Holiday Gift Guide for Classic Film Lovers

So, I've been seeing holiday gift guides for classic film lovers popping up at all of my favorite blogs recently, and so I thought I'd join in on the fun! Here are ten items sure to please most any classic film lover. Books and movies particularly. I've picked items that have come out this year, and have tried to vary it with gifts for both sexes. Like I said, there have been several guides already written so I've done my best to be original! And speaking of other guides, the most original by far however must be Clara's: go and read it. Best list of presents I've ever seen. ;)

Holiday Gift Guide for Classic Film Lovers

You can click on the link to be taken to where you can purchase it online. :)

MOVIE:

Cary Grant: The Early Years

I really love the idea of this box set, I honestly think it's so clever! It contains Cary Grant's early films, before he became the suave, debonair movie star we all know. This box set contains three, rare movies from 1935: "Devil and the Deep," "The Eagle and the Hawk," and "The Last Outpost." His co-stars in these movies include Gary Cooper, Charles Laughton, and Tallulah Bankhead. This also has some great special features which include lobbycards, publicity stills, etc. PLUS, to top it off, it's on sale for 14% off at TCM (check the link up there). It's one of their best sellers, and this would make a great gift for any Cary Grant fan. Someday I honestly hope this set is mine. 

BOOK:

Judy: A Legendary Film Career

This is about a 350 book detailing Judy's legendary film career, written by John Fricke. Amazon has got it for good price currently. I myself haven't read this book - I don't think I've ever mentioned this, but I like Judy better as a singer than an actress. In fact, she's one of my favorite singers. I like her and I think any Judy fan will really enjoy this. It's gotten excellent reviews and TCM made it the book of the month in their magazine back in August, when it was first released. [Also, what a lovely cover it has! I think that's a sign of excellent pictures.]

BOOK:

Picture Show: Classic Movie Posters

This is kind of pricey, but I've still been eyeing this! It's filled with eye candy, 150 posters compiled from TCM's archives. If you read my Sunday Movie Reviews, you know that I enjoy movie posters and critiquing them. Posters from the Golden Era are often so nicely and neatly done they nearly seem like pieces of art themselves: paintings of movie stars, like the one on the cover of this book, are my personal favorite. This book has posters from seven decades of films, and from such studios as RKO, MGM, and Warner Brothers!

MOVIE:

Jean Arthur Comedy Collection

This is pretty exciting for us Jean Arthur fans: Jean's first box set! I'm happy she's finally getting one, and it just so happens I haven't seen any of the movies this box set contains. The movies are as follows: "Adventure in Manhattan (1936)", "More than a Secretary (1936)", "The Impatient Years (1944)," and "The Public Menace  (1935)". A four disc set filled with Jean to get you laughing - pretty tempting, isn't it?

  MOVIE:

Greatest Gangster Films Collection: Prohibition Era 

I don't think I've mentioned this before, but I really love the Roaring Twenties. I simply adore this era of speakeasies, flappers, gangsters, jazz music, and F Scott Fitzgerald. I once even had a roaring twenties themed birthday party. BUT, anyway, back to the box set - that's why this drew my eye. I haven't seen that many gangster movies, but this looks like a great set of movies all set in the Roaring Twenties. It includes "Little Caesar (1930)", "Smart Money (1931)", "The Roaring Twenties (1939)," and "The Public Enemy (1931)". Actors in these films include James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson, and Humphrey Bogart. Sounds exciting, doesn't it??!!

BOOK:

Breakfast at Tiffany's: The Official 50th Anniversary Companion

Among the many anniversaries this year was Breakfast at Tiffany's fiftieth birthday! This book, written by Sarah Gristwood, is big and gorgeously illustrated, and it's that lovely shade of blue! I remember seeing it on a display at the bookstore, and I didn't buy it because it was slightly pricey, but it's really a lovely book. I also recommend this book about the making of the movie. I read it earlier this year and it's beautifully written, engrossing, and perfect for anyone who is a fan of the movie.

