Some Parade

Self-Isolation. I hope.

2010-08-22T10:03:00.000-07:00

Today, my lovelies, is move-in day at my college.

Thankfully, I've been here for a week to help with International Orientation, so I'm free to sit in my room all day and watch as my fellow students cart their luggage to their respective rooms. The suckers. ;)

I'm off today, and have planned a delightful Netflix marathon for myself, consisting of--

Cool Hand Luke ('cause I missed it yesterday)*

After the Thin Man, which happens to be the only one I've not yet seen, and made twice as nice by the fact that it doesn't have the woefully obtrusive Nick, Jr., who always reminded me --and not in a good way-- of the kid from The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Elevator to the Gallows, my first venture into Jeanne Moreau land.

Might watch another, if time allows. I'm thinking Klute, Father Goose, Sleuth, or whatever else catches my eye. There are just too many options on Netflix, and in some ways, availability breeds disinterest. For me, at least. I know it's there, so there's no real rush or urgency to see it. Does that make sense? No, probably not. I'm just being lazy.

Also, was looking for some recommendations-- I know a lot about melodramas, but haven't actually seen too many. I'm talking the Douglas Sirk variety, or for later years Tennessee Williams adaptations. I always convince myself they're not my cup of tea, but when I do watch them, I enjoy them 'same as anyone else. So let's hear 'em-- what are your favorites?

*doubly unfortunate, as it was presented on TCM by my manlove, Alec Baldwin

A Century's Worth of Favorites.

2010-02-09T13:13:00.000-08:00

It's 2010, see? How cool is that? If you take 2010 and subtract 1910, what do you get? That's right, kiddos-- one hundred years, aka a century's worth of movies for me (or you, or that guy) to enjoy and discuss.

I know, I know..."What about The Great Train Robbery, made in 1903?" Or, "What about The Horse in Motion, everyone's favorite flicker from 1878??" No thanks. I'm not including those because 1) I haven't seen them, and 2) I have a hunch they wouldn't be my favorites.

So here we are, back at the start. Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule has created a list --this list-- of favorite films from the past 100 years. Being the idea-thief that I am, I thought it'd be fun to try a list of my own. And you know what?-- it was. :)

20s

Sadie Thompson

Pandora’s Box

The Passion of Joan of Arc

30s

Gone With the Wind

The Lady Vanishes

Stage Door

Baby Face

Freaks

Captain Blood

Bringing Up Baby

The Bride of Frankenstein

Top Hat

Marked Woman

His Girl Friday

40s

Meet Me in St. Louis

Shadow of a Doubt

The Lady Eve

The Major and the Minor

The Heiress

My Name is Julia Ross

Laura

Children of Paradise

A Letter to Three Wives

Brief Encounter

Unfaithfully Yours

Ball of Fire

Double Indemnity

Sweater Girl

50s

All About Eve

Auntie Mame

Pillow Talk

Singin’ in the Rain

Nights of Cabiria

Les diaboliques

The Earrings of Madame De…

Lili

60s

Charade

The Moon Spinners

In Cold Blood

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Persona

Wait Until Dark

Faster Pussycat Kill Kill

The Knack and How to Get It

Repulsion

Eyes Without a Face

Seconds

The World of Henry Orient

Who Kaun Thi

Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte

Divorce, Italian Style

Tokyo Drifter

70s

Paper Moon

The Little Girl Who Lived Down the Lane

Sybil

Grey Gardens

The Godfather

The Stepford Wives

What’s Up Doc

The Last Picture Show

Cabaret

Two Lane Blacktop

Who Saw Her Die

Iodo

Picnic at Hanging Rock

80s

Zelig

Hopscotch

Amadeus

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Peking Opera Blues

The Thin Blue Line

Gloria

90s

Dead Again

Playing by Heart

The Hudsucker Proxy

Festen

Waiting for Guffman

Girl, Interrupted

Election

Wild at Heart

Beauty and the Beast

Pulp Fiction

Withnail and I

Dead Man

Swingers

Cape Fear

Muriel’s Wedding

Small Time Crooks

Ghost World

2000s

Volver

Kill Bill vol. 1

Kill Bill vol. 2

Amelie

The Fall

The Royal Tenenbaums

Kamikaze Girls

In the Mood for Love

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Memories of Murder

Big Fish

**Before yelling at me, you should check out the Sergio Leone site-- he explains that I don't hafta put critically acclaimed movies on here if I don't wanna. :)

Awards-- Now with 20 percent more random images!

2010-02-07T20:53:00.000-08:00

Well, well, well. Seems it's overdue, this new post. Let's see...

A while ago, before I became a lame blogger/procrastinator extraordinaire, I was nominated for a Kreativ (it's s'posed to be spelled like that-- promise) Blogger Award. And with that came some rules...

1. Thank the one who gave it to you.

---Thank you, Flying Down to Hollywood.

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
---Hm, I don't really want to...but this counts for something, yeah? Aw heck...

...there.

3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
---Well. Obviously.

4. Name 7 things about you that people think are interesting.*

---I was born on a Friday the 13th.

---When I'm bored, I play a game involving Sally Field movies and their titles. It rocks. And you should ask about it. :D

---I constantly confuse Greer Garson and Germaine Greer. Just the names. Still, makes me seem awfully silly.

---I have this recurring dream where I'm Little Edie and developing alopecia. But I totally rock the head scarves.

---Fran Dresher is totally following me on Twitter.***

---A sheynim dank dir im pupik. Which, translated literally, means "put it in your bellybutton." Though it could also mean "when I went through my Babs phase I realllly wanted to be Jewish."

---I'm a pathological liar. **

5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Blogs/Bloggers.

1--Asleep in New York
2--Art, Movies, Wood, and Whatnot

3--Classic Forever

4--A Noodle in a Haystack

5--Or Maybe Eisenstein Should Just Relax

6--Flickers.

7--Who's Lookin'

Can do, will do, did.

*I don't guarantee any of this to be interesting. Mainly, they're just facts about me I like.

**Meh. Kidding. Let's see....seven....hm...I play the accordion? :)

***So what if she's following, like 9000 people. I count. ;)

J.D.--last of my heroes

2010-01-28T12:23:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm sad. Yeah, like...definitely. Speechless. Well, nearly speechless.

J.D. Salinger, brilliant man, writer, superhero, slayer of dragons, all around terrific human--

died today.

I know I didn't know him personally, and Holden hated phonies--

so I'll stress how sincere I am.

Like, he was brilliant. He said many times he liked seeing "movies"--

Not "films"-- "movies."

His favorite was The 39 Steps. Which made me grin to no end when I found out. How terrific is that?

Catcher in the Rye was (and I doubt I'm alone in this) the book that made me want to be a writer. The book that made me realize-- casual writing can be good too-- often has even more truth than other work.

But really, he will be missed. RIP J.D. You were too cool.

Look at Me, Keeping Up-- Or Sundays Can Be Slow

2010-01-17T07:39:00.001-08:00

Hey there kids, what's new? You're doing well? That's good to hear. Who, me? Yeah-- it's going pretty amazingly for me too. I've just arrived back at school from winter break, and the first week is over. It's odd-- I love going home, but after a while I actually started to miss the school routine, so was glad to be back.

This semester I've switched rooms, going from a double with 2 suite mates to having a single room all to myself (plus balcony) and only one suite mate. We share a bathroom. Golly gee, it's swell. The first thing I noticed when I stepped into the room were the walls. So bare, they looked. Well, I thought to myself, whatever shall I do?

Just kidding. I had to have posters, of course! Luckily, I'd brought with me a few...

But still, I was woefully in need of more. So, to eBay I went-- and now I eagerly await the arrival of my purchases...

And then last night, when I arrived back at the dorm, there was a poster next to my door with a note that said "To Juliette, if you want it." And then an extension number. And....it was a Frankenstein poster. How freaking cool is that? people here are terrific.

Really-- it's too much fun. I love being able to (yeah, yeah, cliche alert) express my tastes on the walls of my room. But enough about me, what are some new (by that I mean old) movies you guys can recommend? I have entirely too much time to sit and view them now. And it's....bliss. :)

We Meet Again.

2010-01-13T07:23:00.000-08:00

Ah, it's been a long time? Too long. And for that, kiddos, I apologize. But there's marvelous news I have for you! Well, marvelous for me...you could probably take it or leave it. Anyhoo, I've just come back from winter break and have had time to catch up with all the movie-watching I so desperately missed at school. Judy, Barbara, Bette (Garland, Stanwyck, and Davis-- respectively) were all high on the list of things viewed, as well as some (relatively) new friends, like Loretta Young, Joel McCrea, and Frances Farmer. Oh, it was swell. And I do believe it's provided me with new inspiration. I was like, "2010! How inspiring!"*

But I digress. The reason I'm really here is to post some pictures. And I haven't a transition for that, not really. So without further ado...

Which reminds me, how was everyone's holiday? :)

*May not have been my actual words.

Sorry it's not edible...

2009-11-26T12:01:00.000-08:00

Jean Arthur and friend. :)

Judy eyeing a turkey.

Happy Thanksgiving, kids.

New Leaves, Dead Leaves, Green Leaves, Red Leaves...

