Joi | Hollywood Yesterday

James Stewart and Shelley Winters, Winchester ’73

September 14, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

James Stewart and Shelley Winters Winchester ’73

If you’re one of those people who forget the magnetism Shelley Winters had on the big screen, I have a homework assignment for you – watch her in Winchester ’73 (pictured here) and in Executive Suite (1954). She’s one of the highlights from both films, which is absolutely saying something since James Stewart stars in one and William Holden, Frederic March, and Barbara Stanwyck star in the other!

Don’t get it twisted, the other stars are extraordinary, too (as always) but there’s just a little something extra about Shelley Winters’ screen presence. A little somethin’ somethin’ if you will.

If you haven’t seen Winchester ’73 or you’ve never seen it, I hope you’ll watch it soon. Each time I do, I ask the same questions…

Shelley Winters was exceptional – why wasn’t she used even more and why isn’t she mentioned more alongside Ava Gabor, Marilyn Monroe, Lana Turner and the rest??
Why do I not ALWAYS name this movie when listing my favorite Westerns?
I wonder if James Stewart knew just how great an actor he was?

You can find Winchester ’73 on Amazon (link to the dvd on Amazon) or watch it on Prime.

Claudette Colbert: Born on this Date in 1903

September 13, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Claudette Colbert, Cleopatra

One of the most extraordinary actresses of all time was born on this date in Saint Mandé, France in 1903. This is an actress with a filmography that’s so remarkable – not just in quantity but quality as well.

Below are my… as of now… personal favorite Claudette Colbert movies (each link leads to the film on Amazon Prime or dvd). I know, as I watch more of her films, I’ll pick up new favorites to add along the way.

It Happened One Night (1934, directed by Frank Capra), co-starring Clark Gable. This film is so popular for a very good reason – it’s outstanding and the humor stands the test of time. It Happened One Night is also available on dvd.
Cleopatra (1934, directed by Cecil B DeMille), co-starring Warren William as Julius Caesar and Henry Wilcoxon as Marc Antony. Visually stunning and the acting is superb.
I Met Him in Paris (1937, directed by Wesley Ruggles), co-starring two of my favorite actors – Melvyn Douglas and Robert Young. They (like Claudette, herself) are wonderful in everything!
The Sign of the Cross (1932, directed by Cecil B. DeMille), co-starring Fredric March and Charles Laughton. Beautiful and lush, as you’d always expect from Cecil B. DeMille.

Claudette Colbert, Cleopatra

Clara Bow in Wine (1924)

September 12, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Clara Bow, Wine (1924)

One of the most frustrating things about loving silent films is living with the fact that so many of them are now lost. When you love so many of the stars from this era, you can’t help but feel that you’ve lost something precious. My personal favorite silent era stars are Clara Bow, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Georgia Hale, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and Mary Pickford. I want to see everything they ever did!

Wine (1924) is one of the Clara Bow films listed as lost. The promotional photos make me even more anxious to see it!

Clara Bow and Robert Agnew, Wine

Angela Lansbury: Bedknobs and Broomsticks

September 11, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Angela Lansbury: Bedknobs and Broomsticks

We all have certain favorites that we would go to battle for don’t we? Stars who… if anyone DARED say anything bad about them… we would not be able to stop ourselves from questioning everything from their upbringing to their core values!

While I love quite a few actresses and actors to distraction – there are some that I tolerate others not loving as much as I do. For example, I love Joan Crawford, Katharine Hepburn, and Bette Davis (a lot) but I understand that each lady may have people who they don’t resonate with. I love John Wayne and Humphrey Bogart, but understand that some people simply do not like Westerns, Bogie’s style, or Elvis films. I disagree mightily, but I won’t throw a pillow or a rabid possum on anyone for their stance.

Basically, I allow it.

