When I was putting together my Mae Murray, invented the tradition of dunking donuts in coffee post. Click here to view post. It reminded me of this charming scene from:
It Happened One Night (1934). Spoiled heiress Ellie Andrews(Claudette Colbert), locked up in the cabin of her father's yacht goes on a hunger strike to get back at her father, who wants to have her marriage to a playboy aviator annulled.
When she finally escapes, travelling cross-country by bus, Ellie meets up with "down-on-his-luck" reporter, Peter Warne (Clark Gable).
After spending the night at a motor-lodge, Peter cooks her breakfast of a scrambled egg, a donut, and black coffee.
Following Peter's lead, Ellie plunges her donut into the cup.
PETER: Say, where did you learn to dunk, in finishing school?
ELLIE: Aw, now, don't you start telling me I shouldn't dunk.
PETER: Of course you shouldn't. You don't know how to do it. Dunking's an art. Don't let it soak so long. A dip and--plop, into your mouth. If you let it soak so long, it'll get soft and fall off. It's all a matter of timing. I ought to write a book about it.
According to legend: Murray invented the tradition of dunking donuts in coffee. She was having coffee with a friend at Lindy's Restaurant on Broadway when she accidentally dropped her donut in her coffee. When she took a bite out of the donut she said that the coffee had improved its taste and texture.
A Star Is Born(1937). A romantic/drama directed by William A. Wellman. Cast: Janet Gaynor, Fredric March, Adolphe Menjou, May Robson, Andy Devine, Lionel Stander and Carole Landis. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning the award for Best Story. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (March), Best Actress (Gaynor), Best Assistant Director, and Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay. It won a special Academy Award for its Technicolor cinematography for W. Howard Greene. (August 16, 1895 - February 28, 1956), was born in Connecticut and died in Los Angeles.
Greene, sometimes billed as William H. Greene and W. Howard Greene, was a cinematographer on many early Technicolor films, including Legong: Dance of the Virgins (1935).A Star Is Born (1937), was the first color film to be nominated for best picture.
A screenplay entitled "A Star Is Born" has the words, "Final Shooting Script," written on the cover page then opened to start the following story:
Esther Blodgett, returns home with big dreams of becoming a movie star after seeing a movie with her favorite movie actress, Norman Maine. Her father and grandmother Lettie, are surprised learn their little farm girl Esther, has dreams of becoming a star. Esther, wanting better for her granddaughter, encourages Esther to follow her dreams and gives her money for the train to Hollywood.
In one of my favorite scenes.. After arriving in Hollywood, Esther passes by Grauman's Chinese Theatre, where she steps in the footprints of Norman Maine.
Esther, is worried that she wont find work as an actress, after she finds out that no extra has been signed by Central Casting in the past two years. Esther makes friends with Danny McGuire, an out-of-work assistant director who lives in her rooming-house.
After, he lands a job, they go to a performance at the Hollywood Bowl, where Norman arrives drunk with actress Anita Regis and then starts a fight with a photographer..
Danny gets Esther a job as a waitress at a party his director is giving. Norman, arrives at the party following another drunken outburst, which his press agent, Matt Libby, was able to keep out of the newspapers.
Anita finds Norman, in the kitchen flirting with Esther and breaks a plate over his head, Norman and Esther leave together. Although.. he invites her to his place, Esther refuses, he respects her wishes and gives her a goodnight kiss, before leaving for home. Norman, then phones studio head Oliver Niles, at three in the morning to arrange for a screen test for Esther. After her first test, Esther signs a contract and she is then transformed into "Vicki Lester."
Unable to find a female lead for his next picture, Norman talks Oliver, into using Esther and the audience, loves her. Norman and Esther celebrate at the Cafe Trocadero, where Norman tells Esther that she now can have anything in the world, but.. shares with her that stardom has not made him happy.
At a boxing match, Norman proposes marriage and the couple secretly marry at a small town courthouse. Soon after, their honeymoon on the road in a travel trailer, Norman's contract is cancelled, and he has nothing to do, while Esther becomes famous.
Norman starts drinking again and during the Academy Awards ceremonies, he drunkenly interrupts Esther's acceptance speech for the award for finest performance by an actress and accidentally slaps her in the face.
Sometime later, Oliver visits Norman, now in a sanitarium, to offer him a role in a movie, but.. when Norman learns that it is not the lead, he declines.
