Star of the day: Humphrey Bogart poll

31 Days of March and our star of the day poll series continues with today's choice being Humphrey Bogart.

Round 4: Era Finales

Now we get to the exciting part. 4 matches and 8 actors left for the 2nd Annual Favorite Classic Movie Actor Tourney. One match per era to decide who will represent the final four. The two matches taking place here are the 40's and 60's era finales while my good friend John at Mythical Monkey handles the 30's and 50's era. Here's the link to his awesome blog: mythicalmonkey
These matches will run through Friday afternoon and then the final four will begin on Saturday. 

Eight Couples move on to Round 3

Here are the four matches that will begin on Sunday with the 8 couples that are remaining in the Favorite Classic Couple Tourney. All Good Things will host the Elaine Marriott and Erenia Russo brackets while Desiree will host the Josie Miller and Catherine Bellamy brackets on her blog, Rosalind Russell. The matches will run through Thursday evening. You will notice that three of the four matches feature match ups between the number 1 and 2 seeds. The underdog couple Rosalind Russell and Robert Montgomery, ranked 6th, are defying the odds and look to continue their upset streak.

THE ELAINE MARRIOTT BRACKET

1 FRED ASTAIRE AND GINGER ROGERS

VS

2 ERROL FLYNN AND OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND

***************

THE ERENIA RUSSO BRACKET

1 HUMPHREY BOGART AND LAUREN BACALL

VS

2 CARY GRANT AND IRENE DUNNE

**************

THE JOSIE MILLER BRACKET

1 WILLIAM POWELL AND MYRNA LOY

VS

6 ROSALIND RUSSELL AND ROBERT MONTGOMERY

**************

THE CATHERINE BELLAMY BRACKET

1 SPENCER TRACY AND KATHARINE HEPBURN

VS

2 NELSON EDDY AND JEANETTE MACDONALD

It's Tourney Time again!

Next month yields a new tournament that me and my friend Desiree are hosting. It's called The Favorite Classic Movie Screen Couples. That's right 32 of your favorite on screen couples will duke it out for the crown.We compiled a list of 32 couples from TCM's book, Leading Couples and from our own personal choices. So there are some couples that didn't make the cut like Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler. But I think we got the top ones selected. Why 32 you may ask? Well so things will break down evenly. It was either 32 or 64 and there was not enough couples to get that high. So 32 it is. We broke them down into four brackets and chose the top seed couple for each. As you can tell by the banner above who the top four couples are. Here is the complete list of all 32 couples that are competing. I will have 2 of the brackets and Desiree will handle the other two on her blog, Rosalind Russell. Oh and a big thank you to my friend Josie Miller who made that wonderful banner! The fun begins Sunday, November 3rd! I will have the match selections posted before then.

