Quotes from the Stars of Old Hollywood

Touching Quote from Beautiful Katy Jurado

November 18, 2022 By Joi

Katy Jurado

“I am very proud to make this picture because I look and act like a Mexican – not imitation. Some Mexicans go to Hollywood and lose career in Mexico, because they play imitation. I don’t want this to happen to me.” ~ Katy Jurado, High Noon (1952, directed by Fred Zinnemann)

The exotic, talented, and beautiful Katy Jurado all but steals High Noon right out from under the rest of the cast. There’s just something so touching and believable about her character and her performance.

I only wish she’d been onscreen more!

You can buy High Noon on dvd or Blu-ray (Amazon link) or watch the iconic Western on Prime Video.

James Dean Quote… Cuts Right to the Matter!

September 9, 2022 By Joi

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James Dean on the set of Giant (1956)

“My purpose in life does not include a hankering to charm society.” ~ James Dean

If that isn’t some delicious “I am who I am and you can like it or leave it” energy, I don’t know what is!

You can find Giant on dvd or Blu-ray (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.

Great (and HUMBLE) Quote from Alan Ladd (BOTD in 1913)

September 3, 2022 By Joi

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:

The Blue Dahlia (1946)
Duffy’s Tavern (1945)
The Glass Key (1942)
Saigon (1947)
Star Spangled Rhythm (1942),
This Gun for Hire (1942)
Variety Girl (1947)

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).

Picture of Cary Grant on the set of North by Northwest + A Favorite Quote

August 28, 2022 By Joi

Cary Grant on the Set of North by Northwest

“I have spent the greater part of my life fluctuating between Archie Leach and Cary Grant, unsure of each, suspecting each.” ~ Cary Grant

Archibald Leach was born in England in 1904 and would go on to become one of the brightest stars Hollywood ever had, Cary Grant. As bizarre as it sounds (even to my own ears), I was late to the Cary Grant fandom. Truth be told, after seeing my first three Cary Grant movies, I didn’t think much of him as an actor at all.

Then I saw him do comedy. Everything changed when I saw his wonderful, natural, and immense gift for comedy. I then was able to watch more of his dramas and found that he was a very gifted dramatic actor and I love many of his films (Only Angels Have Wings, North by Northwest, Penny Serenade…). Since then, I have gone back and rewatched the three that left me kind of cold toward him and realized I had been too hard on him. For example, in both In Name Only and Suspicion, he has a scene (only one in each film) where his acting seems very forced and his face almost contorted with effort – YET I can now appreciate that for the rest of each film, he was flawless.

When you become a fan of someone AND couple that with keeping an open mind, a whole new world opens up! That’s why I always HIGHLY recommend giving a star you “dislike” quite a few chances to change your mind.

Oddly enough, people resist this suggestion so strongly that you suspect it would cause them pain. That’s.. to put it politely.. completely nuts! I mean, why wouldn’t someone want to have more stars to like, more films to enjoy, more genres to explore… I just don’t get the mindset of choosing to limit anything good in your world. I even see some people who seem to carry a vendetta against stars… “I will NOT watch a Katharine Hepburn movie and you can’t make me!”

Mmmm.. okay? Hide from one of the greatest actresses of all time… but please spare me when you want to tell me how great a film historian or classic movie fan you are.

Okay, I’ll grab my cup of coffee and step down off the soapbox now! If you’ve never seen North by Northwest, I hope you’ll watch is as soon as possible. It’s a wonderful drama, with an excellent cast and one of the greatest directors (Alfred Hitchcock) ever.

You can find North by Northwest on dvd (Amazon link) or watch on Prime Video (Amazon link).

Alfred Hitchcock and Cary Grant on the set of North by Northwest

Tallulah Bankhead Quotes… She was More of a CHARACTER Than the Ones She Played!

July 10, 2022 By Joi

Tallulah Bankhead

The deliciously unique Tallulah Bankhead was an absolute gift to old Hollywood fans. Not only are her films wonderful, her quotes and charisma… the very essence of her spirit and humor… are possibly even more entertaining!

And that’s saying quite a bit.

You can get to know more about this fascinating and colorful actress by spending a little time with her wonderful quotes and by reading her excellent autobiography, Tallulah: My Autobiography (Amazon link). It’s one of my favorite old Hollywood books and I should have the review published on Hollywood Yesterday in the coming weeks. I HIGHLY recommend it!

Below are a few of my favorite Tallulah Bankhead quotes… she was one in a billion!

(When asked why she called everyone “darling”) “Because all my life, I’ve been terrible at remembering people’s names. I once introduced a friend of mine as Martini. Her name was actually Olive.”

“I read Shakespeare and the Bible, and I can shoot dice. That’s what I call a liberal education.”

“Nobody can be exactly like me. Even I have trouble doing it.”

“No man worth his salt, no man of spirit and spine, no man for whom I could have any respect, could rejoice in the identification of Tallulah’s husband. It’s tough enough to be bogged down in a legend. It would be even tougher to marry one.”

“I’m as pure as the driven slush.”

“Say anything about me, dahling, as long as it isn’t boring.”

(About Bette Davis) “Don’t think I don’t know who’s been spreading gossip about me. After all the nice things I’ve said about that hag. When I get hold of her, I’ll tear out every hair of her mustache!”