2009-11-16T08:02:00.000-08:00

Guess who's back! That's right, kids-- it's me. Your sometimes-faithful friend Juliette. 'Member me? Well I'm back, ready to start fresh. If you'll have me, that is. :)

Anyway, first things first...I feel it's my duty as a blogger to dispel any false accusations surrounding a Mrs. Barbra Brolin, aka Babs Streisand, the grooviest faux yeshiva boy around. So let's start with that, shall we?

1) Barbra has never killed a blind panda, with aid of a firearm or otherwise.
2) She has not to my knowledge owned a fake fire insurance company.
3) Though I cannot definitely state that Barbra lets her staff use the restroom for free, I can say that she doesn't charge them ten dollars per use.

As for the other claims, I can neither confirm nor deny their validity, as I'm still waiting for more conclusive results. That being said, I'd like to think Barbra does not grease the handrails at assisted living facilities.

Anyhoo, back to business.

I'm at college, as most of you know. No, the movie-watching hasn't gone any better as of late. But it's okay. I have (get this--) a month off for the Christmas holidays and have recently reactivated my Netflix account. In other words, I'm all set. I am so looking forward to just relaxing at home with Judy, Cary, and all the old gang. Golly, it'll be swell.

And for Christmas, no less! Does anyone have Christmas recommendations? I have Remember the Night, which I've been looking forward to for ages (it does have Stany, after all)-- really though, I'm up for anything new. New to me, that is. Not new as in contemporary. Let's keep it in the 1930-1965 range, hm?

As a parting gift, I leave you with my favorite secular Christmas tune....I know, I know, some fool's gone and spelled "marshmallow" incorrectly. But it wasn't me, I'll have you know. So just relax yourself and enjoy. Hugs and such until next time, which will be soon-- promise. :)

P.S. You'll never know how much willpower it took for me not to quote Eminem in the opening of this post. Like, no joke.

P.P.S. Would it be entirely too late to post Halloween pictures?

Happy Halloween from Linda and Judy.

2009-10-31T10:49:00.000-07:00

They asked me to tell you for them, 'cause they were busy...or something.

College Life, or What To Do When Gone With the Wind's Over

2009-09-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

So here I am, in the university. Which I'm fairly certain you all knew.

It's swell really. The people are grand, and I'm kept pretty busy.

I rise at seven, class at nine, lunch at noon, class at 2, dine at 6, and so on.

After about 7, though, anything goes. It's a sort of no man's time, if you will.

Lately we've been filling these wee hours by watching a movie or two in the commons. And this, my friends, is precisely where the problem arises.

I couldn't possibly list all the movies we've been watching, but I'll try to name a few, just to give you a sort of general idea of the sitch I'm in.

Let's see...

- Juno (don't get me started)

- Twilight (you're kidding me, right?)

- Pay It Forward (seemingly out of left field)

- Step Up 2 (not that I've seen the first one, mind you)

To be fair, we did watch BBC's Pride and Prejudice as well, which I adore. But let's just brush that fact under the carpet, shall we? Makes my argument sound a heck of a lot better.

I know, I know, I'm sounding like a movie snob. And I don't mean to. These movies (well, not these movies, but movies like them) are fine-- just not one after the next, with nothing in between. Ya dig?

And all this time, Judy sits abandoned in my dorm room, along with Fred, Ginger, Cary, and Bette...

I feel like a mother who's left her children in Disney World or something. Not cool.

But what am I supposed to do? I cannot force people to like things. Believe me, I've tried. And it's backfired all times but one. Which is the reason I'm not allowed to play any Streisand around any of my family members, with the exception of my supercool mother. Yeah, we'll go with supercool.

Plus, isn't it known that persuasion works far better than force anyway? Ah, maybe not. Maybe I just need to work on a menacing pose...

Anyway, the point I'm getting at is...how does one go about introducing others with little to no exposure to classic film to the greats? I don't want it to be, you know, a total shock to their systems, but gosh darn it-- I hafta do something, right?

We did try Gone With the Wind, and that seemed to work. But what next? I toyed with the idea of Laura, but didn't know how it'd be received.

Any thoughts, suggestions? I do so want to be reuinted with my wonderful (albeit dead) buddies in film, and cannot wait four years to do so.

In other news, I've just discovered the fabulous Lupe Velez.

Also, I'm planning another Monday Murder. Still trying to decide between this...

and this...

Séance on a Wet Afternoon

2009-08-29T14:47:00.000-07:00

Seance on a Wet Afternoon is wonderful for...well, a wet afternoon. Oops... seems my originality just flew out the window. Really though, this one just feels better when viewed on a rainy day.

It was directed in 1964 by Bryan Forbes, who'd previously worked (twice!) with Richard Attenborough, the guy who produced it and stars as Kim Stanley's husband.

If you've not heard of Bryan Forbes-- check out The L-Shaped Room, with Leslie Caron. He also did The Stepford Wives, which is just dandy. 'Cept for the end, with the creepy bug eyed robot. But I won't get off topic (I'll save it for later)...

Anyhoo, the lead actress in the film is the oh-so-marvelous Kim Stanley. Stanley was primarily a theatre actress, but made several film appearances in her career, the first of which was in 1958, in The Goddess, a story based loosely on the life of Marilyn Monroe.

In 1965, Stanley would star in Seance on a Wet Afternoon and win the NY Drama Critics Circle Award for her performance. She was nominated for an academy award that year, but lost to Mary Pop-- er, Julie Andrews. ;)

When I was watching this one the first time, I recognized Stanley as the mother in Frances. After looking it up, I discovered (haha, I'm making myself sound like Colombus, huh?) that she'd been nominated again for her work-- this time as Best Supporting Actress. A short while later, Stanley retired from acting professionally and taught acting classes in Los Angeles and Santa Fe.

I also read that earlier she'd turned down the role of Lila in Psycho, saying she didn't want to work with Anthony Perkins for "personal reasons." Any guesses why?

Seance is about a medium who kidnaps a gal in order to....oh shucks, I'm no good at this. Like I said earlier, I hate doing plot summaries. And if you really wanted that, you could easily check it out at Wikipedia. Only skip the last paragraph, 'cause they do give the ending away. Don't say I didn't warn ya, kiddos.

Anyway, I'm quite busy with college and stuff, so now is the time to throw bottles and other bits of trash at me for neglecting this blog. Just no tomatoes please.

Monday Murder Series

2009-08-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

I've been in a mystery type mood lately-- blame it on Dame Agatha. Anyway, I thought I'd give a new series a go. The Monday Murder Series. Nothing criminal, mind you, just good old fashioned murder... mysteries. ;)

If nothing else, this'll be an excuse for me to watch some of my favorite movies (and, of course, prattle on about them here). Good, huh?

To start off the series, I chose one of my favorite Ginger Rogers films-- Star of Midnight. Judging by the number of Ginger devotees out there, this one is by no means obscure or unpopular. (Can I get a "wise choice, Juliette"? ;)

Ginger and William Powell with their Star of Midnight director.

Directed by Stephen Roberts, it stars Ginger acting alongside my love William Powell. Most people tend to criticize this one as being a Thin Man rip-off (and I s'pose it is), but I adore it. Possibly more than The Thin Man.*

Because the only thing more tedious than reading a dry plot synopsis is writing a dry plot synopsis, I'll skip it-- for my sake as much as yours. The plot's rather silly anyway, but thatd doesn't make it any less enjoyable.

Some girl performer (the, uh, star of "Midnight") has disappeared and one lad's convinced she was his lover Alice, and another guy gets shot in William Powell's apartment and Eric Blore says "yessir" a lot and Ginger wears a ton of gowns. Yeah, that's it. Ish. There's a complicated climax followed by what the filmmakers would have you believe to be a laughably simple resolution.

However, in the midst of all this silliness and complexity, there is room for great performances and great banter. Makes me wish Ginger and Bill had partnered up quite a bit more, but I suppose that would be too much goodness for the universe to allow.

Anyway, if you've not already done so-- check out Star of Midnight. You'll like it, I promise. :)

*The juries still out on that one.

College Life in the Movies

2009-08-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

So, this is it. I start classes in three days. As with everything in my life, I've tried to get a sort of preview to campus living through the movies. But I couldn't really think of anything to watch. I re-watched Sweater Girl, but I really hope college isn't like that...murders can be so troublesome. Though I wouldn't much mind the songs...

Does anyone out there (I seeee youuu) have any good college movie recommendations? I'd surely appreciate it. ;)

First Look at the Greats, part I

2009-08-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

Last night I was watching Marked Woman for the gazillionth time and started to think about my Bette Davis obsession. I'm not sure exactly how it happened, or when....but it's been lovely so far.

I don't know when I first heard the name Bette Davis. Probably in the film book my sister bought for me when I was little. I remember reading from it and calling her "Bette" (Oh drat...that doesn't work here...only in speech, huh?) as in Midler. My mother corrected me and I thought to myself "What a cool spelling." Later I learned she thought so too. :)

The first time I saw Bette Davis was in All About Eve. I was twelve, I think, and was looking for old movies to buy. I'd heard a lot about the script (I still think it's the best), and also about Bette Davis. So I bought it, watched it, and searched for adjectives to describe it. Marvelous, uproarious, grand...it was everything I'd wanted in a movie (Yeah, I know...sounds lame, but that was really how I felt). I knew at once why it was considered a classic.

Anyway, sometime after that I was shopping for movies and saw What Ever Happened to Baby Jane on the shelf. I remember thinking what an awesome cover it had, with that creepy poem and broken doll's head. So I bought it.

