BEYOND CASABLANCA Qualifying Entry Task (Wk of April 22)

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Annmarie Gatti

BEYOND CASABLANCA: This Week’s Qualifying Entry Task:

In order to qualify for this week’s Beyond Casablanca Book Giveaway, you must complete the following task by Monday, April 29 at 2PM EST (i.e. any time between now and Monday, April 29 at 2PM EST):

Jennifer Garlen, the author of Beyond Casablanca: 100 Classic Movies Worth Watching, is an independent scholar and writer. She writes about classic movies for Examiner.com, and is a well-respected Classic Movie Blogger (Virtual Virago) and CMH BlogHub member.

For this week’s Qualifying Entry Task, please:

1) READ Jennifer’s blog post at Virtual Virago called “Reel West: Old Tucson Studios”

2) TWEET (not DM) the name of one Western, mentioned in Jennifer’s blog post, that was shot at Old Tuscon Studios.
TO @classicmoviehub
WITH the two hashtags #BeyondCasablanca #QualifyingTask
BY Monday, April 29,  2PM 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 Monday evening, April 29, 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).

*Here’s my twitter handle @classicmoviehub

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

And if you don’t want to wait to win, you can purchase Jennifer’s book at amazon:

Contest Information and Rules.

Good Luck!

–Annmarie Gatti from Classic Movie Hub


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Mini Tribute: Child Actor Rex Downing

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Annmarie Gatti

Born April 21, 1925 Child Actor Rex Downing!

Rex Downing appeared in over 30 films and shorts (including a few of the Our Gang shorts) but is probably best known for his roles as young Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights and young Juan in Blood and Sand.

Rex Downing Child ActorRex Downing

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Rex Downing (below) is Young Heathcliff professing his undying love to  Sarita Wooton as Young Cathy in Wuthering Heights (1939, director William Wyler).  Heathcliff, as an adult, was played by Sir Laurence Olivier, and Cathy by Merle Oberon. 

rex downing young heathcliff on moors

Young Heathcliff: Let all the world confess, that there is not in all the world a more beautiful damsel than the Princess Catherine of Yorkshire.
Young Cathy: But I – I’m still your slave.
Young Heathcliff: No, Cathy. I now make you my queen. Whatever happens out there, here you will always be my queen.

aurence olivier wuthering heights merle oberon

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Rex Downing (below) is young Juan Gallardo who is determined (and destined) to become Spain’s most acclaimed matador in Blood and Sand (1941, director Rouben Mamoulian).  Juan, as an adult, was played by Tyrone Power.

rex downing blood and sand

Young Juan: I was born under a good shadow with a cape in my hands.

tyrone power blood and sand

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–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub

 

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Harold Lloyd needs a little Help!

Posted on April 20, 2013 by Annmarie Gatti

Just for Fun: A fitting Tribute to The King of Daredevil Comedy…

This Harold Lloyd Video Tribute, set to The Beatles song “Help!”, includes clips from An Eastern Westerner (1920), The Freshman (1925), Girl Shy (1924), Hot Water (1924), The Kid Brother (1927), Safety Last! (1923) and Speedy (1928). It also includes some footage of Jobyna Ralston, who was a leading lady in many of Harold Lloyd’s films.

(link to clip: http://youtu.be/VQj71FWk1FA )

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–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub

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

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Classic Movie Legend Tribute: Harold Lloyd

Posted on April 20, 2013 by minooallen

Happy Birthday to Classic Movie Legend Harold Lloyd, born April 20th, 1893!

Harold Lloyd in Safety Last (1923, Fred C. NewMeyer director)

You see that still frame above you? The only one that’s there? With Harold Lloyd? Well,  in my opinion, that still frame is the embodiment of the silent era comedy. Everything from the form to the aesthetics, from the content to the performer all capture the best of what our silent stars had to offer. It acts as both a testament to the simplistic genius of the times as well as a time capsule for a bygone era. For me, that is the power and importance of the one simple frame.