Norman, out of the sanitarium, decides to spend the day at the Santa Anita Racetrack, where he runs into Libby. Norman, tries unsuccessfully not to get upset as Libby, accuses him of sponging off his wife. Norman, orders a bottle of scotch and four days later, Esther learns that he has been arrested for crashing his car into a tree while intoxicated. Through Esther's pleading with the judge, Norman is released to her custody, the newspapers put the story on front-page.
At their beach house in Malibu, Norman overhears Esther tell Oliver that she is going to retire so that she can go away with Norman. After Oliver leaves, Norman finds Esther crying and feels he must do something to help her..
Janet Gaynor, is very believable in her role a young girl who leaves for Hollywood with dreams of becoming a Oscar-winning actress. I loved the scene when Esther passes by Grauman's Chinese Theatre and steps in the footprints of Norman Maine.
I don't think Fredric March, can give a bad performance. I particularly like the shower scene in the motor home Esther and Norman take on honeymoon.
Fun Facts(spoiler alert):
The character of Norman Maine was based on: John Barrymore, John Gilbert and John Bowers, who drowned off Malibu during the film's production.
The funeral scene was inspired by the funeral of Irving Thalberg, where fans swarmed around his widow Norma Shearer outside the church. A similar scene occurred at Jean Harlow's funeral two months after the film's release.
The Oscar that Janet Gaynor receives in the film is her own Oscar, which she won for her role in 7th Heaven.
When the drunken Norman Maine character raucously interrupts the Oscar presentation, it was deja vu for Janet Gaynor. She had brought her sister to the Academy Awards ceremony in 1929, when she won the first Best Actress Oscar ever awarded, for 7th Heaven. Her sister became very drunk and completely out of control, thoroughly embarrassing Gaynor.
The first all-color film nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.
Janet Gaynor (October 6, 1906 – September 14, 1984) was an actress and painter.
One of the most popular actresses of the silent film era, in 1928 Gaynor became the first winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performances in three films: Seventh Heaven (1927), Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) and Street Angel (1928).
This was the only occasion on which an actress has won one Oscar for multiple film roles. This rule would be changed three years later by AMPAS.
When she graduated from high school in 1923, Gaynor decided to become an actress. She moved to Los Angeles, where she supported herself working in a shoe store.
She landed unbilled small parts in several films and comedy shorts for two years. Finally, in 1926, at the age of 20, she was cast in the lead role in, The Johnstown Flood (1926).
Her performances in Seventh Heaven (the first of twelve movies she would make with actor Charles Farrell) and both Sunrise, directed by F. W. Murnau, and Street Angel (in 1927, also with Charles Farrell) earned her the first Academy Award for Best Actress in 1928. At the time, the award was awarded for multiple roles: it was given on the basis of the actor's total work over the year, and not just for one particular performance. 22 year old Gaynor, was not only the first but also, the youngest actress to win an Academy Award for Best Actress up until 1986.
Gaynor, was one of only a handful of leading ladies who made a successful transition to sound films.
For a number of years, Gaynor was the Fox studios top actress and was given leading roles in the films: Sunny Side Up (1929), Delicious (1931), Merely Mary Ann (also 1931), and Adorable (1933), State Fair (1933) and The Farmer Takes a Wife (1935).
When Darryl F. Zanuck merged his studio 20th Century Pictures, with Fox Film Corporation to form Twentieth Century Fox, she continued to receive top billing in every movie that she made during the 1930's including, Ladies in Love (1937). In 1937, she was again nominated for an Academy Award, for the film, A Star Is Born.
After, performing in, The Young in Heart, she left the film industry for nearly twenty years at the age of 32 to travel with her husband Adrian, returning one last time in 1957 as Pat Boone's mother in Bernadine.
Gaynor's, first marriage was to Jesse Lydell Peck from September 11, 1929 to April 7, 1933. She was married to MGM costume designer Adrian from August 14, 1939 to his death on September 13, 1959. With him she had one son, Robin Gaynor Adrian, born in 1940.
She was married to producer Paul Gregory from December 24, 1964 to her death on September 14, 1984.
In addition to acting, Gaynor was an accomplished artist and her oil paintings were featured at the Wally Findlay Galleries show in New York, March 25 to April 7, 1977.
