Old Movies | Hollywood Yesterday

Escape with Frankie and Annette to a Simpler (Read: Saner) World

January 7, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

The world has gone stark-raving mad. I’m pretty sure the phrase, “jump the shark” was invented for us.. right here… right now. But you already knew that, didn’t you? I won’t go into any of the craziness, here, because there are enough people hashing and rehashing on the insanity – you don’t need more of it.

Besides, one of my pet peeves is when people (who are no more or less “right” or “knowledgeable” than the rest of us!) bombard us with their opinions, critiques, name-calling, etc. I have, in fact, stopped visiting certain blogs and even refrained from ordering from certain websites simply because they aren’t able to rise above the moment. No amount of complaining, ridiculing, or name-calling is going to change things. What’s more, you aren’t going to “win” anyone over to your way of thinking – if they’re weak enough to win over with that nonsense, are they really worth having on your side anyway?

At any rate…. sorry, didn’t mean to vent!…. things are crazy right now and we’re all looking for a little innocent escapism.

In addition to spending time with my family (which includes many babies who walk around on all fours, meow instead of speaking, and are always getting into something) watching sports, reading, and cooking, one of my favorite ways to escape from craziness is to put on a great old movie. My husband doesn’t watch many old movies with me – truth be told, the older they are, the less-inclined he is to join in.

He will, however, consent to watch some Westerns with me as well as Frankie and Annette Beach movies.

There’s just something wonderful about sitting in the den, snacks in hand and those furry babies I was talking about earlier, nearby…. all watching the fun and mayhem while forgetting the horrors we see in the news – even if it’s just for a few hours.

By ALL means, we should all keep track of what’s going on in the world (and keep all of us in our prayers!) but anytime we can “get away” to a simpler time… well, I think it’s just a healthy thing to do. And it’s always fun to “get away” to the beach with Frankie and Annette.

In the 1950s, AIP (American International Pictures) began cranking out low-budget films aimed primarily at America’s growing teen audience. By the early 1960s, AIP focused on clean-cut, wholesome movies aimed at the younger audience – movies that would appear to them AND their parents.

If only more people in Hollywood had this approach today!

Pairing former Mouseketeer Annette Funicello with teen idol Frankie Avalon, proved to be a stroke of brilliance for AIP. The company produced a series of over-the-top fun movies with the adventures of wholesome teens on California’s beaches.

Frankie and Annette Filmography:

Beach Party (1963)
Muscle Beach Party (1964)
Bikini Beach (1964)
Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)
How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965)
Fireball 500 (1966)
Back to the Beach (1987)

If you don’t have a collection of your own of fun, classic movies, begin collecting them on Amazon – then they’ll be ready when you are. If you have DirecTV like we do, peeriodically search movies like this out and either record them or watch them live.

The beautiful Annette Funicello Poster, pictured above, is available on Amazon.

Scarlett and Prissy Figurine from Gone With the Wind

November 14, 2018 By Joi Leave a Comment

The beautiful Scarlett and Prissy Figurine depicts a classic scene from Gone with the Wind. Prissy is, to this day, one of my favorite movie characters EVER – right up there with Mammy from the same movie.

Prissy makes you just want to put your arm around her and protect her. Prissy was brought to life by the adorable Butterfly McQueen, who doesn’t get nearly enough credit for her acting talent. She brought so much passion to this character and, even though the role was relatively small, everyone knows who Prissy was and, more importantly, everyone knows who Butterfly McQueen was! Making yourself and your character so memorable that she stands the test of time is the work of an exceptional actress.

I loved her famous character so much, I named one of my most loved cats ever “Prissy” in her honor.

I cannot even begin to fathom what actors and actresses of color went through during the Golden Age of Hollywood – simply to be able to live out their dream. Well, actually, as a history buff and someone who has read a great deal from the era, I can fathom it… I simply don’t want to. It scorches the psyche.

To be able to focus on your craft in spite of the hardships and injustices around you simply takes my breath away. Each actor and actress who fought for their rights to enjoy the right to live out their dream deserves our respect and deserves to be recognized often. I mean, they did what the white actors and actresses did but with unimaginable restraints and cruelties on their shoulders. Again… it takes my breath away.

I regularly hear from other Gone With the Wind, Butterfly McQueen, and Prissy fans who are looking for “Prissy” dolls and figurines – so I’m always on the look-out for her.. for them as well as myself! One of the things I love most about this particular figurine is the way Prissy’s hands are nervously fiddling with her apron, something the actress brilliantly did to help bring her character to life.

Like Butterfly, herself, it’s just beautiful.

Click through to take a closer look at the beautiful Scarlett and Prissy Figurine.

