Old Movies, Actors and Actresses | Hollywood Yesterday

Review: The Pirate With Judy Garland and Gene Kelly

April 24, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

Do you happen to have an “obscure” movie that you just love body, mind, and soul? One that the average person feels either so-so about or, worse yet, thinks it’s about as bad as it gets?!?

If you do… I think we could be great friends because many of my favorite movies fall in this category. Judy Garland and Gene Kelly star in one such movie – The Pirate. I just love this upbeat, joyful, and unapologetically fun musical.

Okay – since I’m always totally honest with you, I’m going to trust you with another little bit of truth. I like it even better than Singin’ in the Rain or Easter Parade.

Boom! That is some heavy truth there, but it is what it is. There is something magical about the chemistry between Judy Garland and Gene Kelly – a chemistry that is palpable as far as I’m concerned. I, personally, think he sparked more with Judy than any other actress, dancer, or singer.

One of the reasons I love The Pirate so much is the simple fact that Judy Garland is in it. I’m a huge fan, so if she’s there, I’m already on board. But it goes beyond Judy. It’s just a fun, enjoyable movie – very colorful and festive. Exactly how a musical should be!

I’m also drawn to the fact that Gene Kelly seems to enjoy this role (or co-starring with Judy Garland… maybe both?) immensely. He’s having fun with the role and “having fun with…” isn’t something we tend to associate with the intense perfectionist that was Gene Kelly.

Is it over the top? You bet.

Is it far-reaching? Oh, absolutely.

Are there a few moments so corny you can almost smell the butter? You know it.

But…. would I watch it 7 days out of 8 and grin like the Cheshire cat from start to end each and every time. A thousand times yes.

Not only is The Pirate one of my favorite musicals, Judy Garland’s Mack the Black is one of my favorite musical numbers. If I had the task of “introducing” the great Judy Garland to someone and wanted, desperately, to prove to them why I love her so much – this would probably be the number I’d lead with. She shows, with song, dance, and those glorious expressions… that she was and is one of the greatest performers of all time.

Showmanship? The lady oozed it and it was a beautiful thing.

I hope you’ll catch The Pirate as soon as possible. In the video below, Judy sings Mack the Black. I understand that the circumstances won’t make a BIT of sense to you if you haven’t seen the movie – but it doesn’t need to. All you need to do is watch this beautiful lady in her element.

She was one if a billion, wasn’t she?

Buster Keaton: 22 Fast Facts About a Silent Film Legend and an Old Hollywood GENIUS!

April 22, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

Buster Keaton and Phyllis Haver in The Balloonatic

Joseph Frank Keaton was born on October 4, 1895 in Piqua, Kansas. He would become one of the world’s biggest stars, Buster Keaton.
Unlike many silent film stars, Buster was eager to go into movies with sound. Not only was he was blessed with a wonderful voice, he had years of stage experience behind him, so memorizing and reciting dialogue was not a problem for him.
He fractured his neck while filming Sherlock Jr. (1924) but didn’t learn about it until many years later when a doctor saw X-rays of his neck during a routine physical examination.
Sadly, he became a victim of alcoholism when he his career collapsed around 1930. He defeated the disease, however, when he married Eleanor Norris Keaton. They were married from 1940 until his death in 1966.
Keaton was voted the seventh Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly, making him the highest rated comedy director! Charles Chaplin, surprisingly (to me, anyway) did not make the list.
He was voted the 35th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly…. let’s say it together… “Should have been higher!”
Not only did he do all his own stunts, but he often acted as a stunt double for other actors.
Wanted to become an engineer as a child.
He often surrounded himself with tall, even heavyset actors, in his films, typically in the roles of antagonists. This caused his size to seem at a much larger disadvantage, heightening the humor. Charlie Chaplin also used this clever casting trick.
Was hearing-impaired after serving in Germany fighting World War I.
In one scene in Sherlock Jr. (1924), Keaton was hanging from a tube connected to a water basin. The water poured out and washed him on to the track, fracturing his neck. The footage appears in the released film.
Buster loved to play baseball and would sometimes play between takes on the movie set.
Said he learned everything about movie-making and comedy from his friend Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle.
His 1924 film, The Navigator, was his most successful movie (financially).
He and his parents formed an acrobatic group called “The Three Keatons” in his childhood.
While there is a bit of controversy over the origin of his nickname “Buster,” I have personally read that it was attributed to him by none other than Houdini!
Houdini was once the partner of Joe Keaton (Buster’s father) in a medicine-show group. Reportedly, after he saw a young Buster fall down a set of stairs without being injured, Houdini referred to him as “Buster” and the nickname stuck.
When Buster was three years old he got his right index finger caught in a clothes wringer and it was crushed and had to be amputated at the first knuckle.
He died on the same day as Hedda Hopper.
In 1952 while remodeling his home, actor James Mason (who had purchased Keaton’s mansion) found several reels of Buster’s “lost” films and immediately recognized their wonderful historical significance. He took upon himself the responsibility for their preservation!
He was awarded 2 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Pictures and for Television.
His own favorite short was Hard Luck (1921) which had been considered lost until a copy was found.
Died quietly at home, in his sleep, shortly after playing cards with his wife.