1 FRED ASTAIRE & GINGER ROGERS

2 OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND & ERROL FLYNN

3 CARY GRANT & KATHARINE HEPBURN

4 CLARK GABLE & JEAN HARLOW

5 JAMES STEWART & JEAN ARTHUR

6 CARY GRANT & MYRNA LOY

7 RITA HAYWORTH & GLENN FORD

8 ESTHER WILLIAMS & VAN JOHNSON

1 HUMPHREY BOGART & LAUREN BACALL

2 CARY GRANT & IRENE DUNNE

3 GREER GARSON & WALTER PIDGEON

4 ELIZABETH TAYLOR & RICHARD BURTON

5 IRENE DUNNE & CHARLES BOYER

6 TONY CURTIS & JANET LEIGH

7 GARY COOPER & BARBARA STANWYCK

8 ALAN LADD & VERONICA LAKE

1 WILLIAM POWELL & MYRNA LOY

2 DORIS DAY & ROCK HUDSON

3 VIVIEN LEIGH & LAURENCE OLIVIER

4 GRETA GARBO & JOHN GILBERT

5 MARGARET SULLAVAN & JAMES STEWART

6 ROSALIND RUSSELL & ROBERT MONTGOMERY

7JOHN WAYNE & MAUREEN O’HARA

8 BETTE DAVIS & GEORGE BRENT

1 SPENCER TRACY & KATHARINE HEPBURN

2 JEANETTE MACDONALD & NELSON EDDY

3 PAUL NEWMAN & JOANNE WOODWARD

4 MICKEY ROONEY & JUDY GARLAND

5 CLARK GABLE & MYRNA LOY

6 ROSALIND RUSSELL & BRIAN AHERNE

7 TYRONE POWER & GENE TIERNEY

8 JOAN CRAWFORD & ROBERT MONTGOMERY

A word from Mr. Bogart

I have enlisted the aid of Humphrey Bogart for the 3rd Annual Favorite Classic Movie Actress Tourney. He will make sure everything is fair, no drama between the women competing and that there is no tampering taking place. For the last two years there have been at least one match where the voting in the polls were suspect. Don't know if it was the blogger site itself or some person or persons who manipulated the voting but Mr. Bogart is here to ask nicely...to keep things fair. This is all in fun and whoever wins..wins. I'm sure no one wants to get on Bogie's bad side.

Team Classic dominates another week as their lead grows in The Lombard Cup

Bogie shares a celebratory drink with Ingrid

Team Classic 8 1/2 points
Team Modern 1 1/2 points


Five matches and four wins by Team Classic over Team Modern to increase their lead in the first ever Lombard Cup. Team Modern did manage to tie them in one match to split a point. But now after two weeks, Team Classic has built up a commanding lead of 8 and 1/2 points to 1 and 1/2 for Team Modern. 

It's not looking good for the modern era of top actor at all. Humphrey Bogart and Sidney Poitier had the largest point of victory as Bogie ripped Al Pacino 20-6 and Sidney defeated Russell Crowe by the same count. Gregory Peck handled Liam Neeson 19-6. Burt Lancaster defeated George Clooney 17-8. The match that yielded the only tie was between John Wayne and Robert Downey Jr. They finished in a dead heat at 13-13. And there is no overtime in match play. Whatever the final score is that's it. So Team Classic will head into week three with a huge lead. But it's not completely over yet. Team Modern could rally and make it interesting. They still have some big guns left to that has yet to play. I will have week three matches listed by Saturday and then start them on Sunday. Thanks once again to all those who voted.

Wow..my guys are just rolling! Amazing!

Lombard Cup Week 2 Update - Bogie and company are leading big

Two days later and the same results: Team Classic leads in the same four matches. Humphrey Bogart leads Al Pacino 16-5. Sidney Poitier is taking care of Russell Crowe 15-6. Gregory Peck is easily beating Liam Neeson 15-6. And Burt Lancaster has a 13-7 point advantage over George Clooney. The sole match that Team Classic is losing is John Wayne down to Robert Downey Jr 11-10. Today is the last day of voting so please stop by to cast your vote for your favorite if you haven't already.

Tea Anyone: Lizabeth Scott and Humphrey Bogart

Lizabeth and Humphrey enjoying a spot of tea on the set of

Dead Reckoning

A big thank you to Lauren Bacall for being this month's Classic Movie Goddess

It's time for us to say good-bye to Lauren Bacall who made a fabulous classic movie goddess this month. I had a great time writing about her all month long and wished she could have stayed longer. But alas, she has to make way for Jean Harlow, who is arriving shortly. But I will probably have Ms. Bacall back for a return engagement if she is ok with that.

I think Lauren is a little shocked her time as Classic Movie Goddess is over...

well I'm sure she will have a good time with Bogie and Marilyn

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

Bogart defeats Cagney in latest match play 20-12

In a battle of tough guys, Humphrey Bogart defeated James Cagney 20-12 in the latest match play. While Cagney jumped out to an early lead and great fan support, it was Bogie who prevailed in the end. Bogart improves his record to 3-1 while Cagney falls to 2-2. Thanks to all those who voted and a new match will be up and running within a few days.

Bogie in a self-congratulatory moment

Classic Stars Match Play #14 - Bogie vs Cagney...this could get messy

A pair of tough guys look to mix it up for the next match play: Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney. Should be explosive. Both men have a lot in common. Both were born in December in 1899. Both hail from New York. Both have 3 Oscar nominations and 1 win each. Both made a career out of playing tough guys. And both share the same match play record of 2-1. The match begins immediately and runs thru Sunday 5 pm est. Good luck to both gentlemen.

