Round 2 results: Elizabeth Taylor cruises to another easy victory

Liz is all smiles after her win over Julie Andrews

The first two brackets in the 60's era, All-American Girls and British Invasion have just wrapped up. And three of the four matches became very tight down the stretch. Final four finalist from last year, Diana Rigg was sent home early after losing to Jean Simmons 27-20. Diana did make a late rally as she was down by as many as 13 votes yesterday, but she did not have enough time left to make a comeback win. The other match in the British Invasion bracket saw Elizabeth Taylor crush Julie Andrews 37-11. This match was expected to be a close wire thriller and it turned out to be anything but as Liz led easily from the start. Over in the All-American Girls bracket, it was Anne Bancroft outlasting Paula Prentiss 28-20 and Lee Remick withstanding a furious late day charge from Sharon Tate to win 26-19. Congratulations to all the winners and I will have the other two brackets (Song and Dance/A Foreign Affair) up and running within a few hours.

ELIZABETH TAYLOR 37-11 over JULIE ANDREWS
JEAN SIMMONS 27-20 over DIANA RIGG
ANNE BANCROFT 28-20 over PAULA PRENTISS
LEE REMICK 26-19 over SHARON TATE

Here are the results from the 30's era which Desiree just wrapped up as well:

1930s era

Greta Garbo 35-18 vs. Miriam Hopkins

Ann Dvorak 30-23 vs. Ruth Chatterton

Myrna Loy 43-9 vs. Constance Bennett

Jean Harlow 34-19 vs. Jean Arthur

 50's era

Doris Day  69.39%  (34 votes) 

 

Cyd Charisse  30.61%  (15 votes) 

Marilyn Monroe  52.94%  (27 votes) 

 

Debbie Reynolds  47.06%  (24 votes) 

Deborah Kerr  68.75%  (33 votes) 

 

Thelma Ritter  31.25%  (15 votes) 

Janet Leigh  52%  (26 votes) 

 

Eleanor Parker  48%  (24 votes)

The 2014 Favorite Classic Movie Actress Tourney (1960's Era Brackets: British Invasion/All-American Girls)

Ahhhh you can always tell spring is on the way when days start to feel warmer and flowers start to bloom. Oh and when your favorite classic movie actresses come together to duke it out to earn bragging rights for favorite of the year. This marks the 4th annual edition and things look to be wide open this year. I mean previous winners Irene Dunne, Ginger Rogers and Carole Lombard all took care of business and eventually won their tourney for their respective years. But this year, it's anyone's ball game. I mean odds are in favor of someone from the 30's era bracket clinching the crown, since all three previous winners have come from that era. But I think Bette Davis, the #1 seed from the 40's era and overall #1 seed thanks to her 2nd place finish last year, might have something to say about that. I'll be hosting the 60's era for the 2nd time and here are the first round brackets (British Invasion and All-American Girls) that kick off beginning on Sunday.

BRITISH INVASION

1 DIANA RIGG 

VS

8 HAYLEY MILLS

Looks like upstart Hayley is aiming to take down last year's final four
finalist Diana Rigg...game on!

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

4 JULIE CHRISTIE

VS
5 JEAN SIMMONS

Should be a very interesting match...4 vs 5 usually are!

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

2 ELIZABETH TAYLOR 

VS
7 VANESSA REDGRAVE

Elizabeth Taylor moves from the 50's era to here and right away she
will face stiff competition in the form of Vanessa Redgrave

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

3 JULIE ANDREWS

VS
6 MAGGIE SMITH


Julie usually does very well in tourney play, making it to the sweet sixteen a few times
but this is probably her toughest first round match ever!


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

ALL-AMERICAN GIRLS

1 ANNE BANCROFT

VS
8 TUESDAY WELD

*****************
4 FAYE DUNAWAY

VS
5 PAULA PRENTISS

Last year Paula Prentiss made a deep run into the tourney with some surprising
victories. She looks to improve in this year's tourney.

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

2 JANE FONDA

VS
7 SHARON TATE

Now this one I am putting on upset alert because I really think Sharon Tate has
a good chance of knocking off 2 seed Jane Fonda. We'll find out here shortly

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

3 LEE REMICK

VS
6 PATRICIA NEAL

This promises to be a very exciting and close match. Could go either way!

Natalie Wood shares her thoughts on her tough tourney loss

My guest today is none other than Natalie Wood, two-time Final Four finalist in the Favorite Classic Movie Actress tourneys. Let's get started shall we..

