Cary Grant.

Archibald Alexander Leach(January 18, 1904 – November 29, 1986), better known by his stage name Cary Grant. He moved to Hollywood in 1931, where he used the name Cary Lockwood. He chose the name Lockwood after the name of his character in a recent play called, Nikki. After he signed with Paramount Pictures, the studio wanted to change his stage name. They decided that the name Cary would work, but Lockwood had to go because it was similar to another actor's name. Grant chose his name because of the initials C and G had already proved lucky for Clark Gable and Gary Cooper.

Already having appeared as leading man opposite Marlene Dietrich in, Blonde Venus(1932), in a story about a woman who was a popular nightclub singer turned housewife, but when her husband needs a life-saving operation, she decides to resume her career.  Soon she has to make a choice between her singing career and her husband.

May West, picked him for her leading man in two of her most successful films, She Done Him Wrong a Pre-Code (1933). Comedy romance film. cast: Mae West and Cary Grant. Others in the cast include: Louise Beavers, Owen Moore, Gilbert Roland, Noah Beery, Sr., and Rochelle Hudson. The film was directed by Lowell Sherman and produced by William LeBaron. The script was adapted by Harvey F. Thew and John Bright from the successful Broadway play Diamond Lil by Mae West. Original music was composed by Ralph Rainger, John Leipold and Stephan Pasternacki. Charles Lang was responsible for the cinematography, while the costumes were designed by Edith Head.

The movie is famous for West's many double meaning quips, including her seductive, "I always did like a man in a uniform. That one fits you grand. Why don't you come up sometime and see me? I'm home every evening."



Followed by, I'm No Angel (both 1933). His first major comedy hit was when he was loaned to Hal Roach's studio for the film, Topper(1937). A story about a fun-loving couple, finding that they died and are now ghosts, decide to shake up a friend of theirs.

Grant starred in many classic screwball comedies: Bringing Up Baby (1938) with Katharine Hepburn, His Girl Friday (1940) with Rosalind Russell, Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) featuring Priscilla Lane, and Monkey Business (1952) opposite Ginger Rogers and Marilyn Monroe. Monkey Business, is similar to the film, Bringing Up Baby (1938), which also starred Cary Grant and was directed by Howard Hawks, but had a leopard instead of a chimpanzee. The plot, involving a chemical that causes a board of directors to act like children, is similar to the film, Lover Come Back(1961), with Doris Day–Rock Hudson, although in that film the chemical causes everybody to get extremely drunk.

Hawks said he did not think the film's premise was believable, and as a result thought the film was not as funny as it could have been. Peter Bogdanovich has noted that the scenes with Cary Grant and Marilyn Monroe work especially well .

It was the film, The Philadelphia Story (1940), with Hepburn and James Stewart, that made him a star. A story about socialites Tracy Lord and C.K. Dexter Haven, who married impulsively. They brake up when Dexter's drinking became too excessive. Two years after their break-up, Tracy is about to remarry, a politician by the name of, George Kittredge. The day before the wedding, three unexpected guests show up at the Lord mansion: Macaulay Connor, Elizabeth Imbrie. Dexter, who is now working for a tabloid magazine.



Grant was a favorite of Alfred Hitchcock, who said that Grant was "the only actor I ever loved in my whole life". Grant appeared in the Hitchcock classics Suspicion (1941), Notorious (1946), To Catch a Thief (1955) and North by Northwest (1959).

Biographer Patrick McGilligan wrote that, in 1965, Hitchcock asked Grant to star in, Torn Curtain (1966), only to learn that Grant had decided to retire after making one more film, Walk, Don't Run (1966).

In the mid-1950s, Grant formed his own production company, Grantley Productions, and produced a number of movies distributed by Universal: Operation Petticoat (1959), Indiscreet (1958), That Touch of Mink (co-starring with Doris Day, 1962).Please click here to read Touch of Mink review.

In 1963, he appeared opposite Audrey Hepburn in the film, Charade (1963). Directed by Stanley Donen, written by Peter Stone and Marc Behm. Cast: Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. It also features Walter Matthau, James Coburn, George Kennedy, Dominique Minot, Ned Glass, and Jacques Marin. It spans three genres: suspense thriller, romance, and comedy.


