Joi | Hollywood Yesterday

Tamango: Dorothy Dandridge and Curt Jurgens

November 23, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Dorothy Dandridge and Curt Jurgens

Dorothy Dandridge was such an incredibly talented and beautiful actress – I wish she had gotten all the chances and opportunities she deserved, as opposed to those others would allow her to have. I can’t spend too much time with the regret, or I’ll go nuts. So I’ll just focus on the positives and say that she took the opportunities given to her and made that absolute most with them.

No matter what movie she was in, she commanded each and every scene. The more you watch this talented lady, the crazier it makes you that she wasn’t given more films.

Uh, oh.. regret is sneaking in again.

If you’re unfamiliar with this extraordinary lady, I hope you’ll search out her movies. You’ll soon be as smitten with her as I am.

That’s a promise.

Tamango Lobby Card

The 1958 film Tamango, while not one of her better films (Carmen Jones, Bright Road, Porgy and Bess, and The Decks Ran Red are all better, IMO), is still absolutely a good (albeit hard to watch, given the subject) film and Dorothy is outstanding.

While Tamango (link to the dvd) is on Amazon, if you look below the image – in the Frequently bought together section, you’ll find this movie, Carmen Jones, and The Decks Ran Red combined for a better deal. A great deal, if we’re being honest!

Today We Live: Joan Crawford, Gary Cooper, Robert Young, and Franchot Tone

November 22, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Joan Crawford

The gorgeous photo above is one of my favorite Joan Crawford photos. It’s a publicity picture from the wonderful 1933 film, Today We Live (directed by Howard Hawks).

The movie also starred three wonderful actors, Gary Cooper, Robert Young, and Franchot Tone.

Joan Crawford and Franchot Tone met while working on this picture and married two years later (her second marriage, his first). Unfortunately, the marriage didn’t survive – ending in divorce in 1939.

You can find Today We Live (link to the dvd) on Amazon.

Marilyn Monroe: The Asphalt Jungle Promotional Pictures (Gorgeous!)

November 21, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Marilyn Monroe, The Asphalt Jungle

Do you have any old Hollywood favorites you just know people think, “Oh… of course you like them…” when you mention them? Stars who are so iconic you fear they really aren’t taken seriously? That’s how it is when I name some of my favorites (such as Marilyn, Audrey Hepburn, Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner, James Stewart…). I’m afraid people think I love them because of their image or because of their stardom.

Far, far from it.

I love these stars because of their talent, the films they left us, and the colorful legacies they earned. These particular stars have actually been done a bit of a disservice by their great popularity. People tend to think of them as images or icons, when they were so much more.

I saw a Twitter conversation once where an individual said… (I’m paraphrasing because it’s been over a year and my brain has an “expiration date” with such things!)… “I just LOVE Marilyn Monroe.” Then another individual asked what their three favorite Marilyn Monroe films were.

You guessed it, the Marilyn Monroe lover had never seen a single of her films and even asked the person to name some because they didn’t know any!

ARRRGGGHHH!!!!

Marilyn Monroe, The Asphalt Jungle

All of this came back to me this morning when I was getting these pictures ready to post. One of the films the person named was The Asphalt Jungle and I was impressed. I think I half-expected them to name the glossy, more famous ones – so when they named this excellent, less-popular film, I knew we were dealing with one of us… a true fan of old movies and Marilyn.

The Asphalt Jungle (Amazon link to the movie on Prime Video) was a 1950 film-noir/drama with an outstanding cast and director (John Huston): Sterling Hayden, Jean Hagen (love her!), Louis Calhern, James Whitmore, and Marilyn Monroe.

If you’ve never seen The Asphalt Jungle, I highly recommend it.

Marilyn Monroe, The Asphalt Jungle

Beautiful Clara Bow, Wings Promotional Photo

November 20, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Clara Bow, Wings

Wings (1927) was the very first winner of the category of Best Picture (then called “Best Production”) at the VERY 1st Annual Academy Awards on May 16, 1929.

The historical film was lost for decades until a copy was discovered in the Cinematheque Francaise film archive in Paris, France. This is why those of us who grieve over lost movies still hold on to hope – happy endings sometimes actually happen!

Demond Wilson and Redd Foxx (Sanford and Son is as Hilarious Today as It Was Then!)

November 19, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Demond Wilson and Redd Foxx

I got my love for Westerns and Classic Television from my dad. I’m 100 percent sure he looks down from Heaven, appreciative of how I’ve carried on his love and passion for classic tv and westerns!

Like my mom, he died way, way too young but not a day goes by that I don’t think of both of them – especially when I watch movies or television shows we enjoyed together.

Growing up, we watched these shows religiously – as in every single time they were on:

Sanford and Son
Gunsmoke
Matlock
Perry Mason
Abbott and Costello (in absolutely anything)
The Big Valley
Bonanza
The Rockford Files

We had Sanford and Son on so often we memorized every single episode. It is, without a doubt, one of the funniest, sharpest, most consistently wonderful series ever on television. The cast was flawless and it simply never missed a beat. One of the coolest things about Sanford and Son is the fact that it is as hilarious today as it was then.

As we’re closing in on Thanksgiving, I thought these adorable pictures would be perfect for today’s pictures of the day.

