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Josephine Hull and James Stewart in the Wonderfully FUN Harvey (1950)

April 30, 2023 By Joi

Josephine Hull and James Stewart, Harvey

Josephine Hull and James Stewart, Harvey

Josephine Hull and James Stewart were each nominated for an Emmy for their wonderful performances in Harvey (’50). Unfortunately Stewart lost to Jose Ferrer (Cyrano de Bergerac), but Hull deservedly won Best Actress, Supporting Role.

When she won, she even thanked Harvey!

Josephine Hull was always such a complete JOY to watch – Arsenic and Old Lace, Harvey, or The Lady from Texas. Problem is, that’s (literally) nearly all the films she made. She had a long, wonderful career on Broadway before making her first film and I know I’m not the only one who realizes that Broadway’s gain was Hollywood’s loss. The lady was MAGIC and I downright kind of grieve for all the movies she could have made had Hollywood been paying attention.

You can find Harvey on dvd or Blu-ray (Amazon link) or watch the very entertaining film on Prime Video.

Harvey Lobby Card

Harvey Lobby Card

Filed Under: James Stewart, Josephine Hull, Perfect Movies, Picture of the Day Tagged With: Harvey 1950, James Stewart, Josephine Hull

Remembering the Wonderful Celeste Holm on the Date of Her Birth

April 29, 2023 By Joi

Celeste Holm

Celeste Holm

The beautiful Celeste Holm was born on this day (April 29th) in 1917 in Brooklyn, New York. She brought so much charisma and talent to EVERY single performance, often stealing scenes from household names… she had a quality (much like Joan Blondell, Thelma Ritter, S.Z. Sakall, and a select group of others) that made you want to keep your eyes on her and your ears tuned into whatever it was she had to say.

You dare not look away, EVEN if you wanted to.

Celeste Holm

Celeste Holm

Some of my Personal Favorite Celeste Holms Films:

  • Come to the Stable
  • All About Eve
  • High Society
  • Champagne for Caesar
  • The Snake Pit
  • Tom Sawyer (’73)
  • Gentleman’s Agreement
  • Cinderella (TV Movie)
  • The Tender Trap

The films above are jut the tip of her wonderful filmography which also includes numerous wonderful guest appearances on tv.

Celeste Holm

Celeste Holm

“We live by encouragement and die without it – slowly, sadly, and angrily.” ~ Celeste Holm


Thank you for all the wonderful entertainment, Celeste Holm, and happy birthday!

Celeste Holm

Filed Under: BOTD, Celeste Holm Tagged With: BOTD, Celeste Holm

Lena Horne and Dean Martin: The Two of Us

April 28, 2023 By Joi

Lena Horne and Dean Martin performing a duet is almost too much goodness to handle, so brace yourself before watching and listening to this one. I absolutely love the way they harmonized together.

Beautiful Lena Horne was a guest on five episodes of The Dean Martin Show between 1967 and 1969.


Filed Under: Dean Martin, Lena Horne Tagged With: Dean Martin, Lena Horne

Maureen O’Hara and Paul Henreid Make The Spanish Main An Extraordinary Swashbuckler

April 28, 2023 By Joi

Maureen O'Hara and Paul Henreid, The Spanish Main

Maureen O’Hara and Paul Henreid, The Spanish Main

I absolutely love swashbucklers – they’re pure fun and great escapism from the real world when it tends to act up.  I’ve always thought they should have their own category, rather than simply lumped with all fantasy movies or all action movies. I also think more should be made today!

Having said that, I’m certain they could never rival the truly great swashbucklers from old Hollywood. These classics were colorful, deliciously over the top, and in many ways like westerns on the high seas… simply with more pageantry and swords instead of rifles.