The Bat: FUN Classic Horror Movie With Agnes Moorehead and Vincent Price (Review)

October 8, 2018 By Joi Leave a Comment

Vincent Price and Gavin Gordon in The Bat

Although the weather here in Kentucky doesn’t seem to have gotten the memo, we are fast-approaching Halloween. What better time to focus a few movie reviews on delicious old horror films?!

First up to bat… well… The Bat!

I’m sure I’ve mentioned in my Old Hollywood movie reviews before that there are precious few classic movies I dislike. I am so completely in love with the Golden Age of Hollywood that I’m very easy to please when it comes to movies. Honestly, I’d rather re-watch the movies I don’t particularly like (Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, The Prince and the Showgirl, Mogambo) than to watch anything from Hollywood since 1980.

But that’s just me.

So, there will inevitably be movies now and then that I like or even love that others (possibly even you) may feel lukewarm about or even hate with a vengeance. The movie I want to rave about today might just be the poster child for such a situation. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever read anyone liking The Bat as much as I do.

The Bat was made in 1959, so you have to be understanding when it comes to special effects. Of course, those of us who pretty much live for our next old movie understand that.

The movie stars the always perfect Vincent Price and one of my favorite actresses, Agnes Moorehead. The wonderful cast is round out by Lenita Lane, Gavin Gordon, BEAUTIFUL Elaine Edwards (all caps… yes, deserving), John Sutton, and Darla Hood. Yes! That Darla Hood, from The Little Rascals. You’ll know her the minute she walks in the room – same face, same hair. It’s as though little Darla was simply stretched out and gussied up. Her role isn’t a large one, but she’s memorable.

Plot: A crazy killer known as “The Bat” is on the loose in a mansion (“The Oaks”) filled with people. Agnes Moorehead plays mystery writer Cornelia Van Gorder who has rented The Oaks, along with her secretary/friend Lizzie (played by Lenita Lane… quite the scene-stealer).

{Review Continued Below…}

Agnes Moorehead in The Bat

Agnes Moorehead, Vincent Price, and Lenita Lane are outstanding in this movie. Somehow it just seems Mr. Price was born for this type of film, doesn’t it!?

Ironically, in an interview on Sinister Image in 1987, Vincent Price revealed that the stage version of “The Bat” had absolutely terrified him when he was a child. Apparently this is why he accepted the role in this film because he thought the filmmakers “would revive it and bring it up to date.” Sadly, he was disappointed with the final result because he didn’t believe it was a good script.

Could the script have been better? Well, yes. But that simply points out how wonderful the cast and director were to take an “okay” script and make a very entertaining film out of it.

The Bat would be the last film for both Lenita Lane and Darla Hood. Each actress would go on to live out their life outside of movies rather than in them.

The Bat isn’t, in my opinion, a very frightening film, but it IS very enjoyable and entertaining and absolutely perfect for this time of year!

On Amazon:

Vincent Price 5 Frightening Features (The Bat, Shock, The Jackals, The Last Man on Earth, and House on Haunted Hill )
Horror Hall of Fame Gift Set (Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Donald Sutherland, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing…)

Review: Grand Hotel with Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore… and Joan Crawford!

June 26, 2018 By Joi Leave a Comment

Before I go any further, I want to completely own up to having off-beat and fairly unique tastes when it comes to “Old Hollywood,” “The Golden Age of Hollywood,” “Classic Movies…” or whatever phrase best fits your fancy. The stars I often adore most are often the ones others overlook. By the same token, many legendary favorites not only don’t float my boat, they don’t even get it in the lake!

I hope you never take anything I say personally if you’re a fan of any of these legends – after all, they’re legends, after all, and that means that you are undoubtedly right and I am as wrong as can be. But I can live with it if you can.

I am a huge fan of the movie “Grand Hotel,” but it’s (undoubtedly) not for the reason you’d imagine… In fact it’s IN SPITE of the reason you’d imagine. Okay, you guessed it. I’m not the biggest Greta Garbo fan on the planet.

I apologize!

There are times, on screen, when she is brilliant. She was certainly an incredibly fascinating woman in real life – and, undeniably beautiful. The grace, the confidence, the voice… stunning. I personally simply don’t embrace her acting style. Embrace? Heck I don’t even hold its hand.

I apologize!

If, by now, you aren’t convinced that my tastes march to the beat of an odd drummer, I also put Laurence Olivier in that category. Yes. That Laurence Olivier. Like Garbo, I have not seen all of Olivier’s movies, so I’m basing this on a sample size I personally possess. If I were to see more of their films, it’s possible that my opinion of each would evolve, but as it is… I’d rather watch an rerun of The Brady Bunch (your pick) than either of these stars at work.

Apologies… plural. They’re really racking up now.

