Happy Birthday: Clint Eastwood!

Eastwood's career reached a turning point in 1971. Irving Leonard and Eastwood discussed the idea of Malpaso producing, Play Misty for Me, a film that was to give Eastwood the control his debut as a director. A psychological thriller. Jessica Walter and Donna Mills co-star. The original music score was composed by Dee Barton.

The story begins when Draper, calls into Garver's radio show and asking him to play the song "Misty". She finds out which is his favorite bar and shows up there and makes their meeting seem like a coincidence. He drives her home and they end up sleeping together.

Draper begins showing up at Garver's house uninvited and goes into jealous rages, interrupts an important business meeting with an older woman, then makes a suicide attempt in Dave's home.

Just when he believes Draper might be out of his life, she becomes his girlfriend Tobie's new roommate for their final confrontation.



This movie, is very suspenseful and Jessica Walter is absolutely terrifying. It's fun to see Clint Eastwood as a young man in his first directorial effort and he did a wonderful job.


Fun Facts:

When Clint Eastwood told Universal executive Lew Wasserman that he wanted to direct the film, Wasserman agreed, on the condition that Eastwood waive his usual acting fee, which he did.

Given complete freedom by Universal Pictures, Clint Eastwood finished shooting four days ahead of schedule and $50,000 under budget.

Set in Carmel, CA, where Clint Eastwood lived and became mayor in 1986.

All filming was completed in 21 days.

The first scene Clint Eastwood shot was his former director Don Siegel's cameo as Murph the bartender. As a joke, Eastwood made Siegel do 11 takes - then told the cameraman to put the film in the camera.

Universal Pictures originally wanted Lee Remick cast in the role of Evelyn, but director Clint Eastwood had been impressed with Jessica Walter's performance in Sidney Lumet's film The Group (1966), and cast her instead.


Please click here to read more about Clint Eastwood.

Donna Mills, began her acting career on television with a guest role on the CBS daytime soap opera The Secret Storm in 1966. Following this she gained a regular role as ex-nun Laura Donnelly on the soap, Love is a Many Splendored Thing, which she played from 1967 to 1970. Mills performed on Broadway in Woody Allen's comedy, Don't Drink the Water.

In 1971, Mills co-starred with Clint Eastwood in the thriller Play Misty For Me, which has remained her most prominent movie role to date. Prior to signing up a contract for Universal Studios in 1972, Mills spent much of the 1970s appearing as a guest television shows such as The Six Million Dollar Man, Hawaii Five-O, The Love Boat, CHiPs, The Oregon Trail, Quincy, M.E., Thriller, Police Woman, and Fantasy Island, as well as several made-for-TV movies.

In 1980, she landed her best know role of scheming, Abby Cunningham on the soap opera, Knots Landing, a role she played until 1989. After leaving the series, Mills concentrated on TV movies, several of which she co-produced. She returned to Knots Landing for its final episode in 1993, and again for the reunion mini-series Knots Landing: Back To The Cul-De-Sac in 1997. In between, she had a brief recurring guest role as Josie Bissett's mother on the popular 1990s soap opera, Melrose Place. In more recent years, Mills has continued to make TV movies as well as guest appearances in series such as Cold Case (season 4, episode 13 "Blackout") and Nip/Tuck (in which she guest-starred with fellow Knots Landing star Joan Van Ark).

In 2005, she reunited with the Knots Landing cast for the reunion, Knots Landing: Together Again, in which the stars reminisced about the show.

Outside of acting, in 1986 Mills released "The Eyes Have It", an instructional video for achieving several different make-up looks. She went on to release her own line of cosmetics of the same name.

Happy Birthday: Don Ameche!

Don Ameche (May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993). Ameche had gone to university to study law but loved theatricals so decided on a stage career. One of Ameche's brothers, Jim Ameche, was also an actor in radio and films.

He made his film debut in 1935 and performed in such films as Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938), as the title character in The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939). He also co-starred with Gene Tierney in the film, Heaven Can Wait, a film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Heaven Can Wait (1943) Comedy. Produced and directed by Ernst Lubitsch. The screenplay written by Samson Raphaelson. Music score: Alfred Newman. Cinematography: Edward Cronjager. Cast: Gene Tierney, Don Ameche and Charles Coburn. The supporting cast includes Marjorie Main, Laird Cregar, Spring Byington, Allyn Joslyn, Eugene Pallette, Signe Hasso and Louis Calhern.