One of my absolute favorite swashbucklers is The Spanish Main (1945), Directed by Frank Borzage, the colorful movie stars Paul Henreid, Maureen O’Hara, Binnie Barnes, and Walter Slezak (always so entertaining!). The only knock (and honestly it isn’t even a knock) I have with this film is I truly wish Binnie Barnes had been in it more. She really was extraordinary.

When I first sat down to watch The Spanish Main, I was so excited to see Paul Henreid in the role of a swashbuckling hero. I had, at the time, only known (and love) him from Now, Voyager, Casablanca, and Between Two Worlds. I knew him as a wonderful leading man but, somehow, couldn’t envision him as a pirate! I was very anxious to see how he’d pull it off. I should have known that he would have done it with style and, what’s more, make it seem effortless in the process.

He truly was one of the most gifted actors ever and one of the few who never gave less than a perfect performance.

As for Maureen O’Hara, if you know me at all you know she’s one of my top favorite actresses – I’m basically as associated with her as Popeye is with spinach – so I fully knew what to expect from Maureen. After all, I’d seen all of her other swashbucklers and knew full well she was the best thing to every happen to the genre (in my opinion anyway).

You can find The Spanish Main on dvd (Amazon link) or watch Paul Henreid and Maureen O’Hara work their magic on Prime Video!

Maureen O'Hara and Paul Henreid, The Spanish Main

Maureen O’Hara and Paul Henreid, The Spanish Main

Filed Under: Maureen O'Hara, Paul Henreid, Picture of the Day Tagged With: Maureen O'Hara, Paul Henreid, swashbucklers

Lena Horne: Beautiful Promotional Photos for Cabin in the Sky

April 27, 2023 By Joi

Lena Horne, Cabin in the Sky

Lena Horne, Cabin in the Sky

The beautiful Lena Horne photos shown here were promotional pictures for her wonderful 1943 musical Cabin in the Sky. Directed by Vincente Minnelli, the musical’s cast also includes Eddie Anderson, Ethel Waters, Rex Ingram, Louis Armstrong, Bill Bailey, Mantan Moreland, and Oscar Polk.

If you’ve never seen it, I hope you’ll find it soon and fall in love with it. If you HAVE seen it… well… watch it again and fall in love with it all over again. I honestly find something fresh and new each time I revisit it. With a cast this amazing, you’ll discover new expressions each time you spend time with them.

You can buy Cabin in the Sky on dvd (Amazon link) on watch it on Prime Video.

Lena Horne, Cabin in the Sky

Lena Horne, Cabin in the Sky


Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Cabin in the Sky, Lena Horne, Lena Horne Pictures

Happy Birthday to the Extraordinary Carol Burnett!

April 26, 2023 By Joi

Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball, The Carol Burnett Show

Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball

The adorable picture above shows two of my favorites doing what they do/did best… making people smile. Such extraordinary women and very close friends in real life as well.

Carol Burnett’s birthday is today and I can think of no better way to honor her than a photo with a friend that meant so much to her.

She was born on April 26, 1933 in San Antonio, Texas and television and its fans are all the richer for it. It’s amazing to me just how timeless The Carol Burnett Show is, even today. The music, opening monologue, skits, and humor ring as wonderful today as they did then and so much of that is because of the wonderful redhead we’re celebrating today.

Happiest of birthdays, Carol Burnett, and thanks for all of the wonderful fun and laughter!

You can find the complete series (or buy seasons individually) of The Carol Burnett Show on dvd or watch on Prime Video. (Amazon link)

Filed Under: BOTD, Carol Burnett, Lucille Ball, Picture of the Day Tagged With: BOTD, Carol Burnett, Lucille Ball

In This Our Life: Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Billie Burke, and Frank Craven…

April 25, 2023 By Joi

George Brent, Bette Davis, Olivia De Havilland, Frank Craven, and Billie Burke - In This Our Life

George Brent, Bette Davis, Olivia De Havilland, Frank Craven, and Billie Burke 

One of my favorite Bette Davis performances and one of my favorite Frank Craven performances happen in the same film, the wonderful drama In This Our Life (1942, directed by John Huston).

