PS: Viv and Larry

I was done blogging for today --

Or so I thought. It's Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier's would-be 71st wedding anniversary. The Oliviers (like Lucy and Desi) were married from 1940 to 1960.

Here's to Viv and Larry!

The 50 Most Unforgettable Actresses of the Studio Era (and then some)

Hi everyone,

I've got some interesting trivia from one of my movie books for you today, but before I start there are two things I wanted to mention. One has got to do with Lucy (because she's always in my day, no matter what). Anyhoo, about two years ago one of my friends gave me this really wonderful framed picture of Lucy, Ricky, Ethel and Fred in that famous shot of them in the car, driving to California and singing (at the end of "California, Here We Come!"). I have been remodeling my bedroom since, and this morning (while I was at school), Lucy and the gang joined Audrey Hepburn on my bedroom wall.

Also, I happened to catch this in IMdb yesterday - it's a new film that's coming out in November called "The Artist." It is a French film and it won an award at the Cannes Film Festival, but get this --

IT'S A SILENT FILM.. AND IT'S IN BLACK AND WHITE. AND IT'S A 2011 MOVIE.

Isn't that just the most awesome thing ever??? I wanted to blog about it right then and there, but I had already blogged for the day so I held out. Right now I just realized that Sally of the always entertaining Flying Down to Hollywood had written about it already, and I wanted to share, too. It takes place in the 1920s, and I think it's about an actor who is having his heyday in silent films when he comes across a young fan who is actually desperate to get into pictures herself; as they make the transition into talkies, the actor's career begins to deteriorate while the fan's career begins. It sounds a little like "All About Eve", doesn't it? Perhaps the actor gets "Eved." I don't know. Here's the trailer --

It may turn out to be a hot mess or it may turn out to be really good, but either way, I can hardly wait to see it!

Also, isn't the poster gorgeous and so film noir-ish? When I saw it on the IMdb homepage, it instantly attracted me to click on the trailer.

 Count me in!

What do you all think? Think you'll see it?

***

So, as we all know, I am currently reading right now Lauren Bacall's autobiography, "By Myself and Then Some". You voted for it and so that's the book I've got my nose into. I'm not that far in but so far I'm enjoying myself and I hope to finish it within a week or so - then I'll get a review up for it.

However, before voting closed on the poll.... well, I know I promised I wouldn't go and get more books because my stack of books to-read is really quite large. But there's this big mall in the next state over, and it's pretty huge (it's actually two malls - one mall has all the usual chains and the more casual stuff, and the next mall over has the boutiques and the designer labels... awesome, yes!). It also happens to have this large Barnes & Noble which always carries a lot of great books with a wide selection. This mall is about an hour or so away, and though we have a lot of great malls where I live, every so once in a while I like to make a trip here with a friend. I went about two weeks ago and I could not resist going into the humongous Barnes & Noble, and I was ecstatic to find that they had a copy of TCM's "The 50 Most Unforgettable Actresses of the Studio Era".

I had wanted to get this for a while but my local bookstores didn't have a copy, so I had to buy it. I finished it last night and I must say, I enjoyed it! Though I think it would be extremely hard to pick the top 50 actresses of the Studio Era,  I think they came up with the perfect list (it is complied by TCM, my go-to-television channel) - WITH the exception that they didn't include Lucy. I understand that she had the most success in television, but she made over 100 movies and considering  all she achieved in the field of acting (forget about TV and movies and whatnot), I think she ought to have been included. That said, however, I think it was the perfect list (though I would have fought to the death for Lucy to be in it... hmm...)

The book is really polished and for the most part I didn't find that many errors in it. It has beautiful pictures and the format is really easy to read. There is about four pages devoted to each actress, front and back, with a little biography as well as the usual stats like their birth name, birthday, date of death, and all their husbands and children. On the next page there are the "five essential films" of the actress, with a little summary for each, some style notes, and some trivia in  "behind the scenes". Also, at the end of the book is an index of each actress's complete filmography.

