Henry Fonda | Hollywood Yesterday

Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck, The Lady Eve

June 27, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck, The Lady Eve

Given that Barbara Stanwyck is one of my top 3 favorite actresses and Henry Fonda is one of my top 3 favorite actors, it’s almost a cinch that I’ll love any movie they made together. The fact that The Lady Eve happens to be an absolutely flawless movie, however, would seal the deal even if (Heaven most absolutely forbid!) two other stars played the leads.

The chemistry between Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda does, I must say, make a perfect movie even more perfect. Add in the always wonderful Charles Coburn and you have a movie that should be must-see viewing for anyone who calls themselves a movie fan.

The 1941 romantic comedy was directed (beautifully) by Preston Sturges. He’s fast becoming one of my favorite directors. The more of his films I see, the more of his genius I recognize.

You can find The Lady Eve: The Criterion Collection on Amazon or watch it on Prime Video.

Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda, The Lady Eve

June 3, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck

I am really lucky in that many of my favorites didn’t just co-star in films, but they co-starred in WONDERFUL films… films that, not surprisingly are among my favorites.

Maureen O’Hara, John Wayne, and Barry Fitzgerald: The Quiet Man
Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda: Yours, Mine, and Ours
Katharine Hepburn and John Wayne: Rooster Cogburn
James Stewart and Henry Fonda: The Cheyenne Social Club
Maureen O’Hara and Henry Fonda: Spencer’s Mountain
Barbara Stanwyck and S.Z. Sakall, Christmas in Connecticut

There are many others, including the absolutely hilarious (and, to be honest, perfect in every way) 1941 comedy The Lady Eve. Starring Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, and Charles Coburn (love them all to distraction), this is one of the all time GREAT movies.

The Lady Eve was directed by the wonderful Preston Sturges who made the absolute most out of having three of Hollywood’s greatest talents of all time.

You can find The Lady Eve: The Criterion Collection on Amazon. It’s also available on Prime Video!

This is one of my all-time favorite movies and, if you haven’t seen it, it might just need to be the next film you see!

Henry Fonda and Bette Davis, Jezebel (One of the Truly GREAT Films)

May 6, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Henry Fonda and Bette Davis, Jezebel

One of my favorite movies stars FIVE of my favorite stars… it doesn’t get much sweeter than that! The movie is Jezebel (1938, directed by the wonderful William Wyler) and the four stars are Henry Fonda, Bette Davis, Theresa Harris, Spring Byington, and Margaret Lindsay.

How much do I love this particular movie? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret I haven’t told anyone before (besides my cats, of course, we keep nothing from each other)…. I actually like Jezebel even better than Gone With the Wind.. and this is really saying something because I adore that one.

There’s just something about the magic in this particular film and Henry Fonda and Bette Davis simply cannot be topped. When they’re on top of their game (which they always were), there were no two stars any better.

If you’ve never seen Jezebel, I hope you’ll find it really soon. You can find Jezebel on dvd (Amazon link) or you can watch Jezebel on Prime Video (link to the movie).

Henry Fonda and Bette Davis

Henry Fonda and Alfred Hitchcock: Behind the Scenes of The Wrong Man

April 14, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Legends Henry Fonda and Alfred Hitchcock

It seems kind of remarkable, to me, that Henry Fonda and Alfred Hitchcock made only one film together – but what a great one The Wrong Man was! Ironically, Henry Fonda’s close friend James Stewart made four films with the great director.

The Wrong Man (1953) is an excellent film noir. Henry Fonda plays Christopher Emanuel “Manny” Balestrero, an innocent man who is arrested after a case of mistaken identity. The consistently wonderful Vera Miles stars as his wife. If you’ve never seen this one, it’s very much worth searching out.

If you HAVE seen it… it’s very much worth seeing again!

You can find The Wrong Man (Amazon link) on dvd or watch it on Prime Video.

Henry Fonda and Alfred Hitchcock, Behind the Scenes of The Wrong Man

Henry Fonda, Once Upon a Time in the West

March 18, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Henry Fonda, Once Upon a Time in the West

Henry Fonda is, without a doubt, one of my VERY favorite actors. Has been for as long as I can remember. I’m such a huge fan that, I have a confession to make – part of me actually kind of judges a person’s opinions if he isn’t on their list of favorite actors!

