ReelRDEF
@raydef.bsky.social
Filmmaker, Jazz Pianist, Blogger, Podcaster, Vintage Movie/Music/Urban History obsessive
Silent stars faced challenges in getting audiences accustomed to their voices.Nobody got screwed as bad as John Gilbert. See the dashing silent Gilbert and the Gilbert with the high-tenor voiced that sounds a little like Ralph Kamden in the episode where they do that play.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Blog - Movies 'Til Dawn
Welcome to "Movies Til Dawn", the official blog for Raymond De Felitta, Academy Award-Nominated director and jazz pianist.
raymonddefelitta.org
September 11, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Silent stars faced challenges in getting audiences accustomed to their voices.Nobody got screwed as bad as John Gilbert. See the dashing silent Gilbert and the Gilbert with the high-tenor voiced that sounds a little like Ralph Kamden in the episode where they do that play.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Silent film vamp legend Theda Bara went on the radio in 1936 and reminisced about silent movie making with director W.S. Van Dyke. A short, invaluable snippet of the audio survives and is a must listen for any true classic film fan.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Blog - Movies 'Til Dawn
Welcome to "Movies Til Dawn", the official blog for Raymond De Felitta, Academy Award-Nominated director and jazz pianist.
raymonddefelitta.org
September 10, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Silent film vamp legend Theda Bara went on the radio in 1936 and reminisced about silent movie making with director W.S. Van Dyke. A short, invaluable snippet of the audio survives and is a must listen for any true classic film fan.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
The legendary 'vamp' Theda Bara, long thought to be an exotic, erotic Arab princess with dark fatalistic qualities turns out to be a pleasant and amusing woman with a good sense of humor about herself in a 1939 radio show appearance.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Blog - Movies 'Til Dawn
Welcome to "Movies Til Dawn", the official blog for Raymond De Felitta, Academy Award-Nominated director and jazz pianist.
raymonddefelitta.org
September 9, 2025 at 6:57 PM
The legendary 'vamp' Theda Bara, long thought to be an exotic, erotic Arab princess with dark fatalistic qualities turns out to be a pleasant and amusing woman with a good sense of humor about herself in a 1939 radio show appearance.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Two 'sex symbols' from very different eras--Theda Bara and Rita Hayworth--both played Salome. Dig Rita's 'Dance of the Seven Veils' from her 1953 Salome' as well as 'Put The Blame On Mame' from 'Gilda'. Bara's version is another story.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Blog - Movies 'Til Dawn
Welcome to "Movies Til Dawn", the official blog for Raymond De Felitta, Academy Award-Nominated director and jazz pianist.
raymonddefelitta.org
September 4, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Two 'sex symbols' from very different eras--Theda Bara and Rita Hayworth--both played Salome. Dig Rita's 'Dance of the Seven Veils' from her 1953 Salome' as well as 'Put The Blame On Mame' from 'Gilda'. Bara's version is another story.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
'Salome', made in 1918 and starring the mysterious and fascinating Theda Bara, is a lost film. Except for two minutes of precious fragments, recently rediscovered!. Here they are:
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Blog - Movies 'Til Dawn
Welcome to "Movies Til Dawn", the official blog for Raymond De Felitta, Academy Award-Nominated director and jazz pianist.
raymonddefelitta.org
September 3, 2025 at 8:22 PM
'Salome', made in 1918 and starring the mysterious and fascinating Theda Bara, is a lost film. Except for two minutes of precious fragments, recently rediscovered!. Here they are:
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
It may be a day late, but we can't let Labor Day slip away entirely without Jerry Lewis crooning 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. This version is from the late 80s.
raymonddefelitta.org/jerry-where-...
raymonddefelitta.org/jerry-where-...
JERRY, WHERE ART THOU? - Movies 'Til Dawn
I missed my Labor Day Jerry Lewis posting yesterday but it’s never too late. Or, maybe it never is late enough. That might be a wisecrack, but I doubt it. (Apologies to Groucho). We can’t miss the tra...
raymonddefelitta.org
September 2, 2025 at 8:07 PM
It may be a day late, but we can't let Labor Day slip away entirely without Jerry Lewis crooning 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. This version is from the late 80s.
raymonddefelitta.org/jerry-where-...
raymonddefelitta.org/jerry-where-...
