Friday, June 28, 2013

Father Of The Bride

Father of the Bride
Released Date: June 16, 1950
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Actors: Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett, Elizabeth Taylor, Don Taylor, Billie Burke, Leo G. Carroll, Moroni Olsen, Melville Cooper, and Taylor Holmes



     I watched this movie for the first time tonight. And I fell in love. To be honest, I'm rather mad at myself for not seeing it before today. This was a laugh out loud comedy that I adored. I wish the movie lasted a little bit longer. It was cute, funny, sweet and exciting. Weddings are a lot of fun, to prepare... Maybe not as much. But the preparation work for such a quick day is amazing. And sometimes, you never even get to kiss the bride.

     Stanley Banks (Spencer Tracy) is happily married. He has a beautiful wife, Ellie Banks (Joan Bennett) and three wonderful kids. He is going through, in his mind, the wonders of having three different children. And how the younger boy has different activities then the older boy, and how his oldest son is in college. And then we come across 'Kay' Banks (Elizabeth Taylor), she's happy and he noticed. During dinner Kay is quiet, she's obvisiouly day dreaming, far far away. Mr. Banks take note of this and says she seems happier, and that maybe it is the vitamins her doctor sent. While Mrs. Banks is pretty sure its a man. And That's IT!!! She's in love. And loves being in love. Mr. Banks is not so happy about these turns of events. And who can this wonderful man be? Is it the guy with the big teeth? Or how about the idiot who doesn't even know how to fix a radio? But as we all know, nobody is good enough for any mans daughter. It's a wonder men have daughters at all. The man is Buckley Dunstan (Don Taylor). He's smart and seems to have it together. But how is poor old pops doing? He is nervous, excited, sad, scared, ect. Everything a man is before his daughters wedding day. After all, a son is with you until he gets a wife, and a daughter is yours for the rest of your life.



     This is a great film, and one I recommend to everyone. To daughters, sons, fathers, mothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. A must see movie, and one you will not regret. It's a fast one hour and thirty minute comedy, that will have you in tears by the end. :) Oh and you can't go wrong with beautiful purple eyed Liz Taylor or the cute and funny Spencer Tracy. Now I see why Katharine Hepburn fell in love with him. He had me in stitches and in tears. I also enjoyed seeing some of my other favorites, Billie Burke from The Man Who Came To Dinner and also The Wizard of Oz. And Leo G. Carroll who was made famous from Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest, Strangers on a Train, Rebecca, Suspicion and Spellbound.

The Blue Gardenia

The Blue Gardenia
Released Date: March 23, 1953
Director: Fritz Lang
Actors: Anne Baxter, Richard Conte, Ann Sothern, Raymond Burr, Jeff Donnell, Richard Erdman, George Reeves, Ray Walker, Ruth Storey, and Nat 'King' Cole



     I love watching TCM, and my favorite thing about TCM.. Turning it on and starting a random movie. Or even going on Demand and seeing the movies they have for you to watch for a whole month. That is how I stumbled upon The Blue Gardenia. I saw that Anne Baxter was in it and also Raymond Burr. That had my attention from the start. Then reading the summary, that got me to hit play. I love the sound of Nat 'King' Cole, and his beautiful voice starts the movie off right. I love seeing Anne Baxter as the good girl, when I was younger I was convinced she really was evil like Eve, and I didn't like her at all. But then seeing her in I Confess by Alfred Hitchcock and then this, I can see how wonderful of an actor she really is. And how many roles she could accomplish.



     Norah Larkin (Anne Baxter) works as a telephone operator with her two roommates, Crystal Carpenter (Ann Sothern) and Rose Miller (Ruth Storey). They too are telephone operators. You can see from the beginning that Harry Prebble (Raymond Burr) is up to no good, and gets the girls telephone number. Flirting with the operators and then closing his office door to talk to another woman on the phone, who seems to be a little more than a coworker or even friend. Norah has a boyfriend anyway, well she did. He's away in the military and she is having her relationship through letters. Till one day, on her birthday, she gets the dear john letter, wait is that what they are called? He has found another girl in Japan and he is going to marry her. Harry Prebble calls the house and expects to get one of the single girls. Instead, Norah answers, but just having her heart broken, she accepts his date offer of Chinese food and drinks. And boy does she drink. She gets drunk even, and ends up at his apartment. With the song "Blue Gardenia" playing the whole time, either in your head because it played at dinner, or they really do play it a few times. But its nice anyway. Harry tries to kiss Norah, and realizing what she's done, she hits him over the head. The next day, Harry is found murdered. Was it Norah? Was it when she hit him upside the head? Find out by watching this fun movie.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Newman's Own

I just wanted to stop by and say how amazing Paul Newman is. And how good looking he is. He is absolutely beautiful <3




Saturday, June 22, 2013

Lauren Bacall's Famous Line



"You don't have to say anything, and you don't have to do anything. Not a thing. Oh, maybe just whistle. You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow." 

- Lauren Bacall from To Have And To Have Not

Film Noir

     What is Film Noir? I'm so glad you asked. The movies that are considered to be Film Noir are from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. They are black and white, and are considered "black." Meaning, the movies are usually dark. With gangsters and crime, with drama. They are low key, with love and suspense.



     Movies included in the term "Film Noir" is as followed:

The Big Sleep (1946)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Laura (1944)
The Third Man (1949)
The Letter (1940)
Rebecca (1940)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Christmas Holiday (1944)
The Blue Dahlia (1946)
Notorious (1946)
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
Dark Passage (1947)
The Paradine Case (1947)
Call Northside 777 (1948)
Key Largo (1948)



     The actors that I think of when I think of Film Noir is Robert Mitchum, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.

     Do you love Film Noir too? What are some of your favorite of this classic type of film? Please post :)

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Classic Hollywood Couples

James and Gloria Stewart:


Bogie and Bacall:


Hitchcock and Alma:


Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward:


Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton:


Laurence Olivier and Vivian Leigh:




What I'm Watching right now...

NAVY BLUE AND GOLD....



With James Stewart :) I love this man!!!



But before I started watching Navy Blue and Gold, I had watched Pot O' Gold, also with James Stewart.