March Madness #30 HENRY FONDA

Welcome to ALL GOOD THINGS! It's MARCH MADNESS! Visit daily to see a classic film Super-Star of the day - a personality renowned for portraying the really, really B.A.D. and also the sweetest-dearest-most darling!

Day #29 results: SUSAN HAYWARD Voters responded enthusiastically yesterday with 53 total votes. Lion-hearted BATHSHEBA won the day 29 votes to 24 for JANE FROMAN, that dear.

TODAY the spotlight shines on HENRY FONDA - another Hollywood MEGA-Superstar actor, and the father of an acting dynasty with his daughter, Jane and son, Peter, who's children are in "the biz", too. Early on Henry was a dashing debonair leading man, and with maturity relished roles that let him show his Lion-hearted side: bravery, strength of character and in some roles, he was a real menace.
Which of HENRY's character types do YOU prefer? Gentle as a LAMB? Or, Bold as a Lion?

March Madness #29: SUSAN HAYWARD

Welcome to ALL GOOD THINGS! It's MARCH MADNESS! Visit daily to see a classic film Super-Star of the day - a personality renowned for portraying the really, really B.A.D. and also the sweetest-dearest-most darling!

Day #28 results: KARL MALDEN fans prefer his gentler side. "Mitch" Mitchell ("Streetcar Named Desire") made a clean-sweep 26 - 9 over Archie Lee / "Baby Doll".

TODAY the spotlight shines on SUSAN HAYWARD, one of Hollywoods glamour-girls, who turned out many many movies and wasn't afraid to bring the tough-minded, courageous characters. but could be the epitome of feminine sweetness and charm.

Which of SUSAN's character types do YOU prefer?

Myrna Loy goes solo as detective DANNI CHURCH

Myrna as Danni Church

After playing devoted wife to William Powell in three Thin Man movies so far, Myrna Loy tries the detective game by herself. She is perfectly cast as Danni Church, a war widow, whose husband was a private detective before leaving for the war. When he gets killed in combat, Danni decides to continue the business, Church Detective Agency. She recruits former policeman Mike Tracy (played by Brian Aherne) and they handle cases ranging from cheating spouses to missing persons. When Danni's college room-mate Gloria Morgan (Mary Astor) comes calling because she thinks her husband James (Patric Knowles) is having an affair. So Danni starts snooping and does find that James is having an affair with the much younger Stella Moore (a break-out performance by Susan Hayward). But James is also involved with some nefarious types and soon goes missing. Danni believes foul play but everyone else suspects he is just with Stella. So she and Mike begins knocking down doors, looking for answers. They first corner Eddie the Snitch (Elisha Cook Jr) before meeting crime boss Serrano (Joseph Calleia). This is good twisty film noir with ample amount of humor. Myrna Loy rocks as Danni Church, dropping one liners and getting tough when needed. Check out her tense confrontation with Stella in a bar:

Susan Hayward as Stella

Danni: Ms. Moore?
Stella: yes...
Danni: I'm a friend of Gloria Morgan..
Stella: sorry I don't know her
Danni: No I believe you know her husband James...
Stella: ahhhhhhh....so who are you? the loyal friend?
Danni: yes..and a detective. My name is Danni Church.
Stella: so are you lost or something? Or did Mrs. Morgan misplace James again?
Danni: You're a funny girl. Have you seen Mr. Morgan lately?
Stella: define lately...because if lately means last night...then yes. I tell ya what..go back and tell Mrs. Morgan that James will be home when he feels like it. Be a good little errand girl and do that for me..won't you?
Danni: You're a piece of work. But let me give you some advice. You seem smart and beautiful and can have anything in the world if you put your mind to it. Trust me when I say you and James will not last. Hope you have a nice day.

And with that Danni walks out leaving Stella looking mightily upset.

Brian Aherne as Mike

Mary Astor as Gloria

DANNI CHURCH (MGM, 1940)

Written by Jonathan Latimer
Directed by Howard Hawks

Cast:
Myrna Loy...................................Danni Church
Mary Astor..................................Gloria Morgan
Brian Aherne...............................Mike Tracy
Susan Hayward............................Stella Moore
Patric Knowles.............................James Morgan
Anne Shirley................................Debbie Church
Alan Hale....................................Police captain Ed Donnigan
Elisha Cook Jr.............................Eddie
Joseph Calleia.............................Serrano

This was the first in a proposed series of films but alas Myrna Loy could not fit another series into her schedule. She would return eventually in the sequel Danni Church: Family First (1949), with the stakes much higher as her sister Debbie goes missing.

