Old Movies, Actors and Actresses | Hollywood Yesterday

Movie Review: In Name Only (Carole Lombard, Cary Grant, Kay Francis)

July 27, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

I have a confession to make – I have always watched movies based upon who is in them. For example, if one of my favorite actresses or actors is in a film, I will pop the popcorn, pour the raspberry tea, round up my cats and head for the den. I will plop in my favorite chair and escape with said favorite or favorites.

The great news is I have a lot of favorites, so I eat a lot of popcorn. However, there have (over the years) been a lot of wonderful gems I’ve come across simply because they were on when I needed a movie to watch – whether a favorite stars in it or not!

This was the case, recently with In Name Only. Don’t get me wrong, I have VERY MUCH liked Cary Grant and Carole Lombard for some time, now- they simply hadn’t reached the same “absolute favorite” rarefied air of, say Lucille Ball, Katharine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Maureen O’Hara, Buster Keaton, James Stewart, Audrey Hepburn, Rita Hayworth, Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Crawford, Ava Gardner, John Wayne, Robert Montgomery, Clark Gable, Marion Daviess… the stars I make time in my schedule for – even if it’s a movie I’ve seen a million and thirteen times…. looking at you, Sabrina and The Quiet Man.

Funny thing is, though, I often “meet” new favorites who ascend to the rarefied air this very way. Cary Grant and Carole Lombard just landed themselves smack in the middle of the aforementioned favorites and I’m now on a mission to see their complete filmographies.

In Name Only is a movie that had never been on my radar – as in, AT ALL. When I saw that it was on TCM recently, I actually had to look to see who starred in it! See? Completely OFF my radar. I’ve recently become a big fan of Cary Grant and needed to see Carole Lombard in something else (I’d only seen her in three), so… you guessed it.. popcorn was popped while the raspberry tea was being poured.

It didn’t take long for this fun and engaging movie to pull me in. Carole Lombard, even without the wonderful assistance from Cary Grant and a solid cast, has a way of luring you in. There’s a certain vulnerability about her that makes you want to enter into her world and help her fight her fights and clear the path to happiness for her.

Cary Grant is Alec Walker who is in a horrible marriage to gold digger, nasty Maida (played sublimely by Kay Francis). Alec meets and falls for beautiful widow (and mother) Julie Eden, played perfectly by Carole Lombard. Even though the nasty wife certainly doesn’t love him, she refuses to give him a divorce. Far too much money involved for that!

The movie then takes you on a roller coaster ride as you hope Maida gets her comeuppance as much as you hope Alec and Julie get their happy ever after.

I am not about to give anything away, but I do want to say this is a roller coaster ride of emotion… and one I enjoyed completely.

Find In Name Only on Amazon – it’s truly a hidden gem.

Cooking Price-Wise: A Culinary Legacy by Vincent Price (Book Review + Recipe)

July 11, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

You’re familiar with the saying, “When worlds collide…” right? Two worlds colliding accounts for one of the funnest things I collect: Old Hollywood celebrity cookbooks and recipes.

Since I was 18 years old, I have collected cookbooks. I’m an avid cook and food blogger and cherish my cookbook collection. Some belonged to loved ones and I am thankful they were in the habit of writing in their cookbooks.
As I’ve often said here, I collect Old Hollywood biographies and autobiographies like it’s my job.

So…. naturally, the two collided and the inevitable happened – I collect every Old Hollywood star recipe and cookbook I can get my eager hands on!

The most recent one I’ve bought is pictured here, Cooking Price-Wise: A Culinary Legacy by Vincent Price. In addition to being a wonderful star of stage, radio, and screen, Vincent Price was a noted gourmet. Not only did he have several cookbooks to his name, he even had a cooking show (Cooking Price-Wise), making him one of the earliest celebrity chefs.

Before I get to the recipes, I just want to say what a wonderful writer Vincent Price was. His personality and humor come through in every word he wrote – it’s as though you’re having a visit with him, face to famous face. He even makes the humble potato fascinating!

