2nd Annual Favorite Classic Movie Actor Tourney Championship Match: William Powell vs James Stewart

Alright, Alright, Alright..we have arrived at the final match in the 2nd annual Favorite Classic Movie Actor Tourney. It will be 30's era winner William Powell vs 40's era winner James Stewart. This marks both actors first time in the championship match. Powell made it to the final four last time only to lose to 50's era champion William Holden. And Stewart made it to the elite 8 that same year only to lose to eventual tourney winner Cary Grant. The match begins now and will run through Friday evening!

The Final Four in the 2nd Annual Favorite Classic Movie Actor Tourney is now set and underway

Well we started with 64 classic movie actors and now are down to the final four. An what an interesting final four it is. William Powell, who won the 30's bracket will face 50's era winner John Wayne while 40's era winner James Stewart will face 60's era winner Jack Lemmon.  William Powell is the only previous final four finalist to make it back to the big dance.  The matches will run through Friday afternoon. And I want to thank my good friend John Parker of Mythical Monkey who helped me put on this tourney.

FINAL FOUR MATCH 1

Two matches..four couples...let's go!

Down to the final four of the favorite classic couple tourney. The match between Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers vs Cary Grant and Irene Dunne will take place here on this blog. While the match between William Powell and Myrna Loy vs Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald will take place on Desiree's blog. The fun begins today at 6pm EST and will run through Wednesday evening. Go here to vote on Desiree's match..http://www.rozrussell.com/. And can I add that I think this is an awesome final four with anyone of these couples that can take home the prize as favorite classic screen couple.

MATCH 1

1 FRED ASTAIRE AND GINGER ROGERS

VS

2 CARY GRANT AND IRENE DUNNE

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

MATCH 2

1 WILLIAM POWELL AND MYRNA LOY

VS

2 NELSON EDDY AND JEANETTE MACDONALD

We have our final four couples....

We have our final four classic couples and two of the four are the top seeds when this tourney began. It was top seed couple Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers taking care of 2nd seed couple Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland 30-12. The other top seed couple to advance was William Powell and Myrna Loy, who staged a comeback to beat pesky underdogs Rosalind Russell and Robert Montgomery 38-30. So that means the other two top seed couples did not fare as well. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall lost to 2nd seed couple Cary Grant and Irene Dunne 27-15. while 2nd seed couple Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald defeated the legendary couple, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn 38-28. So now the stage is set for the four remaining couples in two matches that will begin on Sunday. Match 1 will pit Fred and Ginger against Cary and Irene while match 2 will feature William and Myrna against Nelson and Jeanette. Then the winners of those matches will battle it out for the crown as favorite classic couple. 

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

All Good Things 2012 Classic Stars Of The Year

Welcome back everyone to my 2nd annual Classic Stars of the Year list as chosen by All Good Things. These are the stars that made the most noise on my blog. That I wrote and talked about the most or who won the most tournaments or polls. In general the best of the best. I based it on Entertainment Weekly's yearly Entertainers of the Year list. So there will be 12 distinguished actors and actresses who made the cut (1 for each month) and I will begin with number 12 and work my way down to number one. 

Hitch lands at no 12.

12.) ALFRED HITCHCOCK - The director was prominent this year with two films, The Girl and Hitchcock. I have seen The Girl and thought it was interesting enough. Can't wait to see Hitchcock with Anthony Hopkins in the title role. I posted about Hitch a few times this year and had a tourney spotlighting the leading ladies of his films.

The urbane Claude

11.) CLAUDE RAINS - The incomparable Rains made some noise on All Good Things with his entrance into my Hall of Fame, one of twelve stars/directors chosen this year. He is also coming off his second Montie (my version of the Oscars) for Best Supporting actor in Casablanca.

The lovely Rita in one of her many summer pics

here on All Good Things

10.) RITA HAYWORTH - Ahhhhh, Rita. She was one of my classic movie goddesses for the year and she also made the most appearances in my at the beach photo series. Stunningly beautiful.

The dashing Flynn

9.) ERROL FLYNN - Another Hall of Fame inductee and much posting on my FB page to drive most women into a frenzy, specifically Classic Becky.

The definition of Classic Star Glamour, courtesy 

of Jean Arthur

8.) JEAN ARTHUR - Jean was another of my goddesses for the year and she also became a Hall of Famer. Plus I think she made a number of random postings thru the year here.

Good to see ya Carole...

7.) CAROLE LOMBARD - Pretty much, Carole will be on this list every year. No question about it. She is my favorite actress of all time and I post something about her at least once a month. I have posted about her 74 times since I started this blog in 2009. The most of any actress.

Hiya Cary!

6.) CARY GRANT - Same thing goes for Cary, as he is my favorite actor of all time. I have posted about Cary 81 times since 2009, the most of anybody here on All Good Things. And he is currently represented quite well with 8 films in my favorite screwball film tourney.

