Brian Keith | Hollywood Yesterday

Juliet Mills, Maureen O’Hara, and James Stewart Behind the Scenes of The Rare Breed

May 6, 2023 By Joi

Juliet Mills, Maureen O’Hara, and James Stewart

The Rare Breed is one of those films that delightfully caught me off guard. Not because I enjoyed it (I fully expected to) but more by WHY I thoroughly enjoyed it. You see, Maureen O’Hara and James Stewart have been in my Top 4 favorite stars since I was a little girl. They’re two of the reasons I fell in love with old movies in the first place. So, naturally, when the film began, I expected to be caught up in their magic and that the movie would be a joy to watch.

Imagine my surprise when the TRUE magic in the movie came from Juliet Mills and Brian Keith! Not that my much loved Maureen O’Hara and James Stewart weren’t wonderful – I mean, come on, of course they were! However, make no mistake about it, Juliet Mills and Brian Keith are the reason this movie works – they’re lovable, entertaining and in all ways brilliant in this one.

Brian Keith is nearly unrecognizable in the role but he absolutely steals every scene he’s in… and some he ISN’T in!

You can find The Rare Breed on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.

Maureen O’Hara, Brian Keith, and James Stewart.. Yes, Brian Keith!

Hayley Mills, Brian Keith, and Maureen O’Hara in The Parent Trap (1961)

January 28, 2022 By Joi

Brian Keith, Maureen O’Hara, and Hayley Mills

Hayley Mills doesn’t get nearly enough attention, does she? She’s something extra, extra special – beautiful, talented, charismatic, and honestly as classy as they come.

While she has many movies and performances I love, I always come back to her brilliance in The Parent Trap as my favorite. She was next level in every single scene. To this day, I’m convinced there were two of them!

Maureen O’Hara and Brian Keith were just as wonderful in the classic comedy and their chemistry is as good as it gets.

You can buy The Parent Trap on Amazon (link to the dvd) or watch it on Prime.

Brian Keith and Hayley Mills

Brian Keith and Maureen O’Hara in The Deadly Companions

January 21, 2022 By Joi

Brian Keith and Maureen O’Hara

Two of my favorite stars (Brian Keith and Maureen O’Hara) teamed up for several films – one being 1961 western The Deadly Companion. Westerns are a personal obsession of mine, so this one has a very special place in my heart – two favorites AND a great Western… I am SO there.

This particular western has a wonderful cast and is beautifully, beautifully directed. The scenery is gorgeous and nearly everything about it is perfect. It’s of my western-loving, downright obsessed mind that this film would be much better known and loved if only the plot had not involved the shooting and death of a child. Had the plot centered around, say, the young boy being shot and driven to a doctor rather than his burial spot, more would have seen (and loved) this Western.

In fact, it’s this dark (miserably dark!) part of the story that made me wait so long to watch it. It was much better than I expected and the grisly part was handled well. To be perfectly honest, I still wish the plot had involved the boy needing a doctor (they’d have still needed to make the journey, after all).

If you’ve never seen this very well-done Western, I hope you’ll find it soon.

You can find The Deadly Companions on dvd (Amazon link) or watch on Prime Video.

Maureen O’Hara and Brian Keith, The Parent Trap (1961)

January 12, 2022 By Joi

Brian Keith and Maureen O’Hara, The Parent Trap

The 1961 comedy The Parent Trap is, as far as I’m concerned one of the best movies ever made. Brian Keith, Maureen O’Hara, Hayley Mills, Una Merkel, and Joanna Barnes combine to make this a movie I’ve watched countless times and will watch countless more times in the coming years.

It’s THAT wonderful.

I love the chemistry between Brian Keith and Maureen O’Hara so much. They were good friends in real life and it shows onscreen.

You can buy The Parent Trap on Amazon (link to the dvd) or watch it on Prime.