Mini Tribute: Morgan Wallace

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Annmarie Gatti

Born July 26, 1881 Morgan Wallace!

Morgan Wallace appeared in over 120 film roles, many uncredited, and is perhaps best known for his role as Mr. Fitchmueller in the ‘kumquat scene’ from the W.C. Fields’ comedy, It’s a Gift!

Morgan Wallace closeup It's a Gift kumquats sceneMorgan Wallace as Mr. Fitchmueller

“I want 10 pounds of kumquats. And I’m in a hurry.”

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Morgan Wallace and WC Fields in It's a Gift Kumqats sceneMorgan Wallace with W.C. Fields in the ‘kumquat scene’ from It’s a Gift (1934, director Norman Z. McLeod)

How about my Kumquats?!?!?

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 And here’s the scene in all its glory from YouTube:

Kumquat Scene from It’s a Gift

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–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub

Posted in Character Actors, Mini Tributes, Posts by Annmarie Gatti, Quotes, Video Clips | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

AVA GARDNER Secret Conversations Qualifying Entry Task (Wk of July 22)

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Annmarie Gatti

AVA GARDNER: The Secret Conversations — This Week’s Qualifying Entry Task:

Time flies when you’re having fun! This is the last week, and final book, in the Ava Gardner Book Giveaway. In order to qualify for this week’s Book Giveaway, you must complete the following task by Friday, July 26 at 5PM EST (i.e. any time between now and Friday, July 26 at 5PM EST):

In the book, Ava Gardner tells us about the first time she met Frank Sinatra. She was with Mickey Rooney at the studio commissary (not too long after they got married) — and Sinatra came over to their table and said “If I had seen you first honey, I’d have married you myself.” …

For this week’s Qualifying Entry Task, please:

1) CREATE your own list of “Five Fav Frank Sinatra Films” (pre-1970**)  via Classic Movie Hub’s ‘Create a List Tool” (click here)

2) TWEET (not DM) the Link to your “Five Fav Frank Sinatra Films” List:
TO @classicmoviehub
WITH the two hashtags #AvaGardner #QualifyingTask
BY Friday, July 26,  5PM EST

NEXT STEP: Once you have successfully completed the above Qualifying Entry Task, you will be eligible to win a copy of the book. Your next step will be to wait for my Trivia Question Tweet* which will be sent on Friday evening, July 26, at exactly 10PM EST — and correctly tweet the answer to the Trivia Question.  The FIRST PERSON to correctly Tweet the Answer to that Trivia Question wins the book (assuming they’re already eligible because they’ve successfully completed the above-referenced Qualifying Entry Task).

In other words, the first person who successfully completes this Qualifying Entry Task AND correctly answers the Friday night 10PM EST Trivia Question wins the book.

*Here’s my twitter handle @classicmoviehub

**If you have any questions, please feel free to DM me on Twitter @classicmoviehub

Contest Information and Rules.

And if you don’t want to wait to win a copy of the book, you can purchase it at amazon:

Good Luck!

–Annmarie Gatti from Classic Movie Hub

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Barbara Stanwyck Blogathon: Double Indemnity

Posted on July 22, 2013 by minooallen

 

Barbara Stanwyck: Double Indemnity 

Some actors are born to play a certain type. The word type-cast does exist for a reason.  Some are gruff and cast as cops, while others are wise and cast as grandfathers. This, however, was not the case for Barbara Stanwyck‘s Phyllis Dietrichson when cast in Double Indemnity.

Double Indemnity,  (1944, Billy Wilder director)

Although she had played characters with a severe moral deficiency in the past, before Double Indemnity Stanwyck had yet to play an all out, conscious free, cold-blooded killer – let alone one draped in femme fatale’s clothing. Yes, at first glance Barbara Stanwyck seems a bit miscast as the woman whose charm and beauty are to bring a noble man to his untimely doom. Sure, we’ve seen her sleep her way to the top in Baby Face and flirt like her life depended on it in Ball of Fire but never had Stanwyck been deemed the cool seductress or breaker of man. And to her credit, that’s not how she played the role. Her femme fatale is so much more.