Geez...no wonder Kim Carnes sang that song.

At the time, I found it remarkable that the lady from Baby Jane was the same woman who'd been in All About Eve. Which clinched the obsession, I guess. From that point on I've never looked back (well, I mean, except for ...now. ;)

My absolute favorite picture of Bette.

Seriously, this woman could not get any cooler.

Do you have a favorite Bette memory?

Move Over, Mack Sennett.

2009-08-15T12:37:00.000-07:00

Since it is summer (yes-- really!) and I'd love nothing more than to go for a swim, here are some summer appropriate pictures. Plus, like I said earlier, I'm in Colorado and probably nowhere near a computer. That's right kids-- this is not a live post. Hopefully in time you can forgive me for the deception. ;)

So, here goes...bathing beauties and whatnot.

Gene Tierney. Cool headband, huh?

Carole Lombard...I love that lamp.

No one you should know, really...just liked the heels with the suit.

Buster Keaton having a good time, despite appearances.

Alice Faye, who I've never been terribly fond of...I liked the hat, though. :)

Marie Prevost. One of Mack's original Bathing Beauties.

Doris Day.

Gal I don't know, Jackie Cooper, Judy, Mickey, June Preisser, gal I don't know #2, and LB Mayer.

Joan Crawford and her cousin, Betty Jean.

Well that was fun. You should all go for a swim. And while you do that-- think of me, out here in the wilderness, most likely about to fall down a mountain or something. Cheers.

Gregory La Cava, Director and Producer.

2009-08-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

Guess who's currently in Colorado? I am, I am!

Anyway, this was supposed to be a scheduled blog, so hopefully that's worked out. If not...well, I suppose it doesn't matter if not, as you won't be reading this. Anyway...

He's the guy W. C. Fields said had the "best mind for comedy in Hollywood."
Ginger Rogers called him "masterful" and Pandro Bergman said he "amazed me."

La Cava with Irene Dunne.

Despite having over 150 directing credits (and a series of hits including My Man Godfrey, 5th Avenue Girl, The Half Naked Truth, Primrose Path, and Unfinished Business), La Cava's name is not as instantly recognizable as one might think.

On the set of Stage Door, with Adolphe Menjou, Ginger, and Kate.

In the 1950s, with the release of Sarris' American Cinema rankings, movies focusing on male-centered worlds (westerns, film noir, and action pictures of Hawks and Ford in particular) gained popularity, with many film critics and theorists revisiting and reanalyzing them. Perhaps one reason La Cava has mainly been ignored by those film historians is the fact that he was primarily a "woman's director," and the majority of his later films portray women as the heart of the film, with men acting more or less as accessories.

Carole Lombard and William Powell in La Cava's My Man Godfrey.

I'd never really heard of him until two or three years ago, when I watched Stage Door. However, I'm finding out he was a lot more influential than his fame (or lack of it, rather) would have one believe.

Beginning in 1916 with animated shorts, La Cava moved on to live action in the early twenties. During the silent era, La Cava worked beside stars such as Bebe Daniels, W.C. Fields, Richard Dix, and Esther Ralston.

Irene Dunne and her director, on the set of Unfinished Business.

In his most productive decade, the thirties, La Cava was employed at some time by nearly all the major studios, directing the likes of Claudette Colbert, Irene Dunne, Joel McCrea, William Powell, and Ginger Rogers (three times, isn't it marvelous?).

Gregory La Cava directing Walter Huston, Franchot Tone, and Karen Morley in Gabriel Over the White House.

Even David O. Selznick, Hollywood's resident humbug, said of La Cava: "Ninety-nine directors out of a hundred are worthless as producers. However, there are exceptions... I believe that La Cava might be an exception."

30 Questions, AKA the reason I've been an antisocial blogger.

2009-08-09T13:59:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the increasingly (and deservingly) lionized Matthew Coniam of Movietone News, I've another survey to complete, this time about films of the thirties and forties. Well, mainly.

So here goes. It's terribly hard by the looks of it. Especially that last one-- gulp.

But first, this is the reason I haven't read a lot of your blogs on this topic. Didn't want to subconsciously steal your answers, y'know. ;)

1. Your favorite Humphrey Bogart film in which he doesn't play a gangster or a private eye. (Oh, and not including Casablanca either.)
Marked Woman. No doubt. His performance in that one is my favorite, including his performances as hoods and whatnot.

2. Your favorite appearance by a star in drag (boy-girl or girl-boy).
Well, I suppose the obvious answer for me'd be Katharine in Sylvia Scarlett, but...the one that first came to mind was June Preisser in Sweater Girl. That hat is simply divine.

3. Your favorite Laurel & Hardy film; short or feature, or one of each. (This will sort out the men from the boys - or perhaps the men from the girls.)
You're Darn Tootin'. The first one I ever saw, and still my favorite.

4. Your favorite appearance by one star in a role strongly associated with another star. (E.g.: Ricardo Cortez as Sam Spade, Grace Kelly as Tracy Lord, Vince Vaughn as Norman Bates...)
Vince Vaughan as Norman Bates. Hah! You wish. Man alive-- I keep forgetting this is 30s and 40s. So I'll say it anyway...Tammy Blanchard as Sybil in...Sybil. But sticking to the rules I'll make it Janet Gaynor as Esther Blodgett. Then again, she and Judy are both pretty famous for it. And this in no way means I prefer Janet to Judy. Just thought I’d clarify, hee hee.

5. The thirties or forties star or stars you most think you'd like, but have yet to really get to know.
Ooh, good 'un. Audrey Totter. And Tallulah Bankhead probably. After all, she was friends with Dorothy Parker. As for the men, Van Johnson seemed like a nice guy. But I’ve only seen him in one or two things. Same for Lew Ayres.

6. Your favorite pre-Petrified Forest Bette Davis film.
Tie between Dangerous and Bordertown. Is that allowed? ;)

7. Your favorite post-Mildred Pierce Joan Crawford film.
Johnny Guitar. I just adore seeing gals in westerns.

8. Your favorite film that ends with the main character's death.
Well, Dark Victory's definitely up there...that or Waterloo Bridge. Ooh, or DOA. I’m too indecisive for my own good.

9. Your favorite Chaplin talkie.
Monsieur Verdoux, but (shh-- don’t tell) I’ve never seen Limelight. Relax though, I just added it to my Amazon cart.

10. Your favorite British actor and actress.
Robert Donat and Margaret Lockwood, but Phyllis Calvert’s growing on me.
EDIT: Okay, I peeked at someone’s answers. I need to get it into my head that Vivien Leigh is indeed a British actress. Ho hum.

11. Your favorite post-1960 appearance by a 1930's star.
Olivia de Havilland in Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte. If she qualifies as a ’30s star. She should, by the way.

12. Dietrich or Garbo?
Garbo. For now, as I've yet to really watch a lot of Marlene.

13. Karloff or Lugosi?
I fell in love with Lugosi when I first saw a picture of him from The Black Cat. How debonair can you get?

14. Chaplin or Keaton? (I know some of you will want to say both for all of the above. Me too. But you can't.)
Keaton. But you must understand how very hard it was for me to choose. I hope Charlie does.

15. Your favorite star associated predominantly with the 1950's.
Gloria Grahame...Is that okay? Golly I hope so. Because I was gonna say Lucille Ball, but the work I love most isn't associated with the fifties-- she is. Oh drat, I just rambled, didn't I?

16. Your favorite Melvyn Douglas movie.
Too Many Husbands. Only because A Woman’s Face belongs too much to Joan. So there. ;)

17. The box-office failure you most think should have been a success.
Well, I’d love to say The Pirate, but I can understand why it was a failure at the time. Silly audiences. So I’ll go with Sturges’ Unfaithfully Yours. Linda Darnell, Rex Harrison-- brilliant.

18. Your favorite performance by an actor or actress playing drunk.
I know it’s only for a bit, but Una Merkel in Midnight Mary plays drunk to perfection. So that’s it for me.

19. Your favorite last scene of any thirties movie.
Why oh why couldn’t The Lady Eve have been made just two years earlier? Shucks...how about Bringing Up Baby?

20. Your favorite American non-comedy silent movie.
Too difficult, so I’m going to rely on one of my favorite techniques-- cheating. Sadie Thompson or The Eyes of Julia Deep.

21. Your favorite Jean Harlow performance.
The Beast of the City....I like her in comedy, but prefer her in stuff like this.

22. Your favorite remake. (Quizmaster's definition: second or later version of a work written as a movie, not a later adaptation of the same novel or play.)
Good definition. Um...Good News, from ‘47. Though I haven’t seen the original, so I can’t really
compare.

23. Your favorite Orson Welles performance in a film he did not direct, not including The Third Man.
Actually, the only movies I’ve seen with Orson (that aren’t off limits, of course) are The Long Hot Summer and Three Cases of Murder, so I’ll go with the latter.

24. Your favorite non-gangster or musical James Cagney film or performance.
Does Hard to Handle count? He’s not really a gangster...more of a general ne’er-do-well.

25. Your favorite Lubitsch movie.
One Hour With You. But Trouble in Paradise is a close second. And I’ve always wanted to see Cluny Brown.

