The Aviator

I know, it's not an older film. But the plot is! Howard Hughes was a producer, director, aviator beginning in the 1920s. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Hughes with Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow, Cate Blanchett as Kate Hepburn and Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner.

http://www.jonathanrosenbaum.com/?m=200412

The film begins with the shooting of "Hell's Angels". Production took about four years ending in 1930. Hughes completed the first film in 1928 but with the coming of sound, it was reshot for an additional $1.8 million! The finished product featured Jean Harlow, who was not in the 1928 production; it launched her career.

http://www.2blowhards.com/archives/2009/08/jean_harlow_was.html

Rosalind Russell also was given her start by Howard Hughes in "The Outlaw". She went on to star in such films as "His Girl Friday" and "Picnic".

http://www.hayinart.com/2004_03.html

One of the important aspects of the film is Hughes downward spiral as time goes on. He battled germ phobia and OCD all of his life and it finally began to take its toll in the 1940s when he began to disappear from public life.

http://panachereport.com/channels/more%20short%20stories/howardhuges.htm

Despite his ailments, Hughes always pressed on with his work. In 1946 he crashed his plane into a Beverly Hills neighborhood, suffering from a crushed collar bone, cracked ribs, crushed chest with a collapsed left lung, his heart shifted to the right side of his chest, and many third-degree burns.

http://www.pbs.org/opb

All the characters in the film made wonderful movies over the years, be sure to IMDB them and find some you like!

Rebel Without A Cause 1955

Rebel Without A Cause is such an emotional experience for me. It strikes a chord with the rebel in all of us, no matter how old or young we are.

http://twolittlebirdsboutique.blogspot.com/2010/05/style-inspiration-rebel-without-cause.html

This film stars the great James Dean in his first major role. He went on to make only two others before his death, Giant and East of Eden. Sal Mineo and Natalie Wood costar.

http://www.floatingredcouch.com/2010/04/rebel-without-cause.html

In the special features commentary, Douglas L. Rathged states that the giving and receiving of a jacket is a symbol of offering and accepting of friendship. I am so glad they point these things out, it takes me forever to pickup on symbolic gestures.

Jim Backus stars as Dean's father in the movie. Up to this point, he had been playing mostly comedic roles and would go on to play Thurston Howell III on Gilligan's Island. In an effort to break out as an actor, Backus fought hard for this role and quickly won it. He is wonderful as the clueless 1950s father.

http://espn.go.com/abcsports/mnf/s/annotatedmiller/1009.html

Natalie Wood also fought to break away from previous roles. She began acting at age four and starred in 56 roles by the time she was 25. Whew! Wood desired the role of Judy in this film so much, she began acting out publicly in order to convince director Nicholas Ray she was able to play a rebellious teen.

http://www.childstarlets.com/lobby/bios/natalie_wood.html

Ray knew Wood was as good as she said when, after being admitted to the ER due to her involvement in a car crash with Dennis Hopper, another patient called her a "goddamn juvenile delinquent". Kudos for being that ambitious! Choosing Dennis Hopper to help probably didn't hurt either!

http://www.accesshollywood.com

Ray preferred hanging out with the young stars of the film (he was 44) and he and Wood were actually having an affair during the filming of this movie. Ray was unmarried during his relationship with Wood, however his previous wife, Gloria Grahame (starred in Oklahoma and Greatest Show on Earth) would cause scandal in Hollywood by marrying her stepson (a child from Ray's first marriage) in 1960.

http://www.whosdatedwho.com/

One more thing! The mansion used as Wood, Dean and Mineo's "get away" is the same one used in Sunset Blvd. It seems all my posts lead back to it! The exterior and pool are definitely the same, when the gang pulls up in front of the house, it is the same spot Betty Schaefer pulls up to five years before in Sunset Blvd. The interior seems to be mirrored from Sunset Blvd., I believe both were sets built specifically for their respective films.

http://www.deanfan4ever.com/goodies2.htm

Ok, two more things. Nick Adams appears in this movie as a blonde gang member wearing a blue shirt. He is one of the lesser (now) known bad boys of Hollywood. He stars as the naughty frat boy in the Doris Day and Rock Hudson movie, Pillow Talk. Adams was not able to reach the same level of fame as Dean, Presley or Brando and died in 1968 at the age of 36 from a drug overdose.