When 70 year old Henry Van Cleve, a member of New York's social elite dies, he believes that he will be sent to the devil and goes there directly. When he arrives, he is greeted by a well dressed gentleman, who's curious to know what crimes Henry has committed, that would cause him to think he belongs with the devil. Thinking the best way to remember, is by all the woman he has had in his life. So Henry begins his story:

When he was born his mother and grandmother spoiled him, and as he got older, he quickly began to notice girls. A cute scene in the film is when, Henry shows a little girl a beetle, and as she talks him into giving her another beetle, Henry realizes, "If you want to win a girl, you have to have lots of beetles."

Henry's wealthy father Randolph and his grandfather, provide Henry with everything a young man could think off, including a maid to tutor him in French. The lovely French tutor is tutoring Henry in the ways of champagne and romance, until the morning of his fifteenth birthday, when his shocked parents find their son drunk. Henry's lifestyle as a womanizer continues until the morning of his 26th birthday. Henry tells his mother that he has met the girl of his dreams and wants to marry her, if only he knew her name. That evening, Henry attends a party celebrating the engagement of his cousin Albert and his beautiful fiancee, Martha. Henry can not believe his eyes when he sees Martha, for she is the girl he fell in love with the day before during a chance meeting. Martha, tells Henry that she is only marrying Albert to get away from her parents, and admits that she is in love with Henry. The couple elope that night.

On the day before Martha and Henry's 10th anniversary, Henry is having breakfast with their son Jack when he reads a note from Martha, saying that she has left him. Henry goes to see Martha at her parents home in Kansas, where her parents have reluctantly taken her back. When he gets there, Martha tells him that she is aware of Henry's continued womanizing, but his charm and his Grandfather, convince her to forgive her husband and they get back together.

Henry and Martha are happy as the years pass, until Henry becomes worried about thier son Jack's involvement with a chorus girl named Peggy. Henry visits Peggy, who accepts his offer of $25,000 to leave Jack. Jack, has already tired of Peggy, and announces that he has a new girl friend. That evening, Martha tells Henry that she likes the look of him now that he is fifty, for his potbelly means that he is no longer a Casanova. Or so she thinks...

Fun Facts:

One of Don Ameche's favorite movie of his own films.

First video of 12.

This week on N and CF.

TCM's Star for the Month of June: Jean Simmons(pictured above). Performed in films made in Great Britain during and after World War II – she was one of J. Arthur Rank's young starlets.

Happy Birthday: Marilyn Monroe. (June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962). Monroe began a career as a model, which led to a film contract in 1946. Her early film appearances were minor, but her performances in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve (both 1950) were well received. By 1953, Monroe had progressed to leading roles. Her "dumb blonde" persona was used to comedic effect in such films as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) and The Seven Year Itch (1955).

ON TCM, June 2, 2011: It Happened Tomorrow is a 1944 fantasy film starring Dick Powell, Linda Darnell and Jack Oakie, and featuring Edgar Kennedy and Sig Ruman. It was directed by René Clair.

Happy Birthday: Hedda Hopper! (May 2, 1885 – February 1, 1966) was an American actress and gossip columnist, whose long-running feud with friend turned arch-rival Louella Parsons became at least as notorious as many of Hopper's columns.

Happy Birthday: Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907 – November 28, 1976) was a actress of stage and screen, best known for her role as a fast-talking newspaper reporter in the Howard Hawks screwball comedy His Girl Friday, as well as the role of Mame Dennis in the film Auntie Mame. She won all 5 Golden Globes for which she was nominated, and was tied with Meryl Streep for wins until 2007 when Streep was awarded a sixth. Russell won a Tony Award in 1953 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Ruth in the Broadway show Wonderful Town (a musical based the film My Sister Eileen, in which she also starred.

ON TCM, June 6, 2011. Cary Grant tribute. He was known as perhaps the perfect example of the debonair leading man: handsome, virile, charismatic, and charming.


"Article of the Week" : From: And Scene.blogspot. Stella Dallas(1937).


Blog ON!

N and CF sources are listed below:

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Fun Facts from:
IMDb
TCM

An Act Of Murder(1948).

An Act Of Murder(1948). Directed by Michael Gordon. Starring Fredric March, Edmond O'Brien, Will Wright.

The story begins in the Pennsylvania court of Calvin Cooke, attorney David Douglas loses a murder trial. Unknown to Calvin, David, whom the judge dislikes because of his liberal ways of thinking, is dating his daughter Ellie.

Later that evening, while Cathy is preparing for her twentieth anniversary dinner, she experiences severe pain and dizziness which she hides from her family. The next day she goes in for several tests. Cathy's friend and Dr. Walter, arranges for the test results to be submitted to several specialists around the country.