Barbara Stanwyck as Phyllis in Double Indemnity (1944, Billy Wilder director)

The typical femme fatale up to this point had made use of one primary weapon: an ungodly beauty with innate feminine charms. Sure, they were intelligent, plotting creatures, I am in no way saying the femme fatale is only beauty, but it was always their beauty they utilized first. With Stanwyck, beauty but one of the many tools in her arsenal. With Stanwyck, the femme fatale is less seduction and more manipulation. Every conversation is an opportunity to consume information or  feed lies with every word calculated to elicit the correct emotional response. She can see the evil in the hearts of men, allowing herself to become a reflection of their own greed and naked ambition. Yes, insurance salesman Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) may have already fantasized about committing the perfect crime but without Stanwyck’s cold manipulation, without her false charms, it would have remained just that – harmless fantasy. Although Neff clearly had a dark side, it would never have seen light of day if not for Phyllis Dietrichson.

Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray in Double Indemnity (1944, Billy Wilder director)

For me, the most riveting part of Stanwyck’s performance is during the killing of her husband, only known as Mr. Dietrichson. The choice of Billy Wilder to remain close on Stanwyck’s face as opposed to showing the actual murder was genius. Her face is a culmination of everything that has transpired. Her initial surprise, the surprise that this is actually happending, is short lived. What happens next is powerful. All at once we see in her face the naked ambition and greed that drives her. Although her face is restrained, it does not lessen her ugly satisfaction at her husband’s unnatural death, at  her undeserved reward.

Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity (1944, Billy Wilder director)

Phyllis Dietrichson could have easily been your typical seductress, a femme fatale shrouded in beauty and mystery whose only saving grace is her love for her “victim”. Instead, we got something different. We got something colder, more calculating. What we got was a murderer disguised a seductress, a women with love for only herself, her ambition and her greed. What we got was one of Barbara Stanwyck’s best performances of her career.

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This post was written in conjunction with the Barbara Stanwyck Blogathon hosted by The Girl with the White Parasol.  There are so many more wonderful Classic Bloggers participating in this event so please be sure to check out the other entries.

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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub

Visit CMH’s BlogHub for more posts about Barbara Stanwyck by Veteran and Emerging Classic Movie Bloggers. 

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Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations Enter-to-Win Trivia Question (Friday July 19)

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Annmarie Gatti

Time for today’s Trivia Question (red font below) that will determine this week’s winner of Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations, courtesy of Simon & Schuster!  (remember, in order to win, you must have already pre-qualified via the Qualifying Entry Task)

THE QUESTION:

In the book, Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations, Ava talks candidly about her love life and relationships.  Directly after Ava filed for divorce from Mickey Rooney, she started dating a very famous producer who was filthy rich, owned TWA and was obsessed with flying. Who was this producer?  (please spell his name correctly and TWEET your answer to @classicmoviehub)   [if you need a hint scroll below]

The FIRST person (who already completed this week’s Qualifying Entry Task) to correctly TWEET the answer to the above question — wins! :)

If you need help with the answer, please click here:

Howard HughesAva Gardner dated this wealthy film maker, aviator and philanthropist.

You can read more about the book here at Simon & Schuster.

And if you don’t want to wait to win, you can buy it here at amazon:

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–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub

Posted in Books, Contests & Giveaways, Posts by Annmarie Gatti, Trivia Questions | Leave a comment

Barbara Stanwyck Blogathon: The Lady Eve

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Annmarie Gatti

And My Barbara Stanwyck Blogathon Pick is… The Lady Eve…

I am so excited to be participating in the Barbara Stanwyck Blogathon. I’m a huge fan of Barbara Stanwyck and I just love screwball comedies, so The Lady Eve is the perfect pick for me! A Big Thank You to The Girl with the White Parasol for hosting this wonderful event!

The Lady Eve

So what’s so great The Lady Eve???  Well, the exquisite script (courtesy of Preston Sturges), the fabulous cast of veteran character actors (Charles Coburn, Eugene Pallette, William Demarest, Eric Blore, Melville Cooper), Henry Fonda of course (the perfectly naive millionaire/scientist), and — Barbara Stanwyck (the card-sharp-seductress-turned-romantic-pushover). And, although the cast is undoubtedly stellar, Barbara Stanwyck ‘owns’ this film. Her performance is absolutely heartfelt.  Sure, when we ‘meet’ her we learn that she’s a crook, a seductress and a gold digger, but we like her anyway; and when she genuinely falls for Fonda (and boy does she fall), we witness her love, her hurt, her anger and her remorse – and we root for her to win Fonda back. 