So, how does someone who is not a Garbo fan come to love Grand Hotel? Two words… Joan Crawford. As is the case with all of her roles, I think she is simply mesmerizing in this movie. It’s one of her earlier films, yet the star quality is still there. So much so, in fact, that she upstages much (at the time) bigger names. She plays a stenographess, Flaemmchen, and it’s impossible to remove your attention from her grip whenever she’s on the screen.

“I want to be alone.” – Grusinskaya (Garbo)

The Plot: A gorgeous, luxurious hotel in Berlin is the setting for this star-studded, fast-paced film. I’d imagine it was the inspiration for television series such as Love Boat and Hotel, as well as many films since. The movie takes place over the course of 24 hours as life plays out for the colorful characters – each of which will never be the same after the day they’ve had!

John Barrymore plays jewel thief Baron Felix von Geigern. He finds himself attracted to both a prima ballerina Grusinskaya (Greta Garbo) and the beautiful Flaemmchen (Joan Crawford).

Along with Joan Crawford, I’d give the “star of the movie” to Lionel Barrymore who plays terminally ill Otto Kringelein. He’s also simply wonderful in this movie. John Barrymore is also perfect in the movie – I think I just always held his character against him. I mean, come on now… how can you even look at the prima ballerina or anyone else once you’ve had Flaemmchen in your sights?! When his character tells Garbo’s that he’s never seen anything in his life as beautiful as her… I all but yell at the screen, “You darn sure have!!!”

Have I mentioned how mesmerizing Crawford is in Grand Hotel?

“Grand Hotel… always the same. People come, people go. Nothing ever happens.” – Dr. Otternschlag (Lewis Stone)

Grand Hotel Fast Facts:

Grand Hotel won Oscar for Best Picture.
Garbo purrs her now famous line, “I want to be alone.” in this film.
John Barrymore was so excited about appearing in this film with Greta Garbo that he accepted a three picture deal with MGM.
Oscar winner Wallace Beery stormed out of rehearsals at one point, saying he would only come back “when Joan Crawford learns to act”. You’ll notice I’ve all but left him out of my review. So there.
Joan Crawford was actually nervous about accepting the role of Flaemmchen. She was afraid of backlash because of the overtly sexiness of her character. Though director Edmund Goulding and producer Irving Thalberg assured her that everything would be tastefully done and that her misgivings weren’t founded, her instinct was (in the end) warranted. Many conservative censor boards cut the majority of her scenes for indecency.
Greta Garbo was nervous about playing a prima ballerina – she was afraid she wasn’t young enough for the role.
John Barrymore (Felix von Geigern) and Lionel Barrymore (Otto Kringelein) were, of course, brothers. Lionel was the older brother.
Lionel Barrymore would become most famous for his role as Mr. Potter in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). It was actually Barrymore who convinced James Stewart to take the role of George Bailey. Apparently Stewart felt that he was not up to the role so soon after World War II. Thank goodness Barrymore convinced him – I cannot imagine the movie OR Stewart’s career without him bringing George Bailey to life.
Garbo was also unhappy about appearing in a film with so many additional stars. Producer Irving Thalberg was able to set her diva mind at ease when he told her she would be billed her by her last name only in the credits. This was a huge honor which was reserved for only largest stars.
Though rumors circulated that Joan Crawford was irked by Greta Garbo’s top billing, this is completely false. In 1932 (when the movie was released), Garbo was by far the more established and famous star. Joan Crawford would have certainly been aware of this.

I don’t want to give away anything in regard to the various storylines or the characters, so I will simply say that if you love old movies, you have to see this legendary film. If you’re a huge Greta Garbo fan (my apologies to you for my sentiments, if you are, and I promise to see more of her films!), this is as MUST SEE a movie as you’ll ever encounter. She’s full steam Garbo, here, and you’ll devour every second.

Amazon

Joan Crawford fan? See. The. Movie. Buy. The. Movie. You’ll revel in our girl’s playfulness and sexiness. I may apologize for my lack of love for some stars, but I certainly don’t apologize for this opinion – Joan Crawford and Lionel Barrymore make this movie the masterpiece it is.

Baron Felix von Geigern (John Barrymore): Oh, you’re a little stenographess?

Flaemmchen (Crawford): Yes, I’m a little stenographess.

Baron Felix von Geigern (John Barrymore): Fascinating. I don’t suppose you’d, uh, take some dictation from me sometime, would you?

Side Note: Watching the Barrymore brothers again in Grand Hotel caused me to read more about their fascinating family. When you get a chance, Google John’s beautiful daughter Diana Barrymore. Drew Barrymore’s resemblance to her is striking!

