1908-1990 Happy Birthday to the wisecracking and fun loving Eve Arden. Eve Arden Photos
Eve was born just north of San Francisco in Mill Valley and was interested in show business from an early age. At 16, she made her stage debut after quitting school to joined a stock company. After appearing in minor roles in two films under her real name, Eunice Quedens, she found that the stage offered her the same minor roles. By the mid 30s, one of these minor roles would attract notice as a comedy sketch in the stage play "Ziegfeld Folies". By that time, she had changed her name to Eve Arden. In 1937, she attracted some attention with a small role in Oh, Doctor (1937) which led to her being cast in a minor role in the film Stage Door (1937). By the time the film was finished, her part had expanded into the wise-cracking, fast-talking friend to the lead. She would play virtually the character for most of her career. While her sophisticated wise-cracking would never make her the lead, she would be a busy actress in dozens of movies over the next dozen years. In At the Circus (1939), she was the acrobatic Peerless Pauline opposite Groucho Marx and the Russian sharp shooter in the comedy The Doughgirls (1944). For her role as Ida in Mildred Pierce (1945), she received an Academy Award nomination. Famous for her quick ripostes, this led to work in Radio during the 40s. In 1948, CBS Radio premiered "Our Miss Brooks", which would be the perfect show for her character. As her film career began to slow, CBS would take the popular radio show to television in 1952. The television series "Our Miss Brooks" (1952) would run through 1956 and led to he movie Our Miss Brooks (1956). When the show ended, she tried another television series, "The Eve Arden Show" (1957), but it was soon canceled. In the 60s, Eve raised a family and did a few guest roles, until her come-back television series "The Mothers-In-Law" (1967). This show, co-starring Kaye Ballard ran for two seasons. After that, she would make more unsold pilots, a couple of television movies and a few guest shots. She returned in occasional cameo appearances including the Principal McGee in Grease (1978), and Warden June in Pandemonium (1982), showing that she still had the wise-cracks and screen presence to bring back the fond memories of Miss Connie Brooks.
Mary Astor,(pictured above) Most remembered for her role as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in The Maltese Falcon (1941) with Humphrey Bogart, Astor began her long motion picture career as a teenager in the silent movies of the early 1920s. TCM, is having a Mary Astor, Birthday Tribute, to celebrate her Birthday, Monday, May 3rd. List of TCM's featured films:
Beau Brummel (1924).In this silent film, the legendary dandy takes on British society to court a lady above his station. Cast: John Barrymore, Mary Astor, Willard Louis.
Runaway Bride, The (1930).A criminal gang goes after the jewels their dying leader stashed in a woman's handbag. Cast: Mary Astor, Lloyd Hughes, David Newell. Dir: Donald Crisp.
Sin Ship, The (1931).A ship's captain fights to protect a female passenger from his crew. Cast: Louis Wolheim, Mary Astor, Ian Keith. Dir: Louis Wolheim.
Smart Woman (1931). A woman plots to make her cheating husband jealous. Cast: Mary Astor, Robert Ames, Edward Everett Horton. Dir: Gregory La Cava.
Dinky (1935).A military school cadet's mother is framed and sent to prison. Cast: Jackie Cooper, Mary Astor, Roger Pryor. Dir: D. Ross Lederman.
Woman Against Woman (1938). A divorcee decides she wants her husband back after he's re-married. Cast: Mary Astor, Herbert Marshall, Virginia Bruce. Dir: Robert Sinclair.
There's Always a Woman (1938).While working on a simple case, married private eyes uncover a murder. Cast: Joan Blondell, Melvyn Douglas, Mary Astor. Dir: Alexander Hall.
Great Lie, The (1941). Believing her husband to be dead, a flyer's wife bargains with his former love to adopt the woman's baby. Cast: Bette Davis, Mary Astor, George Brent. Dir: Edmund Goulding.
I hope to catch one of Mary Astor, movies to review.. :)
Also on Monday, May 3rd. On TCM:
Moon Over Miami(1941). Musical. Director: Walter Lang. Cast: Betty Grable, Don Ameche, Robert Cummings, Carole Landis, Jack Haley, and Charlotte Greenwood. It was one of Haley's last appearances in a major, large-budgeted film; after 1943 he began making mostly B-pictures. Haley, is best known for his performance as the Tin Man, in The Wizard of Oz. Click picture to view, Moon Over Miami review.
ON TCM: Wednesdays. May Star of the Month: Donna Reed. She received the 1953 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Lorene, a prostitute, in From Here to Eternity, and received the 1963 Golden Globe Award for Best TV Star - Female for her performance as Donna Stone, an American middle class wife and mother, in The Donna Reed Show. In 1984 she performed in the television show, Dallas. Click picture on side bar to view this months featured films.
This week on Chick Flicks at the Movies: The Lady Confesses(1945). Please check sidebar to watch movie in full.
I will be off line, from Friday- Tuesday. Monty, is going to hold down the fort for all of us here at, Noir and Chick Flicks. Monty, has some wonderful, surprise posts he has planned to share with us. I cannot wait to see what he has planned, when I get back. Thank you, Monty!! Also.. keep an eye out for Silents, wonderful, Silent movie review. Have great week at the movies!!
