Golden Age of Hollywood
Gloria Grahame and Glenn Ford
Gloria Grahame and Glenn Ford star in one of my favorite film-noirs, The Big Heat (1953). Directed to perfection by Fritz Lang, the movie also stars Lee Marvin and Jocelyn Brando (Marlon Brando’s big sister!).
If you’ve never seen this film, you have to check it out – it’s a great one!
You can find The Big Heat on dvd (Amazon link) or watch on Prime Video.
Maureen O’Hara and Melvyn Douglas
One of my favorite actresses is Maureen O’Hara. If push came to shove and I HAD to name just one favorite all-time actress, she’d be it. Fortunately no one has ever threatened to push or shove me over the fact. Not even on Twitter and it can get intense over there.
Another favorite actress is Gloria Grahame and one of my favorite actors is Melvyn Douglas.. so how am I not going to watch and rewatch and rewatch a movie starring all three?! Okay, if we’re going to be honest, if the movie was crummy, I wouldn’t rewatch it even once – in spite of the cast. Fortunately A Woman’s Secret (1949, directed by Nicholas Ray) is a wonderful film noir and the stars give exceptional performances.
What’s more, the chemistry between Maureen O’Hara and Melvyn Douglas is outstanding. I SO wish they’d made many movies for me to enjoy.
As it is, I’ll just keep revisiting them and the wonderful Gloria Grahame in this one. I don’t mind one bit.
Maureen O’Hara and Gloria Grahame, A Woman’s Secret
It’s a Wonderful Life Cast Photo
One of my favorite movies of all-time is also one of the ones that launched my extreme love and passion for old movies – It’s a Wonderful Life (1946).
WHAT A CAST! Undoubtedly one of the greatest casts ever assembled – and boy did it ever pay off. They made a movie that is an absolute legend and one that has touched (and continues to touch) countless hearts each year.
Find It’s a Wonderful Life on Amazon! The link goes to the black and white version, because it’s my favorite, but Amazon also has the colorized version.
A Woman’s Secret – Maureen O’Hara, Melvyn Douglas and Gloria Grahame
Two of my absolute favorite actresses are Maureen O’Hara and Gloria Grahame. One of my absolute favorite actors (right up there, shoulder to shoulder with Bogart, Keaton, and Stewart) is Melvyn Douglas. How in the world am I NOT going to be completely obsessed with A Woman’s Secret (1949) starring all three?!
Fortunately, it also happens to be a very good movie. It’d be a darn shame for me if it wasn’t, wouldn’t it?! I have a feeling I’d like it even if it was a turkey, simply because it has these three.
I’m working on my review of this wonderful film-noir, but for now, here’s a little tease as the picture of the day.
Gloria Grahame
Isn’t it remarkable how a star can come shooting right out of the blue and become one of your absolute favorite stars?! Maybe it’s that second or third (sometimes sixth) movie you see them in and… baddabing… you love them so much you’re ready to rename one of your cats after them.
Just me? Oh. Awkward.
I’ve been obsessed with Old Hollywood (or Classic Hollywood, whichever name you prefer) forever and three days. Some of my favorites have been with me since Day One (Lucille Ball, Maureen O’Hara, Rita Hayworth, Hattie McDaniel, Barbara Stanwyck, James Stewart, Humphrey Bogart), but most have joined the forces over the years as I grow to know and love them.
Gloria Grahame was an actress I always liked “a lot” but she was just outside the “favorites” realm. In my defense, I had only seen her in It’s a Wonderful Life and Oklahoma and, while she was adorable and stole scenes from the absolute best of them, she simply had not (in my world) earned equal footing with Barbara and friends.
And then….
Earlier this year, I made it my mission to watch more Gloria Grahame films and, after just two, realized she had climbed the ranks and now sat up high with the rest.
She truly is remarkable – so talented and always so much fun to watch.
This gorgeous Picture of the Day is a promo pic from the wonderful film The Bad and the Beautiful.
Gloria Hallward was born on November 28, 1923 in Los Angeles, California. Her mother (and acting mentor) was stage actress Jean Grahame. Gloria acted professionally while still in high school and in 1944 Louis B. Mayer (after seeing her on Broadway) gave her an MGM contract under the name Gloria Grahame.
Gloria would go on to star in Oklahoma!, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Bad and the Beautiful, A Woman’s Secret, The Big Heat, In a Lonely Place, and many other memorable movies. While she was wonderfully capable of starring in any genre, she’s most associated with film-noir.
Below are 10 Facts about this beautiful and incredibly talented actress.
Musicals! How could anyone not absolutely love, love, love, LOVE musicals? They’re so fun, happy, upbeat, lyrical, wonderful… if they were a human emotion, I believe they’d be laughter.
Loud and proud laughter.
Oklahoma is the reason I fell in love with musicals in the first place. Gloria Grahame’s Ado Annie was, and is, one of my all-time favorite characters from any movie or television show. I’m just not sure I’ve ever seen a more perfect embodiment of a character – as good as, sure. But, better? Not on your life.
When my three daughters were growing up, we’d watch Oklahoma over and over. We had every song memorized and would frequently break out in song while cooking supper, riding bikes, or riding in the car. Ado Annie was a favorite, so (naturally) her songs were on repeat.
Good times. No – make that GREAT times.
So, as you see, I now have even more reasons to love and cherish all three: Oklahoma, Gloria Grahame, and Ado Annie!
Fall in love with Ado Annie (and Gloria) all over again as she sings I Cain’t Say No….
The beauty above is Silent Film star Mildred Davis. She was a frequent co-star (and longtime wife) of legendary actor Harold Lloyd. She’s one of my favorite silent film actresses and one I can’t understand not being a household name!
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…