I'm going to make a big plug for it. I know I totally bawled TCM out for their scrawny "Now Playing" earlier this month, but this book was really fantastic and I enjoyed it. So: EVERYONE GO OUT AND BUY IT.

There is a lot of great trivia in this book, which inspired me to write a post with a one nugget of trivia from each of the fifty actresses. Depending on the actress, some of it I knew before and others I didn't. Either way, I thought I'd share. The name of the actress is in bold so you can see the fifty chosen ones - and unfortunately, I can't possibly tag them all  in this post (and this is also a little reminder that I always try and tag my posts carefully, but you can also use the little search box on my sidebar, which gives great results).

***

(Listed in alphabetical order)

1. Jean Arthur, as sweet and as awesome as she was, once tore a wig and a suit on the set of a movie that she wasn't pleased with.
2. While dating him, Lauren Bacall was gifted a bracelet with a gold whistle from her beau (and soon-to-be-husband), Humphrey Bogart. It was in memory of Lauren's famous, "You know how to whistle, don't you?" line in "To Have and Have Not," - they had fallen in love on set.
3. Ingrid Bergman was discovered (in Hollywood, anyway) when an elevator boy remarked to a woman in the building he worked at that his parents (Swedes), had seen a fabulous Swedish girl in a picture they'd recently watched. The woman was a talent scout for David O. Selznick.
4. After her mother tried to kill her in her sleep, Clara Bow became a life long insomniac.
5. When Louise Brooks's film career began to decline, she took to the stage under an assumed name, Linda Carter. A talent scout from 20th Century Fox found her and offered her a screen test.
6. Claudette Colbert famously bathed in milk in "The Sign of the Cross" (1932). Claudette hated it because the milk smelled, but it inspired thousands of women across America to do the same.
7. Joan Crawford was born Lucille Le Sueur. Her name was changed by the studio when they felt her surname sounded too much like "sewer." So they held a contest in a movie magazine to rename the starlet, and "Joan Crawford" was chosen. Joan never much liked the name; she felt it like "crawfish."
8. The playful Marion Davies once got President Coolidge drunk by feeding him wine all while assuring him it was just fruit juice!
9. In 1941, the indestructible Bette Davis became the first female president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
10. Doris Day earned the nickname "Clara Bixby" when Billy De Wofle remarked to her on the set of "Tea for Two" that she didn't look much like a Doris Day but rather a Clara Bixby; it stuck and her good friends still call her that.
11. A practical joke was played on Clark Gable on the set of "Gone With the Wind" with the help of Olivia de Havilland, who agreed for them to put weights in her already heavy 19th century style dresses for a scene in which Clark was to carry (a frail Melanie) up a flight of stairs.
12. Marlene Dietrich, who always held a firm clenched jaw, can credit her taut stance to the lemons she used to suck on before going on screen.
13. Cary Grant remembered Irene Dunne as the "sweetest smelling" actress he'd ever worked with.
14. Greta Garbo, who never married, had an affair with fellow actor John Gilbert. He wanted to elope with her and she agreed, but in the last moment she backed out and locked herself in the laboratory to hide.
15. Those sultry glances the beautiful Ava Gardner often struck was natural; Ava needed glasses but never wore them on screen, causing her to squint.
16. Judy Garland was immortalized into film history with her role as Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz". It is said the day she died, a tornado hit Kansas.