Happy Birthday to Celeste Holm todayCeleste Holm was an only child, born into a home where her mother was a painter and her father worked in insurance. She would study acting at the University of Chicago and make her stage debut in 1936. Her Broadwaydebut came when she was 19. She appeared in many successful plays including "The Women", "Oklahoma!" and "Bloomer Girl". It was in the production of "Oklahoma!" that Celeste would sing the show stopper "I Cain't Say No". She was signed by 20th Century Fox in 1946 and appeared in her first film 'Three Little Girls in Blue'. With her third film 'Gentlemen's Agreement (1947)', she would win the Supporting Actress Oscar and a Golden Globe. Celeste would be nominated twice more for Academy Awards in the 'Come to the Stable (1949)' and 'All About Eve (1950)'. But Celeste was a star who loved the stage so she left Hollywood, only to return for two MGM musicals in the fifties. They were 'The Tender Trap (1955)' and 'High Society (1956). In addition to her stage career, Celeste appeared on Television in her own series "Honestly Celeste (1954)" and as a panelist on "Who Pays? (1959)". In 1970, Celeste returned to series Television as the chaperone to the president's daughter on "Nancy". For the next two decades, she would appear on Television in regular series, mini series and movies.
Kansas City Confidential(1952).Noir/crime film. Director: Phil Karlson. Cast: John Payne. Karlson and Payne teamed up a year later for another noir, titled 99 River Street, followed by a 1955 color film, Hell's Island.
Retired police captain Tim Foster, has been watching the bank and the flower shop next door for a week. So he can keep track of the timing of each of their delivery trucks. Soon he calls on three criminals to help him rob the bank: Pete Harris, a gambler, Tony Romano, a womanizer and Boyd Kane, a cold-blooded killer.
Wearing a mask, Foster visits each separately and threatens to turn them in to the police if they do not follow his plans. Soon, the four men, who also are masked, wait until the flower delivery truck drives away and then pull up in the same type of truck. Pretending to be working for the flower shop, they rob the armored bank truck of over one million dollars.
They meet up with Foster, who informs them that they will split the money in a few days and gives each half of a playing card to help identify them.
Meanwhile back at the scene of the robbery, the police arrest Joe Rolfe, the innocent deliveryman of the real flower truck. Unfortunately, Joe was an ex-con and the police beat him up to try and get a confession out of him. Soon they learn the truth and release him.
Out looking for revenge he wants find the real thieves before the police do. Joe goes to Eddie, an old Army buddy to see if he can get any information from his shady brother, who informs him that Harris, recently fled to Tijuana, may be involved. Joe travels there and finds Harris at a casino and then onto his hotel, where he finds a plane ticket and note from Foster, telling Harris to go to Borados. Harris, admits he was involved in the robbery but has no information and they go together to the airport to meet up with the others, so he can find out who set him up, and why....
I really enjoyed this film Noir. The performance of Foster is very believable when his film character goes from good to evil to.... I do not want to give the ending away. I also like the performances of Jack Elam and of Lee Van Cleef, their characters both make believable criminals. Colleen Gray, performance was wonderful as Foster's daughter and Payne's love interest. Click to view movie: Kansas City Confidential (1952).
Coleen Gray, performed in the film noirs: Kiss of Death and Nightmare Alley.
In 1948, she also performed as John Wayne's love interest in Red River.
In the 1950s, She performed in, The Sleeping City(1950) and Kansas City Confidential(1952)and the film noir The Killing (1956).
Other films includ: Father Is a Bachelor (1950), The Leech Woman(1960), The Phantom Planet(1961)and P.J.(1968). She made only one film in the 70's, The Late Liz(1971).
Party Girl(1958). Film noir. Director; Nicholas Ray. Cast: Robert Taylor, Lee J. Cobb and Cyd Charisse. Party Girl marked the last film Robert Taylor(age47)did under contract for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
I just watched Party Girl for the first time, is a very unique movie. Not only is it your standard Film Noir, with a clever story line, Charisse also performs two dance routines. I thought that Taylor and Cyd, gave excellent performances. Taylor, is playing a role loosely based on Dixie Davis, lawyer for mob boss Dutch Schultz of New York, who later turned informant and married a beautiful showgirl. Cobb plays a very convincing performance as "Wild-Man-of-Borneo", who threatens to hurt the showgirl if his lawyer leaves him. This maybe my favorite performance of Charisse, who also dances into two sensuous nightclub dances..Party Girl, really is one of the more beautiful film noirs I have seen, maybe because it is filmed in color, where you can see how stunning Cyd's dance costumes are.
"Petticoat Camp" (1912) is a silent short comedy film starring Florence LaBadie and William Garwood. Produced by the pioneering Thanhouser Company of New Rochelle, New York, this film is a very early battle of the sexes comedy. The story portrays several married couples vacationing on an island. Two intertitles set up the story: "It's lots of fun camping for the husbands" followed by "It's not so jolly for the wives." The husbands are seen sitting back while the wives cook the meals, wait on them, and clean up afterward. After a day of this, the women are mad and take some of the boats to a neighboring island leaving a note to their husbands that they are on strike. At this point, the husbands come to the island to put a stop to the strike. The husbands scheme to show how necessary they are as protectors, but the plan backfires. Only 14 minutes in duration, "Petticoat Camp" is an amusing early women's liberation film and an interesting look at pre-Hollywood American film.
