Happy Independence Day: the classic movie style!

Happy Independence Day: The Classic Movie Style!

Love Those Classic Movies! wants to wish to everyone in the USA: "HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!" Of course, we are going to do it the only way we know how via our classic movie stars in vintage photos. Enjoy!

 

"Giving Thanks" the classic movie style!

"Giving Thanks" the classic movie style!

This year our classic movie stars wanted to come out and do some cheeky/glamourous photos and the ladies did! Similar to our "In Pictures" article we will simply provide you with lovely photos with our celebrities giving thanks and allow one to sit back and enjoy - Happy Thanksgiving!

Ginger Rogers

Esther Williams

Ava Gardner

Debbie Reynolds

Vera-Ellen

Marilyn Monroe

Ann Sheridan

Call Me Madam (1953) "The Hostess With The Mostes"

Call Me Madam (1953) 20th Century FOX
Directed By: Walter Lang
Starring: Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor, Vera-Ellen, George Sanders & Lilia Skala.
Costumes By: Irene Sharaff

~ Film was nominated for 2 Academy Awards, including "Best Costumes" for Irene Sharaff and winning one for "Best Musical Scoring" for Alfred Newman. Ethel Merman won a Golden Globe for "Best Actress Musical/Comedy."

Background:

"Call Me Madam" the motion picture was based on a Broadway Musical with all songs written by Irving Berlin.  A few of the Irving Berlin songs used in the Broadway porduction were replaced by other Berlin songs for the film. Ethel Merman starred as Sally Adams in both the Broadway production and the motion picture.

Plot:

A brash and out-spoken Sally Adams (Ethel Merman) resides in a swanky Washinton D.C. home where she is a the best of hostess's. Sally is appointed very quickly to a vacant position for the US Government as US Ambassador to Lichtenburg. A small country that Sally knows nothing about but is swept into the role. The help of her very knowledgeable press attache Kenneth Gibson (Donald O'Connor) makes it a more successful appointment. While being in the foreign country of Lichtenburg both Sally and Kennth find love. Kenneth becomes smitten and taken back by the princess of Litchenburg, Princess Maria (Vera-Ellen).

The leaders of the fair country have a reason to treat the newly appointed Ambassador wonderfully since the agenda is to obtain a loan from the USA. During this time Sally meets while practicing her curtsies to a big ball to meet the Grand Duke she meets General Cosmo Constantine (George Sanders) who she falls for. We find that Sally with her brashness turns out to be a fantastic Ambassador to the country of Litchenburg and finds love with some great musical numbers along the way.

Note:

Lovely musical performances such as between Vera-Ellen and Donald O'Connor dancing in the palace's gardens to a Irving Berlin tune "It's A Lovely Day Today." "The Hostess With The Mostes" "The International Rag" "The Best Thing For You Would Be Me" & the finale "You're Just In Love/Something To Dance About." 



This is a grand 50's musical that is worthy of your time though often get's lost to others from that era.

Costume Screent Test with Ethel Merman

Happy Holidays: The Classic Movie Style!!!! (Part 4)



Ann Miller is reading a holiday foavorite and not stressed what so ever since her holiday decorating is done!

Happy Holidays: The Classic Movie Style!!!! (Part 4)Here is part four 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 Carlisle is dressed in her pearls and is a purely angelic!

Janet Leigh is one beautiful Mrs. Clause!

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<><><>Olive Thomas is decked out in her 30's best for Santa and being ohhh so warm!!!>

The case of "White Christmas" in there holiday best!!!

Here are some classic holiday songs and movies for your enjoyment!!!

White Christmas (1954)....I am dreaming of a white xmas!!!!

White Christmas (1954) / Paramount Pictures
Directed By: Michael Curtiz
Starring: Bing Crosby, Danny Kay, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen, Dean Jagger & Mary Wickes

Tagline: "Joyous entertainment for every season, any year!"