The film is notable for its screenplay, the relationship between Grant and Hepburn and for being filmed on location in Paris. Also, for Henry Mancini's score and theme song and for the animated titles by Maurice Binder. Charade has been referred to as "the best Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock never made."

Cary Grant ... enjoyed poking fun at himself with statements such as, "Everyone wants to be Cary Grant.. even I want to be Cary Grant".

FUN FACTS:

His only child is Jennifer Grant whose mother is Dyan Cannon. Actress Jennifer Grant, the only child of screen legend Cary Grant and his fourth wife, actress Dyan Cannon, gave birth to her first child on August 12, 2008, in Los Angeles, California. Jennifer,  named her son Cary Benjamin Grant.

Ian Fleming modeled the James Bond character partially with Grant in mind.

Turned down the role of James Bond in Dr. No (1962), believing himself to be too old at 58 to play the character.

Donated his entire salary for Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) to the U.S. War Relief Fund.

Arsenic and Old Lace, his least favorite film.

Said Indiscreet (1958), to be his personal favorite film.

Was a great fan of Elvis Presley, and attended his Las Vegas shows. He is seen discussing Elvis' performance with him backstage during the closing credits of "That's The Way It Is" (1970).

Happy New Year !!

It is time to raise our glasses to celebrate the promise of a new year. Happy New Year! From all of us here on N and CF.

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961).

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). Romantic comedy. Cast: Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, and Mickey Rooney. The film was directed by Blake Edwards. It was loosely based on the novel of the same name by Truman Capote. Orangey as "Cat" (trained by Frank Inn). Hepburn's performance of "Moon River" helped composer Henry Mancini and lyricist Johnny Mercer win an Oscar for Best Song.

The story begins in the early morning hours, as a taxicab pulls up at Tiffany's and Holly Golightly, enjoys her "Breakfast at Tiffany's" while looking in the window. At her apartment building, Holly sneaks away from her date from the night before, who has been waiting in his car all night.

The next morning, Holly is awakened by her new neighbor Paul Varjak, ringing the door bell. After feeding her pet cat she calls "Cat", Holly visits with Paul, as she quickly dresses for her visit to Sing Sing prison. This is a weekly routine from which she earns $100 for a visit with mob boss, Sally Tomato.

Wealthy Emily Failenson, arrives at the apartment and is introduced as Paul's "decorator". Holly later drops by Paul's apartment to escape another date and sees Failenson leave money on a table.

Paul is invited to Holly's party, where he meets Jose da Silva Pereira, a rich Brazilian and Rusty Trawler, one of the richest American's under 50. Paul, also meets Holly's "agent" O. J. Berman who tells Paul that Holly is a "real phoney".

After becoming fast friends, Paul joins Holly when she visits Sally at Sing Sing. One afternoon, Paul hears Holly playing guitar and singing "Moon River" from her windowsill. This is when they first realize that they are attracted to each other. Unfortunately Holly, is a "free spirit" a independent, adventurous woman who lives for the moment. Will her love for Paul turn her life around?



These two actors performances are what make the film memorable. One of my favorite scenes is when, Holly and Paul agree to spend the day together, visiting the library and going to Tiffany's, where Paul has the ring from a box of Cracker Jacks engraved. Below is the movie trailer, Breakfast at Tiffany's.




Fun Facts:

In the novel, there is no mention of anything romantic going on between Holly Golightly and the character who is named Paul in the film (in the novel, he is nameless). The character of Paul's "decorator", Mrs Emily Eustace Failenson or Patricia Neal, does not feature in the book and was originated in the film.

In the novel, Mag Wildwood, a model with a stuttering problem, moves into Holly's apartment after Holly falls out with the novelist upstairs. In the film, Mag appears as a stuttering guest who arrives at Holly's party with Rusty Trawler.

The film changed the novella's unresolved, open ending to a more conventional "Hollywood" romantic happy ending.