'Barnstorming', a dangerous and wonderful aviation thing of the past is examined in a lovely short doc, plus a terrific plane stunting scene from 'The Great Waldo Pepper'.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Blog - Movies 'Til Dawn
Welcome to "Movies Til Dawn", the official blog for Raymond De Felitta, Academy Award-Nominated director and jazz pianist.
raymonddefelitta.org
August 29, 2025 at 6:50 PM
'Barnstorming', a dangerous and wonderful aviation thing of the past is examined in a lovely short doc, plus a terrific plane stunting scene from 'The Great Waldo Pepper'.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Dig some incredible vintage aviation stunt work in the 1931 Hal Roach comedy 'Air Tight'. Truly a miraculous piece of filmmaking, directed by the very young George Stevens.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Blog - Movies 'Til Dawn
Welcome to "Movies Til Dawn", the official blog for Raymond De Felitta, Academy Award-Nominated director and jazz pianist.
raymonddefelitta.org
August 28, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Dig some incredible vintage aviation stunt work in the 1931 Hal Roach comedy 'Air Tight'. Truly a miraculous piece of filmmaking, directed by the very young George Stevens.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Our survey of wicked-cool vintage aircraft continues with a look at the first passenger plane, Henry Ford's 'Tri-Motor'. Dig both old footage of it being used for stunts and new footage of a stunningly renovated one flying in the desert.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Blog - Movies 'Til Dawn
Welcome to "Movies Til Dawn", the official blog for Raymond De Felitta, Academy Award-Nominated director and jazz pianist.
raymonddefelitta.org
August 27, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Our survey of wicked-cool vintage aircraft continues with a look at the first passenger plane, Henry Ford's 'Tri-Motor'. Dig both old footage of it being used for stunts and new footage of a stunningly renovated one flying in the desert.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Dig this 1933 short film espousing the wonders of commercial aviation, made by what was then known as 'American Air Way'. Air travel was to 1933 what the internet was to 1994 and what A.I. is to...what year is this we're in again?
raymonddefelitta.org/fly-american...
raymonddefelitta.org/fly-american...
FLY AMERICAN...IN 1933 - Movies 'Til Dawn
Last month my son and I made a visit to McMinnville Oregon specifically to visit Howard Hughes’ ‘Spruce Goose’ in a museum constructed specifically to house and display that magnificent aviation folly...
raymonddefelitta.org
August 26, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Dig this 1933 short film espousing the wonders of commercial aviation, made by what was then known as 'American Air Way'. Air travel was to 1933 what the internet was to 1994 and what A.I. is to...what year is this we're in again?
raymonddefelitta.org/fly-american...
raymonddefelitta.org/fly-american...
A terrific piece of old stock footage shows us the glorious (and long gone) Pennsylvania Station in 1945.
raymonddefelitta.org/a-moment-in-...
raymonddefelitta.org/a-moment-in-...
A MOMENT IN OLD PENN STATION - Movies 'Til Dawn
Here’s a curious piece of footage shot in the old Penn Station circa 1945. It appears to have been photographed as background footage for a very forgotten Jane Russell vehicle called ‘Young Widow’. Li...
raymonddefelitta.org
August 25, 2025 at 6:44 PM
A terrific piece of old stock footage shows us the glorious (and long gone) Pennsylvania Station in 1945.
raymonddefelitta.org/a-moment-in-...
raymonddefelitta.org/a-moment-in-...
Watch a terrific doc about Howard Hawks made for German TV in 1977 and explore my 'Movies Til Dawn' podcasts featuring a ton of great directors like Mel Brooks, John Sayles, Mary Harron, Peter Bogdanovich and many others talking about--what else?--themselves!
raymonddefelitta.org/directors-ta...
raymonddefelitta.org/directors-ta...
DIRECTORS TALKING ABOUT THEMSELVES - Movies 'Til Dawn
Between 2018 and 2022 (or so) I hosted my podcast, ‘Movies Til Dawn’, which consisted of me and veteran directors having conversations about…well…lots of different stuff. There was no specific formula...
raymonddefelitta.org
August 22, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Watch a terrific doc about Howard Hawks made for German TV in 1977 and explore my 'Movies Til Dawn' podcasts featuring a ton of great directors like Mel Brooks, John Sayles, Mary Harron, Peter Bogdanovich and many others talking about--what else?--themselves!
raymonddefelitta.org/directors-ta...
raymonddefelitta.org/directors-ta...
