"And the Oscar goes to..."

Before I start today's posts, two notes: I got some positive feedback on making the Sunday Movie Review a bi-weekly segment, so we're going to give it a try! Therefore, since I posted a review for Keeper of the Flame (1943) last week, the next review will be next Sunday, and so forth, etc. And the second is thank you all so so so much for your birthday wishes on Thursday. You all the are the sweetest! <3

As you all probably know, tonight is the night of the 82nd Academy Awards. 2011 was a great year for classic film fans, I felt. You had a movie about Marilyn Monroe, a silent film, a movie structured around the splendor of silent film, and several other movies that took place in the 20th century. Not to mention that both Meryl Streep and Christopher Plummer are nominated for Oscars; and if The Artist (2011) wins Best Picture, it'll be the first silent movie to win Best Picture since 1929 - and the first black and white since The Apartment (1960).

But on this Oscar Sunday, I'm not going to sit around predicting who's going to win what awards and etc. - though I really hope The Artist (2011) sweeps it all; and The Help (2011) I enjoyed as well - since we all know by now who's going to win what anyway. Plus, of course, this is a classic film blog, and despite the tight ties between the films at this year's Oscars and the Golden Age, they still qualify as 2011 movies.

So I thought it would be fun to take a look back at some of my favorite Oscar moments with Golden Age stars! This is just a fun, rambling list of Oscar memories, mostly with my favorite actors, no particular order or anything. I hope you enjoy, and if you want to discuss this year's Oscars, or 1939's Oscars (which, hey, guess what? - took place on my birthday!), or the Oscars of any other year, feel free to leave a comment and give your input!

Lucy's last public appearance

61st ACADEMY AWARDS | 1989, presenting 

My darling girl had her last public appearance at the 1989 Oscars, about six weeks before she passed away. She and Bob Hope were presenting and they got a big standing ovation. It's bittersweet watching this; and ironic that her last public appearance would be at the Oscars, despite the fact that Lucy was never nominated for one, and is famous as a television star, despite the fact she made more than 100 films. Her sparkling, black sequined dress is definitely a product of the 1980's, but I appreciate the slit that shows off her legs, which were still lovely at 77. She's so perfect. :')

Greer's Best Actress acceptance speech

16th ACADEMY AWARDS | 1943, Mrs. Miniver 

If anyone knows anything about my lovely Greer, they ought to know that she loved to talk. I think if talking was a sport, Greer could win all the Olympic medals. She had a habit of being able to go on and on about nearly any topic (except for herself; she didn't enjoy talking about personal matters, but to the chagrin of Hedda and Lolly) in that gorgeous voice of hers. When she won the Best Actress Oscar in 1943 for Mrs. Miniver (1942), it was about 1 AM in Hollywood when she took the stand. It is said that her speech might have been anywhere from five minutes to twenty; though the latter is likely an exaggeration, being so late into the night it might have felt that way to the other attendees. It is said she thanked everyone from the doctor who brought her into this world in London to all the cast members of Miniver and beyond. This speech is the longest in Oscar history as of; and the year following the Academy Award instilled a new rule that limited the winner to only forty seconds to thank those who needed to be thanked. Greer, alongside Bette Davis, holds the record for the most Academy Award nominations in a row (from 1941 - 1946), but she only won once, despite her amazing performances. I'm a little nervous that it might be because of this 1943 speech? There's no full footage or transcript of it, unfortunately, but Miniver DVDs tend to have a little tidbit of her speech in a newsreel or such.

Ingrid's Best Supporting Actress speech

47th ACADEMY AWARDS | 1975, Murder on the Orient Express

Ingrid won the Oscar three times. The first was in 1945, for Gaslight (1944), and then in 1957 for Anastasia (1956). The latter Oscar was accepted by her good friend and secret husband Cary Grant; that was when Ingrid was in Italy and married to Rossellini, recovering from the waves of scandal her affair with him had caused a few years before. Anastasia was her comeback film and her winning the Oscar for that movie was America's way of forgiving her. But her last Oscar was a Best Supporting Actress for Murder on the Orient Express (1974), and it's this one I chose to share, simply for the reason it starts with, "It's always nice to win an Oscar..." I couldn't post the link, but you can watch it here, and I strongly suggest that you do, because it's adorable.

