Old Movies, Actors and Actresses | Hollywood Yesterday

Clara Bow: It Lobby Cards

January 21, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Clara Bow

Clara Bow was a wonderfully beautiful, colorful, charismatic, and talented star. While I’m forever grateful that we still have access to existing Clara Bow films, I feel so much frustration for the ones that are lost. It’s a frustration silent movie fans never completely escape.

Fortunately, one of Clara’s most popular movies (one she’s pretty synonymous with, actually) is still very much with us. You can find It (link to the dvd on Amazon) online – unfortunately it isn’t available on Prime Video. Hopefully, in the near future more silents will be available.

Cabin in the Sky: Great Behind the Scenes Photo

January 20, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Cabin in the Sky: Behind the Scenes

Cabin in the Sky was a deliciously unique comedy/drama/fantasy film from 1943. Directed by the wonderful Vincente Minnelli, the film featured an uncommonly talented cast including Lena Horne, Ethel Waters, Eddie Anderson, Rex Ingram, Louis Armstrong, and Oscar Polk.

If you’ve never seen this one, I hope you’ll watch it as soon as possible. Trust me, you’ll never forget it!

You can find Cabin in the Sky on dvd or watch it on Prime Video (links directly to the movie on Amazon Prime)

George Sanders and Anne Baxter, All About Eve Promotional Picture

January 19, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

George Sanders and Anne Baxter

The wonderful 1950 film All About Eve had a cast directors dream of. The director for this particular movie was an all-star, himself… Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

The movie starred Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, Marilyn Monroe, Celeste Holm, Thelma Ritter, Hugh Marlow, and Gary Merrill.

You can find All About Eve (DVD or Blu-Ray on Amazon) on Amazon or watch it on Prime Video (link to the movie on Prime).

Faye Dunaway and Steve McQueen: The Thomas Crown Affair

January 18, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway

“It was really my first time to play opposite someone who was a great big old movie star, and that’s exactly what Steve was. He was one of the best-loved actors around, one whose talent more than equaled his sizable commercial appeal.” ~ Faye Dunaway, on working with Steve McQueen on The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

Do you have favorite stars who you’d like (let’s make that LOVE) to free from certain past roles? A role (or maybe a film they were in) that you’d love to just purge from their filmography?

I have a few, if we’re being honest but the main one is a particular role the beautiful, supremely talented Faye Dunaway played (not even going to name it… you know the one). She is so strongly associated with this one role that it’s maddening to those of us who are such huge Faye Dunaway fans.

She had so many better roles and, holy cats, did she ever have better movies?!

If you have only seen Faye Dunaway in M.D. (I don’t even want to name the film), I am begging you…. watch her in other films. Bonnie and Clyde, The Thomas Crown Affair (1968, link to the movie on Prime Video), Chinatown, The Arrangement, Supergirl, The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), Little Big Man (Prime Video link), The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc.. these are just a few I personally recommend as starting points. I’d highly encourage anyone to see each of these and then to move on to her other films and television guest roles.

Maureen O’Hara: Malaga Promotional Photo

January 15, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Maureen O’Hara, Malaga Promotional Photo

Malaga (1954) isn’t one of Maureen O’Hara’s better-known films but it is a darn good one (at least I think so).

Malaga was directed by Richard Sale and starred Maureen O’Hara, Macdonald Carey, and Binnie Barnes (I always love seeing her show up in movies and always wish she were in more scenes).

If you ever see Malaga on dvd, buy it without asking any questions! I cannot find it anywhere for my Maureen O’Hara collection and, trust me, I am always looking.

If you find it on television (again, almost impossible), be sure to check it out. Not sure you’ll get another chance!

Maureen O’Hara, Malaga

Faye Dunaway: Birthday Wishes for a VERY Beautiful and Talented Actress

January 14, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Faye Dunaway

Born on this day in Bascom, Florida in 1941, the beautiful Faye Dunaway.

