Dawn's top 25 favorite films about strong women.

I thought it would be fun, to post a list of my favorite films about strong women both "good girls" and a few... "bad girls":

Adam's Rib (1949). A film ahead of its time about the battle of the sexes, between two married trial attorneys on opposite sides.  It was written by the husband-wife team of Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin (the recipients of the film's sole Academy Award nomination). The story was inspired by the real- legal case of a husband-lawyer team (William and Dorothy Whitney), who after the divorce proceedings married their clients.

Many film historians consider this sixth film the best pairing of the nine films made by Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.

All About Eve (1950). The movie's strength comes from Anne Baxter's performance, as the.. scheming, back stabbing fan, Eve Harrington. An overly helpful young woman who, threatens Channing's career and her relationships.

Australia (2008). Is epic/historical/ romance directed by Baz Luhrmann. Cast: Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. It is the second-highest grossing Australian film, the first being, Crocodile Dundee.

Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat with plenty of attitude, inherits a ranch and joins up with a stock-man to help protect her ranch from a takeover plot. As they drive 2,000 head of cattle, across Australia they witness the bombing of Darwin, Australia.

To Have and Have Not(1944). This was Bacall's first film. She was 19 years old and full of confidence, when she says her famous line, asking Bogart if he knows how to whistle....

Please click here to read past To Have and Have Not movie review.

Double Indemnity (1944). This was Stanwyck's first villainess role, where she played a calculating femme fatale housewife wearing an enticing gold anklet. She and her insurance agent plan cold-blooded scheme to brutally murder her husband for financial gain. Their almost perfect crime leads to guilt, suspicion and finally betrayal.

Please click here to read past Double Indemnity movie review.

Driving Miss Daisy (1989). Is a film about the 25-year friendship between a wealthy, strong-willed Southern matron and her Black chauffeur, Hoke. It is only when Hoke is retired and Miss Daisy is confined to a retirement home that the two realize that they are best friends.

Emma (1996). Emma Woodhouse, is a 20-year old clever, independently wealthy woman who lives with her aging father in the English countryside near the village of Highbury. Although, Emma says that she does not want to get married (as she has no financial need to, having a large inheritance) she finds herself falling in love with her friend George Knightley.

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991). Evelyn Couch is having trouble in her marriage and while in a nursing home visiting relatives, she meets Ninny Threadgoode, an interesting old woman, who tells her the story of Idgie Threadgoode, a strong, young, woman, living in Alabama, in the 1920's. Through Idgie's life story, Evelyn learns to stand on her own two feet.

The Gay Divorcee (1934).. Ginger, plays a strong willed, wealthy, Mimi, a young woman trying to keep her distance from Fred's character while she's planning a divorce.

On TCM: March 16th. The Graduate (1968). Is a groundbreaking film for woman and has influenced film-making ever since.

On TCM: March 23rd. Gun Crazy (1949). This is fast-paced story with a dominant femme fatale, who has an obsession with guns and the deadly sexual attraction to her trigger-happy husband who substitutes guns for sex.

Please click here for past Gun Crazy movie review.

His Girl Friday (1940). Rosalind Russell, plays Hildy, a independent career woman, that pre-dates the major feminist movement of the mid-sixties by 25 years.

On TCM: March 15th. Jezebel (1938). A story about headstrong Southern Belle, who loses her fiance due to her stubborn vanity and pride and vows to get him back.

Please click here to view past Jezebel movie review.

Johnny Guitar (1954). A film about a strong willed, woman saloon owner, who is wrongly suspected of murder and bank robbery by a lynch mob, because she helps a wounded gang member.

On TCM: March 30th. The Lady Eve (1941). This fun film proves.. "good girls" aren't as good as you think they are and "bad girls" aren't as bad.

Please click here to read past The Lady Eve movie review.

Mildred Pierce (1945). After kicking her cheating husband out of the house, Mildred Pierce proves she can become independent, successful woman, but.. can't seem to win the approval of her heartless, spoiled daughter.

Please click here to read past Mildred Pierce movie review.

On TCM: March 11th. Mrs. Miniver (1942). This is a film about a well loved woman, who has to come up with enough strength to face tragedy and destruction of war.

My Fair Lady (1964). This is a film about the transformation of a dirty flower girl Eliza Doolittle, into a grand lady. She puts Higgins, in his place when he takes all the credit for her transformation.

My Man Godfrey (1935). One of Carole Lombard's best performances, playing Irene Bullock, the spoiled socialite, who..  frees herself from the security of her wealthy family.

Please click here to read My Man Godfrey movie review.

Out of Africa (1985). In this period film Streep, is perfect for the role as Karen Blixen, a strong woman, who on her own runs a plantation in Africa.

Please click here to read past Out Of Africa movie review.

Out of the Past (1947). Jane Greer, is perfect for the part of the Femme Fatal, who had stolen $40,000 from her gangsta boyfriend and falls in love with the man, who is sent to find her..

Please click here to read past Out Of The Past movie review.

Pat and Mike (1952). This film showcases Katharine Hepburn's athletic ability. Had she not decided to pursue a acting career, Hepburn could have gone into either tennis or golf. Later, her aging health problems slowed her down.

