Stars! They're just like us!

They eat sandwiches!

 

They set the table!

 

They change nappies!

 

They raid the fridge!

 

They surf! Kowabunga, Crawford!

 

They take piggyback rides!

 

They watch the tellie!

Stiff Competition!

Tonight on TCM! Anyone else excited about Robert Osborne returning in December? I sure am!!

The Manchurian Candidate (1962) A Korean War hero doesn't realize he's been programmed to kill by the enemy. Dir: John Frankenheimer Cast: Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh.

Happy Birthday Joan Blondell!

A celebration of Joan Blondell's birthday on the set of Adventure (didn't like that film!) with Clark Gable, Greer Garson, Lina Romay and director Victor Fleming

Thanks to A Certain Cinema whose website is AWESOME!

Kona Coast (1968)

Tough man Captain Sam Moran (Richard Boone), who charters boats in Honolulu for a living, receives an odd phone call from his estranged teenaged daughter, Dee (Gloria Nakea), whom he reported missing four days prior. When she found dead on the beach, Sam doesn’t believe it’s an accident. Well known in Honolulu by both the police captain and townspeople, Sam begins making inquiries to track down the murderer.

Kryder (Steve Ihnat) is a rich playboy who takes pleasure in getting girls hooked on narcotics and discarding them when they grow tiresome, Dee is his latest victim. He sends his henchmen after Sam when he learns of his investigation. After they beat him they burn his boat causing Sam's good friend Charlie Lightfoot (Chips Rafferty) to be severely burned trying to save it.

Sam takes the dying Lightfoot back to his Kona home where he meets Kittibelle (Joan Blondell), Lightfoot’s sister who tries to enlist Sam into taking over her brother’s boat because she needs the extra funds to support her run-down resort she uses to rehabilitate alcoholics. Despite hers and Akamai’s (Kent Smith) best efforts, Sam’s only mission is to get back on the case after Lightfoot’s funeral but Kryder has different plans.

While Sam is busy reuniting with former girlfriend marine biologist Melissa Hyde (Vera Miles), Kryder orders a big luau prepared at Kittibelle's resort with the plan to kill Sam at the party for the fun of it.

However, when Sam’s friend Kimo (Sam Kapu Jr.) realizes that Kryder’s henchmen are on Sam’s trail, he and Lightfoot’s boat crew capture them and force them to confess about Dee's murder. Sam then pursues Kryder at the luau.

It’s one thing to see unprepared drivel such as Kona Coast with its underdeveloped plot line, character backgrounds, and horribly delivered melodrama. It’s quite another when good actors like Joan Blondell and Kent Smith are put into the mix.  I really hope that boredom or perhaps a free trip to Hawaii is what compelled them to partake in what I will not-so-affectionately call a long, bad Magnum P.I. episode. Sorry Tom Selleck, no reflection on the show, it’s all about location here.

Tonight on TCM!

Anne Francis!

Stars! They're Just Like Us!

They iron!

They play bang ball! 

They fish!

They play strip poker!

They take their kids to Disney!

They stay in shape!

Table Talk!

 Joan Blondell and husband Dick Powell

 Mickey Rooney give Busby Berkley an oral exam.

 Peter Lawford and Lana Turner.

 Laurel and Hardy break bread.

 Jean Harlow and William Powell.

 John Wayne, Keenan Wynn, and John Ford enjoy a long repast.

 Roy Rogers and Dale Evans will eat with anyone!

Warren William and wife Helen

Tonight on TCM! Charles Laughton's one and only directorial debut! Can't wait!

The Night of The Hunter (1955) Atmospheric allegory of innocence, evil, and hypocrisy, with psychotic religious fanatic Mitchum chasing homeless children for money stolen by their father.

Stiff Competition!

Stars! They're just like us!

They enjoy water sports!

They keep their eye on Russia when in Alaska!

They're new to tennis!

They compete in tricycle triathlons!

Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

They look down on themselves at times!

Tonight on TCM!

Five Graves to Cairo (1943) A British corporal goes undercover to infiltrate Field Marshall Rommel's command. Cast: Franchot Tone, Anne Baxter, Akim Tamiroff, Fortunio Bonanova Dir: Billy Wilder

The Fighting Sullivans (1944) During WWII, five brothers enlist in the Navy and are assigned to serve on the same ship. Cast: Anne Baxter, Thomas Mitchell, Ward Bond. Dir: Lloyd Bacon.

It Happened One Night (1934) A newspaperman tracks a runaway heiress on a madcap cross-country tour. Cast: Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert, Walter Connolly, Roscoe Karns Dir: Frank Capra

The Egg And I (1947) Newlywed city slickers decide to give country life a try as chicken farmers. Cast: Claudette Colbert, Fred MacMurray, Marjorie Main, Louise Albritton Dir: Chester Erskine

Pre-Code Dip: Big City Blues (1932)

Big City Blues is the story of Budd Reeves (Eric Linden), a small town boy from Indiana that spends only seventy-two hours in New York before he decides to come back home. Of course, you can’t blame him, in that seventy two hours he found love (Vida Fleet played by Joan Blondell), lost love, was cheated by his cousin Gibbony (Walter Catlett), hosted a bootleg liquor party, was witness to a murder, abandoned by his cousin and new friends, had a drink with a cougar (Serena Cartlich played by Jobyna Howland) found love again, gambled away his inheritance, arrested for murder then cleared of the charges.

