Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade, The Maltese Falcon
Irreplaceable is absolutely right, Mr. Huston.
You can find The Maltese Falcon on dvd (Amazon link) or watch it on Prime Video.
Old Hollywood: Movies, Actresses, and Actors
By Joi
Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade, The Maltese Falcon
Irreplaceable is absolutely right, Mr. Huston.
You can find The Maltese Falcon on dvd (Amazon link) or watch it on Prime Video.
By Joi
Lady in the Lake Lobby Card
One of my favorite film-noirs (and one of the three that actually pulled me into the genre) is the classic masterpiece Lady in the Lake from 1946. Robert Montgomery both directs and stars in the unique, bold film and it’s a real work of art.
The movie also stars the always outstanding Audrey Totter, Lloyd Nolan, Tom Tully, Jean Meadows, and Leon Ames.
As I mentioned above, this film-noir is one of three (A Woman’s Secret and A Woman’s Face being the others) that actually made me really give film-noirs a chance. By nature, I am most drawn to Westerns, comedies, Sherlock Holmes movies, swashbucklers, Charlie Chan, and musicals. Put me in front of Elvis movies or a John Wayne marathon and I am as happy as a cat sleeping in a bed of catnip. The dark contrast of film-noirs never appealed to me until I gave them a real chance. The three I’ve named drew me into the genre further and I’ve found that I absolutely love it.
Lady in the Lake is best known for the way the film was shot – from Robert Montgomery’s Philip Marlowe’s viewpoint. You only see his face at the beginning of the film (when he talks into the camera), a few times during the film when he sees a mirror, and the end of the film.
I won’t lie, when I first watched it, I spent the first 10 minutes trying to decide if I was going to bail or not. I was afraid it’d get tiresome. I stuck with it and, after a mere 5 more minutes, I was delighted that I had.
By the middle of the movie I was praising it’s boldness, artistry, exceptional story, flawless direction, and (of course) the beautiful powerhouse that was Audrey Totter.
If you’ve never seen Lady in the Lake, I hope you’ll make a point of seeing it soon. It truly is breathtaking. You can watch it on Prime Video or buy Lady in the Lake on dvd. I, personally, need it for my Audrey Totter collection, so that’s the route I’m taking!
Lady in the Lake Lobby Card
By Joi
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.
By Joi
Veronica Lake
Today’s Picture of the Day happens to also be Birthday Beauty Veronica Lake (born on this date in 1922). To show just how anal I am about things like this, I flipped a coin to see whether to give picture of the day to Louise Brooks (who was also born on this date in 1906) or Veronica Lake.
Ironically, each beautiful and talented actress is known almost as much as their films.
By Joi
Henry Fonda and Vera Miles, The Wrong Man
Ever stop and think how funny it is that (very often), our favorite actors or actresses aren’t (even by our own judgement) the best actresses and actors. We just like them and that’s that. Every now and then, though, the two worlds collide and our favorites are, undoubtedly, among the very best. That’s the case with quite a few of my own personal favorites but none any more glaringly so than Henry Fonda (and his close friend James Stewart, too, for that matter).
Henry Fonda was as talented an actor as one could ever hope to find. Drama, comedy, westerns, romantic films.. he did everything and did it flawlessly.
The photos, shown here as the pictures of the day, are from his wonderful 1956 film-noir The Wrong Man. The movie co-stars Vera Miles and was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It’s an especially good movie and Fonda and Miles are exceptional.
You can find The Wrong Man (link to the dvd on Amazon) on Amazon.
Henry Fonda and Vera Miles, The Wrong Man
By Joi
Rita Hayworth’s performance in Gilda helped make her a household name – one that is still synonymous with beauty, to this day.
Gee… wonder why???
She and Glenn Ford were wonderful in this excellent film – I could watch it several times a month and never get tired of it.
You can buy Gilda on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.
Rita Hayworth, Gilda
By Joi
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.
By Joi
Ava Gardner, The Killers Promo Photo
One of the most iconic (and best, period) film noirs is The Killers (1946), starring Ava Gardner and Burt Lancaster. It’s a breathtaking movie and the promotional pictures aren’t so bad, themselves!
Ava Gardner, The Killers Promotional Photo
Ava Gardner is, and has always been, one of my favorite actresses. Burt Lancaster, however, is comparatively new to me. I actually only saw The Killers within the past 6 months, and it makes only the second Burt Lancaster film I’ve seen!
He is wonderful in The Killers – as is Ava – and I’m making it a point to see more of this wonderful actor’s films.
Ava Gardner and Burt Lancaster, The Killers Promotional Photo
If you’ve never seen The Killers (link to the film on Amazon Prime Videos), be sure to check it out as soon as possible. It’s as great as the hype.
Ava Gardner Posters on Amazon
Ava Gardner Movies on Amazon
Ava Gardner Books 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…
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”)