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The Storyline:  In a nutshell, Stanwyck plays Jean Harrington, a classy card sharp who is traveling and ‘working’ with her partners-in-crime — her dad ‘Colonel’ Harrington (Charles Coburn) and his partner/valet Gerald (Melville Cooper). The larcenous trio are on a cruise preparing to fleece their next victim…humm, who will it be?  In ‘stumbles’ Henry Fonda who plays Charles Pike, a scientist returning from the Amazon where he was studying snakes for the past year. Oh — and by the way, Pike just so happens to be the heir to a huge brewery fortune, and is also quite a naive, clumsy bachelor. So that sets the stage for an interesting mix of events as Stanwyck moves effortlessly from playful seductress, to woman in love, to woman scorned, to woman seeking ‘revenge’, to woman in love again.

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The Scenes: There are some wonderfully priceless scenes in this film — and I could list them from now until forever, but I’ve narrowed them down to a few of my favorites:

Stanwyck’s calculated meeting with Fonda — when she purposely trips him, then scolds him for breaking the heel of her shoe:

The Lady Eve, Barbara Stanwyck and Henry FondaThe ‘accidental’ meeting between Jean and Pike

Jean: Why don’t you look where you’re going!?!
Pike: Why don’t I look!?!
Jean: Look what you did to my shoe, you knocked the heel off!
Pike: Oh I did? Well I’m certainly sorry.
Jean: You did and you can just take me right down to my cabin for another pair of slippers.
Pike: Oh well, certainly. I guess it’s the least I can do. By the way my name is Pike.
Jean: Oh everybody knows that, nobody’s talking about anything else. This is my father Colonel Harrington. My name is Jean, it’s really Eugenia…come on. Funny our meeting like this, isn’t it?

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Stanwyck’s plan of attack — when she skillfully tantalizes poor Fonda:

The Lady Eve, Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda in stateroomThe seduction scene in Jean’s stateroom where she toys with Pike’s hair — and heart

Jean: When I marry, it’s going to be somebody I’ve never seen before – I mean I won’t know what he looks like or where he’ll come from or what he’ll be. I want him to sort of take me by surprise.
Pike: Like a burglar.
Jean: That’s right, and the night will be heavy with perfume and I’ll hear his step behind me and somebody breathing heavily and then — ah — ah — you’d better go to bed Hopsie. I think I can sleep peacefully now
Pike: I wish I could say the same.
Jean: Why Hopsie!

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Stanwyck’s moment of truth — when Fonda confronts her after learning who she really is:

The Lady Eve, Barbara Stanwyck and Henry FondaA heartbroken Jean as she tries to explain herself to Pike

Jean: Maybe I wanted you to love me a little more too. You believe me, don’t you? You don’t think I was going to marry you without telling you? You don’t think that badly of me? Or do you?
Pike: Why didn’t you let your father rob me last night?
Jean: If you didn’t believe what I just told you, you wouldn’t believe that either. You wouldn’t understand.

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Stanwyck’s revenge — telling tall tales of elopements and affairs:

The Lady Eve, Barbara Stanwyck and Henry FondaThe wedding night scene where Jean discloses a myriad of indiscretions to a stunned Pike

Jean: I knew I could trust and confide in you. I suppose that’s why I fell in love with you.
Pike: Thank you.
Jean: I wonder if now would be the time to tell you about Herman.
Pike: Herman. Herman! Who was Herman!?!

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 Stanwyck’s remorse – as she realizes she desperately wants Fonda back:

The Lady Eve, Barbara StanwyckA distraught Jean tries to get Pike to speak to her, but to no avail…

Jean: I don’t want any money. I don’t want anything. He can have back his jewelry and anything else there is and I’ll go to Reno at my own expense. I think that’s only fair. Only one thing I want. I want to see him first. And I want him to ask me to be free.

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And I’m going to stop here because I don’t want to ruin the ending for you 🙂

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This post was written in conjunction with the Barbara Stanwyck Blogathon hosted by The Girl with the White Parasol.  There are so many more wonderful Classic Bloggers participating in this event so please be sure to check out the other entries.

–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub

Visit CMH’s BlogHub for more posts about Barbara Stanwyck by Veteran and Emerging Classic Movie Bloggers. 

 

Posted in Blogathons, Posts by Annmarie Gatti, Quotes | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Mini Tribute: Max Fleischer

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Annmarie Gatti

Born July 19, 1883 Animation Pioneer Max Fleischer!