Capote, who sold the film rights of his novella to Paramount Studios, wanted Marilyn Monroe to play the role of Holly Golightly in the film. Barry Paris references a quote by Capote: "Marilyn was always my first choice to play the girl, Holly Golightly." Screenwriter Axelrod was hired to "tailor the screenplay for Monroe." When Lee Strasberg advised Monroe that playing a prostitute would be bad for her image, she turned it down. When Hepburn was cast instead of Monroe, Capote remarked: "Paramount double-crossed me in every way and cast Audrey."

Kim Novak was asked to play the role of Holly Golightly, but she turned it down, for fear of being typecast as a scared sex kitten.

Originally producers Martin Jurow and Richard Shepherd had picked John Frankenheimer as the director, but Hepburn said: "I've never heard of him" and he was replaced on her request.

Most of the exteriors were filmed in New York City, except the fire escape scenes and the alley scene at the end in the rain where Holly puts Cat out of the cab and then Paul and Holly look for Cat. All of the interiors, except for portions of the scene inside Tiffany's, were filmed on the Paramount Studios lot in Hollywood.

It was rumored that the film's on-location opening sequence, in which Holly looks into a Tiffany's display window, was extremely difficult for director Blake Edwards to shoot. Crowd control, Hepburn's dislike of pastries, and an accident that nearly electrocuted a crew member are all said to have made filming the scene a challenge.

Audrey Hepburn said the scene where she throws Cat into the rainy street was the most distasteful thing she ever had to do on film.

George Peppard was a student of Method acting, a style Hepburn found difficult to work with. Nonetheless, the two actors remained close friends until her death.

Holly's couch is really an old-fashioned bathtub split in half. In some scenes, you can still see the gold handles at one end and the legs on the bottom.

Hepburn as Holly, carrying an over sized cigarette holder, is considered one of the most iconic images of 20th century American cinema.

Orangey, a red tabby cat, was owned and trained by animal trainer, Frank Inn.

Orangey (credited under various names) performed in film and television in the 1950's and early 1960's and was the only cat to win two Patsy Awards (Picture Animal Top Star of the Year, an animal actor's version of an Oscar) - the first for the title role in Rhubarb (1951), a story about a cat who inherits a fortune, and the second for his performance in, Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961).

Other appearances included a regular role as "Minerva" on the television series, Our Miss Brooks (1952-1958).

The cat was also credited as "Jimmy" and "Rhubarb".

Filmography:

Rhubarb (1951) (uncredited) .... Rhubarb
This Island Earth (1955) (uncredited) .... Neutron
The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) (uncredited) .... Cat
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) (as Cat)
Gigot (1962) (uncredited)
The Comedy of Terrors (1964) (as Rhubarb the Cat) .... Cleopatra
Village of the Giants (1965) (uncredited) .... Giant Cat

Pawsome Pet Pictures: Jayne Mansfield and friends taking a little drive

Pawsome Pet Pictures: Clara Bow.

Clara Bow Quote: "We had individuality. We did as we pleased. We stayed up late. We dressed the way we wanted. I used to whiz down Sunset Boulevard in my open Kissel, with several red Chow dogs to match my hair. Today, they're sensible and end up with better health. But we had more fun."

The Talk of the Town(1942).

The Talk of the Town(1942). Cast: Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Ronald Colman, Edgar Buchanan, and Glenda Farrell. The movie was adapted by Dale Van Every, Irwin Shaw and Sidney Buchman from the story by Sidney Harmon. It was directed by George Stevens.

Mill worker and political activist Leopold Dilg is accused of burning down a mill and causing the death of the foreman. In the middle of his trial, Dilg escapes from jail and finds shelter in a house owned by his old friend Nora Shelley.



 Shelley has the house rented for the summer to law Professor Michael Lightcap, who plans to write a book. When Dilg is seen by Lightcap, Shelley introduces him as her gardener. Lightcap and Dilg quickly become friends.

Over some things that had been said during one of their lively discussions over politics, Lightcap becomes suspicious of what is really going on and begins to investigate. He finds that the former foreman is still alive and hiding in Boston. Dilg is persuaded to return to town and admit his guilt. Will Lightcap convinces Dilg give himself up and be set free?

The acting is very good. Cary Grant, plays a very different roll than I'm used to seeing him in.. Ronald Coleman is also good as his rival and Jean Arthur is great she steals scene after scene.