In court the next day, Calvin gets a message from Walter, who informs him that Cathy is suffering from a unstoppable and fast-advancing disease.

The only help Walter can give her are pain pills that are highly toxic. He recommends that Calvin keep the information from Cathy and try to make her remaining days as pleasant as possible. Calvin decides to take Cathy on a second honeymoon trip.

While in an amusement park house of mirrors, Cathy has a dizzy spell and wants to return to the hotel, where she continues experiencing great pain.

Calvin gives her a pain pill, telling her it is aspirin, but Cathy spends the night in excruciating pain. The next morning Cathy finds a note from Calvin saying that he has gone for the newspaper and comes across Walter's pain medicine prescription and diagnosis. Meanwhile, Calvin has telephoned Walter and talks of suicide and relieving her pain.

When he returns to the hotel, Cathy says nothing about finding the prescription and asks to return home. On the drive back in the middle of a rainstorm, they have car trouble and Calvin is forced to pull into a roadside garage and cafe. While Calvin is with the mechanic, Cathy, realizes her condition is getting worse and calls her daughter Ellie.

On the road again with Cathy sleeping beside him, Calvin, intentionally drives the car over an embankment.. Will they survive the crash?

The story is about a helpless husband and his brave wife, and their final days until their doomed weekend. "An Act of Murder" makes a powerful statement on how fragile life is.

Edmond O'Brien (September 10, 1915 – May 9, 1985), made his film debut in 1938, and became a highly regarded supporting actor. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Air Forces and performed in the Air Forces' Broadway play and film, Winged Victory.

He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film, The Barefoot Contessa (1954) and was also nominated for his role as an alcoholic U.S. senator in the film, Seven Days in May (1964). Prior to that, O'Brien had a role in the, 1950's D.O.A. as a poisoned man who looks for his own murderer before he dies.

His other notable films include The Killers (1946), White Heat (1949), The Girl Can't Help It (1956), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), The Longest Day (1962), Fantastic Voyage (1966), and The Wild Bunch (1969).

Four's a Crowd (1938)

Four's a Crowd (1938). Romantic/comedy directed by Michael Curtiz and released by Warner Brothers. Cast: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Rosalind Russell, Patric Knowles, Walter Connolly, Hugh Herbert, Melville Cooper, Franklin Pangborn, Herman Bing, Margaret Hamilton, Joseph Crehan, Joe Cunningham, Gloria Blondell, Carole Landis and Lana Turner. The fourth of nine movies made by Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn.

The story begins when the newspaper might be shut down when owner, Pat Buckley, gets into a argument with the Editor-in-chief, Robert Lansford .

Meanwhile, Lansford hopes to add John Dillingwell's business to his PR firm and uses his position at Buckley's paper to write a good review for Dillingwell. He soon finds out that Dillingwell's daughter Lorri, is Buckley's fiancee. Lansford decides to try to charm Lorri while Christy makes a play for Buckley. In the end, you don't know who Lansford will end up with?

Errol Flynn, gives a wonderful comic performance. One of my favorite scenes where he is chased by dogs snapping at his heels chasing him off his girlfriends property. Olivia de Havilland, looks gorgeous as the daughter of millionaire Connolly. A fluffy romance, but... worth watching if you are a fan of these stars.

Margaret Hamilton (December 9, 1902 – May 16, 1985) was known for her performance as the Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.

A former schoolteacher, she worked as a character actor in films for seven years before she was offered the role that we all love her for.

In later years, Hamilton made many cameos on television sitcoms and commercials.

She also was an advocate for children and animals, and was commitment to public education.

Silent Film Star: Laura La Plante .

Laura La Plante (November 1, 1904 - October 14, 1996). During the 1920s she performed in more than sixty films. A couple of her early film performances were: Big Town Round-Up (1921), with cowboy star Tom Mix, and the serials Perils of the Yukon (1922) and Around the World in Eighteen Days (1923).

One of her earliest surviving films is, Smouldering Fires (1925) directed by Clarence Brown and costarring Pauline Frederick. Some of her best remembered films are: The Cat and the Canary (1927), Skinner's Dress Suit (1926), with Reginald Denny, the part-talkie The Love Trap (1929), directed by William Wyler, and the 1929 part-talkie film version of, Show Boat (1929). In her mid-twenties, La Plante proved to be a natural in early talkies but the huge wave of new stars overshadowed her.

For a while she free-lanced, performing in, God's Gift to Women, directed by Michael Curtiz and co-starring Frank Fay, and Arizona, co-starring a young John Wayne.