When we look at this picture, what do we see? A street, a clock, and a dangling comedian. Now look closer. We see a writer, a stunt man, no nets, so safety. We see the dare devil comedy that could only exist in an age where the phrase “we’ll fix it post” wasn’t invented and computers were still referred to as the abacus. It was simpler, in that what we watched was pure performance, but also becomes that much more visceral when you realize this performer literally risked life and limb for the sake of your laughter. Although Harold Lloyd’s persona lacks the modern following his peers Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton may enjoy, no one else captured the zeitgeist of silent comedy in one simple frame as much as he did.

Harold Lloyd. The Man. The Legend.

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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub

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

 

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BEYOND CASABLANCA Enter-to-Win Trivia Question (Friday April 19)

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Annmarie Gatti

Oh this is an easy one, so you’ll need to be quick…  It’s time for the Trivia Question (red font below) which will determine this week’s winner of Beyond Casablanca: 100 Classic Movies Worth Watching!  (remember, in order to win, you must have already pre-qualified via the Qualifying Entry Task)

THE QUESTION:

In the book, Beyond Casablanca: 100 Classic Movies Worth Watching, Jennifer Garlen includes a number of classic screwball comedies including The Lady Eve in which Barbara Stanwyck, as con woman Jean Harrington, ‘transforms’ herself into Lady Eve Sidwich, and It Happened One Night, where in one scene Claudette Colbert ‘transforms’ herself into a plumber’s wife.  Later in the book, Jennifer discusses another screwball comedy that also includes a ‘transformation’, calling it “an outrageously naughty comedy that still reigns supreme as the queen of cross-dressed capers.”  What is the name of the movie?  (TWEET your answer to @classicmoviehub)

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 ‘Have some Sugar” and click here.

And if you don’t win, you can purchase Jennifer’s book at amazon:

Contest Information and Rules.

Good Luck!

–Annmarie Gatti from Classic Movie Hub

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The Marx Brothers: Unplugged

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Annmarie Gatti

Just for Fun: The Marx Brothers — not in character!

To be quite honest, I don’t think I would have recognized any of them on the street!  Took me a while to pick out Harpo. Nice to see them all together like this…

The Marx Brothers 'Unplugged'Zeppo, Groucho, Chico, Gummo and Harpo

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–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub

 

 

 

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Classic Movie Legend Tribute: William Holden

Posted on April 17, 2013 by minooallen

 

Happy Birthday to Classic Movie Legend, William Holden, born on April 17th, 1918!

William Holden, the Golden Boy

I’ll be honest with you, (hopefully) loyal reader, it took me a while to ‘get’ William Holden. My first experience with Holden was in Billy Wilder’s Sabrina, and I found myself much more smitten by Bogart even though I freely admit Holden gave a better performance.  After watching that film, I began my quest to watch any and all Bogart films I could get my hand on, while Holden slipped further and further from my mind. Of course, I had watched more Holden movies but my reasons were never to simply watch Holden. I watched The Bridges at Toko-Ri because of my love for Mickey Rooney and Grace Kelly, and saw Picnic while on a brief Kim Novak kick. It wasn’t until I re-watched my favorite movie, Sunset Blvd, for probably the 5th time, that the appeal of Holden hit me.

William Holden with Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina. (1954, Billy Wilder Director)
How could I not understand?

You see, even though Sunset Blvd is my favorite film; I never initially paid too much attention to Holden. Sure, I knew he gave a stellar performance, but I was also too distracted by the larger-life-performance of Gloria Swanson or the perfectly paced direction of Billy Wilder to truly notice Holden. But now, well; now I get it.

When I finally paid attention to Holden, I saw the sardonic whimsy he added to his performance. In world such as Sunset Blvd – a world of over the top characters and surreal situations – Holden’s attitude remained humorously observant. Although he participated in the riff-raff that was Norma Desmond’s life, he never becomes all-consumed by it. Even when he had given into Desmond’s personal affection, he remains sardonically aloof.

William Holden at his aloof best in Sunset Blvd (1950, Billy Wilder director)

And that is the essence of the Holden persona. Although grounded by reality, he never lets it dictate how he participates in the world. Rather than allow the seriousness and heaviness of life consume his behavior, he sees and points to the absurdities that exist within said seriousness. He floats through life, meandering from one situation to another, allowing himself to experience whatever absurdities are thrown his way before they throw him in a completely new direction.

