Happy Valentine's Day from My Love of Old Hollywood

Betty Hutton is ready for a night of romance.

Marilyn Monroe is ready to play cupid.

Cyd Charisse is picture perfect.

Jeanette MacDonald looks like she's ready to serenade some lucky guy and melt his heart.

Ann Miller could catch any guys attention with those perfect legs.

Rita Hayworth, the perfect rose for Kevin at Kevin's Movie Corner.

Toby Wing is sure to steal a few hearts.

Virginia Mayo is looking lovely.

Debbie Reynolds wants you to be her Valentine.

I'm sure many men have dreamed of Ann Sheridan being their Valentine.

Jean Harlow is already diving in to her box of chocolates.

Florence George looks like she should be on top of a heart shaped cake.

Betty Grable is ready to take aim.

Dolores Moran is ready to give Betty some competition. No man is safe!

Wishing everyone a wonderful Valentine's Day filled with love and laughter.

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The Academy Awards: 1938

It's time to take another look back at the Academy Awards and this week we'll be discussing the winners, nominees and snubs for 1938.  This will be my last Oscar post as the 2012 Academy Awards approach but I'll re-visit them in December, where we will pick back up with the films of 1939.  So if you've got your popcorn and crying towel ready, let's jump right in.

BEST PICTURE:
Winner: You Can't Take It With You, Nominees: The Adventures of Robin Hood, Alexander's Ragtime Band, Boys Town, The Citadel, Four Daughters, Grand Illusion, Jezebel, Pygmalion, Test Pilot

Best Picture winner, "You Can't Take It With You"

BEST ACTOR:
Winner: Spencer Tracy in "Boys Town", Nominees: Charles Boyer in "Algiers", James Cagney in "Angels With Dirty Faces", Robert Donat in "The Citadel", Leslie Howard in "Pygmalion"

Spencer Tracy, Best Actor winner in "Boys Town"

BEST ACTRESS:
Winner: Bette Davis in "Jezebel", Nominees: Fay Bainter in "White Banners", Wendy Hiller in "Pygmalion", Norma Shearer in "Marie Antoinette",  Margaret Sullavan in "Three Comrades"

Bette Davis, Best Actress winner in "Jezebel"

Best SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Winner: Walter Brennan in "Kentucky", Nominees: John Garfield in "Four Daughters", Gene Lockhart in "Algiers", Robert Morley in "Marie Antoinette", Basil Rathbone in "If I Were King"

Walter Brennan, Best Supporting Actor winner in "Kentucky"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Winner: Fay Bainter in "Jezebel", Nominees: Beulah Bondi in "Of Human Hearts", Billie Burke in "Merrily We Live", Spring Byington in "You Can't Take It With You", Miliza Korjus in "The Great Waltz"

Fay Bainter , Best Supporting Actress winner in "Jezebel"

BEST DIRECTOR:

Winner: Frank Capra for "You Can't Take It With You", Nominees: Michael Curtiz for "Angels With Dirty Faces:, Michael Curtiz for "Four Daughters", Norman Taurog for "Boys Town", King Vidor for "The Citadel"

Michael Curtiz, Best Director winner for "You Can't Take It With You"

OSCAR SNUBS and OMISSIONS:

Errol Flynn in "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (see cast below)

"Bringing Up Baby" for not being nominated for Best Picture as well as Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn being snubbed (comedies continuing to get a bad rap)

"Holiday" getting snubbed, again with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn

Mickey Rooney for Best Supporting Actor in "Boys Town"

Basil Rathbone being nominated for the wrong film. He should have been nominated for "The Adventures of Robin Hood"

Henry Fonda for Best Actor in "Jezebel" 

The cast of "You Can't Take It With You" (Best Picture  and Best Director winner but omitting Jean Arthur, James Stewart, Lionel Barrymore and Edward Arnold in the acting categories is shocking)

Pat O'Brien in "Angels With Dirty Faces"

Claude Rains in "Four Daughters"

John Cromwell for directing "Algiers"

Alfred Hitchcock for directing "The Lady Vanishes"

William Wyler for directing "Jezebel"

MY HONORABLE MENTIONS:

The cast of "Bringing Up Baby", (my favorite comedy of all time) director Howard Hawks

The cast of "The Adventures of Robin Hood", director Michael Curtiz

The cast of "Marie Antoinette", director "W. S. Van Dyke

The cast of  "Test Pilot", director Victor Fleming and cinematography (The Best Cinematography Award would go to "The Great Waltz")

"The Lady Vanishes" was completely snubbed! The cast and director, Alfred Hitchcock

"Vivacious Lady" was nominated in the Best Cinematography and Sound Recording category but the director, George Stevens and actors Ginger Rogers and James Stewart deserve a mention for this delightful comedy.