HUMPHREY BOGART

Bogie means business

Name: Humphrey DeForest Bogart
Birth Date: December 25, 1899 (New York City, USA)
Height: 5' 8"
Academy Awards: 3 nominations, 1 win (Best Actor: The African Queen - 1951)
Monties: 3 nominations, 1 win (Best Actor: To Have And Have Not - 1944)
My favorite Bogart film: The Big Sleep (1946)
Match Play record: 2-1 (beat Gene Kelly and Henry Fonda before losing to Jimmy Stewart in the
40's era of the favorite classic actor tournament)

CLASSIC STARS MATCH PLAY

JAMES CAGNEY

As does Cagney...

Name: James Francis Cagney
Birth date: July 17, 1899 (New York City, USA)
Height: 5' 6 1/2"
Academy Awards: 3 nominations, 1 win (Best Actor: Yankee Doodle Dandy - 1942)
Monties: 2 nominations, 0 wins so far (Angels with Dirty Faces-1938 and Yankee Doodle Dandy-1942)
My favorite Cagney film: White Heat
Match Play record: 2-1 (beat Rudolph Valentino and Fred Astaire before losing to Clark Gable in the  30's era of the favorite classic actor tournament)

THE MONTIES: 1944 - Screwball comedy and film noir dominate this year...

For 1944, we have some veteran directors (Capra, Hawks, Sturges), top stars (Cary Grant, Barbara Stanwyck, Claudette Colbert, Humphrey Bogart) and notable films (Double Indemnity, Since You Went Away, The Woman In The Window, Laura) competing for the top prize called the Monties.

BEST FILM
winner: Arsenic and Old Lace
nominees: To Have And Have Not; Double Indemnity; None But The Lonely Heart; The Woman In The Window; The Miracle Of Morgan's Creek; Laura; Lifeboat; Since You Went Away; Sunday Dinner For A Soldier; The Uninvited
Thoughts: The first Frank Capra film to win a Montie and it's one of my top ten favorite films of all time. Marks yet another Cary Grant film to land a Montie bringing that total to 5. As you can see, it was a nice mix of comedies, film noir and dramas to make the nomination list. Notably absent is the Oscar winner for 1944, Going My Way, as it is not one of my fave films.

Wait, say that again..slowly

BEST DIRECTOR
winner: Frank Capra (Arsenic and Old Lace)
nominees: Billy Wilder (Double Indemnity); Fritz Lang (The Woman in the Window); Preston Sturges (The Miracle of Morgan's Creek); Howard Hawks (To Have and Have Not)
Thoughts: The fourth time was the charm as Frank Capra finally wins his first Montie for directing. He was previously nominated for Mr. Deeds Goes To Town, You Can't Take It With You, and Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. It was close, as he just edged out Preston Sturges who did an equally memorable directing turn for The Miracle of Morgan's Creek.

Frank feeling pretty good after winning his first Montie

BEST WRITER - new category
winner: Preston Sturges (The Miracle Of Morgan's Creek)
nominees: Raymond Chandler and Billy Wilder (Double Indemnity); John Steinbeck (Lifeboat); Jules Furthman and William Faulkner (To Have and Have Not); J.H. Wallis and Nunnally Johnson (The Woman in the Window)
Thoughts: I decided to add writing as a category and 1944 yielded some top notch writing jobs. The other nominees were of the thriller and film noir variety but it was a screwball comedy that gets the Montie: Preston Sturges for his extremely hilarious Morgan's Creek.

Preston keeping his cool upon learning of his win

BEST ACTOR
winner: Humphrey Bogart (To Have And Have Not)
nominees: Cary Grant (None But The Lonely Heart); Edward G. Robinson (The Woman in the Window); Fred MacMurray (Double Indemnity); Eddie Bracken (The Miracle of Morgan's Creek)
Thoughts: Bogie wins his first Montie for his solid performance as the tough yet tender Harry Morgan. Yes I liked him here more than I did in Casablanca. This film allowed him to show his emotions on the outside and his chemistry with Lauren Bacall was perfection. Cary Grant did a wonderful job outside his normal safe comedy zone with None But The Lonely Heart but I think Bogie edges past him by a hair.

Now that you won a Montie, let's go celebrate

BEST ACTRESS
winner: Lauren Bacall (To Have And Have Not)
nominees: Joan Bennett (The Woman in the Window); Barbara Stanwyck (Double Indemnity); Claudette Colbert (Since You Went Away); Betty Hutton (The Miracle of Morgan's Creek); Hedy Lamarr (Experiment Perilous)
Thoughts: What a film debut for 19-year old Lauren Bacall as Marie "Slim" Browning, the young woman who craves adventure and causes Bogie to fall head over heels in love with her. Out of all the categories for this year, this was the easiest choice to make. Bacall was amazing in her debut film performance.

