Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Two Months Too Long

It has been over two months since my last post. I am truly sorry for not posting sooner, but it has been a crazy couple of months. So, here I am, still alive and back into the blog sphere. Does anyone have any particular subject that you would like me to post on? Please feel free to leave a comment with your ideas! I will start writing regularly starting next week. Stay tuned!!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Fred Astaire & Leslie Caron Dance the Sluefoot

I watched this clip earlier in the week and had to share it. This is from "Daddy Long Legs" made in 1955, and stars Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron. Here Astaire and Caron dance the popular "Sluefoot" at her college dance. This is a wonderful movie that I highly recommend! The dance is so awesome to watch. They are fabulous together! Enjoy!!

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Sunkist Stars at Palm Springs (1936)

Here is another wonderful short filmed in 1936 titled, "Sunkist Stars at Palm Springs". I just LOVE these old Technicolor shorts full of Hollywood stars, (like one of my favorites Betty Grable)! Although the "Mike" thing is a bit creepy, the rest is fun!



Thursday, February 18, 2010

Starlit Days at the Lido (1935)

Here is a wonderful short filmed in 1935 called "Starlit Days at the Lido". Watch for some of Classic Hollywood's biggest stars! Below is part 1 and part 2.



Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Classic Movies for the First Time


This past summer I visited my sister for a few weeks in another state. While I was there our conversation turned to classic films many times (not hard for me to do). We created a list of movies that my sister had not seen that I would send to her. Finally last week, after several months of waiting, my sister got in the mail some must see movies. So, I thought that I would post the list of movies that I sent! Remember, the ones that I have listed are movies that she has NEVER seen.

- "The Jazz Singer" (1927)

- "The Public Enemy" (1931)

- "Little Caeser" (1931)

- "Suspicion" (1941)

- "It" (1927)

- "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938)

- "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939)

- "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946)

- "Jezebel" (1938)

- "Dinner At Eight" (1933)

- "The Philadelphia Story" (1940)

- "To Be or Not To Be" (1942)

- "Sunset Blvd." (1950)

- "Since You Went Away" (1944)

- "Cleopatra" (1934)

- "The Women" (1939)

- "Top Hat" (1935)

- "Swing Time" (1936)

- "The Mark of Zorro" (1940)

- "Imitation of Life" (1959)

- "Captain Blood" (1935)

- "All About Eve" (1950)

- "Gentleman's Agreement" (1947)

- "Gold Diggers of 1933" (1933)

- "Cabin in the Sky" (1943)

- "Heaven Can Wait" (1943)

- "Leave Her to Heaven" (1945)

It's hard to imagine never seeing these great movies! I am so excited for her to be able to watch all of the for the first time. Which one of these classic films do you think is the one that she should not go without seeing?

Friday, February 12, 2010

Movies I Watch Again & Again Part 2/2



Today is part two of which movies I watch over and over again. Again, these are not necessarily my favorite films, but I love to watch them none the less.


A Free Soul (1931)

Starring: Norma Shearer, Clark Gable

Why do I love this? Norma Shearer is fabulous in pre-code films. Although I love "The Divorcee", I find my self watching this one more often. Clark Gable is not the nicest person in this film, but oh well, it's Clark Gable!


The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)

Starring: Gene Tierney, Rex Harrison

Why do I love this? I guess I have always been drawn to ghost stories, and this is one great ghost story! It isn't scary in the least, just a delightful movie. You can also see a young Natalie Wood playing Gene Tierney's daughter.


People Will Talk (1951)

Starring: Cary Grant, Jeanne Crain

Why do I love this? Every time I watch this I completely fall in love with Dr. Praetorius (Cary Grant). It really isn't hard to fall in love with any Cary Grant character, but who wouldn't love to be married to this doctor?


The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947)

Starring: Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Shirley Temple

Why do I love this? This is just a fun movie! Cary Grant is so wonderful and Myrna Loy is as great as ever. Shirley Temple plays the 17 year old bobby-soxer, and is entertaining to watch.


Dancing Lady (1933)

Starring: Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Franchot Tone

Why do I love this? I really enjoy watching Joan Crawford at this point in her career. She looks beautiful, and always has a lot of spunk. Clark Gable is also looking marvelous as always. And Franchot Tone is I believe one of the most underrated actors, he is one of my favorites too!


So there are ten movies that I can't help but watch all the time! I know most of them are on there because of the people that are in them. But this blog is called Silver Screen Stars, and I love to watch the stars! Do any of you have certain movies that you watch a lot that are not in particular one of your favorites films? I would love to hear what they are!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Movies I Watch Again & Again Part 1/2


I have several movies that I love to watch over and over again that are not listed in my top ten musical, drama, or comedy lists that I posted a couple of months ago. Although they are not my ultimate favorites, I just can't help watching them all the time! In the next two posts I will write about the ten movies that I love to watch. I will try to explain why I love each of them, but even I'm not sure why I watch them so much. So, for the first five....


Wife Vs. Secretary (1936)

Starring: Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Myrna Loy

Why do I love this? Well.....Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Myrna Loy!!! Three of my all time favorites in one movie. Plus Jimmy Stewart has a small part as Jean Harlow's love interest. The story is a pretty good one, and everyone looks their best!