Seriously, a part of me (that I never allow out to play) says, “How in the world can you consider yourself a fan of classic Hollywood or films, in general, if Henry Fonda isn’t on your list of favorite actors?!”

Okay, there you have it. My dirty little secret. When it comes to my favorites, one of the little voices in my head isn’t very nice… but, by gosh, is she ever loyal!

(Continued below Henry Fonda giving a menacing look – the same one I give people who don’t name him on their list!)

Henry Fonda, Once Upon a Time in the West

These photos are from his wonderful 1968 western Once Upon a Time in the West (originally titled C’era una volta il West). The movie was directed one of my favorite directors, Sergio Leone, and also starred Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards, Charles Bronson, Gabriele Ferzetti, and Keenan Wynn.

You can find Once Upon a Time in the West (Amazon link) on dvd or watch it on Prime Video.

Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson, Once Upon a Time in the West

Henry Fonda: Behind the Scenes of Once Upon a Time in the West

March 12, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

I’m sure I’ve already told you, probably 100 times but I am obsessed (obsessed, I tell you!) with behind the scenes pictures. There’s something absolutely magical about them as far as I’m concerned. If they happen to involve a period piece or western…. it’s even more fun!

This behind the scenes picture of Henry Fonda while making Once Upon a Time in the West is one of my favorites. Here we have a ruthless villain just… you know… reading the paper.

Love it.

You can find Once Upon a Time in the West (Amazon link) on dvd or watch it on Prime Video. I highly recommend it – wonderful western and Fonda is, as always, positively wonderful.

Henry Fonda and Bette Davis, Jezebel (1938)

January 3, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Henry Fonda and Bette Davis

I have a bit of a confession to make. When I first saw Jezebel (years ago), I only watched it because Henry Fonda (one of the ones who ties for my top 3 favorite actors) was in it. This was before I had seen many Bette Davis movies. In fact, at the time I had only seen two and hated one of them a great, great deal (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane…. still hate it to this day!).

Before Jezebel was even half over, however, I knew that Bette Davis had become one of my favorite actresses and that I’d spend the rest of my life watching and rewatching her films AND trying to get everyone who thinks they don’t like her to give her more of a chance.

Since then, I’ve seen too many of her films to even count, and she is absolutely one of my favorites. Never, ever let one, two, or even just three films decide the fate of an actor or actress in your heart – give them a fair chance, you’re the one who stands to win big!

If you’ve never seen Jezebel, by all means see it as soon as possible. It is outstanding and the cast is as good as it gets. Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, Theresa Harris, Spring Byington, George Brent, Margaret Lindsay, Fay Bainter, Donald Crisp, Richard Cromwell… one outstanding performance after another.

You can find Jezebel on dvd (Amazon link) or you can watch the wonderful movie Prime Video (link to the movie).

Henry Fonda and Bette Davis

Henry Fonda and Vera Miles, The Wrong Man

November 9, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

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

Gearing Up for Maureen O’Hara Day on TCM’s Summer Under the Stars!

August 14, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr and Maureen O’Hara, Sinbad the Sailor

August 17 is Maureen O’Hara’s date of birth, meaning it’s kind of a holiday in my little world. I have always LOVED the fact that two of my absolute favorites, Maureen O’Hara and Lucille Ball, share my birth month. Truth be told, it makes me kind of giddy.

I love that TCM is devoting Maureen’s birthday to an entire day for her and her films. I’ve always loved their Summer Under the Stars each summer and I love it even more when my favorites have their own days.

[Continued Below….]

Maureen O’Hara, Jamaica Inn

Below, in order, are the movies that will be shown (check your local listings for the time):

Jamaica Inn (1939, directed by Alfred Hitchcock). The movie co-stars Charles Laughton. It marked Maureen’s film debut. She was so incredibly young in this film… with the face of an Irish angel.

A Woman’s Secret (1949, directed by Nicholas Ray). I love this film noir, mystery so much. It co-stars one of my favorite actors, Melvyn Douglas and another of my favorite actresses, Gloria Grahame. Rounding out the cast and doing it in scene-stealing fashion are Mary Philips and J.C. Flippen. Neither could possibly be any funner to watch than they are in this one.

The Fallen Sparrow (1943, directed by Richard Wallace). I’m so glad TCM is showing this VERY rarely shown drama… it’s a good one! Maureen’s co-stars are John Garfield, Walter Slezak, Patricia Morison, and Martha O’Driscoll. I hope you’ll take the opportunity to catch this one – it isn’t shown on television often.