As I’ve said before on this old Hollywood blog, I used to watch (exclusively, mind you) movies from 1930 to 1960. That was it… for whatever reasons. Fortunately, it wasn’t too far into my film-obsessed life that I realized there are A LOT of wonderful films before and after my chosen cut off dates.

When I broadened my horizons and began watching all genres and all years (from Silents through today), I realized that I had been missing out on so much. Whenever I come across another old Hollywood fan and they say they only watch Silents through the Forties, only movies prior to 1940, or nothing before 1950, I always recommend movies, actresses, and actors to lure them into other eras. Having seen what it was like to miss out, I want to keep them from falling into a similar trap – so I use whatever I can at my disposal to trick them into branching out.

I’m pushy like that.

I recently had great success with a Twitter friend who only watched Westerns and black and white movies, as he put it. That was it. Yet he was forever annoyed that there wasn’t enough on TV to watch! I thought to my pushy self, “Hmmm, here’s a tough nut to crack, but I’m going to give it a try.”

I gave him two names, Faye Dunaway and James Caan. I knew he was already a Caan fan (thanks to El Dorado), so I suggested he branch out and see his other films.

As for Faye Dunaway… come on.. how is anyone NOT going to love her?! I recommended Bonnie and Clyde, Chinatown, and The Thomas Crown Affair (’68). An excellent student, he found The Thomas Crown Affair on Prime Video the very next night and fell immediately under Faye Dunaway’s spell. Last I heard, he has seen almost as many of her movies as I have!

He has also ventured out and seen a lot of James Caan’s work and now enjoys movies that cover a wide variety of subjects and years.

I can’t remember the last time he complained about not being able to find something to watch on television!

If you aren’t familiar with Faye Dunaway’s body of work, or if you’ve only seen one or two of her films, I couldn’t recommend her any more highly. It’s frustrating – make that VERY frustrating – to those of us who are huge Faye Dunaway fans when one movie (the Joan Crawford one) is almost synonymous with her name. It certainly, certainly, certainly wasn’t her best film – but it was so different and so controversial that it continues to be talked about today.

As a fan of this beautiful actress, I have tried to put a positive spin on the whole thing. For example, she was quite brave to accept the role. I mean, let’s not blame Faye Dunaway for the movie… it would have been made anyway, with her or without her. To accept a role, playing a film legend and household name took guts. Problem is, Joan Crawford was the type of larger than life person that makes imitating them almost impossible. Any attempt (even by one of the best actresses of our time) to do so rings hollow and comes across as… well.. an impersonation.

The failure of the movie to hit on all cylinders is not anyone in particular’s fault… well, aside from Joan Crawford, herself, who simply cannot be imitated.

At any rate, if you’ve never seen that particular move, don’t. Just don’t. In fact, as a fan of both of these wonderful actresses, I beg you not to!

Recommended Faye Dunaway Films:

Each link goes to the movie on Prime Video.

Bonnie and Clyde (’67)

The Thomas Crown Affair (’68)

The Towering Inferno (’74)

Chinatown (’74)

Network (’76)

Supergirl (’84)

Gia (’98 – made for TV movie)

I’m in the process of finding more of her films on Prime Video, I’ll come back to this post and add them as I find them!

Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, and Ann Miller: Behind the Scenes of Kiss Me Kate

December 28, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, and Ann Miller

Apparently I am incapable of ever having a conversation about Ann Miller without wondering why she never got the “leading lady, star treatment.” She was incredibly talented – great actress AND great dancer… and beautiful? Please! She was so beautiful that she often outshined those who did get the “leading lady, star treatment.”

She also had a great deal of charisma and personality that came through onscreen… again, often outshining the rest.

Okay, I’m through bellyaching now. She had a tremendous career and all of us who are huge fans of musicals KNOW the beautiful footprints she left all over the genre. I believe she HAD to have made other stars step up (literally) their game.

Kiss Me Kate is one of my favorite Ann Miller movies – I think it’s just adorable. The film also stars Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, and Keenan Wynn.

You can find the Kiss Me Kate dvd on Amazon or watch the movie on Prime Video.