Faye Wray: Sweet 16 Facts About King Kong’s Favorite Leading Lady

April 18, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

Beautiful Fay Wray is best remembered as the girl held in King Kong’s giant hand in the iconic movie from 1933. I love a lot of things about this wonderful actress, but one of the things I love the most is the fact that even though her career was often lost in the HUGE shadow of King Kong, she didn’t seem bitter in the least. From what I’ve read, she has only spoken favorably about the entire apeish experience. A lot of stars tend to resent being so incredibly associated with a particular role or movie but she seemed to be genuinely grateful to have been a part of such a colossally enjoyable and historically memorable movie.

Many of us who desperately love Old Hollywood are passionate about keeping the stars’ names alive and their faces and movies in front of new generations of fans. It honestly becomes almost an obsession with us, if I’m being honest! Fay Wray falls into an unfortunate category of Old Hollywood actors and actresses that make our job a bit more difficult.

When stars have, say, less than five movies that are really “well known” and celebrated, it is VERY rare to find their movies shown on television or readily available on dvds. It’s very challenging to introduce new legions of fans to an actor or actress if they can’t find their movies easily. This poses a huge challenge, too, for most stars from the silent movie era.. aside, of course, from Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, and Pickford.

I’ve found another challenge with these stars as well. When you hear even casual fans of old movies talk about their favorites (which we all do pretty much non-stop!), you’ll hear the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Rita Hayworth, Lucille Ball, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Barbara Stanwyck, Ava Gardner, James Stewart, Lana Turner, Marilyn Monroe, Cary Grant… it seems that, frustratingly enough, the celebrated only become more celebrated. I’m not pointing fingers, I’m as guilty as anyone! Heck you’ll hear me talking 24/7 about the group I just named, in fact!

When actors and actresses – who often happen to be just as talented as the celebrated ones – don’t have films that are as readily available as the popular crowd’s films… sadly, they get lost in the shuffle.

I lose track of the number of times I feel myself getting frustrated about this very thing and have to get up and make a cup of tea to distract myself and the frustration! What compounds the frustration is the fact that while some of these stars we want to see celebrated more intensely simply made poor choices with the movies they agreed to star in…. often it wasn’t in their hands. Studios often depicted what movies they would star in and their star rose and fell, to a certain extent based upon these choices.

At any rate, I’ll step down off of the soap box now and allow you to get to know Fay Wray better. She was a very fascinating woman. I’m having a nightmare of a time finding more of her movies to buy and watch, but from the ones I’ve seen, she was off the charts talented and, obviously, beautiful. I can’t help thinking of the number of “favorite actress” lists she’d appear on if she’d had even three more widely shown movies.

