musicals | Hollywood Yesterday

Beautiful Shirley Jones, Oklahoma! (1955)

December 5, 2022 By Joi

Shirley Jones, Oklahoma!

One of my favorite actresses, Shirley Jones, is one of the rare stars who contributed to old Hollywood films as well as classic television. I’ll never forget the first time I saw her in a movie (Oklahoma!). I had been VERY familiar with her from The Partridge Family – a show I watched like it was my job for many, many years. I walked into our living room once because I heard a beautiful voice singing and wanted to know where it was coming from.

When I saw a ridiculously beautiful actress on television (like a Disney princess come to life), I froze for a minute because she seemed so familiar to me. As soon as she looked at the camera, it hit me, just as my mom was asking, “Do you know who that is??”

I remember being glued to the television for the remainder of the wonderful musical and promptly asking my mom what other movies she had been in. It wasn’t long before I was well on my way to seeing them all.

Fast forward to today and I am head over heels in love with musicals and have been for over half my life – and one of the main reasons I ever searched them out in the first place is pictured here. Shirley Jones, with her great beauty, talent, and palpable onscreen energy and spark drew me to a genre that has never let me down.

Shirley Jones, Oklahoma!

You can buy Oklahoma! on dvd or Blu-ray (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.

Lovely Quote About Julie Andrews from the Director of The Sound of Music

December 2, 2022 By Joi

Julie Andrews, The Sound of Music

“There is a genuineness about her; an unphoniness. She goes right through the camera, on to the film and out to the audience. Julie seems to have been born with the magic gene that comes through on the screen.” ~ Robert Wise (director, The Sound of Music), about Julie Andrews

Anyone who has seen the magic of Julie Andrews is now nodding in agreement!

You can find The Sound of Music on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the iconic and beautiful movie on Prime Video.

Julie Andrews

Vera-Ellen, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Betty Garrett, Ann Miller, and Jules Munshin: On the Town (Wonderful Musical, Perfect Cast)

September 24, 2022 By Joi

Vera-Ellen and Gene Kelly, On the Town

On the Town (1949, directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly) is such a wonderful musical – each time I see it, the same thoughts swirl around my head….

We simply do NOT talk enough about Vera-Ellen. She was an absolute treasure and treasures should be loudly celebrated.
Frank Sinatra, while (deservedly) celebrated for his music, voice, entertainment skills, and charisma, does not get enough credit for his acting. He had so much talent as an actor and was VERY versatile. Drama, musicals, comedy – there wasn’t a role out of his reach.
Betty Garrett was the very definition of a flawless performer. She was mesmerizing in every role, every scene… so much energy and always so fun to watch. Whatever film this actress made, she made you fall in love with her character AND her!
Jules Munshin was an absolute GENIUS… he managed (with aplomb!) not to get lost in scenes with not one but TWO iconic legends in Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra. Seriously.. how does one even think about pulling that off? What’s more, he even manages to steal a few scenes. This wonderful performer should have been given more roles. He was truly something else!
Speaking of “should have been given more,” one of the first names that always comes to mind with these words is the stunningly beautiful and talented Ann Miller. She was never anything less than a knock-out and, like Jules, a complete scene-stealer… yet, Hollywood consistently relegated her to supporting roles or the “second female.” She was capable and deserving of so much more.

Frank Sinatra

On the Town was the third (and final) movie Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra made together. Frank Sinatra would go on to say in an interview, “I could never dance, but Gene Kelly made me look like I could.”

Could have fooled me!

Betty Garrett and Frank Sinatra

Ironically, when I first saw the movie (as a teenager), my initial response to the pairing of Betty Garrett and Frank Sinatra was negative…. okay, hugely negative. Why? I have no idea. But I distinctly remember the characters all showing up on my tv screen and my mentally pairing them up differently… Frank Sinatra with Vera-Ellen, Gene Kelly with Ann Miller, and Betty Garrett with Jules Munshin.

Yes… pairing them completely different than they were in actuality! When it became apparent how each couple was to be paired, I was okay with two of the three but completely not buying into Betty and Frank.

Long story short, they won me over before the movie was even half over. What’s more, guess which pair is my favorite each and every time I revisit this movie. You guessed it, Frank and Betty.

Having said that, I love each couple with all my heart, but… well… feel a little something extra for the one I took a few minutes to warm up to.

Ann Miller and Jules Munshin

You can find On the Town on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the magic on Prime Video.

Alice Faye and Tyrone Power, Alexander’s Ragtime Band

July 19, 2022 By Joi

Alice Faye and Tyrone Power

Alexander’s Ragtime Band is an underrated (and underSEEN!) musical directed by the wonderful Henry King. The drama-musical stars Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, Ethel Merman, Don Ameche, Jack Haley, and John Carradine.

You can find Alexander’s Ragtime Band on DVD (Amazon link). You can also watch the movie on Prime Video (I’m always so happy to find one of my beloved old Hollywood movies available on Prime!)

Alice Faye and Tyrone Power

Judy Garland: Beautiful Promo Photo for Summer Stock

March 30, 2022 By Joi

Judy Garland

Summer Stock (1950) was directed by Charles Walters and is one of my very favorite musicals. How could it not be… it stars the extraordinary Judy Garland and the equally extraordinary Gene Kelly?!