La Plante also performed in , Man of the Moment (1935), with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. La Plante was briefly considered to replace Myrna Loy in the Thin Man series when Loy thought about leaving. She retired from the screen in 1935.

The Mad Miss Manton (1938).

The Mad Miss Manton (1938). Comedy and mystery film starring Barbara Stanwyck playing a socialite Melsa Manton and Henry Fonda as newspaper editor Peter Ames. This was the first of three screen pairings for Stanwyck and Fonda, the others being The Lady Eve and You Belong to Me. Supporting Cast: Sam Levene, Frances Mercer, Stanley Ridges, Whitney Bourne, Vickie Lester, Ann Evers, Catherine O'Quinn, Linda Perry, Eleanor Hansen, Hattie McDaniel, James Burke, Paul Guilfoyle and Penny Singleton

The story begins when, Melsa takes her little dogs for a walk at 3:00 AM, near a subway construction site, where she sees Ronnie Belden run out of a house and drive away. Inside, Melsa finds a diamond brooch and Mr. Lane's dead body. As she runs for help, her cloak falls off with the brooch inside it. When the police arrive, the body, cloak, and brooch are gone. Melsa and her friends are notorious pranksters, so detective, Lieutenant Mike Brent, does nothing to investigate the murder. Ames writes an editorial about Melsa's prank, and she sues him for libel. Melsa and her friends, then decide they must find the murderer on their own in to defend their reputation.



This is one of those films where Barbara steals every scene. Although... Hattie, (before her Gone With The Wind day's)plays the sassy maid for comic relief, gives her a run for her money..





Frances Mercer, (October 21,1915 -November 12, 2000). Daughter of Sid Mercer.

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Happy Birthday: John Wayne!

John Wayne(May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979) was a film actor, director and producer. He is famous for his distinctive voice, walk and height.

His last film was The Shootist (1976), whose main character, J. B. Books, was dying of cancer—the illness to which Wayne himself succumbed 3 years later. It was based on the 1975 novel of the same name by Glendon Swarthout Scott Hale and Miles Hood Swarthout (son of the author) wrote the screenplay. Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard and James Stewart co-starred and Don Siegel directed.

The movie begins with a clip montage of some of John Wayne's earlier western movies, showing the life of the "shootist" John Bernard (J. B.) Books.

Books arrives in Carson City, Nevada on January 22, 1901, looking for the medical opinion E. W. "Doc" Hostetler. Hostetler confirms a Colorado doctor's prognosis of cancer, so Books rents a room from the widow Bond Rogers and her son Gillom.

Marshal Walter Thibido, hot on his heels, visits the house to tell him to leave town. Books tells him about his cancer. The Marshal then tells him, "Don't take too long to die."

Old enemies and glory seekers come looking for him. Mike Sweeney wants to avenge a brother's death. A newspaperman wants the story of his life. Books is forced to shoot two strangers who try to ambush him in his sleep. Gillom is impressed, but his mother does not want him in her home.

Serepta, a girlfriend from his past also shows up to ask Books to marry her. He is not to happy when he learns that she wants to use his name to make money.

Books and Bond, begin to become friends and she seems to be truly upset when he tells her that he has little time left. Gillom, sells Books horse to give back to his mother the money she lost.

Later, Book asks Gillom to tell three bad men, Mike Sweeney, Jack Pulford and Jay Cobb, that they can find him in the morning at the Metropole saloon. In the shootout, will Books kill all of his opponents before he dies himself?

Fun Facts:

To add a sense of realism to John Wayne's character, archive footage from several of his westerns was used to introduce J.B. Books after the beginning credits. Included was footage from Red River (1948), Hondo (1953), Rio Bravo (1959) and El Dorado (1966).

When J.B. Books (John Wayne) arrives at Dr. E.W. Hostetler's (James Stewart) office, Hostetler mentions that it has been 15 years since they last saw each other. The inside joke is that Wayne and Stewart last worked together on The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), 15 years before.

John Wayne liked working with Lauren Bacall in their first film, Blood Alley (1955) so much that he hand-picked her as his leading lady for this film.




Please click here to learn more about John Wayne.

Pawsome Pet Pictures: Joan Bennett.

Personal Quote: About the attention she was getting as a cast member of the cult series "Dark Shadows" (1966), I feel positively like a Beatle.

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Happy Birthday: Jeanne Crain!

Please click here to learn more about Jeanne Crain.

