Joi | Hollywood Yesterday

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 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

Remembering the Wonderful Celeste Holm on the Date of Her Birth

April 29, 2023 By Joi

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

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

“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!

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.

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

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

Lena Horne: Beautiful Promotional Photos for Cabin in the Sky

April 27, 2023 By Joi

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

Happy Birthday to the Extraordinary Carol Burnett!

April 26, 2023 By Joi

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)

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

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

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

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

April 20, 2023 By Joi

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

Rosenda Monteros, Petra in The Magnificent Seven (1960)

April 18, 2023 By Joi

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)

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

April 17, 2023 By Joi

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!