***This post is part of The Second Annual Judy Garland Blogathon, hosted by the In The Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood blog. *** ***Some spoilers*** “Alone. What an awful word that is. And I know what it means.” (Judy Garland, I Could Go On Singing) If you’ve read some of the posts I’ve done for … Continue reading The Lonely Stage: Judy Garland in I Could Go On Singing (1963)
***This post is part of the Dynamic Duos in Classic Film Blogathon, hosted by the Classic Movie Hub and Once Upon A Screen blogs. *** ***Some spoilers*** “[Olivia de Havilland] and Bette commerced their long but ‘peculiar’ friendship.” (Considine, location 2662) Bette Davis was notoriously difficult to work with. Back in the days of Hollywood when … Continue reading A Long and Peculiar Friendship: Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland
***This post is part of The Lon Chaney Sr. Blogathon, hosted by the Maddy Loves Her Classic Films blog. *** ***Some spoilers*** Dapper Bill Ballard (Wheeler Oakman): “What I was going to say - we weren’t born crooks, were we?” After a month off from my blog for Camp NaNoWriMo, it’s great to be back! … Continue reading Born Crooks: Innocence and Crime in Outside the Law (1920)
***This post is part of The End of the World Blogathon, hosted by Movie Movie Blog Blog. *** ***Some spoilers.*** I will say right off that although I love classic films, I am not a huge fan of the sci-fi genre. There are a few films I like, mostly in the psychological horror/sci-fi category (like … Continue reading “Remember Me”: The Marriage of Sci-Fi and Noir in Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
Photo Credit: The family of Carlos IV, former King of Spain. La Familia de Carlos IV, 1800-1801, Francisco de Goya, oil on canvas, Museo del Prado: Lomita/Wikimedia Commons/PD Art (PD Old 100) I have always been intrigued by family traditions. Most families have them, most of them small but significant ones. I remember every Saturday … Continue reading The Weight of Family Tradition
Photo Credit: The young writer, 1958, on aTriumph Perfekt typewriter, manufactured by Trimph-Werke in Nuremberg, German: pellethepoet/Flickr/CC BY 2.0 ***Some spoilers*** Like many of my blog post ideas, this one began as the germ from an article I read and evolved through research. As a writer, of course I am always interested in the way … Continue reading The Corruption of a Writer’s Life: Billy Wilder’s Films About Writers
***This post is part of the Sixth Annual What a Character! Blogathon, hosted by the Outspoken & Freckled, the Paula’s Cinema Club, and the Once Upon A Screen blogs.*** ***Some spoilers.*** “Russell often brought haughty imperviousness to mystical heights.” (biggayhorrorfan, par. 2) I love character actors, especially classic film character actors. These are the people … Continue reading Moya Sestra: The Cat-Like Career of Elizabeth Russell
***This post is part of the Food in Film Blogathon, hosted by the Speakeasy blog and the Silver Screenings blog.*** ***Spoilers: My apologies for some of the heavy spoilers at the end here but they are necessary for my discussion of the way food takes part in the film.*** Max (Robert Morley): Cut down? I … Continue reading “I’d Rather Be Dead”: Food Parody in Who is Killing The Great Chefs of Europe?” (1978)
***This post is part of the Joan Fontaine Centenary Blogathon, hosted by Crystal of the In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood blog. *** ***Some spoilers*** Maria (Francoise Rosay): “What you’re doing is selfish, cowardly, and wrong — a poor foundation for happiness.” (September Affair, 1950) Joan Fontaine is probably best known for her … Continue reading Escaping Reality – Joan Fontaine and Joseph Cotton in September Affair (1950)
***This post is part of the Spencer Tracy & Katharine Hepburn Blogathon, hosted by Crystal of the In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood blog. *** ***Some spoilers*** James (Ralph Richardson): “I’m not you’re jailor. This isn’t a prison.” Mary (Katharine Hepburn): “No. I know you can’t help thinking it’s a home.” In my … Continue reading Thinking of a Home: Katharine Hepburn in Long Day’s Journey Into Night (1962)