Today's musical film noir soundtrack offering is Miklos Rozsa's magnificent score for 'Double Indemnity'. You can't help but see the movie in your mind as you listen to this rich, nuanced and beautifully played suite of Rozsa's themes/cues/motifs etc.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Blog - Movies 'Til Dawn
Welcome to "Movies Til Dawn", the official blog for Raymond De Felitta, Academy Award-Nominated director and jazz pianist.
raymonddefelitta.org
August 21, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Today's musical film noir soundtrack offering is Miklos Rozsa's magnificent score for 'Double Indemnity'. You can't help but see the movie in your mind as you listen to this rich, nuanced and beautifully played suite of Rozsa's themes/cues/motifs etc.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Max Steiner's lush and lovely score for 'The Big Sleep' has been excerpted--audio only--from the film and makes for a beautiful ten minutes of listening. Except for one particular cue, that is...
raymonddefelitta.org/the-big-slee...
raymonddefelitta.org/the-big-slee...
'THE BIG SLEEP': THE MUSICAL? - Movies 'Til Dawn
There are literally thousands of shows streaming on hundreds of subscription services. So last night we chose to watch ‘The Big Sleep’ (1946) starring…well, if you read this blog you know who’s in ‘Th...
raymonddefelitta.org
August 20, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Max Steiner's lush and lovely score for 'The Big Sleep' has been excerpted--audio only--from the film and makes for a beautiful ten minutes of listening. Except for one particular cue, that is...
raymonddefelitta.org/the-big-slee...
raymonddefelitta.org/the-big-slee...
Could Marilyn Monroe do no wrong?. Watch this number from 'Lets Make Love' and tell see for yourself. Hint: the answer is no.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Blog - Movies 'Til Dawn
Welcome to "Movies Til Dawn", the official blog for Raymond De Felitta, Academy Award-Nominated director and jazz pianist.
raymonddefelitta.org
August 19, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Could Marilyn Monroe do no wrong?. Watch this number from 'Lets Make Love' and tell see for yourself. Hint: the answer is no.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Marilyn Monroe's performance of Cole Porter's 'My Heart Belongs To Daddy' in her penultimate movie 'Lets Make Love' will be the best three-plus minutes of your day, unless you're gleefully preparing for this afternoon's dark comedy in Washington DC.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Blog - Movies 'Til Dawn
Welcome to "Movies Til Dawn", the official blog for Raymond De Felitta, Academy Award-Nominated director and jazz pianist.
raymonddefelitta.org
August 18, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Marilyn Monroe's performance of Cole Porter's 'My Heart Belongs To Daddy' in her penultimate movie 'Lets Make Love' will be the best three-plus minutes of your day, unless you're gleefully preparing for this afternoon's dark comedy in Washington DC.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
We finish up our weeklong retrospective of all-female orchestras of the 1020s and 30s with a phony one from 1959; Marilyn Monroe is Sugar Kane, singer and ukulele player in 'Sweet Sue's Society Syncopaters.' from 'Some Like It Hot'. Dig:
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Blog - Movies 'Til Dawn
Welcome to "Movies Til Dawn", the official blog for Raymond De Felitta, Academy Award-Nominated director and jazz pianist.
raymonddefelitta.org
August 15, 2025 at 5:34 PM
We finish up our weeklong retrospective of all-female orchestras of the 1020s and 30s with a phony one from 1959; Marilyn Monroe is Sugar Kane, singer and ukulele player in 'Sweet Sue's Society Syncopaters.' from 'Some Like It Hot'. Dig:
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
This week we're looking at the all-female big bands of the 1930s and '40s. Today is 'Phil Spitalny's Hour Of Charm All-Girl Orchestra' in a 1935 Vitaphone short. Beyond that, I have nothing left to add...
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Blog - Movies 'Til Dawn
Welcome to "Movies Til Dawn", the official blog for Raymond De Felitta, Academy Award-Nominated director and jazz pianist.
raymonddefelitta.org
August 14, 2025 at 6:28 PM
This week we're looking at the all-female big bands of the 1930s and '40s. Today is 'Phil Spitalny's Hour Of Charm All-Girl Orchestra' in a 1935 Vitaphone short. Beyond that, I have nothing left to add...