This is another in my fantasy series..hope you guys liked it!

Here we go...the final six matches in the 2013 Lombard Cup...for all the marbles

TEAM CAROLE has 9 and 1/2 points
TEAM VERONICA has 5 and 1/2 points

Six matches this week will decide who gets to take The Lombard Cup home. Here we go...matches start tomorrow morning and run through Friday evening!

Match 16 
VIVIEN LEIGH (Team Carole)


















vs

BETTE DAVIS (Team Veronica)

**************************
Match 17
DEBORAH KERR (Team Carole)

vs


JANET LEIGH (Team Veronica)

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

Match 18
ANN SHERIDAN (Team Carole)

vs


ANN-MARGRET (Team Veronica)

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

Match 19
SUSAN HAYWARD (Team Carole)

vs


BARBARA STANWYCK (Team Veronica)

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

Match 20
AUDREY HEPBURN (Team Carole)

vs


ELIZABETH TAYLOR (Team Veronica)

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

Match 21
OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND (Team Carole)

vs


JOAN CRAWFORD (Team Veronica)

VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1967) is a pure delight

For this evening's movie I watched Valley of the Dolls (1967), a recent purchase from good old Amazon. I hadn't seen Dolls in over 15 years so it was like a new experience to me. And I know that most movie watchers regard it as trashy and campy. Me? I think it's awesome. And it's not like this film is not surrounded with a crazy amount of talent. Patty Duke...Oscar winner. Director Mark Robson, who has helmed such films as Peyton Place, The Inn Of Sixth Happiness, Von Ryan's Express, The Harder They Fall and My Foolish Heart to name just a few. Mega film composer John Williams (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Superman, Jaws). Another Oscar winner in Lee Grant. Rising star Sharon Tate, before her untimely death. The film debut of Richard Dreyfuss. And veteran film star Susan Hayward in one of her final roles. Add all that up and you have an insane amount of talent for a supposedly trash film. I for one never for an instance felt that it was anything less than a stellar drama that had me hooked from the opening title credits with the theme song performed by Dionne Warwick.

Wide eyed Anne on her way to New York

Based on Jacqueline Susann's real life experiences of being an actress from the late 30's to the late 50's who turned into quite the writer. The story focuses on three different young women all aiming to make it big in show business. Small town girl Anne Welles (played by Barbara Parkins) fresh out of college heads to New York and Broadway hoping to land an exciting job and a sophisticated man. She starts out as a secretary for a theatrical attorney. She will soon meet up with the other two young women of this film. One Miss Neely O'Hara (Patty Duke not holding back one bit as the star waiting in the wings of veteran Helen Lawson, played by Susan Hayward). And then there's Jennifer North (Sharon Tate) who knows where her talents lie...her body measurements. These three path's intersect all through-out the movie and it's quite a ride. 

Neely in a quieter moment

Neely in a not so quiet moment

Once Neely makes it big time, she becomes hooked on booze and pills..the pills are called dolls. And she goes thru the wringer, lashing out at everyone, suffering thru two failed marriages and spending time in a sanitarium. Anne ends up falling for agent Lyon Burke (played by David Burke) who is afraid to commit to her and ends up leaving and coming back to her several times after messing around with other women. Jennifer meets and weds nightclub singer Tony Polar (played by Tony Scotti) who lives under the domineering rule of his older sister Miriam (played by Lee Grant). Tony winds up with a heredity disease that leaves him crippled and Jennifer must make French art films (i.e nudie pics) to pay for his treatment). It's ironic that Neely winds up at the same place Tony is at and they get together for a rousing number of Come Live With Me that used to Tony's trademark song that he performed at nightclubs. It's one hell of an emotional scene.

Tony and Jennifer

Like I said, I know most people write this film off as campy but if it is camp, then it is grade A camp. While all three leads give good performances with Patty Duke raging and ripping through everybody, I thought Sharon Tate comes off the best. Her frequent conversations with her mother over the phone involving money are really good. And her final scene shows the potential Sharon had to become a major actress if not for her tragic real life death. I argue that scene will convince anyone that Sharon could really act and was not just a pretty face. Barbara Parkins is really good too as she may not get the flashy part like Duke, but she has an emotional scene towards the end of the film that is heart-breaking and powerful.