Gaynor was close friends with actress Mary Martin, with whom she frequently traveled.
She died on September 14, 1984, at the age of 77, due to a traffic accident 2 years earlier in San Francisco, from complications following several operations.
Have you ever wondered if a stuntman ever won an Oscar? Well.. Hollywood stuntman Hal Needham, who has cracked ribs, punctured his lung and broken his back while making more than 300 movies. Has won an Oscar.
Hal Brett Needham (born March 6, 1931), stuntman and film director, was a paratrooper during the Korean War, worked as a tree-topper and was a billboard model for Viceroy Cigarettes.
Needham's, first stunt double role was for actor Richard Boone, on the TV western.. Have Gun, Will Travel. Needham, trained under John Wayne's stunt double Chuck Roberson and quickly became one of the top stuntmen of the 1960's in films: How the West Was Won, McLintock!, The War Lord, and Little Big Man. He also doubled for Clint Walker and Burt Reynolds.
Needham, moved into stunt coordinating and directing second unit action, while designing and introducing the air bag to the industry.
In 1971, he and fellow stuntmen Glenn Wilder and Ronnie Rondell formed Stunts Unlimited. Needham had written a screenplay titled, Smokey and the Bandit and his friend Reynolds offered him the chance to direct. They followed with the films: Hooper, The Cannonball Run, and Megaforce. Needham, also directed the 80's BMX cult classic film, Rad.
Eventually, Needham moved out of stunt work, focusing his energy on the World Land Speed Record project that became the Budweiser Rocket, driven by stuntman, Stan Barrett. The team failed to set an official World land speed record with the vehicle and their claims to have broken the sound barrier in 1979 have been heavily disputed.
In the 1980's he was the owner for the Harry Gant Skoal Bandit #33 car driven in the Winston Cup Series.
Needham, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Taurus World Stunt Awards.
He was one of four men honored during the Dec. 1 Governors Awards, also known as the Honorary Oscars.
Needham, is the second stuntman to receive an Academy Award. Yakima Canutt, who received an Honorary Award in 1966, was the first.
Yakima Canutt (November 29, 1895 – May 24, 1986), also known as Yak Canutt, was a rodeo rider, actor, stuntman and action director. He learned his rodeo stunts on his families ranch.
He traveled to Los Angeles for a rodeo, where he met Tom Mix. Who, invited him to be in two of his pictures.
Canutt, got his first chance in films, with a fight scene on a serial called, Lightning Bryce.
While in Hollywood in 1923 for an awards ceremony, he was offered work in eight westerns at Burwillow Studios.
Canutt had been perfecting tricks such as the Crupper Mount, a leap-frog over the horse's rump into the saddle. Douglas Fairbanks used this stunt for his film, The Gaucho.
It was in, Branded a Bandit (1924) that his nose was broken in a 12-foot fall from a cliff. The picture was delayed several weeks and when they went back to filming, Canutt's close shots were from the side to hide his injuries.
In 1928, when the talkies were being made, even though he performed in 48 silent pictures, Canutt knew his career was in trouble. His voice had been damaged from flu, while in the Navy.
When rodeo riders landed in Hollywood, they brought with them their rodeo tricks that Canutt would improve, including horse falls and wagon wrecks, along with the harnesses and cable rigs to make the stunts foolproof and safe.
It was while working on Mascot serials, that Canutt practiced and perfected his most famous stunts, including the drop from a stagecoach that he would use in John Ford's, Stagecoach(1939).
While at Mascot, Canutt met John Wayne while doubling for him in a motorcycle stunt for the film, The Shadow of the Eagle (1932). Canutt, liked the fact that Wayne wanted to perform his own stunts and taught Wayne how to fall off a horse. The two worked together to create a technique that made on-screen fight scenes look more realistic.
It was in 1932 that Canutt broke his shoulder in four places while trying to transfer from horse to wagon team.
In 1934, Canutt became Republic's top stuntman. He handled all the stunts for: Gene Autry films, The Lone Ranger and Zorro. For Zorro Rides Again, Canutt did almost all the scenes in which Zorro wore a mask, and he was on the screen as much as the star John Carroll.
Canutt, wanted to get into directing, because he knew his stunting days were coming to an end.
His sons Joe and Tap would also become famous stuntmen.
In 1938, Republic Pictures were beginning to expand and Canutt, was hired to coordinate the stunts for Ben-Hur.