From the Back Cover: Best known as a star of stage and screen, Vincent Price was also a noted gourmet whose enthusiastic promotion of home cooking included several cookbooks and a television show, Cooking Price-Wise. This charming book of Price’s favorite recipes is based on the Thames Television series he hosted in the 1970s, which showcased timeless international cuisine. Scores of easy-to-make dishes from around the world include soups, breads, main courses, sidedishes, and desserts that can be made from ingredients readily available in supermarkets and food shops. Fascinating food-related historical tidbits add extra zest to the newly typeset recipes and numerous color and black-and-white photographs that enhance this handsome collectible edition.

My personal approach with all recipes when I first see them is to make them as close to the original as possible. I say “as close to” because a lot of the cookbooks/recipes I collect are really old and foods available then are either not available now or are known as something completely different. Something I run into even more frequently (regardless of the age of the recipe) is the fact I have to eat gluten-free… health reasons.. so I have to make frequent substitutions. Once you’re accustomed to it, it’s not such a big deal.

However, on the first time making a recipe, I stay as close as absolutely possible to the recipe, as given. In future relationships with the recipe, I’ll add this, add that, cut back on this, substitute that, etc. This process (what I call making a recipe your “own”) has led to some of my favorite and most frequently used recipes.

Having said all of that, on my food blog and everywhere else, I always preach the same sermon – make a recipe AS WRITTEN the first time. It’s the only way to know, for sure, what you’d do differently (if anything).

Very often, you’ll come across a recipe like the one here and think, “I wouldn’t change a thing!’

This is the first recipe I made from Cooking Price-Wise: A Culinary Legacy and it’s one I’ll make OFTEN. I have always loved fried potatoes with onion (it’s kind of a staple here in the south) but I had never parboiled the potatoes, first, while cooking the onions separately before. Vincent Price’s approach is outstanding and one of the reasons is the fact that the onions flavor the oil they’re in and set the stage for deliciousness when the potatoes join the party.

The recipe is called Lyonnaise Potatoes and it’s from one of my favorite sections, Potato Recipes. What can I say, I’m a real potato head.

Recipe Below the Picture…

Here’s the recipe, as written in the book:

Lyonnaise Potatoes

Serves: 4

1 lb. potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 onion, peeled and sliced

Parboil potatoes; this takes about 3-5 minutes. Lightly fry onion rings until pale golden brown. Remove from the pan, then fry potato slices. When cooked, add onions and fry both together until crisp and brown.

Notes:

I used Russet potatoes because they’re the potatoes I had on hand. It’s also my “go to” potato for frying.
I used Sunflower oil simply because I’ve become obsessed with it but vegetable oil or peanut oil would be great, too.
I allowed my onions to go a little past golden brown because I’m wild about the flavor they take on at this point.
I kept the seasonings really basic – salt, pepper – because I wanted the flavor to be as close to what Vincent, himself, would have been enjoying. I get an especially big kick out of eating food the stars ate!
I served these with fried catfish (an obsession) and fried green tomatoes (another one).
There was, surprisingly, a little potatoes leftover, so I invited them to breakfast the next day. I heated the potatoes up in a skillet with a little fresh bacon grease and OMG they were amazing.

Not only is this beautiful book filled with similarly wonderful recipes, the vintage pictures are out of this world. I love the fact that the recipes come from around the world – the intercontinental flavors and overall vibe make it unlike other cookbooks.

Possibly my favorite part of the book, however, is Vincent Price, himself. He had a very warm personality and it comes shining through. Great food, great author… can’t beat that!

Other Recipes Include:

Potatoes with Sour Cream (Poland)
Minestrone
Potato Yahni (Greece)
Peruvian Peppers
Sweet Potato Cake
Chili-Con-Carne
Irish Stew
Wilted Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing
Summer Bacon Soup
Arabian Nights Pilaf
Fried Chicken with Lemon Rice
Pineapple Custard Pudding
And a lot more….

You can find Cooking Price-Wise: A Culinary Legacy on Amazon.

