The Good Fairy 1935 and The Burden of Goodness

Perhaps it’s the way Margaret Sullavan suggests Herbert Marshall would look better without a beard. Because I’m a sucker for a good makeover scene. Or that in a film about the seduction of innocence, the sofa in the hotel room gave the censors grief. But it’s probably more about the fact that during filming, and…

BECKET (1964)

The pre-curser to The Lion in Winter was nominated for 12 Oscars, Edward Anhalt received the Oscar for Best Screenplay ‘Becket’. Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole were nominated for Best Actor for their Becket performances, Peter Sellers for Dr. Strangelove, Anthony Quinn for Zorba the Greek. They all lost out to Rex Harrison for his…

The Lion in Winter

I’ve been in a medieval mood lately, it’s March, it’s Oscar month at TCM as well as in Hollywoodland. The Oscar’s were on March 12th and for two weeks we’ll be talking about this years show until another news cycle delegates them to history. March is also women’s history month. What does this have to…

The Bishop’s Wife 1947 Christmas in Classic Hollywood

The Bishop’s Wife has never been on my regular watchlist, I am ashamed to say. Truthfully, I think I  was rather preoccupied with its remake with Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington, The Preacher’s Wife (1992), and felt that did the job just fine. So, despite its all-star cast, and some of my absolute favorite actors,…

Remember the Night A Christmas in Classic Hollywood

Every year we embark on finding our favorite Classic Hollywood Christmas films, worth the re-watch, during the season.  And watching Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray try NOT to fall in love as a thief and prosecuting attorney is always worth the watch. Of course, sleeping in cars together, a family singalong at the piano, and an obligatory country dance don’t give them much of a fighting chance.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas with Judy Garland

For years it would seem, Annstj has mentioned to me that Meet Me in Saint Louis is a Christmas Movie, and that I should watch it. And yet, I’m ridiculously reluctant. Familiar with many of the depths of Classic Hollywood in black, white, and glorious technicolor, the storyline of Judy Garland’s Christmas film never really…

“He’s sending me a sailor for Christmas” Christmas in Connecticut 1945

Every year, Christmas in Connecticut ( 1945) runs on repeat throughout the holiday season. With a storyline, I know by heart and a penchant for recognizing it in a variety of Hallmark, Lifetime, and Netflix Christmas Rom-Coms, nothing beats the original. With an unsuspecting Barbara Stanwyck, making her way as an independent woman, and a…

Happy Classic Halloween!!!

What better way to chill out after all of the craziness of Trick or Treating than to kick back and watch the madness of Arsenic and Old Lace. This hilarious must see Warner Brother’s film is a traditional Holiday movie here at Classic Hollywood. What isn’t there to love about this film…Directed by Frank Capra,…

DEPP vs HEARD

What does this uncivil, civil trial have to do with Classic Hollywood? Everything… After getting sucked into the drama of the Depp/Heard trial I was surprised to hear Depp compare his and Heard’s burgeoning romance and age difference to Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in their first movie together ‘To Have and Have Not’(1944). Their…

Classic Hollywood Films for Halloween

With the spooky season upon us, it’s time to pull together our favorite Halloween Movies from Classic Hollywood.  We’ve talked before about our favorite Spooky Classic Halloween Films , and thought it was time to add a few more to the mix. No, these aren’t your basic Monster movies. While we enjoy a good scare…

‘The Yearling’ (1946)

is set in1878 Lake George, Florida and based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel written by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. MGM owned the rights to the novel and Clarence Brown director of National Velvet (1944) was chosen as Director of the film. Clarence Brown discovered Claude Jarman Jr lead child actor in the movie after visiting…

NETWORK

Paddy Chayefsky was a visionary. His 1976 movie NETWORK prophesized what we are living through today in the news media. Rarely do Rochelle and I write about 1970’s movies here on Classic Hollywood but since this is Oscar month at TCM I’ve broken that rule. I had never watched NETWORK until recently. At the time…

Lady on a Train 1945

If you’re up for a  murder mystery complete with shady rich people, a kept mystery author, and an inopportune viewing of a murder seen through the train window, then Lady on a Train is for you.  Starring Deanna Durbin, Lady on a Train was one of two films lead by her second husband, producer Felix…

STRANGE CARGO

Is a strange movie, it was condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency and banned in several cities throughout the north and south. Released in March of 1940 Strange Cargo was the last movie pairing of Joan Crawford and Clark Gable. Clark’s character; Verne, a prisoner in a Penal Colony in the Guianas, is dark…