OSCAR TRIVIA:

The ceremony was held at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles on February 23rd, 1939. This would be the first year that there would be no official Academy Award host. 

This would be the first year that a foreign film was nominated for Best Picture with Jean Renoir's "The Grand Illusion" 

This would be the first time in Oscar history that three of the four winners were previous Oscar winners.

Spencer Tracy would become the first actor to win back to back Oscars, now tied with Luise Rainer. This would not be repeated again until Tom Hanks won his second Oscar in 1994 for "Forrest Gump".

The first Juvenile Oscars were given out this year with Mickey Rooney and Deana Durbin recieving miniatures of the statuette.

The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award was given to Hal B. Wallis.

Honorary Oscars were presented to Walt Disney and studio executive, co-founder of Warner Bro's studio, Harry M. Warner as well as Oliver Marsh and Allen Davey.

Walt Disney would also win his seventh Academy Award for his Short Subject: Cartoon, "Ferdinand the Bull".  Due to the outrage of Walt Disney's full length film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" getting snubbed the previous year, Walt Disney was also presented another special Oscar which was seven miniatures, representing the seven dwarfs.

Even though the Best Picture and Best Director winner, "You Can't Take It With You" was nominated for seven Oscars,  Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore, Edward Arnold and James Stewart weren't nominated. Just mind boggling if you ask me. 

Fun Facts about Best Picture winner, "You Can't Take It With You".

The rights to the film caused a court battle when director Frank Capra saw the play and pushed for the screen rights which Harry Cohn was having no part of after the final cut fiasco with "Lost Horizon" the previous year.  He felt another comedy starring Jean Arthur was not worth laying down $200,000 for the screen rights.  Capra feeling otherwise, went to court then won the battle with Columbia shelling out the cash for the screen rights with the stipulation that Capra direct the film.  (I'm sure Cohn wound up eating crow once it won big at the Oscars)

This would also be the first collaboration between James Stewart and Frank Capra. Stewart would get the role of Tony Kirby after Capra saw his performance in "Navy Blue and Gold".

Shortly before filming began, Lionel Barrymore lost the use of his legs due to crippling arthritis and a hip injury. To accommodate him and his debilitating condition, the script was altered so his character had a sprained ankle, allowing him to depend on crutches to get through filming.  Sadly, he would need injections for the pain hourly just to get through filming.

Ann Miller was only 15 yrs old when she appeared in the film.  Her character in the film would have to perform grueling ballet routines which was very painful for Ann, however being a pro she never complained, waited until she was off camera and away from the crew to cry out.  James Stewart never realized the reason Ann was always so visibly upset during scenes but being concerned about her, he had boxes of candy sent to her throughout filming to make her feel better.  (Such a nice chap, that Jimmy!)

Frank Capra would team up again with Jean Arthur and Jimmy Stewart for "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" but more on that later.

Bette Davis after receiving her Oscar in 1939.  I'm a big fan of Bette's and I'm thrilled she won for my favorite of her films "Jezebel".

Well that's a rap for this years Academy Awards. Please let me know what you think of the winners, losers and omissions as well as any I've forgotten to mention. Also, please enjoy the below montage of all of the winners for 1938 serenaded by Best Song winner Thanks For The Memory from "The Big Broadcast of 1938", music by Ralph Rainger.

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Musicals and other crazy stuff!

It's become a bit of a joke that I have this aversion to musicals! And I readily admit that I'm not a fan of them.  Believe me when I say that I've tried many times to embrace them, find a way to covet them because my fellow bloggers show such love and admiration.

I've spoken about my mother many times here, how watching films with her as a little girl turned me into a fan of classic film but we never watched musicals! Hmmm  While on the phone with my mother recently I brought up musicals and my moms response was "GOD, I can't stand them!"  There you go I guess!

