BOTD | Hollywood Yesterday

Happy Heavenly Birthday to Elvis Presley!

January 8, 2022 By Joi

Elvis Presley, Jailhouse Rock

Elvis Aron Presley was Born on this date in 1935 and those of us who love fun movies and great music are awfully grateful that he was!

Elvis’s middle name was Aaron, named in honor of one of his dad’s friends, but his parents used the Aron spelling to match the middle name of Elvis’ stillborn identical-twin brother, Jesse Garon Presley. You’ll find it written Elvis Aaron Presley more times than not in the media, however, and I believe it’s even spelled that way on his tombstone.

Elvis is one of my very favorites, whether we’re talking singers, entertainers, or actors. He was one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Some people (the negative Nancies and Critical Carls crowd… I try to avoid these characters but every now and then they pop up) want to fixate on his films… criticizing them for not being Casablanca and poking fun at him for not being Humphrey Bogart.

HELLO!?!? MOST films don’t measure up to the greatness of classics like Casablanca and FEW actors could hold their own with the Humphrey Bogart or James Stewarts of the world.

But here’s the thing…. they don’t have to! Entertainment comes in all flavors and all varieties. If a genre or actor/actress doesn’t appeal to you, I have wonderful news – there are many others to choose from. Have at them!

But for goodness sakes, leave people alone who DO enjoy what you seem unable to.

Sorry for ranting – people who spread their negative views when others are trying to be positive and enjoy a particular person or film drive me berserk. I just don’t understand that type of thinking… “Uh oh, this person is saying they enjoy this star’s (Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, John Wayne…) films. I’d better tell them why they’re ridiculous to do that.”

Seriously? Get another hobby lmao!

Okay, Joi (that would be me), breathe. Drink your cranberry smoothie and move on.

Happy Heavenly birthday, Elvis, and thanks so very much for the wonderful music and movies… there’s nothing quite like kicking back and escaping with one of your films. Sometimes it’s EXACTLY what the day calls for!

Shelley Fabares and Elvis, Girl Happy

Dorothy Dandridge: BOTD in 1922… and Hollywood is all the Better for It!

November 9, 2021 By Joi

Dorothy Dandridge

The stunningly beautiful and incredibly talented Dorothy Dandridge was BOTD in 1922 in Cleveland, Ohio. Due to the time in which she lived, she never received all the opportunities and awards she should have received, and while it would be easy to focus on that… as one of her biggest fans, I choose to concentrate and focus on the positive. I think of it as surrounding her memory with happiness as opposed to sadness and with light as opposed to darkness.

Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge

I am forever grateful that she had the opportunity to make one of the most amazing and unique movies ever made, Carmen Jones. She and Harry Belafonte were so wonderful in this film it defies description. One of my greatest joys in life (outside of my family and cats, of course!) is introducing new fans to the wonderful stars and movies from old Hollywood. I have (through Twitter) gotten many people to see Carmen Jones for the first time and have (in turn) allowed new Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte fans to spring up. I’m not going to lie, while I love introducing all of these stars and films to others, when it’s THIS film and it’s THESE two stars, it makes me even happier.

All three are magic as far as I’m concerned.

Dorothy Dandridge was nominated for an Academy Award for her excellent performance as Carmen Jones. While (in my opinion) she should have won, again, I want to focus on the positive which is the fact that it is outstanding that she was nominated for such a prestigious award. What a joy the nomination had to have been for her!

Dorothy Dandridge

You can buy Carmen Jones on dvd (Amazon link) or watch it on Prime Video.

Happy Birthday to the Wonderful Rita Hayworth!

October 17, 2021 By Joi

Rita Hayworth, Gilda

The beautiful, multitalented, iconic, and perfectly wonderful in every way Rita Hayworth was born on this day in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1918. This incredible actress is one of the stars I CANNOT imagine old Hollywood without. She was so much more than just an uncommonly beautiful actress – she was incredibly talented. She could do drama, comedy, musicals, film-noir and make it look effortless.

