I’m happy to announce that Michelle Kerrigan, expert in Workplace Confidence — who just so happens to be a passionate Classic Movie Fan — will be doing a series especially for CMH called “Classic Movie Characters with Kickass Confidence!” The series will kick off on Monday, April 1 — and will feature Michelle’s insight on some of our most beloved Classic Movie Characters and how they exude strength and confidence!
Can’t wait to see the first post 🙂
–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub
As human beings, and by reading this I assume you are one, we love seeing things grow. We plant tiny little seeds to watch them grow into bright colorful flowers. Parents save photographs of their babies to document their development from tiny little people to adult big people. We buy tiny foam capsules to watch them grow into less tiny foam dinosaurs. Ok. Maybe that’s just me but the point is that we love to watch things grow and develop. And this is why I love David Lean. Not following? It’s ok. Let me explain.
David Lean, being a B.A.
You see, in my opinion, David Lean’s directorial career is a perfect example of organic artistic growth and development. Like many directors, Lean started his career in the editor’s room, cutting away at others’ work for 10 years before finally getting a chance to sit in the director’s chair. His first three films, In Which We Serve, This Happy Breed, and Blithe Spirit, were all based on Noel Coward plays and demonstrated not only his ease with actors, but also his ability to transpose the staged play into motion picture. Although his first three films gave a glimpse of his talents, his next film, Brief Encounters, also based on a Coward play, showed the evolution of that talent. In the wrong hands, the film could have easily been a tripe British romance, full of stuffy people and stuffy melodrama. But with Lean, we got something more. We got two perfectly played and perfectly subtle performances. We got an unique atmosphere that’s equal parts mystery, romance, and secrecy. With Lean, we got to see him grow.
Cecil Johnson and Trevor Howard in Brief Encounter (1945, David Lean)
And of course his growth didn’t stop there. He went on to further develop his craft through novel adaptations such as Great Expectations and Oliver Twist, and by working with actors on location in places like Venice. Constantly growing and evolving, it seems the logical next step that Lean would go on to direct Bridge on the River Kwai — and forever change his place in film history. You see, before Bridge on the River Kwai, Lean had not directed anything close to an epic. Sure, his films were “epic” in that they were very well crafted while also being very entertaining. But the Lean we know today, the Lean that directed Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and A Passage to India; The Lean that directs Epics, didn’t exist until 1957. That’s the beauty of Lean — rather than finding a niche and staying with it, he grew. He sought new challenges, new locations, and new ways to grow. Because of that, the boy who directed funny plays became the man who directed classic epics.
David Lean on the set of Lawrence of Arabia
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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub
Visit CMH’s BlogHub for more posts about David Lean by Veteran and Emerging Classic Movie Bloggers.
Paula Winslowe appeared in over 30 roles, mostly on TV — including Mrs. Martha Conklin in Our Miss Brooks (radio and TV), Mary Dunkle / Mrs. Peabody on The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet (TV) and Mrs. Netwick in My Mother the Car (TV). She was also the voice of Greta Gravel on The Flintstones.
Winslowe’s Feature Film ‘Claim-to-Fame’ was her Debut Film role as Bambi’s Mother in the 1942 Disney film classic, Bambi.
Paula Winslowe as ‘herself’ and as Bambi’s mother in the 1942 Disney Film Bambi
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–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub
So, I’m going to honest with you all – my first impression of Joan Crawford was not actually Joan Crawford. Like many young children with a taste for flair and flamboyance, my first Joan Crawford experience was Faye Dunaway screaming “No more wire hanger!” in the movie Mommy Dearest. Now, I don’t want to start a debate over the validity of the film or claims against Crawford because, well, that’s just been done to death. What I want to say is that I’m glad I was able, in my teen years, to overcome that first impression and develop an appreciation for Crawford as a movie star.