While Olivia de Havilland, George Brent, Billie Burke, Charles Coburn, Dennis Morgan, and Hattie McDaniel are all wonderful (as always), Bette Davis and Frank Craven are the movie’s driving force. Truth be told, Bette Davis is positively mesmerizing in this film – you cannot take your eyes off of her. Every movement, expression, and gesture scream film-noir siren and she is delicious in the classification.

Bette Davis, Billie Burke, and Frank Craven - In This Our Life

Bette Davis, Billie Burke, and Frank Craven – In This Our Life

While this film isn’t considered a film-noir, I’ve always wished it were for the mere reason that it would have put her up there in the ranks of the great film-noir actresses Lauren Bacall, Gloria Grahame, Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Crawford, and Claire Trevor. Not that the iconic Bette needs to be at the top of yet another list – she has an insane number of them as it is!

If you’ve never seen In This Our Life, I hope you’ll find it soon and enjoy one of the iconic Bette Davis’ best performances. You can find In This Our Life (Amazon link) on dvd or watch the drama on Prime Video.

Dennis Morgan, Bette Davis, and Olivia de Havilland - In This Our Life

Dennis Morgan, Bette Davis, and Olivia de Havilland – In This Our Life

Filed Under: Bette Davis, Billie Burke Tagged With: Bette Davis, Billie Burke, Frank Craven, George Brent, Olivia de Havilland

Vivien Leigh and Claude Rains, Caesar and Cleopatra (1945)

April 20, 2023 By Joi

Vivien Leigh, Caesar and Cleopatra

Vivien Leigh, Caesar and Cleopatra 

One of my absolute favorite people to read about is Cleopatra. I’ve always been enthralled with her. While Hollywood has never quite gotten it right when telling her story (or in casting her, for that matter), the movies are almost always entertaining and fun.

I say almost because one in particular misses the mark more than the others. The 1945 film Caesar and Cleopatra lacks heart and personality in my opinion. Even its wonderful stars often seem to simply be going through the MOTIONS… without any eMOTIONs. I can’t think of a single film its extraordinary leads Vivien Leigh and Claude Rains showed such a lack of feeling for what was at hand.

Is that the fault of the director? Were they miscast in these roles? Were they simply portraying their characters as cold and somewhat lifeless?

I have no idea but it leaves me gobsmacked because these are two of old Hollywood’s greatest!

I remember when I first sat down to watch this one. I had recorded it on TCM and carved out time that evening to watch it. I got my snacks and iced raspberry tea and joined my cats in the den. We were all very excited and expected something truly epic and dynamic.

It honestly took a mere 10 minutes to realize we would have been just as well off watching one another.

Don’t get me wrong, I try to watch the complete filmography of all my favorites, so I needed to see this one on account of both Vivien Leigh and Claude Rains… and the costumes (and Vivien, herself) were positively stunning.

But that’s it. Truth be told, I don’t think Vivien and Claude could have had less chemistry if you’d paid them to! Trust me… I adore them and it pains me to say it but, geesh, they lulled me to sleep with this one.

If you, too, need this film for a “filmography collection” OR for a nap!… you can find Caesar and Cleopatra on dvd (Amazon link).

Vivien Leigh and Claude Rains, Caesar and Cleopatra

Vivien Leigh and Claude Rains, Caesar and Cleopatra


Filed Under: Claude Rains, Picture of the Day, Vivien Leigh Tagged With: Claude Rains, Vivien Leigh

Rosenda Monteros, Petra in The Magnificent Seven (1960)

April 18, 2023 By Joi

Rosenda Monteros, The Magnificent Seven

Rosenda Monteros, The Magnificent Seven

While beautiful and talented Rosenda Monteros had her share of colorful roles and films, her portrayal of Petra in The Magnificent Seven (1960, directed by John Sturges) always stand out as one people remember with the most fondness.

