Gotta watch those character actors... Only ten actors to date have been nominated for Best and Supporting Actor or Actress in the same year. Fay Bainter is the first one. Fay Bainter was biz-ee. She was an able supporting player, and her work spans radio, film, television, and stage. Mostly stage, though. Born in Los … Continue reading Being Fay Bainter
The Unexpected Blogathon: Wrap Up
We have had a great weekend with these terrific entries! I would expect no less (Yeah, corny, but it had to be said, right?). It's always fun to see what kinds of things jump out at people when watching something new. Here's a fashionably late entry, and if anyone else has Unexpected contributions to add, … Continue reading The Unexpected Blogathon: Wrap Up
The Unexpected Blogathon Has Arrived
Ah, the long-expected Unexpected Blogathon! I will be updating this post throughout the next three days as new entries come in. We've got a great weekend ahead, with what I'm sure are plenty of surprises. Let's do this! Silver Screenings hits the ground running with this fab review of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. The Story Enthusiast keeps … Continue reading The Unexpected Blogathon Has Arrived
For Your Consideration
Hello there... In 2006, my husband and I went to the movies. We'd been hearing for a long time about a film where Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman go head to head as rival magicians, with Michael Caine as stage manager, and we were both intrigued and interested. Only problem was, neither one of us … Continue reading For Your Consideration
Le Scandale
Hello, Mr. Burton... Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor's love story is the stuff of legend. It's such a sacred tale that it merits hushed, reverent tones in Hollywood, but for the most part it doesn't seem to be a touchable subject by filmmakers. Lifetime tried, though, in their 2012 TV biopic, Liz & Dick,"tried" very much … Continue reading Le Scandale
One Week Until the Unexpected Blogathon
It's getting close, you guys...are you ready? Thanks again to everyone who's signed up already, too. And if anyone is looking to join us, feel free--the more, the merrier! Find the rules and current roster here, and enjoy. Since it's the end of November, here's a small preview of December: Here are the people to see … Continue reading One Week Until the Unexpected Blogathon
George’s Final Days
It's Mr. Hudson! Doris Day and Rock Hudson are a perennially favorite screen team. They only made three movies together, but they're all memorable and fun. The last of them was 1964's Send Me No Flowers, a tale of hypochondria, hysteria, and hilarity. George (Rock Hudson) has it tough. He may live in a perfect house with … Continue reading George’s Final Days
Dance, Vicky, Dance
Hello there... I don't know why I never saw The Red Shoes. TCM showed it several times during the brief period my family had cable, but I never watched it. Too distracted, I guess. Well, that's all changed now, so let's hop into this 1948 gem, shall we? The Red Shoes was based on a story by Hans … Continue reading Dance, Vicky, Dance
Announcing the So Bad It’s Good Blogathon!
OK, yes, the Unexpected Blogathon hasn't dropped yet, but I'm announcing the So Bad It's Good Blogathon now because I'm kind of excited about this idea. So excited that I'd like to hold it in February, which is filling up fast. Plus, Gill from Realweegiemidget Reviews and I were talking on Twitter yesterday about this … Continue reading Announcing the So Bad It’s Good Blogathon!
Down In Africa
It's Miss Grace! Grace Kelly's third movie was 1953's Mogambo, co-starring Clark Gable and Ava Gardner. Set in the French Congo, it was a remake of the 1932 film, Red Dust. The story was a daring choice for Kelly, but it paid off. Victor Marswell (Clark Gable) is a big game hunter living in the African bush. He's … Continue reading Down In Africa
So Long, Champ
Hello, Mr. Rains... Claude Rains could play anyone...well, almost anyone. He never was a song-and-dance man. He was known for his elegant gentility, whether he played a villain, a hero, or someone in between. In 1941's Here Comes Mr. Jordan, Rains plays what appears to be his usual type, only he holds an extra set of … Continue reading So Long, Champ
Beneath the Beauty
And here's Miss Hedy... When it comes to Hedy Lamarr, it's easy to zero in on her beauty and go no further. However, this woman had plenty more going for her than just a gorgeous face, and we in the twenty-first century wouldn't be where we are today without her. 2017's Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story ably … Continue reading Beneath the Beauty
One Month Until the Unexpected Blogathon!
Yep, we have thirty days to go. Thanks heaps to those of you who have already joined--I appreciate your enthusiasm! If this is the first you're hearing about our little event and want to get in on it, never fear, because there's plenty of time to sign up. Click here for the rules, pick your … Continue reading One Month Until the Unexpected Blogathon!
Getting Through
Well, here we are... What if you discovered you or your child had a disability? How would you respond? As humans, we're used to making plans. We like to be in control of what's going to happen next. When those plans get derailed, it feels like the universe is coming apart. Then what? 1995's Mr. Holland's … Continue reading Getting Through
Steam Punk Van Helsing
Surprise! Did you know Hugh Jackman was born on October 12? Yep, he was, and it just so happened that he turned fifty this year. This man has quite the resume. Wolverine. Leopold, Duke of Albany. Curly (from Oklahoma, not The Three Stooges). Jean Valjean. P.T. Barnum. The Easter Bunny. Just to name a very few. Since it’s […]
Rita Hayworth and World War Two
Well, hello, Miss Rita... As we've talked about on this blog before, Hollywood threw itself into doing its part during the Second World War. All efforts were vastly appreciated, but some stood out more than others, and one of those was Rita Hayworth. In the early nineteen forties, Rita's star was on a rapid ascent, … Continue reading Rita Hayworth and World War Two
Mr. Breen Goes To the Village
Welcome back, Mr. Breen! Although it's pretty gentrified nowadays, Greenwich Village has a reputation for counter-culturalism and being a haven for artists and other creative types. It's always been a tempting setting for a story, even during the Production Code Era, when an undiluted bohemian Village didn't exactly meet Mr. Breen's standards. 20th Century Fox … Continue reading Mr. Breen Goes To the Village
Taking Up Room 