What I appreciate about Crawford is not simply her on screen glamour, though glamorous she most definitely was. What makes me truly appreciate and respect Crawford was her dedication to her fans. Living under the credo that she was nothing without her fans, Joan Crawford would sit down for hours at a time and write personalized responses to her fan letters. If Joan Crawford were alive today, that would be the equivalent of answering every fan tweet she received — except instead of doing it in 140 characters, she, ya know, wrote whole entire letters. It’s estimated that in her lifetime, she wrote over three million letters. I can’t help but think that there are many people who probably haven’t written three million words, let alone three million letters, in their lifetime. So, to celebrate this most gracious of classic stars let us observe her being just that.
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Joan Crawford smiling at all her fan mail.
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Joan Crawford signing head shots.
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Joan Crawford writing her devoted fans.
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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub
Trying something a little new today… a tiny tribute to Classic Movie Birthdays…
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Chico Marx – Born March 22, 1887: A Day at the Races, A Night at the Opera, Duck Soup, Horse Feathers…
Chico Marx (as Tony) selling Racing Books to Groucho (as Dr. Hackenbush) in the Marx Brothers’ A Day at the Races (1937, Sam Wood director)
“Getta your tootsie-fruitsie ice cream!” -Chico Marx in A Day at the Races
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Karl Malden – Born March 22, 1912: A Streetcar Named Desire (Best Supporting Actor Oscar), On the Waterfront (Supporting Actor Nomination), How the West Was Won, Nevada Smith -& of course TV’s Lt. Mike Stone on The Streets of San Francisco! 
Karl Malden as Father Barry in On the Waterfront (1954, Elia Kazan director)
“You’d better get rid of that gun unless you haven’t got the guts — and if you don’t you’d better hang on to it!” -Karl Malden in On the Waterfront
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Joseph Schildkraut – Born March 22, 1896: The Life of Emile Zola (Best Sup Actor Oscar), Marie Antoinette, The Shop Around the Corner, The Diary of Anne Frank, Cleopatra 1934…
Millie Perkins (as Anne Frank) and Joseph Schildkraut (as Anne’s father, Otto) in The Diary of Anne Frank (1959, George Stevens director)
“Always remember this Anna, there are no walls, no bolts, no locks that anyone can put on your mind.” -Joseph Schildkraut in The Diary of Anne Frank
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Marcel Marceau – Born March 22, 1923: “Master of Silence” legendary mime, survived the Nazi occupation, joined the French Underground and saved children during WWII.
Marcel Marceau
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Virginia Grey – Born March 22, 1917: All That Heaven Allows, Another Thin Man, The Big Store, The Rose Tattoo, Madame X…
Virginia Grey
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James Westerfield – Born March 22, 1913: On the Waterfront, Birdman of Alcatraz, The Absent Minded Professor, True Grit…
James Westerfield
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Werner Klemperer – Born March 22, 1920: The Wrong Man, Judgment at Nuremberg – & of course he was Colonel Klink on Hogan’s Heroes!
Werner Klemperer
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William Shatner – Born March 22, 1931: handful of parts in some Classic Movies (i.e. The Brothers Karamazov 1958 starring Yul Brynner), lots of TV roles – most famously as Sgt. T.J. Hooker AND of course Star Trek’s Captain Kirk!
Wiliiam Shatner as Captain Kirk
“I drink Labatt’s, not Romulan ale!” -William Shatner
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Herbert Rudley – Born March 22, 1910: The Seventh Cross, A Walk in the Sun, The Silver Chalice -& Eve Arden’s husband in The Mothers-in-Law!
Herbert Rudley
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Wilfrid Brambell – Born March, 22 1912: I know him best as Paul’s Grandfather in A Hard Day’s Night! 🙂
Wilfrid Brambell as Paul’s Grandfather in The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night (1964, Richard Lester director)
“I’ve been in a train and a room, and a car and a room, and a room and a room.” -Wilfrid Brambell in A Hard Day’s Night
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TO SEE WHO’S BORN ON YOUR BIRTHDAY (or any given day) check out the CMH Birthday Database
Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub
W.S. Van Dyke is a producer’s dream director. Not only was he capable of directing multiple genres, he had an unprecedented skill of finishing pictures on-time and under budget. He earned the nickname “One-take Woody,” due to his directing praxis of shooting each scene as quickly and efficiently as possible. During his 25-year tenure as a film director, he directed over 90 films. In case crunching numbers isn’t your thing, I did it for you — that’s 3.6 films a year. To put that in perspective, during Quentin Tarantino’s 25 years as a director, he directed 9 films or .36 films a year with a couple of TV credits thrown in for good measure.