Natalie Wood...a real class act

Me: Thank you for taking the time to come by my blog Mrs. Woods. 
Natalie Woods: Oh thank you for having me. And it's Natalie.
Me: Ok, Natalie. So yesterday you had that heart-breaking loss to Shirley Jones. What was your first reaction after hearing the news?
Natalie: I was kinda unsure. I mean I saw the numbers but it didn't hit me until like hours later that I had lost. It was one heck of a match though. Shirley's fans definitely showed up.
Me: So this will be the first year that you won't be a part of the final four. That will feel so strange. I mean you have become the face of the 60's era here on my blog.
Natalie: Thank you Monty. It has been a lot of fun being a part of these wonderful tourneys. But like Vivien Leigh had said earlier, now I get to kick back and relax and watch the other ladies go at it.
Me: Yeah, that's a good way to look at it. I was so pulling for you to make it back to the big dance for the third year in a row. I mean last year you made it to the final match before losing to Ginger. Can you describe that situation?
Natalie: Oh god I was nervous as all get out. Me against Ginger. I imagined the night before she would just dance circles around me and that's pretty much what happened. But I had a great time.
Me: Well you're a great person Natalie. And I know you will be back for next year's tourney right?
Natalie: Oh yes....I hope so. I mean if you will have me.
Me: No worries Natalie, you will always be a part of these events as long as I do them. Thank you for stopping by.
Natalie: Thanks Monty. And here's a big kiss to all you bloggers out there who keep the magic of classic movies alive. (Natalie presses her right hand across her lips and sends a big kiss out)

Me: Natalie Wood..everybody! 
The crowd erupts in applause.

The British Invasion of the 60's era bracket features two very close matches

Over in the 60's era of the Favorite Classic Movie Actress Tourney, two of the four matches are very close. As of right now, Julie Andrews leads Maggie Smith by the count of 24-23 in a thrilling back and forth match. And the other close match is actually tied 24-24 between Angela Lansbury and Diana Rigg. Talk about high stakes drama. If you haven't voted yet, please go here to choose your favorites:  mythicalmonkey.blogspot.com

This bracket is titled The British Invasion and the Lansbury/Rigg winner will face the Andrews/Smith winner to claim victory of this particular bracket. Then that winner will land a spot in the semi-finals in this era to see if they can earn a trip to the Final Four. Good luck ladies!

The Favorite Classic Movie Actress Tourney returns in March

The 3rd Annual Favorite Classic Movie Actress Tourney is less than two months away and I wanted to remind everybody with a quick promo. This banner was done by my friend John Parker over at Mythical Monkey, who also is helping me once again with the tourney. This year he will handle the 60's era bracket while I will take on the 30's. Desiree will do the 40's and Kristen will take care of the 50's. And John has already crafted this lovely banner showcasing Diana Rigg, and he said I could borrow it until I make some of my own. So here she is and let the excitement to the countdown begin now!

31 Stars in 31 Days: Day 4 - FRANK SINATRA

Ol' Blue Eyes takes center stage today as the star of the day. A multi-talented performer who hit his peak in the mid 50's thru the mid 60's. I recently bought this 10 film collection a few months ago and decided to break some of them in today. With a double bill of Frank as Miami private eye Tony Rome in two jazzy films. But first as usual, let's get to my fave things about Mr. Sinatra.


Favorite Frank film: FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953)
Favorite Frank role: John Baron (SUDDENLY) - I know he won an Oscar for his terrific turn as Private Angelo Maggio in Eternity but I love him even more as the ruthless hitman in Suddenly.
Favorite Frank co-star: even though he starred with tons of Hollywood's top actresses, I think his best co-star was Dean Martin.
Number of Frank films seen so far: 20 out of 64

Frank is taking requests today

Today's film: TONY ROME (1967) and LADY IN CEMENT (1968) - Frank is super cool as Miami detective Tony Rome in these two films. First in Tony Rome, he must solve the mystery of a missing diamond necklace for a millionaire. The millionaire's daughter (Sue Lyon in one of her first adult roles) is at the center of this mystery which quickly spirals out of control. Bodies start piling up fast around Tony and he becomes the main suspect. So he makes it his mission to find out what's going on. Co-starring Jill St. John, Richard Conte, and Gena Rowlands, Tony Rome is one cool film with Frank wise-cracking and drinking the whole time. Probably picked up some pointers from his buddy Dino. Oh and whoever did the close-up shots for this film has a running gag as every time a beautiful woman appears, the camera zooms in on her...ummm...posterior. Gotta love the 60's. And the fun and flirty banter Frank has with Jill is priceless.


Tony: This isn't a family. It's just a bunch of people living at the same address. 
Rating: *** out of *****

"You want me to do what?" Ann Archer is not thrilled about something

Frank would return the following year with another Rome film titled Lady In Cement which has Tony discovering a blonde floating at the bottom of the ocean while he is out searching for buried treasure. But once again things don't turn out as simple as they appear..as Tony gets caught up in Miami's elite and some of the city's worst scumbags. While not as good as his first outing, things are a little lighter. Take for instance Tony wears a light beige suit in this one as opposed to a dark suit in the first film. And his hair is lightly colored blonde this time out as opposed to black in the original. He still cracks jokes even faced with danger. Great support from Dan Blocker (TV's Bonanza) and the extremely sexy Raquel Welch as society queen Kit Forrest. Wait until she makes her appearance...all I will say is WOW! Oh and the running gag of zooming in on women's posteriors is still in effect.


Rating: **1/2 out of *****

Easy Tony, easy...I'll get you a drink!

