Lobby Cards | Hollywood Yesterday

Anna May Wong, Island of Lost Men lobby card

February 18, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

The exotic and beautiful Anna May Wong possessed a unique quality that always mesmerizes me. She often (at once, mind you) appeared to be as fragile, lovely, and delicate as a hyacinth but as powerful, fierce, and confident as a tigress. When I watch her, it always occurs to me that she is one of the few stars who embodied such a fascinating contradiction.

Anna May Wong films can be tough to come by – whether you’re trying to watch them on television or Prime Video or looking to buy a dvd, so if you come across one… grab it!

The gorgeous Island of Lost Men Lobby Card pictured at the top IS readily available, however. The link will take you to Amazon where the card is less expensive than I’ve seen it other places.

Maureen O’Hara McLintock! Lobby Cards

February 15, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Bruce Cabot and Maureen O’Hara, McLintock!

The lobby card above features Maureen O’Hara and Bruce Cabot in the wonderfully fun western McLintock! The 1963 film, directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, boasts an unbelievably strong and colorful cast. In addition to Cabot and O’Hara, the film stars John Wayne, Stefanie Powers, Patrick Wayne, Yvonne DeCarlo, Chill Wills, Jerry Van Dyke, Edgar Buchanan, and Jack Kruschen.

You can watch McLintock on Prime Video or buy the dvd on Amazon for your collection.

Fellow Lobby Card Fanatics and Collectors, you can find a great collection of lobby cards on both eBay and Amazon. I’ve always been aware of the availability of the cards on eBay but have only recently become aware of the great number on Amzaon.

Maureen O’Hara McLintock Lobby Card (love this one!)

Lady in the Lake, Starring Robert Montgomery and Audrey Totter

January 22, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Lady in the Lake Lobby Card

One of my favorite film-noirs (and one of the three that actually pulled me into the genre) is the classic masterpiece Lady in the Lake from 1946. Robert Montgomery both directs and stars in the unique, bold film and it’s a real work of art.

The movie also stars the always outstanding Audrey Totter, Lloyd Nolan, Tom Tully, Jean Meadows, and Leon Ames.

As I mentioned above, this film-noir is one of three (A Woman’s Secret and A Woman’s Face being the others) that actually made me really give film-noirs a chance. By nature, I am most drawn to Westerns, comedies, Sherlock Holmes movies, swashbucklers, Charlie Chan, and musicals. Put me in front of Elvis movies or a John Wayne marathon and I am as happy as a cat sleeping in a bed of catnip. The dark contrast of film-noirs never appealed to me until I gave them a real chance. The three I’ve named drew me into the genre further and I’ve found that I absolutely love it.

Lady in the Lake is best known for the way the film was shot – from Robert Montgomery’s Philip Marlowe’s viewpoint. You only see his face at the beginning of the film (when he talks into the camera), a few times during the film when he sees a mirror, and the end of the film.

I won’t lie, when I first watched it, I spent the first 10 minutes trying to decide if I was going to bail or not. I was afraid it’d get tiresome. I stuck with it and, after a mere 5 more minutes, I was delighted that I had.

By the middle of the movie I was praising it’s boldness, artistry, exceptional story, flawless direction, and (of course) the beautiful powerhouse that was Audrey Totter.

If you’ve never seen Lady in the Lake, I hope you’ll make a point of seeing it soon. It truly is breathtaking. You can watch it on Prime Video or buy Lady in the Lake on dvd. I, personally, need it for my Audrey Totter collection, so that’s the route I’m taking!

Lady in the Lake Lobby Card

Anna and the King of Siam

November 2, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Anna and the King of Siam with Irene Dunne and Rex Harrison

Rex Harrison is one of those stars who you can love one minute and feel all but indifferent about the next. Or maybe it’s just me. That’s always possible, but it seems his likability (as an actor) kind of switches gears from film to film.

Again, it could very well just be me, so don’t take it as the Gospel truth or anything, but he simply doesn’t strike me as an actor who maintains either a high opinion or a low one. That could actually work toward his benefit (she says, after recently rewatching The Foxes of Harrow to see if it was any better the second time… it wasn’t – and my beloved Maureen O’Hara’s in it, if anyone would love it, I would but, unfortunately, it’s pretty average).

Some stars can come out of a bad or average film unscathed, while others carry it with them like a stench. Rex Harrison, for me, is somewhere between the two.