Grace vs. Judy

28th ACADEMY AWARDS | 1955, The Country Girl & A Star is Born

Ahh, the age old debate of whether or not Judy Garland should have won the Oscar in 1955! Every classic film fan has heard about this controversy; when Grace won Best Actress in 1955 for her fine performance in The Country Girl (1954), but it wasn't the right year to win for everyone had expected Judy to win for her comeback movie, A Star is Born (1954). Even Grace Kelly's father released a statement after the awards ceremony, revealing that even he had expected Judy to win. I can't fairly judge this situation because I haven't seen A Star is Born (1954) - I plan to remedy that soon. And though I love Judy Garland, as we all should, Grace is one of my very favorite actresses which I guess would make me look biased. So I'll just keep my lips shut. But I'll say that I'm quite grateful Grace won in 1955; everyone thinks of her as only a gorgeous fashion plate, when she is so so much more.

Audrey's Best Actress speech

27th ACADEMY AWARDS | 1954, Roman Holiday

Audrey's win for Roman Holiday (1953) in 1954 is another subject of controversy, but Roman Holiday (1953) is one of my favorite movies; it's the movie that made Audrey a star and I just love it to pieces. I'll never have a problem with her having won that year, or any year, for that matter. Plus I think it's totally adorable how when she gets on stage, she goes in the wrong direction (I totally would have done that too) and her dress is gorgeous!

The double Best Actress of 1969

42nd ACADEMY AWARDS | 1969, Funny Girl and Lion In the Winter

The only time there was a tie for an Oscar was in 1969, for Best Actress. Both Katharine Hepburn, for Lion In the Winter (1968) and Barbra Striesand, for Funny Girl (1968) won the Oscar. Katie never showed up to accept her Oscars, but Barbra was there to collect her award in a very interesting outfit; handed over to her by none other than Ingrid - who was back in popularity thanks to Cactus Flower (1969). I LOVE the surprise on Ingrid's face when she realizes that it's a tie! Plus, as we all know, I consider Katharine Hepburn to be flawless and I really like Barbra Striesand too, she's adorable. Funny Girl (1968) isn't really my favorite film of hers, but I did like her performance in it; I mean, it made her a star, didn't it? And I know, it's terrible, but I've yet to see Lion in the Winter (1968); don't worry, I will really soon. You can watch it here.

No Natalie Wood unfortunately, because she never won an Oscar, despite being nominated four times. How stupid is that? I like to think that had she not drowned in 1981 she would've either made a comeback and been one of those winners who gets an Oscars in her late 40's or 50's; or later on she would have been awarded an Honorary Oscar.

Humphrey's Best Actor speech

25th ACADEMY AWARDS | 1952, The African Queen

Why it took as long as 1952 for Humphrey Bogart to win an Oscar, I'll never understand, but thankfully he finally did and The African Queen (1951) was a good movie for him to win it for. I love Greer's little intro and reference to her long, 1943 speech - "I have ten minutes left over from a highly emotional speech I gave a few years ago; I'll be happy to let you use it!" as well as reminding everyone of those "anticipatory noise reduction devices". And then the look of glee on her face when she realizes Bogie won; and Bogie's short and simple acceptance. I mean, I know he wasn't into that whole Hollywood scene, but from what I read in Betty Bacall's autobiography, everyone was thrilled to have him win. You get that impression from the cheer that comes up from the audience, too. You can watch it here.

Cary's Honorary Oscar speech

43rd ACADEMY AWARDS | 1970, Honorary Oscar

All I'm going to say is that this was a long time coming. A long, long, time coming. #WHYYY?

I think this might have been with Ingrid's Oscar, because he was much older when he won his Honorary one.

Sidney Poitier's Best Actor speech

37th ACADEMY AWARDS | 1964, Lilies of the Field

I don't think I've mentioned it before, but I love Sidney Poitier! He's one of my favorites. He's so sophisticated and distinguished, and really helped smash those racial barriers; I mean, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), anyone? The film that he won the Best Actor Oscar for, in 1964, was Lilies of the Field (1963), which I have yet to see. But I love this footage of him accepting the Oscar from Anne Bancroft, another person I adore and don't talk enough about. I mean, it was 1964 and racial tension was high, but Anne just throws her arms around Sidney and you can tell how excited she is for him. Therefore, this all results in one of my favorite Oscar moments. You can watch it here.

