Saturday, January 4, 2025

Cinema Wedding Gowns: The Man from Colorado (1948)

Today's wedding gown is worn by Ellen Drew in her disastrous marriage to Glenn Ford in the 1948 film The Man from Colorado

The film is set just after the Civil War so the gown reflects the fashions of that time with a pleated full skirt and pointed waist, long sleeves that extend past the wrist, and a row of buttons all of the way up to the small pointed collar. It is made of a heavy ivory satin. Notice the glove on her right hand. The long tulle veil (draped over her arm) is attached to a floral headpiece that looks a little more 1940s than 1860s. 

Fluttery lace sleeves have been added over the long sleeves for a unique look. There isn't a great view of the back but it looks like it may be similar to a shawl but attached. I wonder if this dress was worn in a previous film sans the lace detail. It would be a great way to recycle the costume while giving it a new look. Note the drop earrings.

Thursday, January 2, 2025

2024 Movie Stats


In the year 2024 I watched 117 new-to-me movies and 69 movies that were rewatches for a total of 186.

New to me: 117 (90 pre-1970, 27 post-1970)
Rewatches: 69 (52 pre-1970, 17 post-1970)
Total: 186 (142 pre-1970, 44 post-1970)


Where I watched them: 

TCM: 61 (19 rewatches)
Library (DVD & Apps): 8 (1 rewatch)
Personal DVD: 35 (27 rewatches)
YouTube & OK: 30 (12 rewatches)
Paid Streaming Services: 9 (2 rewatches) 
TV & Free Streaming Services: 42 (8 rewatches)
Theater: (1 rewatch)


Here are my top ten movie discoveries:


Arizona (1940) - Jean Arthur & William Holden, Warren William

Cottage to Let/Bombsight Stolen (1941) - Leslie Banks, Alastair Sim, John Mills, Michael Wilding

They All Kissed the Bride (1942) - Joan Crawford & Melvyn Douglas

The Captive Heart (1946) - Michael Redgrave

No Highway in the Sky (1951) - James Stewart, Marlene Dietrich, Glynis Johns, Kenneth More

3:10 to Yuma (1957) - Glenn Ford, Van Heflin

The Sheepman (1958) - Glenn Ford & Shirley MacLaine, Leslie Neilson

The Notorious Landlady (1962) - Kim Novak & Jack Lemmon, Fred Astaire

The Wrong Box (1966) - Michael Caine, John Mills, Ralph Richardson

The Boys in the Boat (2023) - Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner




Classics I finally watched: 

The Big Trail (1930) - John Wayne

The Story of G.I. Joe (1945) - Burgess Meredith, Robert Mitchum

State Fair (1945) - Jeanne Craine & Dana Andrews

Black Narcissus (1947) - Deborah Kerr, Kathleen Byron, David Farrar, Sabu, Jean Simmons

Twelve O'Clock High (1949) - Gregory Peck, Dean Jagger, Gary Merrill, Hugh Marlowe

Wagon Master (1950) - Ward Bond, Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Joanne Dru

3:10 to Yuma (1957) - Glenn Ford, Van Heflin

The Miracle Worker (1962) - Anne Bancroft, Patty Duke

Die Hard (1988) - Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman

Band of Brothers (2001-limited series) - Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, Donnie Wahlburg, etc.

         

Number of movies per decade:

1910s: 0 
1920s: 1 (1 rewatch)
1930s: 11 (3 rewatches)
1940s: 49 (21 rewatches)
1950s: 71 (27 rewatches)
1960s: 10 (0 rewatches)
1970s: 5 (1 rewatch)
1980s: 8 (2 rewatches)
1990s: 7 (3 rewatches)
2000s: 8 (4 rewatches)
2010s: 13 (6 rewatches)
2020s: 3 (1 rewatch)



Number of movies per month:

January: 23 (6 rewatches)
February: 16 (4 rewatches)
March: 17 (2 rewatches)
April: 17 (7 rewatches)
May: 12 (6 rewatches)
June: 14 (5 rewatches)
July: 13 (7 rewatches)
August: 11 (64rewatches) 
September: 14 (8 rewatches)
October: 10 (3 rewatches)
November: 20 (7 rewatches)
December: 19 (10 rewatches)