Yeah I think this acting thing is going to work out nicely

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
winner: Diana Lynn (The Miracle Of Morgan's Creek)
nominees: Ethel Barrymore (None But The Lonely Heart); Ruth Hussey (The Uninvited); Jean Adair (Arsenic and Old Lace); Josephine Hull (Arsenic and Old Lace)
Thoughts: As the wise beyond her teen-ager years, Diana Lynn was awesome as Emmy Kockenlocker. Sister to Betty Hutton, she was able to dispense sound advice and keep her dad in check. A marvelous performance.

Cheer up girls...this is a festive occasion

OK, that's better Diana

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
winner: Edward G. Robinson (Double Indemnity)
nominees: Raymond Massey (Arsenic and Old Lace); Clifton Webb (Laura); William DeMarest (The Miracle of Morgan's Creek); Joseph Cotten (Since You Went Away)
Thoughts: The venerable Edward G. Robinson wins his first Montie with his strong performance as insurance investigator Barton Keyes, who really is the best thing in this superb film.

You two ain't fooling me...which one of you took my Montie?

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
winner: The Uninvited
nominees: Laura; Double Indemnity; Lifeboat; Meet Me In St. Louis; Home In Indiana
Thoughts: Another new category is cinematography. I know the academy Awards split this into two: color and black and white but I decided to make it just one. And while Home In Indiana is just a gorgeous film to look at in all that glorious color, I found The Uninvited to be just as fantastic with it's almost dreamlike world in black and white.

The beautifully shot film, The Uninvited

So that wraps up another Monties presentation. Would love to hear everyone's feedback on my selections and what did you think of the new categories I added. Will be back soon with the year that was 1945.

*Please note that I just found out while To Have And Have Not was a 1944 production, it was not released until January 1945. But I decided to keep it as part of 1944 anyway. I don't want to make things too technical here. Just keep things fun and light. Arsenic and Old Lace is an entirely different story. While filmed in 1941, it did not see the light of day until 1944.

NOTABLE FILMS THAT I HAVE NOT SEEN FOR THIS YEAR:

GASLIGHT
DRAGON SEED
MRS. PARKINGTON
CASANOVA BROWN
THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO
I'LL BE SEEING YOU

My Favorite Things I Love About Lauren Bacall

A new month means a new classic movie goddess and my favorite things that I love about her. This month it's Lauren Bacall and here are some of the things I love so much about her.

1. Of course that deep, smoky voice of hers sounds like music to my ears.

2. I love her name Lauren Bacall, but I also love her birth name of Betty Joan Perske.

3. Her cat-like eyes.


4. Her pairings with real life husband, Humphrey Bogart. They had undeniable chemistry. Just watch them work their magic in To Have and Have Not, The Big Sleep, Dark Passage and Key Largo.

5. Her easy going delivery in her films just made it so enjoyable to watch her onscreen.


6. I love the fact that she always spoke her mind, never minced her words. In some people that may come off as arrogance but with Lauren it was just the truth.

7. Another great dresser with impeccable taste in clothes.

8. She has a very beautiful smile. And seems always full of life.

9. One of my favorite film characters of all time is her Marie "Slim" Browning.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD STYLE

Just a Happy New Year from me does not carry that much weight, so I asked some of my friends to lend a hand. They responded quite well. Happy New Year everyone!

Clara and her friends from THE WILD PARTY definitely know how

to bring New Year's in the right way

It can't be a party without Nick and Nora Charles

I think Ann Dvorak may have started a little early

Joan making plans as we speak

Lauren and Humphrey enjoying a quiet New Year's together

Joan and Constance going the costume way

Even rivals Bette and Miriam put past grievances aside to celebrate

Ummm Esther...why did you bring a clown?

Greta doesn't do events like this, so she decided to stay home and have a

private little dinner

And of course some guy has to hit on Marilyn

Debbie, Shirley and Ann let us know it's time..

When it's all said and done, what a party...hey it's my girl Carole down at the bottom right corner!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!