A Day Off...

I am off work today, so I decided to watch some of my classic movies on DVD. The trouble is there are so many choices and so little time. I'm definitely watching Send Me No Flowers, my favorite Doris Day movie. And I promised my friend Dawn, a review of it when I do.  And my other potential choices include The Awful Truth, The Lady Vanishes, and The Seven Year Itch. I think...I may change my mind later on. But I am off to watch Doris and Rock for now. Hopefully I will do a post of my fun filled movie watching day.

Classic Movie Goddess Of The Month - Myrna Loy Part 2

These are what I would consider the essential Myrna Loy films that showcase her at her very best.

THE THIN MAN SERIES (1934-1947) Perfect chemistry with William Powell as the two portray the unflappable Nick and Nora Charles, sleuthing spouses. Their witty banter amid murders is pure Hollywood magic.

THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946) Myrna gives her best dramatic performance ever as the wife struggling to keep her family together, post WW2. How she was not even nominated that year for an Oscar is a mystery.

LIBELED LADY (1936) One of the early screwball comedies that pairs Loy with Powell again (they made a total of 14 films together). Also on board are Spencer Tracy and Jean Harlow. A very entertaining movie.

THE BACHELOR & THE BOBBY-SOXER (1947) Loy's first pairing with Cary Grant is delicious fun. As Judge Margaret Stone, Loy has to act stern and disciplined but she still manages to have a good time.

MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE (1948) Another wonderful team up with Grant that features Loy in one of the best scenes in film history. She tries to describe to a painter of her new home what colors to use. It makes perfect sense to Loy, but to the painter it's confusing, and to the audience it's too funny.

Why Cary Grant is my favorite actor of all time

I was about 12 years old when I saw my first Cary Grant film. It happen to be His Girl Friday and it would become my favorite movie of all time, along with Cary being my favorite actor. That movie and Cary himself basically started my love of classic movies, which still carry on to this day. Most of the films I saw from then with Cary were mostly his screwball comedies like Bringing Up Baby, My Favorite Wife, The Philadelphia Story, Arsenic & Old Lace, The Awful Truth, The Bachelor & The Bobby-Soxer, Topper, Holiday, and others. So I always viewed Cary in these roles and nothing else. Which was fine, but then I saw him in a dramatic movie - Penny Serenade and it blew me away. I knew Cary had the screwball comedy down pat, but I didn't know he could pull off drama too. After seeing that, I immediately had to see more and more of his films. Thank god, AMC at the time were playing loads of his films on a monthly basis. And what I didn't see on TV, I was able to find at the local library on VHS. His non screwball films showed Cary in a new light for me and made him even more so my favorite actor of all time. Gunga Din, Only Angels Have Wings, None But The Lonely Heart, In Name Only, and more. Cary showed me the range of a truly versatile actor.

His next phase for me would be his films that he did with Alfred Hitchcock: Suspicion, Notorious, To Catch A Thief, and North By Northwest. All good films and presented Cary in an all new way. As a man on edge or maybe a murderer. Man there wasn't anything Cary couldn't do. His performances always seemed so effortless, so relaxed and easy. Very charming and well spoken, and sharply dressed. He was the epitome of a screen legend. I found his best partnership was to be with Howard Hawks as they collaborated on such classics as His Girl Friday, Bringing Up Baby, Only Angels Have Wings, and I Was A Male War Bride. And I thought his best onscreen partner was the wonderful Irene Dunne, who paired with Cary for The Awful Truth, My Favorite Wife, and Penny Serenade. Cary's career spanned 4 decades and over 70 films. And I have seen about 40 of them. So I still got some watching to do, because I want to see every film he ever did.

I regularly watch several Grant films every chance I get. His Girl Friday is seen by me at least twice a year, and it still entertains me for the 100th time like it was my first. His character Walter Burns is in my opinion, not only his best role, but one of the best roles in film history. I could go on and on for days talking about Cary and all his films. Could watch a marathon of his movies and never get bored. He will always be my favorite actor. There is no disputing that, and I know I'm not the only one in the world who will second that.