Rosenda was born on August 31, 1935 in Veracruz, Mexico. In addition to being a very fine actress, Rosenda was also a dancer. She’s also known in Mexico for her many appearances in telenovelas.

You can find The Magnificent Seven (1960) on dvd, blu-ray, and Prime Video. (Amazon link)

Filed Under: Picture of the Day, Rosenda Monteros, Westerns Tagged With: Rosenda Monteros, The Magnificent Seven, Westerns

Rio Bravo (1959): One of the Best Westerns Ever Made….

April 17, 2023 By Joi

John Russell, John Wayne, Walter Brennan, Angie Dickinson, and Dean Martin on the set of Rio Bravo (1959)
On the Set of Rio Bravo

Pictured Above: John Russell, John Wayne, Walter Brennan, Angie Dickinson, and Dean Martin on the set of Rio Bravo (1959)

Rio Bravo (1959, directed by Howard Hawks) airs on TCM tonight. We have at least one copy of the film on dvd and we’ve seen it twice a year (sometimes more than that) every year for as long as I can remember… but you’d better believe the dvr is set nonetheless!

My love for this Western is legendary. Westerns and Comedies are my favorite film genres and this perfect movie more or less combines the two – a great Western with a great deal of humor.

The director, Howard Hawks is one of my favorite directors of all time and was the PERFECT man for the job with Rio Bravo.

The extraordinary cast includes John Wayne, Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan, Ricky Nelson, John Russell, Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, and Claude Akins. After making The Searchers (1956), John Wayne took a brief hiatus from Westerns – Rio Bravo marked his triumphant return to the genre.

Sigh. I’m feeling dizzy from excitement just thinking about this movie.

You can find Rio Bravo on dvd (Amazon link), watch it on Prime Video, and/or catch it tonight on TCM!


Filed Under: Angie Dickinson, Dean Martin, John Russell, John Wayne, Perfect Movies, Picture of the Day, Westerns Tagged With: Angie Dickinson, Dean Martin, John Russell, John Wayne, Walter Brennan, Westerns

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Welcome to Hollywood Yesterday!

Ann Sheridan, It All Came True

Ann Sheridan
My name is Joi (“Joy”) and I created Hollywood Yesterday as my personal tribute to Old Hollywood. It’s my effort to help keep the stars from Old Hollywood, Classic Television, and Old Radio Shows alive and shining forever. Old Hollywood was positively magical and I see no reason for the magic to ever die.

Be warned, I am (by nature) overtly positive, I never take anything too seriously, I say extraordinary so often you’d think I invented the word, and I overuse exclamation points to distraction. I’m perpetually over-caffeinated.. we’ll blame that.

Read more about Hollywood Yesterday (and see my personal favorites) here!

Old Hollywood Actresses

Lena Horne, Meet Me in Las Vegas

See the Old Hollywood Actresses page for the index of Classic Hollywood Actresses and Classic TV Actresses.

Old Hollywood Actors

Henry Fonda, Behind the Scenes The Grapes of Wrath

See the Old Hollywood Actors page for the index of Old Hollywood and Classic TV actors.

Old Hollywood Book Reviews

Ann Dvorak: Hollywood's Forgotten Rebel by Christina Rice

I love reading old Hollywood biographies and memoirs as much as I love watching classic movies, and that’s truly saying something!

To see my Old Hollywood book reviews, please see the index listed here: Book Reviews.

Pictures of the Day

Maureen O'Hara, The Parent Trap

Maureen O’Hara

The Old Hollywood & Classic TV Pictures of the Day are published as regularly as possible. If I miss a few days, please just know that the husband, daughters, sons-in-law, grandbabies, and/or my cats were demanding my attention. I’ll be honest, nothing comes before any of them! Not even Maureen O’Hara or Henry Fonda.

Priorities, y’all.