Fay Wray was born in Canada on September 15, 1907 but was raised in Los Angeles. She was barely in her teens when she began working in films as an extra.
Two days after her death, the lights on the Empire State Building in New York City were dimmed for 15 minutes in her memory. Beautiful tribute to her iconic scene at the end of King Kong, her most popular movie. I’ve read that when she died (August 8, 2004 at the age of 96), King Kong was showing in the hospital’s ER waiting room.
Wray was originally offered the role of the elderly Rose DeWitt Bukater in Titanic (1997), but she turned the role down.
King Kong (1933) saved its studio, RKO Radio Pictures, from bankruptcy.
She became friends with producer Peter Jackson, who happened to be a big fan.
She is credited as being Hollywood’s first “scream queen.” Not at all surprising, when you consider her thrillers during 1932-1933: Doctor X (1932), Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933), The Vampire Bat (1933), The Most Dangerous Game (1932) and, of course, King Kong (1933).
Described King Kong as her “little man”.
In January 2003, a 95-year-old Fay Wray was awarded the “Legend in Film” Award at the Palm Beach International Film Festival.
On the main street of Cardston, Alberta, Canada (her birthplace) there is the “Fay Wray Fountain” in her honor.
She had a daughter, Susan, by her first marriage to writer John Monk Saunders and two children, Robert Jr. and Victoria, by her second marriage to writer Robert Riskin.
She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 8, 1960.
Pictured on one of four 51¢ Canadian commemorative postage stamps honoring “Canadians in Hollywood” issued 22 May 2006.
Along with Ginger Rogers and actress Marie Blake, she was a bridesmaid in Jeanette MacDonald’s 1937 wedding to Gene Raymond.
She gave much of her time and money towards various political causes. She was active in the campaigns of Wendell Willkie, Thomas E. Dewey, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.
She was friends with: Laraine Day, Joel McCrea, Frances Dee, Dorothy Lamour, Fred MacMurray, June Haver, Gloria Stuart, Jean Arthur, Ginger Rogers, Walt Disney, Bruce Cabot, Cary Grant, Richard Barthelmess, Mae Clarke, Pat O’Brien, Irene Dunne, Bob Hope, Dolores Hope, Robert Cummings, Ann Sothern, Joseph Cotten, Patricia Medina, Robert Montgomery, Walter Pidgeon, Naomi Watts, Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan.
My favorite Fay Wray fast fact…. She drove a car into her 90s!

Harold Lloyd: Silent Movie Legend (Ten Fast Facts)

April 17, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

When most people think of “Silent Movie Stars,” they first think of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Mary Pickford. Even people who have never seen a silent movie in their life (boy, are they missing out!) have heard of these three legends.

However, those of us who live and breathe old movies, know there’s a HUGE name missing on this list of household names – Mr. Harold Lloyd. One of my favorite soapbox subjects on Hollywood Yesterday is this quandary: Why are so many (equally deserving) stars overlooked while others achieve lasting fame – even among casual old movie fans. I simply do not know. Was Lloyd as talented and hilarious as Chaplin? Yes. Is he as celebrated today as Chaplin? No.

I have no answers. Only questions. But, that’s essentially why I began and continue to publish Hollywood Yesterday – to keep as many of these wonderful stars in the public eye as possible, while doing my part to introduce them to new generations of fans. The Chaplins, the Keatons, the Pickfords AND the Lloyds of the world.

If you aren’t familiar with Harold Lloyd, I hope you’ll enjoy reading a little about him below, then promptly find a few of his movies to enjoy. Trust me, you’ll soon be asking, “Why isn’t he a household name?!” too.

If you come up with any answers, let me know.

10 Fast Facts About Harold Lloyd:

Harold Clayton Lloyd was born on April 20, 1893 in Burchard, Nebraska,
I love lasting Hollywood marriages (mostly because they’re so rare), so I am in love with the fact that Harold Lloyd and silent movie star Mildred Davis were married from 1923 to her death in 1969. They were frequent co-stars.
Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin, and Buster Keaton are considered to be the three most influential film comedians of the silent film era. They’re often referred to as “The Big Three.”
While he was never credited as a writer, make no mistake about it, Lloyd was the brains behind all of his movies. He came up with most of the gags, props, and stories.
Unlike many other stars of the silent era, Lloyd was known to be very smart with his money. While he had many expensive hobbies, he would still leave an inheritance of $12 million dollars after his death in 1971. At one time, he was one of the 10 richest entertainers in the world.
One of his fascinating hobbies was 3-D photography. He took hundreds of images of Hollywood stars such as Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, Richard Burton and Roy Rogers. Many of his photos are reproduced in the book “3-D Hollywood: Photography by Harold Lloyd“, which was edited by his granddaughter, Suzanne Lloyd Hayes.
Other hobbies included breeding Great Danes, collecting cars, movie-watching (it’s said that he would have “marathon movie nights” several times each week… the man is my hero), record-collecting, and photography. He had an insatiable appetite for photography.
In 1919 Harold Lloyd was handed what he thought to be a prop bomb. Horrifyingly enough, it was a real bomb and when he lit it with his cigarette, it exploded, blowing off his right thumb and index finger. He spent months in the hospital but, when he recovered, he returned to work.
His movie Safety Last is included on Roger Ebert’s “Great Movies” list.
Mildred and Harold Lloyd had three children: Gloria Lloyd (1923–2012) and Harold Clayton Lloyd Jr. (1931–1971) and Marjorie Elizabeth Lloyd (1924–1986), who they adopted in 1930.

