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Between Two Worlds: Deliciously Unique, Edge of Your Seat Movie

August 18, 2021 By Joi

Between Two Worlds Lobby Card

I’ve already written about Between Two Worlds (1944) once or twice on the old Hollywood blog… but it’s so outstanding I’m here to do it all over again! To save myself from repeating myself too many times (something I am wont to do!), I’ll link to the most recent review I did of this extraordinary movie: Between Two Worlds Reminds Us Why We Fell In Love With Movies in the First Place.

The movie’s excellent cast includes John Garfield, Paul Henreid, Eleanor Parker, Sydney Greenstreet, Faye Emerson, Edmund Gwenn, Sara Allgood, George Tobias, Dennis King, and George Coulouris. Each one gives a flawless performance… absolutely flawless.

Between Two Worlds (Amazon link) is on dvd and will every now and then show up on TCM. It isn’t on Prime Video, yet, but I hope it will be one day soon.

George Tobias, Dennis King, Gilbert Emery, and John Garfield

Filed Under: Dennis King, George Coulouris, Gilbert Emery, Movie Reviews Tagged With: Dennis King, Eleanor Parker, Faye Emerson, George Coulouris, Gilbert Emery, John Garfield, Sydney Greenstreet

Humphrey Bogart, The Maltese Falcon (1941)

August 5, 2021 By Joi

Humphrey Bogart, The Maltese Falcon

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: The Maltese Falcon

Peter Lorre, Mary Astor, and Sydney Greenstreet

Filed Under: Film Noir, Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Picture of the Day, Sydney Greenstreet Tagged With: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, The Maltese Falcon

Between Two Worlds: Perfect Movie, Perfect Cast, Perfect Reminder Why We All Love Movies

July 15, 2021 By Joi

Between Two Worlds Lobby Card

Eleanor Parker, Paul Henreid, and John Garflield

First of all… Hello again! I’ve been offline for over a week and while I’d love to be mysterious and allow you to think I’d been on vacation in an exotic location, drinking my coffee and raspberry tea by the ocean…. the truth is nowhere near as colorful. My body decided to cash a check my immune system wrote after an entire winter of being home and masked completely FREE from colds and bugs. Payment came due and it’s as though I enjoyed a dose of a nasty cold on top of a mild flu with a brief bout of bronchitis thrown in to keep things interesting.

Quite frankly, I didn’t do much more than watch old movies, play with grandbabies (who were also sick), watch baseball with my husband (also sick), and talk about food and Christmas with my daughters (yep… also sick.. all three).

We’re all well now (thank goodness!) and I’m ready to get things back to normal. I have a lot of different pictures of the day planned for the coming days as well as three… count them, THREE… extraordinary books I want to tell you all about.

However, today, quite frankly all I want to talk about is Paul Henreid, John Garfield, Faye Emerson, Edmund Gwenn, Sydney Greenstreet, Eleanor Parker, Sara Allgood, George Tobias, Dennis King, George Coulouris, and the phenomenal movie they combined to make – Between Two Worlds.

I normally don’t give a second thought to the fact that I’m surrounded by a family who does not watch old movies (except for the occasional John Wayne western, Charlie Chan, or Elvis movie my husband agrees to or the classic horror movies my oldest daughter enjoys). HOWEVER, when I’ve seen a movie that just completely blows me away, I wish SO MUCH they did watch old movies because that movie and its stars are all I want to talk about!

That’s the case with Between Two Worlds. I literally want all of them to sit down, watch it, and then talk with me for days on end about the exquisite performances, the writing, and the flawless direction. I’d love to know which performances were their favorites, which storylines caught them most off guard, their reactions to particular scenes, etc.

As it is, I’ll just come here and talk to you! First and foremost, if you haven’t seen Between Two Worlds, please please please find it and watch every delicious second. It may seem, in the first few scenes, that it’s moving slowly… trust me, it quickly (QUICKLY) turns into a film you don’t want to look away from for even a second. You can find the Between Two Worlds (Amazon link) dvd on Amazon. I wish it were on Prime Video, but it doesn’t seem to be yet.

Hopefully one day!

