Thursday, December 29, 2011

Happy New Year: Classic Movie Style!!!

Marilyn Monroe

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! The Classic Movie Style!!!!

It is that time of year again to get out the champaign, balloons, good food, party favors and be with the one's you love to bring in 2012!!!! Here is our first look at how our classic stars celebrated New Year's Eve through photos, songs and movie clips.

Hope you enjoy this fun look at our classic celebrities having fun and along with them "Love Those Classic Movies!!!" wishes you all a: "HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!"



Janis Page

Leslie Howard, Norma Shearer, Gary Cooper & Lionel Barrymore!


Carole Lombard


Josephine Dunn



Dorothy Lamour









 

2011 Year In Review




2011 Year In Review!

Love Those Classic Movies!!! had an outstanding 2011 with highlighting great leading actresses, actors, costume designers, photographers, and topical themes. We also introcued this year new articles such as: "Classic Radioland," "Spotlight On" & our interview series.

We had fun bringing topics such as looking as Summer Films and Holiday Classics. This year also brought us our: "2nd Annual Classic Mr. & Mrs. Clause" who was the fantastic Robert Mitchum & Ginger Rogers.

Our interviews were started with a great kick-off featuring two hot actors/recording artists: Howard Tonkin & DiSanto Diaz. Both gentleman spoke about their acting background and their love for classic cinema - thank you gentlemen for your time and the great itnerviews!!



 We had a a terriffic special correspondent (Christina Stewart) who reported on the: "2011 TCM Classic Film Festvial." Christina gave us special inside information on the red carpet events, movie screenings, gala events and many other events. This we are looking to keep and expand with other special reporters clocking in with special articles from all over the world!!

Finally, here are our FANTASTIC classic stars we highlighted in 2011!!!!



  •  Adrian
  • Tyrone Power
  • Sophia Loren
  • Marilyn Monroe
  • Claire Trevor
  • George Hurrell
  • Gloria Grahame
  • Orry-Kelly
  • Merle Oberon
  • Bette Davis
  • Ramon Novarro
  • Irene Sharaff
  • Rosalind Russell
  • Ann Sothern
  • Ava Gardner
  • Rita Hayworth
  • Dorothy Dandridge

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Classic Spotlight: Merle Oberon


Classic Spotlight: Merle Oberon
This is the second of this segment which will spotlight classic directors, actors, & actresses. These classic individuals deserve a focus on them specifically and each of there contribution to the golden age of Hollywood...Merle Oberon  is one of those ladies without a doubt!





Merle Oberon was born Estelle Merle Thompson on February 19, 1911 in India. The nickname "Queenie" was given to Merle as a young child in honor of Queen Mary who visited India in 1911. Merle's family lineage is something of a mystery since she herself kept it more personal and did not speak much about it. There is specualtion that according to the film star's birth certificate that who is claimed to be the parents are British though she referred to her mother as a sister. There is also questions about a possible Chinese heritage as well.

In 1917, Merle as a young child moved with what we now know is her grandmother to Calcutta and attended a private all girls academy where she was taunted for her unique and different look. While at the academy she started her passion for motion pictures and started her acting through the Calcutta Amateur Dramatic Society. As a young lady in 1929, she met and had a short relationship with former actor named Colonel Ben Finney at Firpo's a restaurant in Calcutta. Ben introduced Merle to Rex Ingram of Victorine Studios in France where she was loved for her exotic looks and was hired as an extra in her first film: "The Three Passions" in 1929. 


For a few years Merle was hired for small roles in feature films. The big break through that made the pivotal point of her acting career was relocating to London where she the famed director Alexander Korta. Alexander was smitten with her and provided her with the new stage name of: "Merle Oberon." This new name was now going to be featured as a supporting role in a huge film "The Private Live of Henry VIII in 1933 as Anne Boleyn. This film had Merle now starring with the famed actor in the title role Charles Laughton. This film was a blockbuster hit which then led to leading lady roles and a lot of media attention. Merle started a relationship with Alexander Korta which eventually led to her first marriage in 1939 and later divorced in 1945.

Her career was now at a new heights starring in "The Scarlet Pimpernel" in 1934 alongside Leslie Howard and then in 1935 in "Dark Angel" where she starred alongside David Niven and reportedly started a love affair with him. Merle received her first and only nomination for an Academy Award for her role as Kitty Vane in this film.