Fun Facts:

• First film made in VistaVision which was a wide-screen process and twice the surface of the ordinary film. 
• Film was adapted into a Broadway Musical in 2004.
• Original sountrack features rather than the voice of Rosemary Clooney, Peggy Lee due to the fact that by the time it was time to go into the recording sessions Rosemary Clooney's contract with Columbia Records made it impossible to record with another label other than her own. Rosemary's voice is missing from the original recording sountrack.  



the cast on set during filming

Plot:

During World War II, two great friends Bob Wallace (Crosby) and Phil Davis (Kaye) fought together in the same army troop. Davis and Wallace decide once they get out of the war to start a great singing/dancing team together. They hit it big and go on the road and television and make a name for themselves. During this time Davis meets the lovely Haynes sisters whom are doing a show at a club and he is smitten with them! Betty Haynes (Clooney) is the oldest of the two and is very protective of her little sister. The eldest sister is the elegant and torch song singer while the younger Haynes sister being Judy (Ellen) is very leggy and a very talented dancer.

Rosemary Clooney & Vera-Ellan singing "Sisters"

Judy is very outgoing and wants to loosen her big sister's control over her. Judy and Phil find each other very smitten with one another and then decide to play cupid with Wallace and Betty whom are dead set against the idea. The Haynes sister's also bestow onto the team of Wallace & Davis information that is interesting which is that the Haynes brother was in the same army unit as they were in, they remeber him and he has no resemblence to them at all! The Haynes sisters have not hit it big yet and owe several creditors a lot of compensation so this is where Wallace and Davis decide to help them escape the police from the debt and move up and onwards! With the help of the two gentlemen the Haynes Sisters will be a great act hitting the big time.

Davis decides to make a bit of a switch in his acts plans of a trip and follow the lovely Haynes sisters to Vermont for Christmas where they are slated to do shows at a local inn. All of this reveals many lovely opportunities for great tunes from the famed writer Irving Berlin. To Wallace and Davis's surprise the inn they are all attending is owned and runned by there old Commanding Officer, Major General Tom Waverly (Jagger) with the help of a funny assistant Emma Allen (Wickes). They find out some horrible information that the floor show is no longer required due to the fact that the Waverly is going to have to forgo the inn and go bankrupt due to the poor attendance since the lack of snow. This makes all four parties decide to help in a big way to save the inn. Wallace and Davis bring the entire Broadway show along with the cast to the inn of "Playing Around" that they are part of and place the Haynes sisters in it as well. Some drama ensues but all of these four are there to save the day and do see a "White Christmas" after all!!!

Bing Crosy, Danny Kaye & Rosemary Clooney doing a Minstrel Show!

Rosemary Clooney singing, "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me"

Some great noteable musical numbers in the film: "Snow!" "Sisters" "White Christmas (finale)" "Minstrel Number" ""Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me" "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep" & "Gee, I Wish I Was Back in the Army" this is one of the best Chrsitmas classics and a must see during the holiday season!

"On The Town"...New York, New York It's A Wonderful Town!! (MGM/1949)

"On The Town" from MGM Studios in 1949 is a lovely musical with an amazing cast!

Directed by: Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly
Starring: Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Ann Miller, Vera Ellen, Betty Garrett & Jules Munshin.

A tale of three sailors on a 24 hour leave in New York City and they hillarious time they have before going back to on board, as they sing, "New York, New York, What a Wonderful Town!"

tagline:  "They paint the town with joy!"

• First MGM musical to film scenes in NYC on actual location and not fully on a studio lot.
• Prior to being a successful film it was a huge play on Broadway with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green proved to be a lovely trio for this musical production.  
• Gene Kelly directed the musical sequences of this film.

Plot:

Gabey (Kelly), Chip (Sinatra) and Ozzie (Munshin) - three sailors on a 24 hour leave in NYC are "on the town" to see the sites including lovely dames. Each sets sites at various places on lovely ladies. All three men take a trip on the subway and Gabey meets the lovely "Miss Turnstiles of the Month" Ivy Smith (Ellen). Gabey thinks that Ivy is a high class society lady where in fact she is from the small midwestern town he is from. While in the Big Apple they meet a hillarious cab driver named Brunhilde (Garrett) whom sings a rousing song, "Come Up To My Place!" and is determined to get her hands on Chip!

Ivy has to leave for work and will meet later (hopefully) and then it is off to the Museum of Natural History for the three men. They now meet the very vivacious Claire whom is doing research on prehistoric man and sets her eyes on Ozzie. Now all three men have a dame to go out on the town with though Ivy proves to be a challange to find again and is secretive of her true identity of not being such the socialite they three men think she is. All have a great night in the Big Apple with going to various night clubs and dancing the night away! This film has many lovely dance sequences that are a not to miss!

Lovely dance sequences to see: "Prehistoric Man" "On The Town" "Count on Me" & "A Day in New York"