Censoring Old Movies: In My Opinion, it’s a Conversation That Should Take Place

April 17, 2018 By Joi Leave a Comment

This is kind of a controversial subject (and a diversion from the way I normally write on Hollywood Yesterday). Worst of all, it’s a horribly unfortunate look at an ugly part of history – insensitivity, intolerance, and the always hideous and heartbreaking racism.

When, like me, you are obsessed with both history and old Hollywood, there are days when you find yourself surrounded with beauty and there are days when you find yourself surrounded by ugly. One day, about a month ago, I was chin-deep in ugliness and it has left me (to this day) feeling uneasy and unsettled.

I began the day reading from a biography about a personal heroine, Harriet Tubman. The way this VERY brave and noble woman was treated isn’t, of course, surprising to me – I’ve read every book written about her… I know what happened, so it no longer surprises me. However, it continues to shock me.. and, I’m certain it always will.

After finishing the book and telling each of my cats that a braver non-Biblical human may not have ever lived, I decided that the sadness and darkness of the morning called for a little escapism with an old movie (one of my favorite ways to escape!).

I chose a movie from the DVR, Babes in Arms (1939), that I hadn’t seen in two… maybe three… forevers. I love Judy Garland like a sunflower loves sunshine, so the choice seemed like a no-brainer. I was enjoying the movie immensely until it came to a part I didn’t remember – a performance a few of the “babes” did in blackface. It was cringe-worthy, so cringe is exactly what I did.

I also hit “stop” on the movie and called it a day.

The next day, I was still thinking about it. Not about the fact that it happened, mind you. Like I said, as a history buff and old movie fanatic, I am fully aware of how much ignorance existed in the past. People seemingly just did not know how insensitive, ridiculous, and cruel they were. How could they NOT have known? I have absolutely no idea… then again, I don’t know how people could’ve ever enslaved other human beings either.

I just do not know.

It wasn’t “THEN” that troubled these particular thoughts… it was “NOW.” NOW we know better. NOW most of us are sickened by intolerance and racism. NOW many of us had rather endure an offense to US than to witness someone else being offended. I know I had.

Even more than history and old movies, I love children. I love everything about them… even dirty elbows, endless questions, and temper tantrums! After seeing this scene (well, a minute of it before I jumped on the stop button), I imagined what it’d be like to sit with a little girl or boy during this movie. How would you (how could you possibly?) explain to a precious child “WHY” something like this happened?

My primary concern for scenes like this are for children. Can we shelter them from every ugliness that has ever happened, will happen, or is happening? Of course not. But… when it’s entertainment, I think we can and should remove scenes like this whenever possible.

At the VERY least, identify scenes like this clearly in the movie’s description to avoid problems.

As old movie fans, we want more people to see and treasure these movies. After all, one of our primary goals is to keep these beloved stars shining bright. If we want more people to love these movies, we should do our part to make them move lovable!

While the feelings of children (as well as adults) is my primary concern, I have to admit it – I don’t want to see my favorite actors and actresses doing things so insensitive! Again, their actions are a sign of the times in which they lived. I’m not excusing it or even understanding it, to be sure, but it’s a fact.

The fact that I am FOR censoring these precious old movies may seem surprising… given my great love for them. I guess my only response to that is that there are far more important things than movies – like humans.

One of my favorite old movies is a wonderful Western, El Dorado. There is actually a scene in the movie (where James Caan’s character impersonates a Chinese man). Due to the scene being considered greatly insensitive, the scene is often cut from television telecasts. We recently watched El Dorado on television and the cut scene does nothing to harm the movie. In fact, the lack of a cringe-worthy moment makes it better, in my opinion.

Again, imagine sitting with a little Chinese boy or girl and trying to explain to them why this heroic character did what he did.

I can almost hear people, now, arguing, “But what about the way females were treated… if we start censoring for racist moments, we’ll have to start censoring for sexist moments…”

While my response would be, “Okay,” I do have to say this – many times the “sexist” moments happen in context of the plot. Fortunately, in fact, the woman proves the sexist person wrong and they come around to the startling fact that women are equal to men. Startling! On the other hand, racist moments are, more times than not, NOT pivotal… in any way… to the plot.

As I said above, at the very, very least, I’d love to see “Warnings” come on movies (dvd and televised broadcasts). Parents would then be able to decide whether or not they wanted to watch a movie with their child… or if they even wanted to watch it, themselves.

I will begin including blurbs in my old movie reviews on Hollywood Yesterday for this reason. It’ll take a while to go back and add them to old reviews, but I’ll get it done – though, to be honest, I haven’t reviewed many movies in which this would be applicable. I fall into that “…if they even wanted to watch it, themselves” category. There’s enough ugliness in the “real” world, I don’t want to invite any more than is necessary into the “reel” world.

