BOTD | Hollywood Yesterday

Fredric March: BOTD in 1897

August 31, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

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 Leave a Comment

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 Leave a Comment

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 Leave a Comment

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 Leave a Comment

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 Leave a Comment

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 Leave a Comment

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.

Clara Bow

BOTD in 1892, the Extraordinary William Powell

July 29, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Myrna Loy and William Powell, Double Wedding

William Powell was born on this day in 1892 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Hollywood is all the better for it.

“Even my best friends never fail to tell me that the smartest thing I ever did was to marry Myrna Loy on the screen.” ~ William Powell

While William Powell and Myrna Loy had tremendous success in Hollywood apart from one another, they are remembered most as a team. A fact that I’m certain wouldn’t bother either of them in the least.

They starred in 13 wonderful movies together in the 1930s and ’40s.

My favorite William Powell movie that doesn’t co-star Myrna Loy is The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937) with Joan Crawford and Robert Montgomery. It also happens to be one of my favorite Joan Crawford movies. It’s outstanding from the first line to the last. You can find The Last of Mrs. Cheyney on dvd (Amazon link) or watch on Prime Video.

The Last of Mrs. Cheyney Starring Robert Montgomery, Joan Crawford, and William Powell

Another William Powell quote about Myrna Loy that I love: “When we did a scene together, we forgot about technique, camera angels, and microphones. We weren’t acting. We were just two people in perfect harmony. Many times I’ve played with an actress who seemed to be separated from me by a plate-glass window; there was no contact at all. But Myrna, unlike some actresses who think only of themselves, has the happy faculty of being able to listen while the other fellow says his lines. She has the give and take of acting that brings out the best.” ~ William Powell

Myrna Loy and William Powell, After The Thin Man

BOTD in 1938, the Beautiful Natalie Wood

July 20, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Natalie Wood, West Side Story

Remembering the wonderful Natalie Wood on the date of her birth (1938) with two of my favorite photos of her. These colorful and stunning photos are from her 1961 drama musical West Side Story.

She was (as she was in everything) breathtakingly perfect in her role as Maria.

Natalie Wood, West Side Story

BOTD in 1907, the WONDERFUL Barbara Stanwyck

July 16, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Barbara Stanwyck, Union Pacific

One of the greatest actresses of all time is pictured here (and many, many places on this particular old Hollywood blog!)…. the phenomenal Barbara Stanwyck. She’s one of my top 3 all-time favorite film actresses and one of my top 3 all-time favorite television actresses. I’ve also (as you might expect) seen more of her films than any other star. She truly was one in a billion and if you are not familiar with her filmography, I could not possibly recommend her or her films more.

The photos shown here are from one of my favorite Barbara Stanwyck films, Union Pacific. The 1939 drama was directed by the legendary Cecil B. DeMille and co-starred Joel McCrea.

A Few of My Favorite Barbara Stanwyck Films:

The Lady Eve
Double Indemnity
Ball of Fire
Christmas in Connecticut
The Woman in Red
Union Pacific
Baby Face
The Mad Miss Manton (off beat but I always enjoy it!)
Remember the Night
You Belong to Me
Golden Boy
Gambling Lady
Cry Wolf
Stella Davis
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
Jeopardy
Titanic
The Gay Sisters
Night Nurse

Maybe I should have just said I love them all?? Seriously, even the ones that may not have been as good as the others (Clash by Night and California come to mind) were still very much worth seeing for Barbara Stanwyck alone!

You can find Union Pacific on dvd (Amazon link).