GInger Rogers | Hollywood Yesterday

Ginger Rogers Autobiography: One of THE Best Old Hollywood Biographies, Period.

June 4, 2019 By Joi 1 Comment

Normally, as soon as I finish reading an Old Hollywood autobiography or biography, I begin writing my review immediately.

Normally.

The same is true with movies. Once I’ve seen a film, I’m anxious to share it with everyone else. Particularly if I loved it – I want everyone else to have a chance to love it as well.

Movies OR books, the “pull” I feel to share this joy usually propels me straight to my computer chair with instructions to, “Get busy, girl!”

Usually.

As you’ve guessed by now, there are exceptions. There are movies or books that are so bad, I think it best to pretend the whole thing never happened. I guess it hearkens back to, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” If I can find at least something positive to highlight, I do so (For example, I’m not a fan of the film The Bride of Frankenstein but I am a fan of the performances).

Other times (as is the case with Ginger Rogers’ outstanding autobiography, Ginger: My Story), the book or movie is so completely wonderful, I have no idea where to begin.

Ginger Rogers was FULL of personality. I mean, the lady was packed with it – from her beautiful head to her talented feet…. she had enough personality and charm for herself and at least 25 other people. It comes through in her photographs, in her movies, in her interviews, and in every single word in her autobiography.

I lost track of the number of times throughout the book when I stopped, looked Heavenward and thanked her for leaving us this treasure.

To compound the situation, we get to know Ginger’s equally colorful and mesmerizing mother Lela. Seriously, the daughter, herself, made my job impossible – to add in her beloved mother (also a real character) seems unfair.

From the Back Cover:

She was born Virginia Katherine McMath, but the world would come to know her—and love her—as Ginger Rogers: Broadway star, Academy Award-winning actress, and the ultimate on-screen dancing partner of the inimitable Fred Astaire. In Ginger: My Story, the legendary entertainer shares the triumphs of a remarkable career that began when she won a Texas dancing contest at age fourteen; the joys and heartbreaks of her five marriages; her relationships with some of Hollywood’s major leading men, including Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, and damaged daredevil billionaire Howard Hughes; and the strength of her religious convictions that got her through thick and thin.

Lavishly illustrated with rare photographs from the author’s personal collection, Ginger is an enthralling, behind-the-scenes tour of Hollywood life during the Golden Age of movies by one of its most enduring stars.

I am obsessed with Old Hollywood biographies – as you can tell if you’ve read Hollywood Yesterday for any length of time OR have been in my home and seen my bookshelves and books lying around with bookmarks sticking out of the top – patiently waiting for me to pick up on our conversation. I am always, always, always in the middle of at least two biographies or memoirs at any given time.

I have dozens of books I have read that I haven’t reviewed on the blog yet. I’m actually re-reading a few to refresh my memory and to pull quotes from.

So… yes, you could say I’m very familiar with the species. I say all of this simply to familiarize you with my history of reading Old Hollywood books. Why? Because when I say that Ginger: My Story is one of the best Old Hollywood books I’ve ever read, I want you to understand that she is standing out in a very large crowd.

But if you bear with me, I can go one further.

While I have bookshelves packed with Old Hollywood books and biographies, I also have shelves packed with other genres…

Inspirational and Spiritual Books
American History Books (LOVE history!)
Ancient Egypt Books (Cleopatra is a special fascination)
U.S. President Biographies
U.S. First Lady Biographies
Agatha Christie Mysteries (Can you say obsession? She is actually the only fiction I read.)

In addition to always being in the middle of at least two OH biographies, I always have at least two from the list above going at all time. For about 12 years, I have always been in the midst of an Agatha Christie mystery as well… I read and re-read these delicious books!

Okay, so now you know what sort of a book addict you’re dealing with here. I feel like the stage (and the lighting) have been set, so I can tell you that Ginger Rogers’ fascinating autobiography isn’t just one of my favorite “star” biographies one of my favorite “old Hollywood” books… it’s one of my favorite books I have ever read.

One of our numbers was set in a public park gazebo. I had been horseback riding but found refuge in the park’s gazebo when it started to rain. Fred finds me and starts to sing “Isn’t it a Lovely Day (TO Be Caught in the Rain)?” During rehearsals, Fred suggested that for the second chorus I get up from my seated position and follow him around the gazebo. I in turn suggested that I copy whatever Fred was doing with his hands; if he puts his hand into his left pocket, I would follow suit. I thought my “shadowing” of Fred’s movements added another dimension. Mimicry aside, neither Fred nor Hermes could come up with a way to close the number. I proposed that we go to the edge of the gazebo, reach out to feel the rain, sit down, and shake hands. End of number. Hermes and Fred also liked the idea. I had plenty of input in our routines and got to be known as the “button finder.” In show business parlance, that means the one who puts the last word or the finishing touch on a scene.

Attribute it to the energy of her personality, the light of her persona, or her delightful sense of humor. Attribute it to palpable confidence and laudable boldness (during a time when women were pretty much expected to be pretty much… well… pretty and not much more!). Attribute it to the charismatic, colorful, vibrant people she knew in her little world (one whom she knew as her mother and another she saw in the mirror each day), attribute it to the fact that she knew how to tell a spellbinding story as well as anyone who has ever put on the title “author…” heck, attribute it to all of these or none of these – the woman wrote an absolutely unforgettable book.