Crain, was crowned Miss Pan Pacific at the Pan-Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles. Later, while still in high school, she was asked to make a screen test opposite Orson Welles. She did not get the part, but in 1943, at age 18, she performed in a bit part in the film, The Gang's All Here (1943). A Musical film starring Alice Faye, James Ellison, and Carmen Miranda in a story about a soldier and a nightclub singer. The film, directed and choreographed by Busby Berkeley.

Video: In 1957 Jeanne Crain did a spot in a car commercial.

Pawsome Pet Pictures: Dedicated to Dawn

This week's Pawsome Pet Pictures are dedicated to my good friend Dawn, who has done so much with all the blogs that she writes. And she is dealing with her in-laws being very sick and trying to do everything. These pics are for you Dawn.

Carole Lombard

Elizabeth Taylor

Shirley Temple

Liz again

And Lassie...

Silent Film Star: Louise Dresser.

Louise Dresser (October 5, 1878 – April 24, 1965), was a Vaudeville singer at age fifteen and her first film was, The Glory of Clementina (1922). A story about Clementina Wing, a well known portrait painter who sacrifices everything for her art. Fellow artist Tommy Burgrave, asks her to paint a portrait of his wealthy Uncle Quixtus. Quixtus is about to be taken advantage of by Lena Fontaine, an adventuress, when Clem intervenes. At a dinner party given by Quixtus, Clem is transformed from drab into a beautiful young woman and impresses Quixtus. Will Hammersley, an old friend whom Quixtus had suspected of an affair with his wife, dies and entrusts his daughter to Clementina and Quixtus.

Louise Dresser, first starring role was in the film, The City that Never Sleeps (1924). A story about Mother O'Day, who runs the saloon after her husband, Tim, is killed in a barroom fight, but wanting a better life for her daughter, Molly, she sends her to live with Mrs. Kendall, a refined society woman. Years later, in the prohibition era, Mother O'Day's saloon has now become a cabaret frequented by Molly and adventurer Mark Roth. Mother O'Day knows Roth to be a crook and with the aid of reporter Cliff Kelley, Molly's childhood sweetheart, exposes him to Molly, now recognizes her mother and is reunited with her.

During the first presentations of the Academy Awards in 1929 she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for, A Ship Comes In. A film directed by William K. Howard. The story begins in New York harbor where one of the families arriving by ship are from Veshala: Peter Placzmik his wife, "Mama" and their three children, Eric Marthe and Katinka . After finding a place to live, in an apartment building, Peter befriends neighbor, Dan Casey, who helps him find work as janitor in the federal building. Peter witnesses Judge Gresham swearing in immigrants as citizens of their "adopted country," an honor he will have in five years. Soon after Peter's swearing in as U.S. citizen, things take a turn for the worst. Son Eric enlists in the Army during the outbreak of the World War, and the arrest and conviction of Peter, for supposedly placing an bomb inside a cake box intended for Gresham, causing him serious injury and killing secretary.

Video: First of 5.




She went on to portray Empress Elizabeth in the film, The Scarlet Empress (1934). A historical drama about the life of Catherine the Great. It was directed and produced by Josef von Sternberg, with Emanuel Cohen as executive producer, from a screenplay by Eleanor McGeary, based on the diary of Catherine arranged by Manuel Komroff. The film stars: Marlene Dietrich, John Davis, Sam Jaffe (in his film debut), Louise Dresser, and C. Aubrey Smith and Maria Riva plays.

The story begins when Sophia Frederica, is brought to Russia by Count Alexei to marry the half-wit Grand Duke Peter. Her husband's aunt, Empress Elizabeth, renames her Catherine and awards her the Order of St. Catherine.

Catherine finds solace with Alexei, but he begins wooing the much-older Elizabeth. Catherine finds lovers among the Russian Army. When the old Empress dies, Catherine takes to the Russian throne, knowing full well that her husband would kill her at the slightest provocation. Soon her power is greater than Peter's, and the opportunistic Alexei now comes back into her life. Soon Catherine is triumphant over all her enemies.


Dresser's last film was, Maid of Salem (1937). Directed by Frank Lloyd, and starring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray. It tells the story of a young girl in Salem, Massachusetts, 1692, who has an affair with adventurer. She is sentenced as a witch, but saved by him.

On television, she appeared in an episode spotlighting Buster Keaton on Ralph Edwards's program, This is Your Life. She had known Keaton since he was a small boy with his parents in vaudeville.