26. Who would win in a fight: Miriam Hopkins or Barbara Stanwyck? (Both in their prime; say in 1934 or so.)
You kidding? Well, Bette shook Miriam around, and Barbara could totally take Bette, so it’s Barbara Stanwyck by a mile-- and she wouldn’t even break a sweat. She wouldn't have to put a doorknob in her glove for it, either...

27. Name the two stars you most regret never having co-starred with each other, and - if you want - choose your dream scenario for them. (Quizmaster's qualification: they have to be sufficiently contemporary to make it possible. So, yes to Cary Grant and Lon Chaney Jr. as two conmen in a Howard Hawks screwball; no to Clara Bow and Kirsten Dunst as twin sisters on the run from prohibition agents in twenties Chicago, much though that may entice.)
Okay. Linda Darnell and Judy Garland, in a sort of film noir spoof. Like Lady on a Train, but this time with two ladies. Hahaha, I’m probably the only person who’d see it, but you did ask. I was gonna say John Wayne and Stanwyck, but then remembered he had part in Baby Face. Thank goodness. Otherwise this would be far too hard.

28. Your favorite Lionel Barrymore performance.
Sue me, but it’s You Can’t Take It With You. If you’d have said favorite Lionel Barrymore film, the answer’d be altogether different. :)

29. Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard or Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour? (See note on question 14.)
Eek-- you’re killing me. Bob and Paulette, but only because of my sworn loyalty to Paulette. Otherwise, I like him best when with Lamour.

30. You won't want to answer this, but: there's been a terrible fire raging in the film libraries of all the major studios. It's far too late to save everything. All you can do is save as much as you can. You've been assigned the thirties. All you'll have time to drag from the obliterating inferno is one 1930's film each from Paramount, MGM, RKO, Columbia, Universal and Warners. Do you stomp around in a film buff's huff saying 'it's too hard, I can't choose just one' and watch them all go up in smoke? Or do you roll your sleeves up and start saving movies?But if the latter: which ones...?
Ahh! This is entirely too cruel. Thirties is the toughest of all (but you knew that, didn’t you?)
Well, I was gonna come up with awesome answers of movies that had tons of stars, or compilation films and such, but then decided to pick my actual favorites. So, here goes...but please, never ever (ever) try to recreate this one in life.

RKO--Stage Door. Ha, Ginger and Kate! Take that, fire!
Paramount-- I’m No Angel
MGM--I’m giving two answers. Gone With the Wind and (because MGM didn’t really produce GWTW by itself) Babes in Arms.
Universal-- Dracula.
Warner Bros.-- Baby Face. (I think I can actually hear Bette screaming)

I think I’d manage to save these and, in the midst of choosing between His Girl Friday and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington for Columbia, pass out due to smoke inhalation. I did try though, but just couldn’t save them all. Don’t judge me. ;)

Sigh. Now that’s over, I can read all of your marvelous posts.

Great Reads. :)

2009-08-07T10:25:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, I was delighted to learn on that someone out there likes me. Or, at least, my blog.

The magnificent Matthew Coniam over at...well, Carfax Abbey, Movietone News, The Dennis Wheatley Project, and The Marx Brothers Council of Britain...has declared this blog a great read. (And you all thought it was just okay-- what privileged people you are. ;)

So here we are-- time for me to pass this grand thing on.

I love every blog I follow (obviously, otherwise I wouldn't follow 'em...). Really, though, you're all great reads-- give yourselves pats on the back. Or just one, depending on the time and intensity of the pat. Anyway, I'm fairly certain some of you have gotten this award before and therefore wouldn't want to bore you with another. :)

On that note, I hereby proclaim the following to be great reads...

Or Maybe Eisenstein Should Just Relax, Meredith's fabulous and always entertaining blog.
1) Because she likes Arrested Development.
2) Ditto for The Big Valley.
3) Because her blog always makes me laugh, in the best way.
4) Because I can.

Living on Velvet, Elsie's blog about...oh, just about everything film related until 1950 or so. It's odd-- I don't always agree with Elsie's take on things, but always find her writing and opinions fascinating. Plus, she digs Janet Gaynor. :)

Flickers, an ever-interesting movie blog by Doug. Reading this blog, I'm constantly learning about movies I'd otherwise not have discovered, mostly those from around 1970 to 1995. I tend to be a little backwards when it comes to modern cinema, but Doug's blog reminds me that there is good stuff out there, if one is willing to look.

A Noodle in a Haystack, Amanda Cooper's blog focusing on movies, music, and dancing. When I go to read Amanda Cooper's blog, I know I'll always be amused and interested in her take on everyone from Vera Ellen to Dean Martin. Definitely recommended.

Also, a very happy birthday to Lucille Ball, Ella Raines (August 6), and Billie Burke (August 7) :)

Really, though, I do mean it when I say you all deserve it. I've learned a ton already about film (and other miscellaneous topics) just by reading the blogs out there.

I've re-discovered my love of film noir by reading Ginger Ingenue's blog, kept track of which Ginger movies are still out there through Beth and Lauren (not to mention had grand Ginger discussions with numerous people out there), and developed a wee obsession with Ingrid Bergman and James Dean by way of Millie's marvelous blog (which I'd totally give one of these to, but judging by the awesomeness of it-- she probably has one already, haha).

In addition to that, I've learned what a gal in the navy would do to curl her hair, that Jennifer Jones is much less cool than what she'd have you believe, and that James Cagney's use of a grapefruit in Public Enemy remains unsurpassed.

I've found out about Lona Andre's and Anna May Wong's careers, read about pre-code horror flicks, modern rom-coms, Harold Lloyd, and smoking in the movies, and have seen ingenious Chicago architecture and terrific artwork of Clara Bow. Really, who could ask for anything more? And, haha, did I forget anybody?

I'd give to every one of ya if I could. Group hug? ;)

June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962

2009-08-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

Then again, maybe not.

2009-08-03T14:49:00.000-07:00

Well I did it...finally chose which movies to take with my to the university.

Of my movies (http://juliette713.dvdaf.com/owned and http://juliette713.dvdaf.com/owned/classics, respectively), I selected 56 of 'em. Well, 51...the others aren't really "movies."

I'm sure I'll still come home often to switch things around, but as of now, my college movies are (would it be terribly inconvenient to ask for a drum roll?)....

The 39 Steps

All About Eve

Amelie

Babes in Arms

Babes on Broadway

Bachelor Mother

Bella

Bonnie and Clyde

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Bringing Up Baby

Cabaret

City Lights

Clueless

Double Indemnity

Easter Parade

Enter the Dragon

The Ex-Mrs. Bradford

For Me and My Gal

Freaks

Freaky Friday (1976)

Girl Crazy

Gigi

Gone With the Wind

Grey Gardens

Heathers

How to Marry a Millionaire

The Lady Eve

The Lady Vanishes

The Last Picture Show

Laura

Lili

The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane

The Love Parade

Marked Woman

Meet Me in St. Louis

The Moon Spinners

Night of the Hunter

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

Paper Moon

Singin' In the Rain

Splendor in the Grass

Strictly Ballroom

Strike Up the Band

Sybil

Tammy and the Bachelor

Top Hat

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

Up the Sandbox

Wait Until Dark

What's Up Doc?

Woman of the Year

Mary Pickford: A PBS Documentary

Liza Minnelli at Radio City Music Hall

The Judy Garland Show, vol. I

Gidget: The Complete Series

Arrested Development: The Complete Series

Yea? Nay? How could you forget insert film title here Juliette, you stupid git?

Because that's pretty much the extent of my post for today, and I wouldn't want you little dears to hate me, here's some randomness!

Ginger. Dig those shades.

Doris, at home.

Kate, on the set of Sylvia Scarlett. I assume. ;)

Rita and Orson, bullfighting. Nearly.

Random thought for the day....I'm currently listening to "June Is Busting Out All Over" from Carousel. When I was little I thought June was the girl's name. Yikes.

And a very happy birthday to Miss Jean Hagen. A gifted comedienne, but also a whiz at dramatics.

Musings vol. III and Silly Gene, Socks Are For Plebs!

2009-08-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

I was watching The Judy Garland Show today...again. Rich Little was one of the guests, and I discovered he wasn't as creepy when he was a young guy as he is an old man. (Who is?)

Anyway, that boy can do a heck of a lot of impressions. Which you all knew. Then it struck me-- I cannot. I mean, obviously I knew this for some time, but it's kind of a downer to consciously realize. My list of impressions can be counted on one hand. That is, if the hand in question is a relatively normal human hand, with at least 3 fingers.

Basically, I can do:

1) Peter O'Toole
2) Jodie Foster (but only in Anna and the King)
3) The blind Muppet from Muppet Treasure Island

Not too impressive, huh? Granted, my blind Muppet impersonation is just dandy, but still...
Ho hum. Any gifted celebrity impersonators out there?

Dodging around other people's blogs, I've noticed serials seem to be all the rage. Which I wasn't too enthusiastic about, as I currently have none. While I was attempting to come up with a halfway clever idea for a series, I stumbled upon (no, not literally) this picture of Gene Tierney.

And something felt off, you know? Not quite right. At first I thought it was her lack of make-up, but after much (okay, a few seconds of) thought, knew that wasn't the case...she's still pretty gorgeous, after all. It was the socks.

So there you have it, my series proposal. Sort of a backwards version of one of those "Celebrities-- They're Just Like Us!" you see so often in popular magazines.

