Old Hollywood: Movies, Actresses, and Actors
Gloria Grahame and Glenn Ford
Gloria Grahame and Glenn Ford completely light the screen UP in The Big Heat (1953), directed by Fritz Lang. The film-noir (one of the best ever made in my opinion) also stars Lee Marvin and Jocelyn Brando.
I’ve said it before and I KNOW I’ll say it again, Gloria Grahame fascinates me. She always has. The versatility this actress had is honestly remarkable.
You can find The Big Heat on dvd (Amazon link) or watch on Prime Video.
Gloria Grahame and Glenn Ford
Gloria Grahame and Glenn Ford
The Big Heat (1953) was directed by the wonderful Fritz Lang and stars two of film-noir’s greatest stars, Glenn Ford and Gloria Grahame. What these two meant to the genre cannot be overstated. They brought the magic!
The Big Heat movie also stars Lee Marvin, Jocelyn Brando (Marlon Brando’s big sister!), Alexander Scourby, and Carolyn Jones.
If you love film-noir, suspense, great acting, and spellbinding dramas, you’ll love this one.
You can find The Big Heat on dvd (Amazon link) or watch on Prime Video.
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.
Barbara Stanwyck and Paul Douglas
One of my favorite film-noirs, Clash by Night (1952), is the very definition of the genre. Deliciously dark with a very strong female character who is heck in heels.
The film was directed by Fritz Lang, and has a cast that includes Barbara Stanwyck, Paul Douglas, Robert Ryan, J. Carrol Naish, Keith Andes, and Marilyn Monroe.
It’s one of MANY extraordinary performances by Barbara Stanwyck and one of her best film-noirs.
You can find the wonderful Clash By Night on dvd (Amazon link) or watch on Amazon Prime.
Alan Ladd
Alan Ladd was BOTD in 1913 in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He has an extraordinary filmography and, by all accounts, a great personality and killer sense of humor to boot. I remember hearing him on an Abbott and Costello radio show once and being blown away by his comedic timing. I had only known him from dark dramas and film noirs… I had no idea he could MORE than handle himself with the great Bud Abbott and Lou Costello!
He is perhaps, today, best remembered and loved for the seven films he made with Veronica Lake:
In Variety Girl, Star Spangled Rhythm, and Duffy’s Tavern, they appear as themselves. It’s truly the other four where they made a name for themselves.
Happy Heavenly birthday to an excellent actor, and as is fitting for someone with a great sense of humor, I’ll leave you with this Alan Ladd quote…
“I have the face of an aging choirboy and the build of an undernourished featherweight. If you can figure out my success on the screen you’re a better man than I.” ~ Alan Ladd
You can find Alan Ladd dvds, movies on Prime Video, posters, and books on Amazon (Amazon link).
Ann Dvorak, Vincent Price, and Barbara Bel Geddes in The Long Night
After finishing my review of Ann Dvorak: Hollywood’s Forgotten Rebel by Christina Rice, I felt it was only appropriate that Ann Dvorak be the picture of the day.
I mean, come on, some things make so much sense even I can figure them out after just one cup of coffee.
This photo is from the wonderful 1947 film-noir The Long Night. Directed to perfection by Anatole Litvak, the film stars Henry Fonda, Ann Dvorak, Vincent Price, and Barbara Bel Geddes. I’m really surprised this film doesn’t get more attention, I personally think it’s outstanding. The performances by the four leads could not be better – particularly the performances of Ann Dvorak and Barbara Bel Geddes – they’re absolutely the heart of the film… and this from Henry Fonda’s biggest fan!
Unfortunately The Long Night isn’t shown on television very often, so if you see it, watch it then and there! You can also find The Long Night on dvd (Amazon link). I desperately need it for my Ann Dvorak collection, so it’ll be flying into my cart right away.
Henry Fonda and Barbara Bel Geddes
Ava Gardner
The gorgeous photo above is a publicity photo for Ava Gardner’s wonderful film The Killers (1946). The film-noir is one of Ava’s most popular films and is one of the best ever made, in my opinion.
The Killers was directed by Robert Siodmak and boasts a great cast that includes Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmund O’Brien, Sam Levene, and Albert Dekker.
You can find The Killers on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.
Veronica Lake on the Set of This Gun for Hire
This Gun for Hire (1942) was directed by Frank Tuttle and features an outstanding cast which includes Veronica Lake, Alan Ladd, Laird Cregar, and Robert Preston. The film-noir was the first to pair Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd and we can suffice to say, they struck gold with the casting!
You can find the classic film-noir This Gun for Hire on dvd and blu-ray (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.
Lawrence Tierney and Kathleen Crowley in Female Jungle
Two names you, unfortunately, don’t hear talked about a lot today are Lawrence Tierney and Kathleen Crowley. They starred together in the 1955 film-noir Female Jungle. I haven’t seen this particular film in ages but I remember being awfully impressed with both stars and I remember liking the movie a lot.
I think the main reason these stars aren’t as well-remembered today as others boils down to their films. While there were a few stand outs, for the most part, their films aren’t the ones that are aired frequently on TCM or anywhere else for that matter. It’s frustrating and unfortunate, but it is what it is.
I always recommend that fans of old Hollywood…
Speaking of film-noirs, Female Jungle is an especially good one – very, very true to the genre! It was directed by Bruno VeSota and stars Kathleen Crowley, Lawrence Tierney, John Carradine, and Jayne Mansfield.
You can find Female Jungle on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the film on Prime Video. I was delightfully surprised to find it on Prime!
Veronica Lake Alan Ladd, This Gun for Hire
Every now and then I get SO frustrated with myself for not talking more about certain stars from old Hollywood – stars I actually adore, but somehow simply don’t spend nearly enough time doing my part to keep their name and films shining bright and making noise.
Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd are two such stars. I love their films to distraction and am a very big fan of both of them. If we’re being completely and totally honest, however, I think I actually know why I don’t talk about them more and, while, I SEE the reason…. I don’t APPROVE of the reason.
Simply put… they break my heart. Each star had so much going for them – they were beautiful and had a world of talent. Each was versatile and could do any genre thrown their way. However, neither had what could remotely be called a happy life and both stars turned to alcohol for their therapist.
Obviously, drinking is a complete failure when it comes to therapy and both stars died at the age of 50.
Devastatingly sad. To make matters worse, Veronica battled a mental illness that couldn’t possibly be understood or treated at the time. She was considered by some to be “difficult,” when in reality, she was battling demons the others wouldn’t recognize.
I’ve spent a great deal of time looking into both of their lives, looking for rays of sunshine – time or times when they were happy. A friendship/relationship Alan Ladd shared with June Allyson seems to have given him happiness while it lasted and both stars seemed to enjoy working together. I also love the fact that they were successful in their careers (especially during the 40s) and knew how many fans adored them.
Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake made seven movies together, all in the Forties:
This Gun for Hire (1942)
The Glass Key (1942)
The Blue Dahlia (1946)
Saigon (1947)
Star-Spangled Rhythm (1942)
Duffy’s Tavern (1945)
Variety Girl (1947)
You can find the classic film-noir This Gun for Hire on dvd and blu-ray (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.
Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd, This Gun for Hire
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…