The John Wayne Way to Grill: Recipes and Stories Shared by Duke’s Family

July 10, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

The Official John Wayne How to Grill just went tumbling into my Amazon cart. (A) I love John Wayne and collect books, dvds, and memorabilia involving him. (B) I collect cookbooks and Old Hollywood books – making this a solid “two in one.” and (C) THE RECIPES SOUND DELICIOUS!

Sorry for yelling, but this gal gets worked up about food.

The Official John Wayne How to Grill contains more than 100 of John Wayne’s favorite recipes, from Tex-Mex classics to the best of Western barbecue and everything in between.

While the collection of recipes sounds phenomenal, by itself, this official John Wayne cookbook is much more than just a recipe book. It is packed with rare photos, personal anecdotes and heartwarming stories about the Duke, from the people who knew him best.

With an introduction by his son Ethan Wayne, The Official John Wayne How to Grill is exactly the next thing this collector needs in her collection.

Click through for more information.

As soon as my copy gets here, I’ll let you know more about it. I just wanted to give you a heads up before Grilling Season gets too far along.

Judy Garland “I Don’t Care” from In the Good Old Summertime!

June 28, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

Judy Garland was so talented it’s almost unsettling. Seriously – how can anyone possess that kind of voice, charisma, and energetic stage presence.

I’m as guilty of using the phrase “one of a kind” as anyone, but when it comes to Judy, I’m afraid I have to break it out again because it’s just so TRUE.

Her performance of I Don’t Care from In the Good Old Summertime isn’t one of her more famous performances but it’s certainly one of my favorites. She was just so beautiful and packed with personality.

One. Of. A. Kind.

(In the Good Old Summertime Trivia Below…)

In the Good Old Summertime Trivia

Judy Garland’s daughter, Liza Minnelli, appears in the final scene. She’s the little girl with Van Johnson and Judy Garland.
The legendary Buster Keaton was working as a gag writer at MGM when the film was made. He was asked if he could devise a way to break a violin that would be both comic and plausible. Keaton, naturally, came up with the perfect way for the violin to fall. The filmmakers, wisely, realized that Buster Keaton was the only one who would be able to execute it properly, so they cast him in the film!
Buster Keaton was also the mastermind behind the scene where Van Johnson wrecks Judy Garland’s hat. He coached Johnson on how to precisely play the scene.
This was the first MGM film Keaton appeared in since being fired from the studio in 1933.
The leads were originally intended for June Allyson and Frank Sinatra (instead of Van Johnson and Judy Garland). However, Sinatra was unavailable and Allyson had to drop out when she became pregnant.
The film’s working title was “The Girl From Chicago”.
Unlike most musicals, there is only one character that sings in the movie and it’s Veronica (Judy Garland).

McLintock! Starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara…. Love This One!

June 27, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

While I have a great number of “favorites”when it comes to actresses and actors from Old Hollywood, Maureen O’Hara and Lucille Ball are my measuring sticks. All others are held up to them as a means of determining if they’ve achieved “absolute favorite” status or not.

Some make it. Some don’t.

I had just as soon be sitting in front of a Maureen O’Hara movie as anyplace in the world. Even one I’ve seen far more times than I could even begin to count. Which, if we’re being honest is most of them.

It’s just that way with measuring sticks, you know.

The Quiet Man, McLintock, How Green Was My Valley, Rio Grande, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Parent Trap, The Black Swan… she has had some incredible movies – which makes being a fan extra fun.

McLintock (1963) is one of my favorites. John Wayne is one of those stars who passed the measuring test and made “absolute favorite” status – which means I watch movies he and Maureen were in together often… make that OFTEN. It’s actually playing right now as I work online.

It may or may not be the third time I’ve seen it just this year. It is.

Westerns are just in my blood. Sometimes I think I’d rather watch a bad Western than a good movie from another genre. Naturally, a good Western is preferable and, cowboy oh cowboy, is McLintock ever a good one?! It’s hilarious, fun, colorful, and just an awful lot of fun.

I think of McLintock as a Comedy-Romantic Western because it’s quite a bit different from Action Westerns (or Traditional Westerns) such as Stagecoach, Rio Bravo, El Dorado, The Undefeated, etc. If you go into McLintock looking for lots of action and shoot-outs, you’ll be left wondering what in the heck happened.

