The Fred MacMurray Blogathon is Here!!!

The Fred MacMurray Blogathon is here!!! I apologize for the lateness at getting this post up. My aunt decided earlier this week to come visit this weekend so I've been getting ready for her and I keep forgetting about my own blogathon!! So if I'm a little late in seeing your posts that's why.

P.S. If you share your post on Twitter make sure to tag @solidmoonlight and I will retweet!

P.S.2. Don’t worry if your post is a day or two late. I’ll be happy to add it 😊

THE POSTS:

The Midnite Drive-In kicks off the day with The Caine Mutiny (1954).

Wide Screen World looks at one of MacMurray's comedic roles in Too Many Husbands (1940).

The Stop Button discusses the well-executed but slightly unbelievable Pushover (1954).

The Story Enthusiast revisits a childhood favorite, The Happiest Millionaire (1967).

Silver Screenings looks at MacMurray's study in ego in Swing High, Swing Low (1937).

Caftan Woman share's a lesser known film of MacMurray and Stanwyck in There's Always Tomorrow (1956).

Back to Golden Days takes a look at The Collaborations of Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert.

Top Ten Film Lists writes about another MacMurray/Stanwyck pairing in the holiday film Remember the Night (1940).

Movie Rob gives us double the fun with The Absent Minded Professor (1961) and...

Kisses for My President (1964)!

Realweegiemidget Reviews looks at MacMurray's most famous "bad guy" roles in The Apartment (1960).

The Flapper Dame writes about one of MacMurray's films with his favorite co-star, Carole Lombard, in The Princess Comes Across (1936).

Sat in Your Lap takes an in-depth look at The Caine Mutiny (1954).

Taking Up Room looks at a new side of MacMurray in Double Indemnity (1944).

Hamlette's Soliloquy is kept guessing with A Good Day for a Hanging (1959).

Love Letters to Old Hollywood is pleasantly surprised with the odd Murder, He Says (1945).

It Came from the Man Cave takes us along on The Oregon Trail (1959).

Critica Retro examines the Collaborations between MacMurray and Billy Wilder.

Thanks to everyone who participated!!!

Movies I Watched in July & Visiting Gary Cooper's Grave

Another light movie month as I went on vacation. And then my cousin introduced me to Chuck (2007-2012).

1. Annapolis Salute (1937) - Marsha Hunt, Van Heflin
2. A Damsel in Distress (1937) - Fred Astaire & Joan Fontaine, George Burns & Gracie Allen
3. Petticoat Larceny (1943) - Joan Carroll
4. Four Jill’s in a Jeep (1943) - Carole Landis, Kay Francis
5. The Mask of Dimitrios (1944) - Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Faye Emerson 
6. Merton of the Movies (1947) - Red Skelton & Virginia O'Brien, Gloria Grahame
7. The Inside Story (1948) - Marsha Hunt
8. The Man Who Cheated Himself (1951) - Lee J. Cobb & Jane Wyatt
9. Dangerous When Wet (1953) - Esther Williams & Fernando Lamas, Jack Carson
10. The Girl He Left Behind (1956) -Tab Hunter & Natalie Wood, James Garner
11. Zero Hour! (1957) - Dana Andrews & Linda Darnell
12. The Honeymoon Machine (1961) - Steve McQueen, Jim Hutton & Paula Prentiss, Dean Jagger
13. The Horizontal Lieutenant (1962) - Jim Hutton & Paula Prentiss
14. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - Harrison Ford & Karen Allen
15. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) - Harrison Ford
16. Thor (2011) - Chris Hemsworth & Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins
17. Thor: The Dark World (2013) - Chris Hemsworth & Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston
18. Thor: Ragnarok (2017) - Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo 

Least Favorite Movie: There were several movies that, while not unwatchable, were not exactly amazing experiences. They were just ok.

Favorite Movie: The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950) had a bit of a slow start but an exciting finish. The on-location shooting really added to the atmosphere of the film and it was nice to see Lee J. Cobb in a leading man role instead of playing somebody's father. I also enjoyed the first Indiana Jones movie (I'd only seen the snake pit part before - I have also already seen the Holy Grail one) and the Thor Trilogy (I'm not really a comic book movie person. If Hollywood stopped making them I wouldn't be upset at all).

Full movie - not great quality though

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I visited my aunt on Long Island and while I was there I drove out to Montauk Lighthouse. On my way back I stopped by Gary Cooper's grave at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Cemetery in Southampton. He was moved there from Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California when his wife remarried in 1974 and moved to New York. Here is the  Find a Grave entry.

Here's the coordinates so you can see exactly where his grave is located within the cemetery.

I picked a couple flowers off his grave to press. Someone else had left a nickel on his grave so I left a dime. It seemed the most appropriate coin since he played characters affected by the Great Depression and one of the popular songs of the time was "Brother Can You Spare a Dime?"