Max Fleischer was a pioneer in the field of animation. Not only did he produce some of the most beloved cartoons of the era — Betty Boop, Koko the Clown, Popeye and Superman —  he also invented innovative animation techniques including Rotoscoping and ‘Follow the Bouncing Ball’. During its hey-day, his studio (Fleischer Studios Inc) was the most significant competitor to Walt Disney Productions.

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Max Fleischer with Betty Boop, Koko the Clown, Popeye and Olive OylMax Fleischer with some of his most well-known characters: Betty Boop, Koko the Clown, Popeye and Olive Oyl

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Max Fleischer animation invention RotoscopeMax Fleischer invented the Rotoscope and the Rotoscoping animation technique (tracing frames of live action film, patent 1917) for his Out of the Inkwell series

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Max Fleischer Follow the Bouncing BallMax Fleischer invented the “follow the bouncing ball” animation technique for his 1924 Song Car-Tunes singalong cartoon shorts

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I'm Popeye the Sailor Man Follow the Bouncing Ball“I’m Popeye the Sailor Man”  🙂

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–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub

 

 

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Mini Tribute: Gene Lockhart

Posted on July 18, 2013 by Annmarie Gatti

Born July 18, 1891 Character Actor Gene Lockhart!

Gene Lockhart appeared in over 145 film and TV roles, some of his most memorable being the Judge that ‘tries’ Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street (1947), Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol (1938), the Starkeeper in Carousel (1956), bumbling Sheriff Peter B. Hartwell in His Girl Friday (1940), and Regis the treacherous informant in Algiers (1938) for which he earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Gene Lockhart Miracle on 34th StreetGene Lockhart in Miracle on 34th Street (1947, director George Seaton)

“Since the United States Government declares this man to be Santa Claus, this court will not dispute it. Case dismissed.”
-Gene Lockhart as Judge Henry X. Harper in Miracle on 34th Street

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Gene Lockhart in His Girl FridayGene Lockhart as Sheriff Peter B. Hartwell in His Girl Friday (1940, director Howard Hawks)

Please don’t call me ‘Pinky’… because I got a name, see and it’s Peter B. Hartwell.
-Gene Lockhart as Sheriff Hartwell in His Girl Friday

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Gene Lockhart as the Starkeeper, Gordon MacRea, CarouselGene Lockhart as the Starkeeper and Gordon MacRae as Billy Bigelow in Carousel (1956, director Henry King)

Your daughter’s down there. She’s unhappy, she needs help.
-Gene Lockhart as Starkeeper in Carousel

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–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hb

Posted in Character Actors, Mini Tributes, Posts by Annmarie Gatti, Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mini Tribute: Jack Conway at Work

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Annmarie Gatti

Born July 17, in 1887 Director Jack Conway!

Jack Conway started out as an actor, first in theater, then in films in 1908 (mostly shorts).  By 1911 he was a member of D.W. Griffith’s stock company, appearing primarily in westerns.  In 1912 he started directing, and by 1922 he stopped acting completely (save for one role in a 1935 short called Roof Tops of Manhattan). In 1925 he became a contract director for MGM, remaining there until the end of his directing career in 1948.

So to celebrate the work of Jack Conway, let’s take a look at some behind-the-scenes photos from some of his best known films…

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Jack Conway with Ronald Coleman discussing script of A Tale of Two CitiesJack Conway and Ronald Colman discussing the script from A Tale of Two Cities (1935)

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Director Jack Conway on the set of Saratoga with Jean Harlow and Clark GableJack Conway with Jean Harlow and Clark Gable on the set of Saratoga (1937) (Jean Harlow’s last film)

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Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, Frank Morgan and director Jack Conway rehearsing a scene from Boom TownJack Conway (far right) with Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, Frank Morgan rehearsing a scene from Boom Town (1940)

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Director Jack Conway with Myrna Loy on the set of Too Hot to HandleJack Conway with Myrna Loy on the set of Too Hot to Handle (1938)

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Libeled Lady behind the scenesJack Conway directing Myrna Loy and William Powell on the set of Libeled Lady (1936)

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–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub

 

 

Posted in Behind the Scenes, Directors, Mini Tributes, Posts by Annmarie Gatti | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Get Smart: Me-TV’s Summer of Classic TV Blogathon

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Annmarie Gatti

Would you believe… Get Smart is one of my all-time favorite Classic TV Series???