17. The famously redheaded Greer Garson had her living room decorated in a beautiful emerald green so it would go well with her famous locks.
18. Lillian Gish never once had a haircut. Her hair was below her waist all her life!
19. Clara Bow spotted a pretty young extra named Jean Harlow on the set of one of her films and wanted her kicked out because she was "too beautiful." They eventually became great friends.
20. Also a redhead, Susan Hayward wore a gorgeous emerald green dress in one of her last public appearances at the 1974 Oscars... she was buried in the dress a year later.
21. Despite Ginger Rogers being his most famous dance partner, Fred Astaire chose Rita Hayworth as his favorite.
22. Gregory Peck was dubious to play against an unknown in a 1953 Paramount film called "Roman Holiday" - but when he met the young, strikingly beautiful Audrey Hepburn he changed his mind and insisted she receive top billing.
23. When campaigning for the role of Scarlett O'Hara, producer David O. Selznick told Katharine Hepburn: "I can't imagine Clark Gable chasing you for ten years." In which Kate icily replied, in her typical style, "I may not appeal to you, David, but there are men with different tastes!"
24. When studio executives began giving dark skinned beauty Lena Horne stereotypical roles for African American actresses, her father called up the studio and angrily reminded them, "I can hire a maid for her; I don't need to her act as one!"
25. Forever the blue blood, Grace Kelly's voice had a beautifully memorable elegant tone with a hint of British incision, despite being an American girl. She spent years working on her dialect to achieve this (in place of her original, nasal tone) - needless to say, she mastered it.
26. The beautiful, British Deborah Kerr was visiting fellow English actor Rex Harrison during World War Two. They did not think much of an aircraft warning until a bomb was dropped in the actor's garden and the cottage went black. Rex announced he may need a drink; but a true Brit, Deborah insisted, "Alcohol is not good for one when they have had a shock. Can we have tea?"
27. During the 1940s, it was Hedy Lamarr, with her gorgeously sculpted features, that women most asked plastic surgeons to replicate for them.
28. Vivien Leigh, who suffered quite badly from manic depression (known better today as bipolar disorder), would receive shock treatment for this. Hours later she would go on stage and give a brilliant performance without missing a beat.
29. Infamous for her swearing, Carole Lombard picked up her salty way of speaking when she realized her cussing would leave male authority figures (who otherwise tried to walk all over her) in shock, and set them straight, too. She asked her brothers to teach her all the words they knew.
30. Sophia Loren happened to wear a tiara to an 1954 English opening night which caused a ruckus... the problem? Queen Elizabeth was also in attendance. The British press called her  "Queen Sophia." 
31. Sticking up for her fellow actors, Myrna Loy demanded of narrow minded studio heads to know why African Americans were always given stereotypical roles as maids or butlers. "What about a black person walking up to the steps of a courthouse with a briefcase?" Myrna wanted to know.
32. Feisty Shirley MacLaine was the inspiration for Frank Sinatra's song, "The Second Time Around." One of his accompanists wanted Shirley to leave her husband for him.
33. Though she made famous the "dumb blond", Marilyn Monroe was actually quite intelligent. She had a IQ of 168 (significantly higher her lover, President Kennedy's 129) and enjoyed reading books.
34. Helping her to stand out from the crowd, Columbia marketed Kim Novak as a "lavender blond" - even tinting her hair the shade.