John Ford hired Canutt, for Stagecoach, where Canutt supervised the river-crossing scene, Indian chase scene, the stagecoach drop and doubled for Wayne in the coach stunts. For safety during the stagecoach drop stunt, Canutt devised modified yokes and tongues, to give extra handholds and extra room between the teams.
In 1939, Canutt doubled Clark Gable, in the burning of Atlanta, in Gone With the Wind. He also appeared as a renegade attacking Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) as she crosses a bridge in a carriage driving through a shantytown.
In 1940, Canutt received serious internal injuries when a horse fell on him while doubling for Clark Gable in, Boom Town (1940). Though in discomfort for months after an operation, he continued to work.
Republic's Sol Siegel offered him the chance to direct the action scenes of the film, Dark Command, starring Wayne. On Dark Command, Canutt built an elaborate cable system to yank back the plummeting coach before it fell on the stuntman and horses. He also created a breakaway harness from which they were released before hitting the water.
It was in 1943 while doing a Roy Rogers called, Idaho that Canutt broke both his legs at the ankles in a fall off a wagon. He recovered to write the stunts and supervise the action for another Wayne film, In Old Oklahoma.
Later, Canutt became one of the best second unit and action directors. MGM brought Canutt to England in 1952 to direct the jousting sequences in, Ivanhoe with Robert Taylor.
Ivanhoe, was followed by Knights of the Round Table, again with director Richard Thorpe and starring Robert Taylor. Canutt, was again brought in for the action scenes in, King Richard and the Crusaders.
Canutt directed the close-action scenes for Spartacus, spending five days directing retakes that included the slave army rolling its flaming logs into the Romans and other fight scenes featuring Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis and John Ireland.
Canutt, staged the chariot race with nine teams of four horses in Ben-Hur. He trained Charlton Heston, (Judah Ben-Hur) and Stephen Boyd, (Messala) to do their own charioteering.
Anthony Mann, requested Canutt for Second Unit for his 1961 El Cid, where Canutt directed sons Joe and Tap doubling for Charlton Heston and Christopher Rhodes in the tournament joust.
Mann again hired him for 1964's The Fall of the Roman Empire.
Over the next ten years, Canutt would continue to work on films, Cat Ballou, Khartoum, Where Eagles Dare and A Man Called Horse(1970).
In 1967, he was given an Honorary Academy Award for achievements as a stunt man and for developing safety devices to protect stunt men everywhere. He was inducted into the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum (Hall of Fame).
Thomas Leo McCarey (October 3, 1898 – July 5, 1969), was a film director, who seemed to understand people better than any other Hollywood director.
Born in Los Angeles, California, he graduated from the University of Southern California law school and began in the movie business as an assistant director to Tod Browning in 1920, but later was hired by Hal Roach in 1923.
McCarey, initially wrote gags for the Our Gang series, then produced and directed shorts, including two-reelers with Charley Chase. While at Roach, McCarey cast Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy and put together their onscreen characters. He only officially appeared as director of the shorts: We Faw Down (1928), Liberty (1929) and Wrong Again (1929), but wrote many of the screenplays. By 1929, he was vice-president of production for the entire studio.
In the sound era McCarey, worked with: Gloria Swanson (Indiscreet, 1931), Eddie Cantor (The Kid From Spain, 1932), the Marx Brothers (Duck Soup, 1933), W.C. Fields (Six of a Kind, 1934), Mae West (Belle of the Nineties, 1934) and Harold Lloyd (The Milky Way, 1936).
In 1937, McCarey won his first Academy Award for Directing, The Awful Truth, with Irene Dunne and Cary Grant, a screwball comedy that launched Cary Grant's unique screen persona. Along with the similarity in their names, McCarey and Cary Grant shared a physical resemblance, making mimicking McCarey's expressions easier for Grant to perform.
McCarey, was a devout Roman Catholic and deeply concerned with social issues and his work became more serious. In 1944 he directed Going My Way, a story about priest, Father Chuck O'Malley, played by Bing Crosby, for which he won his second Best Director Oscar.
He then went on to film, The Bells of St. Mary's (1945), which was made by McCarey's own production company.
Years later, he co-wrote, produced, and directed, An Affair to Remember starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, a remake of his 1939 film Love Affair with Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer.