I admit there would be a few slippery slopes – such as WHERE do you draw the line and WHEN is “far” actually “too far.” However, blackface, the N-word, and insensitive impersonations aren’t slipper slopes, they’re vile volcanoes!

Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments – and, do NOT worry, I am not the type who is hurt when people disagree with her… I look at such moments as opportunities for me to broaden my own horizons and possibly even learn something!

Things You May Not Have Known About Abbott and Costello

March 12, 2018 By Joi 19 Comments

You are looking at a picture of one of my greatest obsessions – Abbott and Costello. I could watch their movies and/or routines daily and laugh as though it were the first time EACH time. As someone who loves few things as much as laughing, I guess it’s only expected that they’d float my boat so perfectly.

There was a lot more to Bud Abbott and Lou Costello than most of us realize. They were much more intellectual (and certainly more serious) than we envision them. In fact, off screen, the men barely resembled the characters they played.

Below are a few fast facts about these brilliant men.

Facts about Bud Abbott

William Alexander Abbott was born in 1895.
Both of his parents (Rae and Harry) at one time worked for the Barnum and Bailey Circus.
Bud worked in carnivals, as a child, and dropped out of school in 1909.
In 1931, he stood in for comic Lou Costello’s straight-man who was ill. The two clicked almost immediately and… the rest is history!
In 1940. he made his film debut in One Night in the Tropics, which was also his first film pairing with his partner Lou Costello.
Bud has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio (6333 Hollywood Boulevard), Motion Pictures (1611 Vine Street), and Television (6740 Hollywood Boulevard).
Bud Abbott was a lifelong epileptic.
His twin sister, Olive Victoria Abbott, was in vaudeville and lived to be 101 years old!
Bud Abbott was an avid gun collector and once owned an Adolf Hitler shotgun.
One story has it that, at Lou Costello’s insistence, the monies earned from the their act were split 60/40, favoring Bud Abbott. Lou Costello’s reasoned that “…comics are a dime a dozen. Good straight men are hard to find.”
After Abbott and Costello broke up, Bud Abbott said, “I never understood Lou.”
Married Betty Smith in 1918. They adopted two children.
A favorite Bud Abbott Quote was, “You never heard of a comedy team that didn’t fight, did you?“
Died in 1974 (prostrate cancer).

Facts About Lou Costello

Born in 1906 in New Jersey.
His parents were Helen and Sebastiano Cristillo. His father was from Calabria, Italy, and his mother was an American of Italian, French, and Irish ancestry.
Before teaming with Bud Abbott, Lou Costello worked as a stuntman.
Lou Costello was married to Anne Battler from January 1934 – March 1959 (his death)
Lou mentioned his hometown (Paterson, New Jersey) in virtually every episode of his TV show and in many of his films – listen for it, it’s amazing (and touching) how he works it in.
Tragically, his only son, Lou Jr., drowned in the family’s swimming pool just days before his first birthday.
Lou Costello simply took home any prop or furniture from a set that he took a liking to. Once, during filming of Hit The Ice, the director was reshooting a scene when he noticed all the furniture was gone! Sure enough, Lou had hauled it off to his place – so an arrangement was made for him to bring it back just long enough to reshoot the scenes.
Costello, outrageously enough, wanted to change the name of the duo to “Costello and Abbott.” Naturally, Universal Pictures wasn’t for the idea. The result was a “permanent chill” between the partners that lasted until their split in the late 1950s.
After the death of his son, Lou Costello Jr., he somehow performed the “Who’s On First” routine as usual, but with tears running down his face.
Lou was an amateur boxer.
He was awarded three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: for Motion Pictures at 6438 Hollywood Blvd., for Radio at 6780 Hollywood Blvd. and for Television at 6276 Hollywood Blvd.
In 1943, Lou developed rheumatic fever. The disease damaged his heart and led to the heart attack that killed him – three days before his 53rd birthday.
Bud’s one starring role in a feature film without Bud Abbott, was in The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock (1959). He died before it was released.

More…

Abbott and Costello are known in Italy as “Gianni and Pinotto”, Abbott being Gianni and Costello being Pinotto.
Abbott and Costello are the only two non-sportsmen honored in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, for their “Who’s On First” routine. They aren’t, of course, members of the Hall of Fame, but the fact that their wonderful routine is so appreciated is priceless.
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were so popular that there was an “Abbott and Costello” comic book that was published for about ten years until their partnership ended in 1956.
They performed the “Who’s on first” routine for President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection

Gilda Review: One of My All-Time Favorite Movies (With Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford – How Could it NOT Be?)

December 18, 2017 By Joi Leave a Comment

Like Lana Turner and Marilyn Monroe, a lot of people tend to think of Rita Hayworth as simply beautiful and iconic. While she’s both (to be sure), there’s more to her than “greets the eye.” Rita Hayworth was an great actress and an exceptional performer. The same is, of course true of the aforementioned ladies as well.

