Now he's got a smile that he can't lose

I've thought about it, and I've decided not to write a spotlight on Errol Flynn today. I'll explain why and post lots of yummy Errol photos to make up for it:

When I started my daily posts in March, I realized that I was having an extremely fun time writing every day. Long before March, well December, I'd decided to make a monthly list such as favorite dancers, favorite couples, favorite dancing couples, favorite singers, and so on because lists are fun to write. Now, I realize that I already wrote my favorite leading men list in December so I was thinking that next December, I'll make another one but write a daily post about each. This will keep me from repeating myself unnecessarily. You all know my obsessions, but that doesn't mean you have to read about them every time I'm obsessing.


All this to say, I think I'm going to do away with the spotlight on a performer segment. It just doesn't make sense in my new blogging format. It's overkill. So, I'd like to switch it out with a new segment, something that I've been thinking was blog-worthy for quite some time. I was going to write one post on the subject, outlining five favorites, but as I ticked off examples to myself, I realized I have well over twenty. Each segment generally gets featured once a month, approximately. Which means that I have enough to talk about for well over a year if I use this new segment. Plus, I'm pretty sure that I have a good amount of list ideas, at least enough to take me to the end of the year. Do you want to know what the new segment is? I'm kind of excited about it.


The new segment is going to feature Fun Times. Have you ever had it when you're watching a movie and you think, "they look like they're having so much fun!" I think that's a noteworthy thought. I know I've written that in this blog several times. It's a feeling that keeps me watching movies (one of many). When we think that, we end up living vicariously through the characters on the screen, fervently wishing we could join the fun but knowing deep down that we already have, in a way.


Now, ironically, one of the moments that made me think this and made me start thinking of blogging about this is not a movie moment but a music one. But I think you will all agree that it is appropriate to film when I share it with you. So, this is my first Fun Times segment post. I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think of the new plan!!

The song is "Black Strap Molasses" and is sung by Groucho Marx, Jimmy Durante, Jane Wyman, and Danny Kaye. I absolutely love this song! It's on my happy playlist. It's so much fun!! I don't know how it was recorded, but I like to imagine the four of them in a recording studio, laughing it up between takes. I love that they get to throw in their own individual style - Groucho goes "wah-wah" semi-randomly in the background, Danny Kaye does some of his wacky scatting, and Durante even throws in an "Inka-Dinka-Doo!" The song is totally silly and it makes me smile every time. So, take a listen and tell me what you think!

It must be beautiful in Vermont this time of year... all that snow.

Happy belated birthday to Vera-Ellen!!

Amanda Cooper just wrote a beautiful write-up of the wonderful performer, whose birthday was two days ago. I can't put it quite as eloquently as Amanda did, but Vera-Ellen was an amazing dancer and a lovely actress. She is sadly overlooked as a performer these days despite her great talent. Because categories are fun, I'm going to categorize my favorites regarding Ms. Vera-Ellen.

Favorite role: Jessie in Three Little Words
Favorite duet: Definitely "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing" with Danny Kaye from White Christmas, but the "Abraham" number with John Brascia follows as a pretty close second.
Favorite scene: Judy's proposal in White Christmas (this is also my favorite dress) The scene begins roughly after 7:30.
Favorite dance costume: the dress in "Come On Papa" in Three Little Words
Favorite dance moment: her entrance in "Choreography" (because this moment deserves its very own category)

Isn't that amazing?? I wish I could do that! (on an unrelated note, John Brascia's entrance in this song is also pretty neat - he leaps out of the floor!)

I also really love "Minstrel Number" from White Christmas, "Come On, Papa," from Three Little Words, and "Miss Turnstiles" from On the Town. What are your favorites regarding Vera-Ellen?

Just so you know, you can view a few of her movies in their entirety on IMDb. I'm bookmarking the pages right now for myself because there are a couple that I've never seen before!


I want to thank everyone who responded to my question regarding quotes! I'm really excited about starting the quote segment! I'm trying to figure out which day is best. But I will have one up soon!

I always sing when I am happy... when events and things please me.

Today for my spotlight on a performer, I'd like to discuss Rudolph Valentino. Now, I'd like to make a brief disclaimer before I write this post: I am not an expert on Rudolph Valentino. I went through a period where I read up on him via Wikipedia and IMDb, but that is the extent of my education. Therefore, if I get any of my facts wrong, please, please let me know! Oh, and if you know of any good biographies, I'd love to know about them!

Ever since I discovered him last year, Valentino has completely fascinated me. There is something so appealing about him. It's not just his movies, although those are interesting too, there's something about his stardom that I find intriguing.

When I watched The Sheik (1921), I didn't like it. I thought the girl was weak (after she promised to be so strong and independent too!) and the guy was pretty despicable. Yet, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I went for days afterwards, just contemplating the film, and the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. So, I rewatched it and was surprised to find that I enjoyed a great deal more the second time around. I think the movie, and its sequel, The Son of the Sheik (1926), are odd to have been so popular. Why do we cheer on the man who captures a woman and keeps her by force? Why are we relieved when they fall in love at the end? I think it's strange that the film enjoyed such popularity. I mean, in the 1920's, women had just earned the right to vote, a milestone in female independence, and here were female audiences falling love with a man who completely takes a woman's rights away (a fiercely independent woman at that). From the scene where Ahmed secretly takes the bullets out of Diana's gun, to her capture, the idea that he has control over her is evident. Not only that, but she falls in love with him after all he's done to her!


