Tyrone Power | Hollywood Yesterday

Rouben Mamoulian Was BOTD in 1897

October 8, 2022 By Joi

Rouben Mamoulian Film Collage

The wonderful director Rouben Mamoulian (1897–1987) was BOTD in 1897. While he doesn’t have as many films to his credit as a lot of other directors, the ones he does have are very, very special.

These films include Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), Queen Christina (1933), Golden Boy (1939), The Mark of Zorro (1940), Blood and Sand (1941), and the colorful, lighthearted, and FUN Silk Stockings (1957).

Some of my favorite Rouben Mamoulian Quotes:

“I consider that color on the screen must be used as an emotion.”

( About Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, 1931) “I don’t want Hyde to be a monster, Hyde is not evil, he is the primitive, the animal in us, whereas Jekyll is a cultured man, representing the intellect. Hyde is the Neanderthal man and [Fredric March’s] makeup was designed as such.”

“The most important critic is time.”

“You can have all the philosophy you like: if a film doesn’t come across in graphic terms, it falls short.”

Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell in The Mark of Zorro (1940)

August 22, 2022 By Joi

Linda Darnell and Tyrone Power in The Mark of Zorro

The Mark of Zorro (1940), directed by Rouben Mamoulian, was one of four films Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell made together and many consider it the best of the four. The movie also stars Basil Rathbone and Gale Sondergaard.

It’s difficult to believe, but Linda Darnell was only 16 years old when she made The Mark of Zorro! So much talent for someone so young.

Both stars died entirely too young. Tyrone Power was only 44 when he died from a heart attack and Linda Darnell was only 41 when she died from burns from a house fire. They have each left us wonderful filmographies, including The Mark of Zorro, one of the most popular and entertaining films ever made.

You can find The Mark of Zorro on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.

Linda Darnell and Tyrone Power: The Mark of Zorro (1940)

August 12, 2022 By Joi

Tyrone Power, director Rouben Mamoulian, and Linda Darnell

The Mark of Zorro (1940) was one of four films Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell made together and it deliciously entertaining. Directed by Rouben Mamoulian, the movie also stars Basil Rathbone and Gale Sondergaard.

Tragically, the stars had something else in common… dying far too young. Tyrone Power was only 44 when he died and Linda Darnell was just 41.

You can find The Mark of Zorro on dvd (Amazon link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.

Tyrone Power and Henry Fonda as Jesse and Frank James

July 29, 2022 By Joi

Tyrone Power and Henry Fonda

Two of my favorite actors in one Western (my favorite genre)??? Pop the popcorn, pour the raspberry tea, and call me when it’s on. I could literally watch Jesse James (1939) once a week and be perfectly content. The great Western also stars the underrated (and underused) Nancy Kelly, Randolph Scott, Henry Hull, Slim Summerville, John Carradine, Donald Meek, and Jane Darwell.

Wonderful cast, wonderful film.

You can find this great film (with its outstanding cast) on dvd or blu-ray – Jesse James (Amazon link) or watch it on Prime Video.

Nancy Kelly, Tyrone Power, and Henry Fonda in Jesse James (1939)

July 25, 2022 By Joi

Nancy Kelly, Tyrone Power, and Henry Fonda

One of my favorite Westerns is the 1939 Jesse James. I love the cast, the directing (Henry King never disappoints), the scenery every darn thing about it. The only drawbacks are I don’t get my fairy-tale happy ending (obviously!) and each time I watch this movie, I’m left with the same agonizing question each time… How was Nancy Kelly not given more roles?! My goodness she was wonderful. Beautiful, talented, and had an extra onscreen spark.

If you haven’t seen Nancy in very many films, I highly recommend seeking her out.

The cast also includes Randolph Scott, Henry Hull, Slim Summerville, John Carradine, Donald Meek, and Jane Darwell.

You can find this great film (with its outstanding cast) on dvd or blu-ray – Jesse James (Amazon link) or watch it 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

Maureen O’Hara and Tyrone Power, The Black Swan (Love this One!)

May 24, 2022 By Joi

Maureen O’Hara and Tyrone Power, The Black Swan

I love swashbucklers almost as much as I love Westerns. In fact, they’ve always kind of reminded me of Westerns on the sea. The heroes simply ride boats instead of horses and carry swords instead of guns!