Well if you’re reading this blog post as part of the Me-TV Summer of Classic TV Blogathon, I would venture to guess that, yes, you could believe it!  But — before I start blogging away about this fabulously zany spy spoof, I just want to extend a big thank you to the Classic TV Blog Association for hosting this blogathon! I am absolutely thrilled to be participating in it!

Okay now, here we go…

So, why do I adore Get Smart? In all honesty, I never really thought about it until now. Perhaps it’s just some crazy kind of comedy magic that just ‘works’. Okay, okay, I know that sounds a bit ludicrous, so let me think about this for a minute… a totally inept but extremely loyal spy (understatement), a crazy cast of colorful villains (dig those crazy accents), a bunch of agents that ‘pop up’ just about anywhere (have you checked your garbage can lately?), a ‘chief’ with the patience of a saint (well almost), a sultry and clever co-agent (thankfully some normalcy), some kooky ‘cutting edge’ spy gadgetry (shoe phone anyone?), catch phrases that will echo in the annals of Classic TV Fandom for eternity (eh, would you believe, for years to come?), and the never-ending battle between KAOS and CONTROL (hummm… wonder what that means). Oh, oh, oh  and let me not forget the comic genius of Mel Brooks and Buck Henry (big understatement).  It’s really quite an insane combination when you think about it — but boy does it work!

So without further ado, here’s to the comic genius of Get Smart!

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The Genesis:

Leonard Stern, Talent Associates, Get SmartLeonard Stern, partner (with Daniel Melnick and David Susskind) at Talent Associates, the production company for Get Smart

Daniel (Melnick) and Danny (David Susskind) had the idea to satirize James Bond. They hired Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, and Mel and Buck did the original idea for ABC… ABC did not like the script and essentially turned it down.* -Leonard Stern from Talent Associates

*After being turned down by ABC, they brought the pilot to Grant Tinker at NBC who loved it

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Daniel Melnick Get SmartDaniel Melnick, the brains behind Get Smart

“What are the two biggest movies in the world today? James Bond and Inspector Clouseau. Get my point?” -Daniel Melnick (according to Buck Henry interview)

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The Creators:

Mel BrooksMel Brooks (essentially) started his career as a writer for Your Show of Shows…
and the rest is history 🙂

Buck Henry was very, very talented, and together we came up with some incredible ideas. He invented the “Cone of Silence.” And I think I
invented the cell phone, because I dreamed up having Maxwell Smart talking on a shoe telephone. -Mel Brooks

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Buck HenryBuck Henry wrote Screenplays for The Graduate, What’s Up Doc, Catch 22, and The Owl and the Pussycat

“We knew where the fun would be. It’s parody and satire, and all we had to do was think about the aspects of either of those films (Bond, Pink Panther), but mostly Bond of course.” -Buck Henry

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The Seasons:

Get Smart Opening SceneGet Smart ran for Five Seasons: Four Seasons on NBC (September 18, 1965 – March 29, 1969), plus the Fifth and Final Season on CBS (September 26, 1969 – May 15, 1970)

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The Emmys:

EmmysWins:

1967: Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series, Don Adams
1967: Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy, Buck Henry and Leonard Stern (For episode “Ship of Spies” Parts 1 and 2)
1968: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy, Bruce Bilson
1968: Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series, Don Adams
1968: Outstanding Comedy Series Burt Nodella (producer)
1969: Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series, Don Adams1969: Outstanding Comedy Series, Burt Nodella (producer)

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Featured Cast:

Don Adams in Get SmartDon Adams as Maxwell Smart, CONTROL Agent 86 (138 episodes, 1965-1970)

Sorry about that, Chief. – Maxwell Smart

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Barbara Feldon in Get SmartBarbara Feldon as CONTROL Agent 99 (137 episodes, 1965-1970)

Good thinking, Max. -Agent 99

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Edward Platt as the Chief in Get SmartEdward Platt as the Chief, Head of CONTROL (134 episodes, 1965-1970)

The Chief: Now listen carefully: [complex instructions here] Did you get that?
Max: Not all of it.
The Chief: Which part didn’t you get?
Max: The part after ‘Now listen carefully’.

