Chaplin Revue: A Dog's Life (1918)

The movie begins with The Tramp awakening to the smell of the local meat vendor selling his wares right next to the vacant lot wherein The Tramp sleeps in the dirt. After successfully alluding the policeman who catches him trying to steal food, The Tramp tries to get a job at the local brewery but has trouble getting ahead in the employment line before the jobs are all filled. While contemplating how he is going to eat, The Tramp rescues Scraps, a dog being attacked by other strays. Together they manage to steal some sausages from a lunch wagon run by Chaplin's brother Sydney Chaplin. Later, the Tramp and Scraps enter a dance hall where Edna Purviance is a singer and a shy companion to the clientele. The Tramp is instantly smitten but thrown out when he can't pay for any beer. While napping, Scraps digs up a hidden wallet that was pinched off a rich man by two crooks who were also at the dance hall. They return to the dance hall to find Edna fired but The Tramp now has enough money for them both and happily explains how they can now settle down to a happy future but not before the wallet is cleverly passed back and forth between the crooks and The Tramp.

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Summer Under the Stars: Claire Bloom

Babes In Arms

Theda Bara

Fredric March

Richard Barthelmess


David Niven

Gladys Cooper

Charles Laughton

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Summer Under the Stars: Jean Arthur

Hooray! Hurrell!

Robert Taylor

Anita Page

Before & After: Groucho Marx

Humor is reason gone mad. - Groucho Marx

A Night at the Opera (1935)

Monkey Business (1931)

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Summer Under the Stars: Peter Sellers

Great Character Actors: Patsy Kelly

Every time I see Patsy Kelly in a film, I fall more and more in love with her. The best I have seen her in yet is, There Goes My Heart (1938). I like to think that in real life, she is much like her character Peggy, fast-talking, wisecracking, rough around the edges but kind-hearted to a fault. From what little there is to read about her on the internet, I think I may not be too off the mark.

Born in Brooklyn as Bridget Sarah Veronica Rose Kelly (her brother reportedly nicknamed her Patsy), Kelly was discovered by vaudeville star Frank Fay and started her career on Broadway. Among her Broadway shows were Three Cheers and Earl Carroll's Sketch Book (1929), Carroll's Vanities (1930), and Wonder Bar (1931).

HollyIn 1931 Hal Roach signed her to do a series of two-reel comedies co-starring Thelma Todd. Thus her Hollywood career began. Her first feature came in1933 when she played Marion Davies' pal in Going Hollywood. She would go on to brighten up nearly 40 more films in the next ten years, which included another delightful film with Marion Davies, Ever Since Eve (1937).

However, by the mid-1940s she was nearly unemployable as an actress and reportedly found work as a housekeeper. Some claim it was her drinking, she was known for getting into bar brawls, others thought that her openness about her homosexuality, a rarity in that era, hurt her career.

Tallulah Bankhead, no stranger to drinking or homosexuality, hired Kelly to support her in Dear Charles (1955) and Kelly managed to returned to features like Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1960) and Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby (1968). In 1971, she returned to Broadway alongside Ruby Keeler in a revival of No, No, Nanette, staged by Busby Berkeley. She recieved a Tony Award for her performance and went on to support Debbie Reynolds in a revival of Irene for two years. Kelly returned to features in 1976 when she appeared as the housekeeper Mrs. Schmauss in the film Freaky Friday. Her final motion picture appearance came in the 1979 Disney comedy, The North Avenue Irregulars.

She died in 1981 at the age of 71 of cancer. For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Patsy Kelly has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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Summer Under the Stars: Frank Sinatra-- Eh.

(Is it blasphemous to say I was never really impressed by this guy?)

Vintage Ads

Spencer Tracy for Lucky Strike. Easy on your throat, ha!

Barbara Stanwyck and my brother love RC Cola!

George Sanders for Blatz! The beer that makes you think of your bladder and break the seal early! Imagine, Sanders in Milwaukee, he must of loved it. [enter sarcasm here]

Lucille Ball and my brother, proud supporters of RC Cola and all things that float.

Kirk Douglas for Chesterfields. For a cleaner mouth, smoke.

Joan Crawford and my brother turn their backs on Pepsi.