Steel Magnolias (1989). This is a film about the supportive friendships of six Southern women, living in a small town in Louisiana.

Sunset Boulevard (1950). Swanson, maybe playing herself in this film, as she too was a silent star whose career faded after talkies became popular. Her obsession with her past combined with Holden's desperation to make a living, gives us one of the most amazing films... If someone were to ask me which two classic movies are a must have for their DVD collection. I would have to say...Sunset Boulevard (1950) and Vertigo.

Please click here to read past Sunset Boulevard movie review.

Thelma and Louise (1991). Two girlfriends bored with it all, decide to go on a road trip. Their journey, however, turns into a living nightmare, when Louise, kills a man who tries to rape Thelma. They decide to run to Mexico, but.. they find themselves hunted by the law.

My list of film Noir's that I wished would have won an Oscar.

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 .

Please click here to view movie review.

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.

Please click here to read past movie review.

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.

Please click here for past movie review.

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).

Please click here for past movie review.

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.

Video:

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.




Please click here for past movie review.

Pictures of the limousine used in the film Sunset Boulevard(1950)..

The antique car used as Norma Desmond's limousine is an Isotta-Fraschini, and once belonged to 1920s socialite Peggy Hopkins Joyce. It was a gift from her lover, automobile magnate Walter Chrysler.

Even though Erich von Stroheim, plays a butler/chauffeur, he could not drive in real life. During the scenes in which he drove, the car was towed by another car. In the scene in which he drives Norma Desmond to Paramount Pictures, it was rumoured he crashed into the Paramount gate. According to the DVD commentary by Wilder biographer Ed Sikov, this story was most likely invented/exaggerated by Billy Wilder.

Please click here to read Robby Cress, amazing vintage car article from his, Dear Old Hollywood Blogspot.

Great Dramas - Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Excellent film from Billy Wilder (Some Like It Hot) about a struggling young screenwriter (Holden) who runs into former silent film star Norma Desmond (Swanson) who is dreaming of a comeback. She hires him to patch up her script so Cecil B. DeMille can direct her. The lady is a little around the bend, but the writer needs money so he takes the job. This is a marvelous film with great performances. And it holds up today beautifully. William Holden is great as Joe, the writer. It's one of his best parts ever. But it's Gloria Swanson who owns this picture. She is simply amazing. And the dialogue in this film is some of the best you will ever hear in a movie. Great stuff.

 Movie Quote:
Joe Gillis: There's nothing tragic about being fifty. Not unless you're trying to be twenty-five.

Jack Webb- Wasn't above bending the rules.

Jack Webb, performed as a crime lab technician in the film, He Walked by Night(1948), based on the real-life murder of a California Highway Patrolman. The film was done in semidocumentary style with technical assistance by Detective Sergeant Marty Wynn. The film gave Webb the idea for Dragnet.

With help from Sgt. Wynn and LAPD chief William H. Parker, Dragnet became a radio show in 1949 (running until 1954). It was a TV show from 1951 to 1959. Webb played Sgt. Joe Friday, and Barton Yarborough co-starred as Sgt. Ben Romero.

Webb, believed viewers wanted "realism" and tried to give it to them. Webb had a lot of respect for people in law enforcement. He intended to perform a service for the police by showing them as working class heroes.

Dragnet began each show with the narration "The story you are about to see is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent." At the end of each show, the trial verdict of the suspect was announced by Hal Gibney.


Webb continued to perform in movies, one of his best known performances was the best friend of William Holden's character in the film, Sunset Boulevard. In 1950, Webb performed with his future 1960's Dragnet partner Harry Morgan in the film noir Dark City, which also featured the first screen appearance of, Charlton Heston. In contrast to the pair's straight-arrow image in 'Dragnet', Webb played a card-shark in Dark City and Morgan a ex-fighter who tries to talk Heston back into a straight-and-narrow life.

In 1951, Webb introduced a short-lived radio series, Pete Kelly's Blues. That show became the basis for a 1955 movie of the same name. Neither the radio series or the movie did very well.

In the early 1960s Webb (along with actor Jeffrey Hunter) formed Apollo Productions. They made the TV series Temple Houston!

In 1963, Webb took over from William T. Orr as executive producer of the ABC detective series 77 Sunset Strip. Ratings fell and the series was cancelled in its sixth season.

In early 1967, Webb produced and starred in a new color version of Dragnet, this time for Universal Television. Harry Morgan co-starred as Officer Bill Gannon. The shows pilot, originally produced as a made-for-TV movie in 1966, but did not air until 1969. The TV movie was based on the Harvey Glatman serial killings. The TV series ran through 1970.

In 1968, with the help of Robert A. Cinader, Webb produced NBC's popular Adam-12, which focused on uniformed LAPD officers Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) and Jim Reed (Kent McCord), which ran until 1975.

In the 1970s Webb began to expand his Mark VII Limited into other shows. The most successful was, Emergency! On air from 1972–79. Webb cast his ex-wife, Julie London, as well as her second husband and Dragnet performer, Bobby Troup, as nurse Dixie McCall and Dr. Joe Early.