Irene knows how to make an entrance doesn't she

5.) IRENE DUNNE - The 2011 winner for Favorite Classic Film Actress didn't compete in this year's tourney but she still made some noise with regular postings and showing up with three films in the screwball film tourney.

Powell and Loy as Nick and Nora Charles

4.) WILLIAM POWELL & MYRNA LOY- Frequent film co-stars Bill and Myrna walked in together for the Hall of Fame. Her film, The Best Years of Our Lives picked up a slew of Monties. And she was just an all around good gal to hang out with here. They both had several films competing in this year's screwball film tourney

Marilyn

3.) MARILYN MONROE - It's Monroe. Pretty much says it all right there. Tons of pics and postings on here and my FB and Tumblr pages.

Grace, winner for Favorite Leading Lady

in a Hitchcock Film

2.) GRACE KELLY - After being a bridesmaid two years in a row in my Favorite Classic Film Actress tourney, Grace finally won a tourney. Wasn't for that, but for Favorite Leading Lady in an Alfred Hitchcock film. Plus, I continued to post about her with my weekly series, If It's Tuesday, Then It Must Be Grace Kelly.

Congrats Ginger!

1.) GINGER ROGERS - Looking like a repeat of 2011 as the favorite classic film actress tourney winner would claim top classic star of 2012. This year it's Ginger Rogers, who had a dominating run in the tourney for her eventual win as favorite actress here on All Good Things. Congrats Ginger! You are the top Classic Star of the Year!

Here's to another great year in 2013.

My love of classic films is beyond measure

Monty

Round Four features a pair of dream semi-final matches

The Favorite Screwball Film tourney heads into round four with a pair of dream semi-final matches. Both matches pits a number one seed against a number two seed. In the first match, overall top seed Bringing Up Baby squares off against second seed The Thin Man. The second match will feature number one seed My Man Godrey against second seed His Girl Friday. So we have a pair of Cary Grant films still in contention as well as one film with Carole Lombard. My top two favorite stars of all time. William Powell is also represented with two films himself. The matches begin this morning and run through Monday evening. Good luck to these four excellent films making it to the final four. And I would have no problem with any one of these films winning the tourney. But I am secretly pulling for His Girl Friday.

SEMI-FINAL MATCH 1

1 BRINGING UP BABY (1938)

VS

2 THE THIN MAN (1934)

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

SEMI-FINAL MATCH 2

1 MY MAN GODFREY (1936)

VS

2 HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940)

Round Three concludes with Nick and Nora still in the mix....

Another number seed is shown the door as round three of the favorite screwball film tourney wraps up. It Happened One Night (a number one seed) falls to His Girl Friday, my fave film ever btw 21-17 in the Frank Capra bracket. The other two number 1 seeds won their matches. My Man Godfrey destroyed Ball of Fire 27-11. While overall tourney top seed Bringing Up Baby thrashed To Be or Not To Be by the same score. The last match had The Thin Man beating The Lady Eve 23-16. Which sets up two intriguing semi-final matches involving 1 and 2 seeds in both matches. My Man Godfrey will take on His Girl Friday and Bringing Up Baby takes on The Thin Man. These matches will begin tomorrow and run through Monday evening.

Congratulations guys on making it to the next round. I'm pulling for you to win the whole thing.

1 IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT 17
2 HIS GIRL FRIDAY 21

1 MY MAN GODFREY 27
7 BALL OF FIRE 11

1 BRINGING UP BABY 27
2 TO BE OR NOT TO BE 11

2 THE THIN MAN 23
4 THE LADY EVE 16

Round Three begins now...

I decided to start round three of the Favorite Screwball Tourney match today instead of waiting tomorrow. Here are the four scheduled matches that sees what film wins their respective brackets: Capra, Lubitsch, Hawks and Sturges. The matches will run through Thursday. Of note, my two favorite stars of all time, Cary Grant and Carole Lombard both have two films still left competing...along with William Powell and Barbara Stanwyck, they represent the only stars with multiple films still in play. 

FRANK CAPRA BRACKET

1 IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)

VS

2 HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940)

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

HOWARD HAWKS BRACKET

1 MY MAN GODFREY (1936)

VS

7 BALL OF FIRE (1941)

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

ERNST LUBITSCH BRACKET

2 THE THIN MAN (1934)

VS

4 THE LADY EVE (1941)

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

PRESTON STURGES BRACKET

1 BRINGING UP BABY (1938)

VS

2 TO BE OR NOT TO BE (1942)

Second Round of Screwball Film Tourney: Day 1 Update

Five of the eight matches are very close, within 2-3 votes of each other. There are two matches that have a comfortable lead and one definite blow-out. The blow-out comes courtesy of a top seed in It Happened One Night, rolling over Merrily We Live 24-0. That's right...it's a shut-out so far. Live has yet to record a single vote on it's behalf. The two matches that are starting to slip away for the losing film feature top heavyweight films. Bringing Up Baby leads Midnight 15-7 while To Be Or Not To Be is up over Theodora Goes Wild 14-6. Now on to the five matches that are very close and are poised to go down to the wire. The Lady Eve and My Favorite Wife are dead-locked at 10 votes apiece. The Thin Man leads The Palm Beach Story 12-9. You Can't Take It With You leads Ball Of Fire 11-9. The third and final top seed, My Man Godfrey is actually down by a single vote to The Awful Truth 13-12. And my favorite film of all time, His Girl Friday is up on The Philadelphia Story 15-10. Like I said, some very close matches, and this is only day one. So expect some fierce competition before Friday comes. Should be fun and very interesting to see how this round plays out. Below are the updated scores:

Hold on there Nora, don't jinx our match..we haven't won yet!

1 IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT 24
4 MERRILY WE LIVE 0

2 HIS GIRL FRIDAY 15
3 THE PHILADELPHIA STORY 10

1 MY MAN GODFREY 12
4 THE AWFUL TRUTH 13

3 YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU 11
7 BALL OF FIRE 9

2 THE THIN MAN 12
6 THE PALM BEACH STORY 9

4 THE LADY EVE 10
8 MY FAVORITE WIFE 10

1 BRINGING UP BABY 15
4 MIDNIGHT 7

2 TO BE OR NOT TO BE 14
3 THEODORA GOES WILD 6

More matches over at Screwball Cinema

Just a reminder that there are 8 matches going on over at my other blog, Screwball Cinema. Don't won't those matches to get left behind. Here's the link to take you straight there: screwballcinema.blogspot.com

Screwball Tourney Day 1 Update

My first ever screwball film tourney got off to a fantastic start on Sunday with about 20 fans voting on the first round matches on average. Three of the four top seeds are rolling early, and there are some back and forth matches taking place as well. Here are the breakdowns on yesterday's exciting start.

My Favorite Wife has a leg up over Trouble in Paradise

after day one

Three of the four top seeds are besting their opponents quite easily. Overall top seed Bringing Up Baby leads Bombshell 15-1 (I wonder who is the lone person so far to cast their vote for the Jean Harlow vehicle). The second top seed It Happened One Night is up big over The More The Merrier by the count of 18-3. The third top seed My Man Godfrey is having no trouble at all with Easy Living and leads 17-4. The last top seed, Trouble in Paradise is having trouble with upstart My Favorite Wife. It is getting hammered 14-3. The pairing of Irene Dunne and Cary Grant evidently is too much.

If I'm reading this right, then we're winning...

In other matches that are also blow-outs include: To Be Or Not To Be ahead of The Devil and Miss Jones 13-2; His Girl Friday up big on The Major and The Minor 17-4; and The Philadelphia Story double over Twentieth Century 14-7.

It's gonna be close between us and Sullivan..

Now the nail-biters currently going on include: Arsenic and Old Lace with a slight 11-9 edge over The Awful Truth; The Palm Beach Story with a one point edge over Libeled Lady 9-8; The Lady Eve over Ninotchka 10-7; and  Sullivan's Travels tied with Ball of Fire at 10-10. 

My oh my, how exciting is this. The matches continue on through Friday and I will keep everyone updated with posts through-out the week. Below are the complete scores on all the matches:

IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT 18
THE MORE THE MERRIER 3

MERRILY WE LIVE 11
THE GILDED LILY 5

THE PHILADELPHIA STORY 14
TWENTIETH CENTURY 7

HIS GIRL FRIDAY 17
THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR 4

We are definitely in trouble...

MY MAN GODFREY 17
EASY LIVING 4

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE 11
THE AWFUL TRUTH 9

YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU 12
BLUEBEARD'S EIGHTH WIFE 8

BALL OF FIRE 10
SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS 10

MY FAVORITE WIFE 14
TROUBLE IN PARADISE 3

THE LADY EVE 10
NINOTCHKA 7

THE PALM BEACH STORY 9
LIBELED LADY 8

No worries sugar...

THE THIN MAN 10
HOLIDAY 5

BRINGING UP BABY 15
BOMBSHELL 1

MIDNIGHT 11
THE GOOD FAIRY 5

TO BE OR NOT TO BE 13
THE DEVIL AND MISS JONES 2

THEODORA GOES WILD 10
TOPPER 5

My love of classic films is beyond measure

Monty

The Favorite Screwball Film Tourney is up and running...

I've got all the first round matches up and going for my screwball comedy tourney. So please stop by to cast your votes. Note that the tourney is spread between my two blogs, here and over at Screwball Cinema. Here's the link to make things simple and easy:  screwballcinema.blogspot.com

You really think we have a chance to win Godfrey?

Very much so Irene!

There are some intriguing matches going on too and I can't wait to see how they play out. Such as Libeled Lady up against The Palm Beach Story. Or The Lady Eve going against Ninotchka. This should be so much fun. First round action runs through Friday evening.