Worst case scenario: I run outta pictures, in which case I'll come up with an excuse and ask politely for your forgiveness. Sound good? ;)

Was poking my nose around that WWBD site again, and came across a pretty cool (if Judy biased-- which is more than fine by me) survey. Warning: I'm pretty heavily obsessed with musicals, so if you're not...what are you doing here anyway? Scram. ;)

What is your favorite musical from the 1930s? One Hour With You...maybe. Eh, there's too much out there.

From the 40s? Heck, you expect me to decide? Hm...anything Judy did, or Good News.

From the 50s? Lili, Gigi or Singin' in the Rain.

From the 60s? Sweet Charity. If I must. ;)

From the 70s? Cabaret. Most definitely. What'd you think-- Fiddler?

From the 80s? Victor/Victoria. Not that there was a lot to choose from...

From the 90s to today? Each time I watch Chicago, I'm more and more impressed.

Out of these, which is your favorite? Probably something Judy did...Meet Me in St. Louis, or Easter Parade.

Who are your favorite musical actors? Gordon McRae, Fred Astaire, Peter Lawford, Maurice Chevalier...

Who are your favorite musical actresses? Judy Garland, Leslie Caron, Doris Day, Ginger Rogers, Virginia O'Brien...

Who are your favorite musical directors? Chuck Walters, Busby Berkeley, and Vincente Minnelli

Who are your favorite songwriters? Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg, Irving Berlin, Kander and Ebb.

Who are you favorite dancers? Ginger Rogers, Eleanor Powell, Fred Astaire, Ann Miller, Buddy Ebsen

What is your favorite showtune? Ooh, toughie. "How About You?" from Babes on Broadway or "Isn't This a Lovely Day?" from Top Hat. Seems I like my songs to be interrogatory...

What is your favorite movie with Fred and Ginger? Carefree...or Top Hat...or Swing Time...or The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle...

What is your favorite movie with Mickey and Judy? Girl Crazy. Mm-hm.

What is your favorite movie with Nelson and Jeanette? Maytime's actually the only one I like. Nelson annoys me more than he did Jeanette.

What is your favorite Judy Garland movie? MMISL. Or maybe For Me and My Gal.

What is your favorite Gene Kelly movie? For Me and My Gal or Singin' in the Rain.

MGM or RKO? What? You can't do that. Both.

Pasternak or Freed Unit? Hahaha, that's allowed. Freed Unit, hands down.

Astaire or Kelly? Astaire.

Howard Keel or Gordon McRae? Well, I never liked Howard Keel, so...

June Allyson or Jane Powell? June, but both were good.

Barbra Streisand or Liza Minnelli? Oh c'mon! That's like Sophie's choice...only difference is I won't be choosing.

Mary Poppins or The Sound of Music? Mary Poppins.

Julie Andrews as Poppins or Audrey Hepburn? To be fair, I've only seen one scene done by Andrews, so I'm afraid Hepburn has it.

Favorite dance by Fosse? I'm cheating-- the one he choreographed for Liza with a Z..."Blackbird." But from a movie? "If My Friends Could See Me Now."

What is your favorite aqua-musical? Hahaha, so this pretty much narrows it down to Esther Williams, huh? Yeah okay, Million Dollar Mermaid.

What is your favorite non-musical scene from a musical? Heck, I dunno....there are too many to choose from. I like all of Ginger's hypnosis scenes from Carefree, so we'll go with that.

PS. I've always wanted to do this...

Movies! Movies! Movies! and Gal of the Week

2009-07-31T10:03:00.000-07:00

I'm going away to college soon, and still I've no idea which movies to take. I wanted at first to take my entire collection, but shudder at the thought of packing them away under my bed or something. They need to breathe. ;)

There are certain films in my possession that I view just once, but others I go to again and again-- even if I watch only certain scenes.

I wonder what the difference is, of those movies. Instead of analyzing it (which would probably be somewhat interesting but rather difficult and time-consuming), I'm going to make a list of some movies I can watch over and over again. Less interesting for you maybe, but infinitely more fun for me.

1) Auntie Mame

I don't know what it is about this movie (actually, I suppose I do-- Ros Russell) ...it's not my favorite film in the world, but it has this unique quality to it that makes it incredibly re-watchable. Which means it's grand in my book.

2) Sybil

Oh the script! So much to choose from-- so many lines to quote!

My personal favorite? "They were Sybil's tonsils, but my throat hurt too."

3) Paper Moon

This is the most dependable movie I know...no one I've ever shown it to has disliked it. Thank goodness.

4) Love with the Proper Stranger

Steve McQueen is just adorable, especially near the end. Sometimes (and I don't blame her one bit) Natalie Wood is too much for me, but not in this one.

5) What's Up Doc?

The first Barbra Streisand movie I ever saw. Which means it still holds a special place in my... collection. ;)

6) Easter Parade

Judy. Fred. Not to mention (though I'll do so anyway) the songs by Irving Berlin...like a gazillion of 'em.

7) Stage Door

The movie that started my Ginger obsession. Oh, I owe it all to this one. Kind of odd that Kate and Mr. Menjou look so close on the poster.

8) Gone With the Wind

I don't even think I'm capable of explaining my love for this movie.

9) Wait Until Dark

When I was littler, Audrey Hepburn was tops as far as I was concerned. This one and Charade made me fall for old movies.

10) The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane

For this list, it was a toss up between this and Freaky Friday. Guess I'm feeling dark today, huh?

11) Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte

Might just be a matter of opinion, but this one's oodles better than What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, yeah?

12) Romance on the High Seas

Doris Day's first movie, also with my hero, Oscar Levant, who once said he knew Doris "before she was a virgin."

13) Laura

Never tire of this one. Clifton Webb's performance near the end always freaks me out tremendously. I think I like it.

14) Clueless

C'mon, there had to be one pick on here like this, right?

15) The Heiress

Each time I watch it, I'm more impressed with Olivia de Havilland's performance. Good stuff.

As for the gal in the title of this post, this week it's...

Julie London

1) Because Amanda Cooper from A Noodle in a Haystack mentioned her in a post and

2) ...because who else has such groovy (yeah, groovy) album covers?

That was a rhetorical question, by the way. ;)

Now with 50 percent more needless pictures!

2009-07-27T16:11:00.001-07:00

Louise Brooks: Pistol Packin' Mama

I learned two new words yesterday..."garrote" and "kabal." Also did some research on Erica Jong, who is a psycho, and Marge Piercy, who is not. Then I was reminded of Looking for Mr. Goodbar (for some reason, shady feminist writing almost always makes me think of Diane Keaton), thus spent some time researching that as well. All in all a productive day, as far as summer days go. I adore days like that...just reading about arbitrary topics and learning. I think William Desmond Taylor is my favorite go-to topic, but the gal who offed herself on TV --Christine something-- gets an honorable mention. Even when I was little I enjoyed researching...mainly conspiracy theories and Jim Jones and all that contentious jazz. Ah well, it passes one's time.

Esther Williams and her sisters. Or maybe not.

Speaking of attempts to pass the time, I've been trying to write another short story. But it's always difficult to start, because names are so terribly hard to invent. Either you're trying too hard or not hard enough. My names always sound put-on, almost too perfect...detectives names from the forties or something (think: Sam Spade).

I'm not sure either if it should be a girl or boy, man or woman, etc. If it's a female, people will automatically assume it's me. If it's a guy, they'll take it that I'm doing one of those gender swap deals...y'know, putting one's traits to the opposite sex. There's no winning...or perhaps I'm just paranoid. It's because of that quote, that anything in art is a narrative, whether we want it to be one or not. That really has influenced the way I write (or don't write, ha-ha). I was toying with the name Rue, but it's too unique. No one in life is named that, only people in stories. People in life are named Jessica or something. Ho hum.

Jean Harlow about to get whacked by Anita Loos.

I don't really know what'd make me happy now. I'm restless, but don't want to go anywhere, do anything. I want to be still...sit, write. Forget about whatever. But the thing is-- I've nothing to forget, not really. I'm not troubled or plagued by any malady, physical or otherwise. What's a normal girl to do?

Fred, Ginger, and Judy...judging by costumes, about 1948.

Oh! I know...I was thinking earlier (oh really?) and tried to make a list of things (actors and actresses, what have you) I've never really "gotten into," as they say. Funny thing is, I can totally see myself becoming interested with these names in say, a year or so. But I guess I shall have to wait and see.

First off: The Marx Brothers. Hear me out...I've been willing...wanting to see something of theirs, but every time I ask someone what would be best to start with, I get a different answer. I was thinking Duck Soup, but then some chump down the street told me A Night at the Opera was better. Then, another kid gave me the idea to start with a lousy one (well, not lousy, but you know) so all the others'd seem better by comparison. So I thought maybe The Big Store. It does have Virginia O'Brien after all. But that one doesn't seem to be available. So I ask you...which would be best?

Next is Ingrid Bergman. Sorry, I know she's "mahhvelous," I just never knew why. Then again, I've only seen the more famous stuff she's done plus The Bells of St. Mary's. I've never disliked her, just haven't gone wild over anything she's done either. And for that I blame Christopher Andersen, the guy who wrote An Affair to Remember (the book, not the movie) about Tracy and Hepburn. He said some things about Bergman that didn't rub me in quite the right way, so there you have it. As I said earlier, though, I'm sure my mind will change...as soon as I watch the right movie. In fact, I can see the Ingrid thing turning into a full blown obsession.