On that happy note (sorry about that), go watch a movie!

Rebecca-1940

Today, we are going to discuss my second favorite Hitchcock film, Rebecca.

fanpop.com

We are talking about my second favorite because I own my first favorite on VHS and there isn't a player in our bedroom. In order to not make you feel cheated however, I can assure you they almost tie as my favorite. Let us proceed to the good stuff!

http://www.peekskill.org/Kid_s_Corner/progphoto/2003Jun26/index2.html

The film stars Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine (sister of Olivia de Havilland-they fought for years, always trying to outdo the other). Olivier and Fontaine's characters meet in Monte Carlo and quickly decide to marry. Arriving at Maxim's (Olivier) family estate as the new Mrs. De Winter, she is haunted by the ghost of his first wife, Rebecca. She has left her mark on Olivier, the servants and the house, all throughout are reminders. Rebecca's personal stationary is still in the library desk! The housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, is particularly obsessed with the first wife. She lords it over Fontaine's character, practically driving her mad.

fanpop.com

So creepy! She gives Gloria Swanson in Sunset Blvd. a run for her money. While Swanson is outwardly odd and a danger to herself, Mrs. Danvers finds great pleasure in torturing the shy and naive second Mrs. de Winter (to further the shadow of Olivier's character's first wife, Fontaine's character is given no first name in the film).

gonemovies.com

The picture above really shows the level of their relationship and the nature of their characters. Mrs. Danvers wears plain, black frocks with her hair tightly wound while she stands above Fontaine. Fontaine on the other hand, wears cardigans and pearls and outwardly shows her intimidation despite her position as mistress of the estate.

Reportedly, Hitchcock wished to give Fontaine as much help as he could toward developing her character. Olivier disliked her involvement because he wished his wife, Vivien Leigh (Scarlett in Gone With the Wind) to play his bride (this, I believe, happened in many films when Leigh was not cast as his costar). Hitchcock decided to capitalize on this and told Fontaine everyone on the set disliked her thus making her awkward and withdrawn, as her character should be.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32348795@N05/3119579214

The film was successful at the box office as well as with critics. It was nominated for 11 Oscars and won 2. Wonderful film! If you like this, watch my other favorite, Shadow of a Doubt. It tells of an uncle's visit to his sister's suburban family. His niece worships him but discovers on this particular visit, he is not who he says. I shall have to do a post on it soon. Joseph Cotten is wonderful as the uncle.

Happy watching!

The Kennedys

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2002/04/joekennedy200204

 

Since my last post pertained to Gloria Swanson, I thought who would be better to talk about next? The Kennedys of course! Joe Kennedy, John F. and Robert F.'s father, had numerous affairs during his marriage but the most famous was to Gloria Swanson. He even invited Swanson along on a trip with himself and his wife Rose. Swanson replied she didn't know if Mrs. Kennedy was a saint or a fool.

http://www.estatevaults.com/lm/archives/2007/05/13/a_more_complex.html

Here's the family outline: Joseph P. Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald (her father, Honeyfitz was the charming mayor of Boston for many years) had four sons and five daughters. Here they are in order of birth-Joe Jr.- 1915, John (Jack)-1917, Rosemary-1918, Kathleen (Kick)-1920, Eunice-1921, Patricia-1924, Robert (Bobby)-1925, Jean-1928, Edward (Ted(dy)-1932.

http://www.siblingsupport.org/connect/siblings-who-have-made-a-difference

Joe Jr. died in 1944 flying a mission

http://auden.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/auden/media/josephpkennedy.jpg

Kathleen (Kick) also died in a plane crash four years later

http://hklbrrypkr.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html

Eunice married Sarge Shriver in 1953, they had five children including Maria Shriver. She is also responsible for the start of the Special Olympics.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIFwb32geL87RhR12sdbuQGAdgmWl41i5gl41HUxFYuplKcNOPvZmAHwBGesH5gDmO-FSTOMStDK5zt5B8K3JblXMmRDeA31wzUMqMbMLty2L_F_tPn7ig5Vgj5Kp3EgBL_hIAVnDkM0/s400/eunice1.jpg

Patricia married Peter Lawford, a member of the Rat Pack.

