Golden Age of Hollywood
Gloria Grahame and Glenn Ford
Gloria Grahame and Glenn Ford completely light the screen UP in The Big Heat (1953), directed by Fritz Lang. The film-noir (one of the best ever made in my opinion) also stars Lee Marvin and Jocelyn Brando.
I’ve said it before and I KNOW I’ll say it again, Gloria Grahame fascinates me. She always has. The versatility this actress had is honestly remarkable.
You can find The Big Heat on dvd (Amazon link) or watch on Prime Video.
Gloria Grahame and Glenn Ford
Gloria Grahame and Glenn Ford
The Big Heat (1953) was directed by the wonderful Fritz Lang and stars two of film-noir’s greatest stars, Glenn Ford and Gloria Grahame. What these two meant to the genre cannot be overstated. They brought the magic!
The Big Heat movie also stars Lee Marvin, Jocelyn Brando (Marlon Brando’s big sister!), Alexander Scourby, and Carolyn Jones.
If you love film-noir, suspense, great acting, and spellbinding dramas, you’ll love this one.
You can find The Big Heat on dvd (Amazon link) or watch on Prime Video.
Louise Brooks
Pandora’s Box director Georg Wilhelm Pabst really stirred the hornet’s nest when he cast American beauty Louise Brooks in the role of Lulu. The role was considered to be quintessentially German and Louise was very much the American.
Fortunately she was very much the talented actress… with enough charisma and sex appeal for 100 actresses. These facts silenced her critics beautifully.
You can find Pandora’s Box on dvd (Amazon link).
Lionel Barrymore, Frank Hagney, and James Stewart
We all have those certain “top tier” favorite movies that just mean the world to us – movies that made us fall in love with classic films in the first place. It’s a Wonderful Life is absolutely one of mine… in fact, it sits FIRMLY tied with two others for my very top spot.
James Stewart, Lionel Barrymore, AND Donna Reed? How could I not be completely infatuated with it, they’re three of my “ride or die” favorites!
You can buy It’s a Wonderful Life on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the MAGIC on Prime Video.
Vivien Leigh, Waterloo Bridge
The publicity photos here of Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor is for their 1940 film Waterloo Bridge (directed by Mervyn LeRoy). Robert Taylor was one of the actors (IMO) Vivien had the most chemistry with. They worked flawlessly with one another and I will always wish they’d made more films together!
You can find Waterloo Bridge on dvd or Blu-ray (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.
Robert Taylor and Vivien Leigh
Key Largo Lobby Card
I absolutely LOVE this Key Largo (1948) lobby card… the colors are spellbinding. Directed by the wonderful John Huston with a cast including Humphrey Bogart, Lionel Barrymore, Lauren Bacall, Edward G. Robinson, and Claire Trevor, this is one extraordinary movie.
You can find Key Largo on dvd or blu-ray (Amazon link) or watch the classic and iconic film noir on Prime Video.
Haruo Nakajima, Behind the Scenes of Godzilla (1954)
I’m pretty obsessed with these behind the scenes photos from Godzilla (1954, directed by Ishirô Honda). How could I not be? My love for behind the scenes photos is legendary and my love for all things Godzilla is EVEN greater. Combine the two and it’s a wonder I can even concentrate long enough to type these words.
Godzilla (1954) was originally titled Gojira and was released in Japan on November 3, 1954.
Haruo Nakajima, the actor who wore the Godzilla suit, would frequently pass out because the temperature inside the costume was so intensely hot. According to him (and he’d know!), temperatures inside the Godzilla suit reached up to 60 degrees Celsius (or 140 Fahrenheit) due to the hot studio lights.
Special effects director Teruyoshi Nakano had this to say about Haruo Nakajima, “Inside the Godzilla suit, it was very dark, lonely, and isolated. Usually the person who wears the suit becomes nervous and anxious. During summertime it’s very hot, it can become hell in there. But Mr. Nakajima always persevered. He acted in the suit underwater, he was buried underground, he withstood pyrotechnic explosions… and through it all he was always Godzilla.”
I’m in love with that quote: “… through it all he was always Godzilla.”
He brought Godzilla to life in a total of 12 films and this Godzilla fan loves him for his devotion!
Behind the Scenes Picture from Godzilla 1954
Elizabeth Allan and Lionel Barrymore
If there’s one thing you can be certain of, if Ethel or Lionel Barrymore is in a movie, I will watch it and watch it and watch it again and again. I feel they were in a league of their own making and can’t get enough of either of them. Naturally, this time of year, I revisit one of my favorite classic “horror” films, Mark of the Vampire.
Lionel Barrymore is, as always, perfectly wonderful in this film and draws you in to each and every scene he’s in…. creepy surroundings or not, you have to go where he leads you.
If you’ve never seen this particular film, I hope you’ll check it out really soon. It is incredibly unique and it’s one of those films you find yourself thinking (and talking) about for days upon end!
You can watch Mark of the Vampire on Prime Video (Amazon link).
Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Bela Lugosi, and Glenn Strange
When it comes to horror movies, I’m a bit of a chicken… okay, I’m a big chicken, feathers and all. Sure, I can handle most classic horror films (with Mark of the Vampire and The Spiral Staircase being a few of my favorites), but when it comes to modern era horror movies…. thanks but no thanks. All the buttered popcorn in the world couldn’t get me to watch.
I’d much, much, MUCH rather watch Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (one of my favorite movies in the world). I’d rather watch ANY of their movies for that matter. They were comedic geniuses and their films never fail to make me laugh so much my cats think I’ve finally and completely lost it.
You can (and should!) find Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein on dvd (Amazon link). You can also find the Abbott and Costello Meet the Monsters Collection on Amazon… it’s linked below.
Paul Muni and Ann Dvorak
As far as I’m concerned, Scarface (1932) was the BEST Scarface and it isn’t even close. Paul Muni in the role of Tony Camonte is simply breathtaking and the cast around him is phenomenal.
Ann Dvorak, Karen Morley, George Raft, Osgood Perkins… each is outstanding, Ann Dvorak in particular. As Cesca, Tony’s younger sister, Ann Dvorak gives a performance that you remember long after the movie is over.
You can find the 1932 Scarface on dvd or Blu-ray (Amazon link) or watch on Prime Video.
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…