Perhaps it was the music! I have tried watching musicals in order to write star bios so I dove into some Betty Hutton musicals. No and please no! Dick Powell singing is okay and tolerable and I even attempted sitting through a Ricardo Montalban musical.  (I made it through 14 minutes of that!)

Now that I've spent three paragraphs complaining I have to add that I love any film with Judy Garland singing but that's about it for me!  "Meet Me in St. Louis" is wonderful but my favorite is Somewhere Over the Rainbow.  A true sign that a musical stands the test of time is having it's songs replicated.  I haven't heard Betty Hutton's "Annie Get Your Gun" renditions remastered yet!

If you're still with me and you haven't left to remove me from your "I heart musical's" list then hear me out! I'm a big fan of music and I have pretty eclectic taste. You'll find me listening to Andrea Bocelli, Eminem, Blake Shelton, Donny Hathaway or Flo Rida on any given day.

I want to talk about Judy Garland and what does appeal to me.  Whenever I hear Somewhere Over the Rainbow I stop what I'm doing and I listen, smile and I reminisce. That is what music in film should do to you.  While thinking about this post I did a bit of research and I realized that Judy's most iconic song has been performed many times since it first appeared in "The Wizard of Oz" 1939.  Let's have a look.


Judy singing the original version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow


We've had many versions of this song performed since 1939.


Ray Charles


Eric Clapton (see, I do embrace Republicans : )..)


Eva Cassidy


Leona Lewis


Keith Richards

Bob Marley


Nora Jones

And the song has carried over to our talent shows in recent years... A show stopper!


Katharine McPhee (a beautiful version)

Jason Castro on American Idol with his ukulele.

I can't hate on talented men in dread locks since my younger brother sports dreads and he is a very talented artist living in Jordan.

My younger brother Tommy with his wife Sara.

My sister Jamie who looks like Meg Ryan with her husband Justin (Our active duty Marine) but back to musicals! (The last time I checked she didn't have dreads but she loves music even though she's tone death!)  I rode in a car with her once as she played a Dixie Chick CD while singing until I tossed it out of the car window! It was much worse than any 50's musical! (Oh, I just realized my family really enjoys sepia which is a good thing)

And last but not least, my favorite version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow to date (since Judy) sung by Javier Colon who won the first season of The Voice.  Oh, and I did search high and low on Youtube but I didn't find a new version of Singin In the Rain or Guys and Dolls but that doesn't mean they are any less special. 

Please leave a comment on any of the videos you've seen (a favorite) or just feel free to rant about my dislike of musicals. Always happy to hear your comments, opinions here. And please know that if anyone hosts a Blogathon on Musicals I will be happy to sign up...Oh, yes I will! : )

Also, Rich brought up a great question in comments. Yes, I love a lot of the current Broadway musicals. Phantom of the Opera is my favorite though, I've seen it on Broadway as well as six other cities. My favorite viewing was at the Chicago Opera House on the same weekend that I saw La Cage aux Follies.  I also liked a couple of recent musicals like "Chicago" and of course "Moulin Rouge". I've seen that film at least 40 times.  So beautifully done and the music is amazing.  So perhaps it really just has to do with not liking a type of music that has turned me off of certain musicals.

Thanks for stopping by.....Go out and sing your heart out, good or bad!

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Milliners Invade Hollywood: Part Five

It's time to have a look at our Classic stars in fabulous hats. Shirley is here to co-host but she's boycotting clothes today so she's here in pajamas.  Let's get started, shall we?

Anne Nagel is stunning in her turban. Shirley: I'm suspicious! "I think she's a spy and that umbrella is some kind of weapon."  Did you watch "Notorious" again last night?  

I just love Arlene Judge's daisy hat. Don't you Shirley?  Shirley:  "It needs a propeller!"

Anna May Wong is a beautiful with or without a hat.  Shirley: "She is hiding fortune cookies up there!"  Okay, let's keep it moving.

Carole Lombard in straw today.  Shirley: "She wants Clark Gable to think she's outdoorsy but you don't work on the farm in gold bangles!  It's a hazard."  You're very observant and like a Girl Scout...Saving lives, one misguided actress at a time!