Rita Hayworth could more than hold her own on the dance floor and she brought life, charisma, and depth to every role she ever stepped into. She could convey more with a facial expression than a lot of actors/actresses get across with a five minute dialogue purge.

Can you tell she’s one of my all-time favorite actresses?

It seems that every actor and actress has a “defining role.” While this may not seem terribly fair, it is what it is. Many stars have several roles that can, and should, serve as sort of a defining compilation, but it’s generally one specific role that comes to mind when you see their name. When it comes to Rita Hayworth, her defining role is a knock out – Gilda.

Gilda is a cinematic dream come true for me, personally, as it has not only one of my top three favorite actresses but also one of my top three favorite actors, Glenn Ford.

Don’t you just love it when your favorites team up for a movie? Feels kind of like a kiss on the cheek from God, Himself.

Make no mistake about it, though, even 10 favorite stars in a movie won’t save it if the movie doesn’t live up to the moment. Fortunately, Gilda does. In fact, it’d be one of my favorite movies even if the lead characters didn’t score so much as a blip on my radar. The movie is simply a lot of fun to watch and provides a few unexpected twists and turns to keep you completely and utterly hooked.

The clothes, the lighting, the music, the dancing, the redhead… they all go together to create cinematic magic.

While the entire cast is outstanding, the casting of the movie’s leads was a stroke of genius. The chemistry between Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford is absolutely palpable. Each time I watch Gilda, I mentally give a standing ovation to the individual responsible for bringing these two together. It’s that special, magical kind of chemistry that is almost impossible to define – yet, when it happens, it lights up the screen and you feel the fire deep in your soul.

The chemistry between Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford in Gilda (along with the chemistry between James Stewart and Lana Turner in Ziegfeld Girl – two more of my personal favorites) is one of the most magical pairings of all time as far as I’m concerned.

You can direct scenes, you can choreograph dances, and you can create moments with lighting and music…. however you cannot manufacture (or even account for) chemistry. It’s either there or it isn’t. While a great movie can overcome lukewarm chemistry between its leads, red hot chemistry can take a great movie and make it… well… a legend.

I believe this chemistry is partly (perhaps even largely) to credit for Gilda achieving the legendary status it has.

If you aren’t as immersed in old movies as some of us are or if you’re just getting into them, I wholeheartedly recommend Gilda. If you are new to the greatest genre of entertainment in the world (can you tell I’m not just immersed but buried?), I want to warn you about one brief little scene in particular. You’ll know it when you see it. The last thing I want to do is give anything away, so I’ll just say one code word: BOAT. Something happens in a particular scene involving a BOAT that serves to remind the viewer of the period of time in which this wonderful movie was made. Effects departments now, upon watching this scene, probably wouldn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Do me a favor, when you see this scene, simply say “1946” – the year in which the movie was made.

This will remind you not to hold the moment against the movie, Glenn, or Rita. Especially not Rita.

When you watch old movies like it’s your job, you just kind of shrug off these moments and accept them for what they are – signs of the times.

Rita Hayworth made Gilda the iconic legend it is and in many ways you can say the movie returned the favor.

Gilda Movie Posters on Amazon

Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein: What is it With Me and These Movies?!?

October 17, 2017 By Joi Leave a Comment

I don’t know….. maybe it’s just me. I mean, I’ve read so many nice reviews about Frankenstein (1931) and even more about The Bride of Frankenstein (1935). And yet…

Boris Karloff, as the monster, is a household name among horror movie fans. And yet...

Mary Shelley is one of the most widely-respected authors of all time and is often pointed to as the reason many women authors began writing. And yet….

And yet… here I sit, completely baffled by all of the hoop and most of the la. When I read the book as a teen, I detested it. I honestly found it to be the most boring book I’d ever read. I’d rather it had scared the wits out of me and interrupted my sleep (like Dracula, for example) than to bore me speechless. I lost track of the number of times I closed the book, put it down, and decided I’d just “fake” my book report. My mom told me that I’d feel better about the book report if I actually finished the book.

I don’t want to say she was wrong, so I’ll just say she was not right.

Reading that book was painful but, frankly, watching Frankenstein wasn’t much better. If it weren’t for the fact that the time spent watching the movie was less of an investment than reading the book, it’d have been just as painful. While I LOVE old movies – these two could have turned me off of movies for good.

Okay, okay, that’s an exaggeration but you get the idea.

First the positives about Frankenstein: Boris Karloff was great in the role and Edward Van Sloan was PERFECT as Doctor Waldman. This wonderful actor is perfect in everything and is, as far as I’m concerned, the one good thing about Frankenstein. He was also great in Dracula (1931) as Van Helsing. That movie was better than Dracula and his Van Helsing deserves most of the credit.