Judy Garland: Beautiful Presenting Lily Mars Publicity Picture

November 18, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Judy Garland

Pictures of beautiful Judy Garland always make me smile. I don’t know for sure what it is about her, but…. well… she makes me happy! I recently watched three of my favorite Judy Garland movies (The Pirate, Easter Parade, and In the Good Old Summertime) because I felt it was exactly what 2020 called for – massive doses of Judy Garland.

I was right, I felt better than ever after spending so much time with this extra special actress, singer, and performer. The lady could do it all and made it seem effortless.

Judy Garland

Lovely Virginia Huston, Tarzan’s Peril

November 17, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Virginia Huston, “Jane” in Tarzan’s Peril (1951)

Today’s picture of the day is a prime example of something I’m trying to do more of on Hollywood Yesterday – spotlight more of the stars who aren’t household names. As most of us do, I’m guilty of talking so much about Ava Gardner, Maureen O’Hara, Humphrey Bogart, Henry Fonda, and Lena Horne that I overlook stars who are every bit as worth remembering. Stars such as the very, very lovely Virginia Huston.

Virginia was a very good actress with a special screen presence – one that often reminds me of Fay Wray’s (doesn’t get much better than that!). Virginia was born on April 24, 1925 in Wisner, Nebraska. She’s best known for Out of the Past (1947), Tarzan’s Peril (1951) and Flamingo Road (1949). Sadly, she only has 13 credits in her filmography.

Virginia was one of those stars who made the choice that was right for them – she retired from Hollywood in 1952 after she married. She and her husband had a daughter, Pamela, and were married until her untimely death in 1981 from cancer.

She was just 55 years old.

Virginia Huston

Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne in the Perfection Known as The Quiet Man

November 16, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara… Perfection!

I’ll just go ahead and say it… people who say there’s no such thing as perfection have never seen The Quiet Man (1952, directed by the wonderful John Ford). If they HAD, they would say, “Outside of The Quiet Man, there’s no such thing as perfection.”

The movie is perfect, the cast is perfect, the director was perfect, the scenery is perfect (what a breathtaking beauty Ireland is), the sets are perfect, the script is perfect, the dialogue is perfect… if it’s aired on television, the commercials are perfect…

Okay, so I got a bit carried away.

If you’ve never seen The Quiet Man – or if it’s been a while since you last saw it – I hope you’ll pop some popcorn, grab a tall glass of raspberry tea (or drink of your choice) and escape with Mary Kate, Sean Thornton, Michaleen Oge Flynn, and Father Peter Lonergan to one of the most serene settings and colorful cast of characters you’re ever going to find.

You can buy The Quiet Man on dvd (link to Amazon) or watch on Prime Video…. or, you could always do like me and do both. Both is good.

Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Shall We Dance (1937)

November 16, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Fred Astaire

Some stars in Old Hollywood were just so RIGHT that we kind of take them for granted. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, IMO, fall into this category. They were so perfect (every move, every step, every inflection, every expression…) that we kind of take them for granted.

By that I mean, how often do we fail to list Fred Astaire or Ginger Rogers on our lists of favorite old Hollywood stars…. but, yet, truth be told, we love them as much as anyone!

Many times, when making a mental (or physical) list of favorites, we tend to go through the dramatic movies… the epics!… and gather up favorite stars. This is all fine and good, but let’s not forget the musicals and comedies. Comedy is even harder for an actor/actress and, let’s face it, there is no better legacy than leaving laughter behind!

When you add to this the fact that musical stars had to act AND sing AND dance, you can’t help but be blown away by their talent.

Ginger Rogers

Recently, on Twitter, I answered a poll that asked for your favorite 20 old Hollywood stars. Given that I watch every single genre from silent films through the 70s, I have many, many favorites. I was kind of proud of myself that I was able to narrow the usual suspects to 22 (I mean, just cheating by two is hardly even cheating, right?), but as soon as I hit “Tweet,” I realized I had forgotten two of the stars who, over the years, have brought me as much joy and happiness as any star – Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.

I took them for granted! I replied to myself almost immediately and added them. It made me feel a little better anyway.

Whether they’re together in one of their lovely, perfectly flawless musicals or apart in one of their individual films… I simply love these two to distraction.

And I vow to never leave them out of a favorite list ever again.

You can find Shall We Dance (link to the dvd) on Amazon or watch it on Prime Video.

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Shall We Dance

Lena Horne: One of My Favorite Episodes of Sanford and Son

November 15, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Redd Foxx and Lena Horne

One of my favorite sitcoms of all time is Sanford and Son. My dad and I watched and rewatched and rewatched this hilarious show. We’d laugh our heads off every time – even though we had the episodes memorized, they never failed to fill our living room with laughter and joy.

One of my favorite episodes is titled A Visit from Lena Horne. Anyone who knows anything at all about me knows that I am obsessed with Lena Horne, so I guess this really doesn’t come as much of a surprise! One of my favorite stars…. on one of my favorite shows?? It doesn’t get any better than that!

The hilarious episode first aired in 1973. I rewatched it (for probably the millionth time!) this past week and it is as wonderful today as it was then. The writing and acting on this perfect series is timeless.

You can watch Sanford and Son on Prime Video or order the complete series on dvd (link to the complete collection on Amazon).