Mini Tribute: Mae Clarke

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Annmarie Gatti

Born August 16, 1910, Actress Mae Clarke!

Grapefruit anyone??? 🙂

All kidding aside, actress Mae Clarke appeared in over 115 roles. She is probably best remembered as Henry Frankenstein’s (Colin Clive’s) fiancee, Elizabeth, in the 1931 classic, Frankenstein, and as poor Kitty, who unfortunately gets a grapefruit smashed into her face by ‘boyfriend’ Tom Powers (James Cagney) in The Public Enemy!

Mae Clarke and Boris Karloff in FrankensteinMae Clarke with Boris Karloff in Frankenstein (James Whale director)

Mae Clarke with James Cagney in The Public Enemy (William A. Wellman director)

Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub

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Singin’ In The Rain: What a Glorious Feeling! (TCM Fathom Movie Event)

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Annmarie Gatti

Singin’ In The Rain: What a Glorious Feeling, I’m Smiling Again…

Ah! What a glorious song, what a glorious scene, what a glorious film! And, I’m so happy to say that — thanks to NCM Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies and Warner Brothers Home Entertainment — Singin’ In The Rain, will (hopefully) be playing in a town near you!

On Wed, Aug 22, at 7PM — in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the film — Singin’ In The Rain will be shown at select theaters nationwide (see link below). This movie event will begin with an exclusive TCM Robert Osbourne interview with Debbie Reynolds, featuring behind-the-scenes footage as Ms Reynolds reminisces about working with the late great Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor.

List of Participating Movie Theaters

For additional details: Singin’ In The Rain Movie Event Details

–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub

 

 

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Classic Movie Legend Tribute: Alfred Hitchcock

Posted on August 13, 2012 by minooallen

 

Happy Birthday to Classic Movie Legend, Alfred Hitchcock, born on August 13th in 1899!

It’s difficult to summarize someone like Hitchcock in a blog post. His films could be complex and subversive; silly and serious; all in the same scene. A master of his craft, Hitchcock has not only made himself a household name, but a film school adjective, as well. I wouldn’t want to begin to think of all the times I heard the word Hitchcockian to describe a modern film filled with those famed Hitchcock tropes. So, how do I celebrate this man’s birthday? Well, rather than focus on the Vertigos or The Psychos of his career, I want to point out some of my favorites but, for some reason, lesser known films of the Hitchcock Legacy.

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The Trouble with Harry. A suspense comedy that Hitch often described as one of his personal favorites. Oh, and it was the film debut of someone names Shirley MacLaine. You may or may not have heard of her. (1955, Alfred Hitchcock director)

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Rope. A test of his own craft, Hitchcock wanted to create the illusion of an entire film being done in one seamless shot. See if you can tell where the cuts are! (1948, Alfred Hitchcock director)

…..Lifeboat. A morality tale of trust and paranoia, to me, this is a true Hitchcock gem seemingly forgotten by the mainstream.  (1944, Alfred Hitchcock director)

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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub

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Classic Movie Legend Tribute: Cecil B. DeMille

Posted on August 12, 2012 by minooallen

Happy Birthday to Classic Movie Legend, Cecil B. DeMille, born on August 12th, 1881!

Some directors are known for their nuanced touch, a subtle attention to detail that causes the viewer to pay the utmost attention in order to understand the complex minutiae of a story. Cecil B. DeMille is not one of those directors. And don’t assume that’s inherently a bad thing. To quote Queen frontman, Freddie Mercury, “We’re the Cecil B. DeMille of rock and roll, always wanting to do things bigger and better.” And that’s just want DeMille wanted: Big. His idea of what a movie should do was never just simply tell a story. No. He believed in a kind of storytelling that is so grand and over-the-top, an audience had no choice but to lose themselves in the projected image. So, let’s have a big birthday celebration by celebrating what I consider to be the man’s biggest movies.

