The Essential Garbo

Now is the time when I write about the classic movie goddess of the month and her essential films. The films that show here at her very best and have to be seen. This month is Greta Garbo. Now I have not seen a lot of her silent era films, so this list is mainly about her latter day films. I do want to see her older films though. Maybe one day. Anyway let's get to her essentials, shall we? In no particular order...

CAMILLE (1936)
This was my very first Garbo film that I saw and I immediately fell in love with her. As the doomed courtesan, she excelled like no other. Great chemistry between her and Robert Taylor makes this one of the all time top romantic films of all time.

NINOTCHKA (1939)
My fave Garbo film has she ventured forth into my favorite film genre: screwball comedy. And after years of playing dramas and period films where she got to deliver some very dramatic and heavy dialogue, it was quite refreshing to see her do this wonderful and very funny film. 

ANNA KARENINA (1935)
Top notch drama with Garbo caught in the middle of a love triangle. Wearing some of the most gorgeous costumes, Greta was in her prime element. Great film!

GRAND HOTEL (1932)
Garbo. Barrymore. Crawford. Beery. Hersholt. Star packed melodrama that is a treat to watch. And while I think Garbo does not give the best female performance of the film, that honors goes to Joan Crawford, she is still quite engaging as Grusinskaya, the dancer.

QUEEN CHRISTINA (1933)
Another period film and another triumph for Garbo.  As queen of Sweden, she must choose between her country and the man she falls in love with. One of my personal favorites of Garbo.

MATA HARI (1931)
Who better than Garbo to play the world famous exotic dancer Mata Hari who was accused of spying for Germany during World War One. An early talkie for Garbo shows that she had not yet mastered dialogue yet. But she still created one of the most iconic images ever on film as the sexy Mata Hari.


Of special interest to me are Garbo's silent films that I have yet to see. Like The Temptress and Flesh and The Devil. Can't wait to see them! And also Anna Christie...need to watch that one as well.

My love of classic films is beyond measure

Monty

The Essential Teresa Wright Films

I can't think of anyone who had a better start to their film career than Teresa Wright. Five of her first six films are what I consider her best films, her essential films. The ones that you must see that shows Teresa at her very best. Please note that for her first three films, Teresa received Oscar nominations, as far as I know, she is the only person ever to do such a thing. Here they are in chronological order.

Teresa's very first movie has her sharing the screen with the legendary Bette Davis

THE LITTLE FOXES (1941) Talk about a tall order for your very first film. Co-starring with the always amazing Bette Davis, Teresa does a solid job as daughter Alexandra to Bette's Regina. Her performance was good enough that she received a Best Supporting Actress nomination. The story deals with the going ons of a ruthless family jockeying for money and position. It's Bette's show all the way but the supporting cast is pretty good too.  Besides Wright, you have Herbert Marshall, Dan Duryea, Charles Dingle and Richard Carlson.

Teresa in a tender moment with Greer Garson (Mrs. Miniver)

MRS. MINIVER (1942) One of my favorite films of all times casts Greer Garson as the titular character who bands her family together to survive World War Two. Teresa has a plum role of Carol Beldon, the sweet young lass who is courted by Mrs. Miniver's son. Expertly directed and her first Oscar win as Best Supporting Actress.

I love ya Lou!

THE PRIDE OF THE YANKEES (1942) Teresa was awesome as Eleanor Twitchell Gehrig, wife to baseball player Lou Gehrig. The chemistry between Teresa and Gary Cooper was perfect and Teresa could have easily won the Oscar again, but sadly did not.

Charlie spending time with Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten)

SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943) Next up is my 3rd favorite Hitchcock film ever, behind only The Lady Vanishes and Rear Window. Teresa plays Charlie Newton, who learns that her visiting uncle Charlie (the always reliable Joseph Cotten) may be the Merry Widow killer. So she turns sleuth to see if it's true. One of Hitch's best and most suspenseful films. Wright deserved another Oscar for her performance here, which I think might be her best performance. But regardless, sit back and enjoy one hell of a movie.

Teresa as Peggy Stephenson making breakfast for Fred Derry (Dana Andrews)

in The Best Years Of Our Lives

THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946) And finally my favorite film of Teresa. The story focuses on three World War two veterans who return home and try to adjust to civilian life. Teresa plays Peggy, daughter of Al (Fredric March, one of the returning veterans). But her story involves falling in love with Fred Derry (played by Dana Andrews) who returns from the war to an unfaithful wife (Virginia Mayo). One of my top 10 favorite films of all time. This is how you define a true classic.

So there you have it, my favorite films of Teresa Wright. Think I will go watch one right now.