Harold Lloyd’s Famous Scene from the Film Safety Last (1923):

Find Harold Lloyd DVDs on Amazon!

Heidi (1937): Watch the Full Movie

April 15, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

I grew up watching (and loving!) Shirley Temple and all of her wonderful movies. I still watch them… and you’d better believe I still love them.

And her!

Below is the wonderful movie Heidi from 1937. I honestly believe we tend to take Shirley Temple for granted, simply because she made it look so easy. But this was a child with a tremendous amount of talent!

Grab some popcorn and enjoy Shirley Temple in this beautiful classic.

Buster Keaton’s The General: Full-Length Silent Movie

April 15, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

Buster Keaton took on the role of director, writer, and star in this 1926 Silent Movie classic. The film also stars Marion Mack (as Annabelle Lee, Johnnie’s love interest), Glen Cavender (Captain Anderson), and Jim Farley (General Thatcher).

Plot: Johnnie Gray (Keaton) is an engineer who LOVES his locomotive, named “The General.” When the Civil War breaks out, he is turned down for service because he’s more valuable as an engineer than a soldier. His lady love, Annabelle, mistakenly believes he is cowardly.

When Union spies capture “The General” – with Annabelle on board – Johnnie must capture both of his great loves. He chases after them, right through enemy lines and the fun ensues.

Buster Keaton always claimed that The General was his favorite of all his movies. I can certainly see why he’d feel this way.. but, personally, I’d never be able to choose a favorite Buster Keaton film – they’re all sweet perfection.

Enjoy!

The Quiet Man: One of the Most Beautiful & Enjoyable Movies Ever Made (Review)

April 14, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

The Quiet Man with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara

Father Peter Lonergan, Narrator: “Well, then. Now. I’ll begin at the beginnin’. A fine soft day in the spring, it was, when the train pulled into Castletown, three hours late as usual, and himself got off. He didn’t have the look of an American tourist at all about him. Not a camera on him; what was worse, not even a fishin’ rod.”

And with those lines, one of the most special movies you’ll ever have the privilege of watching begins.

One of my absolute favorite actresses is Maureen O’Hara. Right up there with Lucille Ball, Rita Hayworth, and Audrey Hepburn.

Two of my favorite actors are John Wayne and Barry Fitzgerald.

How could one of my favorite movies NOT be The Quiet Man?! I mean, some things are just destiny.

Maureen O’Hara in The Quiet Man

Although.. truth be told… the writing, scenery, production, dialogue, direction – the EVERYTHING about The Quiet Man is so perfect, I have a feeling it would be one of my favorite movies even if these three exceptional stars weren’t in it.

But am I ever glad they are.

Director John Ford created an absolute MASTERPIECE with The Quiet Man – a masterpiece wherein every single thing is perfect. While the cast is as wonderful as a cast can possibly be, they’re darn near upstaged by the incredible scenery! In a word, Ireland is breathtaking. Absolutely breathtaking.

Everything about The Quiet Man is phenomenal – the music, the scenery, the acting, the cast, the wardrobe, the dialogue, the writing. When I first watched it, years ago, I remember thinking (several times throughout the movie), “Please don’t take a bad turn… I’m falling in love with you.. please don’t go bad!”

We’ve all had movies suddenly go from great to awful, halfway through or at the end. In fact, I’ve had THREE in the last month go from 10s to 3s within the last 30 minutes! When a movie goes south, it always feels like a blow, doesn’t it?

I was so thankful when The Quiet Man just kept getting better and better with each passing minute.

John Wayne plays Sean Thornton, an ex-boxer from America who had a horrifying experience in the ring and has moved to Ireland to reclaim a family homestead and escape his past. Right off the bat, in one of the most beautiful scenes in film history, Sean notices Mary Kate Danaher (perfectly portrayed by Maureen O’Hara). She’s (obviously) a very beautiful and spirited woman who happens to be the sister of a hot-head named “Red” Will Danaher (Victor McLaglen). Both of the Danahers (to varying enjoyable degrees!) cause trouble for Sean.

Mary Kate Danaher: Could you use a little water in your whiskey?

Michaleen Flynn: When I drink whiskey, I drink whiskey; and when I drink water, I drink water.

The relationship that develops between Sean and Mary Kate could not be more enjoyable – the chemistry between the two stars is palpable and the writing is superb. John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara were friends in real life and they worked magic when they were on the screen. This was the second of five movies they made together.

While the love story is a wonderful, huge part of the movie, it doesn’t strike me as purely a romantic movie. Will’s nastiness and the underlying plot of Sean trying to escape himself, to an extent, make for a compelling and fascinating movie.