Then there are stars such as Angela Lansbury, Jerry Lewis, Maureen O’Hara, Dick Van Dyke, Lena Horne, Bob Hope, and Lucille Ball… suffice to say, I take great offense to negativity directed at these stars! I honestly have no idea why this is – but I honestly get perturbed when these stars receive criticism! Maybe it has something to do with the fact they are/were (in my opinion) above reproach.

(Continued Below…)

Angela Lansbury, Cindy O’Callaghan, Roy Snart, and Ian Weighill

I recently caught half of Bedknobs and Broomsticks and fell in love with the film all over again. I’ve seen it many times over the year but I’m always so pulled into the magic and beauty of the film and magic and beauty of its star, Angela Lansbury.

I wish movies like this were still made – films where no one has to prance around half-dressed, no one has to beat the stuffings out of anyone or shoot them down in the street, and no one uses the kind of language that makes you glad your cat can’t repeat what she hears.

Mind you, I’m not a prude… but, having said that, isn’t it refreshing to go back in time when things were simpler, cleaner, and had an innocence that you tend to forget ever existed.

If all of that sounds unfamiliar to you, I hope you’ll re-watch Bedknobs and Broomsticks (as well as other similar movies) soon. They leave you realizing how far we have come… and that is, most definitely, not always a good thing.

You can find Walt Disney’s Bedknobs and Broomsticks (link to the dvd) on Amazon or watch it on Prime.

Louise Brooks: Pandora’s Box

September 10, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Louise Brooks

Today’s pictures of the day are of the lovely Louise Brooks from the silent film Pandora’s Box (1929). The original title was Die Büchse der Pandora.

Although they were very different actresses, I often think of Clara Bow and Louise Brooks along the same lines. Both were similarly beautiful and highly unique. People often tend to prefer one over the other (much as they do Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin), but… as far as I’m concerned… it’s best to just love them all!

If you aren’t familiar with Louise Brooks, I hope you’ll look up her films (a special edition of Pandora’s Box is available on dvd on Amazon). She truly was a remarkable actress with a “reach up and grab you by the lapels” screen presence.

Louise Brooks

Paulette Goddard and Gary Cooper: Unconquered

September 9, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Paulette Goddard and Gary Cooper: Unconquered

A movie you don’t hear nearly enough about and an actor and actress I don’t talk nearly enough about are Unconquered and its stars Gary Cooper and Paulette Goddard! I recently saw a Gary Cooper movie and two Paulette Goddard movies and, each time, asked myself why I didn’t talk more about them.

I had no answer then and I have no answer now!

I love these two in everything I’ve ever seen them in – I guess they’re two I just take for granted. Well.. no more! You have my vow, whether it’s here on the blog, in person, or on my Old Hollywood Twitter, you’ll hear a lot more from me about these two great talents.

May as well start someplace, right? So here they are as today’s picture of the day.

These are from the 1947 film Unconquered, directed by the wonderful Cecil B. DeMille. Gary Cooper and Paulette Goddard are outstanding in this underrated film – as are Howard Da Silva, Ward Bond, and Boris Karloff.

You can find Unconquered (link to the dvd) on Amazon. I don’t believe it’s on Prime Video.

Paulette Goddard, Unconquered

Paulette Goddard and Charlie Chaplin: The Closing Shot of Modern Times

September 9, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Paulette Goddard and Charlie Chaplin, Modern Times

Modern Times – written and directed by Charlie Chaplin – is one of the cutest, most entertaining silent films ever made, in my opinion. The film stars the great Charlie Chaplin and the equally wonderful Paulette Goddard.

This was actually meant to be Charles Chaplin’s first talkie. He even went as far as writing a script (with dialogue) and experimented with sound. However, because the film was going to feature Charlie Chaplin’s much-loved Little Tramp character, a silent film made much more sense – sound seemed inappropriate for the little guy!

I think they made the ABSOLUTE right decision – even though the film was made in 1936, it needed to be a silent.

You know a film is extra special when even an unplanned moment shows up in the final scene’s screenshot. The photo above is beautiful for many reasons – it’s, frankly, just a gorgeous shot. For those of us who watch and love Charlie Chaplin, we see it as “vintage Chaplin.” He had an eye for the grand scheme of things and the beauty of this shot and moment is just what one comes to expect from the genius.