The Rare Breed (1966, directed by Victor McLaglen). The Westerns Maureen made with John Wayne get all of the attention, but she made other outstanding Westerns without the Duke. The Rare Breed stars one of my favorite actors, James Stewart. Although he and Maureen lead the cast, the movie is all but stolen by Brian Keith (in a particularly entertaining role!) and Juliet Mills. They’re all wonderful in their roles, but Brian Keith and Juliet Mills are honestly why this movie works. They bring charm and humor and its palpable.

At Sword’s Point (1952, directed by Lewis Allen) This one’s a very underrated movie. Maureen Plays the daughter of Athos (of Three Musketeers fame) in this Technicolor swashbuckler. Co-stars include Cornel Wilde, Robert Douglas, Gladys Cooper, and Alan Hale, Jr.

Sinbad the Sailor (1957, directed by Richard Wallace). I can’t tell you how much I love the fact that TCM is airing these two technicolor beauties back to back. The more swashbuckling the better! Sinbad the Sailor has surprising little actual fighting…. very, very little in fact. However, the charisma of Douglas Fairbanks Jr, the beauty and sass of Maureen O’Hara, and the great humor of Walter Slezak make it an entertaining film in spite of little actual swashbuckling.

The Wings of Eagles (1957, directed by John Ford) With everything they meant to her, personally, and to her career, I am so very, very thankful that TCM is airing one of her films with John Ford and John Wayne. When I first saw the lineup, I was disappointed that The Quiet Man (one of the greatest films of all time) wasn’t included – but then I realized, it’s shown frequently on television. Her day is a special time to show movies that are harder to catch. This outstanding movie is a great one to represent the trio. The biographical drama also stars Ward Bond, Dan Dailey, and Ken Curtis (Festus from Gunsmoke!)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939, directed by William Dieterle) Maureen O’Hara and the wonderful Charles Laughton are teamed again for this masterpiece. If you are an avid old movie fan, you have probably seen this one before. I encourage you to watch it again – if only to marvel at the talent of Charles Laughton. The man was phenomenal and his performance in this film leaves me speechless.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947, directed by George Seaton, who was also one of the writers) I was pleasantly surprised that this one made the lineup! I love the thought of people who have never seen this excellent classic getting a chance to watch it. It is movie magic, plain and simple. The film co-stars John Payne, Natalie Wood, Edmund Gwenn, William Frawley, and Gene Lockhart.

This Land is Mine (1943, directed by Jean Renoir) Yet again Charles Laughton and Maureen O’Hara team up in a wonderful drama and, truth be told, he is every bit as mesmerizing in this role as in his role as Quasimodo. The movie also stars George Sanders and Walter Slezak (he made quite a few movies with Maureen!).

Sitting Pretty (1948, directed by Walter Lang). This light, fun comedy co-stars Robert Young (who is always excellent in everything), Clifton Webb, Richard Haydn, and Louise Allbritton.

Spencer’s Mountain (1963, directed by Delmer Daves) Maureen O’Hara has starred with my absolute favorite actors – James Stewart, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr – and here she’s teamed with yet another one… the wonderful Henry Fonda. They’re perfect together in this outstanding movie. The film also stars James MacArthur and Virginia Gregg.

Maureen O’Hara and Henry Fonda, Spencer’s Mountain

Henry Fonda in War and Peace (The Resemblance to his Son, Peter, is Stunning)

August 3, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Henry Fonda and Barry Jones, War and Peace

One of my favorite actors is, has always been, and will always be Henry Fonda. I don’t believe there has ever been a better actor. Sure, there have been actors “as good,” but better? You’d never convince me of that.

In today’s picture of the day, the great actor is pictured with Barry Jones in the 1956 film War and Peace (directed by King Vidor). Henry Fonda and his son Peter Fonda often resembled one another but never more so than in this photo. The glasses, the hair… even the expression… I see Peter Fonda in this photo more than I see Henry Fonda.

My word what a talented family. I mean, if you stop and think about it for a minute…. WOW!

If you’ve never seen War and Peace (link to the dvd on Amazon), you really have to get your hands on it. Henry Fonda, Mel Ferrer, and Audrey Hepburn are exceptional, as always.