Joan Crawford night on TCM

TCM is honoring Joan Crawford tonight with five of her films. Specifically five of her films from the 60's, which happen to be my second favorite decade ever! They start the night off with the certifiable masterpiece Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962) co-starring her long time rival Bette Davis. It's a battle of the divas, grand guignol style. It starts at 8pm EST. Followed immediately by I Saw What You Did (1965) which I have never seen about teenagers who do a prank call that turns deadly. Showing next is The Caretakers (1963) co-starring Robert Stack and Polly Bergen and set in a mental hospital. Another one I haven't seen. The last film is Strait-Jacket (1964) which I have seen before and let's Joan have a field day as a recently released mental patient/axe murderer. The night concludes with a TCM original documentary entitled Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star. So looks like I will be spending a night with Joan. I know this would make my friend Jessica from Australia quite happy. On second thought I think their TCM schedule might be a little different. Oh well I know I will enjoy me some Joan. Just passing along the word to everyone  else.

My love of classic films is beyond measure

Monty

The Morning Movie: AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973)

A nostalgic trip back to 1962 by George Lucas, in what I think is his 2nd best movie, behind only Star Wars: A New Hope. American Graffiti is one awesome movie about two high school grads Steve (Ronnie Howard) and Curt (Richard Dreyfuss, beginning a remarkable run of top tier 70's films) spending one last night in Modesto, California with their buddies before heading off to college. Steve has issues with his girlfriend Laurie (Cindy Williams of soon to be Laverne & Shirley) while Curt is pursuing this mysterious blonde in a white T-bird (Suzanne Somers). Meanwhile their buddies John Milner (Paul LeMat) who has become a street racing legend with his wicked '32 Ford Coupe and Terry (Charles Martin Smith) have problems of their own. Milner has to contend with some young kid named Bob Falfa (a terrific little performance by Harrison Ford) who wants to take him down in a street race. And Terry tries to romance Debbie (Candy Clark) but runs into all kinds of trouble.

 John, Laurie and Steve hanging out at Mel's Diner

 The waitresses at Mel's Diner

 Milner's wicked ride

 The film's racing climax

Harrison Ford with two beauties by his side

Packed with rocking tunes and some awesome wickedly cars, American Graffiti is a must see. In fact I actually watched it last night after buying the DVD at Wal-Mart yesterday but am watching it again this morning. As Wolfman Jack (who appears in the movie as a cool DJ)...AAAAAHHHHHHWOOOOOO!

 

FUNNY LADIES/SINGERS AND DANCERS Round Two

Here we are with the start of round 2 for the funny ladies/singers and dancers categories. Below are the matches that start immediately. And will run through Saturday night.

FUNNY LADIES/GIRLS NEXT DOOR

1 NATALIE WOOD

VS

5 HAYLEY MILLS

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

2 JANE FONDA

VS

3 SANDRA DEE

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

SINGERS AND DANCERS

1 JULIE ANDREWS

VS

4 SHIRLEY JONES

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

2 SHIRLEY MACLAINE

VS

3 ANN-MARGRET

2012 Favorite Classic Movie Actress Tournament: 1960's Era - Round 1 (Funny Ladies/Girls Next Door and Singers/Dancers)

After a terrific start to our tourney, let's continue on with the groups Funny Ladies/Girls Next Door and Singers/Dancers.

1960'S FUNNY LADIES BRACKET


1 NATALIE WOOD

Notable Films: This Property Is Condemned, Sex and the Single Girl, The Great Race


VS




8 STELLA STEVENS

Notable Films: The Nutty Professor, The Courtship of Eddie's Father
------------------------------------------


4 TUESDAY WELD

Notable Films: Lord Love A Duck, Pretty Poison, The Cinicinnati Kid, I'll Take Sweden




VS




5 HAYLEY MILLS

Notable Films: The Chalk Garden, That Darn Cat, The Parent Trap, The Trouble With Angels
------------------------------------------




2 JANE FONDA

Notable Films: Barefoot in the Park, Cat Ballou, Sunday in New York




VS




7 PATTY DUKE

Notable Films: Valley of the Dolls, The Miracle Worker
--------------------------------------










3 SANDRA DEE

Notable Films: Gidget, A Summer Place, Come September




VS










6 GLYNIS JOHNS

Notable Films: Mary Poppins, The Court Jester, Papa's Delicate Condition


















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




1960'S SINGERS/DANCERS BRACKET


1 JULIE ANDREWS

Notable Films: Mary Poppins, The Sound Of Music




VS




8 JEANNE MOREAU

Notable films: Viva Maria!, Jules and Jim, The Trial


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


4 SHIRLEY JONES

Notable Films: Oklahoma!, Carousel, The Music Man, Elmer Gantry




VS






5 RITA MORENO

Notable Films: West Side Story, Marlowe, Summer and Smoke


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


2 SHIRLEY MACLAINE

Notable Films: The Apartment, Sweet Charity, Irma La Douce, The Children's Hour




VS






7 EDIE ADAMS

Notable Films: It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Lover Come Back


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




3 ANN-MARGRET

Notable Films: Bye Bye Birdie, Viva Las Vegas




VS






6 RAQUEL WELCH

Notable films: Fantastic Voyage, Bedazzled, One Million Years B.C.