To prevent this list from becoming forever endless, I'll stop here. But there are sooo many Golden Age Oscar moments I love. So I'll also add the links to these: Vivien Leigh's 1940 Best Actress speech / Hattie McDaniel's 1940 Best Supporting Actress speech / Myrna Loy's 1991 Honorary Oscar speech / Greer Garson's 1962 acceptance for Sophia Loren's Best Actress and I hope you check them out because they're just as wonderful <3

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Alright, that's it for this Sunday. I had a lot of fun writing this post! Do you have any favorite classic Oscar moments? Let me know in the comments!

Despite being hardcore classic film, I'll certainly be watching the Oscars tonight, how about you all? If so, Happy Oscar watching and if not, well, I hope you have a good evening anyway, my dears!

Happy Valentine's Day | 6 Favorite Couples

Happy Valentine's Day, readers!

Since February 14th is officially the sappiest day of the year, I thought I'd talk about my six favorite Classic Hollywood couples! {Legit couples, not the ones that only exist in my head... like the Pidgeons... and the
Powells... and Errolivia... and Ingrid and Cary...}

Well, yeah, here we go. Hope this'll get you all in a sappy mood! :D Oh, and guess what, this is actually for once in order, though I wouldn't put too much weight into the order of these couples, until you get to my number one. I'm going to completely dumbfound you all when you see who I've chosen for that spot. COMPLETELY, guys. ;)

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  6.                                               

Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner | November 1951 - July 1957


I knew their relationship was tumultuous, and then I read Lee Server's biography about Ava and I learned so much more about these two! Frava definitely did have a stormy relationship. The book I read went into detail about some of their fights, when plates went flying and it didn't matter who was around. But they also loved each other a lot, and this combination makes me think of Lucy and Desi, who admittedly would "love and fight furiously." Any any couple that reminds me of Desilu, well, I'm bound to like. :)

Albeit the fact they couldn't say together, and there were all those terrible fights, I think Frank and Ava in general would make a good pair. I think of Ava as the barefooted free spirit ought of a poor town in North Carolina, who liked to party and dance and have a good time. Frank's liveliness is a good match, I think.

 D I D  Y O U  K N O W? {My Favorite Facts}

• Frank gave Ava her first Corgi, which she named Rags. This hooked Ava on a sort of a Corgi obsession, she would keep Corgis until she died. After Rags, she had Cara, and after that, Morgan, who was with her when she died and was then taken in (along with her housekeeper) by good friend Gregory Peck.
• The statue of her from The Barefoot Contessa (1954) was gifted to Frank, who kept it in his backyard garden long after the divorce. Finally, upon marrying Barbara Marx, she forced him to get rid of it.
• Frank's nickname for Ava was "Angel."

---

 5.    

                                                                                                      Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall | May 1945 - his death

I didn't really know much about Bogie and Bacall until I read Lauren's fantastic autobiography, By Myself and Then Some, last fall. I don't really know all the nitty gritty details about their relationship, and I've heard rumors that things got bad for them towards the end, but I don't know if it's true or not. All I know is the picture Lauren painted in her book, and that picture of this couple was sweet and wonderful to read about, and that's the way I'd like to think of them. :) If you'll remember, in my review of her book, I said that upon reading about Bogie's death I just burst into tears. It really got to me, and I could feel Lauren's suffering at the time. Also, in her book, she described several occasions where Bogie would call her in the middle of the night and tell her to please come, because he genuinely needed her, and that's just asdfghjkl. 

I really find these two adorable and am endeared by the fact that, despite their great age difference, they truly were a couple that could stick. After all, they never divorced - it was Bogie's death that broke them apart.

D I D  Y O U  K N O W? {My Favorite Facts}

• Bogie and Bacall were married on May 21st, 1945 at the farm home of a Pulitzer Prize winning author in Ohio.
• Lauren placed a small, gold whistle in his coffin, a symbol of the famous line she tells him in To Have and Have Not (1944) - the movie that on the set of they fell in love - "You know how to whistle, don't you? Just put your lips together and blow."
• Bogie's nickname for Lauren was "Baby."

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4. 

                                                                                                      Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier | August 1940 - January 1961

Viv and Larry, these two! I learned a lot about them by watching this documentary, The Oliviers in Love. These two is just another couple that you could really tell truly loved each other, and you can feel that love when you watch them together on screen or, better yet, see personal photos, telegrams, etc. You all probably knew it anyway, but the premiere website for these two is vivandlarry.com. It has a lot of wonderful photos and etc.