Never Say Goodbye A Slapstick Christmas Comedy

In the Gayley household, Christmas means a lot of things. Shared custody of daughter, Phillipa “Flip”, a meddling mother-in-law, and a soldier who shows up in the shower. But don’t let the drama of divorce in old Hollywood deter you. This is a slapstick Christmas comedy if ever there was one. With miscommunication galore, a…

PHANTOM LADY~ THE BOOK

Twenty five days till Christmas, I hope people with Film Noir friends consider this book on their gift giving list… Christina Lane does a fine job of writing about the insights and talent of Joan Harrison. Joan’s accomplishments as writer/Producer have been mostly ignored in history from Hitchcock biographers. Christina Lane has done a thorough…

Phantom Lady

The movie (1944), directed by Robert Siodmak, is a crime film noir. I have never seen even a snippet of this movie before. If you are a noir buff and get a chance to watch it I highly recommend it. It features some of the usual noir suspects; Thomas Gomez, Elisha Cook Jr. with Ella…

Barbara Stanwyck

As a longtime fan of TCM the month we wait for all year long is finally here: SUMMER UNDER THE STARS month. This year’s lineup doesn’t disappoint with a kick off day featuring Barbara Stanwyck. I’ll admit I have watched all of the films on Barbara’s lineup except for BF’s Daughter. The other films are…

Olivia de Havilland 1916~2020

TCM began the month of July 2020 with a celebration on July 1st of Olivia de Havilland’s 104th Birthday. We end the month with a tribute to an actress with sixty-one acting credits to her name. She did it all: Romantic Comedies, Drama, Period Pieces, Noir, Westerns, Horror, Disaster Movies, and best of all she…

Love is a Ball 1963

Love is a Ball is one of those 1960’s romantic comedies that combines the gorgeous scenery of the French Riviera with some Classic Hollywood actors. It stars Charles Boyer, Glenn Ford alongside real-life girlfriend Hope Lange, and Ricardo Montalbon. 

Pandemic Films in Classic Hollywood

Pandemic, virus and disease runs wild in Classic Films and dare we say, we can maybe learn something from them? We just had to do a quick roundup of all the Classic Movies that had a virus, pandemic, uncontrollable biological weapon and the like. Amid the current days of worldwide virus, we always like to…

LULU IN HOLLYWOOD

If you are curious about the life of actress Louise Brooks and her movies 1925-1938 this is the book you should be reading. Lulu in Hollywood is a compilation of articles written by Louise in the 1960’s/1970’s for ‘Film Culture, London Magazine, Image, Sight and Sound’. We love Julian Fellows here at Classic Hollywood and…

ONCE UPON A TIME…

in Hollywood, is a Quentin Tarantino movie. We don’t normally Post about Quentin Tarantino movies on this Classic Hollywood blog, but months ago my son recommended the film to me. I put a hold on the DVD at the local Library (I was number 500 plus on the hold list).The DVD became available this past…

ONE WAY PASSAGE

Kay Francis and William Powell are at their best in this Pre-Code soaper where nothing good comes of the leading characters. Robert Lord received an Oscar in 1934 for this original story. Orry-Kelly outdid himself with the gowns he designed for Kay. Kay and William’s characters strangers in Hong Kong meet on the ship the…

TRUE CONFESSION

Helen Bartlett has a problem; she likes to tell those little white lies, then when she tells the truth no one believes her. Carole Lombard plays Helen Bartlett in this truth is stranger than fiction screwball comedy. Fred MacMurray plays the ‘can’t stand liars’ husband that keeps trying to break her of the terrible habit….

Joel McCrea ~ Summer Under the Stars

What can I say…I have no argument over the movies featured on McCrea Day at TCM. I find it ironic that Joel’s pre-code 1932 movie The Most Dangerous Game has been re-made for release in 2019 titled The Hunt. Humans hunting humans for sport labeled as a satire with a political twist in 2019, I…

TCM SUMMER UNDER THE STARS 2019

Rochellelynn and I Luv, Luv, Luv the month of August and TCM’s Summer Under the Stars. It’s always fun to see which stars TCM will feature throughout the month. I know RL has been crushing on Melvyn Douglas featured on August 5th since she wrote about They All Kissed the Bride in her previous Post….

They All Kissed the Bride

Joan Crawford tends to be a little strong for my taste. Thankfully,  Melvyn Douglas softens her up a bit in They All Kissed the Bride. But then maybe “soften” isn’t necessarily the word for it.

Government Girl 1943

There’s nothing like a good drunk scene to really put the cherry on top of a great movie. 

Holiday (1938)

When I saw that Holiday (1938) was included in the TCM Film Festival lineup I was convinced that this would be the Bringing Up Baby comedy of the lot. Also directed by George Cukor this film with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn had the promise of a laugh out loud fun romance with a twist…