Fun Fact:

Lloyd Bridges' tiny role was one of 20 film appearances he made in 1942 .

Glenda Farrell (June 30, 1904 – May 1, 1971), came to Hollywood towards the end of the silent era. Farrell began her career with a theatrical company at the age of 7. She played Little Eva in, Uncle Tom's Cabin.

She was in the cast of ,Cobra and The Best People with actress Charlotte Treadway, in 1925.

Farrell was first signed to a long-term contract by First National Pictures in July 1930. She was given the feminine lead in, Little Caesar.

Warner Brothers signed her to re-create on film the role she played in, Life Begins on Broadway. Farrell worked on parts in twenty movies in her first year with the studio. She was known a the wise-cracking, dizzy blonde of the early talkies, along with  Joan Blondell, with whom she often would be paired with.

She went on to perform in, Little Caesar (1931) opposite Edward G. Robinson, I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932), Havana Widows (1933) with Blondell, Bureau of Missing Persons (1933) opposite Pat O'Brien, Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) opposite Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray and The Big Shakedown (1934) with Bette Davis.

She became one of Warner Brothers most popular actresses of the 1930s, solidifying her success with her own film series, as Torchy Blane, "Girl Reporter". In this role Farrell was promoted as being able to speak 400 words in 40 seconds. Farrell would portray the character Torchy Blane in eight films, from 1937 to 1939 when the role was taken over by Jane Wyman.

In 1937 she starred opposite Dick Powell and Joan Blondell in the Academy Award nominated Lloyd Bacon and Busby Berkeley directed musical Gold Diggers(1937).

When her Warner Brothers contact expired in 1939 she focused more on her stage career once again. She said that working in plays gave her more of a sense of individuality whereas in films you get frustrated because you feel you have no power over what you're doing.

Farrell went out of vogue in the 1940s but made a comeback later in life, winning an Emmy Award in 1963, for her work in the television series, Ben Casey.

Holiday(1938).

Holiday(1938). Directed by George Cukor, a remake of the 1930 film of the same name. Romantic/comedy. The movie was adapted by Donald Ogden Stewart and Sidney Buchman from the play by Philip Barry. Cast: Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Doris Nolan, Lew Ayres, and Edward Everett Horton, who played the same role he had played in the 1930 version. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction by Stephen Goosson and Lionel Banks.

This is a very charming, hilarious, comedy where Grant plays Johnny Case, a self-made man who is already tired of the rat race at the age of 30. Wanting to make enough money to retire on to travel around the world in search of adventure.

Johnny proposes to his girl friend Julia in Lake Placid, but it isn't until he visits her and her family in New York, that he learns she's the daughter of a wealthy banker. He soon wins over the whole family hearts especially, Julia's sister Linda, who finds herself irresistibly drawn to him.

Can Johnny live the life laid out for him or will he have the courage to break free of society and follow his heart? There's more going on here than a fluffy romance. If you love witty and intelligent romantic comedy, then this film is for you.



Fun Facts:

The character of Linda Seton played by Hepburn was loosely based on a socialite named Gertrude Sanford Legendre.

Although the film was originally intended to reunite The Awful Truth co-stars Cary Grant and Irene Dunne, George Cukor decided to cast Hepburn instead.




Doris Nolan, performed in films in the late 30s after earning a contract from Fox. Best known as Katharine Hepburn's, high-society sister in the comedy classic, Holiday (1938). She was gone within the decade and returned to theatre.

Silent Film Star: Leatrice Joy

Leatrice Joy (November 7, 1893 – May 13, 1985). Actress best known for her work during the early silent film era. Katharine Hepburn, said it was Leatrices performance in, Manslaughter (1922) that had inspired her to become an actress.