Partial Filmography:
The Next Corner (1924)
The Eagle (1925)
The Goose Woman (1925)
The Third Degree (1926)
Mr. Wu (1927)
The Garden of Eden (1928)
Madonna of Avenue A (1929)
Mammy (1930)
State Fair (1933)
The Scarlet Empress (1934)

“The Goose Woman” (1925)

“The Goose Woman” (1925) is a silent drama starring Louise Dresser, Jack Pickford, and Constance Bennett. Directed by Clarence Brown, this film was inspired by the notorious Hall-Mills murder case in which a woman known as the “Pig Woman” was wheeled into court on her sickbed to provide damning testimony. In this film, Louise Dresser plays Marie de Nardi, a celebrated opera diva who loses her voice and her reputation after giving birth to an illegitimate son. Returning to her given name of Mary Holmes, she goes back to her hometown living in a filthy shack and raising geese. Years later, a headline-making murder case is played in her town. Hoping to get publicity and restart her career, Mary claims to be a witness to the murder. Unfortunately, her dreams of glory fade when she discovers that her son Gerald, played by Jack Pickford, is implicated in a crime he did not commit.


























“The Goose Woman” is a true tearjerker that is worth watching just for Louise Dresser’s top-notch performance. Dresser is very poignant as a woman who turns to drink and brings up her illegitimate son with neither love nor affection. Both Jack Pickford, Mary Pickford’s brother, and Constance Bennett, who plays Pickford’s fiancée, give subtle but moving performances. An excellent film, “The Goose Woman” is a great story of mother-love and redemption. Unfortunately, the quality of the Televista print is not the best, and may deter some from enjoying the film.


Born on October 22, 1904, in New York City, Constance Bennett was the eldest of the three daughters of Richard Bennett and Adrienne Morrison, both stage players. All three Bennett sisters, Constance, Joan and Barbara, were brought up in the theatrical tradition, and it was no surprise when all three took up the family trade. Constance grew up attending the best schools. She made her first screen appearance as a nymph in her father’s film “The Valley of Decision” (1915). She briefly wed Chester Moorhead in 1921, but that was quickly annulled. At 18, Constance embarked on her film career, making two small appearances in “Reckless Youth” and “Evidence,” both in 1922. She worked her way slowly up the cast lists, playing supporting roles, and by 1925, Constance began getting starring roles. One of Constance’s first hits, “Sally, Irene, and Mary” (1925), showed her unusual star quality. She appeared in an impressive nine films in 1925 and signed an MGM contract late in the year before suddenly giving it all up for Philip Plant, whom she married that same year. Their son Peter was born in 1929, the same year their marriage ended. In 1929, Constance was ready to resume her career. She signed with Pathe and stayed with the studio through the early 30’s. During her time at Pathe, Constance starred in the society drama, “Rich People” (1929), the romantic comedy, “This Thing Called Love” (1929) and the glamorous drama, “Common Clay” (1930). When Pathe was bought out by RKO in 1931, Constance made six films, most of them racy and sophisticated women’s pictures like “The Common Law” (1931) and “Rockabye” (1932) with Joel McCrea and “Our Betters” (1933) and “After Tonight” (1933) with future husband Gilbert Roland. In most of her pre-Code films, Constance wore gorgeous clothes while she loved and suffered. Women flocked to see her movies and made her one of the most popular female stars of the 1930’s. In the 1940’s, Constance made fewer films, working in radio and theater. Married a total of five times, Constance’s fourth husband was actor Gilbert Roland, the father of her two daughters. Constance died soon after filming “Madame X” (1966) on July 24, 1965. She was 60 years old. I’ve enjoyed watching many of Constance’s films through the years, and my favorite is “What Price Hollywood?” (1932), which I consider her best performance.

Dorothy Jordan.

Dorothy Jordan (August 9, 1906 – December 7, 1988) was an  movie actress who had a short but successful career beginning in talking pictures in 1929.

Jordan made her screen debut in the film, The Taming of the Shrew (1929). A story about a wealthy father, with two daughters, Katherine and Bianca. The younger daughter, Bianca, has many suitors. But her father will not allow Bianca to be married until her older sister, who is bad-tempered, is married first. When Petruchio comes from Verona to Padua in search of a wife, he accepts the challenge of marring the bad-tempered Katherine.

She then went on to make twenty-two more films in the next four years, including:

Min and Bill (1930)with Wallace Beery and Marie Dressler. A comedy-drama film based on Lorna Moon's novel Dark Star, adapted by Frances Marion and Marion Jackson. The movie tells the story of dockside innkeeper Min as she tries to take care of her adopted daughter and trying to maintain a relationship with boozy fisherman Bill.