  
Merle Oberon Film Highlights:




Merle Oberon Quotes:


~ Without security it is difficult for a woman to look or feel beautiful.
~ Even when I was single, I owned homes and gardens. I buy beauty when other women buy jewels. Land is security to me. I need gardens that are mine to walk on.













































Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Happy Holidays: The Classic Movie Style!! (Part 10)

Esther Williams!
Happy Holidays: The Classic Movie Style!!!! (Part 10)

Here is our tenth in the holiday season's best in pictures, music and all things Classic Movies!! Hope you enjoy these installments as much as I do with putting them together. It is a lot of fun to see our favorite screen celebrities and lovely tunes to enjoy, what true gifts in my book! I will be posting a few of these to keep us all posted as to what our ladies and gentlemen of the silver screen are up to and singing for this holdiay season, so let's get a good egg nog and put the lights down for some fun yule tides!!!! Happy watching. : )



Joan Crawford


Alice Faye




Dorothy Jordon


Jeanette MacDonald


Rita Hayworth!


Ida Lupino!


Virginia Grey


Ann Miller!







Saturday, December 17, 2011

Happy Holidays: The Classic Movie Style!! (Part 9)

Lucy & Desi!!
Happy Holidays: The Classic Movie Style!!!! (Part 9)

Here is part nine of our holiday season's best in pictures, music and all things Classic Movies!! Hope you enjoy these installments as much as I do with putting them together. It is a lot of fun to see our favorite screen celebrities and lovely tunes to enjoy, what true gifts in my book! I will be posting a few of these to keep us all posted as to what our ladies and gentlemen of the silver screen are up to and singing for this holdiay season, so let's get a good egg nog and put the lights down for some fun yule tides!!!! Happy watching. : )


Mary Martin



Shirley Temple

 

Anita Louise

 




 
Gloria Swanson



Arelene Dahl



Sally Phipps


 

Thursday, December 15, 2011

It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947) A lovely holiday story to help one and all!

It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947) / Allied Artists Pics
Directed By: Roy Del Ruth  
Starring: Don DeForce, Ann Harding, Charles Ruggles, Gale Storm & Victor Moore

~ Nominated for Academy Award in 1948 for Best Writing.

Tagline: It's Happer Than Heaven ... the Hit of '47!





Plot:

It is New York City in the 1940's where a homeless man in rough time see a beautiful boarded-up mansion in no other than on Fifth Avenue. This down on his luck man, Aloyisius T. McKeever (Moore) decides to set his sights on this empty place that he would love to call him since not having a roof over his head.


The home has not gone abandoned it is just empty during the winter since the homeowner being millionaire Michael J. O'Connor's (Ruggles) is in the south enjoying the warmth.

McKeever moves into the residence and loves the new home and decides to take in a homeless ex-GI named Jim Bullock (DeForce). Jim just has been evicted from his apartment that actually the real homeowner is tearing down to build a skyscraper. Trudy "Smith" (Storm) now is in the picture who is a 18 year old run away and no one except herself know that her actual father is the millionaire O'Connor. There seems to be a very short degree of seperation between each person.

Hank (Edward Ryan & Whitey (Alan Hale Jr.) are Jim's war buddies who also move into the mansion that has plenty of space to accomodate everyone. During this time Trudy falls in love with Jim and she convinces her father to move into the house as a panhandler "Mike" to make sure that there is no love for wealth going on. Then Trudy asks her mother to fly back from Florida to play a part in this. Her mother Mary (Harding) does accept and takes on the role of a servant a cook in the mansion. Mike is furious and wants to arrest these people that are tresspassing but now his wife is now in the thick of it.

Mike decides to end all of this by getting his construction company to offer a wonderful job to Jim in Bolivia. To Mike's surprise Jim turns it down to follow his dream. The ex-GIs staying in the mansion have a grand idea of purchasing a former Army camp and make it into affordable housing. Mike and Jim with no idea are actually bidding against one another for the land.

It is now Chrsitmas Eve and all are celebrating it together. The patrolmen that now see the lights inside go in and see all these families staying and agree to be kind and allow them to stay there until the New Year. Which makes everyone celebrates and then Jim has big news that he lost the bid for the camp to Mike. Jim is now shattered and now accepts the job in Bolivia and breaks things off with Trudy since it is not worth chasing his dreams. Mary and Trudy are angry about what horrible things Mike has done to Jim and will leave the next day to Florida. McKeever is now sad and no longer wants to call this mansion a home. After a big meeting the men find out that Mike is actually O'Connor and will give the camp to them with the condition that they never reveal who he is to McKeever. That night there is a lot to celebrate and they do with a wonderful meal and then put the house the way they got it. To top it all off McKeever is now heading to the family's mansion in Virginia to stay as family!!!