Behind the Scenes pictures | Hollywood Yesterday

Leslie Caron and Louis Jourdan on the Set of Gigi (1958)

March 3, 2023 By Joi

Leslie Caron and Louis Jourdan

Some days I have time to linger and chat on the old Hollywood blog… or even get a rant in about a film that doesn’t get enough attention or a sinfully overlooked actress!… other days, I just have to drop a great picture and make a hasty exit (grandbabies, cats, and husbands wait for no one after all!).

Today is the latter, so I will atone for my hastiness with two great pictures instead of just one. These are adorable behind the scenes photos of Leslie Caron and Louis Jourdan on the set of Gigi (1958). Directed by Vincente Minnelli, Gigi is one of the most joyful, fun, colorful, and thoroughly enjoyable films ever made. The cast also includes Maurice Chevalier, Hermione Gingold, Eva Gabor, and Isabel Jeans.

You can find the extraordinary Gigi on dvd and blu-ray (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.

Leslie Caron and Louis Jourdan

Judy Garland Behind the Scenes of Presenting Lily Mars

January 6, 2023 By Joi

Judy Garland Behind the Scenes of Presenting Lily Mars

Judy Garland gave so many phenomenal and memorable performances that it’s almost impossible to give them all equal attention. Having said that, her radiant performance in Presenting Lily Mars doesn’t get nearly enough attention. She was never more beautiful than she was during this time – she looked so healthy and happy, she all but glowed.

Presenting Lily Mars (1943) was directed by Norman Taurog and also stars Van Heflin, Fay Bainter, Spring Byington, and Richard Carlson. It’s such a wonderful movie and Judy (as always) gives a perfectly lovely performance. She was so incredibly talented and had one of the most charismatic screen presences of all time.

You can find Presenting Lily Mars on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.

Angela Lansbury Behind the Scenes of The Harvey Girls

December 29, 2022 By Joi

Angela Lansbury, Behind the Scenes of The Harvey Girls (1946)

The extraordinary Angela Lansbury is one of those rare stars everyone seems to love.. and, come on, who can blame us?! She was so incredibly talented, charismatic, colorful, and genuinely lovable and such a gift to those of us who love movies AND those of us who love great classic television.

It’s really, really hard to believe she’s gone, isn’t it? She is and will be missed so much. She’s a great example of the adage, “Live your life so that you will be greatly missed when you’re gone.”

I rewatched The Harvey Girls recently and kept thinking, “I’d forgotten how beautiful she was!” She had a unique, sassy type of beauty that… as far as I’m concerned… is impossible to beat.

The 1946 musical-western was directed by George Sidney and also stars Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, John Hodiak, Preston Foster, Cyd Charisse, Marjorie Main, Chill Wills, and Virginia O’Brien.

You can find The Harvey Girls on dvd and Blu-ray (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.

Elvis Presley Behind the Scenes of The Ed Sullivan Show

December 7, 2022 By Joi

Elvis Presley

The adorable photo above is Elvis Presley behind the scenes of The Ed Sullivan Show. Elvis made three appearances on the iconic television show, twice in 1956 and once in 1957.

You can enjoy Elvis’ January 6, 1957 Episode on Prime Video. You can also find Elvis’ Ed Sullivan Show Appearances on DVD (Amazon link).

It’s a Wonderful Life Behind the Scenes Pictures

November 28, 2022 By Joi

It’s a Wonderful Life Behind the Scenes

“I thought it was the greatest film I ever made. Better yet, I thought it was the greatest film anybody had ever made…. It was my kind of film for my kind of people.” ~ Frank Capra, director

One of my favorite movies in the world is It’s a Wonderful Life. The film is absolutely magical in every way and I honestly grow to love it more each time I see it. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before but It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street are two of the reasons I became obsessed with classic movies in the first place.

Behind the Scenes Photo from It’s A Wonderful Life

In fact, to this day, Maureen O’Hara, James Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore are four of my VERY favorites.

I hope you enjoy these behind the scenes pictures from the movie. They bring about such wonderfully nostalgic memories!

On the Set of It’s a Wonderful Life

You can buy It’s a Wonderful Life on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the magic on Prime Video.