Easy to Love (1953)

Starring: Esther Williams, Van Johnson

Why do I love this? I have of late become a huge fan of Esther Williams. I received the Esther Williams Collection Vol 2 for Christmas and have already watched this film a few times. It is such a beautiful colorful movie with remarkable costumes.


Moon Over Miami (1941)

Starring: Don Ameche, Betty Grable

Why do I love this? I love Don Ameche and Betty Grable. They are both so fabulous in this movie together. I love to hear the both of them sing too! Other than that, it is a typical light hearted musical/comedy.


Second Honeymoon (1937)

Starring: Tyrone Power, Loretta Young

Why do I love this? TYRONE POWER!!!! Need I say more? I think that he looks his best in this film. I could watch it all day long! I love Loretta Young in this too. She is my favorite actress to be paired with Tyrone. Have I told you that I love him? ;-)


No Man of Her Own (1932)

Starring: Clark Gable, Carole Lombard

Why do I love this? This is the only movie that Clark Gable and Carole Lombard made together. Not only that it is a very good film! They are both wonderful in it, and look great as well.


Stay tuned for my next post where I will list the final five movies that I can watch again and again!

Monday, February 8, 2010

The Uninvited (1944)


Several years ago (approximately 14/15) I stayed a week with my grandmother. She had AMC and we watched classic movies together often. One evening we watched an old scary movie and my grandma was scared to death! For years I wondered what movie that was, since I guess I did not pay attention to the title. Then about a year ago I stumbled upon "The Uninvited" on some web site, and knew that this was that movie. I finally was able to watch it last week!

Made in 1944, this movie is set in 1937 on the Devonshire coast in England. A brother and sister (Ray Milland & Ruth Hussey) are vacationing and fall in love with an abandoned house overlooking the ocean. They decide to buy it regardless of the rumors of "disturbances". Shortly after they move in they notice the disturbances themselves. With the help of a young woman (Gail Russell) who has a history in the house, and her doctor (Alan Napier), they uncover buried secrets that go back 17 years.

I am not one to give away the plot of movies. So I will leave the summery as it is. Let's just say that this is one classic film to watch for. I picked it up from the library, and afterward found out that it was on TCM later in the week. I currently do not have TCM, so I'm glad our library was able to get a copy.

You can watch the entire movie on You Tube by clicking here. Or you can watch the trailer below!



Friday, February 5, 2010

Unplanned Break

It has been three weeks since my last post! This was definitely not something that I planned. January was such a hectic month, and I plan on getting more posts up next week. Honestly, I have also had a kind of blogger's block recently. Thank you for being patient with me!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Tyrone Power on "What's My Line"


I just had to post this clip of Tyrone Power on "What's My Line". I love watching all of my favorite stars on this show. Of course I love Tyrone Power, so this is one that I have watched often. Enjoy!



Tuesday, January 12, 2010

I love "I Love Lucy" in Hollywood

Last night I watched the "I Love Lucy" episode with William Holden ("L.A. at Last"). For those of you who do not know this one, it's the one where Lucy lights her fake nose on fire. For many years I had only seen the second half of the episode. But a few years ago I finally got to watch the whole thing. This is probably my favorite "I Love Lucy" episode, or maybe it ties with "Vitameatavegimin".

Yes, this blog is about classic film and its stars and not classic television. I must ramble though for a little bit about this "I Love Lucy" season. Ricky gets an offer for a movie in Hollywood, so he and Lucy along with Fred and Ethel travel to CA. There are so many stars in these classic episodes! William Holden, John Wayne, Van Johnson, Richard Widmark, and many many more.

If you are a classic movie fan and have not seen season four and the beginning of season five of "I Love Lucy", go out and buy it! It is so much fun to see all of the stars playing themselves. Lucille Ball is so hilarious with them as she plays their biggest fan. I wonder how I would have acted had I lived back when my favorite stars did. I might have been the same way. Well, maybe not breaking into Richard Widmark's house. Do you have a favorite classic TV episode that has a guest movie star? I would love to hear of any that I have missed!

Below is a scene in "L.A. at Last", where Lucy first sees William Holden, my favorite scene in this episode. He was so great in this!

Sunday, January 3, 2010

The Colorful 40's


This week I watch "Thrill of a Romance" (1945) with Esther Williams. This is is the second Esther Williams collection. The movie was good and very entertaining. One thing that I enjoy about this and other movies made in the 1940's is the use of Technicolor.


Technicolor was used in film earlier than the 40's, but this is when it really took off. I am usually one who defends the black and white movies, but when films are filmed originally with this color the end result is beautiful! This is one reason that I love Betty Grable movies too. Most of them were also filmed in Technicolor. The 1940's style of clothes, hair, and make-up were also best in color. You can't see that bright red lipstick in black and white!


Some actresses I believe were made for Technicolor movies. The above mentioned Esther Williams and Betty Grable are obviously two of them. I have heard that Maureen O'Hara is counted as the queen of Technicolor though, I don't know who came up with that but she did film beautifully. Some actresses shunned color films because they believed that they looked better and more glamorous in black and white. In the 1939 film "The Women" there is a color sequence of a fashion show, but not one of the stars of the film were in this.

Movies filmed in Technicolor always had a kind of unreal feel to them, nothing is that bright and colorful in real life! But that is why they were so popular and are still one of a kind today. Which actors or actresses do you think were made for Technicolor?