When I stop and think about The Quiet Man, the thing that truly stands out is the characters. There are so many larger than life, lovable, and FUN characters in this film – they are a joy to watch. John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara lead the way, certainly, but The Quiet Man would not be the perfect movie that it is without Barry Fitzgerald as the wonderful Michaleen Oge Flynn or Ward Bond as Father Peter Lonergan.

The characters in this film stay with you long after you’ve seen the movie.

It’s one of those movies, too, that seems to be EVEN better each time you watch it. I think it’s because you notice new things each time – and everything is so stunningly wonderful about this film, noticing new things is a huge positive. You “catch” new lines of dialogue, too. I’ve seen the movie quite a few times and I often hear something one of the characters says and think, “I didn’t know he/she said that…’ The reason is there are so many wonderful lines, you’re often laughing at one while another is being said!

Fast Facts About The Quiet Man

The Quiet Man is one of the few Hollywood films in which Gaelic (the native Irish language) is spoken…. and it is a beautiful, beautiful thing. It adds to the authenticity of the movie so much.
Green, Ireland’s national color, can be seen in every scene of this beautiful movie.
In the famous scene where Sean finds Mary Kate in his cottage, the wind blew her hair so wildly that she kept squinting. Apparently John Ford screamed at her with a stream of profanity… something that didn’t go over well with Maureen O’Hara! Apparently she yelled back at him, “What would a bald-headed son of a bitch know about hair lashing across his eyeballs.” Sigh. I love her so.
Cast members Charles B. Fitzsimons (Hugh Forbes) and James O’Hara (Father Paul) were Maureen O’Hara’s younger brothers.
John Wayne described why the role of Sean Thornton (considered one of his best) was difficult to portray: “For nine weeks I was just playing straight man to those wonderful characters, and that’s really hard.”
Barry Fitzgerald, who plays the character of the Roman Catholic Michaleen Oge Flynn (not only one of the best characters in this movie, but one of the most enjoyable ones in any movie as far as I’m concerned!), and Arthur Shields, who played the Protestant vicar Cyril ‘Snuffy’ Playfair, were brothers in real life.
I’ve read that when Maureen O’Hara passed away (2015), she did so while listening to Victor Young’s score to The Quiet Man.
In 1986, a New York police officer, was shot and paralyzed on the job. His young wife mentioned to reporters that The Quiet Man was her husband’s favorite movie and that he was a huge fan of Maureen O’Hara. After reading this, Maureen O’Hara flew to New York to meet the officer and lift his spirits! She became involved with the couple as he recovered, attended their baby’s christening, and even marched in a parade on his behalf. Phenomenal woman… phenomenal.
The Quiet Man was Maureen O’Hara’s favorite of her movies.
The scene where Sean and Mary Kate take a stroll through the countryside is so beautiful and so perfect, it leaves me speechless. Okay, so this is more an opinion than a “fast fact,” but.. well, there you have it.

There are many movies I would “make” people watch if I had the power. You know how it is when you love a movie so much you want everyone else to experience the joy for themselves. This is one of those movies I recommend to others… then frequently bug them by asking, “Have you watched The Quiet Man yet??”

I don’t mind being a pest when it comes to The Quiet Man. In fact, I insist upon it. Speaking of which, have you watched The Quiet Man yet?

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara in The Quiet Man

Ann Miller: Shakin’ the Blues Away (Easter Parade, 1948)

April 12, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

Many things mystify me in life… things that leave me shaking my head as a swarm of question marks fly around said head. One major mystification is this: How was Ann Miller always a supporting cast member – a friend or acquaintance of the leading lady or man. She was head to toe beautiful, head to toe full of personalty, and head to tapping toe packed with talent.

Truth be told, she was nothing short of mesmerizing.

And yet… well… hence the many ??????????s.

Below the one and only Ann Miller works her magic in her Shakin’ the Blues Away number from the wonderful Easter Parade.

Dorothy Dandridge and The Nicholas Brothers – “Chattanooga Choo Choo” (1941)

April 11, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

I could watch and listen to Dorothy Dandridge OR The Nicholas Brothers (Fayard and Harold) all day long… but when you put them all together, I’m ready to go well into the night.

Words can’t tell you how much I love this type of entertainment – the dancing, the singing, the smiles… If it were a drink, I’d get drunk on it!

