It's entirely innocent I am

I'm a little late in my posting today because I'm sadly under the weather today. I was a call-in at work and I actually called in for my call-in shift (my manager thought it was rather funny). Pretty much all I've done today is sleep, drink, eat a little, and watch You Can't Take It With You (for the first time, I'll have you know!). I'm trying to wait a bit before I go to bed because I have to get up earlyish for work tomorrow and I want to make sure I sleep the full night. I don't know if this logic actually makes sense or if it just makes sense in my head. At any rate, I've decided to write a post with #16 in my count-up:
Captain Blood (1935)


I should warn you before I begin that this post has a lot of photos. I simply couldn't resist. Errol Flynn is so incredibly good-looking, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to bombard the post with pictures. The one trouble with doing this post is that I could talk for days about this movie. I really love it! I have a hard time finding people to watch it with me because most people get uneasy about the whole slavery sequence (I do too. I always fast-forward the branding scene). But compared to The Sea Hawk, which includes slavery in a much more horrific depiction, Captain Blood is pretty easy to watch. But, like I said, I always fast-forward what I don't want to watch. Okay, back to the point: this movie has everything: romance, drama, adventure, humor. The basic plot is as follows:

Dr. Peter Blood (Errol Flynn) is arrested while attending to a wounded friend in the middle of a civil war. Despite his pacifist standing, he is locked up and finally stands on trial under a very unjust judge. The judge pronounces Peter guilty of treason even though Peter has done nothing but his job as a doctor. Meanwhile, King James decides to make money off all of these traitors by selling them as slaves in Jamaica. So, Peter is shipped off to Jamaica and is bought, on a whim, by the niece of a plantation owner, Arabella Bishop (Olivia de Havilland). Arabella gets Peter a job as doctor to the governor of Jamaica; his new freedom allows him to plot an escape for himself and his fellow slaves. When a Spanish pirate ship attacks the town, Peter and his friends board the ship and turn to piracy. Later in the film, the tables are turned when Arabella finds herself a prisoner on board Peter's ship.


Okay, so that was a pretty bad nut-shelling job, especially since I'm trying to not to give away the ending too much. I usually just tell people, "It's about a doctor who becomes a slave who escapes and becomes a pirate." I've gotten mixed results when showing this around to people. The best reaction was my aunt who, near the end of the film said, "Oh, that's wonderful! Now that they can get married!" and the worst reaction was my friends in middle school who all fell asleep (sigh). But, no matter what reactions I get, I love this movie. I loved the movie so much that I read the surprisingly long book by Rafael Sabatini - which is very good and adds some wonderful insights into the characters but is quite lengthy.

Now, to go into the trivia section of the post. I must warn you on this one, I'm spouting out this trivia from memory. I feel pretty confident that I'm quoting these facts correctly but I couldn't quote you the sources if I tried. I've acquired most of these facts during several of my Errol Flynn obsession phases, where I watched his movies non-stop, watched documentaries, and read articles. If, however, I have spoken incorrectly, please let me know! This movie is responsible for launching Errol Flynn into stardom, with Olivia de Havilland at his side. Flynn and director Michael Curtiz did not get along very well and Curtiz actually tried to tell the producer that Flynn was no good. The producer asked Curtiz to give Flynn a second chance and Flynn became a stronger actor, that some scenes had to be reshot. While Flynn did not get along with his director too well, he and his costar famously got along famously (that's not a typo, by the way; it's an attempt at cleverness. I'm not sure if it worked). Flynn and de Havilland shared a mutual attraction to each other and he even discussed the possibility of them getting married - but that happened during The Adventures of Robin Hood which is a different story.

An unrelated bit of trivia that I just read on a Basil Rathbone site was that Captain Levassuer's death had to be timed perfectly to correspond with the waves so that he would fall into the water, a wave would splash over him, and reveal him to be dead. Apparently, it was very hard for him to keep his eyes open with the saltwater splashing over him - understandably! That sounds awful!

I love Errol Flynn in this movie. He's so passionate and brooding. I like the way he sets his jaw during the trial scene, the intensity of his look when he's looking at Arabella. One of my favorite scenes in the film is the one where Peter finds his friend, Jeremy (played by Ross Alexander), strapped to a post, having been beaten by their owners. The scene is tender and intense and it really makes me wish that Ross Alexander had been in more films.
... I'm pretty sure I'm rambling at this point. I truly apologize. If you want to read a slightly more cohesive discussion of the film, you can go to a post I wrote a little while ago, comparing it to Pirates of the Caribbean (2003).