Of course, it’s not simply Van Dyke’s speed as a director that made him the toast of producers everywhere; it was his craft as well. Just because Woody liked to work fast does not mean he wasn’t dedicated to making the best picture possible. In a span of six years, he directed such classics as The Thin Man, Manhattan Melodrama, San Francisco, After the Thin Man, Marie Antoinette and I Love You Again. That’s a classic a year and that is simply amazing. So, to celebrate this speedy director, let us take a look at some of his most beloved films.
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Clark Gable in Manhattan Melodrama (1934, W.S Van Dyke director)
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William Powell and Myrna Loy in The Thin Man (1934, W.S Van Dyke director)
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Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette (1938, W.S Van Dyke director)
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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub
Christian Roberts appeared in about 20 films and tv shows through the 1960s and 1970s — but he is probably best known for his role as Denham in his 1967 Feature Film Debut, To Sir with Love.
Christian Roberts as Denham in To Sir with Love (1967, James Clavell director)
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Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub
Kurt Russell made his Film Debut in 1963 (uncredited) at 11 yrs old — as the ‘boy who kicks Mike (aka Elvis Presley)’ in It Happened at the World’s Fair.
Russell went on to become a top Disney star during the ’60s and ’70s — starring in some wonderful Disney films including The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit, Follow Me Boys and The Strongest Man in the World. Russell also appeared in a handful of episodes on TV’s Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color from 1967 to 1972.
Kurt Russell in Disney’s The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969)
In 1998 Russell received the Disney Legends Award for living up to Disney principals of imagination, skill, discipline, craftsmanship and magic!
Disney Legends Plaza and Kurt Russell’s Handprints
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Of course, Russell went on to appear in some Cult Film Classics — starring as Snake Plissken in John Carpenter’s action flicks, Escape from NY (1981) and Escape from LA (1996), and as helicopter pilot R.J. MacReady in John Carpenter’s horror film The Thing (1982).
I seem to have a knack for picking movies that go on to be cult favorites.
-Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken in John Carpenter’s Escape from New York
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And, last but not least, Russell appeared in his share of ‘mainstream’ films including Mike Nichols’ Silkwood opposite Meryl Streep and Cher (1983), Ron Howard’s Backdraft also starring Robert DeNiro and William Baldwin (1991), and Garry Marshall’s Overboard opposite life-partner Goldie Hawn (1987)
Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn in Overboard (directed by Garry Marshall)
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Annmarie Gatti at Classic Movie Hub
Jerry Lewis: Comedian, Actor, Singer, Producer, Director, Screenwriter — and if that’s not enough — the National Chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (1950-2011) and a Nobel Peace Prize Nominee (for his work in raising money to fight Muscular Dystrophy).
Wow. An impressive list to say the least.
For me however, when I think of Jerry Lewis, I think of all those wonderfully funny and heartwarming characters he’s played throughout his career (and there are lots of them!) — whether it’s Seymour from My Friend Irma, Theodore Rogers from The Stooge, Myron Mertz from Scared Stiff, Morty S. Tashman from The Errand Boy, Cinderfella, or Professor Julius Kelp / Buddy Love from The Nutty Professor!
So here’s to Jerry Lewis and some of his wonderful character creations!
