Quotes from the Stars of Old Hollywood

I LOVE this Quote by Classic Radio Legend and Film/Television Actress Virginia Gregg…

November 4, 2023 By Joi

Virginia Gregg

“When casting people have a call for a woman who looks like the wrath of God, I’m notified.” ~ Virginia Gregg

I absolutely LOVE this quote! The wonderfully talented Virginia Gregg had a film and television career that spanned 40 years, yet many of us are most familiar with her PROLIFIC work on classic radio.

Leaving a lasting legacy of so much entertainment is about as wonderful as it gets. I’m such a fan of this woman!

I LITERALLY just now discovered there’s a biography about Virginia Gregg and I hope it isn’t too late to tell Santa I want it very much. It’s written by Lona Bailey and, Santa or not, I’ll be adding it to my library soon!

Uncredited: The Life and Career of Virginia Gregg by Lona Bailey

Uncredited: The Life and Career of Virginia Gregg (Amazon Affiliate Link)

From Amazon:

She had one of the most recognizable faces and voices in American media for over 40 years. In radio, television, and film, Virginia went largely uncredited for many of her legendary performances including “Norma Bates” from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 classic Psycho. In radio she was a favorite on classics like Dragnet, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, and Richard Diamond, Private Detective. On television she was a regular guest on shows such as Dragnet, Gunsmoke, and The Twilight Zone. In film she gave her most memorable performances in productions including Psycho, Operation Petticoat, and Spencer’s Mountain.

Read the incredible story behind the familiar face and voice that until now has never been told. Virginia’s is a story of great tragedy, resilience, and perseverance far more compelling than that of any character she ever portrayed. Discover the great lady behind the hundreds of unforgettable characters she gave our world. Through the pages of this biography, I invite you to meet legendary actress Virginia Gregg.

Audrey Hepburn Quote: I Believe in Pink… I Believe in Miracles..

October 10, 2023 By Joi

Audrey Hepburn defined grace, beauty, elegance, intelligence, and style. Come to think of it, she defined many glorious words… and all of them excellent!

One of my favorite of her quotes (and there are MANY) is below. I believe each and every word sums up the beautiful and iconic actress and humanitarian, herself.

“I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

Breakfast at Tiffany’s Wall Art

A Great Katharine Hepburn Quote That (Like Her) Doesn’t Hold Back!

May 15, 2023 By Joi

Katharine Hepburn, The Philadelphia Story

“I’m a personality as well as an actress. Show me an actress who isn’t a personality, and you’ll show me a woman who isn’t a star.” ~ Katharine Hepburn

I know there are almost always exceptions to every rule, but I completely understand what she was saying… what’s more, I completely agree with her! Obviously, she isn’t saying that an actress (or actor, as well, for that matter) can’t be incredibly gifted or talented if they aren’t a “personality,” she’s simply saying they aren’t a STAR, all caps.

In fact, the ones best-remembered and celebrated to this day?? They’re almost always the ones who were personalities.

Paul Lynde Quote + Under the Yum Yum Tree Pics with Imogene Coca and Jack Lemmon

January 5, 2023 By Joi

Paul Lynde and Jack Lemmon

Paul Lynde, Imogene Coca, and Jack Lemmon starred in the 1963 comedy Under the Yum Yum Tree (directed by David Swift). Three of the most gifted comedians in one film… talk about a can’t-miss. The cast also includes Carol Lynley, Edie Adams, and Dean Jones, Robert Lansing, and James Darren.

“My dad hit the roof and I hit the road, simultaneously.” ~ Paul Lynde on what happened when he told his parents he wanted to go into show business!

You can find Under the Yum Yum Tree on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.

Paul Lynde and Imogene Coca

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.