Now, I'll close with a quote and some links to a few of my favorite moments in the film:
"However far this slave may go, he won't forget... it's a characteristic we Irish have in common with the elephants!"
As for the film clips, I should tell you that you can see the whole film online. I highly recommend it. If you're at all wary, I'll tell you now that it has a happy ending, so you needn't worry on that point.
- the trial scene
- My favorite scene with Peter and Arabella, starts at 6:30.
- The scene with Peter and Jeremy, starts at 3:36.
- the ending! Don't watch this if you don't want a spoiler! Starts at 4:24.

Thank you for being patient with me. If you love Errol Flynn and this film as much as I do, I'd love to read gushing comments about it! I'd actually love to hear any comments about it, gushing or not.

Question: I'm always quoting movies and I really love movie quotes (You may have noticed that the titles of my posts are almost always movie quotes). I've been thinking of adding a new post a week that would solely feature a random quote and everyone could guess what movie it was from. Maybe including a hint? There would be no rewards for this game, unfortunately. Just fun. What do you think? Good idea? Would you guess if I posted a quote a week?

You're a perfect lady. You're a regular guy. We should be together, you and I!

In January, I stated that I would like to a different list of favorites every month. I've already done Favorite Actresses and Favorite Actors. Now, in honor of February and Valentine's Day, I'd like to do Favorite Couples! I have a few disclaimers before I begin, however. First, there is a difference between a couple and a dance team. I'm specifically avoiding dance partners because I think they deserve a list all their own. So, these pairs are pairs because I like the way their chemistry while acting, sans dance (even if they happen to dance together, as is the case with #2). Also, I've carefully avoided doubling up on some actors. Each performer is listed only once (which is why you'll see no Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, who I do actually like, but I prefer the Cary Grant pairing I have below). Instead of having ninth and tenth couples, I have two honorary mentions. That is, two pairings that I love that have only been paired together once. I'm also including the films in which I like the performers' chemistry best; in the first three choices, I'm including two films. If you like this list or this idea, please feel free to consider yourself tagged in this listing process. I'd love to see what couples you like!

#1. William Powell and Myrna Loy
The Thin Man and I Love You Again


#2. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
Swing Time and Roberta


#3. Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland
The Adventures of Robin Hood and Captain Blood


#4. Cary Grant and Irene Dunne
The Awful Truth


#5. Gene Kelly and Kathryn Grayson
Thousands Cheer


#6. Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell
Footlight Parade


#7. Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee
That Funny Feeling


#8. Frank Sinatra and Betty Garrett
On the Town


Honorary Mentions:
#9. William Holden and Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday


#1o. Claudette Colbert and Don Ameche in Midnight




P.S. I'd like to thank Noir Girl for picking up the movie review chain! I can't wait to read her review!
P.P.S. Don't forget to vote on the poll! There are only two votes so far, which is making the competition a very slow neck-and-neck race.
P.P.P.S. Happy Valentine's Day!! I've picked one of my favorite onscreen kisses as a banner for the occasion!
P.P.P.P.S. (I promise, this is the last one!) Because it relates to the list and to the day, I'm going to do some shameless self-promotion and post one of my videos. I hope you like it! It features my top three couples! The song is written by and performed by the incomparable Emma Wallace of Emma's Music

Did you say something about scrambled eggs?

For this month's spotlight on a scene, I'd like to discuss a scene of one of my favorite on-screen couples, Nick and Nora Charles. The scene is from After the Thin Man (1936) when the couple is in bed (separated, of course). Nick is trying to fall asleep while Nora is anxious about the fate of her cousin, who is mixed up in a murder. The scene is hilarious because Nora keeps chatting to Nick and Nick keeps trying to fall asleep. I'm working through my copy on Leading Couples of the Studio Era and I finally got to William Powell and Myrna Loy. Frank Miller writes that the couple proved marriage could be "sophisticated, passionate, and fun." I think you can see some of that in this scene - the way Nora smiles at Nick, the fact that Nick sacrifices his sleep to scramble Nora some eggs, and their witty banter (particularly when they get into the kitchen). I'm embedding the scene below. I'll put two vids because the scene continues with the chase around the house. The scene begins at 5:30. Enjoy!

Two Kwakiutls in the same blanket... were warmer.

I fell behind in reading and writing blog posts in the past few days. I'm only now catching up! Phew! Some quick business before I launch into my post: Thank you again to all who voted in this week's poll! The results were a landslide, which rather surprised me, to be honest. In the question, who is your favorite regular in the Fred and Ginger series, Edward Everett Horton scored a whopping 64% of the votes (11)! Helen Broderick had 3 votes (17%), Eric Blore had 2 (11%) and Erik Rhodes had 1 (5%). I'm still brainstorming about this week's poll. I'll let you know at the end of the post what I've decided to ask.


I realized that I promised to theme all of my posts romantically but that hasn't really been happening, so I don't think you will mind too terribly when this next post doesn't quite fit into the Valentine's Day setting. The photo above may have tricked you into thinking this is an ultra-romantic post with a very clever tie-in to the insanely cold weather everyone has been having. Unless, of course, you recognize the photo, in which case, you weren't tricked at all and can probably guess what's next on my count-up of 100 movies:

#15 The Great Race (1965)


(There were several posters for this film but I picked this one because I think it captures the zaniness best. Just check out that list on the left-hand side! Classic!)