Leatrice Joy Filmography:
Love Nest (1951)
Strong Boy (1929)
Triumph (1924)
The Ten Commandments (1923)
Hollywood (1923) cameo
Manslaughter (1922)
Saturday Night (1922)
The Ace of Hearts (1921)
The Handy Man (1918)
The Messenger (1918)
The Scholar (1918)
The Orderly (1918)
His Day Out (1918)
The Stranger (1918)
The Slave (1917)
The Candy Kid (1917)
The Other Man (1916)

“The Clinging Vine” (1926)

“The Clinging Vine” (1926) is a silent romantic comedy starring Leatrice Joy, Tom Moore and Robert Edeson. Directed by Paul Sloane, this film was produced by DeMille Pictures Corporation. The film begins with A.B., played by Leatrice Joy, as the masculine assistant to the President of a big paint company, T.M. Bancroft, played by Robert Edeson. A.B. is actually the real force behind the Bancroft Paint Company. A.B. wears a man’s tie, vest, shirt, haircut, and a skirt. Even though she had hired, wired, and fired men, she had never kissed one. When A.B.’s boss, T.M. Bancroft, has gout and work has to be done at his home instead of the office, she arrives for an overnight stay and is befriended by Grandma Bancroft, played by Toby Claude, the boss’ wife. The wise and youthful Grandma decides to give A.B. a makeover: permanent wave, feminine clothes, and plucked eyebrows. Grandma even shows A.B. how to wrap her hands across a man’s shoulder and cling to him. She also gives her tips on batting her eyelashes and only say the phrases to win a man: “Do go on!” and “Aren’t you wonderful?” Sensing that A.B. has no experience when it comes to love, Grandma hooks her up with her grandson, Jimmie, played by Tom Moore, at the weekend house party. Jimmie soon falls in love with A.B. without realizing she is the one who recently fired him by wire from his grandfather’s company.

I thought “The Clinging Vine” (1926) is a rather amusing film that might have been better if there had not been so much emphasis on the masculine side of the heroine early in the picture. Although some viewers and critics might view this film as a commentary on a gender identity crisis or women vs. men in the workplace, I saw this film as an entertaining satire. I found it amusing that the two female leads, A.B. and Grandma are the only ones with any brains at all. The company’s executives and Jimmie are portrayed as inept in business matters and overwhelmed by A.B.’s flirtations with them. I think this film suggests women could be just as efficient in the office as well as the home without giving up their femininity. One of the few surviving films of Leatrice Joy, “The Clinging Vine” is a charming silent comedy that is worth discovering.

One of the most glamorous stars to grace the silent screen was Leatrice Joy. Born on November 7, 1893 in New Orleans, Leatrice learned her craft as an extra at the major Eastern film companies and a leading lady at small, short-lived studios. She moved to Hollywood in late 1917 to advance her career. By 1921, she was a leading lady at the Goldwyn Studios and caught up in the much-publicized, tempestuous love affair with romantic idol John Gilbert. When Paramount’s premier director, Cecil B. DeMille, chose her to succeed Gloria Swanson as his leading actress, Leatrice was catapulted to stardom, appearing in such lavish productions as “Manslaughter” (1922) and “The Ten Commandments” (1923). Under DeMille’s guidance, she was transformed into an alluring, chic, contemporary woman who was as much at home in the business world as in high society. Leatrice’s favorite part, however, was a striking departure from her glamorous persona. In “Minnie” (1922), made on loan out to Marshall Neilan, she played a homely little girl. DeMille gave her free rein, encouraging her to develop her own acting style, and she was soon recognized by critics as one of the most accomplished actresses in Hollywood. In the 1926 films, “The Clinging Vine” and “For Alimony Only,” Leatrice portrays assertive, no-nonsense businesswomen, reflecting the spirit of women’s emancipation and anticipating independent heroines of the thirties like Rosalind Russell and Katharine Hepburn. It is interesting to note that Hepburn, as a budding actress, was one of Leatrice’s most devoted fans. When DeMille left Paramount to form his own company in 1925, he took Leatrice with him but their relationship was not the same. The once kindly father figure with a genuine sense of elegance and dedication to his art became to Leatrice a remote tycoon, indifferent to her career. Leatrice thought that the films she starred in for DeMille’s company from 1925 to 1928 were terrible pictures. In 1928, she left DeMille, freelancing for the next two years in late silent and early sound productions, but her career never regained its momentum. Nevertheless, Leatrice continued to act intermittently, both on the screen and in summer stock, into the 1950’s. Offscreen, in the midst of her glory days at Paramount, Leatrice attempted to reconcile her ambition for stardom with her love for John Gilbert. They were married first in 1921 in Mexico before Gilbert’s divorce from his first wife was final, and then in 1922, after the divorce came through, in a private ceremony in Hollywood. Although passionately in love, they would clash over Gilbert’s flirtations or Leatrice’s work, then for months live apart. In 1924, Leatrice had enough and finally initiated divorce proceedings. She and John Gilbert had one daughter together, actress Leatrice Joy Gilbert. Leatrice Joy died on May 13, 1985. She was 92 years old.

