Old Hollywood: Movies, Actresses, and Actors
Audrey Hepburn and Audie Murphy
Audrey Hepburn, Burt Lancaster, Audie Murphy, Lilian Gish, and Charles Bickford lead an extraordinary cast in the 1960 Western The Unforgiven. It was directed by one of my favorite directors, John Huston, and you can see his fingerprints all over the film.
This was Audrey Hepburn’s only Western, and it’s a very memorable one. You can find The Unforgiven on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.
Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, and William Wyler
One of my all-time favorite movies is the wonderful, wonderful, WONDERFUL Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck (two stars who were mesmerizingly beautiful together). Directed by the best man for the job, William Wyler, the film is a classic and lives up to the name.
If I could change one thing about the movie, it would be the ending… it was perfectly fine, mind you (and Peck’s smile made it even more so), but it wasn’t quite what I had hoped for. I still LOVE the movie to distraction, mind you.
You can find Roman Holiday on dvd (Amazon link) or watch its magic on Prime Video.
Audrey Hepburn, The Unforgiven
The Unforgiven (1960) was Audrey Hepburn’s only Western… as a HUGE fan of both westerns and Audrey Hepburn, I wish this weren’t so, but do cherish the one I have been given!
The movie was directed by John Huston and also stars Burt Lancaster, Audie Murphy, John Saxon, Lillian Gish, Albert Salmi, Doug McClure, and Charles Bickford (love him in everything, thank you very much).
I love this western and the cast is outstanding. You can find The Unforgiven on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.
Audrey Hepburn, The Unforgiven
Audrey Hepburn, Promotional Picture for Sabrina
Beautiful Audrey Hepburn was born on this day in 1929 in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium. This beautiful, iconic actress (and household name) is such a wonderful ambassador for our beloved old Hollywood. She was everything that was right about old Hollywood. She was talented, beautiful, stylish, kind, classy (head to toe!) and had a compassionate, loving heart.
Her filmography may not be as long as some but is it ever impressive?!
Some of my personal favorite Audrey Hepburn films are Sabrina, Roman Holiday, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, How to Steal a Million Dollars, My Fair Lady, The Unforgiven, Two for the Road, Funny Face, and Charade.
Audrey Hepburn DVD Collection:
Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck
The wonderful Roman Holiday (1953) was directed by William Wyler and stars two of old Hollywood’s best and most loved stars, Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. It also stars Eddie Albert (best known for Green Acres) with a performance that makes you wish he had been featured in more films! I love him in this movie and his character’s friendship with Gregory Peck’s character is one of the best things about the film.
Without giving anything away, I have to say this: If there were one thing I’d change about this movie it would be something in particular about the ending. I should have prefaced that by saying that I am incredibly particular about movie endings. I honestly am the worst when it comes to movie endings and expectations. Somewhere along the way in every movie, my mind decides how it very much wants the film to end… then, when the ending deviates from my mind’s game plan… well, suffice to say it’s a letdown!
The movie is perfectly wonderful and its stars shine so brightly in each scene it takes your breath away. In spite of ending slightly different than the direction my brain was headed, I absolutely love this movie and would rank it a 10 each and every time I watch it.
Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck
You can find Roman Holiday on dvd or Blu-ray (Amazon link) – I certainly cherish my copy – or watch the wonderful movie on Prime Video.
Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison
I don’t just love My Fair Lady with Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison… I ADORE My Fair Lady with Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. Every word spoken, every note hit, every thread of every costume, every… oh, you get the idea. I’m completely infatuated with it and with the performance of each star.
The wonderful George Cukor directed this iconic musical. The cast also includes Stanley Holloway, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Jeremy Brett, and Gladys Cooper.
If it’s been a while since you’ve watched this absolute masterpiece, I hope you’ll revisit it soon. It’s even better than you remember.
You can find My Fair Lady on dvd (Amazon link) or watch on Prime Video.
Audrey Hepburn, My Fair Lady
Audrey Hepburn looks like a beautiful, exquisite princess in the photo above… then again, she looked that way all of her life – in photos and out! She was simply one in a billion and, boy, did they ever break the mold.
This stunningly beautiful picture of Audrey was for the 1964 musical My Fair Lady. This movie wasn’t just a wonderful film, it produced some of the most amazing promotional pictures of Audrey.
Audrey Hepburn
Think the camera loved her? I’m pretty sure it was obsessed with her!
You can find My Fair Lady on dvd (Amazon link) or watch on Prime Video. Few things I can think of that compare with spending a few hours with the always delightful and deliriously de-loverly Audrey Hepburn!
Audrey Hepburn
One of the most delightful movies ever made (musical or otherwise) and two of the finest performances (Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison) involve the same legendary film… My Fair Lady. It’s absolutely remarkable and, in my opinion, seems to get better with each subsequent viewing.
I’ve seen it at least 8 times and love it EVEN more after each revisit.
Audrey Hepburn
You can find My Fair Lady on dvd (Amazon link) or watch on Prime Video. Either way, it’s a sure fire way to brighten your entire day… possibly even your week!
Audrey Hepburn, My Fair Lady
Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Audrey Hepburn’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s isn’t just a highly entertaining film, it’s absolutely iconic. It may be the Audrey fanatic in me speaking, but I don’t (for a minute) think the film would be as iconic and legendary as it is with any other actress in the role.
It and Audrey were a match made in cinematic Heaven.
The 1961 film was directed by Blake Edwards and co-starred George Peppard, Patricia Neal, and Buddy Ebsen.
You can find Breakfast at Tiffany’s on DVD (Amazon link to the dvd) or watch on Prime Video.
Audrey Hepburn and Peter O’Toole, How to Steal a Million
I love a great comedy – I mean, really, there’s nothing quite like sitting back and and losing yourself in fun and laughter. How to Steal a Million definitely qualifies as a great comedy. Peter O’Toole, Audrey Hepburn, and Eli Wallach embraced their roles and the laughs just come one after the other.
It’s what I call “smart comedy,” as opposed to “mindless comedy.” Mindless comedy, to me, is when a film is basically comprised of funny bits and funny moments – kind of like a patchwork quilt. Whether or not they lead to a cohesive picture isn’t their aim… lots of laughs is their only goal.
A “smart comedy,” on the other hand, is one where there are lots of laughs, but they’re woven into the story… part of the fabric that makes the bigger picture. How to Steal a Million has a wonderful plot, great dialogue, and something else “mindless comedies” usually don’t worry about…. interesting, multi-layered characters. When a film allows you to get to know the characters and actually care about what they like and dislike, you’re game to follow them wherever they want to take you.
Audrey Hepburn and Peter O’Toole make you want to follow them to the ends of the earth and back!
If you’ve never seen How to Steal a Million, I hope you’ll watch it really soon. I know that a lot of Old Hollywood fans have a certain date is their cut-off – kind of a film watching expiration date! In fact, I know many who simply don’t watch anything past 1950… and a few who use color as their cut off. If a movie is in color, they aren’t interested!
To each their own, of course, but the 50s and 60s sure have a lot of wonderful movies they’re missing out on and this is definitely one of them.
You can buy How to Steal a Million (link to the dvd on Amazon) or watch it on Prime. This is one of those delicious movies that’s even better than you’d dared to expect.
Audrey Hepburn and Peter O’Toole
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??
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!
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…