Amazingly enough, she was also one of the best dancers ever to hit Hollywood. How wonderful was she? Guess who Fred Astaire named as his favorite dancing partner? That’s right… Rita Hayworth. If you’ve never seen You Were Never Lovelier, their wonderful musical from 1942, I hope you find it soon. It’s one of my favorite musicals of ALL TIME – it’s extraordinary, and so is Rita.

Happy Heavenly birthday to one of the reasons I love old Hollywood as much as I do. I promise to always do my part to keep your face and name alive and well!

You can find Gilda and You Were Never Lovelier on dvd (Amazon link – be sure to look at the different price options! They run from $12 to over $50… I’m going for the $12 one!). You can also watch Gilda on Prime Video.

Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth, You Were Never Lovelier

Fredric March: BOTD in 1897

August 31, 2021 By Joi

Fredric March: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)

Fredric March was born in Wisconsin on August 31, 1897. He’d go on to one day be one of the finest actors to come out of Hollywood. The actor has a wonderful filmography and give an excellent performance with every role he ever stepped into. If my arm were twisted and I had to give my personal favorite of his films it would be I Married a Witch and it ties (with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) for my favorite Frederic March performance.

Having said that, he has a great number of wonderful performances and films.

Fredric March and Veronica Lake

For whatever sinister reasons, I always find it so funny when I read that certain stars didn’t get along during filming. I guess part of the reason is it points out how they were human just like the rest of us! During the filming of I Married a Witch, Frederic March and Veronica Lake did not get along AT ALL. You’d never be able to tell from their performances or the film, though. They have so much chemistry you’d think they got along quite well!

Miriam Hopkins and Fredric March, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

His performance in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) stands as one of the all-time great performances on film. He pretty much set the bar so high I’m not certain an actor will ever even come close.

You can find I Married a Witch on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video. It is SO DARN CUTE, you’ll love it!

You can find Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on dvd (Amazon link).

Frederic March: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Ingrid Bergman: Born on This Date in 1915 in Stockholm, Sweden

August 29, 2021 By Joi

Ingrid Bergman

One of the most talented and beautiful actresses Hollywood ever saw, Ingrid Bergman, was born on August 29, 1915 in Stockholm, Sweden. While she is, understandably, best-remembered for her iconic movie Casablanca, Ingrid’s filmography is filled with outstanding films and one extraordinary performance after another.

Happy Heavenly birthday to this beautiful and iconic actress!

BOTD in Ireland in 1920, the Extraordinary Maureen O’Hara

August 17, 2021 By Joi

Maureen O’Hara

The beautiful, talented, charismatic, colorful, and (in every way as far as I’m concerned) Maureen O’Hara was born on this date in 1920 in Ireland.

Maureen FitzSimons would go on to become…

One of Hollywood’s first female action stars
Half of a legendary screen couple (with her friend John Wayne)
Part of an iconic Christmas film seen and loved for generations
The Queen of Technicolor!

What’s more, she did it all with class, style, pride, and very, very, very much on her own terms.

My love for old Hollywood…. its films and its stars… is one of the things that most defines me today. Oddly enough, it pretty much has always been that way. Even as a little girl (and then teenager), I MUCH preferred watching old movies with my mom, dad, and/or our cat and dog. It was Maureen O’Hara (in Miracle on 34th Street and The Hunchback of Notre Dame), Westerns, Shirley Temple, Abbott and Costello, Jerry Lewis & Dean Martin, and James Stewart (It’s a Wonderful Life) that hooked me as a child and… if we’re being honest… I love them all just as much today as I did then. Possibly more.

I plan to spend Maureen O’Hara Day reading from her autobiography (after all, I’ve only read it, like 50 times by now) and settling in to rewatch one of her movies later. I’m in the mood for a swashbuckler, so I’ve narrowed it down to one of these great films:

The Spanish Main
The Black Swan
At Sword’s Point

The good thing about collecting her films, is I have all of them to choose from!

Happiest of Heavenly birthdays, lovely Maureen.

John Payne and Maureen O’Hara, Miracle on 34th Street

A Beautiful Legend was BOTD in 1911 in Jamestown, New York

August 6, 2021 By Joi

Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball – Behind the Scenes of I Love Lucy

Lucille Desiree Ball was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. Little did anyone know then that this tiny baby would one day become both the face of television and one of the most beloved stars EVER.