Viv and Larry are really just a perfect pair, though! Besides them both being British and beautiful, they're just lovely together. Too bad they couldn't last, Vivien's struggles with her bipolar disorder really put strains on their marriage.

D I D  Y O U  K N O W? {My Favorite Facts}

• Viv and Larry were married at a ranch in Santa Barbara, with Katharine Hepburn as her maid of honor. They later honeymooned on Ronald Colman's yacht.
• Vivien had an affair with Peter Finch and was ready to leave Larry for the other actor. Just as Vivien was about to board the plane with her lover, Larry wooed her into staying back. This was the basis for the 1963 film The V.I.Ps, with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
• Viv called Larry "Baba", and he always referred to her as "Pussycat."

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3. 

     Clark Gable and Carole Lombard | March 1939 - her death

Clark and Carole are just plain amazingness. I don't know how could you not love the two of them together because they are just perfection. I mean, they used to go duck hunting early in the morning in red thermal underwear. They were just best friends and they did all these things together. Lucy and Desi were good friends with these two, and Lucy in her autobiography recounted how she kept hoping her marriage with Desi could be like Clark and Carole's. Because they were just that awesome. 

And then, the tragedy that was Carole's death in that awful plane crash. Lucy also wrote that after Carole's death, Clark used to tear around the San Fernando Valley on his motorcycle and she was convinced he was trying to kill himself. So she'd invite Clark over to the Desilu Ranch and they'd talk about Carole and watch her films. Such a tragic ending to a couple that was just so perfect together.

D I D  Y O U  K N O W? {My Favorite Facts}

• Carole had a little dachshund named Commissioner who would completely ignore Clark during their marriage. After her death, the dog never left Clark's side.
• After Carole read Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind, Carole sent Clark a copy of the book with a note saying, "Let's do it!" Clark took this as a sexual advance and called up Carole. When he learned she wanted to play Scarlett to his Rhett in a movie version, he scoffed and said he'd never do such a mushy movie. When he actually did do the film in 1939, he only agreed to it on account of the salary, so he could divorce his current wife and marry Carole.
• Carole called Clark "Pa" and he called her "Ma".

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2. 

     Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy | 1942 - his death

This is the only couple on this list that was never really married. But it doesn't matter, because in my head, you know, they're married anyway. :) They made some of the most amazing movies together, these two. My favorites would probably have to be Woman of the Year (1942) and Adam's Rib (1949). I just love seeing these two on screen, because they have perfect chemistry. It's sad that they couldn't get married in real life, but I guess Kate wasn't really one to be gung ho over marriage anyway. What's important is how well they suited each other. 

I'll wrap this up by saying that they are just you know, excellent. They are Kate and Spence. I mean, really, what more can I say?? If you've ever seen a movie with the two of them you'll just know all the feelings that I'm referring to. <3

D I D  Y O U  K N O W? {My Favorite Facts}

• The night Spence died, he got up to get a drink of milk. Kate followed him, but before she got there she heard a thud and the sound of glass shattering. She found Spence lying dead on the floor, having been a victim of a heart attack. The year was 1967 - Kate would die thirty six years later.
• Kate never watched Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), their last film together, because the memories were too painful. Nor did she attend Spence's funeral, out of respect for his family. She did, however, call his wife, offering her condolences and wanting to patch up any hard feelings between them. To this, Louise Tracy replied, "I thought you were a rumor."
• They were first introduced by Joseph Mankiewicz on the set of Woman of the Year (1942), to which Kate sized Spence up and said, "I'm afraid I may be too tall for you, Mr. Tracy." To this, Joe replied, "Don't worry - he'll cut you down to size."

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1. 

     Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz | November 1940 - May 1960 

Ohhh, guys, excuse me, I must get my Kleenax out. I must. :) Okay, I've got my box. Okay, I can go on now. I swear, these two always tear me up. Their story is just amazing, and I have yet to see one like it. ♥ I could really go on for hours, but don't worry, I won't. 
I love how when

Lucy first saw Desi, it really was a love at sight (though she would 
claim it took a "full five minutes"!). As everybody knows, their marriage was far

from perfect, and I'm not saying it was. But then, what marriage is perfect 
(save the Minivers)? Of course, the

problems in their marriage were tough and it's what ultimately let to the divorce of course. But the 

fact is they

always loved and cared for each other, even after the divorce. There are so many things to prove that. 