35. Marilyn Monroe was able to talk Irish beauty Maureen O'Hara into hiding (and then popping out of) a box for husband Joe DiMaggio's birthday, so he would "finally stop talking about Maureen O'Hara", whom he had a big crush on. The prank was canceled when Marilyn and DiMaggio broke up before his birthday.
36. The movie screen's first close up centered on America's sweetheart, Mary Pickford, in the 1912 movie "Friends."
37. When Debbie Reynolds won the title of Miss Burbank in 1948, talent scouts from both MGM and Warner Brothers in the audience wanted her. So they flipped a coin and Warner Brothers won. When Warner gave her up in following years, MGM snatched her and made her a star.
38. Ginger Rogers loved the gorgeous gowns with feathers, beads, and much more that she and designer Edith Head would scheme up for her dance routines. But her other half, Fred Astaire, did not. The ornaments on the dress would slap him black and blue. 
39. LIFE magazine had a bad habit of photographing Rosalind Russell, but then not using the photos. When, for the third time they requested to photograph the movie star, she appeared on her driveway in her slacks and told them to just take the picture because they weren't going to use it anyway. They did, and they put her on the cover. But in the end it turned out to be an embarrassment for LIFE - that was the same week Hitler invaded Poland.
40. Norma Shearer, a true product of the Roaring 20's, used to invite author F. Scott Fitzgerald (among others) to her house over the weekends for rambunctious parties. Fitzgerald wrote one of his most celebrated works, "Crazy Sunday", based on events at Norma's house.
41. The girl with the oomph, Ann Sheridan, had to cap her teeth to cover a big gap she had between her two front teeth!
42. Whilst filming "Forty Guns", a stuntman refused to do a scene in which she was to be dragged by a horse, calling it "too dangerous." The real actress, the bold Barbara Stanwyck, rolled her eyes and did it herself in a few takes - albeit, with several bruises. 
43. In 1950 (and fresh off her "Sunset Boulevard" revival) the forever fashionable Gloria Swanson debuted her own clothing line, "Gowns by Gloria." It was a hit.
44. Violet eyed Elizabeth Taylor was the highest paid actress of the 1960's (number two happened to be Natalie Wood), and the first to request a million dollars for her salary. The job was "Cleopatra", playing the title role, of course.
45. Gene Tierney suffered tragedy in her life. She contracted German measles from a fan who should have been quarantined while pregnant with her daughter, and her daughter was, because of this, born blind and with several development defects.
46. Always the glamour girl, when Lana Turner's apartment building caught on fire and she only had a few moments to grab her most precious possessions, Lana grabbed lipstick, eyeliner, and her hair dryer.
47. During World War Two, inflatable life jackets were referred to as "Mae Wests", pleasing the busty actress very much.
48. The studio would keep America's mermaid, Esther Williams's, hair looking beautiful underwater by lathering her hair with baby oil and petroleum jelly. Esther claimed she was as "waterproof as a mallard" when she was let free from hair and makeup.
49. Passionate and humorous Natalie Wood proved these qualities when the Harvard Lampoon named her the "Worst Actress of the Year" -- she showed up in person to accept the award.
50. Loretta Young had strong feelings about etiquette and despised swearing (wonder how she would have gotten along with Carole Lombard! They both had a thing for Clark Gable, didn't they?). She established a swearing box on the studio lot, charging any of her peers for profanity. Robert Mitchum used to stuff several bills into the box to cover him for the day, and it is said that Joseph Mankiewicz and Barbara Stanwyck payed their dues to Loretta, as well.