But if you go into it looking for an awful lot of fun and laughs and a little bit of romance, you’ll have a great time.

I should know!

The movie stars John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara as an estranged married couple. Stephanie Powers is their daughter. Patrick Wayne (John Wayne’s son), Yvonne DeCarlo, and Jerry Van Dyke are part of the excellent cast. Jerry Van Dyke’s role isn’t a big one but it’s a heckuva memorable one.

You can see the movie below in its entirety, so grab your popcorn and kick back for a fun ride.

Charlie Chaplin: Intimate Close-Ups by Georgia Hale

June 27, 2019 By Joi 2 Comments

Charlie Chaplin: Intimate Close-Ups by Georgia Hale

From the Intro: Charlie Chaplin was not one but two. For many years I was under contract to Charlie Chaplin. Now I want you to know him as I do. These intimate close-ups of him reveal the still calm of a sun-lit lake, the fury of an unspent sea. ~ Georgia Hale

Georgia Hale was an especially beautiful and talented silent film star and a very gifted writer. Unless you’re pretty familiar with Silents, you probably aren’t familiar with her. After all, she wasn’t in very many films and her career did not continue on into “talkies.” In fact, she only has 17 films to her credit and four of these roles weren’t even named – one was “Second Wife,” one was, “the girl…” you get the idea.

She does have a very big… huge, even… feather in her cap. She starred alongside Charlie Chaplin in one of the most popular, beloved, iconic and brilliant silent films ever made – The Gold Rush.

If you’re going to have one movie that’s truly a stand out, make it legendary.

I often talk about the instant impact many stars and films have on those of us who cherish Old Hollywood. While some actors and actresses become favorites over the course of three, four, or even five films – others leave their fingerprints on your life immediately. There’s just something about them – their screen presence, the way they walk, the way they talk (when applicable), the way they make their character come to life. Sometimes there’s just something in their eyes that you resonate with and… make no mistake about it… you know they’ll be one of your “absolute favorites” for the rest of your life.

When I watched The Gold Rush for the first time, Charlie Chaplin had already been one of my favorites for a while. However, his beautiful co-star, Georgia Hale (portraying his love interest, Georgia) was completely new to me. Within two scenes, I knew she’d be one of my “absolutes.” While she reminded me of a hybrid of two of my all-time favorite actresses (Barbara Stanwyck and Keira Knightley), she was most definitely totally unique and very fun to watch.

To see someone totally new to me holding their own with the breathtakingly brilliant Charlie Chaplin left quite an impression.

When a new “absolute” arrives in my world, I want to read everything about them and see as many of their films as I can find. As is the case with a lot of silent film stars, finding all of her films will be a little tough. But as soon as I saw that she had written a book, I knew that reading more about her would be as easy as it would be enjoyable.

Georgia Hale Publicity Still Photographed by Paralta

Her book, “Charlie Chaplin: Intimate Close-Ups” is as unique as Georgia. It’s also just a little bit sad because She had written a biography and could not find a publisher. It was only when she wrote it from the standpoint of being about Charlie Chaplin that she found someone willing to publish it.

Although, as a fan of Georgia’s, this kind of makes me sad, I cannot help but admire and applaud her determination to have her say! The book is every bit as much an autobiography as it is a Charlie Chaplin biography… in spite of the fact that someone thought it had to have his name on the cover before her name.

In the end, she got her book published and that’s all that matters!

I feel rich for having been so close to him. – Georgia Hale

There are many things I love about this book and we’ll get to them in a minute, but first I want to assure fellow Charlie Chaplin fans that this is not a hatchet job. Yes, she talks about how much she loved him and how he never quite returned this love. He comes to life as, at times, selfish and other times incredibly desperate for attention and love. He can be aloof and bewilderingly unpredictable. He broke her heart as well as other hearts.

In other words, he was a flesh and blood human. Flesh and blood humans are capable of all sorts of things – especially when they’re in the middle of the kind of CRAZY success he had. Georgia does not judge him – she tries to understand him. And to love him.