life.com

Most of you are familiar with John and Bobby and their families. John was assassinated in 1963 and Bobby in 1968. John and Jackie had two children, while Bobby and Ethel had eleven.

http://www.jfklibrary.org

http://www.rememberrobertkennedy.com/pictures_1.html

 

Rosemary suffered from mental illness, often credited to forceps used at birth. She suffered further handicap after her father allowed a lobotomy to be performed. She mostly stayed in the background but was greatly supportive of her siblings.

http://dilettantepursuits.wordpress.com/2010/06/24/the-lobotomist/

To read about the man responsible for Rosemary's lobotomy, read the captioned website. It is fascinating and truly disturbing.

Jean Kennedy contributed and worked for her brothers campaigns as well as in differing jobs for the Kennedy family. She served as US ambassador to Ireland in the late 1990s.

http://www.jfklibrary.org

 

Teddy Kennedy was the youngest child and the last surviving son. He was the only male child of his father's that lived long enough to create a long lasting effect on the American public. He served in the Senate for decades.

http://blog.reidreport.com/2008/02/ronald-reagan-knew-me.html

There are numerous books concerning the Kennedys, especially Jack and Jackie.

Until next time, ciao!

Sunset Blvd.-1950

A hard-up Hollywood writer pulls into a vacant garage while being chased by repossessers and happens upon a famous silent actress' home. She hasn't acted in years and slowly leaves reality for her own glamorous world. The picture begins with the writer (William Holden-star of Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn) floating dead in a pool. Directed by Billy Wilder it is the ultimate self-critique of Hollywood.

http://www.doctormacro.com/movie%20star%20pages/Swanson,%20Gloria-Annex.htm

The former movie queen is played by Gloria Swanson who was one of the top screen actresses of her day. She had not been in films for many years, like her character, but stayed busy with children, projects etc. Her most famous affair was with Joe Kennedy, the Kennedy patriarch. Her autobiography, Swanson on Swanson, is a wonderful read and very entertaining. It is also chock full of information about the silent era, which is a piece of history unto itself.

http://www.stanford.edu/~gdegroat/swanson.htm

One of the most famous quotes from the film, and there are several, "Alright Mr. De Mille, I'm ready for my closeup" is the best known. It is the last line in the film but gives nothing away, you must watch the film to know the weight it carries.

http://blogs.dixcdn.com/leftofcybercenter/?p=3318

 

The movie Norma shows Joe is actually one of Gloria Swanson's real silent films. Von Stroheim, who plays the butler, directed Swanson in the silent movie, it was lost a small fortune in the making and was the downfall of both their careers.

 Montgomery Clift was set to play Joe Gillis but pulled out after reading the script feeling it related to closely to his personal life. He was having an affair with an older, well known actress, Libby Holman. Holman was the former wife of Smith Reynolds, of Reynolds tobacco-they make Camels, Winstons etc. and was indicted for his murder in the early thirties. Such a small world!
 
I hope you watch and enjoy this film, it is considered a true Hollywood classic. For more trivia, visit IMDB. It's great!

Let's start off right!

Happy holidays!

We are going to start things off right, with a...quiz! 

Quote: "You know, Sheridan, you have one great advantage over everyone else in the world. You've never had to meet Sheridan Whiteside." What is this from? When was it from? Who said it? Who didn't say it ?  Take your time, think about it...

Time's up! The answer is The Man Who Came to Dinner 1942.

The film stars Bette Davis and Monty Wooley. Wooley stars as Sheridan Whiteside, a leading member of Broadway who visits a family in the midwest on a promo tour. He breaks his hip on their icy front steps and must recuperate there. Harmless right?

Wrong! Bring on the shenanigans! The following month brings penguins, an octupus, a charming local newspaper man to steal Davis away from him, and a very angry host. Classic screwball comedy at its best.

The movie also stars Billie Burke. What a hottie! She was in her sixties during film. Is that not ridiculous? Look at her!

Also, Jimmy Durante makes an appearance, playing who else, but himself! Mary Wickes plays Monty Wooley's nurse who does not understand why all this is happening to her. She just wants to do her job! 

Wickes appears in many films over the years including but not limited to: Little Women as Aunt March, White Christmas and Now, Voyager.