picture of the day | Hollywood Yesterday

Ginger Rogers: Gold Diggers of 1933 (Picture of the Day and Ravings for One Heckuva Lady)

March 29, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Ginger Rogers

As I’ve said, often, on the Old Hollywood blog, one of the things I love most about my obsession with classic movies and television is the fact that I’m always accumulating new favorites. Naturally, my love for my old favorites never diminishes… new favorites simply join the ranks.

A case in point: I have always loved Ginger Rogers (how could you possibly not?). My first Ginger Rogers film was The Major and the Minor (link to the dvd on Amazon) and I loved her, Ray Milland, and the film. Still do. However, she didn’t jump into the upper list of favorites quite yet.

Next up, I saw the WONDERFUL musical Top Hat (link to the dvd on Amazon). She danced her way up my list of favorites, but didn’t quite crack the top 12.

Then, as someone as obsessed with collecting and reading old Hollywood biographies and autobiographies as she is with watching the movies, I ordered her autobiography, Ginger: My Story (link to the book on Amazon). After reading this fascinating book, I realized that this wasn’t just a remarkable actress and star… this was a remarkable woman.

She has been one of my favorites since. Truth be told, I come to love her more with each passing film.

Versatility? Are you kidding me?!?! The woman was as funny as anyone in comedies (seriously… she hangs with Lucille Ball!), was phenomenal in dramas, and worked magic in musicals like few ever hoped to.

In fact, when I think of the word “versatile,” as it relates to the entertainment industry, Ginger Rogers and Judy Garland are the first names to come to mind.

If you tend to only think of musicals when you think of Ginger Rogers, I hope you’ll branch out into her other films. There is nothing WHATSOEVER wrong with being a musical star – in fact, it’s one of my favorite genres, so I think it’s outstanding! However, to only think of this wonderful actress as a dancer or as “Fred Astaire’s partner” is almost criminal. There was so much more to this lovely actress.

So. Much. More!

Thelma Todd and Buster Keaton: Speak Easily

January 24, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Thelma Todd and Buster Keaton, Speak Easily (1932)

This makes a pretty darn good picture of the day, I’d say! The always brilliant and hilarious Buster Keaton and the beautiful and surprisingly hilarious Thelma Todd are wonderful in this comedy. Add in Jimmy Durante and you have quite the romp!

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte Light Up the Screen in Carmen Jones

January 20, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Do Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte make a beautiful couple or what?! They had so much chemistry in their films – as much chemistry as any film couple I’ve ever seen.

If you’ve never watched Carmen Jones, I hope you’ll make a point of doing that ASAP. These stars are outstanding in this fantastic film. Dorothy Dandridge was nominated for an Oscar for her performance but she didn’t win.

She should have. That’s a hill I will die on. She was robbed.

Harry Belafonte should also have gotten an Oscar. They were both mesmerizing in this film. Olga James and Pearl Bailey are also excellent. I wish Olga had been onscreen more. She was adorable and so very, very talented.

Please see the movie soon!

Rita Hayworth, Down to Earth (1947)

January 1, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Rita Hayworth

It’d be tough to beat a picture of Rita Hayworth for the first Picture of the Day of 2020… especially this picture of Rita!

This is a promotional picture for the 1947 film Down to Earth (Amazon Link to dvd or Prime Video). Rita portrays Greek goddess Terpsichore in this creative film. Unhappy with the way a Broadway musical treats Greek mythology, she comes down to earth, joins the cast and tries to set things right.

The plot description may sound kind of “out there” (okay… very out there) but this movie is much better than you’d expect. Just go into it with an open mind and readiness to watch the uncommonly talented Rita Hayworth headline a movie.

Always a great thing. She was as talented as she was beautiful and, wow, is that ever saying something.

Rita Hayworth: Promo Photo from Music in My Heart

November 2, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

Rita Hayworth, Music in My Heart (1940)

Rita Hayworth and musicals waltz beautifully together. While she is known (let’s face it, for obvious reasons) as an icon of great beauty, she was also an uncommonly talented actress as well as dancer.

In fact, Fred Astaire once said she was his favorite dancing partner and he danced with the best dancers in the business.

Including himself!

If you only know Rita Hayworth from the wonderful film-noir Gilda, I hope you’ll venture out and see her musicals (You Were Never Lovelier, Cover Girl, Music in My Heart…). She really was extraordinary.

Rita Hayworth, Salome (Beautiful Picture of the Day!)

March 2, 2019 By Joi Leave a Comment

Rita Hayworth, Salome (1953)

Salome was the last film produced by Rita Hayworth’s production company (The Beckworth Company). She later said that her dance “Dance of the Seven Veils” in this film was “… the most demanding of my entire career,” and that it required “endless takes and retakes.”

Having seen the magnificent results, it was time well spent and effort that certainly paid off. While Rita is celebrated as one of the great beauties and as a wonderful actress (and she certainly was both of these things), she deserves just as much attention for her dancing talent – it was extraordinary.

Salome also stars Stewart Granger, Charles Laughton, Judith Anderson, and Cedric Hardwicke.

Franchot Tone and Loretta Young, The Unguarded Hour

July 15, 2018 By Joi Leave a Comment

Loretta Young and Franchot Tone, The Unguarded Hour

Many stars from Old (or Classic, whichever term you prefer) Hollywood are universally – or nearly universally – loved. It seems like most people love Humphrey Bogart, James Stewart, Marilyn Monroe, Lucille Ball, James Cagney, Ava Gardner, Maureen O’Hara, Cary Grant, Rita Hayworth, etc. Then there are the underrated (but wonderful) stars who aren’t household names and are, truth be told, often only known by those of us who devote so much time to old films – Paul Henreid, S.Z. Sakall, Thomas Mitchell, Louise Beavers, Claude Rains, Loretta Young, Una Merkel…

THEN, there are the stars who are what I call the “dividers” they generally have a clearly drawn line separating their fans and their… well… not haters, exactly, but… well, let’s call them “non fans.” Franchot Tone, for whatever reasons, is a divider. Seems like most Old Hollywood fans either love him or hate him. Me? I love the guy! While I love him most when paired with Joan Crawford (she brought out a fun side to him), I love him in all of his roles, including the one pictured above – Sir Alan Dearden in The Unguarded Hour (link to the dvd on Amazon). He and Loretta Young had a lovely chemistry between them… not quite on par with his and Joan’s, but it’s pretty close!