***

I hope you enjoyed the post - it was a long one, but thanks for sticking with me. ;)

You know you're obsessed with "I Love Lucy" when...

So, today was my first day of school. It was only a half day, which is just what it sounds like, and you come home from school before lunch. Tomorrow is another half day but by Thursday I'll be getting back into "the swing of things" with my first full day and classes and all of that. I think I was truly depressed when I changed back into that usual plaid skirt and blouse (yep, I go to a private school) and my new school shoes (with little bows at the toe - oh! Something to get excited about!).

Over all, though, this is going to be my last year in a school which I have pretty much been going to forever, so I guess I ought to enjoy it (and with all the perks that come from being on the top of the heap). I have a really nice homeroom teacher (she was my teacher last year and I was thrilled to pieces when I found out I'd have her for homeroom again), and even the same classroom because of that reason. My class is really tiny (just twelve of us.  The Destructive Dozen??? The Dangerous Dozen??) , which I really like because we all know each other quite well and it's more of a little family then a class.

So, yeah. I'm not all that thrilled about going back, but if there is one good thing about back to school it is that FALL IS COMING! Okay, don't think ill of me, and and you'll probably be all, "Wow, Rianna's so weird" but fall (and winter - yes, winter too) are my favorite seasons. You may call me partial for liking the cold weather so much because I'm a February baby, but I don't do it to be different or anything - I actually love the fall and winter. I love all the sweaters and all the warm, fashionable coats and not to mention I have an obsession with boots. I love staying in on cold days with the leaves turning golden-red and watching an old movie or curling up with a book (and a cup of hot chocolate). Most of all, I love snow and I love Christmastime, which is my favorite time of the year (another reason for me to love fall/winter - all the holidays! Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's... and my birthday, of course. ;]).

Well, call me crazy, but I love it. And so despite the fact it's still August, it's nearly September, which means only two weeks until fall, and yes I really do <3 it that much!

***

So, you've probably seen those kind of lists like "You know you're obsessed with Harry Potter" or insert any other kind of culture phenomenon like "Twilight" or whatever. I was disappointed to find that I could not find a list like that applying to "I Love Lucy" (hmph. Well. of course. What would you expect?).

But since I know so much about the show, I'm like why not write one myself? Brilliant! So... here it is. If you have watched all the episodes you ought to understand all of them, if you're more of a casual fan you'll understand most but perhaps not all. Anyway, I hope it makes sense... and I hope you enjoy ;)

YOU KNOW YOU'RE OBSESSED WITH "I LOVE LUCY" WHEN...

• Whenever you see a golf game or someone watching golf you feel the great urge to tell out, "Dormie!"
• You randomly find yourself saying "dun't" instead of "don't."
• You often find yourself sawing "dawnsy" when someone asks you, "How are you feeling?"
• The word "Tropicana" does not evoke thoughts of orange juice,  but more appropriately, a nightclub.
• You find that you can sing along to every Ricky Ricardo song word for word.
• Whenever you hear a saxophone playing it sounds like "Glo Worm" to you, even if it isn't.
• "I tippy tippy toed through my garden..."
• You keep waiting for "Real Gone With the Wind" to come out.
• The last name "McGuilicuddy" holds a special place in your heart.
• The names "Flo Pauline Lopos", "Marian Strong", "Carlotta Romero" and "Joe Harris" all sound familiar to you.
• You teared up when Lucy and Ricky cried at the end of  Ricky's "We're Having a Baby, My Baby and Me".
• You have always wanted to stomp grapes with your feet.
• You have ever wanted a bottle of "Vitavetavegamin."
• Forget about Tennessee Williams; it's Tennessee Ernie.
• "623 East 68th Street, Apartment 3D" is more than just an address to you. (If this address was real, then the Ricardos and Mertzes would be living in the East River!)
• You know how to speak Martian.
• "The time has come" sounds really familiar.
• You always wonder who the real Madame X was.
• Lucy Ricardo wasn't born in Jamestown, New York. She was born in West Jamestown (which, in reality, does not exist).
• The words "hatchet" and "water cress" go together.
• Stealing John Wayne's footprints from Grumman's Chinese Theater makes a lot of sense to you.
• When you think of a nightclub, you do not think of dimly lit lounges with techno music pulsing through it, but Club Babalu.
• "Black lace blue jeans" rings a bell.
• You know all the lyrics and the dance steps to Lucy and Van Johnson's "How About You?"
• You stopped subscribing to TV Guide when they put "I Love Lucy" second on their list of "The Greatest TV Shows of All Time."

***

I hope you enjoyed my little list. I had fun making it, and if it gets a good response I may do more editions in the future or similar lists with different obsessions. ;)

Happy Birthday, Ingrid! (and RIP)

 Today's post marks the fiftieth post on this blog, and a great way to celebrate would be to write about one of my favorite actresses ever, Ingrid Bergman. Though I always liked her movies, I really started paying attention to her more and liking her better around the beginning of this year. And, now, of course, she is one of my Top Five.

Also, any good Ingrid fan will know that today is also her death date (dying on her birthday, out of all 365 days of the year, makes Ingrid even awesomer). But I always like to think of August 29th as a celebration of her life, and especially since this year it will mark my last day of summer vacation, I think I'll end it on a high note -- by celebrating her life, which, frankly, my dear, was quite interesting!