Then there's Myrna Loy, though I can see now she won't be on this list very long. As soon as I thought of her, I YouTube'd (Is that a verb? I'm making it a verb.) her name...she seems likeable enough, but I have a feeling I'll have to view some of her earlier stuff before I make up my mind. I've always liked the Thin Man series, but more for William Powell than anything. We'll see, I suppose. :)

Marlene Dietrich finishes off the list...for now, at least. I've seen her in Judgment at Nuremberg, Witness for the Prosecution, and Destry Rides Again. 'Fraid I know who's influenced me in this case too-- Judy Garland. Judy made me like oh so many people....Jack Jones, Martha Raye, even Mickey. Fortunately, she's only made me dislike two. Unfortunately, however, one of those two is Marlene Dietrich. But like I said, I can be quite fickle about stuff like this, so maybe The Blue Angel will change my mind. Your guess is as good as mine. Close, anyway.

http://www.booksattransworld.co.uk/minisites/barbra/popquiz.html

Took this little quiz and got 26 correct. And no, I didn't look 28 up, you silly online quiz-judge, you.

Obsession is not too strong a word...

2009-07-26T17:01:00.000-07:00

I've been trying (oh, alright, I've just started trying) to think up the people I'm more or less (more! more!) obsessed with. Ouch, prepositions can hurt, huh? I'll try again.

I've recently attempted to create a list of people whom...with...oh dear. You get the picture, I think. People with whom I'm obsessed. Yeah?

Anyway, Judy Garland was first, natch. Then Ginger, William Powell, Barbara Stanwyck, Bette Davis, and Sally Field (just humor me for a second, 'kay? ;) )

And then, of course, there are the people who have very little (or nothing) to do with movies. Edith Beale the younger, Dorothy Parker, Patty Hearst, and Tiny Tim. That made ten... a nice, round number.

So darn it all, Linda Darnell...you just had to make it eleven, didn't you?

I'm afraid it took me 19 long years to see A Letter to Three Wives, though I shouldn't count the first ten or so...I wasn't really conscious until age nine or ten, I think.

Anyway, I saw it last week. And again he next day. And then I watched that nice, if extraordinarily depressing A&E bio of Linda Darnell. And I was hooked (Ask Amazon-- they know). Oh well, I guess I could always clear more shelf room.

(Psst..does anyone know the deal between Linda and Otto Preminger?)

EDIT: Evidently Preminger gave Darnell a hard time on Forever Amber...but that's still too vague for me. :)

EDIT 2 (A P.P.S., if you will)

Miscellany

2009-07-21T20:43:00.000-07:00

So, today I am tired, and therefore this blog post will take neither time nor effort. Cool, huh?

Ginger plays the accordion. Who knew? ;)

Veronica Lake at her home in Baltimore. Ah, fooled ya. It's a publicity shot from I Married a Witch, which was the first movie with Miss Lake I had the pleasure of seeing.

Hat of the Day.

This one, worn by the generally chic Leslie Caron.

Random picture. Yes, that's me. With a knife. Don't worry, kids, I'm harmless. Unless you resemble bread.

Psst...I used'ta confuse Kay Francis with Kay Medford, aka the mom in Funny Girl. Oops?

Musings, vol. II

2009-07-18T13:39:00.001-07:00

You know, I think in the long run, writers are the only ones with any job security. Really...seems robots could do anything else. I mean, hopefully it never gets to that point, but still. Which stinks, because I could never write good fiction. It always feels as if I'm giving someone's secrets away. It seems the only true point of view is limited. But I mean limited. Knowing no one's thoughts at all. Because that's how it is in life, right? I don't know his thoughts-- or hers, or his. It would be my thoughts alone...one endless journal entry. And that's no fun for anyone.

Judy with a very large postcard. Yeah, that's my caption.

Yesterday I watched Ladies of Leisure for the first time. I liked it all, but the beginning was especially marvelous, like when Barbara Stanwyck pulls a fish face. I'm constantly making fish faces. Hopefully everyone knows what that means, because I'm nearly positive I couldn't do it justice by describing it here.

Stany in a dress. Oh boy, I really need to get more info on these pictures, huh?

I can hear William outside, probably getting ready to pounce on one of my cats. That's my neighbor's 7-year-old. Also the name of a kid I went to grade school with. Also my kindergarten teacher. Technically, that was her last name. I didn't much like her-- she took her hair off once on April Fool's Day. Also she was mean. Mainly to this kid named Brittany. I walked with Brittany at my kindergarten graduation. I tripped. The the end. I remember having to draw self-portraits with my class then, and mine being the only one with skin-colored skin. All the others' were green or blue or something. I thought that showed a terrible lack of realism in them...probably just meant I had no taste for the abstract at age six.

Jeanette MacDonald, Sally Blane and Joyce Compton in Annabel's Affairs. Can you say "pre-Code"? ;)

...But I must have liked it, for I drew a yellow train, which --according to Hattie the gal who sat next to me-- don't exist. Must be something in the name Hattie, for she was quite like Mrs. Dorsett, I suppose..."Chickens...aren't...purple...stupid." Of course, Mrs. Dorsett was right, albeit a tad cruel in her way of showing it. A purple chicken is perfectly absurd, but then again the kid was like four...

Doris Day rehearsing a number in I'll See You in My Dreams. The blackface was part of the number, not a personal preference. Pretty sure.

PS. I'm pretty sure the makers of The Simpsons based Nelson's laugh on Ginger Rogers'. You know..."HAa-ha." Who's with me? ;)

Good thing they don't still print neat pictures like this on cigarettes, or I'd be an addict.

X of the Day

2009-07-13T18:05:00.000-07:00

Today I finally convinced (guilted, convinced-- same difference) my sister to watch The Scar with me. It was my birthday, so that helped I suppose. She liked it, which isn't much of a surprise, because it's great. I'm not sure why she was so apprehensive, as I've never led her astray (this month we've seen Stage Door, Marked Woman, Meet John Doe, and I Married a Witch together and she's not been disappointed yet).

Anyway, if I had to make a list --I don't, mind you, so I won't bore you with that-- The Scar would be one of my top ten movies of film noir. Fun stuff, huh?

I'm in a picture-posting mood, so today there's to be a person, hat, and photo of the day, you lucky kids, you.

Let's start with photo, shall we?

Ginger Rogers showing her Nixon support in 1960.

Nifty, huh? I especially like the boy's face in the backseat.

Yeah, yeah, yeah...it's not really a hat. So sue me. Peanuts aren't really nuts. ;)

And now, ladies and gentlemen, the person of the day.

Her name is Tallulah.

When I was younger, I always knew Tallulah Bankhead was famous, I just never knew what for. Was she a singer, actress, dancer? I'd no idea. Some time ago I decided to remedy this situation. I googled her.

The answer quickly came, but not in terms I could understand. It said online that Tallulah was a "bon vivant." I knew this meant, of course, a person of rather epicurean ideals. Howeveer, I did not understand why this would make someone famous. So I did more research. I discovered she was an actress, and a rather good one at that. She was also in the Algonquin Round Table with my hero, Dot Parker and the also-cool Edna Ferber.

It's odd-- I've looked everywhere for a quote (and there are plenty around), but I wouldn't dare print most of them, and if I'd "clean them up," so to speak...they wouldn't quite be sentences anymore. Finally, I came across this one, which seems to capture some of Tallulah's spirit.

“The only thing I regret about my past is the length of it. If I had to live my life again I'd make all the same mistakes - only sooner.”

Psst!, Pictures, and Peggy Lee

2009-07-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

Whenever I'm bored, say, in a waiting room or something, I like to make up new names for Sally Field movies-- all revolving around Gidget. I'm saying this knowing how incredibly silly it sounds, but it's one of my more unassuming idiosyncrasies, so I thought I'd share.

Examples? Sure. Well, Norma Rae becomes "Gidget Fights the Man." Sybil turns into "Gidget Gets Multiple Personality Disorder" (among other more unsavory things), and --my personal favorite-- Absence of Malice becomes "Gidget Hooks Up with Paul Newman." Yeah okay, say what you will, but it makes me plenty happy. :)

For some reason I've had "My Name is Tallulah" stuck in my head all day. And in that odd, adenoidal voice they used to dub Jodie Foster. Odd, but not entirely unpleasant.

Speaking of Ms. Foster (and who isn't?), I read a while back that she's to direct, produce, and star in a biopic about Leni Riefenstahl. How grand is that? I mean, as far as Nazi filmmakers go, Leni was the tops-- who else are ya gonna choose? Disregarding Leni's lovefests with Hitler (now that would make a good title), her work's actually not bad at all. Junta from The Blue Light is quite possibly my hero.

And I can actually picture Jodie Foster as Leni. They both have a sort of falcon look going for 'em. Beaky, some might say. In a good way, of course. Which is not the case with Anne Hathaway and Judy Garland. Bad casting if you ask me. Cast a Panabaker (or two), if you ask me. And maybe throw in Elizabeth Perkins or Tammy Blanchard and have them dubbed, if you ask me. But did anybody ask me? Did I get a midnight call from Harvey Weinstein saying, "Juliette, oh Juliette-- I need you now." No, I certainly did not. Ah well, I'll still be standing in line for tickets. Because that's just who I am. Ho hum.