He followed this hit with Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! (1958), a comedy starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. A few years later he directed his last picture, Satan Never Sleeps (1962).
The Awful Truth(1937). A comedy. Cast: Irene Dunne and Cary Grant.
Grant, wanted out of the film during filming, because McCarey seemed to be improvising as he went along, Grant even wanted to switch roles with co-star Ralph Bellamy. Although, this did lead to hard feelings, it didn't prevent McCarey and Grant from working together in the films: My Favorite Wife (1940), Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942), and An Affair to Remember (1957).
The film received a nomination for Best Picture, Irene Dunne was nominated for Best Actress, Ralph Bellamy for Best Supporting Actor, and Vina Delmar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
The dog playing Mr. Smith was named Skippy, but was best known for his role in The Thin Man movies as Asta.
First of three movies that paired Cary Grant and Irene Dunne.
The story begins when socialite Jerry Warriner, is getting a tan in a tanning bed, to help prove that he was on vacation in Florida. He returns home to an empty house and does know where his wife is and she walks in, still in her evening gown on the arm of a handsome man. Both suspect the other of having an affair, so they decide to divorce. Lucy wins custody of their dog, "Mr. Smith," who keeps her company every night.
Lucy's "desperate for a mans company", Aunt Patsy meets their neighbor, wealthy oil man Daniel Leeson, in a elevator and takes him back to the apartment to introduce him to Lucy. While they are all getting to know each other, Jerry arrives for his custody visit with Mr. Smith and his horseplay with the dog, drive the others out of the apartment. By the end of the evening, Lucy and Daniel are attracted to each other.
During the next few months, Jerry does everything he can to break up their engagement, but when Daniel's mother, who is against the engagement, spreads gossip about Lucy, Jerry defends her.
One of my favorite lines in the film is when Dan Leeson says:
"I certainly learned about women from you".
Aunt Patsy: [handing him the letter Lucy intended to break up with him] "Here's your diploma".
Lucy and Daniel, decide to separate, but.. in the meantime, Jerry has gotten involved with a crazy heiress Barbara Vance.
On the night before the final divorce decree, Lucy, posing as Jerry's sister, visits the Vance home, pretends to get drunk, performs badly a cabaret act of one of Jerry's former girlfriends. Jerry, wanting her out of there drives her home. Determined not to lose Jerry, will Lucy come up with a plan to save their marriage?
Video: Funny moments.
Even though.. this film sounds very dramatic, it turns out to be very clever and heartwarming story. I enjoyed the double innuendos that happen through out the film at a fast pace...
Molly Lamont (22 May 1910 – 7 July 2001) was a British film actress.
Lamont was born in Boksburg, Transvaal, South Africa.
She began her career in British films in 1930 and for several years played small, often uncredited roles.
Her roles began to improve by the mid-1930's, after moving to Hollywood where she continued playing roles such as Cary Grant's fiancee in, The Awful Truth (1937).
Her other popular films: The White Cliffs of Dover and Mr. Skeffington (both 1944).
She retired from acting in 1951 with more than fifty films to her credit.
Laura (1944). A film noir directed by Otto Preminger. Cast: Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb and Vincent Price. The screenplay by Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein, and Elizabeth Reinhardt is based on the 1943 novel of the same title by Vera Caspary.
Gene Tierney, is one of my favorite actress of the 40's and Laura, is one of my favorite "film noirs". A very interesting film, about a woman, who has three different type of men in love with her.
Dana Andrews, plays the perfect detective, who becomes obsessed with the portrait of Laura while investigating her death. Clifton Webb, plays Waldo Lydecker, who's also as obsessed with Laura.
Gene Tierney's, was never more beautiful, in her small part as a advertising executive, but.. if you are expecting her to look like the glamorous woman in the painting, you might be a little disappointed.
I'm also a huge fan of Vincent Price. Although, it was very odd to see him play such a cad..
Many film noirs, try to keep the audience guessing, but.. this film noir, with it's many unexpected plot twists and turns, does a wonderful job keeping the audience guessing who the killer is until the very end...
Signed on to investigate the brutal murder of Laura Hunt, New York police lieutenant Mark McPherson goes to question Laura's good friend, columnist Waldo Lydecker in his lavish apartment. Waldo, has read about Mark and his arrest of notorious gangster in the newspapers. Mark knows that Waldo, wrote about a murder committed the very same way that Laura was killed.