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Bernie Kopell as Ludwig von Siegfried in Get SmartBernie Kopell as Ludwig von Siegfried, Head of KAOS (14 episodes, 1966-1969)

This is KAOS. We don’t ‘shush’ here! -Siegfried

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Leonard Strong as The Claw on Get SmartLeonard Strong as The Claw, from the East-Asian KAOS branch (3 episodes, 1965-1968)

Max: Well, well, if it isn’t my old friend the Craw.
The Claw:  Not the Craw, the Craw! [in distintive Chinese accent]

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 And some more fun characters:

Robert Karvelas as Larabee on Get Smart

Robert Karvelas as Larabee, the Chief’s slow-witted assistant; Karvelas was Don Adam’s cousin (94 episodes, 1965-1970)

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Hymie the robot from Get SmartHymie the Robot: built to serve KAOS but switched to the side of CONTROL. Hymie has superhuman strength and abilities but is about as sharp as a bowling ball (6 episodes, 1966-1968)

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David Ketchum as Agent 13 in Get SmartDavid Ketchum as CONTROL Agent 13: you can usual find him in a washing machine, locker or trash can (13 episodes, 1966-1967)

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Victor French as Agent 44 on Get SmartVictor French as CONTROL Agent 44: Agent 13’s predecessor, also found in tight spaces (7 episodes, 1965-1966)
(was played by Al Molinaro in the Final Season, 2 episodes, 1969)

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Stacy Keach Sr as Carlson in Get SmartCarlson: CONTROL gadget man (10 episodes, 1966-1967)

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William Schallert as The Admiral on Get SmartWilliam Schallert  as The Admiral: founder of CONTROL and the former Chief (5 episodes, 1967-1970) [yes, that’s right, it’s Mr. Lane, Patty’s dad, on the Patty Duke Show]

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King Moody as Starker on Get SmartKing Moody as Starker: Siegfried’s chief henchman (10 episodes, 1966-1969)

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Jim Boles as Dr. Ratton on Get SmartJim Boles as Dr. Ratton: scientist who defected to KAOS and built Hymie the Robot (2 episodes, 1966-1967)

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Jack Gilford as Simon the LIkeable on Get SmartJack Gilford as Simon the Likeable: KAOS killer whose nice face mesmerizes everyone into liking him (2 episodes, 1969)

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And last but not least:

Fang on Get SmartRed as Fang/Agent K-13: met Max in Spy School, sometimes uses the cover name Morris (9 episodes, 1965-1966)

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And that is my entry for the Me-TV Summer of Classic TV Blogathon— but there are so many more wonderful Classic Bloggers participating in this event. So, please be sure to check out the other entries.

–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub

This post is part of Me-TV’s Summer of Classic TV Blogathon hosted by the Classic TV Blog Association. Go to http://classic-tv-blog-assoc.blogspot.com) to view more posts in this blogathon. You can also go to http://metvnetwork.com to learn more about Me-TV and view its summer line-up of classic TV shows.

 

 

Posted in Blogathons, Posts by Annmarie Gatti, Quotes, TV Roles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Nick Charles: Classic Movie Characters with Kickass Confidence

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Annmarie Gatti

Nick Charles in The Thin Man, as portrayed by William Powell

In 2002, film critic Roger Ebert praised William Powell‘s performance in the 1934 classic The Thin Man, stating that Powell “is to dialogue as Fred Astaire is to dance. His delivery is so droll and insinuating, so knowing and innocent at the same time, that it hardly matters what he’s saying.”

I couldn’t agree more. I saw The Thin Man for the first time as a very young girl, and was captivated by the character (noun and adjective!) of Nick Charles. His poise, his sophistication, and his intense wit and charm were a revelation to a young kid brought up on Dick Tracy and Joe Friday.

Here was a retired detective, brought back into service to find a murderer, who wasn’t afraid of mistakes or mishaps, and took everything with ease, grace, a sense of humor, and a chaser full of cocktails.


William Powell as Nick Charles in The Thin ManWilliam Powell as Nick Charles

I believe what gives Nick Charles so much kickass confidence is his relaxed sense of himself. It’s that kind of self esteem that draws you in and makes you want to share a drink and a few adventures with him. Cheers, Nicky!

–Michelle Kerrigan for Classic Movie Hub

 

Michelle Kerrigan is an expert in workplace performance who helps clients achieve success by developing the skills they need to increase their confidence. She shares “Classic Movie Characters with Kickass Confidence” because each of them has inspired her. She hopes that they inspire you too. For more about Michelle, visit www.workplaceconfidence.com.

 

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