Movie Collections on Amazon

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Recent Posts

  • A Great Katharine Hepburn Quote That (Like Her) Doesn’t Hold Back!
  • Happy Katharine Hepburn Day! The Iconic and Legendary Actress was BOTD in 1907
  • Dame Margaret Rutherford, BOTD in England in 1892
  • Gary Cooper and Joan Leslie, Sergeant York (1941)
  • Joan Fontaine in One of Her Finest Roles, Born to Be Bad (1950)
  • Juliet Mills, Maureen O’Hara, and James Stewart Behind the Scenes of The Rare Breed
  • The Awful Truth: Cary Grant, Irene Dunne, Mary Forbes, and Ralph Bellamy
  • Positivity, Fertilizer, Dolphins, and Katharine Hepburn… and it’s Just Monday!

Movie Night, ANY Night…

John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, and Arthur Hunnicutt in El Dorado
Have movie night ANY night with Prime Video on Amazon:  Prime Video (Amazon link)

Thank You for Visiting!

Paulette Goddard and Charlie Chaplin, Modern Times
Thank you so much for visiting Hollywood Yesterday! You truly HONOR me with your presence. ~ Joi (“Joy”)

Olivia de Havilland

Olivia de Havilland, The Adventures of Robin Hood

My main goal with Hollywood Yesterday is to keep the names, faces, and films of the stars that mean so much to me shining brightly. When I’m guilty of focusing more time on my personal favorites (such as Olivia de Havilland) than other stars, I hope you’ll forgive me. I am, by all indications, very human!

Also, please know that I try to keep my posts (except for book reviews) short and to the point, so you can enjoy the pictures, grab the information, and get back to your life. I don’t appreciate anything that’s overly wordy, so I don’t want to do that to others. For better or worse, I write as I talk, so if you ever feel like you’re reading the words of someone who’s a cross between Lucy Ricardo, Daisy Duck, and a Jerry Lewis character, that’s just because you are!

Wait. What did I just admit to?? 

Barbara Stanwyck Quotes

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!

Old Hollywood Movies

Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire Top Hat Cheek to Cheek

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

Classic Hollywood Books & Biographies (Reviews)

Maureen O'Hara's Autobiography 'Tis Herself

‘Tis Herself by Maureen O’Hara
I Know Where I'm Going (Katharine Hepburn Biography) and Princess

I Know Where I’m Going: Katharine Hepburn

 

Debbie Reynolds Unsinkable
Unsinkable: A Memoir by Debbie Reynolds

 

Ginger Rogers Autobiography - Ginger: My Story

Ginger by Ginger Rogers
Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball

Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball
Vitagraph by Andrew A. Erish
Vitagraph by Andrew A. Erish
More Old Hollywood Book Reviews!

Dorothy Dandridge

Dorothy Dandridge Carmen Jones Poster

Getting to Know the Gorgeous and Talented Dorothy Dandridge

My Lucy Obsession

Lucille Ball

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…

Legalities…

Aside from pictures of books I review, I do not claim to have taken any of the pictures on this website, nor do I own the pictures – the ones of the stars or the affiliate (product) pictures.  Other, far more talented photographers than me have the credit for the beautiful photos you see. If you would like credit for a photograph or would like one removed, please e-mail me (joitsigers@gmail.com).

Movie posters and promotional photos are used in the belief that they qualify for the Fair Use law. Fair use is a doctrine in the law of the United States that permits limited use of copyrighted material without having to first acquire permission from the copyright holder. Fair use is one of the limitations to copyright intended to balance the interests of copyright holders with the public interest in the wider distribution and use of creative works by allowing as a defense to copyright infringement claims certain limited uses that might otherwise be considered infringement.

When you click through an affiliate (product, book, dvds..) link, I earn a small portion of the money you spend IF you purchase anything. This does not cost you any extra money, of course. This is how I am able to work from home and support my cats! – Joi (“Joy”)

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