Hey lady! :))))
Jerry Lewis as Seymour in My Friend Irma Goes West (1950, Hal Walker director); sequel to his Debut Film, My Friend Irma (1949 George Marshall director)
Jerry Lewis (right) as Theodore Rogers with Dean Martin as Bill Miller (Theodore’s show biz partner) in The Stooge (1952, Norman Taurog director)
Jerry Lewis ‘as’ Carmen Miranda in Scared Stiff (1953, George Marshall director)
Jerry Lewis (right) as Myron Mertz and Dean Martin as Larry Todd in Scared Stiff
Jerry Lewis (right) as Harvey Miller Jr and Dean Martin as Joe Anthony in The Caddy (1953, Norman Taurog director)
Jerry Lewis as Eugene Fullstack in Artists and Models (1955, Frank Tashlin director)
Jerry Lewis as Private Meredith C. Bixby in The Sad Sack (1957, George Marshall director)
Jerry Lewis as Stanley in The Bellboy (1960, Jerry Lewis director, producer and writer)
Jerry Lewis as Cinderfella (1960, Frank Tashlin director; Jerry Lewis producer and writer)
The Puppet Scene (The Ritts Puppets) from The Errand Boy starring Jerry Lewis as Morty S. Tashman (1961, Jerry Lewis director and writer)
Jerry Lewis as Professor Julius Kelp in The Nutty Professor (1963, Jerry Lewis director and writer)
Jerry Lewis as Buddy Love in The Nutty Professor (1963, Jerry Lewis director, producer, writer)
Jerry Lewis as Norman Phiffier in Who’s Minding the Store? (1963, Frank Tashlin director)
Jerry Lewis as Jerome Littlefield in The Disorderly Orderly (1964, Frank Tashlin director)
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I know I left out a bunch, so please feel free to chime in with your favorites!
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Annmarie Gatti from Classic Movie Hub
Well, another year, another Academy Awards — oops, sorry — Oscars — as they are now being officially called according to co-producer Neil Meron, who explains that it is part of a rebranding effort by AMPAS:
“We’re rebranding it. We’re not calling it ‘the 85th annual Academy Awards,’ which keeps it mired somewhat in a musty way. It’s called ‘The Oscars.” (source: wrap.com).
I was actually very sorry to read Meron’s statement, as it implied that the show was being contemporized to highlight and ‘advertise’ Hollywood’s current list of priorities (understandable of course) but, unfortunately at the expense of also paying tribute to the iconic ‘greats’ that helped build Hollywood in the first place… For me, this realization was a big let-down, as I’ve always thought of the Oscars as a celebration of Hollywood’s greatest achievements and artistry — including its iconic pedigree.
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Oh well, you can only control what you can control, so I watched the awards regardless, hoping that I would see some spectacular tribute to someone iconic somewhere among all the scripted ‘comedy’ and ‘Grammy-inspired’ glitz and glam…
I don’t want to be too harsh here, so I won’t comment too much about the ceremony itself, because (being an avid Classic Movie fan), you can probably guess that I was quite disappointed with the ‘high-school’ humor, the flat deliveries, the off-key singing, and the lack of homage paid to the ‘greats’ — but of course, I am clearly not the demographic they are now targeting in their re-branding efforts. Oh well, live and let live… I will say however that I was very much moved by Daniel Day Lewis’ heartfelt and funny Best Actor acceptance speech for his role as Lincoln, as well as Barbara Streisand’s magnificent delivery of “The Way We Were” sung in tribute to her colleague and friend, the late great composer Marvin Hamlisch.
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Video Clip of Streisand’s tribute to Marvin Hamlisch (youtube)
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…Which leads me to the fact that the Oscars’ “In Memoriam” Video Tribute omitted some wonderful and iconic Classic Movie and TV Stars — unfortunately… since this was the one included vehicle that could pay tribute to at least some of Hollywood’s greats. Of course I realize that there are time restrictions to contend with, but just an extra minute or two carved out from ‘somewhere,’ would have done the trick. Oh well, pins and needles, needles and pins…
The video did include:
Ernest Borgnine, Jack Klugman, Celeste Holm, Charles Durning, Director Ulu Grosbard, Herbert Lom, Disney songwriter Robert B. Sherman, Writer Ray Bradbury and Produer Richard D. Zanuck.
But omitted:
Do you know of any other Classic-Era Movie or TV Stars that were omitted?
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–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub
