After Britain and Germany declared war in 1939, there were roughly two years in which America, for all intents and purposes, laid low. Sort of. Not really. The first Neutrality Act was signed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt on August 31, 1935, and it would be renewed several times over the next few years. The Act … Continue reading During World War Two: With A Little Help From My Friends
Page To Screen: Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
When looking at America's entry into the Second World War seventy-plus years on, it might be hard to believe how high the stakes really were in early 1942. The United States' armed forces were very small, we were still using cavalry horses and bayonets, and the Japanese dealt Americans heavy blows at Pearl Harbor and … Continue reading Page To Screen: Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
See You In Court
Kate and Spence have returned, all... When Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy come up, people often talk about how well-matched they are. They're like two peas. Whatever Spence gave Kate, she gave back to him, and their love for each other was always evident. This dynamic played successfully in nine feature films, and one of … Continue reading See You In Court
Politics As Usual
And here's our guy Van... Ah, politics. It's no secret that they're a nasty business. It's also no secret that they can get particularly ugly on social media. What's easy to forget, though, is how much hasn't changed (Side note: Jefferson and Adams were known for some sick burns in their time.). Manipulation, back door … Continue reading Politics As Usual
At the Very Beginning
Production Code Time... The onscreen and offscreen partnership of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn is the stuff of legend, and it all started with the 1942 film, Woman of the Year. The story of two rival columnists, it's a classic battle of the sexes. Tess Harding (Katharine Hepburn) is an international affairs columnist for the New York Chronicle. … Continue reading At the Very Beginning
Love Me, Love My Gunner
It was eighty-one years ago... Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy made three movies together. The first was 1936's San Francisco. The last was 1940's Boom Town. Sandwiched in the middle was Test Pilot, a story of bros, planes, and what happens when a lady gets thrown into the mix. Jim Lane is a hotshot test pilot. Gunner Morse is … Continue reading Love Me, Love My Gunner
Then Comes Baby
We're back at the Banks house, and the stork is circling the area. A year after MGM released Father of the Bride, Father's Little Dividend came along. While not as strong as the first film, it's another sweet family story, and united a cast and crew that had become a family away from the cameras. Stanley Banks … Continue reading Then Comes Baby
Then Comes Marriage
Here comes Elizabeth... Okay, so we've visited the Banks family once before, only this time we get to see more than their gorgeous house. In 1950, Elizabeth Taylor turned eighteen, so MGM began transitioning her into more adult roles, and one of her first was Father of the Bride. Based on the best-selling novel by then-popular author … Continue reading Then Comes Marriage
Mary’s Dilemma
And now for that surprise blogathon I told you about... San Francisco is a town of extremes. Even in its earlier days, it had both upstanding citizens and degenerates, plus everyone in between, and it wasn't always in relation to one's station in life. It is the city Emperor Norton called home, after all. The … Continue reading Mary’s Dilemma
Going Wildcat
Time to pay homage to the King... Spencer Tracy and Clark Gable made three movies together, always playing close friends, or what some today might term "bromance." However, instead of simply being best friends, the dynamic was usually Tracy's character shepherding Gable's, at times sacrificing his own happiness in order to allow Gable to prosper, … Continue reading Going Wildcat
To Spencer, With Love
The relationship between Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy is the stuff of legend. They were together for twenty-six years, and while morally their relationship may raise some red flags, it was always good to see their love for each other every time they locked eyes. Almost twenty years after Tracy's death, Hepburn, along with many … Continue reading To Spencer, With Love
What’s There Is Cherce
Katharine Hepburn was famously athletic for most of her life. She played sports of all kinds and loved swimming in the ocean. It was only a matter of time before a role came along that would show off her abilities, and that was the title character in 1952's Pat and Mike. Pat Pemberton is a widow … Continue reading What’s There Is Cherce
Boys Town Revisited
Everyone knows (and is probably sick of) the way sequels, prequels, and remakes are such a big part of Hollywood's output nowadays. We've been down Reboot Road plenty of times just on this blog. Classic Hollywood was no different than today in terms of capitalizing on older properties, although the new-to-retread ratio was obviously different. … Continue reading Boys Town Revisited
He Ain’t Heavy, Father, He’s My Brother
Time to talk about Spence and Kate! December of this year will be the one-hundredth anniversary of Father Flanagan's Boys' Home, better known as Boys Town. Father Edward J. Flanagan, an Irish priest working in Omaha, Nebraska borrowed $90 and sought to provide a home for homeless, neglected, or delinquent boys, where they could receive … Continue reading He Ain’t Heavy, Father, He’s My Brother
You Irreplaceable You
February 15, 2016 was the seventieth anniversary of the unveiling of ENIAC, without which none of us would be tapping away at laptops smaller than coffee table books, or blogging, or sending e-mail, or using self-check cash registers, and so on and so forth. It goes without saying that we can't imagine life without computers. … Continue reading You Irreplaceable You
Get Me To the (House) On Time
Time to go home. Well, sort of... I have to say, I've never done a review like this before. One of my favorite blogs is Hooked On Houses, but it's the kind of thing where I look but don't touch. Part of this is because I live in an apartment, so I have no skin in … Continue reading Get Me To the (House) On Time
Taking Up Room 