I rewatched this film the other day and fell back in love with it. I loved it years ago when I was a kid (although I suppose some would still consider me a kid), but this time around I appreciated the over-the-top, campy, crazy hilarity that is this film.

The basic plot is as follows: The Great Leslie (Tony Curtis) is a champion daredevil who constantly breaks records, wins lady loves, and wears white. His arch-nemesis, Professor Fate (Jack Lemmon), constantly (and unsuccessfully) attempts kill Leslie so that he, Fate, can be the champion, fails at all of his own daredevil attempts, and wears black. When Leslie suggests an automobile race stretching from New York to Paris, Fate is the first one to accept the challenge. Shortly behind Fate in rising to the challenge is journalist, suffragette, female emancipator, Maggie Dubois (Natalie Wood), who is out to prove that she can be any man's equal, particularly if the man is Leslie. Along for the ride are Leslie's assistant, Hezekiah (Keenan Wynn) and Fate's cohort, Max (Peter Falk). So, there you have it, in a semi-nutshell. A crazy race across the globe that includes everything from a sing-along song (complete with lyrics and bouncy ball) to a coronation (not to mention everything on the list in the poster!). If you have not yet seen this film, I highly and thoroughly recommend it. I'll link to the trailer here in case you need your appetite whetted (whettened?) even more.


The movie includes many hilarious lines. One of my favorites is in the title of the post.
Here are a few others:

Max: Come on, Professor, rise and shine!
Fate: Rise and shine?!
Max: Yeah. 7:30.
Fate: Then you rise, you shine!

Fate: Bury the hatchet.
Leslie: And we know who has the hatchet.
Max: He doesn't have a hatchet, I promise you.

Leslie: Are you a native of Boracho?
Lilly: I ain't no native! I was born here!

Prince Hapnik: Rah! Oh rah!

What are your favorite lines from the film?


I've been trying to make my 100 movies posts a little bit more interesting so I looked up some trivia for this one before I wrote it up. There were some very interesting bits and pieces but the most interesting ones, I thought, were the ones that involved the major pie fight towards the end of the movie. Here's what I found out:


- the pie fight is the largest one ever staged
- the pies used were real and contained real ingredients (including fruit, custard, and whipped cream)
- there were more than 300 leftover pies after the scene, which the crew proceeded to eat
- the running gag in this scene that Leslie walks through the kitchen and remains unblemished was pretty tricky to film (which is something I've always wondered). Tony Curtis had to change costumes several times when debris from other pies got on his suit and messed up the gag.

I really did go a bit overboard with the pictures this time, didn't I? But they were all so irresistible! Ah well. Pictures are fun. Now for the aforepromised poll. This will require you to have seen the movie, so if you haven't seen it, go see it so that you can vote! Jack Lemmon plays two characters in the film, the devious Professor Fate and the drunken Prince Hapnik. Which of these two roles do you like better?

P.S. I have a new banner at the top of my blog. Go check it out! The plan is to change it every week in honor of Valentines Day month.

On how to be lovely, you've gotta be happy

First off, I'd like to thank everyone who voted in the Peter Pan poll. The results were a pretty significant landslide: out of 19 votes, 16 preferred the 1953 version (84%), 2 voted for the 2003 version (10%) and 1 voted for both (5%). There's another poll up regarding the regulars in the Fred and Ginger collection (I apologize again for forgetting Randolph Scott). And now get ready for a whole bunch of pictures because..

the awards continue! This probably wouldn't happen if I retagged the awards in a more timely manner. But I do believe I've learned my lesson (I hope!). Now, for the next batch:
Award #3:

The rules for this little ditty are:
1. Thank the one who gave it to you.
Thank you Fire and Music!
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
Check.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
Check.
4. Name 7 things about you that people think are interesting.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.

Okay, 7 things. Raindrops on roses... oh wait. Those are nice things. Well, here are some potentially interesting ones:

1. I mismatch my socks. On purpose. I often like to match them by color schemes, but sometimes I don't even do that. I discovered a wonderful shop that caters to this zaniness and I now work there! Hooray!
2. I sometimes forget what my favorite color is. The truth is, it changes all the time. I do prefer jewel tones and neutrals but sometimes I sneak into pastel land with a nice dusty pink.
3. I think the Fast-Forward button was a brilliant invention. I tend to use it a lot. I don't generally watch movies all the way through when I'm watching them by myself. I skip to my favorite parts.
4. I'm trying to learn Portuguese but I don't have the courage to actually speak it so I'm always losing whatever I've learned. I've learned quite a bit, really, but I still can't quite carry on a full conversation.
5. I don't like going upside-down on roller coasters. People say that you can't tell that you're upside-down. I strongly disagree. I can tell.
6. I like flying. I really enjoy the taking off and landing parts. And whenever I land, I like to play a sort of game with myself and try to find people before the plane gets close to land. It's amazing how rarely people walk around outside when you're looking for them.
7. I've recently discovered that I love photos of people jumping:




Now, for the Kreativ Bloggers. I nominate:
A Cup Full of Sunshine
Hollywood Dreamland
L.A. La Land
Movie Viewing Girl
My Phoneography
Some Parade
Vintage Film Nerd




Award #4 Happy 101 (the final one) was bestowed upon me by A Cup Full of Sunshine.

Now, for 10 things that make me happy (and we'll go ahead and assume that old movies is a given. Also, family and friends make me terribly happy but I didn't want to post photos because I don't know if my family and friends would care for that). So, in no particular order:

1. Writing

2. Dancing

(Art by Kate Gabrielle. Click on photo for source.)

3. Disney movies



4. Old movie posters



5. A good book


6. Taking photos



7. Oldies



8. Glamorous photos of old movie stars

9. Going to Disney


10. Editing movies
I have a YouTube channel where I post all of my videos. Sorry, no picture for this. I was trying to upload a video to the post but it was taking a very long time.


Whew boy! That was fun! Here are the people that I'd like to tag for this one:
The Drifter and the Gypsy
A Noodle in a Haystack
Emma's Music
Silents and Talkies

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!!

Pining? Men don't pine. Girls pine. Men just...suffer.

Although I never really do much for Valentine's Day, I love themes, so this month I'm going to have a romantic theme to my posts (when possible). I'll keep Rudolph Valentino and Natacha Rambova as my header until the end of the week and then I'll switch them out with another classy couple. Today in my count-up, I'm going to discuss one of my favorite romantic teams of all time:
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in:

#14: The Gay Divorcee (1934)


Before I launch into my discussion of the film, I just have to say that I absolutely adore this poster! It's so lovely and happy! This is one of my favorite Fred and Ginger films. It has one of my all-time favorites of their dances, "Night and Day," and I just love the dialogue! An example:

Guy: It's lots of fun. I used to do it as a boy.
Mimi: I don't care what you did as a boy.
Guy: Well, I did nothing as a girl, so there goes my childhood.

The plot is relatively simple but I always have difficulty in explaining in concisely. After Guy (Astaire) meets Mimi (Rogers) for a few brief moments, he quickly falls in love with her (in typically Fred and Ginger fashion). He doesn't realize that his friend, Eggbert (Horton), a lawyer, is on a case for Mimi as her divorce attorney. Eggbert recommends Mimi acquire a divorce by staging an affair with a "correspondent" in a beachside resort. When she agrees, Eggbert meets her there, dragging Guy along. Eggbert sets up a password for the correspondent, a saying he picked up from Guy. When Guy uses this same saying to Mimi, not realizing that she's Eggbert's client, she mistakes him for the correspondent and gives him instructions to rendezvous in her room. The movie actually doesn't seem too convoluted; it's just a little tricky to explain (for me, at least!). Many people have noted that Top Hat (1935) has a very similar plotline to Gay Divorcee. I, personally, don't have a problem with the similar plotlines. It's a formula but, like 1930s audiences, I'm one for escapism in movies and I kind of enjoy the wacky, similar, airy plots.

The film is a bit ridiculous and wacky but it's so funny! Several of the Fred and Ginger regulars are in it: Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore, Erik Rhodes. Also includes a delightful character actress, Alice Brady, who is equally ludicrous in My Man Godfrey (1936). As an interesting matter of trivia, Eric Blore was the most frequent repeat-offender in the Fred and Ginger series, showing up in 5 of their films. Can you name all five? I'll follow Gingerology's suit and include the answers in the comment section. I'll also use this topic for this week's poll. Which of the three regulars is your favorite? I'll include Helen Broderick in the running as well.

Another interesting detail pertaining to this film is that Betty Grable, in a bit performance (that I personally love. The song is quite silly but it's so catchy! I love it!) is wearing the same suit that Dolores del Rio wore in Flying Down to Rio (1933), another Fred and Ginger film.


After the surprising success of "The Carioca" in Flying Down to Rio, they hoped to cash in on another major dance sequence. The choice, "The Continental," won an Academy Award for Best Song. It's an incredibly long song (over 8 minutes!) but it's worth the watch. Fred and Ginger are fun to watch and Hermes Pan does a great job choreographing a big group of dancers. (I also rather like Ginger's dress here.)



The movie review chain still hasn't been picked up yet. Please don't leave it hanging! Just comment on my review post, saying you'd like to continue the chain - first come, first serve!