Golden Age of Hollywood
Lionel Barrymore, Lauren Bacall, and Humphrey Bogart
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a billion times… Key Largo is one of the greatest movies ever made. The cast is perfection and the story & directing (by John Huston) are phenomenal. Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Lionel Barrymore, Claire Trevor, Edward G. Robinson each star gives one of the best performances of his or her career.
You can find all of the excellence on dvd (Amazon link) or watch Key Largo on Prime Video.
Humphrey Bogart and Ida Lupino
Talk about star power – High Sierra (1941) certainly had it! While Ida Lupino (inexplicably) isn’t as much of a household name as Humphrey Bogart, she certainly matches his stride for star power, talent, and in what they meant to old Hollywood.
I’m not (remotely!) short-changing Bogart… I’m simply stating just how extraordinary Ida Lupino was. If you aren’t familiar with her films (and many aren’t because her films aren’t shown as often as others), I hope you’ll seek them out. You’re going to absolutely love her.
You could always begin with her 1941 drama with Humphrey Bogart, High Sierra – it’s excellent.
I’d also HIGHLY recommend the excellent 1939 movie The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Prime Video), she’s breathtakingly wonderful in it.
Ida Lupino and Humphrey Bogart, High Sierra
You can find High Sierra on dvd (Amazon link) or Watch it on Prime Video.
Humphrey Bogart, The Maltese Falcon
One of the best actors of ALL time: Humphrey Bogart
One of the best actresses of ALL time: Mary Astor
Two of the best character actors of ALL time: Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre
One of the best directors of ALL time: John Huston
One of the best movies of ALL time: The Maltese Falcon… how could it not be when it was directed by John Houston and starred Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre?!
Most people quickly answer, “Casablanca!” when asked their favorite movie over all, but The Maltese Falcon is one of the ones that easily ties with Casablanca and my other personal favorites… three of which (Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, and Key Largo) star the wonderful Humphrey Bogart, thank you very much.
You can find The Maltese Falcon on dvd (Amazon link) or watch it on Prime Video. It’s always the right time to revisit Private Detective Sam Spade and The Maltese Falcon.
Peter Lorre, Mary Astor, and Sydney Greenstreet
Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, The African Queen
It’s always a special thrill when you watch a movie starring two of your favorites. In fact, it’s so special, I tend to watch these movies over and over again! Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart are two of my absolute favorites, so you can imagine how many times I’ve watched the wonderful 1951 movie The African Queen.
I just love everything about this movie and the casting could not have been more perfect.
You can find The African Queen on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video. It is as extraordinary as its stars… which is absolutely saying something!
Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart
Lionel Barrymore, Lauren Bacall, and Humphrey Bogart
One of my favorite Bogie and Bacall movies is also one of my favorite movies, period – Key Largo (1948). Directed by John Huston, the EXCELLENT movie also stars Lionel Barrymore, Edward G. Robinson, and Claire Trevor.
Excellent cast, excellent director, excellent movie.
You can find all of the excellence on dvd (Amazon link) or watch Key Largo on Prime Video.
Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart
Lee Marvin, Paint Your Wagon
I love quotes – always have, always will. In fact, I’m a collector of many things in life, INCLUDING quotes. We’re talking notebooks full of them, y’all.
When it comes to old Hollywood stars, I absolutely love it when they say kind, supporting things about one another. Anyone can say bitter, ugly, and nasty things about other people (and they so often do!) but, as far as I’m concerned, give me an actor, actress, or director who tries to build someone up rather than tear someone down.
I was reminded of just how much I love it when I read this quote by Lee Marvin about Humphrey Bogart earlier.
“In life and in movies I profoundly admired Bogart, both personally and professionally.” ~ Lee Marvin
Obviously, it shines a great light on Humphrey Bogart but it shines just as bright a light on Lee Marvin. Kindness does that for a person.
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade, The Maltese Falcon
Irreplaceable is absolutely right, Mr. Huston.
You can find The Maltese Falcon on dvd (Amazon link) or watch it on Prime Video.
Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart
Not only was Key Largo one of the best movies ever made, it had some of my all-time favorite performances. Every single cast member was extraordinary but I am always especially blown away by Bogie, Bacall, Lionel Barrymore, and Claire Trevor.
Just an outstanding movie with one outstanding performance after another. John Huston was an excellent director and this was one of his best films.
You can find all of the excellence on dvd (Amazon link) or watch Key Largo on Prime Video.
Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall was born Betty Joan Perske on September 16, 1924, in New York City. Little did anyone know the legendary actress Betty Joan would one day become!
While I love all of Lauren Bacall’s movies (she has a very rich filmography… as rich and distinctive as her voice), my favorites are Key Largo, Dark Passage, The Big Sleep, How to Marry a Millionaire, and To Have and Have Not.
When Humphrey Bogart was on the screen, there was magic. When Lauren Bacall was on the screen, there was magic. When they were on the screen together…. the word hasn’t been invented for the magic they generated together.
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, Key Largo
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, Key Largo (1948)
It would be pretty hard to take a cast that includes Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Lionel Barrymore, Edward G. Robinson, and Claire Trevor and mess it up. Having said that, director John Huston made a movie even better than the cast, itself, could guarantee. It’s everything you want from a movie – front to back, edge of your seat and eyes on the screen entertainment.
Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart, Key Largo
Humphrey Bogart has always been one of my absolute favorite actors, so I not watch everything he was ever in dozens of times, I read everything I can get my hands on about him. A couple of long-told Hollywood legends involve the times (multiple times) that he wanted Lauren as his co-star instead of the co-stars he was given. Apparently, a couple of times it upset him to the point of not fully accepting his leading lady.
My take on this has always been the same…. of course he wanted Lauren alongside him in his films! Not only was she a very talented actress and a very beautiful one, at that, but he also loved her very much. If I were an actress and my husband an actor, I’d want him to be the exact same way.
That’s just my take on it. Then again, like I said, I’m a huge fan… so he can do very little wrong as far as I’m concerned!
You can find Key Largo (link to the Signature Collection dvd on Amazon) on Amazon or watch it on Amazon Prime.
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…