My love of classic films is beyond measure

Monty

The Essential Films of Lauren Bacall

As this month winds down, now is the time where I list my favorite films of the classic movie goddess of the month. Miss Lauren Bacall. Now I haven't seen all of her films, so this list is not complete. But to me, these are the ones that show Miss Bacall at her best. Her essential films, if you will. In no particular order.

TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT (1944) Lauren's debut film is off the charts. Her character Marie 'Slim' Browning is perfection. And her onscreen chemistry with regular co-star and future husband Humphrey Bogart is a sight to behold.

Film: B+
Performance: A

THE BIG SLEEP (1946) Another crackling pairing between Bacall and Bogart with Lauren once again giving a crisp and crackerjack performance. By now, the timing between her and Bogie is an afterthought. Something they could do in their sleep.

Film: A+
Performance: A

DARK PASSAGE (1947) Maybe I should rename this The Essential films of Bacall and Bogart. Their third pairing is a little different from the first two films they did. It plays up the romantic angle of the pair a bit more. But it's still cinema magic.

Film: B
Performance: B

KEY LARGO (1948) The fourth film that teams Bogie and Bacall is more of an ensemble effort with co-stars like Edward G. Robinson and Claire Trevor on hand. But make no mistake, Bacall and Bogart represent well here in this nifty little gem as Robinson is a gangster who holes up in a Florida hotel, holding hostages, Bogie and Bacall among them. This is almost a turnabout for Bogie who played the gangster in The Petrified Forest.

Film: B
Performance: B

HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (1953)  A colorful and splashy comedy musical which pairs Lauren with Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable. They play gold diggers on the prowl in Manhattan. Lauren is the more cynical one until she finally falls in love. A nice change of pace for her after so many film noirs and dramas.

Film: B
Performance: B+

WRITTEN ON THE WIND (1956) A top notch melodrama that does not let Lauren really shine. That honor goes to Dorothy Malone as the wild woman Marylee who lusts after Rock Hudson. Still Wind is a great film on Lauren's resume.

Film: B
Performance: B-

 My love of classic movies is beyond measure

Monty

The Essential Olivia de Havilland Films that you must watch...

As Olivia has been my classic movie goddess of the month, now is the time for me to list her essential films. The films that you must view that show Olivia at her very best. In no particular order we begin with:
 

TO EACH HIS OWN (1946) Olivia won her first Oscar as Best Actress in this drama about an unwed mother, forced to give up her child to avoid scandal, who follows her son's life from afar even as she prospers in business.
 

CAPTAIN BLOOD (193) Olivia's first pairing with Errol Flynn for this swashbuckling adventure. The pair would go on to make 7 more films together and pretty much all of them are cinema classics.
 

THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938) The quintessential Robin Hood movie with Flynn as the dashing archer and Olivia as the lovely Maid Marian. Doesn't get any better than this.
 

GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) You knew this Civil War epic was going to be here. Grand film making at it's best and Olivia gives one of her best performances as the valiant and quiet Melanie. Vivien Leigh's performance as Scarlett O'Hara may have gotten all the attention and awards but Olivia is equally as good.
 

THE DARK MIRROR (1946) A twisty whodunit film with another great performance by Olivia or should I say two great film performances?
 

THE HEIRESS (1949) Olivia won her second Oscar as a young naive woman falls who for a handsome young man who her emotionally abusive father suspects is a fortune hunter. Olivia went to great lengths to look plain and simple as Catherine Sloper and her acting was excellent as usual.

IN THIS OUR LIFE (1942) Top notch women's flick with Olivia sharing the screen with grand diva Bette Davis. They play sisters who have conflicting love lives. That putting it nicely as Bette is just a vixen who just wrecks everything in sight, even stealing her sister's husband. Bette is all volcano fury in this one while Olivia is the quieter sister. It's one hell of a movie.
 

THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON (1941) This is a notable film because it marks the last time Olivia and Errol would be in the same film together.  And after 8 films together, their place in history as one of the screen's best pairs was assured.
 

HOLD BACK THE DAWN (1941) Classic melodrama with a powerhouse cast of Olivia, Charles Boyer, and Paulette Goddard.  Olivia plays a naive teacher in Mexico who is romanced by a Romanian gigolo (Boyer) so he legally enter the United States. Complications abound though and this makes for one classic film.
 

THE SNAKE PIT (1948) One of my personal favorite Olivia films as she plays a woman named Virginia who finds herself in a state asylum hospital but can't remember how she got there. Olivia gives a knockout performance here in this gritty and stark drama.
 