An enormously popular star, Florence LaBadie was one of the most beautiful and talented actresses of her era. Born in Manhattan on April 27, 1888, Florence grew to become the ideal Gibson Girl: healthy, sporty, and cheerful. In 1908, when Florence and her parents were living in New York's Upper West Side, she began her acting career touring in stock. Florence worked also as an artist's model and magazine cover girl. Fellow actress Mary Pickford introduced Florence to Biograph's D.W. Griffith in the summer of 1909, where she picked up several bit parts. By the summer of 1911, Florence decided it was time to look around at more nurturing studios. After spotting Florence in one of her bit parts at Biograph, Edwin Thanhouser got in touch with her and asked her to join the three-year-old Thanhouser Film Corporation in New Rochelle, New York. Thanhouser was known for filmed versions of classics as well as popular fare. Its stars included James Cruze, Mignon Anderson, and Irving Cummings. They even had their own dog star, Shep. Charles Hite, acting on behalf of an investment group, bought the studio from Edwin Thanhouser in 1912, and its fortunes continued to skyrocket. Florence appeared in an impressive 45 films in 1912 and another 38 in 1913. Early in 1914, Florence was given the role in the twenty-two-part "The Million Dollar Mystery," cementing her position as her studio's top female star. Although no stars did their own stunts, Florence did as many as Charles Hite would allow her. Florence jumped once from a speedboat while crowds cheered and was also side-swiped by a car while filming a chase scene. Florence made another 22 films in 1915. She continued to be a risk taker and daredevil. She occasionally rode a motorcycle to the studio, and she took aviation lessons on Long Island. Anything with an element of danger appealed to Florence. On August 22, 1914, Charles Hite, only 39 years old, died in a car accident, shattering Florence LaBadie and the other Thanhouserites. Edwin Thanhouser resumed ownership of the studio. Hite's death put the studio on a slow decline, and it began releasing films via Pathe. Many stars left the studio, but Florence stayed put. In April 1916, Florence signed a new star contract and Edwin Thanhouser rewarded her loyalty by presenting her with a new car. Florence picked out an ivory Pullman coupe with brocade interior and rose-colored silk curtains. Florence made only 13 films in 1916 and 1917, as Thanhouser began to wind down its operations. On August 28, 1917, Florence and her boyfriend, Daniel Carson Goodman, were injured in a car accident outside Ossining (about 30 miles north of Manhattan). Goodman survived the wreck while Florence lingered painfully in the hospital for two months before succumbing to internal injuries on October 13, 1917. Another victim was Thanhouser. Less than a year after Florence LaBadie's death, Edwin Thanhouser sold the studio, and it ceased production.
*It is interesting to note that by the time United Artists was formed in 1919, the smaller companies that had pioneered the film industry's first twenty years, Biograph, Edison, Lubin, Triangle, Essanay, and Thanhouser, were no more.
Jean Louis, was a French-born, Hollywood costume designer and an Academy Award winner for Costume Design. Louis worked as head designer for Columbia Pictures from 1944 to 1960.
His most famous designs include: Rita Hayworth's black satin strapless dress from Gilda (1946), Marlene Dietrich's beaded souffle for her cabaret world tours, as well as sparkling gown Marilyn Monroe wore when she sang "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to John F. Kennedy in 1962.
In 1993, four years after the death of his second wife, Louis married former client Loretta Young (married until his death in 1997).
Actresses Jean Louis designed for:
Rita Hayworth in Tonight and Every Night, 1945, Gilda, 1946, Affair in Trinidad, 1952, Miss Sadie Thompson and Salome, 1953
Irene Dunne in Together Again, 1944
Claudette Colbert in Tomorrow is Forever 1946
Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday, 1950 and The Solid Gold Cadillac, 1956
Gloria Grahame in The Big Heat, 1953
Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity, 1953
Judy Garland in A Star is Born, 1954
Joan Crawford in Queen Bee, 1955
Kim Novak in Picnic, 1955, and Bell, Book, and Candle, 1958
Kim Novak and Rita Hayworth in Pal Joey, 1957
Lana Turner in Imitation of Life, 1959
Doris Day in Pillow Talk (1959) and Send Me No Flowers (1964)
Loretta Young for The Loretta Young Show, Television series, 1953-1961
Marlene Dietrich in The Monte Carlo Story, 1957, and Judgement at Nuremberg, 1961
Susan Hayward in Back Street, 1961
Marilyn Monroe in The Misfits, 1961, and Something's Got to Give (unfinished), 1962
Shirley MacLaine in Gambit, 1966
Julie Andrews, Mary Tyler Moore, and Carol Channing in Thoroughly Modern Millie, 1967Eva Gabor for Green Acres Television series, 1965-1967
Rita Hayworth was a top glamour girl in the 1940s. She was a pin-up girl for military servicemen and a beauty icon for women. At 5'6" she was tall for women of her time and her height was a concern to her movie star dancing partners like Fred Astaire.
Hayworth got her motion picture break because she was willing to change her hair color. She changed her hair color eight times in eight movies.
Hayworth had a unique beauty style. When she became a celebrity she had naturally long nails. "I take care of my nails myself," she said. "I find my cuticle never tears and my nails don't break if I rub cream into them every night." She was once the cover girl of "Nails magazine". In 1940 she started a manicure trend. Hers nails were oval than pointed, and fully covered with hot pink polish. (Previously there was no polish covering the moon of the nail or the tip.)
In 1949 Hayworth's lips were voted best in the world by the Artists League of America. She had a modeling contract with Max Factor to promote its Tru-Color lipsticks and Pan-Stik make-up.