I just love so many things about these two.

This is my official favorite couple, and I just love reading all the sweet amazing things. Their story really 

was amazing. Marcella Rabwin, one of their close friends, once said, "Their relationship was so deep in

 it scared me." As well as, "They loved each other more than any other famous lovers in history."

I guess so.

D I D  Y O U  K N O W? {My Favorite Facts}

• Lucy and Desi’s original wedding band was a cheap ring from Woolworth’s. They eloped in Greenwich, Connecticut, on a Saturday, and all the jewelry stores in town were closed. So this was their only option. Lucy loved it, and always kept it, no matter how green and skinny it got, and even when Desi replaced it with a bejeweled ring.
• Desi died from lung cancer on December 2^nd, 1986. Two days before, Lucy called Desi up. Lucie was nursing Desi and she heard her parents conversation, for she had to hold the phone to her father’s ear – he was too weak to hold it himself. What Lucy told Desi was, “I love you, I love you Desi, I love you.” To this replied, “I love you too, honey.” Lucy was one of the last people to speak to Desi, for he died forty eight hours later. This conversation had taken place on November 30^th, which would have been their forty-sixth wedding anniversary.
• Lucy made an attempt to divorce Desi in 1944. The day before she was schedule to appear in court, Desi called her up and asked her what he was doing that evening. She said, “You know I’m divorcing you tomorrow,” to which he replied, “Yes, I know, but I’d like to take you out to dinner.” She gave in and he did. They spent the night together. The next morning Desi woke up to Lucy getting herself dolled up for court. “You’re not going to go through with it now, are you?” he asked her. She said, “I’ve got to, the press is expecting me.” She went, got the divorce, satisfied the press, and returned home and instantly annulled the divorce. The law in California at the time was it took a year for a divorce to become final, and if the parties had an affair in that time, it was annulled. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

***

Well, that's it for this Valentine's Day. I love Old Hollywood couples. Celebrity marriages don't have a

habit of sticking, but at least back then it was geninue love and not, you know, lust - and marriages lasted

more than two minutes.

Hope you have a swell Valentine's Day, or, if February 14th isn't really your thing, that you had a good
day anyway :)

xoxo 

Humphrey Bogart Blogathon || Interview with a Bogie Fan + Me!

NOTE: This post was written a few days ago in anticipation of how busy I would be these past few days, and therefore I was supposed to get online and post it yesterday. But I had a lot of friends over, and was really busy, and I didn't get to do it :/ So I'm posting it today - the thing is, I already had another post planned for today. Since I already pledged myself to reviewing my very favorite Christmas film tomorrow, I'll still be going through with that post and will be publishing it later today. Yeah, I'll be popping up in your feed twice today. I don't like to bombard people with posts in one day, so I'm really sorry, guys! The post originally planned for the 24th will be up later. Thanks and sorry, everyone!

It's finally time for Meredith's "Humphrey Bogart Blogathon," in honor of Bogie's birthday! His birthday is actually on Christmas Day, but we're celebrating early here. Anyway, plenty of blogs have joined on this fun occasion and I'm sure there are going to be plenty of great posts, so be sure and check out the lineup at Meredith's blog, Forever Classics.

My love of classic films should be credited to my dad - he's the one who showed me my first one, and ever since I lost my heart to Classic Hollywood. He himself is a big movie buff, and one of his favorite actors is none other than Bogie! So for this post, I took it upon myself to interview him about Bogie. It took a lot of persuading (ME: Dad, I'm going to interview you for my blog! DAD: ....) , but I did manage to get some answers out of him, and then I took my own survey. So here is his answers and mine on the one and only, Humphrey Bogart! [My comments are in italics.]

Bogie Q/A With my Dad 

1. Which Bogie movie is your favorite?

DAD: (jokingly) Well, let me see... I really liked "We're No Angels," and then I loved "The Petrified Forest"....

ME: (rolls eyes) How about "Casablanca"?

DAD: Was he in that? Well, okay, I guess "Casablanca."

"Casablanca" is one of my dad's favorites movies ever. I dug up one of his old movie reviews for it, and  he says, "It doesn't get much better than this tale of intrigue and romance." He ended off his review by saying, "Thankfully, we'll always have Casablanca!"  I must agree.

The Bogie statue that my dad keeps in his office

2. Which Bogie co-star is your favorite?

DAD: Lauren Bacall.

ME: Why, and which movie?

DAD: Because they were married in real life, and "To Have and Have Not." 

ME: They fell in love on the set of that movie.

DAD: Yes. They used to tell Bogie's wife at the time [the incredibly jealous Meyo Methot], when he was out with Lauren, that he's "with the cast," as if to mean the whole cast - but it was just Lauren, really.

3. What's your favorite Bogie character?

DAD: Rick Blaine ("Casablanca"). Though it's hard to pick, he did play such hard boiled characters. They were always the toughest of guys.

4. What's your favorite Bogie line?

DAD: (still teasing) "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn"?

ME: (rolls eyes again) I said Humphrey Bogart, not Clark Gable!

DAD: Okay, okay. "We'll always have Paris." (Casablanca).

I was pretty sure he was going to pick "Here's looking at you kid," obviously from the same movie, but I like this line, too. Then again, it's probably because I like Paris so much. 

5. "The Big Sleep" vs. "To Have and Have Not."

DAD: "To Have and Have Not."

ME: There was really no point in asking this one, was there? I can't blame you, "The Big Sleep" is so confuzzling!

He still likes "The Big Sleep", though. I think I liked "The Big Street" better - with Lucy and Henry Fonda. Okay, just kidding. Or maybe not... ?

6. What's your favorite Bogie/John Houston collaboration?

ME: (by accident) What's your favorite Bogie/John Ford collaboration?

DAD: (incredulous) Bogie and John Ford? They only made like one movie together...

ME: Ooops. I meant, Bogie and John Huston. They made plenty of movies together, didn't they?

DAD: "The African Queen."

Believe it or not, that's actually the book's
cover - then it's got "Humphrey Bogart" and
the author's name on the  back. Interesting...
to say the least.

7. What's the best book written about Bogie [that you've read]?

DAD: "Humphrey Bogart," by Nathaniel Benchley.

ME: (suspicious) Isn't that an old eighties biography on Bogie?

DAD: I guess so, but hey, upon it's release it was called the best book on Bogie to date!

ME: Yeah, but that was way back in 1985!

I'm just kidding. Honestly, the eighties aren't old to me at all, because this is coming from a girl who stares at her friends and insists that if something occurred seventy or sixty years ago, it's still technically "modern" times. (When you speak of history, anyway...)

8. Who directed Bogie best?

DAD: Howard Hawks.

ME: (pressing for more) And why? Which movie? Wait, let me guess - "To Have and Have Not"?

DAD: Yes and because he brought out the real Bogie!

I honestly don't know if he was joking here or not... [about the "real" Bogie] lol. :D

9. Who is someone you wished Bogie had worked with?

*mulls it over.* DAD: Alfred Hitchcock would have been cool.

ME: Good answer!

I really have to agree, why didn't that happen? That would have been really awesome, a Bogie/Hitchcock collaboration.

10. What's a character that Bogie was miscast in?

DAD: Finally, the last question!

ME: Okay, okay! So, what was Bogie miscast in?

DAD: Well, I don't really think he was right as Linus Larrabee in "Sabrina" (1954).

ME: I agree with you. But why?

DAD: Well, I just think he was too old - and it was a little hard to believe that Audrey Hepburn dumped William Holden for Humphrey Bogart.

Then it was my turn to answer my OWN questions!

Bogie Q/A With Me!

1. Which Bogie movie is your favorite?

The same as my dad - "Casablanca." I don't care if it's a stereotype to love this movie, it will forever be one of my favorites!

2. Which Bogie co-star is your favorite?

I really love Lauren Bacall, and Bogie and Bacall are one of my favorite off screen couples. But I'm going to have to go with Ingrid Bergman, as in "Casablanca." I just loved Ingrid and Bogie together! I mean, Bogie did once say: "I didn’t do anything I’ve never done before, but when the camera moves in on that Bergman face, and she's saying she loves you, it would make anybody feel romantic." But Lauren Bacall is a definitely a  close runner up, and Katharine Hepburn ("The African Queen"), too. 

3. What's your favorite Bogie character?

I have to agree with my dad here, too - Rick Blaine. But I also liked Charlie Allnut, from "The African Queen" (in terms of being a little more original).

4. What's your favorite Bogie line?

Again, totally unoriginal, but "Here's looking at you, kid." 