HUSH HUSH... SWEET CHARLOTTE (1964) And finally the long awaiting reunion of Olivia and Bette for this gothic thriller that follows up Bette's pairing with Joan Crawford in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? a few years before.  And it's cool seeing Olivia playing the wicked woman for a change.

So there you have it...eleven essential films of Olivia that you must see if you already haven't. Well in my humble opinion. But these are just the tip of the iceberg, as Olivia's film CV is just loaded with great films and amazing performances.

My Favorite Carole Lombard Movies

Since Carole is my classic movie goddess of the month, I wanted to list my favorite films of hers. She is my all time favorite actress who I think was the queen of screwball comedies. But also a great dramatic actress as well. Here are my favorite films of hers:

MR. AND MRS. SMITH (1941) This delightful battle of the sexes that was surprisingly directed by master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock. It cast Carole and Robert Montgomery as a bickering couple who learn they are not really married. So now thinking they have to do it all over again, they wonder if it's worth it. This is my favorite film of Carole that she did for no other reason than it's a simple and fun little comedy. Lombard and Montgomery mesh well too. Great directing job by Hitch.

MY MAN GODFREY (1936) Carole is perfect as the dizzy socialite Irene Bullock who hires a vagrant played by William Powell) to be her family's butler. One of the best screwball comedies ever made. Lombard showed that her and Powell still had a great chemistry, considering they had just divorced a few years earlier.

TO BE OR NOT TO BE (1942) The last film Carole made before her tragic death is one of her best. She plays actress Maria Tura, who is part of acting troupe in Poland contending with Nazis. Jack Benny plays her husband and they make for an entertaining pair.

IN NAME ONLY (1939) Star power in the form of Carole, Cary Grant and Kay Francis as a love triangle in which Cary is in an unhappy marriage to Kay, and falls in love with Carole. I was glad my two favorite stars got together for their only film and it's a great one. Carole gets to flex her dramatic muscles and shows she can do something other than comedy.

TWENTIETH CENTURY (1934) WOW! Lombard and John Barrymore go at it as a Broadway producer and a Hollywood diva who get back together for a new play. Hilarious hi jinks ensue.

HANDS ACROSS THE TABLE (1935) Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray team up for this delightful comedy about a manicurist and a no gooder who team up to find each their golden goose. Trouble is, they end up falling for each other. Another great comedy from Carole.

NOTHING SACRED (1937) As doomed Hazel Flagg, who thinks she is dying from radium poisoning, Carole is excellent. Fredric March is on hand as the reporter covering her story who begins to like her. Who knew that the subject of death would make such a great comedy. Well it does.

NO MAN OF HER OWN (1932) Future husband and wife Carole and Clark Gable are perfect together as a librarian and a card cheat who find out they are attracted to one another. Carole is a gas as the wild but lonely librarian while Gable is well Gable, the best there is, just oozing charm with effortless ease.

MADE FOR EACH OTHER (1939) Sentimental film that paired Lombard with Jimmy Stewart as a young couple who deal with adversity. There is some comedy mixed in with the drama and once again Carole shows she has range.

VIGIL IN THE NIGHT (1940) Straight drama that has Carole playing a nurse who has to deal with all kinds of difficulties. A different kind of film for Carole that she manages to pull off. Not an easy role for her to have played.

So there you have, ten of my favorite Carole Lombard films. I could have kept going and going but needed a cut off point. But I also love The Princess Comes Across, Supernatural, White Woman, and We're Not Dressing. Plus there are a few of her films that I have not seen like No One Man and I Take This Woman. I gotta get started on those.

Jeanne Crain: Classic Movie Goddess of the month Part 3

Here are my favorite Jeanne Crain films, or her essential must see films. Either way, I recommend them strongly.

HOME IN INDIANA (1944) This is Jeanne's first credited movie role and she is terrific as Char Bruce, a tomboyish young girl who loves horses and and young troubled boy. A picturesque film with solid co-stars in Walter Brennan, Charlotte Greenwood, and June Haver. Crain was a fresh faced 18 year old when cast in this film.

STATE FAIR (1945) Another homespun family film with Jeanne now as the leading lady. While this may not be my favorite of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, State Fair is still a really good movie with Jeanne showing signs she is about to become a breakout star.

LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (1946) Classic 40's melodrama that is mainly remembered for the unforgettable performance of Gene Tierney as the woman who does just about anything to keep her marriage intact. But Jeanne Crain gives a solid performance as Gene's younger sister. Grand Hollywood stuff.

APARTMENT FOR PEGGY (1948) A very underrated film which has Jeanne as a young mother to be who helps a old man (Edmund Gwenn) get over his suicidal tendencies. A very different kind of film which tackled the very serious issue of suicide. Jeanne gave one of her best performances ever. Co-starring William Holden as her husband.