Gilda(1946). Director: Charles Vidor. Cast:Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth in her signature role as a femme fatale. The film was noted for cinematographer Rudolph Mate's lush photography, costume designer Jean Louis' wardrobe for Hayworth, and choreographer Jack Coles staging of "Put the Blame on Mame" and "Amado Mio", sung by Anita Ellis.
The film is narrated by Johnny Farrell, the story is about a gambler who just arrived to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Just after he wins playing craps, he is saved from being mugged by Ballin Mundson. Mundson tells him about an illegal casino and warns him not play there. Farrell ignores his advice and cheats at blackjack and is quickly taken to see the casino's owner, Mundson. Farrell talks Mundson into hiring him.
One day, Mundson returns from a trip with a beautiful new wife, Gilda. Unaware that she once had a relationship with Farrell’s, Mundson asks Farrell to keep an eye on her. Farrell looks on in anger, as she flirts with all the men in the casino.
Meanwhile, Mundson is visited by two German's from a secret organization who wants their business dealings put in Mundson's name to hide all their connections. When they decide it is safe to take over, Mundson refuses to change over ownership. The Argentine secret police become interested and government agent Obregon tries to find any information he can from Farrell, but he knows nothing.
Later Mundson, shoots and kills one of the Germans. That same night, Farrell and Gilda confess, not very believably, how much they hate each other, then end up in each others arms. Mundson arrives at that moment, then quickly rushes to a waiting airplane.
Farrell and Obregon watch as the plane explodes shortly after takeoff and crashes into the ocean. Mundson has parachuted to safety, faking his death.
Thinking Mundson is dead, Gilda and Farrell marry. Farrell believes she still in love with Mundson, so he decides to keep away, but has her closely watched. Gilda herself, is unable to escape the love-hate relationship. Obregon tells Farrell that Gilda was never unfaithful to Mundson or to him. Farrell relieved tries to reconcile with her. Will Mundson reappear to claim his wife?
Rita Hayworth is wonderful as Gilda in this noir classic. From her hair-tossing scene to her song "Put the Blame on Mame,". Hayworth, gives a very convincing performance in this romantic triangle.
Soundtracks:
Amado Mio"
by Allan Roberts and Doris Fisher
Sung by Rita Hayworth (dubbed by Anita Ellis) (uncredited)
"Put the Blame on Mame"
by Allan Roberts and Doris Fisher
Sung by Rita Hayworth (dubbed by Anita Ellis) (uncredited)
Danced by Rita Hayworth
June Hagan's, first film was as a femme fatale in Adam's Rib(1949). The Asphalt Jungle (1950), was Jean Hagen's first starring performance which she received excellent reviews. She is best known for her wonderful performance in Singin' in the Rain. As the talent-less silent movie star Lina Lamont, Hagen received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. (pictured above)
By 1953, she was performing in the television sitcom Make Room for Daddy. As the first wife of Danny Thomas, for three seasons. Hagen received three Emmy Award nominations. Thomas, who also produced the show, was not happy with Jean leaving the show and her character was killed off rather than recast. This was the first TV character to be killed off on a family sitcom.
Hagen performed as Frida Daniels in The Shaggy Dog starring with Fred MacMurray.
In 1960, she performed as "Elizabeth" in the episode "Once Upon a Knight" with June Allyson.
She made guest appearances in many television series and for the remainder of her career played supporting roles, such as Marguerite LeHand, personal secretary to Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Sunrise at Campobello (1960), and the friend of Bette Davis in Dead Ringer (1964).
In the 1960s, Hagen's started having trouble with her health and she spent many years hospitalized.
In 1976, she performed in episodes of the television series Starsky and Hutch and The Streets of San Francisco, and made her final film performance in the 1977 television movie Alexander. The Other Side of Dawn.
This week on Chick Flicks at the Movies: Kansas City Confidential is a 1952 film noir crime film directed by Phil Karlson and starring John Payne. Please check sidebar to watch movie in full.
ON TCM: Singin' in the Rain(1952). Sunday , April 25th. Comedy/musical film . Cast: Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor, and Jean Hagen and directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, with Kelly as choreographer. It shows a comic look at Hollywood, and its transition from silent films to "talkies." Please Check Noir and Chick Flicks: Musical page, for review.
ON TCM: Gilda(1946). Tues. April 27th. Black-and-white film noir directed by Charles Vidor. It stars Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth in her signature role as the ultimate femme fatale. The film was noted for cinematographer Rudolph Mate's lush photography, costume designer Jean Louis' wardrobe for Hayworth (particularly for the dance numbers), and choreographer Jack Cole's staging of "Put the Blame on Mame" and "Amado Mio", sung by Anita Ellis.
Tuesdays. ON TCM: April Star of the Month : Robert Taylor continues.
Wed. April 28th. Party Girl(1958). Color film noir directed by Nicholas Ray. Cast: Robert Taylor and Cyd Charisse. Charisse performs two dance routines in the gangster film.
ON TCM: Special Event. George Raft(pictured above).. April 30th. Click picture on sidebar to view featured films.
John Payne, was offered a contract by Samuel Goldwyn in 1936 and moved to Hollywood. He worked for various studios until 1940, when he signed with 20th Century Fox. Payne performed in many 1940s musicals: Springtime in the Rockies, Sun Valley Serenade (1941) and Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943).
One of my favorite John Payne films was with, Gene Tierney and Tyrone Power in The Razor's Edge (1946). The Razor Edge(1946) movie review. Payne's, most popular performance was his final film, Miracle on 34th Street (1947).
