Author Archives: Guest Post

Robert Taylor: Male Beauty, Masculinity and Stardom in Hollywood – Exclusive Guest Post by Author Gillian Kelly

Celebrating Robert Taylor with Author Gillian Kelly After dedicating 10 years to researching and writing about Robert Taylor, I was delighted to be asked to be a guest speaker at Gage County Classic Film Institute’s 110th birthday celebration for the … Continue reading

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Play It Again, Max: Casablanca and the Battle over “As Time Goes By”(Exclusive by Author Steven C. Smith)

Casablanca and the Battle over “As Time Goes By”(Exclusive by Author Steven C. Smith) By mid-1941, Max Steiner had already scored over thirty films at Warner Bros. since becoming that studio’s highest paid staff composer in 1937. Many of his … Continue reading

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Working Night & Day: Max Steiner, Fred Astaire, and the RKO Movie Musical (Exclusive by Author Steven C. Smith)

Max Steiner, Fred Astaire, and the RKO Movie Musical(Exclusive by Author Steven C. Smith) In 1933 — the same year he recorded his landmark score for King Kong —Max Steiner achieved another ambition he’d sought since becoming RKO’s musical director: … Continue reading

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A Visit to the Lucy-Desi Museum, Lucille Ball Memorial Park and More: A Pictorial (Guest Post)

A Visit to the Lucy-Desi Museum and moreSpecial Guest Post by Lucy fan, Lucy Ortiz When I was born, my parents decided to name me after the I Love Lucy show. As an adult, I realized I had some things … Continue reading

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“Where Is the Music Coming From?”: Max Steiner and The Birth of Modern Movie Music (Exclusive by Author Steven C. Smith)

Max Steiner and The Birth of Modern Movie MusicExclusive Guest Post by Author Steven C. Smith An international crisis triggers record unemployment. Hollywood executives panic, as movie theaters shut their doors. And one studio faces likely closure, putting all its … Continue reading

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“La Marseillaise” Plays, as Rick, Ilsa and Refugees Find Their Footing in Casablanca (Guest Post)

“La Marseillaise” Even more than the famous “Here’s Looking at You” scene, the “La Marseillaise” scene in Casablanca is the one scene in the film that evokes more emotion from audiences than any other, as it propels the narration in … Continue reading

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This World Needs Its Dreamers: Clarence Brown’s National Velvet (Exclusive Guest Post by Author Gwenda Young)

“This World Needs Its Dreamers” Clarence Brown’s National Velvet (1944) Exclusive Guest Post by Author Gwenda Young In a reappraisal of National Velvet written in the 1960s, Pauline Kael observed that “it touches areas in our experience that movies rarely … Continue reading

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Clarence Brown, Hollywood’s Forgotten Master (Exclusive Guest Post by Author Gwenda Young)

Exclusive Guest Post by Gwenda Young, Author of Clarence Brown: Hollywood’s Forgotten Master “Garbo’s Favorite Director” was how many journalists chose to eulogize Clarence Brown when he died in 1987. By referring to Garbo — then alive, still elusive and … Continue reading

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Grace Kelly’s Stepping Stones to Success – Exclusive Guest Post by Author Mary Mallory

Grace Kelly’s Stepping Stones to Success Exclusive Post by Mary Mallory, Author of Living with Grace Though she only made 11 films, Grace Kelly achieved international icon status as a film star thanks to her gorgeous looks, great fashion sense, work … Continue reading

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Grace Kelly, Model (Exclusive Post by Author Mary Mallory)

Grace Kelly, Model Exclusive Post by Mary Mallory, Author of Living with Grace Born November 12, 1929, Grace Kelly grew up in the affluent East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia as the third of four children of John B. “Jack” Kelly and … Continue reading

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