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What can be bigger than The Greatest Show on Earth? ( 1952, Cecil B. DeMille director)

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Well, I suppose this over-three-story Dagon statue from Samson and Delilah could be considered bigger. (1949, Cecil B. DeMille director)

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O.K. The parting of Red Sea in The Ten Commandments definitely wins the “biggest Cecil B. DeMille moment” contest (1956, Cecil B. DeMille director)

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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub

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Classic Movie Legend Tribute: Billie Burke

Posted on August 7, 2012 by minooallen

 

Happy Birthday to Classic Movie Legend, Billie Burke, born on August 7th in 1884!

Birthday girl Billie Burke has an especially coveted role, not only in film history, but in global pop culture, as well. The actress herself may not ring any bells in the minds of children or adults around the world, but you can bet your bottom dollar that her character will! Her performance as Glinda, The Good Witch of the North, in The Wizard of Oz has skyrocketed her image to cultural immortality. Can you name anyone who doesn’t recognize the pink dress, pink crown, and floating pink bubble? Yeah, didn’t think so. But if you can’t tell by now, I like to pay tribute to classic movie actors in less known but equally stellar roles. So, for our birthday girl Billie, I would like to showcase her role as the scatter-brained but loveable high society woman in many a screwball comedy.

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Billie Burke in Topper ( 1937, Norman Z. McLeod director)

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Billie Burke in Dinner at Eight ( 1933, George Cukor director)

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Billie Burke in Merrily We Live (1938, Norman Z. McLeod director)

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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub

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Classic Movie Legend Tribute: Robert Mitchum

Posted on August 6, 2012 by minooallen

 

Happy Birthday to Classic Movie Legend, Robert Mitchum, born August 6 in 1917.

Wesley Snipes. Russell Crowe. Colin Farrell. Or as the tabloids likes to call them — Hollywood bad boys. A decades old trope that blends the public persona of an actor with their silver screen characters, a bad boy tends to play the role of anti-hero both in their daily lives as well as their movie lives. So who has the honor of being considered Classic Hollywood’s most famous bad boy? Well, I know for me it’s birthday bad boy Robert Mitchum. Most noted for his role as dark yet endearing characters in genre’s ranging from film-noir to western, Mitchum was equally known for his off-screen antics, such as his 1947 arrest for marijuana possession. But surely the public would scorn such behavior, right? Actually, it was quite the contrary. Because in Hollywood, the norm is that boys will be boys, especially if they’re bad. So let’s celebrate our favorite classic bad boy by celebrating some of his best bad boy roles.

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 Bad Boy Robert Mitchum in Night of the Hunter ( 1955, Charles Laughton director)

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Bad Boy Robert Mitchum in Out of The Past (1947, Jacques Tournuer director)

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Bad Boy Robert Mitchum in Cape Fear (1962, J. Lee Thompson director)

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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub

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Mini Tribute: Child Actress Kym Karath

Posted on August 4, 2012 by Annmarie Gatti

 

Born August 4, 1958, Child Actress Kym Karath!

Kym Karath is probably best known for her role as the youngest Von Trapp, Gretl, in The Sound of Music…

Kym Karath as Gretl in The Sound of MusicWhy am I always last?
-Kym Karath as Gretl in The Sound of Music

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BUT I also remember her well as Maggie Boyer (Doris Day and James Garner’s daughter) in The Thrill of It All!

Kim Karath and Doris Day and Brian Nash The Thrill of It All(pictured here with Doris Day and Brian Nash)

It smells like the cracks in the schoolyard! Time to use the new soap you bought!
-Kym Karath as Maggie Boyer in The Thrill of It All

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Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub

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

 

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Classic Movie Legend Tribute: Myrna Loy

Posted on August 2, 2012 by minooallen

Happy Birthday to Classic Movie Legend, Myrna Loy, born August  2 in 1905!

