The Bill and Myrna New Year's Blogathon is Here!

Well I'm already off to a great start this blogging year as I post this a good twelve hours later than I intended. I came down with a bad cold Wednesday and last night I ended up going to bed early. But enough about that!

Welcome to the Bill and Myrna New Year's Blogathon!!! I can't wait to read all the entries on my favorite movie couple!

Already we have several posts up. I've linked them below and will continue to update over the course of the blogathon:

Maddy Loves Her Classic Films kicks of the blogathon with Why I Adore Powell and Loy.

The Midnite Drive-In takes a look at the first film in The Thin Man Series with In Like Thin.

Blog of the Darned checks out the third, and his personal favorite film of the series, Another Thin Man.

Love Letters to Old Hollywood discusses the "wonderfully goofy" I Love You Again.

Caftan Woman covers the second film in The Thin Man Series, After the Thin Man.

Charlene's (Mostly) Classic Movie Reviews takes a look at the rare non-comedic Powell/Loy film Evelyn Prentice.

Critica Retro finds Bill funny in drag for Love Crazy.

Hamlette's Soliloquy delves deep in to one of the best WWII films ever made, The Best Years of Our Lives.

Musings of a Classic Film Addict discovers the not-to-be-missed Double Wedding.

Love Letters to Old Hollywood finds an instant favorite in So Goes My Love.

Old Hollywood Films takes a look at the great Screwball comedy Libeled Lady.

Movies Meet Their Match wraps things up with The Great Ziegfeld.

Thanks to everyone for participating and for The Flapper Dame for agreeing to co-host!

ANNOUNCING The Bill & Myrna New Year's Blogathon!

For the past few years, TCM has shown the Thin Man films for a New Year's marathon. To celebrate our favorite fictional married couple, The Flapper Dame and I thought it would be fun to celebrate with Bill and Myrna in another way - with a blogathon!! Therefore, we are excited to announce The Bill and Myrna New Year's Blogathon 🍸 which will take place from January 1-3, 2018.

Bill and Myrna made fourteen films together and many, many more on their own, so there are lots of fabulous movies to talk about. They also had amazing friendships and lots of personal stories that would be fun to write about, so we ask that there be no duplicates so we can cover as much of these two amazing actors lives and careers as possible. Once you've decided on a topic, let one of us know in the comments section with the name and link to your blog. Finally, grab a banner (I'm pretty excited with how they turned out) and spread the word! Oh, and free martini's for everyone!! ;)

The Guest List:

Phyllis Loves Classic Movies: TBA
The Flapper Dame: TBA
Love Letters to Old Hollywood: I Love You Again (1940) & So Goes My Love (1946)
The Midnite Drive-In: The Thin Man (1934)
Movies Meet Their Match: The Great Ziegfeld (1936)
Maddy Loves Her Classic Films: Powell and Loy as an on-screen couple
Caftan Woman: After the Thin Man (1936)
Musings of a Classic Film Addict: Double Wedding (1937)
Critica Retro: Love Crazy (1940)
Hamlette's Soliloquy: The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Charlene's (Mostly) Classic Movie Reviews: Evelyn Prentice (1934)
Blog of the Darned: Another Thin Man (1939)
Old Hollywood Films: Libeled Lady (1936)

Hollywood Auction Catalogs

 

This year I have discovered Auction Catalogs. Unfortunately - rather than being collected in one fabulous museum - costumes, jewelry, photos, and props from Classic Hollywood films are often owned by private collectors or consist of personal collections auctioned off by the actor or actress's family after their passing. Oftentimes the person who buys these items ends up selling them after a while and we end up with annual actions with catalogs featuring pages of fabulous items.

On Nov. 18, Julien's Auctions is having an auction consisting entirely of jewelry from the famous Joseff of Hollywood. The catalog, which you can view online, has over 400 pages of glittering jewels that once adorned the most beautiful of women and the most handsome of men. Here are a few of my favorite pages.

 

If you could own any of these pieces, or any of the other pieces in the catalog, which would you choose? Oh! To be fabulously wealthy at a time like this!

 

Update: Last night I started watching Rose-Marie (1936) and I noticed the bracelet Jeannette MacDonald wears on her left wrist appears to be the same one worn by Myrna Loy I shared above. As both films were made by MGM in 1936 and had their jewelry provided by Joseff of Hollywood I am almost certain it is the same piece.

 

Cinema Wedding Gowns: The Barbarian (1933)

Today's gown comes from a Pre-code Myrna Loy film, The Barbarian (1933). After being paired with William Powell in The Thin Man (1934), Loy usually played the role of the "perfect wife." But before that she played her fair share of vamps and exotic women. In this film she plays an American tourist who is kidnapped by an Arab Prince (Ramon Novarro).

This promotional photo shows off the lovely wedding bouquet. Notice the pleated hanging cuffs on the sleeves.

 

The gown, designed by Adrian, is full length satin with a cowl neckline, long fitted sleeves with hanging pleated cuffs, and a short train. Panels in the skirt allow for movement (I wanted to include a gif of Loy walking around but the video was too long).

These two photos show the skirt in movement and the unique sleeves.

When your future mother-in-law keeps trying to straighten the hat your veil is attached to but you want it at a stylish angle.

 

 

The cathedral length veil is made of tulle attached to a small round hat edged with small buds. They can be seen clearly in the promotional photos below.

 

Doesn't Loy make a stunning bride?

 

 

The full movie can be viewed on YouTube by clicking here. The wedding dress scene is at the end, starting at 1:15:30.

Cinema Wedding Gowns: Man-Proof (1938)

Have I got a doozy of a wedding gown for you!!!

At first glance, this Dolly Tree design worn by Rosalind Russell in Man-Proof (1938), appears to be a typical 1930s satin wedding dress. The silhouette is long and slim and the veil is cathedral length. Then we get this view:

Then it zooms in even closer!

I really have no words to describe this veil, except that it looks like something Disney's Maleficent would wear should she ever marry. Even the fabric is odd, all shimmery like an oil spill.

 

This is actually one case where the bridesmaids, one of them being Myrna Loy, really do look better than the bride. However, maybe Roz has the right idea - wear something so strange that it ensures everyone's eyes are on you, no matter how pretty the bridesmaids.

 

 

 

This movie didn't have the most original plot-line, but the costumes and sets were well worth the watch.