Biography
Ingrid Bergman was born on August 29th, 1915 in Stockholm, Sweden. From a young age she expressed a love of acting. Her parents died when she was still young and she found her on her own in the world. When a teenager, she won a scholarship to the prestigious Royal Dramatic Theater, where Greta Garbo had also studied. She practiced there for a short period of time. After appearing in a small role as an extra in a Swedish film, she turned her love to the movies. About this time she married a family friend and dentist, Petter Lindstrom. Her career in the Swedish cinema began to flourish and she also made several films for a German studio. She gave birth to her first daughter, Pia. By then plans had already been made for Ingrid to go to Hollywood, under the guidance of the famed producer David O. Selznick (who was already deeply engrossed in the filming of "Gone With the Wind"), and make a English version of "Intermezzo". Shortly after giving birth to her daughter, she traveled to the States and thus began her American career. Movies like "Gaslight" (which would win her her first Oscar), "Notorious" (among two other pictures for Hitchcock), and "The Bells of St. Mary's" would follow, but the single movie that would embolden her into film history was her role as the luminous Isla Lund opposite Humphrey Bogart's Rick in "Casablanca", the enduring classic. One of the big stars of the Golden Era, off screen Ingrid felt trapped in her marriage and sometimes indulged in affairs... among others, with the wartime photographer Robert Capa or the director, Victor Fleming. This was in striking contrast to her movie star persona, who, no matter how controversial the role may be, was marketed as "St. Ingrid of Stockholm" - pure, natural, and virginal. In 1949, she wrote to the Italian director Roberto Rossellini and said she had watched one of his films and would love to work with him. The plans were made for Ingrid to star in Rossellini's "Stromboli" - by the time she headed to Italy to make the picture in 1950, she had begun an affair with him. This time, she became pregnant with his baby, shocking the American public off their feet. Suddenly, she was condemned and driven out the country by angry moral guardians. (One senator even took to the floor of the U.S senate to condemn her, calling her a "powerful influence for evil").  She divorced Lindstrom quickly and married Rossellini. She would live in Italy for about five years, making Rossellini pictures that did not do so well and having two more children (twins, one of which became the actress Isabella Rossellini). America forgave her with the film "Anastasia", which would win her her second Oscar. After that, she divorced Rossellini and returned to her work in American pictures. Marrying one more time and winning a third Oscar (a Best Supporting Actress for her work in "Murder on the Orient Express"), Ingrid became an enduring face.  Her last role was as Golda Meir in a TV documentary, and it would win her a posthumous Emmy. She died from a cancer she had been long suffering from on her sixty-seventh birthday in 1982 (London, England).

Some Trivia

• Ingrid was a movie star who embraced her job and loved it with all her heart; she once dramatically declared, "If you took acting away from me, I'd stop breathing!" (I like that.... if you took writing away from me, I'd stop breathing!)
• She became orphaned at a young age. When she was two years old, her mother died. When she was thirteen, her father died. She was sent to live with an aunt, who, in succession, died shortly after as well.
• As a young girl (and throughout her life), she idolized St. Joan of Arc. Not exactly for religious reasons, but for the fact that she admired Joan's enduring bravery. She would play her in a movie in the late 40's, but despite the fact she was nominated for an Oscar, it was not a success at the box office.
• After watching the Richard Burton / Liz Taylor episode of "Here's Lucy", she, too became intruiged with the idea of appearing on Lucy's show. An episode was put into works but because of tax problems Ingrid was forced to back out. The episode eventually became Ginger Rogers' vehicle and was called "Tea for Two." (I read this in "The Lucille Ball FAQ" and, as much as I love Ginger, went "ARE YOU SERIOUS?? INGRID AND LUCY COULD'VE WORKED TOGETHER???". If only!!!)