I've heard that The Son of the Sheik is considered the better of the two films, which is interesting. I haven't decided yet whether or not I agree. I've also heard that Valentino's costumes in The Son of the Sheik belonged to him, which is pretty neat. Oh, and at the beginning of the film, there's a card that says Agnes Ayres reprised her role as a favor to Rudolph Valentino - how cool is that?

Okay, so, movie aside. Now to discuss Valentino's stardom, which was pretty significant. I just read a blog post recently which explained that the questioning of Valentino's masculinity didn't actually begin until the 1960's. Again, I really don't know because I'm a very recent viewer. I just think it's interesting that he was the first male Hollywood sex icon - women adored him, but he couldn't enjoy his popularity without (apparently) some controversy. I read that a journalist blamed the decline of American masculinity on Valentino and that the movie star challenged the journalist to a duel and then to a boxing match. Apparently, (the story went on) another journalist accepted Valentino's boxing challenge and Valentino won. I really don't know if the story is true but it's a pretty great story whether or not it holds water.

I really just wanted to write a post discussing Rudolph Valentino, his appeal, his popularity. I think he's a fascinating character. From his film roles to his iconic status to his marriages, he is full of intrigue and mystery. He's sexy but I go back and forth as to whether or not I think he's actually attractive.

Thank you for letting me talk myself into circles about this! The sad part is, I've just barely scratched the surface of my fascination. I haven't even talked about the films' use of the term, "savage," which is racist at best. (I've heard that Valentino was very irked by the negative depiction - which, if true, is really cool!) See? I could keep on going, but I'll spare you. If you have any thoughts, facts, recommendations, or anything regarding Rudolph Valentino, do comment! I'd love to hear it! Oh, and if I've piqued your interest at all (I do hope I have!) you can actually watch the entirety of The Sheik on IMDb. If I've made you at all wary (I sincerely hope not) then I apologize and I do hope you'll check out his films anyway. They're fascinating to watch.


P.S. I'm including here at the bottom two photos that show the duality of the Sheik character (in both films, really). He goes back and forth between being a passionate and tender lover to the tyrannical "savage" who forces women into submission, both are from The Son of the Sheik with Vilma Banky. I do apologize for going so overboard with the photos. As I said before, I went through a major Rudy phase for about a month and I've been wanting to share these photos with somebody!!

S is for sincerity... which she's got none of.

Poll results!

For the first poll, regarding the favorite of Clark Gable's leading ladies, the winner is...Vivien Leigh!
Out of 16 votes, she won 5 (31%). Myrna Loy followed with a close second with 4 votes (25%). Claudette Colbert had 3 (18%). And Jean Harlow and Joan Crawford tied with 2 votes each (12%).


The next poll between imitation and modernization was pretty close as well. Out of 9 votes total, 5 voted for modernization (55%) while 4 voted for imitation (44%).

Oh, and don't forget to vote for your favorite Kiss Me Kate fella in this week's poll!



Now for my spotlight on a performer. I want to talk about Kathryn Grayson today. Emma noted in her comment that Kathryn Grayson is very versatile. It's a trait that I've admired in the actress as well and I think it's worth discussing. She was in surprisingly few movies but she played completely different characters in each of them. In Kiss Me Kate (1953), she plays a tempermental ex-wife who throws pots with ease and punches Howard Keel repeatedly. In Anchors Aweigh (1945), she plays a sweet-tempered aunt whose only fervent wish is to work under Jose Iturbi. In Thousands Cheer (1943), she's a spunky young girl with a plan to make her parents make up and has a remarkable sense of humor. I've seen It Happened In Brooklyn (1947) and Show Boat (1951) once each so I cannot give much of a description of her character but I do remember that she's pretty different than the other characters I've just described. I feel Kathryn Grayson is pretty overlooked as an actress. She's memorable in all of her roles and all of her roles are different. (Not to mention, she's so stinking cute with her little nose that goes up like this and her huge dark eyes. Not only was she beautiful, she was adorable!) What do you think? Do you agree? What is your favorite Kathryn Grayson role/movie?

My condition is only so-so

I have a confession to make: (I'm always making confessions, it seems.) Whenever I think of good dancers, I always forget about Rita Hayworth. Isn't that awful?



The fact of the matter is, though, she danced with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. She kept up with both of them and she always looked amazing.


I'm going to keep this post short because I'm in the process of moving out of my dorm. Next time you see me, I'll be a college graduate! Whoopee!!



Just to prove how great Rita Hayworth is, I'll post a couple of really great numbers performed by her. Enjoy! And tell me which one you like better. Of course, this may boil down to a Fred vs. Gene debate but do comment and tell me what you think. And don't forget that you have a few days left to vote on the two polls, so go vote before time runs out!

Gosh, your lips look delicious!