Lucille Ball is one of those stars (and lifelong personal favorites) that, when I’m writing about her, I truly struggle to find words. Words are some of my closest friends and, yet, when talking about Lucille Ball, they all but abandon me.

I think one of the things is, in many ways, she seems almost like family. After all, she was in our living room for as long as I can remember and is, to this day, a very frequent guest in our den and kitchen. Heck she’s even shown up in the bathroom a time or two.

When you have favorite stars who have been with you all of your life, you realize that they’ve “seen you” through everything you’ve been through – good or bad.

When I was in school, I had to miss a lot of days each school year due to my bronchial asthma. It was like clockwork, each October, I would get a terrible bout of bronchitis and end up in the hospital, followed by a week or more of recovering at home. Episodes of I Love Lucy were my constant companion and laughing at them gave me consistency my lungs robbed me of.
When I got married, Lucy, Ricky, Ethel, and Fred came along on our honeymoon.
When my husband and I moved out of state and I was homesick for my mom, dad, cat, dog, and hometown… Lucy came to my rescue again.
When my daughters came into the picture, it was their time to grow up with a familiar hilarious redhead as a frequent houseguest!
After losing my dad and, then, years later, my mom – episodes of I Love Lucy truly helped me hold it all together when it really didn’t seem possible.

Good times, bad times, great times, horrific times… she has been a constant. If that sounds normal to you.. then you, too, have a star (or possibly even an athlete) that means an awful lot to you.

She was extraordinary in every way and, truth be told, I don’t just love Lucy… I adore her.

Happy Heavenly birthday and thank you so much for all you’ve meant and MEAN to me!

Lucille Ball

Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday, New Orleans (1947)

August 4, 2021 By Joi

Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong, New Orleans (1947)

Today is Louis Armstrong day on TCM’s Summer Under the Stars and I am BEYOND excited about the lineup. While New Orleans isn’t on today’s schedule, I just had to post the photo above.

Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong are two of my favorites (I even have a cat named after each of them!).

Louis Armstrong was born on this day in 1901 and the world of music should celebrate this fact every single day.

“I never tried to prove nothing, just wanted to give a good show. My life has always been my music, it’s always come first, but the music ain’t worth nothing if you can’t lay it on the public. The main thing is to live for that audience, ’cause what you’re there for is to please the people.” ~ Louis Armstrong

He continues to do that to this day.

Celebrating Myrna Loy on the Date of Her Birth!

August 2, 2021 By Joi

Myrna Loy, The Barbarian

Myrna Adele Williams was BOTD in 1905 in Helena, Montana. She’d go on to become Myrna Loy – one of the most talented, beautiful, entertaining, colorful, and enjoyable actresses the world’s ever known.

While Myrna Loy is best known for her films with William Powell, she did make a lot of other wonderful films without Powell (the same can be said of him). They were sensational apart… but together… they were absolute MAGIC. This is true with many of Hollywood’s greatest teams…

Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall
Myrna Loy and William Powell
Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy

Anyone familiar with Myrna Loy and William Powell movies know just how much they deserve to be listed with this group – those who question it need to see their films!

The Thin Man Goes Home (1944): Myrna Loy and William Powell and Asta

Clara Bow was Born on this Day in 1905 in Brooklyn

July 29, 2021 By Joi

Clara Bow, True to the Navy

“We had individuality. We did as we pleased. We stayed up late. We dressed the way we wanted. I used to whiz down Sunset Boulevard in my open Kissel, with several red Chow dogs to match my hair. Today, they’re sensible and end up with better health. But we had more fun.” ~ Clara Bow

The lovely Clara Bow was born on this day in 1905 in Brooklyn, New York. She’s best remembered for the movie It, movie (1927) and even became known as the “It girl.”

Clara was married to actor Rex Bell from 1931 to his death in 1962. They had two sons. She refused to write her memoirs for a beautiful reason: she was afraid there were things that might embarrass her two sons and their families. Protecting them meant more to her than any money an autobiography would have brought to her.

That makes her even more fabulous in my world.