Another positive – the movie did a great job when it came to setting the ambiance and overall mood. The sets were outstanding, as was the wardrobe and makeup – especially for the time.

Continued Below…

The positives about The Bride of Frankenstein: Again, Boris Karloff is wonderful in the role of the monster. With more true acting to delve into with this second film, he gets to show off his chops. His scenes in a cabin with his newfound “friend” are absolute movie magic. He gives a beautiful performance. Furthermore, Elsa Lanchester is a total scene-stealer both as The Bride of Frankenstein and as Mary Shelley in the opening scene. The fact that she was so mesmerizing is actually one of the things I like least about this movie…. she wasn’t used nearly enough.

Truth is, she was barely on screen at all – which is a shame because she’s really the only thing that could have saved the movie.

As for the original Frankenstein – like the book – it was pretty boring. I watch old movies like it’s my job, so I don’t mind “dated” effects or “less than inspired” camera-work. I don’t mind over-acting, even. In fact, I always say it’s far better than under-acting (the greatest sin of acting). I suspect the cast (with the exception of Van Sloan and Karloff) read the book and were so bored they couldn’t snap out of it. Seriously, the rest of the cast all but naps through their scenes. Not only could the two leads not convince me they were in love, they couldn’t convince me they were the ones who were alive.

I think the biggest problem with The Bride of Frankenstein, however, is the story itself. There were so many moments when I thought, “I’d have done that differently…” or “That wasn’t the way to go with that…” The concept was a great one but, in my opinion, the execution should have been -executed, that is. If you title a movie “The Bride of Frankenstein” she should be a large part of the movie – especially when the actress so much charisma. With a different script, the name Elsa Lanchester would be as famous as the name Boris Karloff.

Do you get the idea I loathe these two movies? I mean, I’m not hiding that fact, am I??

If you’re a fan of one or both of these movies, I honestly apologize. Not for the fact you like them, mind you, but for the fact that I’m coming down so hard on them. As I said at the beginning of this diatribe, it’s probably just me and it isn’t the first time. There have been other stars, movies, and TV shows that others love and I just sort of bite my tongue.

I actually recently re-watched both of these movies on TCM – just to see if I found them more agreeable this time.

Oh, I did NOT. In fact, as soon as Frankenstein went off, I told my cats, “Well, there’s time we’ll never get back.” They weren’t too thrilled with the movie, either. They thought the casting was all wrong and the dialogue excruciatingly painful. I have to agree.

Lovely Elsa (as Mary Shelley) – More of Her Would’ve Made the Movie Better

The Prince and The Showgirl with Marilyn Monroe and a Legendary Actor…

May 24, 2017 By Joi Leave a Comment

Okay, first of all, I know the legendary actor’s name as well as anyone – Sir Laurence Olivier. Many people (I’m not among them I’m afraid) consider him to be the greatest actor of all time. Don’t get me wrong, he was magnificent and I certainly believe he is “one” of the best ever… even if I hesitate to give him the title “the best.”

The man’s name is synonymous with fine acting and for good reason.

Oddly enough, however, the name Marilyn Monroe is synonymous with beauty and sex appeal (again, for good reason) but it’s the rare bird who’d associate her with good acting, let alone great acting.

I guess I’m among the rarest of birds.

Marilyn Monroe was so much more than just a beautiful face. Some was good (her intelligence, beauty, and talent) and some was horrible (apparently she was notorious for holding up and inconveniencing others on set and let’s not even get into the whole JFK fiasco). Her intelligence led to her ability to bring so much to each character she portrayed. She simply knew what each character would feel and how they would react to everything and everyone around them.

The Prince and the Showgirl is one of my personal favorite Marilyn Monroe performances, which kind of sucks because Laurence Olivier’s performance makes me cringe. I understand he’s portraying royalty, here, but I’d have preferred royalty with a pulse!

The performance is one of my least favorites in any movie, to be honest. Leslie Howard in Gone With the Wind is right up there too. The thought of both characters being appealing to ANYONE is hard to buy into.. and yet both characters had beautiful ladies fawning over them.

As if!

Somehow, in spite of a lackluster, stiff performance by one of the greatest actors of all-time, The Prince and The Showgirl is still a pretty cute and enjoyable movie. It is, of course, primarily thanks to MM and her adorable portrayal of the “showgirl.” In fact, the entire rest of the cast did a fine job – even those who had only one or two scenes.

I’ve read that MM and LO did not get along at all – he took all kinds of exception to her consistent tardiness and “moods.” I don’t want to believe that this affected his performance, however, because he was the very definition of a professional. Their relationship actually makes me want to read “The Prince, the Showgirl, and Me: Six Months on the Set With Marilyn and Olivier” by Colin Clark.