A LETTER TO THREE WIVES (1949) Great drama focusing on three women who must deal with the fact that one of their husband has ran off with another woman and the details are left in a letter addressed to all three. Jeanne shares billing with Ann Sothern and Linda Darnell and they all give terrific performances.

PINKY (1949) Terrific film with three amazing performances by the three women: Jeanne, Ethel Barrymore and Ethel Waters. In this drama, Jeanne plays Pinky, a light skinned black woman, who returns to her grandmother's house in the South after graduating from a Northern nursing school. She was able to pass as a white woman and had to problems up north. But once back home, she has to deal with racism all over again. All three women were nominated for Oscars for their performances: Jeanne with a Best Actress and the two Ethels each received Best Supporting Actress nods. None of them won, but the fact they were all nominated shows how good a film this is.

CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN (1950)  based on the real-life story of the Gilbreth family, follows them from Providence, Rhode Island, to Montclair, New Jersey, and details the amusing anecdotes found in large families. Co-starring Clifton Webb, Myrna Loy and Edgar Buchanan. Charming movie.

My Favorite Barbara Stanwyck Movies - Classic Movie Goddess of the Month

As the month of December comes to a close, now is the time for me to list my favorite Barbara Stanwyck films, or essentials if you will, that showcase Babs at her very best. I have enjoyed posting about Barbara all month long as she has been on my favorite classic movie goddesses. So without delay, here we go.

CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945) This is not only my favorite Babs movie, but my favorite Christmas movie as well. She is awesome as Elizabeth Lane, a food columnist who is no Martha Stewart, but a fake. She is asked by her magazine's owner to entertain a returning soldier with a home cooked meal and to show off her home-making abilities. This is a great comedic showcase for Stanwyck and she doesn't disappoint. Plus she looks stunning in every scene.

THE LADY EVE (1941) One of Preston Sturges best screwball comedies ever. Barb is perfect as a glamorous cardshark who sets her sights on wealthy Henry Fonda. Mistaken identity and comical situations ensue. Great stuff.

DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944) Babs is hot to trot as sexy housewife Phyllis Dietrichson, who ensnares insurance agent Fred MacMurray into murdering her husband. Terrific film noir and Stanwyck gets to show that she still knows how to make these potboiler of a movie, like she used to do back in the 30's. Solid direction by Billy Wilder.

GOLDEN BOY (1939) This is more of a showcase for newcomer William Holden as a young man torned between boxing and music. But Babs is pretty good too as the woman he falls for. More of a drama than a boxing film, Golden Boy introduces the world to Holden and shows Stanwyck how easy it is for her to display her legendary acting talents.

STELLA DALLAS (1937) When you think of supreme tearjerkers, a few come to mind like Dark Victory and Imitation Of Life. Add Stella Dallas to that list as Babs gives an Oscar nominated performance as a mother who sacrifices everything for her daughter. Babs should have won the Oscar that year.

BABY FACE (1933) Babs is a young woman uses her body and her sexuality to help her climb the social ladder, but soon begins to wonder if her new status will ever bring her happiness. One of Stanwyck's earliest roles and it's a showstopper. And Baby Face was one of the more racier films released during this time period with Babs at her most sexiest.

BALL OF FIRE (1941) Babs is a hoot as singer Sugarpuss O'Shea who hides out with Professor Bertram Potts (Gary Cooper) and his colleagues from her mobster boyfriend. Another great role for Babs as she gets to sing and dance and just be awesome.

THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS (1946) One of my personal favorites and one of the best casts in film history with Babs leading the way as ruthless Martha Ivers who pretty much runs the town she lives in with her husband (introducing Kirk Douglas). The problem arises when her ex-boyfriend (Van Heflin) shows up to stir things up. That is when he's not romancing Lizabeth Scott. Martha Ivers is a great film that not too many people have seen. You have to check it out if you're one of them.

SORRY, WRONG NUMBER (1948) One of Babs later roles shows her portraying an invalid woman who overhears what she thinks is a plot to murder her. Babs is riveting in this exciting thriller, co-starring Burt Lancaster.

REMEMBER THE NIGHT (1940) Another Christmas classic with Babs as shoplifter Lee Leander, who falls in love with her prosecutor (Fred MacMurray) while bonding over the Christmas holidays. Just compare Stanwyck and MacMurray 4 years later when they teamed up again for Double Indemnity. Talk about range.


So, there you have it, ten of Babs best and my favorites. Honorable mentions to Meet John Doe (1941), Union Pacific (1939), The Mad Miss Manton (1938), and Executive Suite (1954) with her and William Holden reuniting after Golden Boy.