it all up on the screen. He was very adventurous and always trying to find new ways of doing standard things.” #TheNoirCollective
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Because Mitchell Leisen directed only one noir, his name doesn’t come up much at #TheNoirCollective. @vanstanwyck.bsky.social invited me to count down MY 6 FAVORITE LEISEN FILMS. I’m omitting #NoManOfHerOwn to avoid spoilers, but it would sit at #4. Please weigh in with your own favorites. 😊
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Olivia de Havilland (who won an Oscar under Leisen) recalled him as “a marvelous director from an actor’s point of view. He always knew how much rehearsal to give us, and at exactly the right moment, he’d say, ‘Let’s take it.’ You could give everything you had on the first take.” #TheNoirCollective
Olivia de Havilland receiving an Oscar for TO EACH HIS OWN, presented to her by the previous year’s winner, Ray Milland.
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Tommy Krasker @tommykrasker.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
MITCHELL LEISEN has long been one of my top-three Classic Hollywood directors. As one of Paramount’s premier directors from 1933-51, he was equally adept at shaping a script, shooting a scene and sculpting a performance. The stars who worked with Leisen spoke of him glowingly. ⬇️ #TheNoirCollective
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