Instead of doing a hat of the day, it's gonna be Peggy Lee-- person of the day. Aside from having a marvelous singing voice (I've had "Mr. Wonderful" on repeat for hours), Peggy Lee was also a gifted actress and songwriter. Duke Ellington once said, "If I'm the Duke, then Peggy's the Queen." Plus, she was the voice of the Siamese cats in Lady in the Tramp. It doesn't get any cooler than that.

Peggy with her first husband Dave Barbour.

Scratch that earlier statement-- this is the hat of the day. And these are the gloves of the day, too. :)

Who knew?

2009-07-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

I was doing some basic (oh, alright, slightly odd) research using my best friend Google, and came across this somewhat disturbing ad.

So, how much do you think they go for? ;)

My Man Hitch

2009-07-11T22:11:00.000-07:00

Earlier this evening my parents, sister, brother-in-law, friend and I attended a show at the Mystery Cafe. It was "South by Southeast," and (as you can probably guess) it blended the highlights of Hitchcock into one production. It was pretty dandy, and it inspired me to create this list of my 5 favorite Hitchcock movies. So, drum roll please and let's begin.

5) Notorious. Terrifically engrossing thriller with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. This accomplishes what Hitchcock's Suspicion did not. Cary's character is more fully developed than the earlier film, which was wonderful. It's lovely in black and white, and seems a more serious movie than ma y of his others, if that makes sense.

4) Rear Window. Yeah, okay, really this ties for third, but there's no mercy in blogs. Or so I'm told. Anyhoo, this one's grand. A really cool, somewhat claustrophobic movie, you know? Grace Kelly and Jimmy Stewart do wonderfully, and Thelma Ritter (she was in everything!) is great as the caretaker. My only problem was that the climax didn't last too long, but it was nevertheless grand.

3) Frenzy. One of his most graphic movies made a bit after Psycho, Frenzy would be Hitchcock's second-to-last movie. I actually prefer it to Psycho, probably because the ending of this one wasn't ruined for me. Two enthusiastic thumbs up. ;)

2) Dial M for Murder. My favorite ever Grace Kelly film. The color is lovely, and the atmosphere is heavy. After just having seen The Major and the Minor, I was definitely not expecting Ray Milland's character to be so....well, you know, nasty and all. Pretty great viewing.

1) The Lady Vanishes. Ah, it's marvelous. It's much (much!) lighter than his later movies, but this one's my favorite by far. It's the movie that made me a fan of both Michael Redgrave and Margaret Lockwood. The ending is a bit silly today, but I still adore it.

Photo of the Day

2009-07-11T20:02:00.001-07:00

So I've always been wild about this picture....the first I saw it was inside a book my sister had gotten me for my tenth birthday. Women in Film. This one immediately caught my eye (along with one of Babs as Yentl, but that's a different story...). So, here 'tis...the wonderful Ida Lupino. It took me a while to see a movie that actually starred Ms. Lupino (They Drive by Night, with Bogie-- mahvelous). In the beginning, I stuck to ones she'd directed. The Hitchhiker, The Bigamist, and (rather light compared to the other two) The Trouble with Angels. Anyway, she's pretty cool. And this is a grand picture, no?

Quotes, etc.

2009-07-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

"Everywhere I go, I'm asked if I think the universities stifle writers. My opinion is that they don't stifle enough of them. There's many a bestseller that could have been prevented by a good teacher. "

Seriously, someone needs to make a good movie version of Wise Blood. John Huston's was fine, but not good, good. Y'dig?

Flannery O'Connor, keeping a stiff upper lip in spite of not being chosen as Hat of the Day.

When I walked outside today, I noticed the air smelled like, and this is weird...Frito Lay products. Not any one product specifically...just, y'know, in general. There's not like a gaseous poison that's scented like Fritos, is there? Or maybe don't tell me.

Found a survey online. I know, I know...how trite. Of course a blog would include a survey, huh? Yeah okay. I liked this one, so here goes.

I used to

[make those simple friendship bracelets from embroidery floss]

[confuse Greer Garson with Germaine Greer]

[try harder]

I remember

[Fourth of July parties in Princeton]

[the blue dress I wore to my kindergarten graduation]

[going to my neighbor's karate demonstration]

My first

[job was putting rubber bands around newspapers for my brother's route]

[book was "Come On Up," about a cat]

[bicycle was a purple Huffy]

I wonder

[where in the world Renee Russo's gone]

[why people use the word "lover" when it sounds so ucchy]

[what time exactly middle-aged men start thinking comb-overs might solve their problems]

I like

[watching extras overact in movies]

[big pockets in jeans]

[the sound duct tape makes when you tear some off]

I dislike

[put-on Southern accents]

[seeing the minute change on digital clocks]

[the thought of spontaneous combustion]

I'm guilty of

[flaking out]

[backseat driving]

[staring too much]

I hate to

[wait for people who said they'd absolutely be on time]

[see babies cry and watch as no one does anything about it]

[attend to details]

I love to

[keep music playing whenever I'm home]

[cut other people's hair]

[doodle]

There now. That wasn't so bad, eh? Quick and painless, like a band-aid. Only I never trusted people who said that. It still hurts for a second.

Now that's through, on to the hat of the day. Oh swell. Well, it's not Flannery, though that one looked darling. Nope, it's everyone's 25th favorite star, Ava Gardner.

Honorable mention to this one. Psst...no one tell her it's actually a tortilla.

Musings, vol. I

2009-07-09T22:43:00.001-07:00

Just some jumbled thoughts coupled with pictures I found interesting. I apologize in advance for using personal pronouns entirely too much and for being a dreadful bore in general.

It's terribly windy out tonight. Wind always makes me feel as if I'm going out of my mind. Coupled with the word-amnesia (shucks-- there’s a word for that but I can never remember what...oh, the irony) and recent insomnia makes for one tired and cluttered Juliette.

Grace Kelly, on set of something...The Country Girl?

Oh, I forgot to tell you about the brilliant idea I had. Actually, I suppose I forgot to tell myself. Last night at, oh, I’d say six or so (that’s a.m., dear), I awoke with a marvelous idea. I was going to write it down, when suddenly my subconscious (curse it forever) told my conscious self that I had already done so. My conscious self doubted this for a bit, then finally relented and went to sleep. Which turned out poorly, as now I’m unable to recall even a bit of it. So I beg of you subconscious-- if you know the whereabouts of this idea...by all means, let me know.

Hitch and actress Anny Ondra

Emma Brockes can be quite the little philosopher when she puts her mind to it...

“The difference between an interest and a passion is that an interest works on you from the outside in, whereas a passion works the other way around-- from the inside out. This is why people see their passions reflected in every surface, every circumstance.”

Lovely little quote, huh? I thought so.

Golly I hope this game still exists...

I’ve never much liked DVD commentaries by the director. It seems redundant. Isn’t the film supposed to be their commentary-- their statement on or about a situation? Some commentaries are enjoyable, though. Liza’s on The Band Wagon, for instance. That one was swell, but then again perhaps I’m biased. A little. A lot.

All day long I’ve had “In My Merry Oldsmobile” stuck in my head. Not that I mind.

Greta Garbo posing with the USC track team in 1926.

I think I shall begin writing letters. Not here, I mean, but to people on "the outside," aka real life. I was reading some of Flannery O'Connor's letters and noticed that she too writes a lot. An awful lot. A heck of a lot. By "a lot," I mean frequently, you know? I've always thought it was cool in biographical films when they'll have someone read the letters that particular person wrote to another. Just the feeling that you mattered enough to someone else that they thought to save your writing. Pretty neat, huh?

Young Bette Davis Eyes.

I can be a very stupid person, really. But I've gotten to know myself well enough to laugh it off. Like, I know I go through phases (should be pretty clear right now as I gaze at my "Barbra shelf"...ack) and I can laugh at that. I'm a flake too, but I don't much mind that. I'm distant and many times prefer to be alone. I'm no recluse, but I could happily be a cloistered nun...ah, scratch that, I love my family too much. I'm not neurotic, and have gotten over the time of finding neuroses particularly glamourous. Mainly. I'd still kill for a case of DID (kidding...ish), but otherwise it's better. When I fear something I generally avoid it. Whenever I think my writing has gotten too serious or self-indulgent, I throw in a phrase or two to shift focus...man alive this is getting long. I'm spent.

Hat of the Day

2009-07-09T14:44:00.000-07:00

This post is...exactly what it sounds like.
And today's coolest hat award goes to....

This one, worn beautifully by Gene Tierney in Laura. A sort of glorified rain hat.

One of the most memorable hats to grace the screen since Harry Gribbon. Ask your mother, kid. ;)

Mishmash

2009-07-09T13:08:00.000-07:00

So last night I had sort of a screwball comedy marathon. On the menu were Bachelor Mother, The Ex-Mrs. Bradford, The Awful Truth, and My Man Godfrey.

Well, I'd seen Bachelor Mother already, of course, and The Ex-Mrs. Bradford (aka the movie that made me wild for Jean Arthur). The Awful Truth was new though. I'd wanted to see it ever since that Cary Grant biography I watched a few weeks ago. It finally arrived in the mail Tuesday and last night was the first chance I had to watch it. It was great-- sign me up as an Irene Dunne Fan.

My Man Godfrey I watched because I'd never really given it a chance (aside from the "Godfrey loves me, Godfrey loves me!" scene, which is marvelous). I adore both Carole Lombard and William Powell, so I'm not really sure what it is.

