Shirley Temple and Teresa Wright go to overtime in the 40's era bracket

Yesterday in the 40's era portion of the tourney, Teresa Wright and Shirley Temple battled to a tie, with each getting 32 votes. Kristen has a tie-breaker poll question going on her blog to settle which actress will be moving on. Here's the link to go cast your vote: http://journeysinclassicfilm.com/

Little Miss Marker(1934).

This is a thank you post for Monty, for all his hard work on the resent blogathon.

 Little Miss Marker(1934). Drama directed by Alexander Hall. Cast: Shirley Temple, Adolphe Menjou and Dorothy Dell.

The story begins when, Bookie Jones, holds a cute little girl as a I.O.U., for her father's bet on the horse "Dream Prince." Big Steve Halloway, who owns "Dream Prince" and the Horse Shoe Cabaret, gets his gang to bet on "Dream Prince" to lose. Steve, wants the horse to win and asks Jones to lend him ten thousand dollars to place his bet.

Later that day, Steve learns that he is under investigation and that the little girl's father committed suicide. The gang decides to make Martha Jane, owner of "Dream Prince" so they can race the horse without anyone knowing who really owns the horse.

Martha Jane, is thrilled to have a horse of her own, because it reminds her of the bedtime stories that her mother read to her before she died and she has fun naming the men after the knights of the Round Table. After, Steve leaves for Chicago to place his bets, his girl friend Bangles, orders new clothes for Martha Jane.



Bangles, hides Martha Jane when the police come looking for her. Bangles' maid informs Steve that Bangles is seeing Jones behind his back. Steve returns, to find everyone dressed as knights of the Round Table.

When Martha Jane rides "Dream Prince," Steve causes the horse to rear and it throws Martha Jane off. Jones, rushes her to the hospital and finds the best children's surgeon to operate on her. After Steve gives a life-saving blood transfusion he leaves and Jones destroys the speed ball, saving "Dream Prince".

Fun Fact:

Adolphe Menjou was having difficulty with a particular line in the script. After the prompting of others on the set, Shirley Temple turned to director Alexander Hall and asked, "Is it too late to replace Mr. Menjou on this picture?"

Shirley Temple, became a movie star in her performance in the, LITTLE MISS MARKER and became the most popular performer in Hollywood for the next five years. With her talent she would save a place for herself in film history.

Dorothy Dell (January 30, 1915 – June 8, 1934). Wanting to become a singer, she was discovered by composer Wesley Lord and signed a radio contract. She began entering and winning beauty pageants and at the age of 15 won the title of "Miss New Orleans" in 1930. That same year she attended the International Pageant of Pulchritude in Galveston, Texas, and won. She established a successful vaudeville act and decided to enter the vaudeville circuit, because she believed it would help her friend Dorothy Lamour rise to fame, a promise she had made to her friend.

One night, she sang at a benefit and was discovered by Florenz Ziegfeld, who arranged for her to appear on Broadway in the Ziegfeld Follies, and she followed this success with her role in, Tattle Tales(1933).

She moved to Hollywood in December 1933 and was signed to a contract by Paramount Pictures. Initially being contracted for bit parts, she won her first film role in, Wharf Angel (1934). The film was a success and Paramount began to consider her as a potential star. Her most important and substantial role followed in the Shirley Temple film, Little Miss Marker.

Her next film, Shoot the Works led to comparisons with Mae West and her rendition of, "With My Eyes Wide Open, I'm Dreaming" in the film became a hit record. Paramount scheduled her to play opposite Gary Cooper and Shirley Temple in, Now and Forever in what was to have been her first major starring role as a romantic lead.

On June 8, 1934, Dell went on a car ride to Pasadena with Dr. Carl Wagner, because he thought she needed some time for relaxation between retakes of the film, Shoot the Works. Unfortunately, the car left the highway, hit a telephone pole, bounced off a palm tree and hit a boulder. Dell was killed instantly. Wagner, who was driving between 50 and 70 miles an hour, died six hours later in a hospital.

FUNNY LADIES/SINGERS AND DANCERS DAY TWO UPDATE

Everything is just humming along smoothly in the tourney as most of the top seeds are easily winning their respective matches, but there are a few close ones. In fact there are two matches currently tied. Here are the numbers after the second day of voting in the funny ladies and singers/dancers categories.