Later, Payne changed his image and began playing tough-guy roles in Hollywood films noir and westerns: Kansas City Confidential (1952), 99 River Street (1953), Silver Lode (1954), Tennessee's Partner (1955) and Slightly Scarlet (1956).
Payne was a contract star with Pine-Thoma Productions where he insisted that the films he performed in would be filmed in color and that he had the rights to all his films. Payne, also performed in a television western series, The Restless Gun(1957-1959).
In 1955, he paid a $1,000-a-month option for nine months on the Ian Fleming James Bond novel, Moonraker (he eventually gave up the option when he learned he could not retain the rights for the entire book series).
In March 1961, Payne suffered life-threatening injuries when hit by a car in New York City. His recovery took two years. Payne directed one of his last films, They Ran for Their Lives (1968). His final role was in 1975 when he co-starred with Peter Falk and Janet Leigh in my favorite Columbo episode, Forgotten Lady.
The Crooked Way (1949). Black-and-white film noir. Director; Robert Florey. The film was based on a radio play No Blade Too Sharp. cast: John Payne, Sonny Tufts, Ellen Drew. The film, with a similar plot (a war hero loses his memory stateside) to another film noir Somewhere in the Night, was shot by noted cameraman John Alton.
Eddie Rice, a war veteran with amnesia, returns home to Los Angeles hoping to learn who he is and learns the hard way that he is a gangster named Eddie Riccardi with a police record. Eddie does not remember that he was acquitted of murder after turning state's evidence. His long time friend, Vince Alexander, took the "rap" and spent two years in prison. A woman recognizes Eddie and informs Vince who confronts Eddie about the past and gives him one day to leave town. Kemble, reads the newspaper article and learns the woman who recognized him was Nina Martin, a nightclub singer. Eddie visits Nina and, telling her that he has amnesia and wants her to tell him about his past. Nina tells him that she used to be his wife, but divorced him three years ago and now works for Vince. Meanwhile, Vince murders Kelly, a gangster whom Williams was using as an informant. Nina is beginning to fall in love with her ex-husband and warns him to leave. Instead, Eddie goes to Vince's gambling house, the Golden Horn. Williams, learns that Eddie has amnesia and goes to the Golden Horn to pick him up. Williams accuses Vince of Kelly's murder, and is himself shot dead by Vince. Later, Eddie wakes up and finds himself in Williams' car, holding the murder weapon, and runs for his life.. Will he be able to prove his innocence?
John Alton, and a wonderful cast of film noir actors, John Payne, Sonny Tufts, and Percy Helton . In my opinion some of most imaginative lighted scenes in film. The scenes in the warehouse are amazing . The Crooked Way movie in full.
This is a list of my "new to me", favorite actors.
1.Delores Del Rio.(pictured above). For me Dolores del Río was very glamorus classy lady and perfect example of woman style of the 1930s. It seems she had a huge influence on the women of her time.
2.Robert Taylor. I have really been enjoying this months featured actor Robert Taylor, on TCM. I have had a hard time deciding which movies to review.. Robert Taylor in my opinion is very handsome and talented. He seems to have a very sophisticated aire about him. Every girls dream...
3.Clara Bow. She was the first actress who flaunted her sex appeal and became the most talked-about actress. She had a huge influence Louise Brooks in the 20s, Marilyn Monroe in the 50s, and Madonna in the 80s, Clara represented sexual freedom for women everywhere.
4.John Gilbert. What I found interesting about John Gilbert was audiences actually laughed at Gilbert's over acted love-making in His Glorious Night. In one scene, Gilbert keeps kissing his leading lady (Catherine Dale Owen) while saying over and over again "I love you". This scene was famously later parodied in the MGM musical Singin' in the Rain (1952) where a preview of the fictional The Dueling Cavalier is a disaster. Director King Vidor believed that Rudolph Valentino, Gilbert's main rival in the 1920s for romantic leads, probably would have had the same fate in the talkie era, had he lived. I'm curious to learn more about him.
5.Barbara Stanwyck. I do not know why it has taken me so long to discover Barbara Stanwyck, She is one of the most versatile actress who could adapt to any role, that I have seen on film. Of all the films I have seen of hers so far.. I have loved all of them. I'm really looking forward to her new DVD box set coming out next week.
6.Harry James- I know he is not an actor. But I'm enjoying the movies that he performed in. The first time I heard him play trumpet in the 1950 film Young Man with a Horn, dubbing Kirk Douglas. I was hooked.
7.Marlene Dietrich. I just started watching a few of her movies. I really do not know what to think of her... except, she seemed to be a very interesting personality and a fashion icon of her time.
8.Fred Astaire. I do not know why I have not watched many of Fred Astaire movies. He is a wonderful dancer and a joy to watch. Please forgive me Fred Astaire fans..he does not seem like a leading man type to me..
9.Alice Faye. I have not seen many of her films. She reminds me of Betty Grable, whom I'm a big fan of.. I'm trying to find more info on her..
10.Charlie Chaplin. At first, I did not think I would like Charlie Chaplin's type of comedy.. but, I found his films very fascinating/funny..
As we discussed earlier Dawn, here is my list of favorite actors and actresses that I have recently starting
following and watching their films. And it's thanks to you and your blog for making my first choice America's Mermaid. Here is my list:
1. Esther Williams
2. Joan Bennett
3. Miriam Hopkins
4. Dennis Morgan
5. Joan Caulfield
6. Joseph Calleia
7. Audrey Totter
8. Louise Brooks
9. Robert Taylor
10. Veronica Lake
Above and Beyond (1952). The film is about Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb. Cast: Robert Taylor, Eleanor Parker and James Whitmore.
