Mini Tribute: Child Star Jane Withers

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Annmarie Gatti

Born April 12, 1926 Child Star Jane Withers!

Happy Birthday Jane Withers — who turns 87 years old today!  Withers ‘big break’ came at age 8 when she won her first credited film role –as the brat who ‘terrorizes’ Shirley Temple in Bright Eyes. That role won her a contract with Fox, and she became a child star in her own right.

As an adult Withers appeared in a handful of films including George Stevens‘ Giant, as well as a number of television shows — but she is probably best remembered as Josephine the Plumber from the 1960’s-1970’s Comet TV ads!

Jane Withers child star and Comet's Josephine the PlumberJane Withers as Child Star, Comet’s Josephine the Plumber, and as Adult

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Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub

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

 

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BEYOND CASABLANCA Enter-to-Win Trivia Question (Friday April 12)

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Annmarie Gatti

Okay!  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 hails 1931’s Frankenstein (starring Boris Karloff) as ‘a true landmark in the history of horror.’  Later on in the book, Jennifer talks about another landmark Frankenstein-related film, this time in the ‘horror comedy’ genre. This 1948 classic starred a famous American Comedy Duo — along with Dracula, The Wolf Man, and the Frankenstein Monster (this time played by Glenn Strange).  What is the name of the movie?  (TWEET your answer to @classicmoviehub)

If you need a hint: the film is ‘the first in a whole series of “meet” movies, although the (comedy duo) had experimented with the horror comedy format in “Hold That Ghost”. (book excerpt)

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 ‘Go get the other crate” 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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Classic Music Legend Tribute: Max Von Sydow

Posted on April 10, 2013 by minooallen

Happy Birthday to Classic Movie Legend Max Von Sydow, born April 10th, 1929!

Fate has an interesting way of creating legends. One way (although I am in no way advocating this) is to go out while you’re on top — as in ‘live fast, die young, and leave a beautiful corpse’ for us all to remember. Many of classic Hollywood’s most notable symbols of youth and beauty — think James Dean, Marilyn Monroe and Jean Harlow — leave behind a legend stuck in time, never to age or have beauty fade. Other legends, however, transcend the still-frame of youth and age gracefully into the title of legend. Max Von Sydow, today 84, is that legend.

Max Von Sydow playing against Death in The Seventh Seal (1957, director Ingmar Bergman)

Max Von Sydow began his career in Sweden by training at the Royal Dramatic Theatre where he made his screen debut in Alf Sjoberg’s Only a Mother in 1951. A few years later, in 1955, he would go on to met the man destined to shape his career, the ever-great, ever-talented Ingmar Bergman. With Bergman as his mentor, Sydow not only honed his skill as an actor but would also star in The Seventh Seal. In the film’s opening act, Sydow portrays a knight who plays death in a game of chess. The film, along with several other Bergman flicks, would ascend him to the top of the Art House film world. After years of working on both stage and screen in Scandinavia, Sydow finally agreed to go to Hollywood to play none other than Jesus Christ in George Stevens‘ epic tale, The Greatest Story Ever Told.

Max Von Sydow making his Hollywood debut as Jesus in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965, Director George Stevens)

And from there, he just kept working. In the seventies, he eased his way into the American pop culture as Father Lankester Merrin in the now classic horror film The Exorcist. In the eighties he courted with the New York intelligentsia in what is considered one of Woody Allen’s best, Hannah and Her Sisters. In the nineties he showed even the best of actors can make a mistake by co-staring in the Stallone vehicle Judge Dredd, and in the 2000’s he is still a force to be reckoned with, having starred in films such as Minority Report, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and Robin Hood.

Max Von Sydow a living legend gracing the screen in Minority Report (2002, director Steven Spielberg)

Decade after decade, Sydow would consistently give one great performance after the next. And with his next film, The Letters, set for a 2013 release, he doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.

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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub

Visit CMH’s BlogHub for more posts about Max Von Sydow by Veteran and Emerging Classic Movie Bloggers.

