Golden Age of Hollywood
Marilyn Monroe, Behind the Scenes
I love this adorable photo of Marilyn Monroe behind the scenes of There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954, directed by Walter Lang). She looks so relaxed and happy – two states of being I wish she had always, always, always enjoyed.
The cast of There’s No Business Like Show Business (link to the dvd on Amazon) also included Ethel Merman, Donald O’Connor, Dan Dailey, and Mitzi Gaynor. What an outstanding cast!
Lena Horne and Gonzo
I absolutely love this picture of Lena Horne from her guest appearance on The Muppet Show in 1976. You can tell she enjoyed the experience and, understandably, Gonzo is obviously under her spell!
I knew I just had to have Lena Horne as my picture of the day (sometimes she is the only star that will do) and I thought this one was too cute not to use.
Hope your day gives you a million reasons to smile.
Bright Road, With Dorothy Dandridge, Philip Hepburn, and Harry Belafonte
Two of my all-time favorite stars are Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte – so, the fact that they teamed up for a couple of movies feels like a gift that keeps giving for me! Their chemistry was as good as it gets – second to none – and each star’s talent will blow you away. Belafonte has always had a certain dynamic – charisma on steroids, if you will – that makes his every screen presence an especially powerful thing.
If you aren’t familiar with Harry Belafonte as an actor, I hope you’ll see this movie, the wonderful Carmen Jones (I’ll be honest… I’m obsessed with Carmen Jones!), and The World, the Flesh, and the Devil (link to a post where I rave and rave about this one) ASAP, if not sooner.
The essence of my being is to focus on positivity (my family doesn’t call me Mary Poppins for nothing), but some things just have to be said – the fact that stars such as Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Philip Hepburn, Rex Ingram, Lena Horne, Hattie McDaniel, etc… weren’t given more films, more diverse roles, and more of an opportunity to shine isn’t just maddening and infuriating – it’s heart-breaking. Not just for the stars who more than deserved as many opportunities as everyone else, but also for those of us who were robbed of seeing more of their work.
I can’t tell you how often I think about other roles and opportunities Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte should have had! They would have been delicious in a film-noir – either together (my personal dream) or apart.
Again, I am “bent” toward focusing on the positives in life, so I will simply say that I am forever thankful that Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte had a chance to shine in the films they were given. They took their opportunities and absolutely blew everyone away! Philip Hepburn did the same in the extraordinary movie Bright Road. Seeing the three of them in one movie is a very special treat.
I wish there had been more, but I am more grateful than I can say for this film. Like Dorothy Dandridge, it’s a beauty you won’t forget.
You can find Bright Road (link to Amazon) on dvd on Amazon or watch on Prime Video. It’s a very, very special movie with wonderful stars who deserved so much more.
Bright Road, Starring Dorothy Dandridge, Philip Hepburn, and Harry Belafonte
David Niven and Ava Gardner
Ava Gardner and David Niven were both so colorful and had such bigger than life personalities, I can’t help but think that 1957 film The Little Hut’s set must have been a blast. Directed by Mark Robson, the movie also starred Stewart Granger.
You can find The Little Hut (link to the dvd) on Amazon. I don’t think it’s on Prime Video, unfortunately.
Lucille Ball and Boris Karloff, Lured
Anyone who knows anything about me knows how much I adore Lucille Ball. Always have, always will. Whether it’s one of her hilarious, timeless sitcoms or one of her wonderful movies, this redhead is always, always, always welcome in my den.
Lured (1947, directed by Douglas Sirk) is somewhat of a hidden gem in the world of classic film fans. The only reason it isn’t wildly popular or known is that it isn’t shown on television more often. If it were, it’d be just as known and loved as celebrated film-noirs Indemnity, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and The Killers.
It’s that good.
The cast includes Lucille Ball, George Sanders, Charles Coburn (always wonderful), and Boris Karloff… in a very small but memorable role. He seemed to relish this part and it’s a lot of fun to watch.
Ball and Sanders have an unexpected chemistry and it practically sizzles. I’m not sure why I consider it “unexpected” but it absolutely caught me off guard.
If you’ve never seen this excellent film, I hope you’ll watch it as soon as possible. If you have seen it… see it again. It’s every bit as good when re-watched.
You can find Lured on dvd on Amazon or watch it on Prime Video.
Lucille Ball, Lured
Rita Hayworth, Gilda
Rita Hayworth’s performance in Gilda helped make her a household name – one that is still synonymous with beauty, to this day.
Gee… wonder why???
She and Glenn Ford were wonderful in this excellent film – I could watch it several times a month and never get tired of it.
You can buy Gilda on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.
Rita Hayworth, Gilda
James Caan, John Wayne, and Olaf Wieghorst
One of my favorite Westerns of all time is El Dorado (1967). Directed by the wonderful Howard Hawks, it often gets overshadowed by Rio Bravo but… make absolutely no mistake about it… El Dorado belongs in no film’s shadow. It’s more than capable of standing on its own.. casting its own huge shadow!