MOVIE:

Astaire and Rogers: 10 Film Collection

This is definitely pricey at nearly sixty dollars, but it contains all ten films that Ginger and Fred did together in a gorgeous format (I adore that cover). I think this is the perfect gift for any hardcore Ginger and Fred lover, and honestly, who doesn't love the both of them together? This has got everything from "Flying Down to Rio" to "The Berkleys of Broadway." [This is a much cheaper option, however it's only got four of the ten movies. Still a nice package.]

MOVIE:

Tracy and Hepburn: The Definitive Collection

This is another sparkling set, containing all NINE of Kate and Spence's films. Gee, this one I'm totally also craving. I mean, all NINE movies that's pretty awesome you know! Like with the last one, there are other cheaper options but they don't contain all nine movies and I absolutely love the cover of this set. Also, for Tracy and Hepburn fans: you might want to check this book out, too, a very very very thorough biography of Spence (more than one thousand pages, to be exact. Thorough you think?)

BOOK:

TCM Classic Movie Trivia

This book, compiled by TCM and containing 4,000 questions, has been pretty popular this year! It looks really fun and I'm sure is filled with so much trivia. This is another one I have been contemplating to get - I read TCM's "Leading Ladies" book this year, and it was really nicely put together with beautiful pictures and a lovely format. TCM's books don't disappoint, so I have a feeling that this one will be good.

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Well, there's my list of ten items!! Which ones have you got your eyes on?

By the way, TCM came out with their memorial video for the stars who died this year. This was another rough year - we lost Peter Falk, Cliff Robertson, Jane Russell... but for me the hardest would have to be Elizabeth Taylor.

It's lovely, I think, though I nearly thought they had somehow forgotten Elizabeth Taylor! They had me worried for a little bit... lol.

Hollywood and the Day that Lived in Infamy

Today is the seventieth anniversary of the day Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, which therefore drew the United States into World War II. (It's also happens to be parents' wedding anniversary - but we're talking about Pearl Harbor today. ;D)

There is a reason that this era we are speaking of is often referred to as "The Greatest Generation." It makes me proud to see the way these people scrimped and pinched and put all of their heart into the war effort. This included Hollywood, too. I got into a discussion with one of my teachers a few weeks back, and I insisted to her that Hollywood was so much different than it was today and they really did make a difference in World War Two. Movie stars were much more accessible and caring (not to mention there wasn't a single one of them that wasn't awesome and don't touch my heart in someway), and they were effected by the War as much as anyone.

Here's just a few things that Classic Hollywood contributed to the war:

• Huge stars like Jimmy Stewart and Clark Gable went off to fight.
• Cary Grant donated much of the salary he made to the war effort.
• Others, from Desi Arnaz to Ingrid Bergman, entertained troops.
• Pretty much every star you can think of sold war bonds. One tour of MGM stars alone included Lucy, Greer, Judy Garland, and Mickey Rooney. Here is footage of a war bond rally. Just by watching it, you can tell the impact the stars had. 
• Carole Lombard was the first female causality of the war, when she was killed in a plane crash on her way back from selling war bonds - she'd sold an outstanding amount. 
• Many, like Bette Davis, served the troops as a member of the Hollywood Canteen.
• Patriotic or wartime films hit an all time high - "Mrs. Miniver" itself was made to encourage Americans to help out the Brits in the war, though by the time it was released in 1942 the States were already immersed in the war.

And this is just a small selection of Hollywood's contributions - really, you could just go on forever. (I think I will do a separate series of posts about that in the near future. Sooo many photos and stories.) And this is all in addition to the fact that going to the the cinema helped Americans get their minds off the war, even for just an hour or two. The movies were an escape for many, just as it had been throughout the Great Depression. 

On this 70th anniversary, I'd like to reflect on Hollywood and the actual bombing of Pearl Harbor itself. This generation of Americans often have a common bond of "where were you when the towers fell?", in reference to the 9/11 bombings. For the past generation, it was very much "where were you when you heard about Pearl Harbor?" So here are passages from classic stars autobiographies or biographies, discussing the day that lived in infamy, accompanied by wartime Classic Hollywood photos (war bond rallies, pinups, wartime movie stills etc.)

