Thursday, June 5, 2025

Movies I Watched in May

This month ended up being Charlton Heston and Jack Hawkins month. I also started reading several movie star autobiographies including Ronald Colman: A Very Private Person by his daughter Juliet Benita Colman, Anything for a Quiet Life by Jack Hawkins, and Pieces of My Heart by Robert Wagner (with Scott Eyman). I picked up the Wagner book at a thrift store for a dollar but it's very tmi. I will probably donate it back. I really liked the book by him I read last month though. 

* indicates a rewatch

  1. The Winning of Barbara Worth (1926) - Vilma Banksy, Ronald Colman, Gary Cooper
  2. Personal Maid's Secret (1935) - Ruth Donnaly, Margaret Lindsey, Anita Louise
  3. Fires Were Started (1943) - real civilian firefighters
  4. *Force of Arms (1951) - William Holden & Nancy Olson
  5. *When in Rome (1952) - Van Johnson, Paul Douglas
  6. The Planter's Wife/Outpost in Malaya (1952) - Jack Hawkins & Claudette Colbert
  7. The Cruel Sea (1953) - Jack Hawkins
  8. The President's Lady (1953) - Charlton Heston & Susan Hayward
  9. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) - William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins
  10. *Ben-Hur (1959) - Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Steven Boyd, Martha Scott, Cathy O'Donnell, Finlay Currie
  11. 55 Days at Peking (1963) - Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, David Niven, Flora Robson, Leo Genn
  12. Planet of the Apes (1968) - Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowell, Kim Hunter, James Whitmore
  13. *Moonstruck (1987) - Cher, Nicholas Cage, Olympia Dukakis, Vincent Gardenia
  14. *Tequila Sunrise (1988) - Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kurt Russell
  15. The Man Without a Face (1993) - Mel Gibson, Nick Stahl
  16. *Persuasion (1995) - Amanda Root & Ciaran Hinds
  17. *Soldier (1998) - Kurt Russell, Connie Nielson
  18. The Majestic (2001) - Jim Carrey, Martin Landau, James Whitmore, David Ogden Stiers
  19. Sky High (2005) - Kurt Russell, Lynda Carter
  20. *Austenland (2013) - Kerri Russell, JJ Feild, Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Seymour
*Pride and Prejudice (1995) - Colin Firth & Jennifer Ehle

Least Favorite Film: I watched about an hour of Duel in the Sun (1946) but didn't care for it. I didn't like seeing Gregory Peck play a creep. I was in a Charlton Heston mood after revising Ben-Hur for the first time since I was in high school and so ended up watching Planet of the Apes. It was ok - the score was a little unsettling. 

Favorite Movie: If you're a Ronald Colman fan you HAVE to watch The Winning of Barbara Worth. Swoon! And I definitely recommend The Majestic. It's set during the McCarthy Witch Hunt. 

Sunday, May 4, 2025

Cinema Wedding Gowns: Arizona (1940)


This post was one of the more difficult ones to put together because I had over 40 screenshots to choose from due to Jean Arthur wearing today's wedding gown for several scenes and the dress itself having so much detail.

We will start with some full-length shots.


It's difficult to know how to describe this gown. There are tiers and ruffles and lace and possibly some beadwork. The skirt is gathered and wonderfully full with beautiful movement. 

Jean Arthur appeared on the cover of the September 1940 issue of Arizona Highways wearing the wedding gown (sans veil). There was also a six-page spread about the film. You can view the entire magazine here! Click the download symbol to view a pdf of the magazine. This is the clearest picture of the gown I could find and it also shows the hem and tiers really well. It could easily look too fussy but somehow doesn't.


In this shot we get an excellent view of the waist and bodice detail. Note the lacework "stripes: on the bodice under the collar section, sleeves, and going down the skirt. 

This shows the "stripes" on the skirt a little better. 

The dress has a scoop neckline with drop shoulders and balloon sleeves.