Book Description: When Colin Clark left college in the 1950s, he got a job as a gofer on the set of the movie The Prince and the Showgirl, starring Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier. The film should have been a box office smash, but even before cameras rolled, things began going wrong–and Clark recorded it all in this beguiling, fly-on-the-wall diary.

New and used copies are available on Amazon, so I’m going to order one SOON.

I recently re-watched The Prince and The Showgirl and came away with the same thing I think each time…. “Why is he making his character so painful to watch?!?! Is he trying to win her over or bore her to tears?!”

Marilyn is so fun, lively, and energetic – she makes the screen sizzle and pop when she’s on it. Then, here he comes.

If you’ve never seen the movie, I hope you’ll watch it soon and see what you think. As I’ve said a million times, old movies and old performances are worth watching even when we don’t love or even like them. There’s always something good or worthwhile about every single movie and in this particular movie, MM and a very strong, lively cast make it worth watching.

In spite of that one.

Also See:

More The Prince and The Showgirl Movie Posters on Amazon
The Prince and The Showgirl DVDs on Amazon

The White Sister with Helen Hayes and Clark Gable

May 12, 2017 By Joi 2 Comments

As you’d expect from someone with a Golden Age of Hollywood blog like Hollywood Yesterday, I love old movies (as well as classic television) to distraction. I’m seldom as happy as when I’m curled up in my favorite chair, raspberry tea in hand, losing myself in a wonderful old movie. If you’re as infatuated with them as I am, you’ll know what I mean when I say that I love ALL watching old movies… even ones I don’t particularly “like.”

For example, Mogambo is possibly one of the worst (only in my opinion, mind you) movies I’ve ever seen. My great love for Clark Gable, Grace Kelly, and Ava Gardner couldn’t even save this movie for me. And yet…. the time spent watching it was satisfying because, while it was pretty dreadful, it was still an old movie and it still brought old stars of Hollywood into my den.

The White Sister (1933) is nowhere near as bad as Mogambo. In fact, the majority of the movie is a lot of fun. Helen Hayes (Angela Chiaromonte) impossibly adorable and… well.. delightful. I normally don’t think, let alone use, the word delightful – but several times during the movie, I kept thinking, “Helen Hayes, you are delightful as Angela…” Then I’d stop and ask myself, “Did you just use the word delightful?…”

Another plus for the movie is the fact that Clark Gable (a personal fave) is downright lovable in the role of Giovanni Severi. A little trivia – because who doesn’t like trivia – this was the first time Clark Gable appeared in a movie with a mustache.

My problem with the movie is that I wish it had chosen one lane and stayed in it. The movie starts out so light-hearted and fun, you’re left thinking that you’re in for a fun romantic comedy and, if the writing had stayed in this vein, it’d have been a classic.

A few tragic turns and you’re left with something that isn’t romantic or comedic.

Now… again… having said all of that, the movie is still very much worth watching because of the performances of Helen Hayes, Clark Gable, and Louise Closser Hale (a total scene-stealer in the role of Mina). Unlike a lot of movies of the time, the acting in The White Sister was superb. The early days of Hollywood often say, dare we say it, melodramatic performances that can be hard even for those of us who are obsessed with the era to watch. Not one star in The White Sister tries to gnaw or chew on any of the scenery and there wasn’t one single cringe-worthy moment.

Plot: Angela Chiaromonte (Helen Hayes), is the beautiful, overly-sheltered daughter of a Prince. She falls for Giovanni (Clark Gable) and his zest for life, in spite of herself. When he is reported killed in action in World War I, she is consumed with grief and becomes a nun.

The White Sister is directed by Victor Fleming (Gone with the Wind), which helps explain why the acting is so superb.

What I love about the movie: Helen Hayes, Clark Gable, and Louise Closser Hale do a wonderful job with their roles. They are excellent. The characters are lovable and you can’t help feeling drawn to each one. The clothes are also very memorable – the wardrobe department outdid themselves.

What I didn’t love about the movie: I’d have preferred it if the entire script had stayed light and romantic. The story was at its best when the characters and viewers were having fun.

Is the movie worth seeing? Absolutely. If you love old movies, Helen Hayes, and/or Clark Gable (and especially if, like me, you adore them all!) – you should see this movie right away. Will it become your favorite old movie of all time? Pretty doubtful.

But Helen Hayes is delightful. Perfectly delightful.

Two-Disk Set on Amazon:

Two legends of “Old Hollywood,”Lillian Gish and Helen Hayes, take the same role of Angela Chiaromonte, 10 years apart in The White Sister 2-disk set.