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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub

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

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Classic Movie Legend Tribute: Charlie Chaplin

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Annmarie Gatti

Happy Birthday to Classic Movie Legend, Charles Chaplin, born April 16th, 1889!

I’m certainly not a film expert by any stretch of the imagination; I am simply ‘just’ a film fan.  And yet, while I may not understand the technical underpinnings of Chaplin’s great artistry, I am absolutely thunderstruck by his brilliance none-the-less.  My mind boggles at the mere thought of Chaplin’s immense genius (and I don’t use that word lightly) as Director, as Producer, as Actor, as Comedian, as Screenwriter, as Composer, as Editor, and yes, even as Choreographer (in Limelight).

What I love most about Chaplin’s work is that every time I watch one of his films, I am truly moved. He makes me laugh, he makes me cry, he makes me think, he makes me wonder. He makes me marvel at all the little nuances that make his films so magical – whether it’s simply how a scene fades out, or how the musical bed weaves into the storyline, or how incredibly ‘naive’ he looks when he’s on the brink of some slapstick calamity. In a nutshell, he makes me sit in awe and wonder how he could have had so much creative vision and the incredible discipline and focus to accomplish so much, so well. To sum it up, when I think of Charlie Chaplin, I think of poetry, masterpieces and artistry — but I also think of hard work, details and relentlessness.

That said, to celebrate Mr. Chaplin’s birthday, some scenes from some of my favorite Charlie Chaplin films:


The Gold Rush 1925 (Charlie Chaplin: Director, Producer, Actor, Writer, Editor, Composer). One of my favorite films since I was a little girl (thanks to my father :))
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Roller Skating Scene from Modern Times 1936 (Charlie Chaplin: Director, Producer, Actor, Writer, Editor, Composer)
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The Kid 1921 (Charlie Chaplin: Director, Producer, Actor, Writer, Editor, Composer)
The Kid was played by Jack Coogan who grew up to be The Addams Family’s Uncle Fester!
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City Lights 1931 (Charlie Chaplin: Director, Producer, Actor, Writer, Editor, Composer)
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And for good measure:

Clip about the film City Lights by the Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: How Chaplin Revolutionized Movies from a Music Perspective

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Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub

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

 

Posted in Birthday Legends, Directors, Legends Tribute, Music, Posts by Annmarie Gatti | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mini Tribute: Hans Conried

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Annmarie Gatti

Born April 15, 1917 Character Actor Hans Conried!

Character Actor Hans Conried appeared in over 200 film and television roles — including Disney’s Peter Pan (as Captain Hook) and My Friend Irma (as Professor Kropotkin). He also most famously played Danny Thomas’ Uncle Tonoose on TV’s Make Room for Daddy!

Conried was also the voice of Snidely Whiplash (The Bullwinkle Show), Wally Walrus (The Woody Woodpecker Show) and Professor Waldo Wiggleswort (Hoppity Hooper).

Here’s to the many sides of Hans Conried:

Hans Conried, Character Actor, Voice Actor, TV ActorHans Conried as Snidely Whiplash, himself, Captain Hook, Professor Waldo Wiggleswort, Uncle Tonoose and Wally Walrus

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–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub

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

 

 

Posted in Cartoons, Character Actors, Mini Tributes, Posts by Annmarie Gatti, TV Roles, Voice Actors | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

James Bond: Classic Movie Characters with Kickass Confidence

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Michelle Kerrigan

Bond, James Bond— in Goldfinger, played by Sean Connery

Like many people, I’ve had a love affair with James Bond for years. I only chose Goldfinger, because it was my very first Bond movie.

I mean, c’mon—who doesn’t love a suave, sophisticated and sexy secret agent? The character oozes charm and exceptional taste in everything, including his greatest passion: beautiful women.

Sean Connery as James Bond in GoldfingerPhoto: Sean Connery as James Bond in Goldfinger (1964, Guy Hamilton director)

But, what gives this classic movie character top marks in kickass confidence is Bond’s laser focus on his mission—to protect his country. This type of dedication takes guts and nerve, and that’s what I think I love the most about him.

Make no mistake: Bond is 007 first and foremost, with a license to kill—and, luckily for us–a license to thrill!

–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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