Round 3 matches in Classic Film Couples Tourney now up and running...

Here we go with round 3 matches. These matches will run through Sunday afternoon. Good luck everyone.

Second round of matches in Classic Film Couples Tourney now underway

Here we go with the next set of matches in the Classic Film Couples Tourney. These matches will run through Wednesday afternoon.

February brings Favorite Classic Film Couples Tourney...first set of matches now underway

A new month and a new tourney. Just in time for Valentine's Day, comes The Favorite Classic Film Couples Tourney. 12 films have chosen their 12 favorite couples and will compete in 12 matches over the course of this month.  Broken down into three categories: couples, films, and photos. The first 4 rounds focus on the couples themselves as they will face off against each other for the first 4 matches. Round 1 runs through Monday at noon. Good luck to everyone.

MacEddy fans rejoice!

Nothing like a little celebratory cake....

It's official...Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald are the favorite classic screen couple after defeating favored couple Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers by the count of 85-31 in the final match of the favorite classic screen couple tourney. MacEddy, as they are affectionately known by their fans defied odds all tourney long after they kept knocking off perennial revered couples such as Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn and William Powell and Myrna Loy. Maybe now more classic film lovers will see how popular MacEddy were and still are to this day. And their names can be said along with those other greats with just as much importance and love. The fans of MacEddy showed up and supported the couple from the first round of this tourney and kept the mojo going through it all, finally taking down Fred and Ginger. Thanks to all those who voted and I loved teaming up with my great friend Desiree to put on this cool tourney!

The Favorite Classic Screen Couples Tourney is now underway...

I have started half of the favorite classic actress tourney with 8 matches on my blog here. Desiree will have her 8 matches up later on this morning as she lives in California and there is a big time difference as I live in Georgia. But rest assured every match will get the equal amount of time as the matches are set to run through Thursday evening. You can vote on the polls on the right sidebar, one vote per match. Here is the link to go vote on Desiree's page once she has her matches going as well...http://www.rozrussell.com/

Good luck to all the couples who are competing as this will be a fun month! I will post updates daily to let everyone know how the matches are going.

Great On Screen Couples - Errol Flynn & Olivia de Havilland

This legendary couple appeared in 8 films together from 1935 to 1941, all for Warner Bros. They made a varied mix of swashbucklers, westerns, comedy, and period films. Their first pairing came in the rousing Captain Blood (1935), which was Flynn's first starring role, making him an overnight sensation. Olivia had already appeared in three films prior to Captain Blood. I've seen this film twice and it's a beaut. Terrific action sequences and the undeniable chemistry of Flynn and de Havilland on full display. Olivia beat out Jean Arthur and Bette Davis for the role of Arabella Bishop and the rest is history. Blood was so successful Warner Bros quickly paired the duo up the next year for The Charge Of The Light Brigade.

Set in 1854 India, the film had Flynn cast as a British officer fighting the Russians in The Crimean War. Olivia plays Flynn's fiancee. I have yet to see this film so I can't critique on it. But it sounds interesting. For their next film together would be their masterpiece, The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). Everyone knows the legend of Hood and Flynn was positively electric as the dashing archer. Olivia was equally as good as Maid Marian. Everything came together for this entertaining film. To this day, I still say this is the most vibrant and gorgeous looking film ever made. And one of the best music scores in history.

Screwball comedy was in it's heyday during this time and Warner Bros decided to pair up Errol and Olivia for one called Four's A Crowd (1938). This is another of the duo's films that I have yet to see and since screwball comedy is my favorite genre, I am hankering to see it.

I did see their next film though, the terrific western Dodge City (1939). And let me tell ya something, Errol looks just as comfortable firing six shooters like he does shooting a bow and arrow or swordplay. Dodge City is one of the best westerns ever made and solidified Flynn and de Havilland as one of the premiere on screen couples in film.

They switched gears for their next film, with the historial drama The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex. And while this is not solely a Flynn and De Havilland production because of Bette Davis top billed role, this film showed that Errol and Olivia could make just about any type of film.

When Santa Fe Trail (1940) debuted, it marked the pair's seventh outing and it was another huge success. While it was a very entertaining western, I liked Dodge City more. Santa Fe did have an outstanding supporting cast of newcomers such as Ronald Reagan and Van Heflin.

And lastly, for their final film together, came 1941's They Died With Their Boots On, an film based on General George Custer and his infamous last stand. Another western and another solid hit. At this point, Olivia's star was rising and she wanted more starring roles, so the pair parted ways after a successful 8 film run. They firmly established themselves as the ideal romantic leads of Hollywood period adventures. No doubt. And while Olivia went on to have a successful career post Flynn, he was not as fortunate. Still but before his career ended, he did turn in two top notch performances in The Sun Also Rises (1957) and Too Much, Too Soon (1958). But we will always have those 8 wonderful films he and Olivia did. Nothing can ever change that.

Great On Screen Couples - Irene Dunne & Cary Grant

Me and Dawn decided to post our favorite on screen couples for the month of February on Noir & Chick Flicks just in time for Valentine's. I will be re-posting my choices here on my blog. My first couple is also my favorite screen couple of all time: Irene Dunne and Cary Grant.

You know Cary Grant is my favorite actor of all time and he has paired with some of the most legendary actresses of all time. And they all usually have great chemistry with the debonair chap. But for me, his best on screen partner has to be Irene Dunne. They made three films together, 2 screwball comedies and 1 drama. The first film they made together was 1937's wonderfully wicked comedy, The Awful Truth which cast the twosome as a married couple going through a divorce. This is one of the earliest of the screwball comedies and while it may be rough around the edges in some scenes, it's one of the funniest films I have ever seen. And Grant and Dunne are perfect together in their first outing. Their constant plans to sabotage each other's chances at remarriage will have you gasping and laughing the whole time. And check out Irene's wonderfully screwy performance. I believe the great Katherine Hepburn must have saw this film and had to base her performance in Bringing Up Baby on Irene's terrific role of Lucy Warriner. Or is it just me?

Cary and Irene worked so well in The Awful Truth, they had to be paired up for another wonderful screwball comedy in 1940's My Favorite Wife, which I enjoyed even more than I did The Awful Truth. Once again the two play a married couple, with a slight difference. After being lost at sea for 7 years and declared dead Ellen Arden (Irene) returns home to find her husband Nick (Cary) remarried to Bianca (the wonderfully underrated Gail Patrick). So Nick has a huge problem to deal with. Who to choose: Ellen or Bianca? Once again Irene Dunne steals the show but her chemistry with Cary is also once again perfect. Their comic timing by now is a match made in heaven.

For their third and final film together, Irene and Cary made the tearjerker/comedy Penny Serenade (1941) which gave the twosome an opportunity to flex their dramatic muscles as a couple who faces one crisis after another once they get married after a short courtship. There is some humor in this film to keep things from getting too dark and depressing and Cary gets to give one of his best screen performances ever. His scene with the judge arguing to keep his adopted daughter in his care is heartbreaking and touching. Serenade was the last film Irene and Cary would do together and they go out with another great film. I know Cary had several other wonderful screen pairings beside Irene like with Myrna Loy, Grace Kelly, and Deborah Kerr. But for me, it's his pairings with Irene that were the best of his team ups. And I would say the same for Irene as she never had a better partner than Cary Grant.