Another shot. If you're wondering why Jean Arthur doesn't look too happy it's because right after the wedding William Holden has a gunfight scheduled. I have to say, she's taking it much better than I would have ;)

The veil doesn't look historically accurate to me but I love it so much. The lace is exquisite. 

She wears it almost as if it were a shawl.

It comes down to a point on the sides.

On most women the bow could look silly but Jean makes it work. Such a pretty curled updo!

Another look at the bow as well as her beaded choker.

Just because ;) *swoon*


Spoiler: He survives the gunfight.


Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Movies I Watched in April

The Passionate Friends (1949)

Not a lot of movies this month but, as you can see, I watched several documentaries. I read Robert Wagner's (with Scott Eyman) I Loved Her in the Movies (recommend!). 

My friend invited me to go see the 2005 Pride & Prejudice with her in theaters (20th Anniversary). I had seen it once before (one of the first Austen works I ever saw if not THE first - I literally only remembered the rain proposal scene and that Bingley looked stupid) and had disliked it at the time. I had no plans to ever watch it again but am very glad that I gave it a second chance. I really liked it this time and seeing it on the big screen, especially the lush English countryside, made it more special. The cinematography was lovely and some of the camera shots felt very innovative. I will definitely watch it again (I still didn't like Bingley though).

* indicates a rewatch

  1. The Seventh Veil (1945) - Ann Todd, James Mason
  2. Great Day (1946) - Eric Portman, Flora Robson, Sheila Sim
  3. The Passionate Friends (1949) - Ann Todd, Claude Rains, Trevor Howard
  4. The Thing from Another World (1951) - James Arness, Kenneth Tobey, Robert Cornthwaite, Margaret Sheridan, Douglas Spencer
  5. The Prowler (1951) - Van Heflin & Evelyn Keyes
  6. Hell's Half Acre (1954) - Wendall Corey, Evelyn Keyes, Elsa Lanchester, Marie Windsor
  7. *Blue Hawaii (1961) - Elvis Presley & Joan Blackman, Angela Lansbury
  8. No, My Darling Daughter (1961) - Juliet Mills, Michael Redgrave, Roger Livesey, Michael Craig
  9. *Pride & Prejudice (2005) - Kiera Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Rosamond Pike, Donald Sutherland
The Liberty Story (1957-Disney) - clips of Johnny Tremain (1957) + Ben and Me (1955) animated short
Walt & El Grupo (2009) - Disney documentary
Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (2022 mini-series) - Will Poulter
The Untold Story of "Mary Poppins" (2024) - 60th Anniversary documentary
Frasier (2024) - Season 2

Least Favorite Film: Started 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) but wasn't getting into it so stopped (I've never been much on Kirk Douglas). The end of The Seventh Veil does NOT hold up...

Favorite Movie: Not a movie but I really liked Why Didn't They Ask Evans? If you are an Agatha Christie fan I recommend it. I also really enjoyed No, My Darling Daughter. It was very funny. It's on YouTube. The location shooting in The Passionate Friends was gorgeous! Definitely have to keep an eye on your wife though if Trevor Howard is around ;)

Favorite Quote: There was a speech by Eric Portman in Great Day that I liked but I didn't write it down.

The Passionate Friends (1949)

Saturday, April 12, 2025

Cinema Wedding Gowns: Joe MacBeth (1956)

This installment of Cinema Wedding Gowns takes a look at what one wears to marry the right-hand man of a prominent mobster - that also happens to be based on a Shakespeare play.


It's just a quiet afternoon wedding with no guests - and the groom has already missed his wedding multiple times due to his *clears throat* job. A simple midi-length sheath in ivory satin is satisfactory.


A fingertip length tulle veil attached to a beaded hat frames the face nicely and helps soften an angry face when he's late. Again.