I'm pretty sure I woulda liked it minus Carole's bangs. Hopefully that doesn't make me sound too, oh I don't know...but really. They were terribly distracting, like Rachel Weisz's in The Mummy. Heck, even Judy's were a wee bit distracting in MMISL. Anyway, I'm still in a sort of Carole mood, so tonight it's Nothing Sacred with the equally amazing Frederic March.

In other news, I had a dream about La Rochefoucauld (who could survive with such a name?). I wish I'd remember more of it. I know I was wearing a wig a la Jayne Mansfield, but can't recall anything else. Whenever I write little bits down like this, I seem to remember more and more as time goes by. Excercising my dimethyltryptamine receptors, I guess.

Earlier I was reading Sylvia Plath's journals...(hm, that sounds like I'm being nosey, huh? Note: they're published. ;) ) Anyway, I came across a great quote.

"I wonder about all the roads not taken and am moved to quote Frost...but won't. It is sad to be ably only to mouth other poets. I wan't someone to mouth me."

Pretty wonderful, huh? It made me smile. Un-split infinitives always have that effect on me.

But really, doesn't everyone feel that way? I know I do, from time to time. So here, I'm giving you a chance to mouth me (hm, maybe that'll catch on as a new phrase or something...)

Really the only poem of mine I like. Here goes. :)

To the Editor

I try my best to write deep verse
But that is infinitely worse
Than nonchalance, which is not quite
As desperate or sad a sight.
Believe me dearie, if I were
To try a line you’d much prefer
The simpler stuff which freely flows
To higher-minded purple prose
Oh, words and I, we get along
And sentiment is sometimes strong
But pretty soon, all reason’s drowned
By concepts, words, and thoughts profound.
Still, in and out of dreams I creep
Determining which thoughts run deep
But as my lowly lines foretell,
My mind remains a shallow well.
Eventually I drop my pen
And face the fact I’ll never win
It’s off to be where I sleep soundly
--I could never write profoundly.

PS. I found several (okay two) pictures of some of my favorite actresses (okay two) holding cats and thought I'd share. And it kinda sorta fits, as I've mentioned both Joots and Carole, the first being from 1940 (with Clark Gable) and the second being from the set of Strike Up the Band (with Mickey). Enjoy.

Should they ever remake it...

2009-07-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

Joe Biden reminds me of Florenz Ziegfeld... a lot.

Joe Biden. Obviously.

It's the eyebrows, I think. Actually, I guess he reminds me of Walter Pidgeon playing Florenz Ziegfeld in Funny Girl, or just an older Walter in general. Oh Walter, you were so darn attractive in Listen Darling...what happened? Not that you were hideously unattractive in your later roles or anything, but still...there is quite the gap between breathtakingly handsome and average, you know?

Walter before and after. No kidding though...the resemblance to Biden is slightly uncanny, yeah?

Not sure exactly what to write about, if you've not gotten that quite clearly for yourself. Oh, guess whose art I adore. Modigliani's. It's his way of doing noses. Perfection.

Of course, I probably say that because my noses (no, I don't have multiple-- I've drawn multiple) resemble his a bit. But then I suppose a little self-flattery never hurt anyone. Except Narcissus, who I guess it killed. Or did he die in that story? Hm.

Psst. Wanna know a secret? I've discovered that calling someone else pretentious instantly makes one pretentious. At least, that's my opinion on the topic. And another thing-- if one admits that he or she is a hypocrite, does that make one less of a hypocrite? Kinda like that barber paradox.

Once I wrote a letter to Tracey Gold. I didn't send it or anything...just for fun, to waste space. This time, I think I'll write one to the most infamous member of my karass-- everyone's favorite Long Island lolita, Amy Fisher.

Dear Amy Fisher,

What's up? Not too much here, I'm afraid. I understand you're a reporter now, huh? That must be neat...you could have a really witty name for your column I bet. Or not. I bet you play it safe now, huh? Like our buddy Tracey you were on Oprah. Anyhow, just saying hello. Well, hello.

Sincerely, Me

Hmmm...I hope people don't take me seriously.

New Find

2009-07-08T19:10:00.000-07:00

So, last week I discovered Barbara Stanwyck. No kidding.

First I should probably mention that I've been slightly nocturnal lately, going to bed at around 5:30am and waking at, oh, 12:30 generally. Anyway, to fill the wee hours of the night I've been going through my DVD collection and picking out random movies that I've not yet seen. (Also, documentaries...they're fabulous!) Anyway...

I'd owned The Lady Eve and Double Indemnity for a while, as well as some less famous movies of hers, but had never seen any of them. So I decided to finally watch them. Brother, am I glad I did. The Lady Eve really is all they say it is...I don't know if I'd describe it as the funniest movie in the world (edit: I would not, haha), but it has a certain indescribable charm about it.

Barbara Stanwyck, Preston Sturges, and Henry Fonda on the set of The Lady Eve.

As far as Double Indemnity is concerned-- Barbara as Phyllis Dietrichson is a revelation. And that's coming from a gal who usually laughs at people who say junk like that.

Missy and the Nutty Professor, aka Fred MacMurray

After I'd finished those, I watched The Other Love, The Gay Sisters, Breakfast for Two, Great Balls of Fire, and Strange Love of Martha Ivers. Now I guess I'm a fan. She and Bette Davis are my top two. Oh, alright. And Judy...top three then. ;)

Photo(s) of the Day

2009-07-08T17:35:00.000-07:00

As you most likely did not know, I've been running (is that the word?) another website until just recently. It was a bore, which was one reason I stopped publishing it. Anyhow, there were quite a few "photo of the day" posts there, so to save time (mine and yours) I'll put them here.
Swell, huh?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRp2bhLyAHA

The first Ginger Rogers movie I had the pleasure of seeing was Stage Door. If you haven't seen it-- it's fabulous. Beyond that. Often though, people seem to overlook it for The Women, a movie made in 1939 that captured the attitude but not really the mood or magic of Stage Door.

Anyway, that's the one that made me a fan. After that, I bought Carefree, which has Ginger paired with Fred Astraire. It's not one of their most musical movies--it has only three or four songs--but it's pretty terrific to see Ginger chasing Fred for a change.

As it stands now, Ginger's one of my favorite actresses. At first I didn't think she was particularly attractive, but now she seems like a sort of blonde Vivien Leigh...especially about the mouth. Anyway, above is a link to see her first appearance on What's My Line. Fun stuff.

*Honorable mentions go to The Major and the Minor, with Ray Milland, and Bachelor Mother, a neat little comedy co-starring David Niven.

When I was younger...oh, about 10, I had no real interest in Doris Day. I thought her too nice for her own good. Then, a few years later, I saw the movie Antz. Hold on, I'm getting there. Anyway, at the end of Antz there was a song called "High Hopes," sung by, would you believe it, Miss Doris Day.

Long story short, I saw everything of hers I could...including this picture-- ain't it a kick?

For non-fans (that is, non-fans as of right now), try Romance on the High Seas. She plays a club singer and does a great job...not a normal role for her, as this character's a bit more, let's say, willing, than most of hers. If you're not much for musicals....get out of here. Or, try Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much. But make sure it's the later version, otherwise you're liable to hate me. And we wouldn't want that.

Oh Rita. Oh Orson. Oh why couldn't it have worked? Oh, abuse. Maybe. Either way, they were quite the cool coupling in the forties.

Orson Welles is known for directing what AFI calls the "most historically influential film" ever, Citizen Kane. I like Citizen Kane, but prefer his later noir Touch of Evil, with Janet Leigh.

I first saw Rita Hayworth in Gilda (who didn't?) and thought she was fabulous (ditto). After that, I went on to watch Cover Girl and Pal Joey. So she didn't sing.

This picture's from the set of The Lady from Shanghai, which is another really good one. And how cool is her hair?

The first time I saw Leslie Caron (in An American in Paris, her first film), I wan't too impressed. I loved her "introduction" scene, but otherwise the character just didn't do it for me, probably because there wasn't much character there.

I much preferred her in the musical Lili, which is a delight (ever heard the song "Hi Lili, Hi Lo"? It's marvelous). I was apprehensive about watching Gigi at first...I'd always thought Audrey should've gotten it. Then I found out it was the Freed Unit's last MGM big-production musical, so of course I had to watch. Brilliant.

Leslie Caron's always great with character, making each one she plays her very own. Father Goose and Fanny are two more of hers I'd recommend.

She's one of a very few leading ladies from the Golden Age to continue acting today, and she's just swell.

So, are we all agreed that Judy Garland was indeed the greatest entertainer of the twentieth century? Cool, that's good to know.

I saw Meet Me in St. Louis when I was five or so, and loved it, but didn't really become interested (okay, obsessed) with Judy Garland until I about twelve years later. If you haven't, see Easter Parade. And For Me and My Gal. And A Star is Born. And Presenting Lily Mars. Ooh, and The Clock. Heck, they're all really, really good, even for people who insist they "can't stand musicals," the big saps.

Annnd...Joan Crawford's nice too. :)

Really, check out A Woman's Face and Mildred Pierce. I never really got into Joan Crawford until just recently...I'd preferred Bette Davis all my life (and still do), but Joan has some great parts as well. Sad that she's known mainly for...oh, you know.

Above: Joan Crawford gives Judy an engagement present.