To All My Friends....enjoy this beautiful week

Thanks to Harold J. Gaugler for use of this wonderful photo of Marilyn

A Spiritual Celebration: photos of Carole Lombard

 Thanks to Vincent Paterno http://community.livejournal.com/carole_and_co/over at Live Journal for these wonderful Carole Lombard pics I've chosen to post to celebrate Easter.

Classic Movie Goddess Of The Month - Myrna Loy Part 1

Myrna Williams, later to become Myrna Loy, was born on August 2, 1905 in Radersburg, Montana. Her father was the youngest person ever elected to the Montana State legislature. Later on her family moved to Helena where she spent her youth. At the age of 13, Myrna's father died of influenza and the rest of the family moved to Los Angeles. She was educated in L.A. and the Westlake School for Girls where she caught the acting bug. She started at the age of 15 when she appeared in local stage productions in order to help support her family. Some of the stage plays were held in the now famous Grauman's Theater in Hollywood. Mrs. Rudolph Valentino happened to be in the audience one night who managed to pull some strings to get Myrna some parts in the motion picture industry. Her first film was a small part in the production of What Price Beauty? (1925). Later she appeared the same year in Pretty Ladies (1925) along with Joan Crawford. She was one of the few stars that would start in the silent movies and make a successful transition into the sound era. In the silent films, Myrna would appear as an exotic femme fatale. Later in the sound era, she would become a refined, wholesome character. Unable to land a contract with MGM, she continued to appear in small, bit roles, nothing that one could really call acting. In 1926, Myrna appeared in the Warner Brothers film called Satan in Sables (1925) which, at long last, landed her a contract. Her first appearance as a contract player was The Caveman (1926) where she played a maid. Although she was typecast over and over again as a vamp, Myrna continued to stay busy with small parts. Finally, in 1927, she received star billing in Bitter Apples (1927). The excitement was short lived as she returned to the usual smaller roles afterward. Myrna would take any role that would give her exposure and showcase the talent she felt was being wasted. It seemed that she would play one vamp after another. She wanted something better. Finally her contract ran out with warner and she signed with MGM where she got two meaty roles. One was in the The Prizefighter and the Lady (1933), and the other as Nora Charles in The Thin Man (1934) with William Powell. Most agreed that the Thin Man series would never have been successful without Myrna. Her witty perception of situations gave her the image that one could not pull a fast one over on the no-nonsense Mrs. Charles. After The Thin Man (1934), Myrna would appear in five more in the series. Myrna was a big box-office draw. She was popular enough that, in 1936, she was named Queen of the Movies and Clark Gable the king in a nationwide poll of movie goers. Her popularity was at its zenith. She continued to make films through the 40s and 50s but the roles were fewer and fewer. By the 1960's the parts had all but dried up as producers and directors looked elsewhere for talent. In 1960 she appeared in Midnight Lace (1960) and was not in another until 1969 in The April Fools (1969). The 1970s found her in TV movies, not theatrical productions. Her last film was in 1981 called Summer Solstice (1981) (TV). By the time Myrna passed away, on December 14, 1993, at the age of 88, she had appeared in a phenomenal 129 motion pictures. She was buried in Helena, Montana.

Grace Kelly’s Forever Look Features: vanityfair.com

Grace Kelly’s Forever Look Features: vanityfair.com

The Eternal Style of Grace Kelly Features: vanityfair.com

The Eternal Style of Grace Kelly Features: vanityfair.com

New Poll started....

In honor of Myrna Loy this month, my poll asks the question what do you think was the best sequel to the Thin Man? There were 5 more thin man movies including After the Thin Man, Another Thin Man, Shadow of the Thin Man, The Thin Man Goes Home, and The Song of the Thin Man. The poll will run all this month. Happy Easter everyone.

Results of March poll....and the winner is The Wizard of Oz

Last month's poll posed the question if not for Gone With The Wind, what other film nominated in 1939 would you choose. The overwhelming choice was The Wizard Of Oz with a whopping 68% of the votes. Vying for second place was Dark Victory and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington with 12% each. Wuthering Heights and Goodbye Mr. Chips were next with 4% each. And no votes for the remaining films of Love Affair, Stagecoach, Of Mice and Men and Ninotchka. So congratulations to The Wizard of Oz and thanks to all those who voted. I will have a new poll up and running in a few days.