Old Hollywood: Movies, Actresses, and Actors
Key Largo Lobby Card
I absolutely LOVE this Key Largo (1948) lobby card… the colors are spellbinding. Directed by the wonderful John Huston with a cast including Humphrey Bogart, Lionel Barrymore, Lauren Bacall, Edward G. Robinson, and Claire Trevor, this is one extraordinary movie.
You can find Key Largo on dvd or blu-ray (Amazon link) or watch the classic and iconic film noir on Prime Video.
Claire Trevor, Key Largo
I love it when a perfect movie meets a perfect performance, don’t you?! One such movie and performance is Key Largo with the wonderful Claire Trevor. Her portrayal of Gaye Dawn is absolutely breathtaking. In the scene where she’s forced to sing…. I mean, it’s nothing short of movie magic.
Claire Trevor VERY deservedly won the Best Actress in a Supporting Role Oscar for her portrayal.
The movie is filled with outstanding performances – how could it not be with a cast that also included Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Edward G. Robinson, and Lionel Barrymore? And yet, as far as I’m concerned, Claire Trevor managed to stand out.
That tends to happen when you give a completely mesmerizing performance!
I also want to mention the generosity of her co-stars. Each time I watch this film (well over 20 times by now), I’m struck by the “room” given to Trevor by her co-stars. You can tell they knew something truly special was happening and not one tried to take the spotlight from her. So much professionalism!
Humphrey Bogart, Claire Trevor, and Lauren Bacall
You can find the brilliance that is Key Largo on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.
Claire Trevor and Dick Powell: Murder My Sweet
Two of my favorite old Hollywood stars are Claire Trevor and Dick Powell. Love them both beyond distraction. So when it came time to watch a movie starring BOTH, I was a little nervous – I wondered how I’d feel if the movie was a total bomb (it’s happened a few times when favorites have teamed up).
I didn’t have to worry one bit about this movie, however, because it’s one of the best film-noirs made. Dick Powell plays Philip Marlowe and does so to perfection. As for Claire Trevor… come on, the lady is never anything but completely mesmerizing.
Someone once asked me why I didn’t post more Claire Trevor pictures on Twitter – my answer was as honest as it was logical… I don’t have very many Claire Trevor pictures in my collection! I am trying to buy some when I can and am in the process of taking screencaps from her movies. Believe me, nothing would give me greater joy than to help promote this extraordinary actress and keep her name and face alive and well!
You can watch Murder, My Sweet on Prime Video or buy the dvd (or blu-ray) on Amazon.
Dick Powell and Claire Trevor
There are many famous old-Hollywood pairings (Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne, Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart, Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire…) and just as many “would have been famous” pairings – you know, the dynamic partners who would have achieved similar fame if only they’d had more than one or two films together (Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge, Dick Powell and Claire Trevor, John Wayne and Claire Trevor, James Stewart and Donna Reed…).
Claire Trevor and Dick Powell worked together beautifully in Murder, My Sweet. In fact, they burned up the screen! How Hollywood neglected to pair them again and again is beyond me.
Claire Trevor and Dick Powell
You can watch Murder, My Sweet on Prime Video or buy the dvd (or blu-ray) on Amazon.
Claire Trevor
When I think of my favorite stars from classic Hollywood, there are often a few adjectives that accompany their name and image in my thoughts.
A couple of examples:
In addition to very talented, these are a few words that I attach to these three –
Maureen O’Hara… beautiful, Irish, strong
Ann-Margret…. beautiful, charismatic, big personality
Melvyn Douglas… lovable, underrated, compelling
Lena Horne… beautiful, charismatic, strong presence
When Claire Trevor strolls into my thoughts, one of the phrases that accompanies her is “fiercely talented.” She had a commanding, yet also distinctly feminine, presence onscreen and, like Melvyn Douglas, was very compelling in each and every scene she was in. She’s one of those stars that when you say “talented,” alone, it doesn’t seem quite descriptive enough.
No… it must be fiercely talented for this lady.
Some of my favorite Claire Trevor films are Stagecoach, Key Largo, Murder My Sweet, The Stranger Wore a Gun, The Desperadoes, Johnny Angel, and Allegheny Uprising. She was always sheer perfection – not just in every role, but in each and every scene. She often stole scenes in which she never uttered a word!
I’m trying to work my way through her filmography (fun job!), so the list of favorites, above, will surely grow.
Fiercely talented people cause that sort of thing, you know.
Claire Trevor and Dick Powell
Dick Powell is one of my favorite actors (and anyone who knows me knows how much I adore Claire Trevor), so I was pretty destined to love this movie. Funny thing is, I believe I’d love it just as much if other stars were playing the leads – the story is that good.
You can watch Murder, My Sweet on Prime Video or buy the dvd (or blu-ray) on Amazon.
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…