Christmas in Connecticut: One of the Best Christmas Classics of All Time

December 5, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Christmas in Connecticut

Those of us who love old movies and classic television, each, often have our own personal missions – stars, films, genres, music, and/or television shows we’d love to help become more popular and more celebrated. I have quite a few stars, genres, music, and movies that fall under my own personal missions heading, including Westerns, Jazz, Dorothy Dandridge, Maureen O’Hara, etc.

One of the movies I desperately want to see become better known and more celebrated is Christmas in Connecticut. It’s so fun, festive, beautiful, and boasts such an extraordinary cast – it deserves to be mentioned alongside other greats such as It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and White Christmas.

I believe that if it were shown on television as frequently as the others, it’d soon become a household name as well.

The wonderful movie stars Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Godfrey, and one of my favorite character actors ever, the always delightful S.Z. “Cuddles” Sakall.

You can find Christmas in Connecticut (link to the dvd) on Amazon or watch it on Prime Video.

Speaking of Christmas… please forgive me for not having as many updates during the time from Thanksgiving to Christmas as usual. I stay so crazy busy during this time (online shopping, wrapping, baking, cooking, baking, baking, baking…) that it doesn’t leave me much time for anything else!

Diana Rigg and George Lazenby: Behind the Scenes of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

November 28, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Diana Rigg and George Lazenby

I recently watched On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) for… get this… the first time. How in the world an overly-caffeinated and overly-zealous film fanatic, film buff, and self-declared film historian like me managed to miss this movie for so long is beyond me. I want to kick myself – especially since I ended up loving it (and George Lazenby and Diana Rigg) so much.

I missed a lot of years I could have been raving about them AND the movie!

What a perfect crock of bologna that George Lazenby (as fine an actor as any, with a killer screen presence) had to follow such an iconic, beloved, and legendary actor in such an iconic, beloved, and legendary role. Truth be told, it’d be my luck – score a GREAT role in a GREAT film with a GREAT co-star… but it involves following a star who is (face and name) synonymous with the role.

I’d have probably had the same response and Mr. Lazenby… “Absolutely, I’ll do it!” But then… “Don’t ever ask me to do it again!”

I do not get any negativity toward Lazenby in the role of Bond whatsoever. He was a perfect fit. Here is where I may differ from a lot of Bond fans – I think each actor who portrayed Bond was perfect for the time and perfect for the film. I have to confess that I used to be on the “What was Roger Moore thinking” bandwagon and didn’t “get” him in the role – in spite of always, always, always being greatly entertained by him. I’ve come to realize, however, that he was perfect for the time he carried the role and even perfect for the movies he represented.

Sometimes people seem to associate loving an actor or actress in a role with undying loyalty to them and them, alone. Hogwash. You can love as many people in a role as you possibly can. Truth be told – the more, the better. After all, since when is liking more things a bad deal?

Lazenby brought more vulnerability to the role than the other actors and I thought it was wonderful. His take on Bond meshed perfectly with the film, the storyline, and Diana Rigg. Outstanding movie in every way.

If you, too, have somehow never seen On Her Majesty’s Secret Service or haven’t seen it in a while, I hope you’ll watch it as soon as possible. Diana Rigg is now absolutely one of my favorite Bond girls and as for George Lazenby… I can’t think of an actor I like any better in the role. I like a few as well.. but better? Absolutely not.

You can find On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (link to the DVD) on Amazon or watch the movie on Prime Video.

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, Rio Grande

November 27, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, Rio Grande

I’m feeling kind of lazy today – as I usually do the day after a big holiday. Not only is fixing all the food exhausting, eating that much zaps your energy too, doesn’t it?!

I do have the gumption to post a couple of pictures of the day, however and… you know me… odds are it’s going to be pictures from a western and most likely one with Maureen O’Hara or John Wayne… or, better yet, both!

Rio Grande is a wonderful Western and one of my favorite these two favorite stars made together. If you’ve never seen Rio Grande, I highly recommend it. You can watch Rio Grande on Prime Video or buy the dvd on Amazon (Rio Grande, links to the dvd, but blu-ray is also available)