I felt kind of weird taking a selfie but I was by myself and if I didn't take one was I even there??

The Dark Mirror (1946)

 

Twins! One who loves, and one who loves to kill!

That's one of the taglines used for The Dark Mirror starring Olivia de Havilland, Lew Ayres, and Thomas Mitchell. The film was, to me, reminiscent of Gaslight (1944), where Charles Boyer slowly drives his wife, Ingrid Bergman, to insanity. In this case however, one twin is slowly driving the other twin crazy. I found this film particularly intriguing as one is not used to seeing the sweet Olivia de Havilland acting so evil and ruthless.

The ink blot test plays a big part in the film.

She plays twins Terry and Ruth Collins. One of them murdered someone. Both have perfect alibis. One is psycho. The other is slowly being made psycho. There are several scenes involving psychology, as the film was made in a time where psychoanalysis was a new field. There are several scenes involving the Rorschach ink blot test and it is even used in the opening credits. The twins are told this is for a twin personality study, but really they are trying to determine which one is the killer.

Terry and Ruth wear lots of personalized jewelry to help others tell them apart. The pieces from the film, which were created by Joseff of Hollywood, were auctioned off last year and can be seen in the catalog pages below.

Meanwhile, the evil twin (Terry) is driving the good twin (Ruth) out of her mind slowly. She plays music on a record during the night and pretends not to hear it or remind her of things that one of them said that she doesn't remember. This causes the Ruth to start to lose her grip and wonder if  she maybe didn't commit the murder after all. She also begins to rely on sleeping pills to get a good night's rest, taking more than she needs at her sister's suggestion.

Ayres plays Dr. Scott Elliot. While conducting the tests on the twins, he falls in love with Ruth. After he has completed the tests, he knows which one is the killer and sets a trap. He invites Terry up to his apartment to tell her something "important" (the identity of the killer). He makes Terry believe that he thinks she is Ruth. When Terry comes to his apartment, he confronts her and tells her that he knows she's Terry and that she did it. She still tries to blame it on Ruth. They are interrupted by a call that Ruth has committed suicide. They rush to the apartment and Scott goes into the bedroom to confirm the death. Terry, thinking that Ruth is dead, now pretends that she is Ruth and that she was trying to help cover up Terry's crime. As she talks, she becomes more and more into her lie. Suddenly, the real Ruth's reflection appears in the mirror. Terry throws an object at the mirror and completely breaks down. After she is taken away, Scott explains why the had to pretend she was dead and comforts her.

You can watch the full movie here on YouTube.

This post is for The Third Annual Olivia de Havilland Blogathon hosted by myself and In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood. Please check out the other posts and come back next year to celebrate the lovely Olivia!

The Third Annual Olivia de Havilland Blogathon is Here!!!

It's here!! The Third Annual Olivia de Havilland Blogathon is here!!! It's smaller than the previous two celebrations but that doesn't make it any less special. Crystal and I are excited to be hosting this event again and can't wait to read all the entries celebrating the amazing and beautiful Dame Olivia!!!

THE POSTS

"I do hope people don't think I'm really like this..."

The Wonderful World of Cinema kicks things off with The Snake Pit (1948).

"I wonder if there will be a remake of this...?"

The Stop Button gives us an analysis of what does and doesn't work in My Cousin Rachel (1952).

"Don't be so angry, Bette. There's an annual blogathon for you too!"

Musings of a Classic Film Addict discovers In This Our Life (1942).

"So wait.. which one of us is real?"

I cover Olivia's duel role in The Dark Mirror (1946).

"I don't always make TV movies, but when I do I still look fabulous."

Realweegiemidget Reviews takes a look at one of Olivia's TV Movies, Murder is Easy (1982).

"I'm no angel?"

The Dream Book Blog finds Olivia to be no angel as famous author Charlotte Bronte in Devotion (1946).

"Next years' blogathon seems so far away!"

Caftan Woman sees Olivia de Havilland come full circle from her early Westerns in The Proud Rebel (1958).

"Just because you don't get the guy doesn't mean you can't look fabulous!"

Pure Entertainment Preservation Society looks at The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) from a historical and code perspective.

"I just love blogathons, don't you?"

Taking Up Room discovers a different side of  Olivia in It's Love I'm After (1937).

"Hello? 2018?"

Critica Retro finds Hold Back the Dawn (1941) to be a timely film.

"I'm not always window dressing!"

Movies Meet Their Match finds a deeper meaning in Santa Fe Trail (1940).

Old Hollywood Films wraps things up with The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936).

A huge thank you to all who helped celebrate and to Crystal for once again co-hosting this event with me!!! I hope to see you all again next year!!