Brent believes that Paul, an Army Air Corps pilot, is the man for an important job and orders him to leave Africa and return to the U.S. When they are on the plane flying to Washington, Brent tells Paul that he will be sent to Wichita to test the B-29.
His wife Lucey, learns that it is going to be a short reunion and later visits Paul in Wichita.
After the B-29 is determined to be safe, Paul returns home to Washington, again their family time is cut short when Paul is called to Colorado Springs.
Paul meets Maj. Bill Uanna, who goes over details of Paul's past conversations with other officers over the past year as a security check. Brent then informs Paul that he is one of four men considered for the most important project of the war. Before telling Paul what the job is, he hands him a buzzer and asks if he would press it if by doing so the war would end tomorrow and save 1,000,000 lives but he would have to kill 100,000 people. Paul pauses for a moment, then presses the buzzer.
Brent invites several scientist of the "Manhattan Project," to explain the project to Paul. Brent then tells Paul that only he, Uanna and Paul will know that his mission is to drop an atomic bomb over Japan. Paul agrees and soon leaves for base in Wendover, Utah. To make Wendover seem like the other bases, Uanna suggests that families should live on base, but tells Paul not to bring Lucey, who is now pregnant.
After Lucey gives birth, she makes plans to join him. After seeing Paul Lucey soon detects a change in him.
Meanwhile, Paul and his team are constantly testing the B-29s to make sure that they will be able to carry the weight of an atomic bomb.
Their relationship begins to fall apart when she shares her feelings over the innocent people who died during the war.
Meanwhile, Brent has told Paul that the Japanese have refused to surrender and the president has given the go ahead for use of the bomb. Repeated testing is taking its toll on Paul.
One night, when the exhausted Paul returns home, Lucey casually mentions that Harry had made up an excuse to get a weekend off to take Marge on a vacation. Paul immediately has Harry relieved of his duties. Angry, Lucey, says she wants out of the marriage.
The next day, Paul goes to Colorado Springs to see Brent, who has been injured in a plane crash, and tells him that it is "blue light." When he returns to the base, he learns from Uanna that Lucey came to him wanting to know what was going on. When Lucey apologizes to Paul, for interfering, he tells her that she and the children will leave for Washington that afternoon.
With the work at Wendover now finished, the project's next phase, called "Operation Silverplate" sends Paul and his crew to the island of Tinian. Paul soon learns that weather conditions will allow them to make the mission the next morning. Paul cannot sleep and writes a letter to his mother, Enola Gay Tibbets, telling her his fears about killing so many people, then names his plane after her. Will Paul have the courage to accomplish his mission?
One of my favorite scenes, is when Paul comes home one to hear sounds from someone working on the plumbing. Lucey tells him that she has found someone to fix the plumbing. "Who?", asks Taylor and Lucey says "One of the sanitary engineers". The plumber turns out to be one of the scientists with the Manhattan Project.
FUN FACTS: (spoiler alert).
The sequences showing the bombing of Hiroshima were lifted from another MGM film, The Beginning or the End (1947).
In 1951, Taylor met Enola Gay pilot Paul Tibbets and found that they had much in common. Both had thought about studying medicine, and were avid skeet-shooters and fliers. Taylor learned to fly in the mid-1930s, and served as a United States Navy flying instructor during World War II. His private aircraft was a Twin Beech called "Missy" (wife Stanwyck's nickname) which he used on hunting and fishing trips. She complained that he spent all his time polishing his guns and aircraft, but when airborne could "do anything a bird could do, except sit on a barbed wire fence".
Marilyn Erskine, started her performing career at the age of three years, appearing on a local radio show in Buffalo, New York. She also appeared on the nationwide CBS radio show Let's Pretend sometime between 1929 and 1937, where children played all the roles in adaptions of fairy tales and other children's stories, Erskine performed the role of Jane Baxter in Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre on the Air adaptation of Seventeen (October 16, 1938).
As a teenager, she appeared in at least nine Broadway productions in New York City.
She appeared in several Hollywood movies in the early 1950's:
Westward the Women (1951) playing Jean Johnson
Above and Beyond (1952) playing Marge Bratton
The Girl in White (1952) playing Nurse Jane Doe
Just This Once (1952) playing Gertrude Crome
The Eddie Cantor Story (1953) playing Ida Tobias Cantor
A Slight Case of Larceny (1953) playing Mrs. Emily Clopp
Confidentially Connie (1953) playing Phyllis Archibald
She played herself in an MGM documentary Challenge the Wilderness (1951), on the production problems faced while filming Westward the Women. She was also one of the narrators for the MGM documentary The Hoaxters (1953), a short history of Communism.
She appeared in almost every anthology drama series of the Golden Age of Television, from General Electric Theater to Westinghouse Studio One to Science Fiction Theater to Lux Video Theater to Climax, appearing in over fifty different productions on thirty different series from 1949 to 1962.
In her later career, after 1962, she primarily played roles on westerns and crime dramas.
She was a co-star in the television series The Tom Ewell Show, playing Tom's wife, Fran Potter. This situation comedy ran from September 1960 through May 1961 on the CBS television network.
She was a co-presenter for the Short Subject Awards category of the 26th Annual Academy Awards in 1954, and appeared as herself in the last episode of the The NBC Comedy Hour June 10, 1956.