Between Two Worlds Lobby Card

Eleanor Parker and Paul Henreid

Before watching this particular film during “sick week,” I was already a HUGE Sydney Greenstreet and Paul Henreid fan. Huge, huge, huge. They’re actually the reason I wanted to see this one so much, so I knew they’d blow me away with their performances, because that’s what they always do. I wasn’t quite as familiar with the rest of the cast. In fact, I’d only seen Edmund Gwenn in ONE movie (you guessed it, he was Santa Claus) and had only seen John Garfield in two movies many years ago. I wasn’t much more familiar with Eleanor Parker and wasn’t the least bit familiar with Faye Emerson.

That’s the exciting thing about watching old movies, isn’t it? You’re always meeting new favorites and rekindling old favorites!

I had nearly forgotten what an incredible actor John Garfield was. Holy cats, was he ever talented?!

Between Two Worlds Lobby Card

Sydney Greenstreet, Dennis King, Eleanor Parker, Edmund Gwenn, and Paul Henreid

I could go on forever about the performances of each cast member but I’d be here hours if I said all I’d love to say about each one and my cats would in NO WAY allow me to spend that much time doing something that doesn’t directly benefit their comfort or appetite.

I do want to say, however, that the following impressed me the most…

  • John Garfield – Such an outstanding, charismatic performance. He always gives a scene all he has and it’s always more than enough.
  • Paul Henreid – Henreid’s performance, here, reminds me a lot of Donna Reed’s in It’s a Wonderful Life and John Wayne in The Quiet Man. Like them, he finds himself surrounded by so many larger than life characters that it would be easy (perhaps even human nature) to play his role larger. He remains true to his reserved character, however, and gives a flawless performance. He never tries to be more than the story dictates and I am in awe at the reserve shown. He is the stability and calming influence the story needs… its anchor, so to speak… and he is the perfect, perfect actor for the role.
  • Faye Emerson – How impressed was I with Faye Emerson? I’ve already found and written down every movie she made and plan to watch her entire filmography. I’ve also added her to my list of stars I “collect.” When I fall under a star’s spell… I commit!
  • Sydney Greenstreet – Why is this man so insanely wonderful in every role he ever filled?!?! His tone of voice, his facial expressions, his bodily movements…. every single thing keeps perfect timing with his character and purpose in a movie and this role is no exception. It takes his character a while to show up, but once he does, his presence is profoundly felt.

The most important thing I can say about this movie is this: Between Two Worlds reminds you why you fell in love with movies in the first place. I found myself, many times actually, sitting transfixed, eyes completely on the screen, brain 100 percent invested, lungs barely remembering to breathe!

Like I said, the reason we all fell in love with movies in the first place. Between Two Worlds (Amazon link) is on dvd and will occasionally air on TCM. If you’ve never seen it, I hope you’ll move Heaven and earth to watch it.

You won’t regret a single second.

Filed Under: Dennis King, Edmund Gwenn, Eleanor Parker, John Garfield, Paul Henreid, Perfect Movies, Sydney Greenstreet Tagged With: Edmund Gwenn, Eleanor Parker, Faye Emerson, John Garflield, Paul Henreid, Sydney Greenstreet

Devotion, Starring Olivia de Havilland, Paul Henreid, and Ida Lupino

April 26, 2021 By Joi

Olivia de Havilland and Sydney Greenstreet

Olivia de Havilland and Sydney Greenstreet

The lobby cards in this post are all from the underrated (yet extraordinary) 1946 film Devotion. The movie was directed by Curtis Bernhardt and boasted a wonderful cast including Ida Lupino, Olivia de Havilland, Paul Henreid, Sydney Greenstreet, Nancy Coleman, and Arthur Kennedy.

The movie is loosely (and when I say loosely, please know this…. I mean LOOSELY!) based on the lives of the Bronte sisters Emily (Ida Lupino), Charlotte (Olivia de Havilland), and Anne (Nancy Coleman).

Olivia de Havilland and Paul Henreid

Olivia de Havilland and Paul Henreid

In the film, sisters Emily and Charlotte both fall for Rev. Arthur Nicholls (beautifully portrayed by Paul Henreid). On top of this drama, the sisters (along with younger sister Anne) try desperately to help their brother Branwell (an artist), who is ruining his future… and life… with alcohol.

Olivia de Havilland, Ida Lupino, Nancy Coleman, and Paul Henreid in Devotion.