Number of Foreign Language Films: 4 (1 rewatch)



Number of Documentaries: 22



Most Watched (Leading) Movie Stars: 

William Holden - 11 films

Glenn Ford, Robert Ryan - 9 films

Robert Mitchum, Burt Lancaster - 8 films

Deborah Kerr - 7 films 

Kenneth More, Jack Hawkins, John Mills - 6 films



Stars I discovered/grew to love/crushed on: Kenneth More, Jack Hawkins, William Holden, Bruce Willis, Aidan Turner


*To see last year's stats, click here.

Did you keep track of the movies you watched in 2024? Was there a star or movie you discovered that you can't live without now? Let me know in the comments!

Movies I Watched in December

Jubal (1956)

This month I watched Die Hard for the first time. So the big question is of course: is it a Christmas movie? My verdict is... kind of. It felt like Home Alone but for adults. It put me in a Bruce Willis mood so I finally started watching Moonlighting again (I had watched three episodes earlier this year but couldn't get into it - it's on Tubi now as well as Hulu).

*indicates a rewatch

    1. Fugitive Lovers (1934) - Robert Montgomery & Madge Evans, Nat Pendleton, Ted Healy & the Three Stooges
    2. *First Love (1939) - Deanna Durbin & Robert Stack
    3. *Dodge City (1939) - Errol Flynn & Olivia De Havilland, Bruce Cabot, Alan Hale, Guinn ‘Big Boy’ Williams, Frank McHugh, John Litel, Ann Sheridan, Henry Travers
    4. Young and Willing (1943) - William Holden, Eddie Bracken, Susan Hayward, James Brown, Martha O'Driscoll, Barbara Britton
    5. *Christmas in Connecticut (1945) - Barbara Stanwyck & Dennis Morgan, S. Z. Sakall, Reginald Gardner, Sydney Greenstreet, Una O'Conner
    6. The Small Back Room/Hour of Glory (1949) - David Farrar, Kathleen Byron, Jack Hawkins
    7. *The Heiress (1949) - Olivia de Havilland & Montgomery Clift, Ralph Richardson, Miriam Hopkins
    8. *Born to be Bad (1950) - Joan Fontaine, Robert Ryan, Zachary Scott, Joan Leslie, Mel Ferrer
    9. *Shadow in the Sky (1952) - Ralph Meeker, James Whitmore, Nancy Davis, Jean Hagen
    10. *The Holly and the Ivy (1952) - Ralph Richardson, Celia Johnson
    11. *White Christmas (1954) - Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen, Dean Jagger, Mary Wickes
    12. *The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956) - Glenn Ford, Marlon Brando, Eddie Albert
    13. Jubal (1956) - Glenn Ford, Ernest Borgnine, Rod Steiger, Valerie French, Felicia Farr, Charles Bronson
    14. 3:10 to Yuma (1957) - Glenn Ford, Van Heflin, Felicia Farr, Leora Dana
    15. Blind Date (1987) - Bruce Willis & Kim Basinger
    16. Die Hard (1988) - Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman
    17. Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990) - Bruce Willis
    18. *Home Alone (1990) - Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O'Hara, John Heard, John Candy
    19. Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) - Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson
    Least Favorite Film: Young and Willing.

    Favorite Movie: Definitely 3:10 to Yuma! It's one of those movies where I wanted to watch it again right after it finished. I also really enjoyed Jubal (obviously) and Die Hard

    Here's a few articles/blog posts I enjoyed on the two Glenn Ford films: 

    3:10 to Yuma - Hamelette's Soliloquy: Post 1 - Post 2 - Post 3 

    Killing Time: 3:10 to Yuma & the Lonesome West

    3:10 to Yuma - Indiana University 


    Favorite Quote: Robert Ryan to Joan Fontaine in Born to Be Bad (1950): "Have you seen the view? It looks better with me in it."

    3:10 to Yuma (1957)