And some of my favorite Ingrid pictures...

Looking all awesome and chic, probably on the set of "Indiscreet", her 1958 movie with Cary Grant

Ingrid cuddling with a kitten - how ADORABLE is that?? hmm??

Come on. This is just an awesome picture. You know it is. (I think it's for "The Arc of Triumph", her second pairing with Charles Boyer, who was yesterday's birthday boy).

Of course, I've made Ingrid a birthday video on Frankly My Dear TV. So... the song I used is "She's Like the Wind" by Patrick Swayze. Yeah, yeah, I know - it's a corny, cheesy, way too 1980s song. It really has some of the most awful lyrics ever: "She's like the wind -- through my tree" among many. But I had to pick a song, and I was running out of time, so I went with this. I think the music (forget about the lyrics) kind of fits Ingrid, doesn't it? Anyways, I also did kind of a look back at Ingrid's life, though most of the clips are from her 1940's movies, there's more variety and variation in this video then I have done before. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think ;)

Well, that's my birthday blog for Ingrid! Tomorrow is my first day of school.... s i g h. I guess I'll write about that tomorrow.

Ciao!

PS: I thought I should tell you all I saw "Now, Voyager" yesterday and I LOVED it!!! So romantic and sweet and great script. ;) More on that on Sunday. 

Sunday Movie Review: "Forever Darling" (1956)

Bonjour!

It looks like we survived the hurricane at my place. Now, it's sunny and the sky is blue and there's a beautiful wind (whatever remains from Irene's destructive path) blowing through the trees. I'm glad, because today is the second to last day of my summer vacation (insert crying), and I want it to be beautiful, of course.

To tell you the truth, Irene wasn't that bad. The worst of it came when it was dark outside so all of it was a LOT of wind (you could hear all of it), and rain, and all of that. And... best of all.... WE DIDN'T LOSE POWER!!! I guess we totally lucked out because a lot of people lost power, and we also have one of those really annoying companies that supply power that are terrible when it comes to withstanding these sort of things. So yes, we totally got lucky. Over all, it wasn't a terrifying experience... but I did hear that fourteen people died from the storm, or due to things related to the storm, so that's pretty awful. I, for one, am done with natural disasters for now!

So, I watched two movies this week - I rewatched "Forever Darling", from my new Lucy box set, and then I watched, for the first time, "To Have and Have Not." I have "Now, Voyager" - I'm on a kind of Bette Davis high -  waiting for me in a red envelope from Netflix, but between all the craziness of the last days I haven't gotten a chance to get to it (I'll probably watch it tonight and save it for next week's review).

As you can tell by the title of this post, I am going to be reviewing "Forever, Darling." Now, here's the thing - as much as I love, love, love Lucy (and you all know how much I do, it's crazy) but "Forever, Darling" is really not that good of a movie. (In fact, Lucy said so herself: "I've been in a lot of stinkers, but this one was the stinkiest."). So. Why am I reviewing this one and not "To Have and Have Not", which in reality WAY better?

Because, and don't think ill of me, I'm sort of tired of doing reviews on good films!!! The last few have all been really excellent films and "To Have and Have Not" would be another one of those, and I was getting bored. So I decided to allow myself one bad film review for this week. And besides, my new header, as you can all tell, is now featuring the most stereotypical  photo of Ingrid EVER (hehe), because it's her birthday tomorrow!!!! So, of course she's going to be in my header.

But anyway, that's why I'm doing this movie and I hope all of you know what a great film "To Have and To Have Not" is.

Before I get on with the review, we're going to play a little game. Here's how it's going to work: I'm going to post a picture of a particular Old Hollywood actress as a child, and you all can leave me a comment with your guess. I won't tell you until maybe a day or two, and then I'll mention the comment-er who figured it out first. No prizes or anything, but it's fun to play.  See if you can figure it out!!

Don't be bashful... take a guess! ;)

***

I know... awkward poster... check out Desi's expression.... ho hum...