The excellent musical also includes Gloria DeHaven, Eddie Bracken, Marjorie Main, Hans Conried, and Phil Silvers.

You can find the wonderfully entertaining Summer Stock on dvd (Amazon link) or watch on Prime Video.

Marjorie Main, Gloria DeHaven, Gene Kelly, and Judy Garland

Judy Garland and Gene Kelly, Behind the Scenes of the Wonderful Summer Stock

February 4, 2022 By Joi

Judy Garland and Gene Kelly

There’s just something about a musical to make the world seem blissfully perfect, isn’t there?! For me, it’s even more so if Judy Garland or Gene Kelly is involved… so when they’re in the SAME musical, look out! I will be smiling for days.

One of the musicals I watch and rewatch is Summer Stock (1950, directed by Charles Walters). In addition to Judy Garland and Gene Kelly, the musical stars (among others) Gloria DeHaven, Marjorie Main, Eddie Bracken, Phil Silvers, and the always entertaining Hans Conried.

You can find the wonderfully entertaining Summer Stock on dvd (Amazon link) or watch on Prime Video.

Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRae in Carousel (1956)

October 16, 2021 By Joi

Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRae

When you spend as much time with old movies and classic television as I do (and have for a lifetime!), you find yourself with quite a few favorite stars – a look at the Hollywood Yesterday About Page will show you just how many! – but we all have what I like to call our “absolute favorites.” Our “ride or dies,” if you will. One of my own personal “absolutes” is Shirley Jones. I just love everything about her. Her movies, work on television, class… every bit of it.

I often find myself wondering why we (all of us who are immersed in old Hollywood – whether it’s from Silents through the 70s or only certain eras) don’t talk as much about the more recent stars as we do the older ones. I mean, Shirley Jones, Angela Lansbury, Ann-Margret, James Garner, Lee Marvin, Sally Field, Burt Reynolds, Robert Redford, James Caan, for example are every bit as wonderful and well-loved as, say, Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth, James Stewart, Audrey Hepburn, Charlie Chaplin, and James Dean.

I believe part of it may be that when stars have been taken from us, we tend to try harder to keep their memory alive, whereas the wonderful stars who are still VERY much with us or who have only recently left us don’t cause us to feel quite as much of a pull to keep their face and name alive.

While that’s understandable to an extent, it’s also frustrating because I’d rather see all of us celebrate these stars while they’re still on this side of eternity to truly enjoy it. We have so many extraordinary stars who are still very much with us and I’m making it a mission to celebrate them just as much as anyone.

The only problem we run into at times has to do with photographs. Many of the stars of the early years of Hollywood have more photos available to us than the more recent stars. When it comes to photos that are in the public domain or images that are okay to use because they were promotional photos, the older may not necessarily be the better but the older is definitely the easier!

At any rate, I’m making it a personal mission to celebrate ALL of the stars of Hollywood Yesterday, regardless of just how “yesterday” it was!

The photos in this post are of the beautiful and talented Shirley Jones and her outstanding co-star Gordon MacRae from Carousel (1956, directed by Henry King). The movie also stars Cameron Mitchell and Barbara Ruick.

You can find the joyous musical Carousel on dvd (Amazon link) or watch on Prime Video.

Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRae

Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn: My Fair Lady (1964)

September 6, 2021 By Joi

Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison

I don’t just love My Fair Lady with Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison… I ADORE My Fair Lady with Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. Every word spoken, every note hit, every thread of every costume, every… oh, you get the idea. I’m completely infatuated with it and with the performance of each star.

The wonderful George Cukor directed this iconic musical. The cast also includes Stanley Holloway, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Jeremy Brett, and Gladys Cooper.

If it’s been a while since you’ve watched this absolute masterpiece, I hope you’ll revisit it soon. It’s even better than you remember.

You can find My Fair Lady on dvd (Amazon link) or watch on Prime Video.

Audrey Hepburn, Exquisite My Fair Lady Promotional Photo

August 22, 2021 By Joi

Audrey Hepburn, My Fair Lady

Audrey Hepburn looks like a beautiful, exquisite princess in the photo above… then again, she looked that way all of her life – in photos and out! She was simply one in a billion and, boy, did they ever break the mold.

This stunningly beautiful picture of Audrey was for the 1964 musical My Fair Lady. This movie wasn’t just a wonderful film, it produced some of the most amazing promotional pictures of Audrey.

Audrey Hepburn

Think the camera loved her? I’m pretty sure it was obsessed with her!

You can find My Fair Lady on dvd (Amazon link) or watch on Prime Video. Few things I can think of that compare with spending a few hours with the always delightful and deliriously de-loverly Audrey Hepburn!

Audrey Hepburn, Gorgeous My Fair Lady Promotional Pictures

August 12, 2021 By Joi

Audrey Hepburn

One of the most delightful movies ever made (musical or otherwise) and two of the finest performances (Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison) involve the same legendary film… My Fair Lady. It’s absolutely remarkable and, in my opinion, seems to get better with each subsequent viewing.

I’ve seen it at least 8 times and love it EVEN more after each revisit.

Audrey Hepburn

You can find My Fair Lady on dvd (Amazon link) or watch on Prime Video. Either way, it’s a sure fire way to brighten your entire day… possibly even your week!