In the 1960's she made two guest appearances on Perry Mason starring Raymond Burr.
Her last role on television was in 1972, in the Ironside TV series, also starring Burr.
She married Hollywood producer/director Stanley Kramer in May 1945. The marriage was annulled two months later.
She married insurance executive Charles Curland in 1955, and had two children. Their home in Brentwood, California was featured in an article in the Fall 1958 issue of Architectural Digest.
Miriam Hopkins studied to be a dancer, but her opportunity with a touring ballet troupe was cut short when she broke her ankle.
When Miriam Hopkins, first signed on with Paramount Pictures, she made her first film, Fast and Loose(1930). A romantic comedy film directed by Fred C. Newmeyer. The film was written by Doris Anderson, Jack Kirkland and Preston Sturges, based on the 1924 play The Best People by David Gray and Avery Hopwood.
Her next film was, in Trouble in Paradise(1932). A story about a master thief who hooks up with a beautiful pickpocket. The two of them go to work for a famous perfume manufacturer, and the thief finds himself torn between two women.
She also performed in film, The Smiling Lieutenant. A romantic comedy about the love of a Princess for a soldier and the love of the soldier for another woman. The Lieutenant while standing in formation smiles at his girlfriend in the crowd. Unfortunately, the Princess thinks he is smiling at her and an international incident is avoided by having them married. The Lieutenant sneaks away from his bride and looks for his girlfriend Franzi. The princess finds out and confronts Franzi, who sees that the princess is in fact deeply in love with the lieutenant, and decides to step aside and gives the princess a makeover..
Next she went on to perform in the film, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde(1931), a story about Dr. Jekyll, who develops a drug to release the evil side in himself, becoming the violent, Mr. Hyde. Jekyll becomes addicted to the formula and unable to control his alter-ego Mr. Hyde. The only thing that can stop him is his friend and the police, who watches while he transforms into Hyde. Hyde tries to escape from the lab by climbing through a window, but Lanyon shoots him and Hyde transforms into Jekyll.
Her next film was, Design for Living (1933). The story begins while traveling to Paris by train, Gilda Farrell meets George Curtis and Thomas Chambers, who share an apartment. Gilda works for advertising executive Max Plunkett, who is in love with her. Tom and George each attracted to her, agree to forget her, but they can not keep that promise when she comes to visit. She can not choose between the two, so she decides that she live with them with the understanding they will not have sex.
Gilda arranges for a producer to read Tom's play and he goes to London follow his dream. While he is gone, Gilda and George fall in love, much to Tom's dismay. One night, at the theatre he meets Max, who tells him George has become successful. Tom returns to Paris and discovers George has left the apartment and moved into a penthouse with Gilda. George is in Nice painting a portrait and Gilda and Tom begin a romance.
When George returns he finds his former roommate and Gilda have been together while he was away and orders the two to get out. Gilda decides to marry Max, but is so upset when she receives a gift from her former lovers she can not consummate the marriage. When Max hosts a party for his clients, Tom and George crash the party and hide in Gilda's bedroom. Max finds the three in the bedroom and orders the men out. Will Gilda leave her husband?
Her film, Becky Sharp(1935), was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. The story is about a young girl named Becky Sharp, who manages to survive during the years after Napoleon's defeat. In trying to advance herself, she finds a way to link up with a number of gentlemen: the Marquis of Steyne, Joseph Sedley, Rawdon Crawley and George Osborne. She rises to the top of British society, offending the other ladies. Soon, Sharp finds herself making a living singing in a beer hall..
Her next performance was in the film, Barbary Coast (1935), A period film directed by Howard Hawks. Set in San Francisco during the Gold Rush era. The film has it all: crime, Western, melodrama and adventure.
Her next performance was in the film, These Three (1936) (the first of four films with director William Wyler). Friends Karen Wright and Martha Dobie start a boarding school with the help of Amelia Tilford, who enrolls her granddaughter Mary. Karen and the local doctor Joe Cardin, begin to date, not knowing that Martha is in love with him.
Troubles begin for the two friends when Martha's aunt Lily Mortar arrives. One evening, Lily finds Joe asleep in a chair while waiting for Karen to return. Lily jumps to the wrong conclusion and she gets into a argument with Martha, Lily decides it is best for her to leave, but not before telling her niece about her suspicions about her friend.
Martha finds Rosalie listening at the door. When Mary finds a missing bracelet that belongs to another student in Rosalie's room, she forces her into telling what she overheard. Angry Mary, she comes up with a wild story to tell her grandmother about Martha and Joe engaged in an affair and she forces Rosalie into going along with it. Mrs. Tilford is shocked by the story and has all the parents take their children out of the school, leaving Martha and Karen wondering what went wrong.
When one of the girl's chauffeurs tells the women the reason why, they confront Mrs. Tilford. Worried her theft will be revealed, Rosalie says the story is true. Martha and Karen sue Mrs. Tilford for libel but lose their case. Karen and Joe go their separate ways when she confesses she believes the story Mary told. Martha admits to Karen she loves Joe but tells her that he never knew.
When Lily, mentions the missing bracelet again, they now know what happened. Martha confronts Rosalie and convinces her to tell the truth. Mrs. Tilford wants to make things right, but Martha asks only that she tell Karen the truth.
Hopkins, turned down the role of Ellie Andrews in the film, It Happened One Night (1934). The role went to Claudette Colbert who won an Academy Award. Hopkins had fights with Bette Davis, when they co-starred in their two films The Old Maid (1939) and Old Acquaintance (1943).