Olivia de Havilland, Ida Lupino, Nancy Coleman, and Paul Henreid 

The film is outstanding, in spite of the fact that the script pretty much tells the story it wants to tell. The acting is exceptional, which is exactly what you’d expect from this group of talent.

You can find Devotion (Amazon link) on dvd on Amazon.

Ida Lupino and Arthur Kennedy

Ida Lupino and Arthur Kennedy

Filed Under: Arthur Kennedy, Ida Lupino, Nancy Coleman, Olivia de Havilland, Paul Henreid, Picture of the Day, Sydney Greenstreet Tagged With: Arthur Kennedy, Ida Lupino, Nancy Coleman, Olivia de Havilland, Paul Henreid, Sydney Greenstreet

Christmas in Connecticut (1945): Time for this Movie to Be More Famous!

December 2, 2019 By Joi

Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan, Christmas in Connecticut

Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan, Christmas in Connecticut

Old Hollywood enthusiasts certainly know (and LOVE) Christmas in Connecticut (Amazon Link). We joyfully list it with our other favorite Christmas films – It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and White Christmas. However, for some reason (that’s beyond me), “mainstream” movie viewers aren’t familiar with it.

Maybe it’s time we start making more noise about this film!

(Continued Below….)

Christmas in Connecticut - Barbara Stanwyck Publicity still with Dennis Morgan

Creative Plot

Barbara Stanwyck stars as journalist Elizabeth Lane. She is a food writer with a popular column runs is one of the country’s most-read magazines. In these columns, she describes herself as a great cook, a hard-working mother… as a woman who runs her home, kitchen, AND farm!

Sounds impressive, right? Unfortunately it’s all lies! She lives (alone) in an apartment in New York and gets all of her recipes from her adorable best friend Felix (played by S.Z. Sakall, in the only way he knows how to play any role… to perfection and deliciously). Truth be told, Elizabeth would probably struggle with boiling water.

The owner of the magazine she works for has decided on a special holiday “angle” for the column: A heroic serviceman will spend his Christmas on Elizabeth’s farm. Obviously… first they’re going to need a farm!

Elizabeth fears that, if the truth comes out, she’ll lose the job she loves, so she gets desperate. Desperate to the tune of “creating” a family, cooking skills, and even the beautiful farm and home.

(Wrapped Up Below….)

Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan, Christmas in Connecticut

Perfect Cast

Joining Barbara Stanwyck and S.Z. Sakall (who’d be plenty in and of themselves) is Sydney Greenstreet (another of my favorites), Dennis Morgan, Reginald Gardiner, and the always wonderful Una O’Connor.

Though he isn’t as well-known as most of the stars around him, Dennis Morgan is absolutely perfect in this role. He plays it to a tee and has noticeable chemistry with beautiful Barbara Stanwyck.

The film is filled with laughs, loves, and plenty of Christmas spirit and charm. If you’ve never seen Christmas in Connecticut (Amazon Link), check it out right away. If you have seen it…. you know what I’m fixing to say… see it again!

Lobby card with Barbara Stanwyck, Sk Sakall & Reginald Gardiner

Lobby card with Barbara Stanwyck, Sk Sakall & Reginald Gardiner

Filed Under: Barbara Stanwyck, Christmas, Christmas in Connecticut, Dennis Morgan, Gift Guide 2019, Sydney Greenstreet, SZ Sakall Tagged With: Barbara Stanwyck, Christmas in Connecticut, Dennis Morgan, S.Z. Sakall, Sydney Greenstreet

Welcome to Hollywood Yesterday!

Ann Sheridan, It All Came True

Ann Sheridan
My name is Joi (“Joy”) and I created Hollywood Yesterday as my personal tribute to Old Hollywood. It’s my effort to help keep the stars from Old Hollywood, Classic Television, and Old Radio Shows alive and shining forever. Old Hollywood was positively magical and I see no reason for the magic to ever die.

Be warned, I am (by nature) overtly positive, I never take anything too seriously, I say extraordinary so often you’d think I invented the word, and I overuse exclamation points to distraction. I’m perpetually over-caffeinated.. we’ll blame that.

Read more about Hollywood Yesterday (and see my personal favorites) here!

Old Hollywood Actresses

Lena Horne, Meet Me in Las Vegas

See the Old Hollywood Actresses page for the index of Classic Hollywood Actresses and Classic TV Actresses.