Supportive yet stern; attractive yet approachable; intelligent yet playful. What am I talking about here? Well, if you guessed the perfect wife, then you would be correct because I am talking about our birthday girl, Myrna Loy. Yes, as I am sure many of you are aware, Myrna Loy is best remembered in the classic Hollywood lexicon as the perfect on-screen life partner. Jimmy Stewart is even quoted as saying, “There ought to be a law against any man who doesn’t want to marry Myrna Loy.” However, what I find most appealing about Myrna Loy is not simply what she remembered for, not simply her status as perfect wife — what I find most intriguing is the evolution of her career, her path to becoming the perfect wife, if you will. So, to celebrate her birth, I say we celebrate just that — the evolution of Myrna Loy.

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 Myrna Loy early in career, when she often played the “foreign” villain  as seen above in Thirteen Women (1932, George Archainbaud director)

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Myrna Loy at the turing point in her career, playing the ever sassy, ever supportive wife in The Thin Man (1934, W.S Van Dyke director)

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Myrna Loy at the peak of her career is not only the perfect housewife, but the perfect mother as well in The Best Years of Our Lives (1946, William Wyler director)

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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub

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

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What a Character! Blogathon September 22-24

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Annmarie Gatti

I’m happy to say that I’ve officially entered my very first Blogaton! Hopefully I will do it justice, as I’ll be joining veteran Classic Movie Bloggers as they pay tribute to their favorite Character Actors!

What a Character! Blogathon Sept 22-24, 2012

If you are interested in joining the Blogathon, please visit one of the three host sites for further information.

Host sites and contact information:

Kellee – Twitter @IrishJayHawk66      email – prattkellee@gmail.com    Blog – Outspoken and Freckled

Paula – Twitter  @Paula_Guthat      email – Paula.Guthat@gmail.com    Blog – Paula’s Cinema Club

Aurora – Twitter @CitizenScreen      email – Citizenscreenclassics@gmail.com    Blog – Once Upon A Screen

See you in September!

–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub

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Classic Movie Travels: Rhodes, Greece (Lindos)

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Annmarie Gatti

And, continued from my last blog post, I was fortunate enough to see yet another film site, this time — in Greece…

On Rhodes Island (and yes, I saw where the Colossus once stood — which was mind-boggling), they did quite of bit of filming for The Guns of Navarone including: the cliffs between Lindos & Pefkos, the Acropolis of Lindos, the Old Town of Lindos and Kalithea Beach.

The cliffs and beach just outside of Lindos…

Rhodes Island, Greece, just outside of Lindos where they filmed The Guns of Navarone (directors J. Lee Thompson, Alexander Mackendrick) starring David Niven, Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn

Rhodes Island, Greece, just outside of Lindos where they filmed The Guns of Navarone (directors J. Lee Thompson, Alexander Mackendrick) starring David Niven, Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn

And The Old Town of Lindos from afar, with The Acropolis in the background…

The Old Town of Lindos, The Guns of Navarone

The Old Town of Lindos, The Guns of Navarone film site

Lindos and the Acropolis, The Guns of Navarone film site

Lindos and the Acropolis, The Guns of Navarone film site

At the Acropolis of Lindos…

The Acropolis of Lindos, The Guns of Navarone

The Acropolis of Lindos, The Guns of Navarone film site

The Acropolis of Lindos, The Guns of Navarone

The Acropolis of Lindos, The Guns of Navarone film site

The view from atop The Acropolis, looking down on the Cliffs and Beach Guns of Navarone film site…

View of Cliffs and Beach Guns of Navarone site from The Acropolis, Lindos

View of Cliffs and Beach Guns of Navarone site from The Acropolis, Lindos

The Old Town of Lindos…

The Old Town of Lindos, Guns of Navarone

The Old Town of Lindos

The Old Town of Lindos, Guns of Navarone

The Old Town of Lindos

And in case we couldn’t find The Acropolis 🙂

The Old Town of Lindos, Guns of Navarone

The Old Town of Lindos

Lindos was a beautiful town, a location definitely worth another (and longer) visit.

Until next time…

–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub

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