Waldo, asks if he can join up with Mark on his investigation, because.. he wants to see everyone's reaction, while being questioned, maybe... he could use the information for his next project. They both call on Laura's aunt, the wealthy Ann Treadwell. He asks her if she approves of Laura's marriage to Shelby Carpenter. Mark, then asks about Ann's relationship with Laura's fiance Shelby, saying that he has evidence that she has been giving him money.
Shelby, a charming, creepy, womanizer.. and born suspect, arrives and says that he and Laura were to be married later that week. Waldo, corrects him and said that Laura had not yet decided to go through with the wedding. Mark asks Shelby, if he has a key to her country home? He says "no, but.. there might be a key in her apartment".
Shelby, Mark and Waldo, all go to Laura's well decorated apartment and after Shelby hands over the key, that he had hidden in his pocket. When they discover his lie, Waldo accuses him of murder.
Later, Waldo invites Mark to his and Laura's favorite restaurant, Algonquin. Waldo, takes this opportunity, to share his story about the first time he met Laura, five years ago on her 22nd birthday:
Waldo, was dining alone when he is approached by Laura, who asks Waldo to endorse a pen for her company, but... he quickly dismisses her. Right before she leaves, she calls him a selfish, lonely man. Sorry, for being so rude Waldo goes to see Laura at the agency where she works. He apologizes and agrees to the endorsement.
Even though they become close friends, their relationship is platonic. It seems very strange that Waldo, becomes jealous of all her suitors and uses his column to ruin their relationship.
At one of Ann's parties, Laura meets Shelby, who confesses that his family has been bankrupt for years. After, Laura gives him a job at the advertising agency, they become engaged to be married.
Of course.. Waldo has Shelby investigated and informs Laura that her fiance is dating a model, Diane Redfern. Laura, does not believe him until he shows her a gold cigarette case that she gave Shelby, saying he bought it at the pawn shop where Diane pawned it.
Back in the restaurant, Waldo tells Mark that Laura had lunch with Diane the day of her death and was planing to go to her country home for a few days to think things over.
The following night, Mark, who seems to be falling in love with Laura's ghost, returns to the apartment and continues searching through her letters and diary. Waldo, stops by and says he knows Mark, has put in a bid for Laura's portrait and accuses him for falling in love with her.
After, Waldo leaves, Mark falls asleep under the portrait. He wakes to the sound of someone entering the room...Could it be the killer?
Fun Facts:
Marlene Dietrich, expressed interest in portraying the title character.
Darryl F. Zanuck was opposed to casting Clifton Webb because of Webb's homosexuality, but producer/director Otto Preminger prevailed and the 54-year-old Webb, making his first screen appearance since the silent era, was nominated for an Oscar.
The portrait of Laura is, a photograph done over with oil paint.
The original choice for the role of Laura was Jennifer Jones, who turned it down.
One of the film's most durable legacies was its theme song "Laura," composed over one weekend by David Raksin. Otto Preminger had originally wanted to use Duke Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady." According to Preminger biographer Gerald Pratley, Preminger tried to get the rights to George Gershwin's "Summertime" but was unable to.
This movie is famous for the haunting "Laura Theme". When asked why she had turned down the part of Laura, Hedy Lamarr said, "They sent me the script, not the score."
Gene Tierney, originally did not want to make this film but did it under contract obligations.
The famous theme song David Raksin wrote for the film was originally entitled "Judy" in honor of Judy Garland.
According to her auto-biography, Rosalind Russell was offered the role of Laura, she felt the part was too small and turned it down.
Gene Tierney's, best movie performances in my opinion all took place in the 1940's. Starting with her movie debut playing a reporter for the newspaper, The Denver Star. In the film, The Return of Frank James (1940).
Later, She landed a small role in, Hudson's Bay (1941). A historical drama, about a couple of French-Canadian explorers who formed the Hudson's Bay Company..
In 1941, Tierney co-starred in the comedy, Tobacco Road, directed by John Ford.
At the age of 20, she also had a title role in, War film, Sundown. The film's an adventure story, set against a World War II in British East Africa, earning three Academy Award nominations. I enjoyed this film much better than I thought I would.
Video: in my opinion is when she looked her best.