5. "The Big Sleep" vs. "To Have and Have Not."

"To Have and Have Not" - "The Big Sleep," confused the heck out of me, which I probably shouldn't feel so bad about, because that's what it usually does to most people. I don't think I'd be able to follow its plot if you paid me money, lol!

6. What's your favorite Bogie/John Houston collaboration?

"The African Queen", without a question. I loved Kate and Bogie together, and I really want to read the book she wrote about her time in Africa with Huston, Bogie, and Bacall. 

[via]

7. What's the best book written about Bogie [that you've read]?

I actually haven't read anything on Bogie yet! But I really loved Lauren Bacall's autobiography, "By Myself and Then Some." She talks lovingly of Bogie in it, and she actually made me cry when she talked about the last years of his life, and when he died. I really recommend it. You can read my review of it here.

8. Who directed Bogie best?

I think perhaps John Huston, but I also want to give a special nod to Michael Curtiz ("Casablanca"). An underrated director despite the famous film "Casablanca" is.

9. Who is someone you wished Bogie had worked with?

I too would have loved to see him work with Alfred Hitchcock. But in terms of co-stars, I don't know if this is weird or random - but I think it might have been interesting to see him and Vivien Leigh together. Okay, yes, weird and random for sure, but she's honestly the first one that popped into my mind. (Yeah, I don't know what's wrong with me either).

10. What's a character that Bogie was miscast in?

Linus Larabee all the way. Don't get me wrong - I love "Sabrina." I just have to agree a lot with what my dad said. Plus, if you read about what was going on backstage, it's not very pleasant. Bogie and Audrey didn't get along, he once said something like, it's okay to work with Audrey Hepburn so long you don't mind fifty takes (or something like that). Too bad, because both Bogie and Audrey are favorites of mine and I would have wanted them to get along! :/

***

Okay, I hope this post did manage to be entertaining, I really had to badger my dad to get take my interview! lol. And I also apologize once more for throwing off the blogging schedule I had already set out for myself, with so many posts to do this week. The other post should be up later today, and it'll set me back on track. But like I said, I don't like publishing two posts in a day so I'm real sorry, guys.

A big thank you to Meredith for hosting this blogathon, happy birthday to Bogie, and a merry Christmas in advance!!

Classic Mustaches for Movember || Mustache Hall of Horror

So, Bette of the lovely Bette's Classic Movie Blog is hosting "Classic Mustaches for Movember". What is "Movember?" According to their website:

During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in the US and around the world. With their Mo’s, these men raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men.

Bette has decided to promote this worthy cause by holding this blogathon, and the topic of discussion is basically classic movie mustaches. Mustaches were pretty popular back in the 30's and 40's, and you shouldn't be surprised to discover that at least a few of your favorite leading men have sprouted mustaches for a particular movie role! 

Anyway, before I get into the actual post, if you'd like to donate to Movember, you can do so by going here. It's a real worthy cause so give it a thought, would you? :)

Okay, now onto the post. A lot of leading men famously sprouted mustaches throughout their movie career, and they looked pretty good with them. Like William Powell, Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, and perhaps most famously, Charlie Chaplin with his "Little Tramp" mustache.  And on occasion, probably Robert Taylor and Ronald Colman too.

However, most every leading man of the Golden Era was required to grow a mustache at some point in their career, usually for a movie role or so. These usually well shaven faces startled us with their new mustaches, and though sometimes it worked, let's be fair: sometimes it was a complete disaster.

And, so I present to you, the Mustache Hall of Horror. Our favorite leading men sprouting upper lip hair that should have been outlawed. Brace yourself!

** YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED **

THE MUSTACHE HALL OF HORROR
(and shame.) 

10. Desi Arnaz

Yes, I know, this was for a costume party. But I actually think I've got a picture of Desi somewhere in my Lucy file completely unshaven, beard, mustache, everything during the war. My Lucy file happens to be really humungus though (surprise, surprise) and for the sake of time, I didn't sort through it to find it. (It was too scary besides.) But anyway, bottom line. Like Lucy in the screencap at the beginning of this post ("The Mustache" episode), I like Desi much better without a mustache!