Happy Birthday: Marlene Dietrich!

Marlene Dietrich(27 December 1901 – 6 May 1992), was born in Schöneberg, Germany. She was the younger of two daughters of Louis Erich Otto Dietrich and Wilhelmina Elisabeth Josephine Felsing. Dietrich's mother was from a well-to-do family who owned a clock making company and her father was a police lieutenant.  Afther her father died in 1911, her mother married  his best friend, Eduard von Losch, who died soon after as a result of injuries he received during World War I.

Dietrich went to Auguste Victoria School for Girls from 1906 to 1918. She studied the violin and became interested in theatre and poetry. Her dreams of becoming a concert violinist were cut short when she injured her wrist.

In 1921, Dietrich soon found herself working in his theatres as a chorus girl and playing small roles in dramas, without attracting any special attention at first. She made her film debut playing a bit part in the 1922 film, So sind die Manner. She met her future husband, Rudolf Sieber, on the set of another film made that year, Tragodie der Liebe. Dietrich and Sieber were married on 17 May 1924. Her only child was born on 13 December 1924.

Dietrich continued to work on stage and in film both in Berlin and Vienna throughout the 1920s. On stage, she had roles of varying importance in, Pandora's Box, The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Back to Methuselah and Misalliance. It was in musicals and revues, such as Broadway, Es Liegt in der Luft and Zwei Krawatten, that she attracted the most attention. By the late 1920s, Dietrich was also playing sizable parts on screen, including Cafe Elektric (1927), Ich küsse Ihre Hand, Madame (1928) and Das Schiff der verlorenen Menschen (1929).

Please click here to read more about Marlene Dietrich.

Pictures of Silent Film Star: Clara Bow and Arlette Marchal.

This short video is from the silent film, Hula(1927). The daughter of a pineapple plantation owner in Hawaii sets her sights on a married English engineer. Director: Victor Fleming. Writers: Doris Anderson, Ethel Doherty. Cast: Clara Bow, Clive Brook and Arlette Marchal. These film clips are a wonderful showcase of Clara's humor.

Arlette Marchal (29 January 1902 – 11 February 1984) was a French film actress. She performed in 41 films between 1922 and 1951.

Filmography:
Die Sklavenkönigin (1924)
Madame Sans-Gene (1925)
Born to the West (1926)
The Cat's Pajamas (1926)
Diplomacy (1926)
Forlorn River (1926)
Blonde or Brunette (1927)
Le manoir de la peur (1927)
Wings (1927)
Hula (1927)
A Gentleman of Paris (1927)
The Spotlight (1927)
Die Frau von gestern und morgen (1928)
An Ideal Woman (1928)
The Lady with the Mask (1928)
The Elusive Pimpernel (1950)
Sans laisser d'adresse (1951)

Celebrating Christmas.

Celebrating Christmas with Clara Bow (pictured above).

ON TCM this week : Dec. 28, 2010. Holiday(1938). Directed by George Cukor, a remake of the 1930 film of the same name. A romantic comedy which tells the story of a man who has risen from humble beginnings only to be torn between his free-thinking lifestyle and the tradition of his wealthy fiancée's family. The movie was adapted by Donald Ogden Stewart and Sidney Buchman from the play by Philip Barry. The movie stars Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and features Doris Nolan, Lew Ayres, and Edward Everett Horton, who played the same role he had played in the 1930 version.

ON TCM: Dec. 30, 2010. Breakfast at Tiffany's(1961). Hepburn's portrayal of Holly Golightly as the naïve, eccentric woman is generally considered to be her most memorable role. She thought of it as one of her most challenging roles.

ON TCM Dec. 31, 2010. Cary Grant tribute.