Big City Blues exploits a cautionary tale to the limit and the characters simply revolve around Budd as he lets things fall into place and takes no action besides what he’s told to do by Vida who uses him just as bad as the others despite her motive not to. If this was to prove how green Budd was, it accomplished the goal but leaves the viewer feeling Linden gave a flat performance. I was also not impressed with how nonchalant the other characters at the party were when they were all hauled in for the murder compared to Vida and Budd who were overwrought with the accusations piled up against them.

You can classify Big City Blues as just another pre-code quickie with little treasures like Grant Mitchell as the doubtful station agent, Guy Kibbee as the drunken and clueless hotel detective, and Humphrey Bogart before he became known as a tough guy.

Side Note:

Not seen but heard, the film also features Dick Powell as the radio announcer.

Tonight on TCM!

The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1932) An American missionary falls in love with a Chinese warlord.Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Nils Asther, Toshia Mori, Walter Connolly Dir: Frank R. Capra

Vintage Ads

Joan Crawford for RC? Tsk, tsk!

Charlton Heston for Van Heusen, shirts the color of pink martinis!

Joan Blondell for Cashmere Bouquet, when you want your face to be as thick as a sweater!

Betty Grable approves of flakes, Lux flakes!

I can think of another thing you can count on Gary Cooper!

Ava Gardner for Lustre-Creme!

Gracie Allen, always a cheap date!

Tonight on TCM!
One Potato, Two Potato (1964) A white divorcee's marriage to a black man could cost her custody of her daughter. Cast: Barbara Barrie, Bernie Hamilton, Richard Mulligan, Harry Bellaver Dir: Larry Peerce

Classic Film Survey!!

Thanks to Amanda from Noodle in a Haystack! I love a good survey! Here are my answers:


1. What is your all-time favorite Clark Gable movie? It Happened One Night.

2. Do you like Joan Crawford best as a comedienne or a drama-queen? Drama queen! Nothing like Joan turning on the waterworks.

3. In your opinion, should Ginger Rogers have made more musicals post-Fred Astaire? I have only seen one Rogers and Astaire collaboration and the name of the film escapes me. I will say that I found her especially adorable in Gold Diggers of 1933.

4. I promise not to cause you bodily (or any other serious) harm if you don't agree with me on this one. So please be honest: do you like Elizabeth Taylor? Hm? I have always been indifferent to Taylor. I think she was lauded for her beauty first and her talent second. Though I do think she gave a wonderful performance in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Absolutely wonderful.

5. Who is your favorite offscreen Hollywood couple? Fredric March and Florence Eldridge.

6. How about onscreen Hollywood couple? William Powell and Myrna Loy.

7. Favorite Jean Arthur movie? The Ex-Mrs. Bradford.
8. What was the first Gregory Peck movie you saw? The Yearling.

9. What film made you fall in love with Alfred Hitchcock? (And for those of you that say, "I don't like Hitchcock" -- what is wrong with you?!) Vertigo. Love Vertigo.

10. What is your favorite book-to-movie adaption? The Thin Man. Although I would like to see how A Tree Grows in Brooklyn with Joan Blondell was adapted. It was a favorite of mine growing up.

11. Do you prefer Shirley Temple as a little girl or as a teenager? Little girl.

12. Favorite character actor? Geraldine Page.

13. Favorite Barbara Stanwyck role? Sugarpuss O’Shea from Ball of Fire. You dig my crazy jive? Let's drum boogie!

14. Who is your favorite of Cary Grant's leading ladies? Oh! Hard one! Katharine Hepburn followed very closely by Irene Dunne.

15. Bette Davis or Joan Crawford? Seriously. This is getting harder. Joan Crawford.

16. What actors and/or actresses do you think are underrated? Off the top of my head: Fredric March, Constance Bennett, Miriam Hopkins, Walter Brennan, Marie Prevost, Agnes Moorehead, Geraldine Page, Joan Blondell.

17. What actors and/or actresses do you think are overrated? Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean.


18. Do you watch movies made pre-1980 exclusively, or do you spice up your viewing-fare with newer films? Mostly classic thanks to TCM!

19. Is there an actor/actress who you have seen in a film and immediately loved? If so, who? Fredric March, Design for Living (noticing a trend yet?)

20. Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire? Fred Astaire. Why? Really haven't seen a full film of Gene Kelly's but I have seen and do love Holiday Inn.


21. Favorite Ginger Rogers drama? Closest thing to drama I have seen her in is Stage Door.

22. If you wrote a screenplay, who would be in your dream cast and what roles would they play? (Mixing actors and actresses from different generations is allowed: any person from any point in their career.)
Four characters- definitely a comedy:
Main male lead: William Powell
Second male lead: Robert Benchley
Main female lead: Rosalind Russell
Second female lead: Miriam Hopkins

23. Favorite actress? Joan Crawford

25. Favorite actor? Fredric March

26. And now, the last question. What is your favorite movie from each of these genres:
Drama: A Star is Born (1937 version)

Romance: The Quiet Man

Musical: Meet Me in St. Louis

Comedy: Design for Living

Western: The Outlaw Josey Wales

Hitchcock (he has a genre all to himself): Vertigo



Tonight on TCM!
Woman Of The Year (1942)Opposites distract when a sophisticated political columnist falls for a sportswriter. Cast: Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Fay Bainter, Reginald Owen Dir: George Stevens