9. Robert Redford

I know, I know, I know! Robert Redford isn't Classic Hollywood, but I do like him ("Rianna, what modern actors do you like?" "Oh, I like Robert Redford and Barbara Striesand and Jane Fonda...") and I just had to include him in this list because I'm telling you: IT'S SCARY. I think this is for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", which I never got through because I hate Westerns. That's besides the point, anyway. LOOK AT IT. It's thick and yellow. Run for your lives! Thank God he never went for this look permanently. 

8. Rock Hudson

WHY????? NO, SERIOUSLY WHY????!!!! Okay, well, I know why. It was for his tv show. BUT LOOK AT THAT 70'S STACHE! IT'S SCARY! AND IT'S ON ROCK HUDSON! AND IT'S SCARY!             * hyperventilation* I could be just imaging this, but I also think he sported a mustache in one of his movies with Doris Day, but that was because he was trying to trick Dodo into think he was someone he was not. Wait, that's confusing, is it not? Bottom line: GO SHAVE IT OFF, ROCK! GO SHAVE IT OFF!

 7. Fred Astaire

DGIFHGFAIGHFEGHTRYAHNBG!

I honestly can't find words for this. I mean, I love Fred but seriously? I wouldn't want to dance cheek to cheek with him if he had that cookieduster, and I've got a feeling Ginger Rogers wouldn't either. Here he is sporting another one with Audrey, but let's just hope they're fooling around and leave it at that. 

 6. Gary Cooper

No, Gary. No. Just no. :( Gary Cooper, who I have been gaining a greater appreciation for, might look somewhat decent after what we just witnessed with Fred, but when you boil down to it, I'd be shaving that away, Gary. I mean, just stop and think and imagine if it that was his usual look. Sends chills down your spine now, doesn't it?

5. Gregory Peck

OH NO. WHYYYY. WHY. :( NO, SERIOUSLY, WHY. It just work, really it doesn't. And I weep :(  No, I mean it, but seriously. Like the more I stare at this it just doesn't seem right. I really want to virtually rip this mustache off, but you know, thank goodness it was only a temporary thing (which pretty much applies to all mentioned on this list).

4. Henry Fonda

No. Just honestly, no. It's hard to look at really. It makes Henry look like some kind of a lumberjack/ax murderer or something. Natalie at In the Mood said something like it murders the boyish quality of Henry [MURDER is an excellent word], and I have to agree. Then she added "not to mention he looks really stupid"... which he DOES. Just seriously, this is completely unnecessary on several levels. ** shakes head **

3. Humphrey Bogart

FVFUGIHFGHF'GHX'TR8

T

TTH9TJH/\

what???? WHY????? WAS IT REALLY NEEDED? SERIOUSLY?  I moan. I cry. Seriously, when I was looking for these ridiculous mustaches I was getting nervous I may find this, and I did. I have to turn away, I simply cannot look. This is...  words can't explain. Being a writer I rarely ever use that expression but this time, there are just no words. He doesn't even look like the Bogie we all know and love. :( This was just murder here.

2. Jimmy Stewart

.........................

speechless

1. Cary Grant

So. So I stared at this for a long time. I told myself, "You know, maybe it's not that bad, some people might find that attractive, hey he kind of resembles Errol Flynn." A lot of stuff and nonsense. And then: there is no excuse for this. There is no excuse for the people who did this, who deterred Cary's face like this. I honestly do not know what movie this came from. But if I ever happen to turn on a Cary movie and see this, I tell you, I'm switching it off. How was this not against the law?. It could have been prevented. Where was our legislative government when this happened? Hello, Congress? THIS was an injustice, I tell you. A crime. A part of my heart chipped away and died, really. 

***

Well, that's all. I'll spare you now, no more scary pictures, I promise. I think we all need to go and take a big glass of water and go enjoy these leading men in some well shaven roles. At least, that's what I plan on doing.... 

Many, many thanks to Bette for hosting this blogathon. Don't let the scary pictures deter you from the blogathon's point at heart:  it's for a good cause. Don't forget: Movember! Try and make a donation: I'm sure all contributions of different sizes are accepted and will be utilized! ;)

Also, this blogathon will last throughout the rest of the month. Some great bloggers have already written some brilliantly awesome posts, and I'm sure there will be a few more as well, so go check those out, too! :D

I'm going to try and put together a Classic Hollywood Thanksgiving post (I actually do have something in mind) for tomorrow, but if I can't then I'll say it now: HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING! :) 

well, see, she's gorgeous in everything, so she looks fabulous of course! <3