Kit becomes jealous, when Millie writes a successful novel, the first of many best selling novels. After eight years taking a backseat to Millie's career, her husband Preston leaves her. Another decade passes and Kit makes plans to marry much younger man named, Rudd. Millie, soon finds out that Preston is engaged and he also admits that he was in love with Kit. Blaming Kit for the failure of her marriage, Millie confronts Kit, but before long they are sharing a glass of champagne.
Davis enjoyed the scene in Old Acquaintance where she shakes Hopkins. After Old Acquaintance, she did not work again in films until the film, The Heiress(1949). Written by Ruth and Augustus Goetz, adapted from their 1947 play of the same title that was based on the 1880 novel Washington Square by Henry James. The film was directed by William Wyler. Starring: Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift and Ralph Richardson.
She gave a comic performance in the film, In The Mating Season, as Gene Tierneys character's mother. She also acted in The Children's Hour, a remake of her film These Three(1936). In the remake, she played the aunt to Shirley MacLaine, while MacLaine took Hopkins' original role. Hopkins auditioned for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, even though she was a native Georgian. The part, went to Vivien Leigh. She performed in teleplays, spanning the late 1940s through the late 1960s, in such programs as The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre (1949), Pulitzer Prize Playhouse (1951), Lux Video Theatre (1951-1955) and an episode of The Flying Nun in 1969. Though she is best known for her film work, she has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: one for motion pictures at 1701 Vine Street, and one for television at 1708 Vine Street.
I watched this excellent film a few days ago and I thought it was one of the best films I've ever seen. Based on the Lillian Hellman play, The Children's Hour, the main storyline has been changed from lesbianism to a heterosexual triangle involving two women and a man. But the film still remains a solid dramatic effort. The film casts Miriam Hopkins as Martha and Merle Oberon as Karen, college roommates, who graduate and face the future with no place and no money.
Karen, however, has inherited a farmhouse from her grandmother, and gets the idea that she and Martha can turn it into a school for girls. They travel to the farmhouse, which turns out to be quite rundown, and all hope seems lost, until they meet Dr. Joe Cardin (played by Joe Cardin), who tells them not to give up, to take out a loan, fix up the farmhouse, and it will work out. And before you know it, the school is open and full of young girls. And Karen starts falling in love with Joe. Even though Martha longs for the good doc herself. All seems to go according to plan, until one student devises a scheme for revenge for being punished by the teachers. The student is Mary Tildford (played by Bonita Granville) as the child from hell. Her lie about an affair between Karen and Joe spreads quickly and all over town. And before you know it the parents quickly remove their kids from the school without an explanation to the titular three. Well Joe decides he wants answers and goes to Mary's grandmother's house to get some. Mary's grandmother is played by the wonderful Alma Kruger. Once there the story comes out to the three young people, they can't believe that this has happened. There is a trial and the whole town is against our three young individuals. After the trial Karen decides it's best if Joe leaves as she is preparing to close down the school. Flash forward a few months later and the truth finally comes out that Mary made the whole thing up and even bullied her classmate Rosalie (a superb Marcie Mae Jones) to corroborate her story. But the damage has been done, that has ruined the lives of three people. Martha finds out and is relieved but still saddened. Karen goes looking for Joe, who is living abroad and they end up together finally.
I thoroughly enjoyed this film from beginning to end. I thought all the actors involved gave very strong performances beginning with Hopkins who had the most delicate of the lead roles and she delivered it superbly. Hopkins shows that she can act when the need arises. Oberon was good also, but got kind of overshadowed by Hopkins in some scenes. It's not her fault, it's just that Martha is the juicier of the two roles. McCrea is his typical strong leading man self. Granville is truly monstrous as the child brat who is just teeming with hatred and deceit. But she finally gets what coming to her when her playhouse comes falling apart and gets one of the all time best film slaps in the face ever. And guess who delivers it.. none other than Margaret Hamilton, the wicked witch of the west, from The Wizard Of Oz. Hamilton plays the maid for Mrs. Tilford. And I cheered when she gave that slap to Granville. I was like finally someone steps up to give that girl what she truly deserved. These Three was expertly directed by the great William Wyler, who would also direct the remake, The Children's Hour (1962) with Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine. I haven't seen that version but I doubt it can be any better than this classic. This is what you get when you get all the stars aligned with great performances, solid direction, and that old Hollywood magic. These Three is a must see. A-
In 1925, with Marlene Dietrich, she worked as an extra in the German film Madame Doesn't Want Any Children.
She made her great breakthrough in 1926, when she replaced the popular American actress Lillian Gish, for the part of Gretchen in F. W. Murnau's lavish UFA production of Faust.
In 1928 she traveled to Hollywood where she played opposite John Barrymore in Tempest and Eternal Love. She returned to Europe, and in the 1930s refused to follow the official line of the Nazis and was prosecuted for a monetary offense. After the war the British tribunal at Delmenhorst convicted her for minor offenses (among them travelling without permission) and she was imprisoned for three months at the women's prison in Vechta.
From 1930 until her retirement in 1953, she remained a screen favorite in German, British, and Italian films, and late in life, she was invited to make her screen comeback, in the 1987's Schloss Konigswald. She spent her old age at Herrsching, and died at Gilching near Starnberg, where she had lived during the last year of her life. from: Wikipedia.