Behind the Scenes, It’s a Wonderful Life

James Stewart and Donna Reed

Vivien Leigh Behind the Scenes Picture from Gone with the Wind (1939)

November 7, 2022 By Joi

Vivien Leigh

I have, like, 10 minutes (oops, more like 8) to post this before I have to hit the ground running, but I wanted to share the photo of the day first thing. And my philosophy is “If you’re going to hit them with a photo and run, make it a memorable one!”

In that vein, I knew I had to share a picture of the beautiful Vivien Leigh behind the scenes of Gone With the Wind. You simply CANNOT have a conversation about the most beautiful actresses of old Hollywood without naming Vivien. She was just ridiculously beautiful.

You can find Gone With the Wind on dvd (Amazon link). Her performance, along with the performances of Hattie McDaniel, Olivia de Havilland, and Clark Gable make this a movie extra, extra special.

Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Robert Mitchum, and Otto Preminger On the Set of Carmen Jones

November 4, 2022 By Joi

Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Robert Mitchum, and director Otto Preminger

There are certain movies that EVEN I know I talk an incessant amount about and Carmen Jones is one of them. I think there are actually five distinct reasons for this…

I love, love, love Dorothy Dandridge. She was one of the most beautiful and talented stars of all time and it physically hurts me when someone doesn’t know who she was. She was phenomenal and should be a household name.
I feel the same way about Harry Belafonte. Granted, he is a household name, and practically everyone has heard of this National treasure BUT they probably don’t realize just what a wonderful actor he is. Extremely talented, versatile, and charismatic… if the world were fair, he’d have as many films to his credit as James Stewart. Yes. He is that good.
The movie is outstanding. I simply love everything about this incredibly entertaining and spellbinding musical. It’s deliciously unique, fast-paced, entertaining, and completely unforgettable. Again, it hurts my psyche when people say they haven’t seen it.
Olga James and her character, Cindy Lou, have my heart! I’d run through a brick wall for Olga OR Cindy and they wouldn’t even have to ask. I have NO idea how Hollywood kept from seeing the bright and beautiful star they had right in front of them, but they somehow dropped the ball. Olga James should have been given as many movies to make as she chose to. She had an extra something special and it radiated in each scene.
Pearl Bailey, Brock Peters, and Diahann Carrol round out a phenomenal cast. I adore these three stars and seeing them in the same film with Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, and Olga James is almost more than my heart can take. Seriously, this cast is out of this world.

If you’ve never seen Carmen Jones, please just set aside some time and watch it. I promise to stop hounding you if you do!

You can buy Carmen Jones on dvd (Amazon link) or watch it on Prime Video.

Lionel Barrymore, John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, and Jean Hersholt Behind the Scenes of Grand Hotel (1932)

November 3, 2022 By Joi

Lionel Barrymore, John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, and Jean Hersholt Behind the Scenes

Edmund Goulding was given a cast most directors only dream of with the iconic 1932 drama Grand Hotel… Greta Garbo, Lewis Stone, Joan Crawford, Wallace Beery, Lionel Barrymore and John Barrymore.

While Greta Garbo is considered by many to be the star of the film, as far as I’m concerned the stars of the movie are Joan Crawford, Lionel Barrymore, John Barrymore and Lewis Stone. They simply stand out and, IMO, make the movie what it is.

Grand Hotel (1932) is both a must see and must have for any serious movie lovers and collectors.

You can find Grand Hotel on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.

Great Behind the Scenes Pictures from Godzilla (1954): Haruo Nakajima in His Infamous Role

October 31, 2022 By Joi

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

Director Tod Browning, Carroll Borland, and Bela Lugosi behind the scenes of Mark of the Vampire

October 27, 2022 By Joi

Director Tod Browning, Carroll Borland, and Bela Lugosi behind the scenes of Mark of the Vampire

One of the best classic horror films, in my “in love with the genre” opinion is 1935’s Mark of the Vampire. Directed by Tod Browning, the phenomenal cast includes Lionel Barrymore, Donald Meek, Ivan F. Simpson, Carroll Borland, Holmes Herbert, James Bradbury Jr., Bela Lugosi, Lionel Atwill, Jean Hersholt, Elizabeth Allan, Henry Wadsworth, Leila Bennett, June Gittelson, and Jessie Ralph.

If you haven’t seen this one in a while (and certainly if you’ve never had the pleasure), I hope you’ll find it this Halloween season and enjoy every deliciously entertaining moment.

You can watch Mark of the Vampire on Prime Video (Amazon link).