Next, she went on to film one of my favorite films: The Shanghai Gesture. This early film noir is about the lives and secret pasts of the leading characters, who enjoy gambling in a luxurious casino owned by "Mother" Gin Sling. The Shanghai Gesture received Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction (Boris Leven) and Best Original Music Score.
The following year, she performed in, Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake, along with the dual role in the screwball comedy film, Rings on Her Fingers, Thunder Birds, China Girl and in the 1943 comedy, Heaven Can Wait.
In 1944, she starred in what became her most famous role in the film noir, Laura.
After performing in the film, A Bell for Adano (1945) as a blonde, she played in one of my favorite characters of all time.. the jealous, narcissistic femme fatale Ellen Berent Harland, in the film version of the best-selling Ben Ames Williams novel... Leave Her to Heaven, a performance that won her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress (1945). Leave Her To Heaven was 20th Century-Fox's most successful film of the 1940's. It was cited by acclaimed director Martin Scorsese as one of his favorite films of all time.
In 1946, Tierney starred in the film, Dragonwyck. That same year, she starred in another favorite film, The Razor's Edge, an adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's novel.
She followed that performance with her role in another one of my favorite films, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947), which many critics have noted to be her greatest performance besides Laura (for which she did not receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
The following year, Tierney starred in the screwball comedy, That Wonderful Urge (1948). As the 1940's came to a close, Tierney performed in the classic film noir, Whirlpool (1949).
This is my contribution to the Classic Movie Blog Association's Fabulous Films of the 1940's Blogathon. Please click on poster located on the side bar to see all participating blogs.
Sunset Boulevard was the only film noir to win a Oscar.
Classic film Noirs, usually did not win "Best Picture" mostly because they were considered "B" movies. With the exception of one of my favorite films, Sunset Boulevard.. which was the only film noir to win a Oscar. I thought it would be fun to share my list of film Noirs (in no particular order) that I wished would have won an Oscar:
The 17th Academy Awards was the first time broadcast nationally on the ABC Radio network, from Grauman’s Chinese Theater, Hollywood, California. This is the first year that the Best Picture category was limited to 5 pictures.
Double Indemnity was nominated for seven Academy Awards but did not win any. It is often called the film noir having set the film noir standard .
The 13th Academy Awards honored American film achievements of 1940. This was the first year that sealed envelopes were used to keep secret the names of the winners which led to the saying: "May I have the Envelope, please."
The accounting firm of Price Waterhouse was hired to count the ballots, after the voting results leaked out in 1939 by the Los Angeles Times.
The Letter(1940), was nominated for seven Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (James Stephenson), Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Max Steiner's musical score, but did not win any.
The 14th Academy Awards honored American film achievements of 1941 and was held in the Biltmore Bowl at the Biltmore Hotel.
The Maltese Falcon(1941), was John Huston's directorial debut and received three nominations, but no Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Sydney Greenstreet in his talkie film debut), and Best Adapted Screenplay..
The 18th Academy Awards was the first ceremony after World War II. As a result, the ceremony was more about the glamour than before the war. Plaster statuettes that had been given out during the war years were replaced with bronze statuettes with gold plating.
Joan Crawford did not show up, claiming she had pneumonia although, some believe it was because she was sure she would not win the Academy Award for Best Actress for Mildred Pierce. As it turned out she did win,(the only actor to win for a film noir performance) and the award was delivered to her while still in bed.
Another favorite at the 17th Academy Awards was my favorite film noir of all time, Leave Her to Heaven(1945), which made over $5,000,000 and was Fox's highest-grossing picture of the 1940s.
Leave Her to Heaven(1945), won the Academy Award Oscar for.. Best Cinematography/Color, Leon Shamroy 1946.
The 21st Academy Awards were held March 24, 1949 at the The Academy Theater, Hollywood, California. Claire Trevor won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Gaye Dawn in the film Key Largo(1948).
Another choice the 17th Academy Awards, Otto Preminger was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director but lost to Leo McCarey for Going My Way.
Clifton Webb was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor but lost to Barry Fitzgerald in Going My Way.
Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein, and Elizabeth Reinhardt were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay but lost to Frank Butler and Frank Cavett for Going My Way.
Lyle R. Wheeler, Leland Fuller, and Thomas Little were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Black-and-White Art Direction and Interior Decoration but lost to Cedric Gibbons, William Ferrari, Paul Huldschinsky, and Edwin B. Willis for Gaslight.