SILENT/30'S ERA

CAROLE LOMBARD 73 GAIL PATRICK 14
MYRNA LOY 70 MARGARET DUMONT 10
JEAN HARLOW 63 MARIE DRESSLER 15
JEAN ARTHUR 64 MARGARET SULLAVAN 14
IRENE DUNNE 74 LUISE RAINER 7
HATTIE MCDANIEL 43 SHIRLEY TEMPLE 38
GINGER ROGERS 51 JOANN BLONDELL 27
JEANETTE MACDONALD 44 MAE WEST 36


All the top seeds are rolling in this first round. Carole Lombard, Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow, Ginger Rogers, Jean Arthur (who missed out on last year's tourney, but is making up for it now) and defending champion Irene Dunne are just destroying their opponents. Especially Irene who is up 74-7 over two-time Oscar winner Luise Rainer. The close match is between Shirley Temple and Hattie McDaniel. McDaniel currently has a slight 5 point edge


THE 1940'S ERA

Here's Lucy!

ROSALIND RUSSELL 54 JEANNE CRAIN 7
JANE WYMAN 37 DONNA REED 30
LUCILLE BALL 47 MAUREEN O'HARA 28
EVE ARDEN 31 TERESA WRIGHT 23
JUDY GARLAND 53 MARGARET O'BRIEN 8
BETTY GRABLE 32 JUNE ALLYSON 23
RITA HAYWORTH 42 HEDY LAMARR 16
ANN MILLER 29 VIRGINIA MAYO 21


This era has some much closer matches. Jane Wyman and Donna Reed are battling it out big time with Wyman currently holding a 7 point edge. Eve Arden is up by 8 points over Teresa Wright. Betty Grable is leading June Allyson by 9. Ann Miller is up by 8 over Virginia Mayo. Top seed Rosalind Russell though is destroying Jeanne Crain 54-7. Someone should call for the mercy rule. And in the battle of the redheads, Lucille Ball fell behind early to Maureen O'Hara by as many as 8 points as now surged to lead by nearly 20. I guess the phrase 'I Love Lucy' is definitively most true.


THE 1950'S ERA

Debbie is rolling over Jane Powell

DORIS DAY 42 JANE RUSSELL 22
VERA-ELLEN 26 LESLIE CARON 26
DEBBIE REYNOLDS 38 JANE POWELL 19
CYD CHARISSE 42 DOROTHY DANDRIDGE 14
JUDY HOLLIDAY 42 PIER ANGELI 10
JANET LEIGH 46 JAYNE MANSFIELD 12
MARILYN MONROE 49 JOANNE WOODWARD 12
THELMA RITTER 45 EVA MARIE SAINT 14


We have one tie currently between Vera-Ellen (first time competing) and Leslie Caron (who got bounced in the first round last year). Looks like that match will go down to the wire. But the other matches are blow-outs. Top seed Doris Day is competing in the 50's era this year and loving it. She played in the 60's era last year. Different eras, same results as she is whipping Jane Russell 42-22. Another transfer from the 60's, Janet Leigh is having little trouble too in her match with Jayne Mansfield. She is up by 34 points.


THE 60'S ERA

First timer Hayley Mills is proving she deserves to be

here as she is winning over Tuesday Weld

JULIE ANDREWS 46 JEANNE MOREAU 12
SHIRLEY JONES 33 RITA MORENO 22
SHIRLEY MACLAINE 43 EDIE ADAMS 15
ANN-MARGRET 31 RAQUEL WELCH 22
NATALIE WOOD 46 STELLA STEVENS 8
HAYLEY MILLS 32 TUESDAY WELD 20
JANE FONDA 39 PATTY DUKE 13
SANDRA DEE 31 GLYNIS JOHNS 22


Top seed Julie Andrews is winning  big over Jeanne Moreau as expected. The other top seed Natalie Wood is having no trouble either in her match with Stella Stevens. Ann-Margret vs Raquel Welch and Sandra Dee vs Glynis Johns both have the same scores...31-22 with Ann and Sandra leading. Should go down to the wire.


These matches will run through tonight and if there is a tie along the way, a tie-breaker match will take place tomorrow for one day only to see who will move on to round 2.

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!

HOLIDAY CHEER - SHIRLEY TEMPLE

The ever cute Shirley Temple