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BEYOND CASABLANCA Qualifying Entry Task (Wk of April 8)

Posted on April 8, 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 Friday, April 12 at 7PM EST (i.e. any time between now and Friday, April 12 at 7PM 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) RATE 5 blog posts by Jennifer via the Virtual Virago BlogHub Page at Classic Movie Hub (click here)

2) TWEET (not DM) the Link to ONE of your favorite Virtual Virago blog posts
TO @classicmoviehub
WITH the two hashtags #BeyondCasablanca #QualifyingTask
BY Friday, April 12,  7PM 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, April 12, 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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BEYOND CASABLANCA Enter-to-Win Trivia Question (Friday April 5)

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Annmarie Gatti

Okay, this is it!  Time for the Trivia Question (red font below) that 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 this ground-breaking 1937 animated classic in her 10 Essential Classic Films List — described as follows:
“Walt Disney’s first feature-length animated film stands as a landmark in cinematic history, showing that cartoon movies could be fully realized narratives with both adults and children as the intended audience.  Adapted from the classic fairy tale, the picture boasts gorgeous old-school animation and a masterful combination of action, comedy, and horror”  What is the name of this ground-breaking Disney film?  (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 ‘Whistle While You Work” 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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Classic Movie Legend Tribute: Bette Davis

Posted on April 5, 2013 by minooallen

Happy Birthday to CLassic Movie Lengend, Bette Davis, born April 5th, 1908.

“Well behaved women seldom make history”

Wonderful saying, right? One thing I’ve always loved about Classic Hollywood is that you can find a whole slew of history-making ‘not-so well behaved’ women. And one woman in particular that I would like to talk about today is birthday girl, Bette Davis.

Forget Beyonce, here is the Original Queen B

Bette Davis loved to work. She lived by the mantra that more than family, more than friends, your work is what you leave behind. Your work is your legacy. And because of that, she demanded control over her roles and her image. Of course, this is the time of the famed Studio System, when both your onscreen and public persona were carefully crafted by the studio machine. Davis, being the not-so-well-behaved woman that she was, balked at this. Feeling stifled by her contact at Warner Brothers, she did the unthinkable: she sued the studio.

Bette Davis as one of her most misbehaved characters in Jezebel (1938, director William Wyler)

After being forced to star in movie after movie that she felt were beneath her talent as an actress and sometimes contrary to her personal views, Davis sued Warner Brothers to get out of her contact. This, of course, is something no ‘well behaved woman’ would do. And as much as I would love to say she won and lived happily ever-after, she didn’t. In fact, she lost and returned to Hollywood in debt — and at Warner Brothers. However, her bad behavior must have garnered some attention because when she returned, she began what can be arguable be considered the greatest phase of her career.  From Marked Woman to Jezebel from Little Foxes to Now Voyager, Davis was finally given roles worthy of both her talent and star power. 

But without the gall to sue Warner Brothers, who knows where she would be. Probably not one of the greatest leading ladies in the history of Hollywood.  So, go on ladies, take chances, have a voice and above all, misbehave.

Bette Davis with Celeste Holm, misbehaving in All About Eve (1950, director Joseph L. Mankiewicz)

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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub

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

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Classic Movie Legend Tribute: Gregory Peck

Posted on April 5, 2013 by minooallen

 

Happy Birthday to Classic Movie Legend, Gregory Peck, born April 5th, 1916!

Sometimes I can’t help but wonder if Gregory Peck is actually human. I can’t help it. He is almost too perfect to be of this world. Is it really so crazy to think he is some short elaborate alien experiment to create the perfect human being? I mean, look at the evidence.

Exhibit 1: His Face

Who gets to this to be this pretty while simultaneously being this manly? How does nature create such a being?

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Exhibit 2: His Talent. Gregory Peck with Brock Peters in his Oscar winning role of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962, directed by Robert Mulligan)

OK. So he’s ungodly pretty, some people are just born lucky. But not everyone is lucky enough to be born pretty and talented. With 5 Academy Award nominations under his belt and one resting on his night stand*, I think it’s fair to say that, although his looks may have gotten him through the door, his talent and screen presence made him a legend.

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Exhibit 3: His Politics. Gregory Peck plays a politically progressive Lawyer in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962, directed by Robert Mulligan)

His fight for justice, civil rights, and government accountability may have landed him on Nixon’s list of enemies but it also landed him in the hearts of the oppressed everywhere. And although he was incredibly outspoken against the war in Vietnam, he remained supportive of his son and other soldiers who were fighting over there. So, he opposed the larger atrocities of the Vietnam War while understanding the need to support the individuals whose lives were irrevocably changed by fighting in said war. So, not only was he good looking and talented, but he was also a genuinely good “person” who gave support to the social and political causes he believed.

I’m sorry, but no person can be this good. There can be only one answer.

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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub

*Actually, if you count the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Oscar Award given to Peck in 1968, that would equal two Oscars won.

