Patriotic Films from Classic Hollywood For Fourth of July

If you’re looking for a few old films to remind you of why you should be truly, truly grateful that you live in a free country this Independence Day, check out the films below. Happy Fourth of July. Pollyanna- Hayley Mills Yankee Doodle Dandee- James Cagney Pride of the Yankees Drums along the Mohawk- Henry…

Happy Fathers Day

To all of those Dad’s out there that go the extra mile (I’m sure those British Dad’s are now thanking Queen Elizabeth for putting the kibosh on the Debutante seasons after 1958) like Rex did for his American daughter in The Reluctant Debutante. Thank goodness Sandra Dee had John Saxon to save her from her…

Top 5 Song and Dance Men from Classic Hollywood Movies

As musicals begin to make a little bit of a comeback we decided to reflect on what it takes to make an amazing song and dance man. This is a little bit of a modge podge of men… all with different strengths.If you want a good classic hollywood musical education, try one flick from each fella…

Song and Dance Actresses in Classic Hollywood

  These are our top 5 song and dance women in classic films. Believe me, we deliberated over this list for quite some time! We joke, alongside most classic film followers, that back in the day men and women actually had to have talent ( in addition to looks) to get somewhere in Hollywood. And…

A Guy Named Joe

I finally watched this MGM film released in March of 1944. I’ve put off watching it because…well it was going to be a tear jerker and I have to be in a certain mood to watch a movie I know I will need a box of tissue to get through. But recently after finding letters…

Pillow to Post

A special Birthday shout out for Willie Best one of my favorite character actors. In the 1945 Warner Bros. Romantic Comedy Pillow to Post the world is at war and on the home front in this movie everything is topsy turvy. Ida Lupino’s character Jean Howard wants to help the war effort but has been…

Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima

Sunday May 13, 1917 three children Lucia 10, Francisco 9, and Jacinta 7, cousins from the small village of Fatima, Portugal are visited in a small cove in the countryside by Mary the Mother of Jesus. In 1916 Germany had declared war on Portugal. Democrats, Centrists, Sectarianism, Evolutionists and Atheists abound in 1917 Portugal, and…

How Gary Cooper saved Hollywood.

Gary Cooper as a man embodied “honor and decency” ( Smith, The Film 100), along with an unaffected manner that made him appear strong in the face of danger. His dream to draw newspaper cartoons for a living was put on hold when he made a trip to California in 1924 and landed a role…

Al St. John

TCM’s Star of the Month for April features Character Actors. I would like to give a shout out for my favorite Silent Era Character Actor… Cousin Al St. John. 100 years ago in 1917 cousin Al St. John starred or co-starred in 11 shorts, some with Paramount’s Famous Players ~ Lasky Corporation with his Uncle…

The Fighting 69th

On yesterday’s date one hundred years ago April 6, 1917 the United States entered WW I. In The Fighting 69th this 1940 Warner Brothers film remembers three real life heroes during the U.S. involvement on the front lines in France: Journalist and Poet Joyce Kilmer, Catholic Priest, Army Chaplain Father Francis Duffy and Major William…

Happy Land

TCM’s NOW PLAYING guide for April lists tonight as Frances Dee night. However the TCM website lists tonight as Faye Dunaway night and if you do a Happy Land search it lists May 17 as Frances Dee night, well whichever night this movie is premiered it is well worth watching. Rochellelynn this is not a…

Oscar ~ America America

The only nominated film for Best Oscar in 1963 that I had seen at the local theatre was How the West Was Won and at the time I was very disappointed that this film featuring Debbie Reynolds, Gregory Peck, Jimmy Stewart, Carroll Baker, and a cast of thousands did not win Best Picture. However fifty…