The western stars John Wayne, James Caan, Robert Mitchum, Charlene Holt, Michele Carey, Olaf Wieghorst, and (last but by no means least – he makes the movie what it is), Arthur Hunnicutt as Bull. In the same way there could be no Rio Bravo without Stumpy, there could be no El Dorado without Bull.
You can watch El Dorado on Prime Video or buy the dvd on Amazon.
John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, and Arthur Hunnicutt
Elizabeth Montgomery
One of my absolute favorite television actresses of all-time is the beautiful Elizabeth Montgomery…. my favorite color is purple. What happens when the two team up??
Absolute. Magic.
There was just something about this actress, wasn’t there? She was so very talented and had a natural gift for comedy – yet, she was also as beautiful as any actress who ever lived, does live, or will live! Like Lucille Ball and Barbara Eden – she proved that some clowns just happen to be exceptionally lovely.
Bewitched premiered on this date in 1964 and, remarkably, it is just as hilarious today as it was then. The writing, directing, and certainly the acting are all beautifully timeless.
Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall was born Betty Joan Perske on September 16, 1924, in New York City. Little did anyone know the legendary actress Betty Joan would one day become!
While I love all of Lauren Bacall’s movies (she has a very rich filmography… as rich and distinctive as her voice), my favorites are Key Largo, Dark Passage, The Big Sleep, How to Marry a Millionaire, and To Have and Have Not.
When Humphrey Bogart was on the screen, there was magic. When Lauren Bacall was on the screen, there was magic. When they were on the screen together…. the word hasn’t been invented for the magic they generated together.
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, Key Largo
David Niven, Peter Ustinov, and Bette Davis in Death on the Nile
I love books. There you have it – an understatement to end all understatements! I love them so much, I collect many different types, so they’re always near me. In fact, it occurred to me recently that (when home) three things are always within my reach…
Even as I type this out, I have raspberry tea and a cup of coffee to my left, two cats to my right, and Mary Astor’s wonderful autobiography right in front of me. What can I say, I get antsy if any of these four life sources are out of my reach.
Hmmm… maybe that’s why I’m such a homebody. I can take my tea, chocolate, and coffee with me but not my cats and book collections.
One of my favorite authors (tying with Emily Dickinson and my daughter Emily, named in her honor) is the wonderful Agatha Christie. I collect her books and read them again and again. True story: seven or eight years ago, I was making out my New Year’s resolutions and I must have been in a cheeky mood because I wrote down… “Always be in the middle of an Agatha Christie mystery” AND “Eat chocolate every single day.”
I guess I just wanted to MAKE CERTAIN at least two of the resolutions were kept? They were… to the tune of that year and every year since.
Cheeky Kentuckian.
{Continued Below…}
Agatha Christie Books
There have been numerous films made from Agatha Christie mysteries. While I’ve never seen one that was quite as good as the book, itself, they are always entertaining – especially when they have a cast like Death on the Nile had! Peter Ustinov (as Hercule Poirot), Bette Davis, David Niven, George Kennedy, Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury, Jack Warden, Simon MacCorkindale, Lois Chiles… outstanding cast and a darn good movie.
Death on the Nile Cast
The beauty above is Silent Film star Mildred Davis. She was a frequent co-star (and longtime wife) of legendary actor Harold Lloyd. She’s one of my favorite silent film actresses and one I can’t understand not being a household name!
There’s nothing quite like watching a movie from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Whether it’s a Musical, Western, Comedy, Romance, Film Noir, or Drama – if it’s on, I’m not too far away… with popcorn and raspberry tea in hand and a couple of cats nearby.
Below are a few Old Hollywood movie reviews I’ve done on the blog. There are, as you’d imagine, a lot more to come. – Joi (“Joy”)
We’re in the Money (Joan Blondell, Glenda Farrell)
The Naked Spur (James Stewart, Janet Leigh)
The Prince and the Showgirl (Marilyn Monroe, Laurence Olivier)
The White Sister (Helen Hayes, Clark Gable)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Howard Keel, Jane Powell, Russ Tamblyn, Julie Newmar)
Rio Bravo (John Wayne, Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson, Ricky Nelson, Walter Brennan)
El Dorado (John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, James Caan, Charlene Holt, Michele Carey)
Rio Grande (John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara)
Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein (What is it With Me and These Movies??)
The Stooge (Jerry Lewis’ favorite Lewis and Martin Movie… for good reason.)
Critic’s Choice (Hilarious movie starring Bob Hope and Lucille Ball)
To Please a Lady (Clark Gable and Barbara Stanwyck team up in a fast track movie)
Grand Hotel (Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore)
Hearts Divided (Marion Davies, Dick Powell)
The Quiet Man (John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Barry Fitzgerald)
More Old Hollywood Movie Reviews
Find out just how much I (truly) Love Lucy in the Lucille Ball category. I’m warning you, I call it an obsession for a very good reason…
Another personal absolute favorite of mine is Barbara Stanwyck. Not only was she beautiful and outrageously talented, she was exceptionally bright, charismatic, and colorful. This growing collection of Barbara Stanwyck Quotes will give you an idea of just how colorful she was!