The Black Swan (1942, directed by Henry King) is one of my favorite Swashbuckler movies. TYrone Power and Maureen O’Hara have a natural, wonderful chemistry that was so obvious neither had to attempt to force it.

The colorful movie also stars George Sanders, Anthony Quinn, Laird Cregar, Thomas Mitchell, and George Zucco.

You can find The Black Swan on dvd (Amazon link) or watch it on Prime Video.

BOTD in 1892 in Johannesburg, South Africa: The Wonderful Basil Rathbone

June 13, 2021 By Joi

Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, The Woman in Green

The question “Who is your all-time favorite Sherlock Holmes” is a question that often comes up on “film Twitter.” This question is asked nearly as often as “Who is your favorite Bond?” While I struggle to answer only one Bond (I have three favorites), my favorite Sherlock is never in doubt… Basil Rathbone.

Sure, I love each actor who has stepped into the role (radio, tv, or film) BUT there’s something about Basil Rathbone’s performance that, to me, is simply perfect. It’s one of those actor/actress and character combinations that make you believe they were born to play the role.

You’ll never convince me otherwise!

Basil Rathbone, The Adventures of Robin Hood

Naturally, while this is one of his more famous roles, Basil Rathbone starred in quite a few extraordinary movies. In fact, he appeared in THREE films that were selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant:

All three are exceptional movies and he adds a GREAT deal to each. Each link above leads to that movie on Prime Video.

“Never regret anything you have done with a sincere affection; nothing is lost that is born of the heart.” ~ Basil Rathbone

Danny Kaye and Basil Rathbone

Linda Darnell and Tyrone Power, Blood and Sand

April 18, 2021 By Joi

Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell

When I first saw Blood and Sand (1941) – many years ago – I did so as a huge fan Rita Hayworth and Tyrone Power. They were two of my favorites, so I was on an obsessive mission to see everything they’d made. When I saw they had a movie together, I couldn’t wait to find it and dive right in.

Funny thing happened, though… I spent the entire movie yelling at her and most of it rolling my eyes at him! I also came away with an actress who then joined Tyrone Power and Rita Hayworth on my list of favorites, Linda Darnell. While I spent the movie hating on THEM, I spent it loving her. All I wanted was for her to slap the redhead and throw him and his wandering eye off a cliff!

If you’ve seen the movie, you know that it was the characters Tyrone and Rita played that brought about such a reaction… certainly not the stars, themselves.

It’s funny, how often does old Hollywood cast beautiful actresses in roles of an “unattractive” sister or plain Jane who can’t hold on to her guy… Olivia de Havilland, in The Strawberry Blonde, for example. She was as beautiful as anyone, yet we were supposed to believe she wouldn’t immediately catch James Cagney’s eye… as if!

Blood and Sand asks A LOT of its viewers when it asks us to accept Linda Darnell as a woman who couldn’t keep her guy from wandering. I mean… come on, look at her!

How did the casting department think, “We need a meek, mild… you know, plain… woman in this role as the one who is cast aside…. hmmm… I know! Linda Darnell!”

Seriously?!

Again. LOOK AT HER!

Linda Darnell, in my opinion (and, remember this is coming from as big a Rita Hayworth fan as you’ll ever find and a darn huge Tyrone Power fan) steals the movie. Her acting is perfection and she creates a character you feel deep empathy for. She’s stunning, in every way, in this film. She is, I’d go on to say, the number one reason to watch the movie. She isn’t on screen as much as the other two stars, but she steals not only their scenes but (as I said) the movie, itself.

You can find Blood and Sand on dvd (Amazon link). I’m kind of surprised it isn’t on Prime Video yet.

Beautiful Linda Darnell

Maureen O’Hara and Tyrone Power, The Black Swan (Stunning Publicity Photo)

January 30, 2021 By Joi

Maureen O’Hara and Tyrone Power

The Black Swan (1942, directed by Henry King) is one of my favorite Swashbuckler movies. While it helps that it stars my beloved Maureen O’Hara, I also really love the story, the beautiful, lush technicolor, and the wonderful cast. Tyrone Power is Maureen’s wonderful leading man in this action adventure and their chemistry is perfection.

George Sanders, Anthony Quinn, Laird Cregar, Thomas Mitchell, and George Zucco round out the cast.

You can find The Black Swan on dvd (Amazon link) or watch it on Prime Video.