Old Hollywood Actors

Henry Fonda, Behind the Scenes The Grapes of Wrath

See the Old Hollywood Actors page for the index of Old Hollywood and Classic TV actors.

Old Hollywood Book Reviews

Ann Dvorak: Hollywood's Forgotten Rebel by Christina Rice

I love reading old Hollywood biographies and memoirs as much as I love watching classic movies, and that’s truly saying something!

To see my Old Hollywood book reviews, please see the index listed here: Book Reviews.

Pictures of the Day

Maureen O'Hara, The Parent Trap

Maureen O’Hara

The Old Hollywood & Classic TV Pictures of the Day are published as regularly as possible. If I miss a few days, please just know that the husband, daughters, sons-in-law, grandbabies, and/or my cats were demanding my attention. I’ll be honest, nothing comes before any of them! Not even Maureen O’Hara or Henry Fonda.

Priorities, y’all.

Movie Collections on Amazon

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Recent Posts

  • A Great Katharine Hepburn Quote That (Like Her) Doesn’t Hold Back!
  • Happy Katharine Hepburn Day! The Iconic and Legendary Actress was BOTD in 1907
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Movie Night, ANY Night…

John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, and Arthur Hunnicutt in El Dorado
Have movie night ANY night with Prime Video on Amazon:  Prime Video (Amazon link)

Thank You for Visiting!

Paulette Goddard and Charlie Chaplin, Modern Times
Thank you so much for visiting Hollywood Yesterday! You truly HONOR me with your presence. ~ Joi (“Joy”)

Olivia de Havilland

Olivia de Havilland, The Adventures of Robin Hood

My main goal with Hollywood Yesterday is to keep the names, faces, and films of the stars that mean so much to me shining brightly. When I’m guilty of focusing more time on my personal favorites (such as Olivia de Havilland) than other stars, I hope you’ll forgive me. I am, by all indications, very human!

Also, please know that I try to keep my posts (except for book reviews) short and to the point, so you can enjoy the pictures, grab the information, and get back to your life. I don’t appreciate anything that’s overly wordy, so I don’t want to do that to others. For better or worse, I write as I talk, so if you ever feel like you’re reading the words of someone who’s a cross between Lucy Ricardo, Daisy Duck, and a Jerry Lewis character, that’s just because you are!

Wait. What did I just admit to?? 

Barbara Stanwyck Quotes

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!

Old Hollywood Movies

Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire Top Hat Cheek to Cheek

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

Classic Hollywood Books & Biographies (Reviews)

Maureen O'Hara's Autobiography 'Tis Herself

‘Tis Herself by Maureen O’Hara
I Know Where I'm Going (Katharine Hepburn Biography) and Princess

I Know Where I’m Going: Katharine Hepburn

 

Debbie Reynolds Unsinkable
Unsinkable: A Memoir by Debbie Reynolds

 

Ginger Rogers Autobiography - Ginger: My Story

Ginger by Ginger Rogers
Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball

Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball
Vitagraph by Andrew A. Erish
Vitagraph by Andrew A. Erish
More Old Hollywood Book Reviews!

Dorothy Dandridge

Dorothy Dandridge Carmen Jones Poster

Getting to Know the Gorgeous and Talented Dorothy Dandridge

My Lucy Obsession

Lucille Ball

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…

Legalities…

Aside from pictures of books I review, I do not claim to have taken any of the pictures on this website, nor do I own the pictures – the ones of the stars or the affiliate (product) pictures.  Other, far more talented photographers than me have the credit for the beautiful photos you see. If you would like credit for a photograph or would like one removed, please e-mail me (joitsigers@gmail.com).

Movie posters and promotional photos are used in the belief that they qualify for the Fair Use law. Fair use is a doctrine in the law of the United States that permits limited use of copyrighted material without having to first acquire permission from the copyright holder. Fair use is one of the limitations to copyright intended to balance the interests of copyright holders with the public interest in the wider distribution and use of creative works by allowing as a defense to copyright infringement claims certain limited uses that might otherwise be considered infringement.

When you click through an affiliate (product, book, dvds..) link, I earn a small portion of the money you spend IF you purchase anything. This does not cost you any extra money, of course. This is how I am able to work from home and support my cats! – Joi (“Joy”)

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