I respect the fact that she does not wade into bitter, “He did this and this and this… the jackass!” waters. Unlike a certain celebrity daughter (won’t name any names, here), she does not try to knock him down and make a joke of him just to shine a spotlight on herself with a t-shirt that reads VICTIM.

She had too much love in her heart for that.

She explains their complicated relationship, which included great pain on her part, but she loved him… I believe until the day she died.

If Charles Chaplin carried within him many contradictions, was tender-hearted, cruel, sensitive, child-like, a poseur, all these qualities were part of his creative spirit. – Georgia Hale

In a previous post, I shared Georgia’s beautiful story of how Charlie Chaplin changed her life… possibly even saved her life… before she ever even met him. She said, “He made my heart laugh for the first time…” When you’re done here, be sure to read her beautiful words here.

As I always mention in my Old Hollywood book reviews, I am possibly more cautious than any reviewer in the world when it comes to trying to be brief. The internet is always in the fast-lane and I don’t want to slow my readers down. I’m even more tenacious when it comes to NOT giving anything away. Doing so isn’t fair to the author or the reader. I want you to enjoy books as much as I did, journeying from one page blissfully to the next…. without anything being ruined for you.

Continued Below….

Charlie Chaplin and Georgia Hale on the set of The Gold Rush

I will allow you to discover the first meeting between these two stars on your own and allow you to explore their relationship without throwing in my two cents. I do, however, want to say that no matter how badly their relationship ended, the fact that she was able (many years later) to still speak of him with love – and at times even a great deal of sympathy for him – tells me that he was a special man. He left a lasting impact on Georgia, one she was never able to run away from.

He also helped her grow and to find herself. Her childhood and teen years weren’t very happy. She dealt with poverty, feelings of not being good enough, and a seemingly unloving father. After Charlie Chaplin came into her life, she found herself able to stand up for herself and TO herself. Later in life, she became very wealthy in real estate – at a time when women weren’t given many opportunities.

She also found a way to get her book published! (I love this fact, could you tell??) While she never married, she did have a loving relationship later in life and left him a wealthy man after she died.

So, yes, she found her happy ever after and, personally, I think Charlie Chaplin had a lot to do with it – in spite of not sharing the ever after with her.

I hope you’ll find a copy of Charlie Chaplin: Intimate Close-Ups (Amazon) or e-Bay. This is a fascinating book about two even more fascinating stars. You’ll also meet other wonderful Old Hollywood stars as you read through Charlie Chaplin: Intimate Close-Ups – Marion Davies, Marlene Dietrich, Mary Pickford, the Gish sisters, Douglas Fairbanks.. and many more.

Georgia Hale: “He (Charlie Chaplin) Made My Heart Laugh for the First Time..”

June 25, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

In Charlie Chaplin: Intimate Close-Ups, silent film actress, Georgia Hale, writes from the heart about her own life as well as her relationship with the genius known the world over. I’m working on my review of this book and will publish it later this week – in honor of the week of her birth in 1900. I say “the week” simply because there’s a little discrepancy over the exact date. Her autobiography gives the date as June 25, 1900 – and, as a Georgia Hale fan, that’s the date I recognize as her birthday. However, other dates are given in biographies found online.

Bottom line… even if she was born on another date, I will recognize the one of her choosing!

There is one particular piece I wanted to share from the book today. I will share a great deal more in the upcoming review, but today is for something special. Something different. Something… well.. beautiful – and possibly even relatable to many.

I have heard many fans say things along the lines of, “Greta Garbo saved my life…” or “Becoming an Ava Gardner fan gave me hope…” Obviously it isn’t always these two actresses – I’ve seen the same types of beautiful testimonies for everyone from Buster Keaton to Julia Roberts and countless others in between.

Georgia Hale would be able to relate to each and every one.

Georgia’s childhood was not a particularly happy one. While it wasn’t as tragic as many stars’ childhoods, happiness eluded her. Her father was not a very loving parent and it seems possible that both parents favored other children. She also didn’t fit in with most kids her age, another source of pain. One of the breaking points for young Georgia was when her dad told her, “What’s wrong with you? I wish you’d been born a boy!”