At the 16th Academy Awards, in 1944, with Jack Benny as host, the first Oscar ceremony held at a large public venue, Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Free passes were given out to men and women in uniform. The more theatrical celebration makes it a forerunner of the Oscar telecast.
The serial cartoon Tom and Jerry won their first Oscar this year for The Yankee Doodle Mouse after two failed nominations in a row. They will end up winning another six Oscars including three in a row for the next three years and racked a total of 13 nominations.
For the first time, supporting actors and actresses took home full-size statuettes, instead of smaller-sized awards mounted on a plaque.
Shadow of Doubt, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Story, but lost to The Human Comedy.
Sunset Boulevard received 11 Academy Award nominations and won three Academy Awards. Sunset Boulevard's eleven nominations were passed only by the fourteen received by All About Eve, which won six awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
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Filmmaker Billy Wilder ("Some Like It Hot," "The Apartment," "Stalag 17," "Sunset Blvd.") receiving the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award for his outstanding body of work - 60th Annual Academy Awards in 1988. Presented by Jack Lemmon.
Newsreel footage of the premiere of "Grand Hotel" showing many of the stars arriving, being interviewed, and signing the famous lobby book.
Grand Hotel is a 1932 drama film directed by Edmund Goulding. The screenplay by William A. Drake and Bela Balazs is based on the 1930 play of the same title by Drake, who had adapted it from the 1929 novel Menschen im Hotel by Vicki Baum.
As of 2012, the film is the only one to have won the Academy Award for Best Picture without it or its performers being nominated in any other category.
The 5th Academy Awards were conducted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on November 18, 1932, at a ceremony held at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California.
The ceremony was hosted by Conrad Nagel. Films screened in Los Angeles between August 1, 1931 and July 31, 1932 were eligible to receive awards.
Walt Disney created a special animated short film just for the banquet, Parade of the Award Nominees. This was Mickey's first appearance in color.
Grand Hotel became the only Best Picture winner to be nominated for Best Picture and nothing else. It was also the last film to win best picture without a best director nomination until Driving Miss Daisy (1989).
This year also introduced short films to the Oscars, with Flowers and Trees being the first color winner and first animated short winner.
Also, this was the last time that no movie would win more than 2 Oscars.
On May 16, 1929, the first Academy Award ceremony was held at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood to honor outstanding film achievements of 1927 and 1928. The winners were announced after a banquet in the Blossom room. After dinner Douglas Fairbanks, the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, stood up and gave a speech. Then, with William C. deMille, he called the winners up to the table and handed them their awards. Although, there were no surprises as the names had been announced three months ahead of the ceremony.
The statuettes that were presented to the first Academy Awards winners were almost the same to those handed out today. Sculpted by George Stanley, The Academy Award of Merit (Oscar's official name) was a knight, made of solid bronze, holding a sword and standing on a reel of film.
For the next few years, the results were released in advance to the press under secret ballot. It was only when the Los Angeles Times, broke the rules and published the winners ahead of the show, that they went to the sealed envelopes.
Wings.. was entered in a number of categories, but in contrast with later ceremonies, there were two awards that were equally the top award of the night. These were Unique and Artistic Production, won by Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans and Outstanding Picture (later renamed Best Picture), won by Wings which went on to also win Best Engineering Effects for Roy Pomeroy.
The following year, the Academy dropped the Unique and Artistic Production award, and decided that the award won by Wings, was the highest honor that could be awarded. The statuette, not yet known as the "Oscar", was presented by Douglas Fairbanks to Clara Bow on behalf of the producers, Adolph Zukor and B.P. Schulberg .
Wings(1927). A silent film about two World War I fighter pilot friends, both in love with the same girl, produced by Lucien Hubbard, directed by William A. Wellman and released by Paramount Pictures.
Wings.. was the first of two silent films, the other being The Artist at the 84th Academy Awards in 2012, to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Clara Bow and Gary Cooper
Wings stars: Clara Bow, Charles Rogers and Richard Arlen. Gary Cooper's role helped launch his Hollywood career and also marked the beginning of his affair with Clara Bow.
The film, a war picture, was rewritten to accommodate Clara Bow, as she was Paramount's biggest star, but she wasn't happy about her part: "Wings is ..a man's picture and I'm just the whipped cream on top of the pie".
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