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz:

"December 7th,  1941. Lucy and I were in New York City staying a lovely penthouse apartment which a friend of mine had loaned us. It was there that we heard the word about the Japanese bombing Pearl Harbor.  We made arrangments to fly to Los Angeles immediately and be with our famalies."

Ginger Rogers:

" I was working on Roxie Hart when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, and the United States entered World War II. With our country now at war, whether we wanted to be or not, the sound stages were filled with radios giving out fresh information. The sound booth had to block out the squeaking from midget radios in the middle of a take, and much film was wasted during the time because we were so eager to hear the news... I remember what a shock it was, and my heart went out to anyone who had to be involved in any way, anywhere, in a war, and in particular to our American troops."
- "Ginger: My Story,"
by Ginger Rogers

Robert Mitchum:

"On December 7th the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and America found itself at war. Many of the young men at the plant went into the service. 'Bob didn't get in,' said Jim Dougherty. ' He said they wouldn't take him in the military because he had false teeth. That's what he told me'."

- "Robert Mitchum: Baby, I Don't Care"

by Lee Server

Myrna Loy:

"On December 7th, 1941, Japan invaded Pearl Harbor, and FDR subsequently declared war. Myrna happened to be in New York with her close friend Natalie Visart... She learned about the Japanese invasion via a phone conversation with Arthur's [her husband] first wife, Juliette. Juliette, who was living on the East Coast, told Myrna, "We've been attacked!" 

-"Myrna Loy: The Only Good Girl in Hollywood,"

by Emily W. Lieder 

Clark Gable:

"Clark Gable heard on the radio. Japanese planes had attacked and bombed the U.S Navy Base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. The Gables returned to the house and stuck close to the radio to follow the breaking story. For reasons of security and public morale, the broadcasts were censored and the details were sketchy, but it became plain that the death toll and loss of American ships and planes were catastrophic."

-"Clark Gable: a Biography"

***

That's all for today. Try and take a moment and remember the brave souls of World War II.

A Classic Hollywood Thanksgiving [In Emails]

Hello everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for so many things: my family, my friends, the roof over my head, getting the chance to write all I want, all the people who have taken the time to read this blog... (that means YOU!)

One thing I'm also thankful for is Classic Hollywood. I mean it, too. What on Earth would I do without classic movies???

My first idea was to do a Thanksgiving post about Classic Hollywood having a Thanksgiving dinner together. Who would come, who would say what, etc., etc. But the more I thought about it it seemed awful hard so I decided to take a new approach. Basically, a bunch of movie stars met up at someone's house (not exactly sure, but it's pretty obvious Rita Hayworth did a lot of cooking and Bogie and Lauren Bacall helped out.. you'll see), and now they're reflecting back on it through emails. I guess I was kind of inspired by the "Tweets of Old Hollywood" thing that was published in the recent Vanity Fair (I think I left the link a few posts back).

This is what I put together. I honestly don't know what you'll make of it, but it was fun to write! :D

Also, they might be hard to read in the size presented to you here. So you can hover over the picture with your mouse, right click, and hit "open in new tab", and it should be big enough for you to read! I couldn't make them any bigger without it going into the sidebar. :)

Walter Pidgeon couldn't make it to the gathering (he had a bad cold), so Greer has sent him an email letting him know how things went.

Next, Lucy sent Ginger Rogers an email with a few photos she and Desi had taken at the event. (Ginger also attended, but her camera ran out of film, you see). By "LeeLee", she means Ginger's mother. 

Ingrid really enjoyed the mashed potatoes Cary brought to the gathering (it was kind of a potluck), so she traded recipes with him for her Swedish meatballs. Here he sends her the recipe.

Joan and Bette got into a spat, of course. Barbara Stanwyck, Joan's best friend, helped break it up and here Joan thanks her for it.

Here Bette relays her side of the story, with a little gossip on the side, to best friend Olivia de Havilland.

And lastly, Spencer shoots Kate an email asking her how Thanksgiving went. He was busy shooting a film and couldn't come, but they can't be seen together in public anyway.

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I don't know. It was fun to write! Have a happy Thanksgiving! :)