Immediately after the harsh words, Georgia went to the movies. Along the way, she writes that his hurtful words kept ringing in her ears. “I heard this for years. I found myself wishing that I had never been born… at all.”

All of that was minutes from changing.

“When I reached the ‘Bona-Venture’ the show had started. I crept into the dark theatre. Finally, the main feature, the comedy started. Onto the screen came a funny little fellow. He was a pathetic character, like the rest of us. His clothes were castoffs and much too large for his small frame. His shoes were way out in front of his feet. He did wear a collar and a tie, but no shirt, and on his head a classy, dirty derby. His hand whirled a cane, jauntily, as if in defiance of his lot.”

She noted how he kept going about his busy little life, joyfully, in spite of troubles, his fate, or even bullies. She recounts how everyone in the audience was cheering and laughing…”But I saw something different, something invisible. I FELT something beautiful. A gentle beam of light had stolen into my dark world.”

After the movie was over, she left the theatre and ran ahead of the other kids. “I wanted to be alone. I wanted to hold it closely. Charlie Chaplin had said something to me… he had spoken to me directly…. he made my heart laugh for the first time.”

When actors and actresses make films, they have no idea the number of lives they are touching – or how profoundly some may feel the touch. When Georgia Hale writes, “A gentle beam of light had stolen into my dark world,” I wonder how many other fans have felt the exact thing she felt – and so beautifully described.

As a tribute to Georgia on her birthday (the one of her choosing, perhaps), I wanted to share her beautiful words. Given that they are words about a man she spent nearly half of her life loving, I believe it’d make her very happy.

Read my review of this very special book: Charlie Chaplin: Intimate Close-Ups by Georgia Hale

How Well Do You Know Eve Arden?

June 22, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

As I’ve said many times before, when you watch as many old movies as I do, new “favorites” come into your life regularly. Maybe it’s an actor or actress you’d seen before but seeing them in a particular role bolts them toward the top. Or, maybe it’s one you’d somehow never come across before… but now that you have, you vow to see every movie they ever made.

Eve Arden is fairly new to my world or favorites – I have no idea how our paths hadn’t crossed sooner! She is delightful and entertaining in every conceivable way and I am mowing through her filmography and television appearances. I’m also researching and reading everything I can about her. She was a very, very interesting lady – that always makes research more fun!

“I’ve worked with a lot of great glamorous girls in movies and the theater. And I’ll admit, I’ve often thought it would be wonderful to be a femme fatale. But then I’d always come back to thinking that if they only had what I’ve had – a family, real love, an anchor – they would have been so much happier during all the hours when the marquees and the floodlights are dark.” – Eve Arden

Below are some facts about this very lovely and talented actress.

She was born Eunice Mary Quedens on April 30, 1908.
Eunice Mary made her film debut in a musical, Song of Love, in 1929.
In 1933, she moved to NYC to pursue work in theater.
When she was cast in the 1934 Ziegfeld Follies, she was told to change her name. Looking at her perfume and cosmetics, she chose Eve from Evening in Paris and Arden from Elizabeth Arden. Eve Arden… perfect!
When she returned to Hollywood in 1937, she was cast in Stage Door (only one of the best movies ever made, that’s all) and found herself sharing the screen with Ginger Rogers, Katharine Hepburn, Ann Miller, and Lucille Ball. Her character, Eve, is one of the many highlights of the movie.
Like many stars who were simply trying to do what it took to keep working, she was known to “get creative” when giving her age and birth year.
She was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1995.
Her autobiography is titled Three Phases of Eve (Amazon link).
She was awarded two Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for Television and Radio.
Had four children.
Jane Wyman and Eve Arden were lifelong friends. (Arden guest-starred on Jane Wyman’s Falcon Crest.)
She was in three movies nominated for Best Picture Oscars: Stage Door (1937), Mildred Pierce (1945) and Anatomy of a Murder (1959).
Profiled in book “Funny Ladies” by Stephen Silverman.

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz on What’s My Line (Oct. 2, 1955)

June 22, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

Watching What’s My Line on YouTube has become an obsession of mine. They’re hilarious, entertaining, and I get a big kick out of seeing my favorite stars trying to be “tricky.” Some are more successful than others!