As I said a while back in my Barefoot to the Chin review (about Sally Rand), I wish someone would make a Ginger Rogers biopic – her life, from childhood to adulthood was unbelievably fascinating. As I say in all of my reviews (movie or book), I refuse to give anything away – I want others to have the experience of uncovering hidden treasures as I did. Suffice to say, her life was as interesting and eventful as most movies.

I absolutely and positively love Ginger: My Story and reading it has made me an EVEN bigger fan of the wonderfully gifted actress. She was a strong, independent lady who also had a soft and very, very loving and giving side. She adored her fans and her family and is a wonderful role model in so many ways. I love that she not only shares her experiences with stars and individuals she thought a lot of but others as well! She never gets “gossipy” and certainly is never mean-spirited (I’m all but certain she didn’t have a mean bone in her graceful body) BUT…. well, you’ll see sides of stars you never new existed and, trust me, it’s all over-the-moon fun.

Her personality and gift of gab make for a book you never want to put down and leaves you searching for opportunities to pick it up again. Once, while I was midway through the book, I picked it up and said (out loud), “Okay, Ginger… what are we going to get into today?!”

Of course I talk to my books. I mean, they spend so much time talking to me, it’s the least I can do.

If you are a fan of Ginger Rogers or, truth be told, aren’t too familiar with her, I hope you’ll get your hands on a copy of her exceptional autobiography as soon as possible.

Wonderful book. Wonderful lady. You’re going to love her.

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers: Hard to Handle from Roberta

August 14, 2018 By Joi Leave a Comment

If Fred and Ginger are on my television (iPad, iPhone, Computer…), I’m utterly transfixed – to their every move, expression, and word. These two were magic, there’s just no other word for it.

Below is Hard to Handle from Roberta.

Absolutely magical.

Top Hat: Movie Magic, Courtesy of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

September 27, 2017 By Joi Leave a Comment

Top Hat (1935)

The love I have for musicals surpasses all reason. They do something for me that I’ve never been able to put into words. As a writer, I’m in a committed relationship with words and yet…. musicals leave me so speechless it’s as though words didn’t even exist.

When I’m sitting in my swivel rocker with my drink of choice (sweet tea, hot chocolate, grape juice, coffee, or aloe vera juice) and at least one cat in my lap (usually 2) and I’m lost in a musical, all isn’t just right with the world… all is blissful, beautiful, serene, happy, and perfect. Sure, the same can be said when I’m parked in front of any old Hollywood movie (or I Love Lucy episode, for that matter) but musicals are just… I don’t know.. special.

My cats agree.

If you were to think of movies in terms of emotions – musicals are laughter. Joyful laughter! Maybe their fun, carefree nature is what makes me so drawn to them.

While I love all musicals, I have to confess that I have a special place in my heart for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. He’s one of my all-time favorite actors and she is one of my all-time favorite actresses. Put them both in a musical – how could I do anything but drift off to Seventh Heaven!?!

I actually tend to put off writing musical reviews because it’s so difficult for me to put their effect into words. In fact, I’ve had this Golden Age of Hollywood blog for many years, and if memory serves correctly, I’ve only written one or two musical reviews! Yet, in that time frame, I’ve watched and re-watched countless musicals. Trust me, countless.

Top Hat is an all-time favorite movie, not just an all-time favorite musical. It may sound a little (or a lot) corny but it’s delightful. Yes, I pulled out the d-word, dusted it off, and threw it down like a gantlet. Sorry, but it fits. The costumes, the dancing, the songs, the acting, the humor, the chemistry, the… everything… is just front to back and top to bottom delightful.

Top Hat (1935) was the 4th 0f 10 musicals Astaire and Rogers made together. This movie was, oddly enough, the first time the duo had a screenplay written specifically for them. The movie was directed by Mark Sandrich who directed five of their musicals (Top Hat, Shall We Dance, The Gay Divorcee, Carefree, and Follow the Fleet).

Plot: Fred Astaire plays an American dancer, Jerry Travers, who is full of charm and loaded with humor. Jerry is in Britain to perform when he meets and falls head over heels for a beautiful model, Dale Tremont. Dale is beautifully played by Ginger Rogers. While it’s love at first sight on his part, it’s far from the case for Dale. Not only does she find him to be greatly annoying, a case of mistaken identity causes her to think he’s a cad who isn’t just cheating on his wife… but a wife who happens to be her good friend.

Jerry has to win her over and the battle is where this musical makes movie magic. It’s just a lot of fun… and, yes… delightful.

The Chemistry Between Astaire and Rogers is As Good as It Gets!

I remember the first time I saw Top Hat, I was expecting the beautiful clothes and the wonderful singing and dancing but the humor caught me off guard. I had, at that time, only thought of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and dancers and I was pleasantly surprised at what great actors they were as well. They convey so much with the simplest of expressions.