Bringing Up Baby (1938). A madcap heiress upsets the staid existence of a straitlaced scientist. Cast: Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Charlie Ruggles. Dir: Howard Hawks.

My Favorite Wife (1940). A shipwrecked woman is rescued just in time for her husband's re-marriage. Cast: Cary Grant, Irene Dunne, Randolph Scott. Dir: Garson Kanin.

Philadelphia Story, The (1940) Tabloid reporters crash a society marriage. Cast: Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart. Dir: George Cukor.

Penny Serenade (1941) A woman on the verge of divorce recalls her heartbreaking attempts to adopt a child. Cast: Cary Grant, Irene Dunne, Beulah Bondi. Dir: George Stevens.

Short Film: Will Rogers Memorial Hosp. (Cary Grant) (1940) .Cary Grant asking moviegoers to donate to the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital, a hospital and recovery center for tuberculosis patients. Cast: Cary Grant

Arsenic And Old Lace (1944) . A young man about to be married discovers the two aunts who raised him have been poisoning lonely old men. Cast: Cary Grant, Raymond Massey, Peter Lorre. Dir: Frank Capra. 

Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer, The (1947) . A teenage girl's crush on a playboy spells trouble, particularly when he falls for her older sister. Cast: Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Shirley Temple. Dir: Irving Reis.

North By Northwest (1959) An advertising man is mistaken for a spy, triggering a deadly cross-country chase. Cast: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason. Dir: Alfred Hitchcock.
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Here is a wonderful classic Christmas clip with Bing Crosby and David Bowie singing the duet.. Little  Drummer Boy.. Crosby's last TV appearance was in Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas (1977) (TV) which was taped in London.

Happy Birthday: Humphrey Bogart!

Humphrey Bogart (December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957). During a film career of almost thirty years, he performed in 75 feature films. His first huge success was as Duke Mantee in, The Petrified Forest (1936), which led to being typecast as a gangster with films: Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) and B-movies like The Return of Doctor X (1939)and The Oklahoma Kid (1939).

Other successful films : High Sierra, The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca,  To Have and Have Not (1944), The Big Sleep (1946), Dark Passage (1947) and Key Largo (1948), with his wife Lauren Bacall, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948), The African Queen (1951), for which he won his only Academy Award, Beat the Devil (1953) Sabrina (1954) and The Caine Mutiny (1954).

Please click here to read more about Humphrey Bogart.

His last movie was, The Harder They Fall (1956). A film noir directed by Mark Robson. The film was written by Philip Yordan and based on the 1947 novel by Budd Schulberg. The drama tells the story of the Primo Carnera boxing scandal". Bogart's character, Eddie Willis, is based on the career of boxing writer and event promoter Harold Conrad.

While Eddie Willis, is looking for work after the newspaper he works for goes under, he is hired by crooked boxing promoter Nick Benko, to publicize his new boxer, Toro Moreno. Toro and his friend/manager, Luís Agrandi , do not know that all of his fights are fixed. The unhappy boxer wants to quit and go home, but Eddie talks him out of it. Benko, arranges for Toro to fight the heavyweight champ, Buddy Brannen. Knowing Toro has no chance, Benko places bets secretly against his fighter. Toro loses as expected and gets brutally beaten. After learning,  that Toro is paid only a small amount, Eddie pays for Toro trip home to Argentina. Eddie then begins writing an his story about corruption in the boxing world.

A wonderful film about a poor dumb boxer who believes in honor. Bogie was wonderful playing one of his many complex roles.

Happy Birthday: Ava Gardner!

Ava Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990), performed in small roles until her performance in the film, The Killers (1946). Please click here to view The Killers(1946) movie review.

Soon after, she became one of Hollywood's leading actresses and considered one of the most beautiful women of her day. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in, Mogambo (1953). Please click here to view Mogambo(1954) movie review.

She appeared in many films from the 1950s to 1970s: Bhowani Junction (1956), On the Beach (1959), The Night of the Iguana (1964),Please click here to view Night of the Iguana(1964) movie review. Earthquake (1974), and The Cassandra Crossing (1976). Gardner continued to act until 1986.

This video is from the film, Show Boat (1951).



Please click here to read more about Ava Gardner.