I love the way they’re walking off – side by side into the wide open world, a world of possibilities, adventures, and hope. I love how he is there, in all of his adorable Tramp splendor, with a trusting and lovely lady by his side. I love the contrast of their hats and that his crazy shoes are pointing in opposite directions!

There’s something extra special if you look closely enough (something I excel at – I swear, I stare at and mentally dissect every old Hollywood photo in existence!). See the shadow on the ground of the Little Tramp’s bag?

The shape of a heart.

When loveliness happens by happenstance, you know you’re into something magical

If you’ve never seen Modern Times, I hope you’ll make a point of seeing it soon. These two stars are outstanding and downright delightful in every way – especially together. You can order the Modern Times (Amazon link) dvd on Amazon or watch it now on Prime Video.

Paulette Goddard and Charlie Chaplin, Modern Times

Ann-Margret, Pamela Tiffin, and Carol Lynley in The Pleasure Seekers

September 7, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Ann-Margret, Pamela Tiffin, and Carol Lynley

The Pleasure Seekers is a fun 1964 film (directed by Jean Negulesco) that has a lot of the charisma and charm of its star Ann-Margret.

For whatever reasons, the film wasn’t a hit when it was released – whether there were simply too many other movies at the time or the public was looking for something different at the time… it simply didn’t do as well as it should have.

In addition to Ann-Margret, the film stars Carol Lynley, Pamela Tiffin, Anthony Franciosa, Gene Tierney, and André Lawrence.

You can find The Pleasure Seekers (link to the dvd) on Amazon. I don’t believe it’s available on Prime Video – I’ll let you know if I ever see it listed!

Angela Lansbury: The Harvey Girls…. Va… Va… VOOM!

September 6, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Angela Lansbury: The Harvey Girls

While Angela Lansbury is and has always been an exceptionally talented actress (movie, television, stage), she isn’t always recognized for her beauty. Her gorgeous eyes, pouty mouth, and perfect skin made her a knockout in old Hollywood.

I’ve loved watching Angela Lansbury’s movies for years and was addicted (addicted, I tell you) to her television series Murder, She Wrote (link to the series on Amazon Prime Video). Each week, I couldn’t wait to spend an hour with Jessica Fletcher and always wondered what we’d get into next.

Because of my adoration of the series, when I think of Angela Lansbury, I think of Jessica Fletcher – and I’m sure that’s how it is for most of us. That’s why it’s wonderful, now and again, to revisit her from old Hollywood.

As this photo from The Harvey Girls (1946, directed by George Sidney) proves… Jessica Fletcher was a real looker!

You can find The Harvey Girls dvd on Amazon or watch it on Prime.

Angela Lansbury, The Harvey Girls

Clara Bow: Gorgeous “Call Her Savage” Promotional Pictures

September 5, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Clara Bow, Call Her Savage

As I’ve said before, when you watch a lot of old movies (especially if you cover all genres and all decades!), you pick up new favorites along the way. You’re going along, minding your own business, and BOOM, an actress or actor climbs over hundreds of other names and lands on sacred grounds…. your “ABSOLUTE favorites” or your “Top Ten.”

I’ve always liked Clara Bow, but she recently tromped up my list of favorite stars… curls bouncing fetchingly as she ascended.

Sometimes all it takes for like to grow into love is seeing just one more film… other times you have to see them in just the right role. For me, it was finally having the chance to see her in more than one film! Clara Bow films are hard to come by and they are RARELY shown on television.

Clara Bow

I’ve also found that, very often, the more I learn about an actor or actress, the more I like them. Not only has seeing more Clara Bow films made me love her more, but reading about her colorful personality and vivaciousness has also endeared her to me even more.

If you haven’t had the chance to see Clara Bow films, I hope you will search them out. I have a feeling you’re going to love her as much as I do.