Don’t get me wrong, I think he was a very, very fine actor and when he was given a role and a movie that showcased his talent, he was extraordinary (Anna and the King of Siam, My Fair Lady…). For me, however, in the lesser films, he was simply quite average. I wish he had avoided the films that brought his reputation as an actor down and had only done the ones that lived up to his talent.

Anna and the King of Siam is one of my favorite Rex Harrison films. You can tell that he took care with his speech and worked hard on the role. It shows. He is wonderful in this film.

Naturally Irene Dunne is also outstanding as Anna. This extraordinary actress was one of the greatest actresses of all time and so incredibly versatile.

She’s also one of the stars with an inexplicable lack of name-recognition that irks me most. Seriously, she should be a household name, yet it’s generally only those of us who spend most of our days in Old Hollywood who are familiar with her and her work. I simply hate it when stars don’t have the lasting recognition they deserve.

Hollywood Yesterday is, more than anything, my personal mission to bring attention to as many stars as I possibly can.

You can watch Anna and the King of Siam on Prime Video or buy the dvd on Amazon.

Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis, Haunted Spooks Lobby Cards

October 20, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis, Haunted Spooks

Shortly after making the 1920 silent short film Haunted Spooks, the film’s stars, Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis, were married. It was a union that STUCK, as they were husband and wife until her death in 1969.

In far less upbeat news, Harold Lloyd had a horrible injury to his hand while making Haunted Spooks. While posing for publicity photos, a prop bomb exploded in his hand. His face was badly burned and he was temporarily blinded. Even worse, he lost two fingers due to the horrific accident.

In future films, he is always seen wearing a prosthetic glove on his injured hand.

In spite of this, however, he (remarkably!) always insisted on doing his own stunts.

I Met Him in Paris Lobby Cards: Claudette Colbert, Melvyn Douglas, and Robert Young

October 11, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Three of my absolute all-time favorite stars are Melvyn Douglas, Claudette Colbert, and Robert Young. Love them so much – I spend so much time with their various movies they almost seem like family.

Funny how that happens with stars of movies, television, radio, and music isn’t it? Their wonderful faces and voices become so familiar to us it seems as though we know them personally.

It’s certainly that way for me with these three wonderful stars.

Given my love for each, is it any wonder I’m crazy about I Met Him in Paris?! Although, I have to confess, I spend the entire film just wanting Robert Young to get lost!

Hoping he’ll forgive me for that one… but in this particular love triangle, I had a clear favorite. It has zero to do with the great actor Robert Young, of course. It has everything to do with his character.

If you’ve never seen this adorable and fun movie, I hope you’ll check it out. It is really, really special and these stars shine brightly from the first scene to the last.

Even Robert! (just kind of kidding… a little)

You can find I Met Him in Paris (link to the dvd on Amazon) on Amazon but I don’t believe it’s on Prime Video yet.

Paulette Goddard and Gary Cooper, Unconquered Lobby Card

October 1, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Paulette Goddard and Gary Cooper

Paulette Goddard and Gary Cooper light up the screen in the 1947 film Unconquered. I wish they had made many, many more movies together.

The movie was directed by Cecil B. DeMille and also starred Boris Karloff, Howard Da Silva, Ward Bond, Cecil Kellaway, Virginia Campbell, and Katharine DeMille.

You can find Unconquered (link to the dvd) on Amazon.

Paulette Goddard and Gary Cooper

Maureen O’Hara and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. – Sinbad the Sailor Lobby Cards

May 28, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Maureen O’Hara, Sinbad the Sailor

Sinbad the Sailor, while it lacks the action of other swashbuckling films (including two of my favorites, The Spanish Main and The Black Swan), is a ridiculously entertaining and colorful movie. Four of the reasons are Maureen O’Hara, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Walter Slezak, and Anthony Quinn. This is a perfect example of a film pretty much being carried by a very capable and well above average cast.

You can find Sinbad the Sailor (link to the dvd on Amazon ) on Amazon or watch it on Prime.

Maureen O’Hara and Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Sinbad the Sailor

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Maureen O’Hara: Sinbad the Sailor Lobby Card

March 30, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Sinbad the Sailor Lobby Card

I have an obsession with lobby cards and movie posters that defies description – I love them with everything I’ve got. The Sinbad the Sailor Lobby Card pictured above is especially beautiful, isn’t it?

LOVE the colors!