The Cabin in the Cotton (1932) with Bette Davis. A drama film directed by Michael Curtiz. The film is best known for a line said by Bette Davis in a Southern drawl - "Ah'd love t' kiss ya, but ah jes washed ma hayuh". The story is about Marvin Blake, who is a sharecropper's son who wants to better himself by going to college instead of working in the fields. At first the plantation owner Lane Norwood, is against the idea and says he needs to work in his fields, but after the sudden death of his father, he gives the him a job as a bookkeeper. Blake discovers irregularities in Norwood's accounts and soon finds himself torn management and workers.

In 1933, Jordan left films and married filmmaker, screenwriter and later World War II U.S. Army Air Forces Colonel Merian C. Cooper, who co-wrote, produced and directed the 1933 film King Kong. In 1937, she came out of her leave and tested for the role of Melanie Hamilton in, Gone With The Wind. Cooper was a good friend with Western director John Ford, forming Argosy Productions in 1947. It was for Argosy's The Sun Shines Bright, directed by Ford in 1953, that Jordan came out of retirement for a small role. She then appeared in a small role as the sister-in-law of John Wayne's character, Ethan Edwards, who seeks Jordan's daughter, played by Natalie Wood, in the epic film, The Searchers (1956). Jordan performed once more, in a small role in the John Ford film, The Wings of Eagles (1957) before retiring.

Video from the film: Love In The Rough (1930). The story is about Jack, a shipping clerk in the Waters Department Store where he finds that his boss is having trouble with his golf game. When he finds that Kelly is a champion golfer, Waters arranges for him to go to his club to play in the tournament, until Kelly falls for Marilyn and the golf game is no longer important to him.

H.M. Pulham, Esq (1941).

H.M. Pulham, Esq (1941). Directed by King Vidor and based on a novel by John P. Marquand. Vidor co-wrote the screenplay with his wife, Elizabeth Hill Vidor. Cast: Robert Young, Hedy Lamarr, Ruth Hussey, Charles Coburn, and Van Heflin. There is also an early uncredited appearance by Ava Gardner.

Harry Moulton Pulham Jr. is a middle-aged Boston businessman, who has a wife, Kay, with whom he has settled into a too comfortable marriage, but.. it did not start out that way.

Harry finds himself in charge of organizing a twenty-five-year college reunion, he thinks back to after the end of World War I. His friend Bill King, helps him get a job for a New York City advertising company, where he falls in love with, Marvin Miles. She does not want to be a traditional wife and he cannot imagine living anywhere other than Boston. So they break off their relationship. Harry,  marries a woman with the same ideas about marriage as he has.

Many years later, Marvin, who has also married arranges to meet Harry again where sparks begins to fly and Harry is tempted to have an affair, but they both realize that it would not be a good idea.

 

 Harry, begs his wife to go away with him on a romantic vacation, to rekindle their love. At first, she says "no", but.. will she change her mind and agree to go away with him?

 This was Hedy Lamarr's favorite film and she delivered the best dramatic performance of her career. Here she is not the mysterious seductive woman, as in her other films. She is loving and kind, in her role as a career girl who falls in love with her boss. Robert was not the first choice for the role. Both Gary Cooper and James Stewart turned the role down, leading Vidor to offer the role to Robert Young.

Ruth Hussey, was encouraged by a friend to try out for acting roles at the Providence Playhouse. The theater director there turned her down, saying the roles were cast only out of New York City. Later that week she traveled to New York City and on her first day there she signed-up with a talent agent who booked her for a role in a play starting the next day back at the Providence Playhouse.

In New York City she also worked as a model with the world-famous Powers agency. She then landed a role in the film,, Dead End and toured the country in 1937 and at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles where she was spotted by talent scout Billy Grady. MGM signed her to a players contract and she made her film debut in 1937. She quickly became a leading lady in MGM's "B" unit. For a 1940 "A" picture role she was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as Elizabeth Imbrie, the magazine photographer and girlfriend of Jimmy Stewart's character in the film, The Philadelphia Story.

Hussey also worked with Robert Taylor in, Flight Command (1940), Robert Young in H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941), Van Heflin in Tennessee Johnson (1942), Ray Milland in The Uninvited (1944) and Alan Ladd in The Great Gatsby (1949). In 1946 she starred on Broadway in State Of The Union the Pulitzer Prize play. In 1960 she co-starred in the film, The Facts of Life with Bob Hope.

Silent Film Star: Olive Ann Alcorn.