Expressions – sounds so simple, doesn’t it? But in my opinion, old Hollywood was ever so much better when it came to capitalizing on expressions and much more effective with pulling the viewers into the scenes with them. I think part of the reason is that they didn’t rely on special effects, lighting, and the other clicks and whistles today’s Hollywood stars share the screen with. The black and white classical movies didn’t even have color to help flesh out the story. So much came down to facial expressions and Astaire and Rogers were two of the masters.

Horace Hardwick: You mean to sit there and tell me that that girl slapped your face in front of all those people for nothing?
Jerry Travers: Well, what would you have done? Sold tickets?

One of my favorite Golden Age of Hollywood legends came about during the filming of Top Hat. For their “Cheek to Cheek” number, Ginger Rogers wanted to wear an gorgeous blue dress that was generously decked out with ostrich feathers! However, director Mark Sandrich and Fred Astaire didn’t think the dress was practical for the number. Feathers go all over the place and tend to fall off at the most inopportune times.

Sandrich suggested that Rogers wear a white dress she’d worn previously in another of their musicals. Rogers walked off the set, finally returning when Sandrich agreed to let her wear the dress with the magnificent feathers.

She actually wore the blue feathered dress for the first time during actual filming. As her leading man (Astaire) and director (Sandrich) had feared, feathers began flying off the dress.

Fred Astaire later described it as “…. a chicken being attacked by a coyote“.

Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire: The Cheek to Cheek Number

During the number, watch for stray feathers as she dances – you can see them delicately drifting away. Personally, I think it adds to the beauty of the scene and think she was exactly right – this is absolutely the dress she should have worn.

I love that Ginger Rogers stood up for herself and her feathers. She had to frequently change her shoes because all of the dancing made her feet bleed. Can you imagine? ALL that dancing in heels, no less. They should’ve given the lady all the feathers she wanted!

To make up for any hard feelings between them, Astaire presented Rogers with a locket of a gold feather. Obviously, this is where Ginger Rogers earned the nickname “Feathers.”

Top Hat: Cheek to Cheek:

If Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers aren’t among your favorite all-time stars, I highly recommend you see Top Hat. It’ll take care of that little oversight. These two define movie magic.

Review: The Major and the Minor

September 22, 2017 By Joi Leave a Comment

Few things are as sweet as a movie that stars one of your all-time favorite actresses and one of your all-time favorite actors. It’s the very definition of movie magic. When it happens, I watch the magical movie so often I can say the lines right along with the stars. The Major and the Minor combines two of my absolute favorites, Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland and is (understandably) one of my favorite movies.

Is it a little far-fetched that any of the movie’s characters could actually believe beautiful Ginger Rogers’ character is a 12-year old girl? Yes, indeed. It’s far-fetched to the tune of an alien riding the Loch Ness Monster while a mermaid films the event.

And, yet… somehow they pull it off. While you can credit the director, the writers, and the outstanding costume department, you’d be far safer simply giving Ginger Rogers all the credit.

She makes the farce work beautifully and I marvel at this fact each and every time I watch this ridiculously fun movie.

I harp on it so often in my Old Hollywood Movie Reviews that I annoy my cats, but it is a fact that must be hammered home when talking about old movies from the delicious Golden Age of Hollywood – you have to throw nit-picking, reality-seeking, and fault-finding out the window and simply enjoy the film for the energetic fun and wonderful entertainment that it offers. I’ve actually told critics before, “If you want realism, watch the news. Then come back and tell me how that’s working for you!”

Sometimes you just have to be a wiseguy. Or in this case, wise gal.

The Major and the Minor is what they’d have called a “hoot” back in the day. It’s simply a lot of fun and those of us with a strong love for romance in movies can embrace the chemistry and special dynamic that Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland share.

Could a movie such as this be made in our politically correct and overly-offended world today? Absolutely not. Not a chance. No way. But things were a lot simpler in 1942 – a lot more innocent and uncomplicated.

The Major and the Minor Plot:

Susan Applegate (Ginger Rogers) needs train fare for a trip from New York to her home in Iowa. Lacking the necessary money, sh disguises herself as a 12-year old child so she can ride “half price.” She meets Major Philip Kirby (Ray Milland), who teaches at a military school. Major Kirby is oblivious to her farce AND age. When she accompanies him to the military school, she is an instant (and HUGE) success with all of the young men. This is one of the most entertaining things about the movie – the kids are a lot of fun to watch.

Susan falls head over heels in love with the Major but can’t do a thing about it. After all, she’s only a minor. Besides, he is spoken for and the one doing the speaking (Pamela) is a force to be reckoned with, herself.

While Ray Milland and Ginger Rogers are, understandably the main attractions in this movie, Diana Lynn (Lucy) steals more than her fair share of scenes. She plays Pamela’s somewhat nerdy teenage sister. She dives into this role so beautifully that she leaves you desperately wishing she had more screen time. She was absolutely adorable.

This wonderful movie is a must-watch for anyone who loves old movies, romantic films, Ginger Rogers, or Ray Milland. If, like me, you love all four… what are you waiting for?! You can find The Major and the Minor on Amazon.