It's November! November means Fall. Fall means cold weather (except in Florida, apparently, which is where I happen to be. darnit!). And cold weather means it's appropriate to listen to "Baby, It's Cold Outside" as much as is humanly possible. And "Baby, It's Cold Outside" means Ricardo Montalban!

Today's segment: spotlight on a performer. Lately, I've been spotlighting performers celebrating their birthdays. While I love this arrangement, and would like to keep it up, there are so many wonderful performers whose birthdays won't be around for a while!

Today, I'd like to talk about a recent favorite of mine: Ricardo Montalban. I say "recent" because I didn't really discover him until this past year. I listened to my recording of "Baby, It's Cold Outside," completely ignorant of the man singing it. Anyway, when I discovered him, I was in love. A beautiful actor, he sang, he samba'd, and, though I'm not sure whether or not he shouted, "ay, caramba," he did play the piano (be still my heart!). My only complaint with him is that he did not do very many musicals. He had such a talent for them, I think it is a sad loss to what could have been. He and Cyd Charisse made a great pair. They danced together on a number of occasions.


Sadly, my favorite number of is, "Baby, It's Cold Outside," (but you could probably guess that from my introduction) which is not available on YouTube, but I've tried linking a few others in the description above. I hope they will pique your curiosity if you've never seen him before or, if you have, you will enjoy revisiting them. If you have never seen any of his musicals, I thoroughly recommend them, with a warning: the plots are not always stellar and the films are often very light. But if, like me, you enjoy that sort of thing, then don't hesitate to check them out. Enjoy!

Practically perfect in every way

Happy Birthday Julie Andrews! Just in time to feel all warm and comfy inside with the coming of fall, we can celebrate a wonderful performer's movies that will also make you feel warm and comfy inside: it's a perfect match! I have, luckily, seen more Julie Andrews movies than my last birthday person, Donald O'Connor. I've seen about 6 Julie Andrews movies, unless you count her voice acting, in which case I've seen 8. This summer, I rekindled my admiration and love for Julie Andrews when I introduced Mary Poppins (1964) and Sound of Music (1965) to my almost-two-year-old niece. This rekindling inspired me to revisit another movie that I hadn't liked the first time around, Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), which I now love. I also watched Relative Values (2000) for the first time and fell in love with it. The Princess Diaries films (2001 and 2004) are also a good testament to how elegant, graceful, and sophisticated Julie Andrews is. Most people have seen at least one Julie Andrews movie, usually two or three or four so I probably don't need to review them. What is your favorite Julie Andrews role? Your favorite Julie Andrews film (if there's a difference in the two)? Your favorite Julie Andrews song? Your favorite Julie Andrews line? Did I miss any spectacular Julie Andrews movie that you recommend? I'm really trying to get more responses to this blog because I'd like to know who is reading it. If you all want to say is "Happy Birthday" then that's okay too! So, to get the ball rolling:

Favorite Julie Andrews role: Mary Poppins:


Favorite Julie Andrews film: I really hate to say the same movie twice so I'll change it up with Relative Values even though Mary Poppins is probably my favorite:


Favorite Julie Andrews song: Toss up between "Feed the Birds (Tuppence A Bag)," "Chim Chim Cheree" and "I Have Confidence."



Favorite Julie Andrews line: "Starting tomorrow, I'm going to be unspeakably fatal."

And Happy Birthday Julie Andrews! Yay!
(And Happy October too)

I'm glad you showed up. We've been looking inside every cake in town.

Today, instead of reviewing a movie or comparing a few movies, I want to celebrate a birthday:

Happy Birthday Donald O'Connor!!


He was born on August 28th, 1925. Most people know or remember him for his performance in Singin' in the Rain (1952) as the hilarious Cosmo Brown. I have been fortunate enough to see him other roles but I haven't seen as many of his films as I would like. However, from the ones I have seen - Call Me Madam (1953), There's No Business Like Show Business (1954), and That Funny Feeling (1965) - I still like Singin' in the Rain the best. Now, to be fair, Singin' in the Rain is hard to beat (it's an indisputable classic) and I really have not seen many of his movies, much to my shame and disappointment. If you are looking for a little more Donald O'Connor, I can offer my suggestions from my meager experience with his films. Call Me Madam is my favorite of the three films that I have seen (concerning him, that is). I'm not an Ethel Merman fan but the parts with Vera-Ellen and Donald O'Connor are very cute. The plot is cute and the songs are wonderful (they include "It's A Lovely Day Today" and "You're Just In Love" - two of my favorites). With There's No Business Like Show Business, you have to get through Ethel Merman's singing again, but you get some Marilyn Monroe to compensate. Finally, That Funny Feeling is a delightful Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin film but Donald O'Connor, while great, is not the witty and wacky side-kick, or the charming and clever lead, but the luckless, abused best friend (not my favorite role for him).

In any role, Donald O'Connor shines through as a brilliant performer. I highly encourage checking out his other films. And, to encourage a wee bit of dialogue on this blog and to celebrate his birthday, can everyone please comment with
a) your favorite Donald O'Connor movie
b) and/or your favorite Cosmo quote (there are so many good ones!)

To conclude, here is a classic O'Connor number. Enjoy!