musicals | Hollywood Yesterday

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

September 6, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

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 Leave a Comment

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 Leave a Comment

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!

Audrey Hepburn, My Fair Lady

Ethel Waters and Eddie Anderson, Promotional Picture for Cabin in the Sky (1943)

July 23, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Ethel Waters and Eddie Anderson

Cabin in the Sky (1943) is, unquestionably, one of my favorite musicals. It’s a fun, delightful, musically perfect, very entertaining film, directed to perfection by Vincente Minnelli. I used to hate that it wasn’t shown more on television, where new audiences could fall in love with it but (fortunately!) it’s being shown more often on TCM.

Thank goodness, because this one is extra, extra special.

The outstanding cast includes Eddie Anderson, Ethel Waters, Lena Horne, Rex Ingram, Louis Armstrong, Mantan Moreland (love him!), and Oscar Polk. Tragically Oscar Polk was killed six years later (at the age of 49) when he was hit by an automobile, making this his last role.

You can buy Cabin in the Sky on dvd (Amazon link) on watch it on Prime Video.

Jane Powell, Howard Keel, and Russ Tamblyn: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

June 24, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Jane Powell and Howard Keel

There are certain stars from old Hollywood and classic television who I “collect,” as in buy and acquire anything and everything I can that pertains to them. Jane Powell is one of these chosen stars – I just adore her. I have since I first saw her MANY years ago in the film she is probably best known for, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Amazon dvd link).

While I love the entire cast, Jane Powell, Julie Newmar, Ruta Lee, and Russ Tamblyn are my stand out favorites.

Speaking of Russ Tamblyn, how in the world is he not a household name?! He was as talented as anyone – whether it was dancing, acting, charisma… he had every bit as much going on for him as anyone and more than many. Okay, rant over, but it is mystifying how some stars were handpicked for lead roles when others weren’t. Russ could have been a delightful mixture of Danny Kaye and Fred Astaire and audiences would have absolutely loved him as a leading man.

I also wonder how in the world Hollywood ever kept from casting Julie Newmar and Ruta Lee in more leading roles too. Again, they would have been more than capable of carrying a movie.

Russ Tamblyn

You can watch this joyful, entertaining, and in all ways delightful musical on Prime Video. If you haven’t seen it in awhile, you’re going to be amazed at just how good it is – I think, as years pass, we tend to forget how excellent many of our favorites really were. Then, when we’re sitting and reliving the magic, we notice the spectacular costumes, flawless choreography and dancing, and joyful songs and humor.

This truly is a spectacular musical and a celebration of movies in general.

Howard Keel, Russ Tamblyn, and Julie Newmar

Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, and John Barrymore in Maytime

June 8, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, Maytime

Of her many extraordinary films, Jeanette MacDonald’s favorite was Maytime (1937). The dramatic musical was directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starred Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, and John Barrymore.

She is (as always) exquisite in the role.

Jeanette MacDonald and John Barrymore, Maytime

Effortlessly Cool: Eddie Anderson, Behind the Scenes of Cabin in the Sky

May 19, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Eddie Anderson, Behind the Scenes of Cabin in the Sky

This photo of Eddie Anderson is honestly just too, too cool. I’d love it blown up, framed, and hanging on a wall – it’d make any room instantly cooler!

Cabin in the Sky (1943) is, unquestionably, one of my favorite musicals, and not just because it stars my much-loved Lena Horne! It’s a fun, very entertaining film, directed to perfection by Vincente Minnelli. The movie includes stars Eddie Anderson, Ethel Waters, Lena Horne, Rex Ingram, Louis Armstrong, Mantan Moreland (love him!), and Oscar Polk.

You can buy Cabin in the Sky on dvd (Amazon link) on watch it on Prime Video!

Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire: The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle

April 26, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire

When I see people naming their favorite Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire movie, I always wonder the same thing, “How could you possibly choose just one – or two or even three.. or four?!” I love them ALL so completely that I don’t think I’d ever stand a chance of narrowing my favorites down to 4, let alone one.

Apart, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were effortlessly charming, charismatic, and talented. Together? They were movie MAGIC.

While I love all of their films, including the one depicted in this post (The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, 1939), this particular movie is often cited as fan’s least-liked Rogers and Astaire film. However, not surprisingly, even fans who don’t rate it particularly high still say the same thing, that it’s still very good and most certainly worth watching.

Personally I think the problem some may have with this one is that it’s pretty different from the rest in their filmography. It is different but, in my opinion, this is a good thing. When you watch and re-watch as many of their movies as I do, you kind of appreciate the change of pace.

People can be funny sometimes, can’t they? They’ll say so and so made movies that were “all the same” but when one ventures away from a particular formula, they scream, “Not as good! Go back to what made you popular!”

In The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, Astaire and Rogers portray Vernon & Irene Castle, renowned ballroom dancers in the years preceding World War I.

This is one of the few I haven’t added to my Ginger Rogers movie collection yet. Looks like I need to skedaddle over to Amazon and take care of that pronto.

The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (Amazon link) is available on dvd but doesn’t, unfortunately, appear to be on Prime Video yet. I’ll let you know if that changes.

Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire

Hedy Lamarr, Judy Garland, and Lana Turner

April 22, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Hedy Lamarr, Judy Garland, and Lana Turner

Hedy Lamarr, Judy Garland, and Lana Turner are three of the stars who made 1941’s Ziegfeld Girl such a joy to watch. The movie also stars James Stewart as Lana Turner’s love interest (and talk about chemistry… these two certainly had it!).

The photo below is a “behind the scenes photo” – I love these types of photos. I always love to imagine if certain stars are “in character” or showing their own genuine expressions and emotions. Hedy Lamarr and Judy Garland are either in character, here, or greatly concentrating on their next scene.

While positivity runs throughout my dna (seriously, I have been called Mary Poppins more times than I could count.. unless, of course, I put down my umbrella and really focus), I have one bone to pick about this film. Why wasn’t Judy Garland given dresses as beautiful as the ones given to Lana and Hedy?! She had a lovely figure and was absolutely beautiful. I just wish more effort had been put into her costumes – especially in the one pictured here.

I understand that her character was different from the other actresses characters, but still. I wish she had been given a prettier dress, period.

Okay, that’s out of my system. Back to my umbrella….

You can find Ziegfeld Girl (Amazon link) on dvd or watch the movie on Prime Video. Just be warned… James Stewart and Lana Turner will leave you speechless and wishing SO HARD that they’d made many more movies together.

Hedy Lamarr, Judy Garland, and Lana Turner, Behind the Scenes

Jean Hagen: Behind the Scenes Singin’ in the Rain

April 11, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Jean Hagen

Jean Hagen is one of those actresses with a lack of popularity I can’t quite figure out. She was so talented, beautiful, and colorful… how can she not be better-known. It can’t be her, personally, because she has no flaw and never comes up short in any performance.

The only thing I can think of as a possible reason is perhaps her roles weren’t “front and center” often enough. She gave strong performances and had some wonderful films – but she was more often than not a supporting player. You know, the type of player a team can’t possibly function without but often falls under the heading of, “I know that face…. what’s the name again???”

I’m working my way through her filmography and I grow to love her more with each and every scene.

The photo here is a behind the scenes picture from Singin’ in the Rain.

You can find Singin’ in the Rain (Amazon link) on dvd – a classic every old Hollywood lover must have in their collection!