Lucy plays Susan Vega, a Californian housewife who has been married to scientist  husband Lorenzo (Desi) for five years. The honeymoon is since over and Susan finds herself spending way too much time with her snobby cousin Millie Updike (played by that chick from Gilligan's Island.. uh... what's her name?) and nearly turning into a clone of her. The first sign? She is swooning over James Mason at the movies. In a bizarre turn of events, Susan finds herself visited by her "guardian angel" who, ironically, looks exactly like James Mason. She has mixed feelings of resentment and then lust for the "angel", but in the end she looks to him for help to patch up her marriage. The angel's fix? To go on a camping trip with Lorenzo, one, that, of course, turns into a disaster...


The cast has got:

• Lucille Ball as Susan Vega
• Desi Arnaz as Lorenzo Vega
• James Mason as The Guardian Angel Who Looks Exactly Like James Mason
• Natalie Schafer as Millie Updike
• And, in an appearance as the maid, Amy, Nancy Kulp

It is directed by Alexander Hall, who had been a beau of Lucy's - in fact, he was the guy she had been dating when she met Desi, and, in succession, dumped him for Desi (no hard feelings, I guess, especially if they got him to direct this bomber).

This was made in 1956. "I Love Lucy" was still on air and at the top of the ratings and Lucy and Desi were humongous stars. Their earlier film, "The Long, Long Trailer" (1953, at the peak of their popularity) had been a HUGE success and the expectations for this film were quite high. But, despite all of this, this movie failed to attract at the box office.

I can understand. This movie is all over the place. It is a comedy with an awkward sci-fi feeling hanging over it like a dark cloud on a sunny day. 

Susan Vega is not exactly a version of Lucy Ricardo, but a lot of her stems from our favorite zany redhead. Especially her pratfalls when they go camping - like getting stuck in a sleeping bag, poking a hole in the boat, etc. etc.

Lorenzo Vega is just one of those awkward, somewhat unbelievable characters. I think, of course, that Lucy and Desi do a good job with whatever material they are given, but a lot of it feels somewhat episodic and I think the whole guardian angel bit was just way out there.

It is said that Lucy and Desi originally wanted Cary Grant for the James Mason role, but he was out of their price range (the same thing had occurred on the set of "A Star is Born") so they had to settle for James Mason. James Mason doesn't get to do much, either. He walks through walls with awful special effects, and disappears for most of the camping trip but then shows up at the end to save the day. 

Is it just me... or is that a little creepy????

The Susan-Lorenzo marriage thing is kind of depressing. By this time Lucy and Desi's marriage was not completely broken up but it was on shaky ground. At least they loved each other in "The Long, Long Trailer" -- this couple is pretty distant and a lot of the time they're fighting in parralels to the real Lucy and Desi. I mean, one would think they're closer to their guardian angels then one another, really (Desi doesn't have one, but if he did she would look like Ava Gardner, who he dreams about. To this, I cracked, "She'd be a GARDNER angel!" Get it?? Get it?? Me and my bad puns... ).

What are the upsides to this film?

Well, if anything, I must say it's entertaining. I mean, you're not going to get bored with it or anything, that's for certain. Also, it has LUCILLE BALL in it so that's always a bonus, for anything, ever.

And hey! Lucy wears a lot of the stuff she wore on "I Love Lucy", so now know what they looked like in color, of course... I did a lot of, "That dress is yellow? But I thought it was white!", and all of that.

Also, I kind of liked the soundtrack for this film --

I think if you're a Lucy / Desi fan, you'll want to see it. And you can watch it right here on Youtube:

This is the whole movie, all in one, which is quite nice.

Over all, I'm going to give this a three stars out of five. I'm probably being quite generous, though.

***

That's all for this Sunday's review.  I'm off to enjoy Carole Lombard day on TCM. And don't forget to leave me your guesses! ;-)