(Again about Bette Davis!) “[on Bette Davis] Bette and I are very good friends, There’s nothing I wouldn’t say to her face, both of them.”

“The only thing I regret about my past is the length of it. If I had to live my life again, I’d make the same mistakes, only sooner.”

When she saw a former flame who she hadn’t seen in years, she exclaimed, “I thought I told you to wait in the car!”

(When she was once told there wasn’t any toilet paper available..) “Well, do you have two fives for a ten?”

And possibly my favorite…

When gossip columnist Earl Wilson asked if she had ever been mistaken for a man on the telephone, she responded, “No. Have you?”

Rita Hayworth: Beautiful Picture and a Fun Quote

May 17, 2022 By Joi

Rita Hayworth

“After all, a girl is . . . well, a girl. It’s nice to be told you’re successful at it.” ~ Rita Hayworth

Rita Hayworth has been one of my favorite actresses since I saw her in You Were Never Lovelier on tv as a teenager. She’s one of the first stars (along with other top tier favorites Maureen O’Hara, Lucille Ball, James Stewart, Henry Fonda, and John Wayne) that caused me to fall so completely under old Hollywood’s spell.

Over the years since my teens (I’m in my fabulous 50s, so it’s been a hot minute!), Maureen, Lucille, James, the Duke, Henry, and Rita have remained at the top of my favorites. None of them have, in any way, fallen off. Other favorites have joined them, mind you, as I’ve seen more films – but, whereas many people refer to stars who “used to be” favorites but no longer are, these first favorites are still among my dearest favorites.

The Stunningly Beautiful (and Colorful!) Maria Montez, Arabian Nights

May 17, 2022 By Joi

Maria Montez, Arabian Nights

The stunningly beautiful actress Maria Montez was born in the Dominican Republic in 1912. She made 28 films in her young career including Arabian Nights, Sudan, Gypsy Wildcat, Cobra Woman, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and Pirates of Monterey. Her charisma, self-confidence, poise, and talent show up in abundance in each film.

I have to tell you, I love this colorful actress to complete distraction. One of my favorite Maria Montez quotes was one she made about seeing herself on the screen in Arabian Nights (1942): “When I look at myself, I am so beautiful I scream with joy!” It didn’t make her smile… didn’t make her giddy… didn’t make her proud. It made her SCREAM with joy, y’all!

Another favorite Maria Montez quote came after she met Orson Welles, “He is as spectacular as I am!”

Have I mentioned how much I love this lady??

Maria Montez was married to actor/writer Jean-Pierre Aumont from 1943 to her tragic death from drowning in 1951. She was only 39 when she died and, indeed, very, very spectacular.

Maria and Jean-Pierre had one child.

You can find the 1942 film Arabian Nights on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.

Maria Montez, Arabian Nights

I would LOVE to see Maria Montez become better known – she deserves the notoriety… as she would have told you so, herself!

Arabian Nights

Cyd Charisse Publicity Pictures for Sombrero (1953)

May 3, 2022 By Joi

Cyd Charisse

Beautiful Cyd Charisse was an absolute artist when it came to dancing and watching her is a great joy. She loved dancing more than she did acting, which is understandable. Great artists love what they do!

“If I had to give up either acting or dancing, I’d choose to keep dancing.” ~ Cyd Charisse

(Continued Below….)

Cyd Charisse

The stunning photographs in this post are publicity photos for her 1953 film Sombrero. The Musical Romance was directed by Norman Foster and also stars Ricardo Montalban, Pier Angeli, Vittorio Gassman, Yvonne De Carlo, Rick Jason, and Nina Foch.

You can find Sombrero on dvd (Amazon link).

Cyd Charisse

Johnny Cash, Born on this Day in 1932: A Few of My Favorite Johnny Cash Quotes

February 26, 2022 By Joi

Johnny Cash and Karen Black

Johnny Cash was BOTD in 1932 in Kingsland, Arkansas. His 1st single for Sun Records was Hey Porter in 1955. After that… it was one hit after another, movies, a television show, sold out shows, unforgettable performances, and one of the world’s greatest real life love stories.

“How well I have learned that there is no fence to sit on between heaven and hell. There is a deep, wide gulf, a chasm, and in that chasm is no place for any man.” ~ Johnny Cash

The lobby cards in this post are from the 1971 western Johnny Cash made with Kirk Douglas and Karen Black, A Gunfight (directed by Lamont Jackson). The movie is VERY rarely shown on television and can be a nightmare to find anywhere. I haven’t added it to our home Westerns dvd collection yet, but plan to soon.

Johnny Cash and Kirk Douglas

“I am not a Christian artist, I am an artist who is a Christian.” ~ Johnny Cash

You can buy A Gunfight on DVD (Amazon link). It doesn’t appear to be on Prime Video yet.

Johnny Cash

Wonderful Ethel Barrymore Quote…

February 12, 2022 By Joi

Ethel Barrymore

“You must learn day by day, year by year, to broaden your horizons. The more things you love, the more you are interested in, the more you enjoy, the more you are indignant about… the more you have left when anything happens.” ~ Ethel Barrymore

What an amazing quote… great quote from a great lady!

Ethel Barrymore Print (Amazon link)