Louise Brooks is beyond adorable today.  Shirley:  "I stole a flat iron to try to do my hair like hers but I looked like Dietrich in "Blonde Venus" when I got finished."  I'm sure you aren't the first to try to pull off Brook's bob only for it to end in disaster!

Joan Fontaine is very pretty in her flowery hat.  Shirley: "It is pretty now but wait until she goes outside.  She'll be bed ridden with bee stings."  

Ida Lupino is very fashionable today.  Shirley:  "That's the Loretta Young look!"..."Clark Gable better run and hide!"   I think your studio handlers need to keep a closer eye on you.

What do you think of Anita Page?  Shirley:  "I thinks she's asking for it."  Asking for what?  Shirley: "Being attacked by spider monkeys!"

Vivien Leigh is always fashionable.  Shirley: "Did you know she poisoned 30 actresses to get Gone With the Wind?"  That's not true Shirley.  Where did you hear that?  Shirley: "I read it on the wall of the ladies bathroom over at MGM!"  OH! By any chance was it Paulette Goddard's handwriting?  Shirley: "No, but it could have been Olivia de Havilland."  Makes sense!

Billie Seward is cute as a button.  Shirley: "She might want to change before she gets sued by Buster Brown!"  

Bette Davis is cute in her beret.  Shirley:  "When you smoke you don't have any friends, not even Joan Crawford!"...."You're left all alone to hang out with lava rocks!"  

Shirley, what do you think of Carmen Miranda?  Shirley: "How much is Walt Disney paying her to advertise for his amusement parks?"  

Well, we got through another round although I'm pretty certain Shirley will be hearing from de Havilland's attorney.  

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend. 

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A Quick Note!

In January we had our first Blogathon of the year which was a lot of fun (if you missed it, the full list with links are available on my sidebar.) but we also gained several new CMBA members. Congratulations to all of you and welcome to our little group of bloggers.

While you're here, I wanted to let you all know that the game, Six Degrees of Separation: Classic Film will resume within the week now that the holidays are behind us.  For our new members I'll get an email out to you within the next couple of days with logos to place on your blogs as well as the game format.  I hope you'll join in as round 5 begins shortly.  Also, for everyone who participated during the first 4 rounds, thanks so much, I hope you'll keep playing. As you may have noticed when the round gets to you, it takes very little time and effort to propel the game forward so please join us. (Existing members, that didn't play, hop on board any time by adding a logo anywhere on your blog)

I'd also like to say thanks to everyone who has been a loyal reader, commented here, started following my blog.  Our classic film discussions continue to be the highlight of my day.

Stay tuned to see whats in store for My Love of Old Hollywood this year. Now that the honeymoon phase is over (October was my one year anniversary) I'll do my best to keep our relationship strong.

See you all soon whether it's here or at your own fabulous homes (I'll bring refreshments)!
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The Academy Awards: 1937

As we gear up for this years Academy Awards, it's time to take another trip back to previous seasons. Thanks for joining me for the 1937 ceremony, the winners, losers and snubs.

BEST PICTURE:
Winner: The Life of Emile Zola, Nominees: The Awful Truth, Captains Courageous, Dead End, The Good Earth, In Old Chicago, Lost Horizon, One Hundred Men and a Girl, Stage Door, A Star is Born

Best Picture winner: "The Life of Emile Zola"

BEST ACTOR:
Winner: Spencer Tracy in "Captains Courageous", Nominees: Charles Boyer in "Conquest", Fredric March in "A Star is Born", Robert Montgomery in "Night Must Fall", Paul Muni in "The Life of Emile Zola

Spencer Tracy, Best Actor winner in "Captains Courageous"

BEST ACTRESS:

Winner: Luise Rainer in "The Good Earth", Nominees: Irene Dunne in "The Awful Truth", Greta Garbo in "Camille", Janet Gaynor in "A Star is Born", Barbara Stanwyck in "Stella Dallas"

Luise Rainer, Best Actress winner in "The Good Earth"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Winner: Joseph Schildkraut in "The Life of Emile Zola", Nominees: Ralph Bellamy in "The Awful Truth", Thomas Mitchell in "The Hurricane", H.B. Warner in "Lost Horizon", Roland Young in "Topper"