Olive Ann Alcorn, had a brief career as an actress, performing in only five known films between 1919 and 1925. Her best known films were: Sunnyside (1919), Directed by Charles Chaplin. Starring Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Tom Wilson. A silent film about Charlie, who works on a farm. He gets his food by milking a cow into his coffee, holding an chicken over the frying pan to get fried eggs. He is in love with the Edna, but is disliked by her father. While riding a cow he is kicked off. Unconscious, he dreams of a nymph dance.

When he comes to.. he hears about how a city slicker is hurt in a car crash and is being cared for by Edna. When Charlie is rejected after attempting to imitate the slicker, the result is not a tragic or a happy ending. Critics have long argued as to whether the final scene is real or a dream.
Video: Sunnyside (1919).

The Phantom of the Opera (1925). A silent horror film adaptation of the Gaston Leroux novel of the same title directed by Rupert Julian. The film featured Lon Chaney in the title role as the Phantom who lives at the Paris Opera House, murdering everyone who gets in his way trying to force the management to make the woman he loves a star. It is most famous for Lon Chaney's horrific, make-up, which was kept a studio secret until the film's premiere. The film also features Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Gibson Gowland, John St. Polis, and Snitz Edwards. The only surviving cast member is Carla Laemmle (born 1909), niece of producer Carl Laemmle, who played a small role as "prima ballerina" in the film when she was about 15.

Video: The Phantom of the Opera (1925), In full.




The Long Arm of Mannister (1919). A silent film begins when Lucy Mannister and Gaston Sinclair, are wandering in the desert, are found by her husband George, who has followed them around the world. Threatening to kill them, George gets a confession from Sinclair, once George's friend, that a group of George's Wall Street associates were planning to ruin him. They made it appear to Lucy that George was having an affair with, Sylvia De La Mere. After Lucy saw Sylvia in George's arms, she left with Sinclair, who said he loved her. George lets them live, and he returns to New York, where, with the help of Sylvia, George leads them, and then Sylvia, to either financial ruin, disgrace, or death.

This week on N and CF.

This weeks (Updated May, 19 ). Chick Flicks at the Movies: An Act Of Murder(1948). Directed by Michael Gordon. Starring Fredric March( pictured above), Edmond O'Brien, Will Wright. A hard-line judge is tempted toward mercy-killing by his wife's terminal cancer. Please click picture on side bar to view movie.

Happy Birthday: Jeanne Crain! (May 25, 1925 – December 14, 2003). Crain first received critical acclaim when she starred in Winged Victory (1944). She co-starred in 1945 with Dana Andrews in the musical film State Fair, in which Louanne Hogan dubbed Crain's singing numbers. After that, Crain often had singing parts in films, and they were invariably dubbed, in most cases by Hogan. Also in 1945, Crain starred in Leave Her to Heaven with Gene Tierney.

ON TCM, May 25, 2011: Four's a Crowd (1938). Robert will do anything to get the big account that has eluded him. His public relations business makes public angels of rich scoundrels. Jean needs someone to save the paper and she wants Robert. When he finds out that Pat is dating Lorri, John Dillingwell's granddaughter, he gets involved. Robert begins to make John the most hated man and Lorri blames Pat, the publisher. He then goes to John for a job to erase all the bad publicity that he has gotten from the paper. This works until Pat tells John that Robert was behind the smear campaign. But John decides that he does need some good publicity and hires Robert to provide it.

ON TCM, May 25, 2011. The Man With Two Faces(1934).. A talented actress seems to be under the spell of her unscrupulous, husband.

Happy Birthday: John Wayne! (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979) was a film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive voice, walk and height. He was also known for his conservative political views and his support, beginning in the 1950s, for anti-communist positions.

Happy Birthday: Benny Goodman! (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".

Happy Birthday: Clint Eastwood! (May 31, 1930) is a actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Following his breakthrough role on the TV series Rawhide (1959–65), Eastwood starred as the Man with No Name in Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy of spaghetti westerns (A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) in the 1960s, and as San Francisco Police Department Inspector Harry Callahan in the Dirty Harry films (Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, The Enforcer, Sudden Impact, and The Dead Pool) during the 1970s and 1980s. These roles, along with several others in which he plays tough-talking no-nonsense police officers, have made him an enduring cultural icon of masculinity.

Happy Birthday: Don Ameche! May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) Ameche was a versatile and popular film actor in the 1930s and '40s, usually as the dapper, mustached leading man. He was also popular as a radio master of ceremonies during this time. As his film popularity waned in the 1950s, he continued working in theater and some TV.

"Article of the Week" :  Film Noir Photos Blogspot: Light and shadow Carole Lombard.

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