A dramatic, beaded, stand-up collar should also help... maybe

Saturday, April 5, 2025

Deanna Durbin's Family Home in "Nice Girl?" (1941)


The Deanna Durbin movie Nice Girl? (1941), is set in the small fictional town of Stillwater, Connecticut. Professor Oliver Dana (Robert Benchley) lives there with his three daughters, Sylvia (Anne Gwynne), Jane (Durbin), and Nancy (Ann Gillis), as well as their housekeeper Cora (Helen Broderick). Professor Dana is the principal of the local high school and is also writing a book on diet. They live in a charming two-story home with a large living and dining area, separated by three steps, a study, kitchen with back stairs, and four upstairs bedrooms, one of which has a nice balcony area. 

Porch

Note that you can see straight through to the dining area.


Note the turn at the top of the stairs.

Front Room

What the front door looks like from the inside.

A wide shot of the front room to get your bearings. Note how there's an open area above the stairs that extends to the front door. You would be standing in the fireplace to get this view lol.

This would be your view from the bottom of the stairs. Note the bay window.

Going clockwise around the room from the front door.

The fireplace. I love the curved ceiling that creates its' own area with the built-in seats on either side.

As we continue around the room we glimpse the dining area on the right.



Deanna crossing in front of the dining area.

Here's the view of the living area from the back wall of the dining area. Deanna has her hand on the kitchen door.

A clearer view of the two areas from the back wall. Three steps separate the rooms. Note the window above the front door.

Back to the living area to get our bearings. We shall now go counter-clockwise!

A glimpse of the...

Dining Room

Absolutely gorgeous built-ins along this wall. The opposite side has a fireplace instead of a window.

The window as seen from the back wall. Deanna is looking into the study.

A peek into the study. The doors are at an angle.

Another look at the angled study door. The back wall has a large window and more built-ins. So much storage!!

The kitchen door is over Deanna's shoulder.

A glimpse of the fireplace behind Deanna.

This is the only straight-on view we get of the fireplace.

Another view from the dining room into the living area. We can glimpse another built-in china cabinet that would be to the left of the fireplace.

One more view.

Back to the study doors. Basically the room is shaped like a camera card with a corner missing lol

Study

Going clockwise around the study. Built in bookshelves and little drawers.

A clearer view. Lots of paneling.

A fireplace (desk in foreground) comes next followed by...

...more bookshelves. There's alittle window in the corner and then a larger window to the right of it. A better view of the desk. 

Going back to that window. There's a small window seat and a back door. 

We don't see the other two walls but there's a shot where the camera pulled back and you can see there's a window behind the desk (on the wall opposite the fireplace).

Let's see what's out the back door...

The other side of the window with the window seat.

And up to...

A small balcony outside the girl's room at the back of the house.

And now back to the dining area to get our bearings (note the round swinging door) and into the...

Kitchen

The other side of the swinging door with a refrigerator to the left and a small counter area to the left.

Continuing clockwise. This view would be from against the wall. There is no window (they briefly showed Deanna walking around the house outside and the wall was covered with vines).

The oven/range and the back stairs. Behind the stairs would be built in corner seat next to the front room fireplace.


As we continue around the room we see the sink and more counter-space. 


Another view of the sink area. 

The kitchen door with coat-hooks to the right of it. 

A close-up of the door.

A tiny, covered area just outside. Looks like there is a covered porch behind the front room fireplace. It wraps around to the front of the house (see picture at the very top of the post).

Stairs

Note the snug window seat in the corner.


Upstairs Hall

The top of the stairs is to the left where the sunshine is streaming in. The youngest daughter is coming out of her father's room.

The two doors on the right are the girl's rooms. They are joined by another door between them. And don't forget the balcony! I did not take screenshots of them but if you google the movie you can see some pictures. There are a couple of nice pictures here. Note how the tops of the doors are all curved. There is another door on the opposite wall (to the left of the plant). My guess would be the bathroom.

Here's the dad going into the bedroom right next to his. You can see that bathroom (?) door behind him. On the wall to the right is a window that looks over the front yard. I'm having trouble making the upstairs line up correctly with the downstairs, nothing unusual in a movie house. 

And here's the door between the two rooms. 

And then, because I don't know how to end this post (there's no trailer on YouTube to insert), here's a cute picture of Robert Stack listening to Deanna sing to the troops :)