Old school Helen Lawson

So if anyone has never seen this film and stayed away because of all the negative talk toward I suggest you try watching it now and you will be pleasantly surprised how good it really is. Filled with tons of memorable lines such as:


Jennifer: French subtitles across a bare bottom does not make it an art film.


Neely: Boobies, boobies, boobies. Nothin' but boobies. Who needs 'em? 


Anne: Neely, you know it's bad to take liquor with those pills. 
Neely: They work faster.


Neely: I have to get up at five o'clock in the morning and SPARKLE, Neely, SPARKLE!" 


B

Jennifer all to herself

HOLIDAY CHEER - SUSAN HAYWARD

What a bright and colorful pic of Susan amid Christmas

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

Happy 4th of July from Susan Hayward and Virginia Dale...

1950's Era Semi-Final Matches are set...

After having a tie-breaker poll to decide between Elizabeth Taylor and Susan Hayward, it was Hayward winning 13-11. The question I asked was which of their Oscar winning performances did you like the most- Hayward for I Want To Live or Taylor for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? It was close but Susan won and earn the right to face the ever perky and feisty Debbie Reynolds. The other semi-final match is a doozy...top seed "My Fair Lady" Audrey Hepburn vs Princess Grace Kelly. Should be a beaut. Voting begins tonight at 12 am EST and runs through Sunday 5pm EST. The winners of each match will then face each other in the final that begins immediately after the semis.

MATCH 1

1 AUDREY HEPBURN

VS

4 GRACE KELLY

--------------------------------

MATCH 2

6 SUSAN HAYWARD

VS

10 DEBBIE REYNOLDS

We finally have our first tie....Elizabeth Taylor and Susan Hayward are dead locked

My, oh my, Elizabeth Taylor and Susan Hayward have battled to a tie. So I'm posting a tie-breaker poll in a few minutes. Let me just recap the other matches first. Top seed Audrey Hepburn rolled over Eva Marie Saint 39-21. Ouch! 4th seed Grace Kelly outlasted 5th Ava Gardner 31-27. So Audrey and Grace will meet in one semi-final match which is a marquee matchup. I am pulling for Grace on that one, much to the dismay of my friend Clara who is going with Audrey. We actually have a little bet going on that whoever loses has to write a post for the other one describing why we thought our pick would win. So come on Grace. And that perky Debbie Reynolds came back from an early deficit to beat Gloria Grahame 29-27, ending Gloria's Cinderella run. I must say this era has really been exciting. I was expecting this much drama but it's very entertaining.

1950's Era 2nd Round Final Scores:

1 AUDREY HEPBURN 39
9 EVA MARIE SAINT 21

4 GRACE KELLY 31
5 AVA GARDNER 27

10 DEBBIE REYNOLDS 29
15 GLORIA GRAHAME 27

3 ELIZABETH TAYLOR 29
6 SUSAN HAYWARD 29

The tie-breaker question asks which actress do you think gave the better Oscar winning performance: Susan in 1958's I Want To Live or Liz in 1966's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The poll will be open until tomorrow at 6pm. Good luck to both women. And the semi-final matches will begin immediately after that match is resolved. Whoever wins will square off against Debbie Reynolds.

Classic Movie Actress Tournament (1950's) Era Round 2 Update

Audrey is all smiles after day 1 of her match with Eva Marie Saint

Three of the four matches are tied after day 1. But Audrey Hepburn is cruising past Eva Marie Saint at 29-20. Grace Kelly and Ava Gardner are tied at 22 votes. That's the same tally for Debbie Reynolds and Gloria Grahame. And the fourth match between Liz Taylor and Susan Hayward is deadlocked at 23 votes. So day 2 should be very interesting. Wouldn't it be something if Debbie and Liz both won their matches to set up a face off between them? I'm sure everyone knows of the history between these rivals. Not just in acting but because of Liz having an affair with Debbie's husband Eddie Fisher, who she would eventually marry. But regardless who wins, it should make for an exciting day.

Classic Movie Actress Tournament (1950's) Era Round 2

After a huge surprise in round one which saw Marilyn Monroe losing to Gloria Grahame, here are the matches for round 2 which starts immediately tonight. Polls will be open thru Thursday 5pm EST.

1 AUDREY HEPBURN

VS

9 EVA MARIE SAINT

--------------------------

4 GRACE KELLY

VS

5 AVA GARDNER

---------------------------

10 DEBBIE REYNOLDS

VS

15 GLORIA GRAHAME

--------------------------

3 ELIZABETH TAYLOR

VS

6 SUSAN HAYWARD