In the video below (which I’ve watched at least 100 times in the last week), Dorothy Dandridge and the Nicholas Brothers perform Chattanooga Choo Choo.

Enjoy! THIS IS ENTERTAINMENT!

Dorothy Dandridge and James Mason in The Decks Ran Red (Full Movie + Review)

April 9, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

As I said a few days ago on Hollywood Yesterday’s Twitter page, I am in the midst of a glorious Dorothy Dandridge movie binge. With TCM, DVDs, and YouTube, finding movies that were once all but impossible to find is relatively easy these days.

I’ve loved Dorothy Dandridge for YEARS – since I saw her in Carmen Jones on late night tv many, many moons ago. Finding her movies has been a bit of a challenge, but as I said, that has gotten a lot easier of late.

I recently watched The Decks Ran Red on TCM. When I saw it in the listing, I basically moved my entire day around to spend a few hours with Dorothy Dandridge.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this film. To say I didn’t have my hopes up is an understatement. I don’t mind so much that you don’t hear about the movie often (I’ve found some of my favorite movies aren’t at all well known or “popular”). I also didn’t mind that the cast wasn’t filled with household names. Again, that often means buckus.

Maybe my knee-high hopes and expectations came from the fact that this movie had BOTH of the so-called strikes above going for it. You seldom (if ever) hear about this movie and the cast doesn’t exactly read like a who’s who among film stars. Aside from a few stars, even the most devoted film buffs would need to look up a few names.

I grabbed my popcorn and tea as a few of my cats found their favorite spots in the den. I settled into my favorite chair and readied myself for one of my favorite pastimes in the world – watching an old movie. I tried to push my low expectations aside… then one of the worst opening graphics I’ve ever seen in my life appeared on the screen! Someone apparently thought the splash of red in the word RED (as well as the drops of “blood”) would be pretty cool in an entirely black and white movie and graphic.

Heck, they may have even called it “the bee’s knees.” It wasn’t.

(That would be it in all of its glory below…)

I think even my cats were astounded.

Fortunately, the ugliness disappeared as fast as it came.

As a Dorothy Dandridge fan, I’m delighted to say the movie was good – darn good, in fact. It overcame the low expectations and ridiculous graphic right off the bat.

By the end of the very first scene, I knew this would be a fun ride. You know how some movies take a while to win you over – sometimes as much as half the movie? The Decks Ran Red was one of those delicious rare treats where you know from the first scene that you’re about to have a great time.

There was suspense, outstanding acting, and a healthy dose of intrigue. Funny how you forget the word intrigue even exists until a great book or film comes along and reminds you how much you love it.

James Mason (possibly best-known from starring alongside Judy Garland in A Star is Born) is outstanding as Captain Edwin Rummill. It’s a role that would have been easy to “overplay” but Mason brilliantly stayed allowed the writing to be the star. I can’t say enough about him – he was just wonderful. You found yourself pulling for him in every conceivable way – ready to fight anyone (aside from Dorothy Dandridge, of course) who gets in his way.

PLOT: Captain Rummill has been made a Ship’s Captain for the first time in his life. Very eager to prove himself, he sets out to do right by his ship and crew. He’s a great man, but is (of course only human), so he can’t help but notice the cook’s gorgeous wife, Mahia (played perfectly by Dorothy Dandridge) when she steps on board. He knows she will, undobutedly, cause trouble on a ship filled with (even more human than the Captain) men, but he doesn’t intervene.

Of course, trouble arises for Mahia and her husband.

There is more trouble than this aboard for the Captain. A few scoundrels on the crew plan and launch a violent mutiny.

Broderick Crawford (the leader of the scoundrels) and Stuart Whitman (his number one guy) give wonderful performances, but make no mistake about it, James Mason and Dorothy Dandridge are the stars of this surprisingly good film.

One of the things I really appreciate from the film is the fact that Dorothy Dandridge’s character played a pivotal role in the ending. She wasn’t, by any means, window decorations in this movie. She was vital to the entire movie and, as a huge Dorothy Dandridge fan… I applaud it long and loudly.

Stuart Whitman (Leroy) is an especially good actor – he plays a bad type beautifully. Like he was born to do so! He’s one of those actors who, when you see him in a movie or an episode on tv, you think, “I know you! Why do I know you?! Where do I know you from…”

Took me about half the movie to realize that I know him from everywhere. Seriously, his filmography and guest-starring roles are very impressive.

The full episode of The Decks Ran Red is below. I think you’ll love it as much as I did.

INTRIGUE… DOROTHY… what more could you ask for?!