Joseph Schildkraut, Best Supporting Actor winner in "The Life of Emile Zola"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Winner: Alice Brady in "In Old Chicago", Nominees: Andrea Leeds in "Stage Door", Ann Shirley in "Stella Dallas", Claire Trevor in "Dead End", May Whitty in "Night Must Fall", 

Alice Brady, Best Supporting Actress winner in "The Awful Truth"

Director:

Winner: Leo McCarey for "The Awful Truth", Nominees: William Dieterle for "The Life of Emile Zola", Sidney Franklin for "The Good Earth", Gregory La Cava for "Stage Door", William Wellmann for "A Star is Born"

Leo McCarey, Director winner for "The Awful Truth"

Omissions and Snubs:

Cary Grant in "The Awful Truth" (Comedians always getting the shaft!)

Director Victor Fleming for "Captains Courageous"

"Way Out West"

Busby Berkeley for his finale dance number in "Varsity Show" (Best Dance Direction)

George and Ira Gershwin's They Can't Take That Away From Me, sung by Fred Astaire in "Shall We Dance" (lost out to Bing Crosby's Sweet Leilani)

"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in the Best Picture category

Carole Lombard in "Nothing Sacred"

"Camille" for Best Picture or Best Director (George Cukor)

Frank Capra for Best Director "Lost Horizon", Ronald Coleman in "Lost Horizon"

Paul Muni in "The Good Earth"

W.S. Van Dyke, Best Director for "The Prisoner of Zenda"

Honorable Mentions:

The Marx Brothers comedy: "A Day At The Races"

"Topper" Ensemble cast and directing. (In my opinion, Roland Young should have won the Best Supporting Actor award for his performance.) Darn biopics!

"The Hurricane" for it's ground breaking special effects, Mary Astor for her supporting role. 

The cast of "Stage Door", Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers and Adolphe Menjou

Oscar Trivia:

The award ceremony was held on March 10th, 1938 at the Biltmore Hotel and hosted by Bob Burns. (The ceremony was originally scheduled for March 3rd but due to heavy flooding in Los Angeles it was postponed.

Luise Rainer was the first thespian to win back to back Oscars, winning the year before in "The Great Ziegfeld" She would also be the first to win two Academy Awards. (Spencer Tracy would tie her record the following year) I will say that I agree with Tracy and Rainer's winning.  Luise was phenomenal as O-Lan from Pearl Buck's beautifully written book, the screen adaptation was everything you want a film to be, with Muni in one of his best performances as well. (Now, her win the previous year, well I won't get into that again!)

This would be the last year for the categories, Best Assistant Director and Best Dance Direction. (Sorry Busby Berkeley)

The Life of Emile Zola would receive a record 10 nominations with three wins. It would also be Warner Bro's first Best Picture win.  Warner Bro's, already known for it's biopics pushed heavily for the film to be made with Paul Muni after his Oscar win the previous year in "The Story of Louis Pasteur" 

Walt Disney won his sixth consecutive Oscar in the Short Film category for "The Old Mill"

The Oscar nominated film "The Good Earth" would be the last film Irving Thalberg would work on before his untimely death at 36 at the end of 1936.  Prompting the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award which Darryl F. Zanuck would be the first recipient of during the 1938 ceremony.

Mack Sennett won an Honorary Award for his lasting contribution to the comedy technique of the screen. Edgar Bergen and cinematographer, W. Howard Greene were also given the Honorary Award that year.

The most egregious Oscar omission for 1938 was Cukor's "Camille" which was far superior to "In Old Chicago" and "One Hundred Men and a Girl" (both Best Picture nominees).  

Best Picture winner, "The Life of Emile Zola" was filmed in reverse, with Muni starting out with his own long beard. It was trimmed and darkened as the film progressed. (I guess in the case, regressed). His makeup took 3 1/2 each morning.

Early in the film "The Life of Emile Zola", there's a scene with Zola in his drafty apartment burning books to keep warm. The real life Emile Zola died from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a stopped chimney

Well, that's a wrap for the winners and losers of 1937. I hope you enjoyed my look back and please share your opinion on the winners and snubs, your favorites. Also, take a moment to enjoy the short montage of the winners of 1937 below. Take it away Bing!

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