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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

Myrna Loy, Billie Burke, and William Powell: The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

June 4, 2021 By Joi

Myrna Loy, William Powell, and Billie Burke in The Great Ziegfeld

Myrna Loy, William Powell, and Billie Burke

The Great Ziegfeld (1936) was directed by Robert Z. Leonard and boasted a fantastic cast: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Luise Rainer, Frank Morgan, Fanny Bryce, Reginald Owen, Virginia Bruce, and Ray Bolger.

Myrna Loy portrayed the lovely Billie Burke and was a wonderful choice for the role. William Powell was also great in his role as Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. Then again… these two were never anything but extraordinary in anything they ever did, were they?

I also love Luise Rainer in the role of Anna Held – two very under-appreciated actresses, ironically.

Billie Burke and Myrna Loy, The Great Ziegfeld

Billie Burke and Myrna Loy

Something I have often noticed when looking at pictures of the delicate beauty of Billie Burke is how much she reminds me of Carole Lombard. The coloring is obviously very similar and they were both petite but there’s also something unique in the eyes, a mix of softness and strength that’s difficult to pull yourself away from.

The fact that Myrna Loy, honestly, resembled Billie Burke very, very little (if any at all) and yet made the role and movie work is a huge testament to Myrna Loy. I always respected her as an actress and, yet, this role in one of her less-popular films really brought it home to me – she was extraordinary.

Myrna Loy and William Powell in The Great Ziegfeld

Myrna Loy and William Powell

Filed Under: Billie Burke, Myrna Loy, Picture of the Day, William Powell Tagged With: Billie Burke, Myrna Loy, William Powell, Ziegfeld

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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Movie Night, ANY Night…

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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

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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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