Baby-faced Douglas Fairbanks Jr. for Barbasol. Yeah, that makes sense.

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Summer Under the Stars: Ida Lupino (the name that consistently pops up in my crosswords)

Getting Testy

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Summer Under the Stars: FREDRIC MARCH!!!!

A Farewell to Arms (1932)

An overly sentimental portrayal of Hemingway's semi-autobiographal story, A Farewell to Arms focuses mainly on the characters as a couple and not the hardships they experience individually in a deadly war environment. I did not really enjoy the film, I thought the chemistry between Cooper and Hayes fell flat. I honestly do not understand the attraction of Helen Hayes. I think she looks a bit like a bridge troll. I'll have to see her in other movies before I can determine if she can rest on her acting laurels.

Synopsis:
Frederick Henry (Gary Cooper), an American ambulance driver serving in the Italian Army during WWI and Catherine Barkley (Helen Hayes), an English Red Cross nurse meet and fall in love. Major Rinaldi (Adolphe Menjou), Frederick's friend envies their relationship as he was in love with Catherine first. Seeing that Frederick is madly in love with Catherine, he has her transferred to Milan. But then Frederick is wounded in battle, and he is transfered to the hospital where Catherine works. They continue their affair until Frederick must return to battle. Meanwhile, Catherine settles in Switzerland, pregnant and on her own. When her many letters to Frederick are returned unopened (due to Rinaldi), she has a miscarriage. Frederick, who recieves none of her letters knows something is terribly wrong. As the Armistice nears, Frederick deserts the army and journeys to Switzerland to find Catherine who ends up dying in his arms.





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Summer Under the Stars: Angela Lansbury

The Heiress (1949)

The Heiress is a movie I had seen a few years ago. I enjoyed it just as much the second time around. I think the story really draws you in because Montgomery Clift's character, Morris Townsend, is played so ambiguously. You really don't know if he would have made Catherine (Olivia DeHavilland) miserable or not and up to a certain point you are unsure if he really is only after her fortune. In contrast, Catherine, who plays such a dim-witted sheep before she sees Morris' true colors, is an entirely different character by the end of the film. I also like the fact that not only has she developed a backbone but, she gets her revenge. However, any soft-hearted woman can relate to her Aunt Penniman, who just cannot understand how Catherine can be so cruel when Morris comes around for a second chance. That's how well Montgomery Clift plays Morris, even when he is exposed as a fortune hunter, you want him to find happiness.

Catharine Sloper: Yes, I can be very cruel. I have been taught by masters. He's grown greedier over the years. Before he only wanted my money; now he wants my love as well. Well, he came to the wrong house - and he came twice. I shall see that he does not come a third time.


In The Heiress, Catherine Sloper is a plain, painfully shy woman whose emotionally detached father makes no secret of his disappointment in her. When she meets the charming Morris Townsend, she immediately is taken by the attention that he lavishes upon her, attention she so desperately seeks from her father. Catherine falls madly in love with Morris and they plan to marry.
Catherine's father believes Morris is courting Catherine only to get her inheritance and threatens to disinherit her if she marries him. Catherine does not care, and plans to elope with Morris but not before telling him about her father's decision. On the night they are to elope, Catherine eagerly waits at home for Morris to come and take her away, but he never arrives.

Catherine is heartbroken. A few years pass and her father dies, leaving her his entire estate. Morris eventually returns, penniless. Again he professes his love for Catherine, claiming that he left her behind because he could not bear to see her destitute. Catherine pretends to forgive him and tells him she still wants to elope as they originally planned. He promises to come back that night for her, and she tells him she'll start packing her bags. When Morris returns, Catherine takes her revenge. -Wikipedia

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Summer Under the Stars: Sterling Hayden

If you can't stand the heat...

Joan Crawford spices things up with Tabasco!



Marie Dressler most likely experiencing measuring issues. Normally my problem.



Lena Horne is probably cooking up some Panama Hatties!


John Wayne is tickled by pickles!


Joan Bennett probably burns toast.


Jayne Mansfield is no naked chef!


Joan Crawford convinces her Snickerdoodles are yummy.


Despite popular opinion, Audrey Hepburn does not have breakfast at Tiffany's.





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Summer Under the Stars: Miriam Hopkins (who I think is just gorgeous!)