Hangin' out with the family... James Cagney is a familiar and beloved face in Classic Movie World. His younger brother, William is not quite as familiar, but he still made his mark on film in his own way. William, along with his four brothers and sister Jeannie, moved out to Hollywood together in the early … Continue reading Meet William Cagney
During World War Two: Thirteen Wartime Shorts
Hollywood's involvement in the war effort went beyond movies, canteens, and bond tours. There were also quite a few shorts produced by Hollywood stars and studios because, to paraphrase something Frank Capra once said, films are excellent teaching tools. Americans were told all the time to buy war bonds, to be careful of what they … Continue reading During World War Two: Thirteen Wartime Shorts
Cagney the Rogue
Despite his love for it, James Cagney didn't get to sing and dance a whole lot in the movies. Warners wanted him to be a gangster and nothing but with very few exceptions. So of course when Cagney got the chance to be a song-and-dance man, he ran, uh, danced with it. One of those … Continue reading Cagney the Rogue
Stage To Screen: Mister Roberts
They say that truth is stranger than fiction, and some life experiences beg to be made into stories. Mister Roberts is one of those. Originally a novel by Thomas Heggen, it was published in 1946, premiered as a play in 1948, and released as a film in 1955. The story takes place very late in the war. … Continue reading Stage To Screen: Mister Roberts
The Man Who Owns Broadway
Here's the first of three Broadway biopics. My dad is going to be so proud of me for this one. In 2017's National Classic Movie Day post, I mentioned that my family has watched Yankee Doodle Dandy every year on the Fourth of July since the eighties. Well, my dad still does, but the rest of us … Continue reading The Man Who Owns Broadway
Amarillo Or Bust
Miss Bette's back, y'all... We all know how studios liked certain stars in certain roles. It streamlined the whole casting process to know who could play gangsters, or high society types, or ingenues. Every once in a while, though, studios did color outside the lines, and one example of that is 1941's The Bride Came C.O.D. A … Continue reading Amarillo Or Bust
Reblog: Screen Guild Theatre July 4th Triple Feature
Happy Independence Day to all my American readers! Hope you like Aurora's new post as much as I did. 🙂
On One Hand: My Five Favorite Classic Stars
It's National Classic Movie Day again, and Rick has another question for us bloggers: Which five stars are your favorite? Eeeep. That's even tougher than last year's challenge. Anyone who's an old film lover knows there's so much to like about the Golden Age. Me, I always enjoy watching the repartee between Katharine Hepburn and … Continue reading On One Hand: My Five Favorite Classic Stars
Taking Up Room 