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
This week we've been enjoying the All-Girl Jazz Bands of the 1930s and 40s. Today we go back to 1928 and meet 'The Ingenues', a terrific all-girl aggregation, in a 1928 Vitaphone short. Dig:
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Blog - Movies 'Til Dawn
Welcome to "Movies Til Dawn", the official blog for Raymond De Felitta, Academy Award-Nominated director and jazz pianist.
raymonddefelitta.org
August 13, 2025 at 5:59 PM
This week we've been enjoying the All-Girl Jazz Bands of the 1930s and 40s. Today we go back to 1928 and meet 'The Ingenues', a terrific all-girl aggregation, in a 1928 Vitaphone short. Dig:
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
'The International Sweethearts Of Rhythm' were a hard kicking big band from the 1940s who just so happened to be the first racially integrated all-female big band. Dig this selection of 'soundies' featuring this magnificent aggregation.
raymonddefelitta.org/dames-that-s...
raymonddefelitta.org/dames-that-s...
DAMES THAT SWING (PART 2) - Movies 'Til Dawn
Yesterday I posted about the hard-kicking all-female big band Francis Carroll and Her Coquettes. Today we take a look at ‘The International Sweethearts of Rhythm’, who were believed to be the first ra...
raymonddefelitta.org
August 12, 2025 at 9:42 PM
'The International Sweethearts Of Rhythm' were a hard kicking big band from the 1940s who just so happened to be the first racially integrated all-female big band. Dig this selection of 'soundies' featuring this magnificent aggregation.
raymonddefelitta.org/dames-that-s...
raymonddefelitta.org/dames-that-s...
Francis Carroll and Her Coquettes was one hard-kicking swing band from the 1940s. Dig this Vitaphone short from 1940, featuring the astonishing drummer Viola Smith.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Blog - Movies 'Til Dawn
Welcome to "Movies Til Dawn", the official blog for Raymond De Felitta, Academy Award-Nominated director and jazz pianist.
raymonddefelitta.org
August 11, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Francis Carroll and Her Coquettes was one hard-kicking swing band from the 1940s. Dig this Vitaphone short from 1940, featuring the astonishing drummer Viola Smith.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
The extraordinary 1972 press conference featuring the voice of Howard Hughes denoucing Clifford Irving's hoax autobiography is presented today in all its 40 minute glory.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Blog - Movies 'Til Dawn
Welcome to "Movies Til Dawn", the official blog for Raymond De Felitta, Academy Award-Nominated director and jazz pianist.
raymonddefelitta.org
August 7, 2025 at 9:37 PM
The extraordinary 1972 press conference featuring the voice of Howard Hughes denoucing Clifford Irving's hoax autobiography is presented today in all its 40 minute glory.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Today we look at Howard Hughes' disastrous air crash in the summer of 1946 is explicated in detail today, accompanied by Martin Scorcese's recreation of it and newsreel footage from the time of the crash.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Blog - Movies 'Til Dawn
Welcome to "Movies Til Dawn", the official blog for Raymond De Felitta, Academy Award-Nominated director and jazz pianist.
raymonddefelitta.org
August 6, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Today we look at Howard Hughes' disastrous air crash in the summer of 1946 is explicated in detail today, accompanied by Martin Scorcese's recreation of it and newsreel footage from the time of the crash.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
My son and I journey to McMinnville Oregon last weekend to see the great folly of a flying boat that Howard Hughes built known as the 'Spruce Goose'. Here's a short doc somebody made about the plane and how it wound up in its new unlikely home.
raymonddefelitta.org/the-spruce-g...
raymonddefelitta.org/the-spruce-g...
THE "SPRUCE GOOSE' LIVES! - Movies 'Til Dawn
This past weekend my son and I journeyed to the little town of McMinnville, Oregon, to see what is arguably the ninth wonder of the world; the biggest plane ever built and never flown. Howard Hughes ‘...
raymonddefelitta.org
August 4, 2025 at 10:03 PM
My son and I journey to McMinnville Oregon last weekend to see the great folly of a flying boat that Howard Hughes built known as the 'Spruce Goose'. Here's a short doc somebody made about the plane and how it wound up in its new unlikely home.
raymonddefelitta.org/the-spruce-g...
raymonddefelitta.org/the-spruce-g...
This weeks look at director Jules Dassin continues with the marvelous 'Never On Sunday' dance scene in which Dassin--who cast himself as the co-lead--gets drunk, goofy and happy.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
Blog - Movies 'Til Dawn
Welcome to "Movies Til Dawn", the official blog for Raymond De Felitta, Academy Award-Nominated director and jazz pianist.
raymonddefelitta.org
July 30, 2025 at 8:50 PM
This weeks look at director Jules Dassin continues with the marvelous 'Never On Sunday' dance scene in which Dassin--who cast himself as the co-lead--gets drunk, goofy and happy.
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/
raymonddefelitta.org/blog/