Given the fact that Lucille and Desi are two of my favorite stars of ALL time, the one below was destined to become a personal fave. Enjoy!

Review – “Smile: How Young Charlie Chaplin Taught the World to Laugh (and Cry)”

June 17, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

A few months ago, I struck gold. I entered a contest on Classic Movie Hub for a chance to win a children’s Charlie Chaplin book – Smile: How Young Charlie Chaplin Taught the World to Laugh (and Cry). Since I collect all things Charlie Chaplin and, more importantly, have a precious 18 month old grand-baby (Maddox) who means the world to me, I hoped like crazy that I’d win.

I did!

I love reading to Maddox and absolutely LOVE sharing with him something that I am so passionate about – Old Hollywood. We watch old movies together (he loves musicals, Lewis & Martin, and Abbott & Costello best) and, now, have a book we can enjoy together. And do we ever! The story is entertaining and fun and the illustrations are deliciously unique. They’re colorful and include fun images to hold a child’s attention. The way the book is presented is extra special and original – much like Mr. Chaplin, himself.

This is a children’s book that will grow with a child. While very young, they can enjoy the big bright pictures and the (*pats self on back) wonderfully entertaining voices an adult uses while reading. When older, they’ll enjoy the wonderful story – and gain more from the lessons involved.

For collectors, like myself, they’ll get an extra kick out of the beautiful addition to their collection.

(Continued Below the Beautiful Illustrations)

But there’s more to this book than meets the eye. When you’re a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or anyone blessed with children in their life, you notice things others may overlook.

There are a few especially beautiful things in “Smile” that one might not expect from a colorful and fun children’s book…

When sharing the story with a child, this book gives an adult the perfect opportunity to stress the importance of being yourself. Charlie Chaplin did not pattern himself after other people – he created his own pattern! And what a pattern it was. By doing his own thing and creating his own identity, he became a legend. His name is known the world over. If you’re always trying to fit in, how are you ever going to stand out??
Something else I love about this book is the opportunity to talk about emotions. Sometimes we are happy, for no reason. Other times, something or someone (like, say, a little Tramp??) makes us happy. Sometimes we’re sad, for no reason. Other times, something or someone makes us sad. They’re emotions and there isn’t anything wrong with them. It’s all part of “feeling” and that’s all part of life.
There is a bonding that takes place when you sit beside a child (or with them in your lap while they’re still small enough) and share a book. I noticed it with my three daughters when they were little and I notice it with Maddox. The time spent is beautiful for all involved and creates lasting, wonderful memories.
There are only GREAT things to be said for raising children who love books and think of reading as one of their favorite things. Books are competing with a lot of things these days and few of these things, if any, offer the benefits of reading. We have to all do our part to make sure books stay exciting and enjoyable to our children.

Last of all – and, admittedly of less importance than the benefits to a child and the adult’s relationship with him/her – I have to point out the importance of keeping Old Hollywood and its stars alive and relevant. Silent movies, the Golden Age of Hollywood, musicals, old comedians (SO much better than today’s – sorry, but it’s the truth), and all of the wonderful men and women involved should be remembered and celebrated for generations to come.

That’s where we come in.

It’s not enough to enjoy, collect, and talk about them among ourselves. We need to reach out to future generations and draw them in. All we have to do is introduce them to the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Lucille Ball, Shirley Temple, Judy Garland, Abbot & Costello, Lewis & Martin, Fred and Ginger… once these stars have their attention, they’ll take it from there.

They won’t be able to help falling in love with them.

If you collect Charlie Chaplin books and/or have children in your life, this is most definitely a book you’ll want to check out. See Smile: How Young Charlie Chaplin Taught the World to Laugh (and Cry) for more information!

The picture above? That’s one of my fur babies, Gueenie, sleeping comfortably on this wonderful book. If you’re new to my Old Hollywood Book Reviews, one of my cats is almost always involved during the photo session! They love to be the center of attention, so…. here they come in all of their glory. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Legalities…