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

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Classic Movie Legend Tribute: Anthony Perkins

Posted on April 4, 2013 by minooallen

 

Happy Birthday to Classic Movie Legend, Anthony Perkins, born April 4th, 1932!

Anthony Perkins’ acting career has fascinated me. Sure, there are a lot of actors who are either typecast or who only have a single memorable role, but with Perkins, it’s different.  I mean, it’s one thing to be typecasted because you fit the type; Eric Blore often played a butler for a reason. But it’s entirely different when you create a character so memorable, people can’t see you as anything else. What Perkins did was play a role so well, and so well crafted, that he created – not simply a character – but cultural icon.

He created a character so unique, so complex and so subversively menacing that Norman Bates has become a point of reference in American culture. Sure, Perkins was still able to make it as working actor after Psycho, but the phantom of Norman Bates was to follow him in every room he held auditions.  When I think about it, it amazes me. Perkins did such superb job in Psycho that it literally shaped how the public would view him for the rest of his life and ensured that Bates would live on far after his death. And although Perkins spent almost 50 years in the business and has over 60 acting credits to his name, he will only be truly remembered for one: Norman Bates.

Anthony Perkins with Janet Leigh in Psycho (1960, Alfred Hitchock)

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Anthony Perkins with Alfred Hitchcock on the set of Psycho (1960, Alfred Hitchock)

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Anthony Perkins‘ most famous face, Norman Bates, in Psycho (1960, Alfred Hitchock)

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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub

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

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Classic Movie Legend Tribute: Alec Guinness

Posted on April 2, 2013 by minooallen

 

Happy Birthday to Classic Movie Legend, Alec Guinness, born April 2nd, 1914!

Some actors are divas. We’ve all heard the rumors of insane dressing room demands and the so-called “no-eye contact” clause. Yes, in our current celebrity culture. actors and actresses who obtain even the minutest amount of fame can think they are above the crowd and above the law, so rather then understanding that acting is simply a job, they take celebrity as some sort of justifiable lifestyle of entitlement and decadence. Pretty icky, right? But just like how not every celebrity is an actor, not every actor is a celebrity.

To me, Alec Guinness is an actor. Sure, millions of people have seen his films and know his name but that is an incredibly minor detail in an over 6-decade long career. Unlike other stars whose legend was aided by being plastered on the cover of tabloid magazines, Guinness kept his personal life, well, personal. Much like your average wage laborer, Guinness would show up for work, put his best effort forward and go home quietly when the final “cut” of the day was called. Even while working on projects he may have been less than enthusiastic about, such as a little one you may know called Star Wars, Guinness was always a professional — with director George Lucas crediting Guinness for inspiring the cast and crew to work harder. Not bad for someone who thought that the film was “fairy-tale rubbish.”  So, to celebrate an actor by trade, let us look at the man doing his job: acting.

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Alec Guinness in The Swan (1956, director Charles Vidor)

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Alec Guinness in Bridge on the River Kwai (1957, director David Lean)

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Alec Guinness in Lawrence of Arabia (1962, director David Lean)

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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub

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

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BEYOND CASABLANCA Qualifying Entry Task (Wk of April 1)

Posted on April 1, 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 Friday, April 5 at 7PM EST (i.e. any time between now and Friday, April 5 at 7PM EST):

In the book, Beyond Casablanca: 100 Classic Movies Worth Watching, Jennifer Garlen starts off by listing her “10 Essential Classic Films” — the films that “serve as the touchstones for the rest of cinematic history” — which include 1) Casablanca, 2) Citizen Kane, 3) Frankenstein, 4) Gone with the Wind, 5) It’s a Wonderful Life, and 5 more wonderful ‘must see’ classic films.

For this week’s Qualifying Entry Task, please:

1) CREATE your own list of “10 Essential Classic Films” (pre-1969**)  via Classic Movie Hub’s ‘Create a List Tool” (click here)

2) TWEET (not DM) the Link to your List (your “10 Essential Classic Films” List):
TO @classicmoviehub
WITH the two hashtags #BeyondCasablanca #QualifyingTask
BY Friday, April 5,  7PM 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, April 5, 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 the CMH database is missing any of your Essentials, pre-1969, please let me know and I will be happy to add it to the database

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

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

Contest Information and Rules.

Good Luck!

–Annmarie Gatti from Classic Movie Hub

Posted in Books, Contests & Giveaways, Posts by Annmarie Gatti | Tagged , , | 5 Comments