Happy Birthday, Desi! [5 Things I Love]

So, you may or may not know that today would've been Desi Arnaz's 95th birthday.

Desi has is a very controversial subject to many; a lot of people don't like him because there was a womanizing and drinking in his marriage with Lucy. So much so that it overrides what Lucy and Desi's relationship really was: perhaps one a little unstable, but a love that really was forever. And since Lucy was the star of the show, people never really give Desi credit for the things he did for the show, and he did so much. True Lucy fans love him because we know that Lucy did, and Lucy wanted him to be appreciated, and most of all, that Lucy loved him a lot.

Therefore, here's five things I love most about Desi :)

Happy birthday, Desi!

·      "We all know that Lucille Ball was the great female comic genius of the twentieth century, and that their show, I Love Lucy, which in my opinion is the most important television show ever produced, was a perfect showcase for her tremendous talent. What we don't often appreciate is that Desi was the man who understand her talent and knew exactly how to spotlight it; if I Love Lucy made history, it was especially because of Desi's genius as a producer. The television we watch to this day is based on a format he created to help his wife be her very best. The three cameras, the filming instead of going live in New York, the studio audience, the concept of reruns - all of it show Lucy into the stratosphere. All of it shaped the next sixty years of television production. Practically all of it was his idea. All if it exploded a system that even the studios hadn't fully appreciated, but he did.

                                                                                                                                                             

All of it born from this Cuban man, being so totally Cuban that he sang songs in Spanish every week on national television (another breakthrough with huge impact: say thank you, Gloria Estefan and Shakira) this Cuban man that was told people wouldn't buy him with an American wife (never mind they'd been married for years), this Cuban man invented the sitcom as we know it. All of it stemmed from the love of one man for one woman, putting truth to the very statement that I Love Lucy was never just a title. Aren't we lucky that it happened? Aren't we lucky that it was true?" 

- Raul Esparza


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#5: The accent.

Honestly, who cannot love that accent? The "dun't"s  - don't - and the "thin"s - things - all of it! So much so that a lot of Ricky Ricardo speak filters into my everyday speak. I say "dun't" all the time now and people don't even comment on it anymore, I honestly think they expect it. ;) Anyway, I'm a big fan of pretty voices ( *COUGH* Greer) and best of all accents (*COUGH* Ingrid), and Desi's voice is such a wonderful mix of that. 

#4: The music.

I think the most famous song of his would have to be "Babalu", obviously, but those avid Lucy watchers will remember a lot more. I have oftentimes listened the Lucy is Enciente episode as my favorite, because of the moment in the end where Lucy and Desi's real tears came through. Another thing that made that part so sweet was Desi's rendition of We're Having a Baby - My Baby and Me. It's adorable, and I know all the lyrics. And if you think about it, and pay attention to the club numbers on the show, there are a lot of really good routines. Like "Jezebel" from Lucy is Jealous of Girl Dancer and "The Waters of Minnetonka" from The Indian Show. I think my personal favorite would have to be one that wasn't sung on the Lucy show - at least, not more than a few bars of it ; it's the main theme from Forever Darling (1956), entitled, appropriately, "Forever Darling." It's lacking Desi's usual latin tunes, but it's still a wonderful, sweet song I think.

#3: His relationship with his kids.

Both Lucy and Desi wanted to have kids desperately, but it took a long time for it to happen to them. Lucy suffered five miscarriages. When they finally did have children, they were blessed with two: Little Lucie and Desi, Jr. (1951, 1953, respectively). When I was watching the home movies, Lucie and Desi, Jr. talked about what it was lying having two parents who were wonderful people, but didn't get to be around home as much, or, if they were around, were fighting. They also admitted that Lucy's mothering instincts didn't come as easy to her, probably because she had grown up a lot without her mother. (Lucy's mom, Dede, was a wonderful woman but since Lucy's dad died when she was four, Dede was gone a lot, holding down jobs and working. Dede was, however, there for Lucy a lot in the second half of her life). Desi, though, was a very fun father, they said. Desi, Jr. described him as the type of guy who was in awe with everything, and wonder at the beauty of nature - the type of guy who would point out the sunset and say, "God really outdid himself tonight." Despite what others say, Lucie and Desi, Jr. always talk very fondly of their dad, and I think that really says something about him. (Not to say Lucy wasn't a good mother. I'm sure she really, really was. And I could never say something bad about my dear like that!).

#2: His business smarts.

As the quote back up there really proves, Desi was the brain behind I Love Lucy. He really did sit up the sitcom as we know it today: the studio audience, the three camera technique, the rerun. Lucy might have been the star on the screen, but Desi really did put his all into being president of Desilu Studios. Lucy once told Carol Burnett that when she was "married to the Cuban" she "never had to worry about a thing" because Desi was "so damn smart about everything." And he really was, and out of everything, I think this is the ultimate thing he never got enough credit for. He seriously built up the format for how to film a sitcom. On an episode of I've Got a Secret on which Lucy and Desi were making an appearance, Lucy was reading a scripted intro for Desi, part of which described him as a "great producer." Lucy cut away from her script and daringly added, with a wink, "If you don't believe it, I have two little Arnazes at home to prove it!" ;) He truly was one of the best producers, though.

#1: His love for Lucy.

I've talked about this a billion times, and every time I do, I get caught up in the feelings that are all Desilu! Despite the drinking and the womanizing and the other issues, they still had an incredible love for one another. I think to be able to love each other as much as they did - even after the divorce - despite all the obstacles they faced is truly incredible. Desi's infidelities are often credited to the way he grew up; that love and sex are two different things and little things here and there don't matter. It was sad that it had to be this way, and it's what ultimately broke them apart, but above all their love was an incredible thing. He did love her a lot. As the quote says, I Love Lucy came out of Desi's love for Lucy. So even though things weren't always smooth sailing for these two, he wasn't kidding when he said, "I Love Lucy was never just a title." He loved her a lot.

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Well, that's it for today! I hope you had/have a lovely day and happy birthday to Desi :)

"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!

On My Birthday

Yes, dear readers, today happens to be yours truly's birthday. For the sake of the fact that there are creepy old stalkers out there, I'm not going to outright tell you what I turned today, but I assure you I'm still in my teens. :)

Since today is my birthday, I thought I'd share a personal story. It's the story about how I fell in love with classic movies. Every classic movie lover has a story about how they first became a Classic Hollywood fan. Most people don't wake up one morning and decide to be one. When someone's a fan of something current or modern it's usually something popular that they might have tried out for themselves and enjoyed. But most people don't say, "I want to try out classic films!" You stumble upon - it happens - you're hooked.

I've told you bits and pieces of this story before, but here is a full reflection. I mean, I've been meaning to do this for a while, and I guess a birthday's a pretty swell day to share something personal, right?

{You'll be surprised by how many details I remember.}

how i fell in love with classic films

As a little kid, my parents used to take me to the Blockbuster up the street. I’d wander excitedly down the aisles, carefully choosing out the DVD that I wanted. When I was little, I wanted to watch “The Powerpuff Girls” (much to my mother’s chagrin – she was never really a fan of Blossom, Buttercup, and Bubbles). As I got older, I rented out each season of “The Lizzie McGuire Show” (I know, it’s corny – but out of all those Disney Channel shows, I still say Lizzie is the best).

When I was about eight, my father excitedly found a copy of “The Sound of Music” for me. Every time he searched for the DVD, he found it had already been rented out – and made jokes that Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer were always renting it out to force upon their grandchildren. (To this, I gave him puzzled looks… Julie who? I was shocked later to find out it was the Grandmother from “The Princess Diaries.”)

Anyhow, that day he found it. I was thinking, “It looks boring,” but my eight year old self considered myself quite open minded so I okayed my dad renting it out, and went to find some Disney movie. We stopped by Giant, I picked up some sort of a granola bar, and returned home – yes, I always remember the granola bars. It’s what I went upstairs to get in the intermission.

We returned home, and my parents took me downstairs to the movie theater (yes, the movie theater – when you have movie buffs like my dad and me in the house, you kind of need one) and we settled in to watch. From the first scene, I was taken by how beautiful the mountains were. But I was still not sure if the film would be interesting.

And then, it captured my attention.

“It’s not boring.” It wasn’t. I laughed, I smiled, I tried to determine which Von Trap Child was my favorite. I thought Captain Von Trapp was mean – but we all know what a big marshmallow he turns out to be. I knew barely anything about the 1940’s or World War 2, but I loved it.

When the intermission came, I went upstairs to grab that granola bar and remarked to my father how much I loved it and how nice it was. We went back downstairs and finished the film, and I quickly decided it was my favorite movie.

Though after the film I had a really severe case of “Sound of Music-itis” (that’s the name I gave to the period of obsession one finds with the film after first experiencing how awesome it is – my friend watched it in the 5^th grade from my encouragement, and the same thing happened to her)…. I watched it all the time, over and over again, had it rented out for months (I think I was singing the song in my sleep), I didn’t become immediately hooked on classic movies. 

It took another year for the full breakthrough, even though I loved an “old movie” with all of my heart… and I never forgot the first day I watched the movie.

That came in the summer when I was nine. I was on a real “Disney Channel” high that summer, as a lot of nine years old could be. I think I idolized it. And then, towards the very end of the summer and as I entered fourth grade, it all changed.

One night I was bored and my father invited me to watch a movie, if I’d like to. So I went downstairs and we watched “Love Crazy” with William Powell and Myrna Loy. On occasion, my father had showed me black and white movies – and even a silent film – as a young child, so it didn’t bother me.

I laughed my head off. It wasn’t the best film, thinking back and watching it over, but it was screwball and I enjoyed it. I decided it was a new favorite film of mine. And when I went upstairs, my mother was watching “The Philadelphia Story” on TV. I obviously didn’t realize any of the actors, but I was getting a good dose of black and white movies in lots of parallels.

Then we rented out “Singin’ in the Rain” from my new Netflix queue – the queue was all my own, but my father added this in for me. It was September by then, and though I told myself I still liked my silly Disney Channel shows, I didn’t find myself watching it as often. “Singin’ in the Rain” was an instant hit – and a new favorite movie. I watched it over and over.

I asked my dad to add more old movies into my queue, because I liked them. Next came “Bringing Up Baby” and I was done for. Now my nine year old self talked nonstop of classic movies and I declared Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, the stars of yet another new favorite movie, my favorite actors. After that, I looked forward excitedly to each Friday night – not only because it marked the end of a grueling school week (lol) but because at eight, we’d start a new classic film. There was “Some Like It Hot,” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” – “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World” and “Sullivan’s Travels”… and, of course, “The Philadelphia Story” that Thanksgiving, which I excitedly looked forward to – now that Katharine Hepburn was my favorite actress, of course.

I let my love of these films be very open. At family dinners, I’d babble about how Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant were my favorites… and how each new classic movie I watched because my “favorite”.

In October of that year – I think it was Christopher Columbus Day – I had no school and stayed in bed all day reading Nancy Drews. Then I flipped through the TV channels and stumbled upon “I Love Lucy” – the show my mother enjoyed and the show I’d heard of so often, but had never stopped to watch. And it was an old show, and supposed to be great, so I watched.

The episode was “Return Home From Europe” – the one where Lucy pretends a cheese is a baby. I split my sides laughing and from then on, the rest, as they say, is history. Lucy quickly became my favorite actress, and  all I want to think or talk about was old movies and I Love Lucy. I ate, breathed, and slept classic film from then on.

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Well, that's how it happened. I'm grateful. Very. What would I do without the classics? ;)

Ok, I'm going to blow out some birthday candles -

And that's all for now!

xoxo

Sunday Movie Review: "Keeper of the Flame" (1942)

So, dear readers, I'm thinking of making a change to my blogging schedule. Since last August, which is pretty much most of my blogging life, I've made the Sunday Movie Review a weekly series. Then it was different because I had plenty of time to blog throughout the week. But now, thanks to school, I don't get as often to blog about other things that are non reviews. Believe it or not, when I started this blog, the intention wasn't really to do reviews at all. I did that on my Netflix account and I was pleased with that. But then certain situations provoked me to start the SMR.

Now I'm thinking of slightly altering the Sunday Movie Review. Instead of doing it weekly, I'd do it bi-weekly; basically skipping every other week. What do you think of this, guys? Then I'd get more opportunities to write other posts of different varieties, catch up more on my Here's Looking At You Kid game (I did the first edition back in September or October; I want to get a second one up soon) as well as my What's My Line Wednesdays.

Sometimes I'm really in the mood to review a film, and other times, not so much. That's why I think this bi-weekly format would be better. 

I would really really appreciate it if you could leave me your comments below because I really want reader input! I'm leaning towards this now, I think it'll be easier on me and there will be more "fun stuff" for you all to read, and hey, there's no harm in giving it a try, right? Let me know. 

As for now, however, I do have a review for you!

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The poster: I have to admit, I kinda like this modernized version better.

The plot:

While investigating the accidental death of revered war hero Robert Forrest, intrepid reporter Stevie O'Malley (Spencer Tracy) meets the man's wife (Katharine Hepburn) and learns a surprising truth about his subject's supposedly "patriotic" past. George Cukor directs this politically charged wartime thriller that marks Tracy and Hepburn's second onscreen partnership, just a year after their first pairing in the romantic comedy Woman of the Year. [from Netflix]

The starring players:

• Katharine Hepburn as Christine Forest
• Spencer Tracy as Stephen O'Malley

The verdict:

★★★

You might remember that for Christmas I got the wonderful Hepburn/Tracy Definitive Collection set, which contains all nine of their films and an additional tribute video to Spence by Kate. (It's a gorgeous collection, I really encourage you to get it.). There were two movies in this set that I hadn't seen, one was this and one was  The Sea of Grass (1947). The little pamphlet that came with the collection described this film as a politically driven drama, reminiscent of Citizen Kane. 

Well, that description made me a little nervous. I'll admit, I thought it would be a little boring, but I decided that I'd been watching it sooner or later, so why not?

Well... this film wasn't boring. A little talky at points, perhaps, but not really boring and it's entertaining enough to hold your attention, alas, it does waver at times. Honestly, I don't know what to make of this movie. It was all kind of peculiar, really, and then it became all together so predictable at once. Then, to top it off, it had a rather abrupt ending - quite a dramatic one - and it came to a close with a sharp message about anti-Fascist values.

This was the second Hepburn/Tracy pairing. As usual, I thought both Kate and Spence were very good; the things I didn't like about this movie wasn't them at all (I could never have anything against Kate and Spence, you know) - the plot was hard to follow, for one. It wasn't confuzzling yet somethings could use more of an explanation. One of the central characters is a Mr. Robert Forrest, a man we never meet, yet a very important character indeed. He is a "national hero" for unknown reasons, but appears to have been the greatest human being known to man, though we don't know WHY. This bugged me to no end.

The ending was so sudden and abrupt. Several things happened in just a few minutes, and this was strange for a movie that,  up until that point, had moved quietly slowly. By the end, you got the feeling that the Hepburn and Tracy characters were on the verge of becoming romantically involved, but a real romance never gets the opportunity to bloom. I think had there been a romance between their two characters, it would have made the film better, because honestly, who doesn't love seeing Tracy and Hepburn as a couple together?

The bottom line:

It's not one of the better Tracy/Hepburn films, but that's comparing it to movies like Adam's Rib (1949) and Woman of the Year (1942) - that being said, it's not a waste of time. Neither will it be one I'll be visiting over and over again. Over all, I'm neutral about this one!

Some photos:

Some trivia:

• Van Johnson was driving to a special screening of this film when he got into a car accident that left him with a metal plate in his forehead. He later starred alongside Kate and Spence in State of the Union (1951).
• Kate had to convince Louis B. Mayer into letting her make this film with Spence; he didn't think it would be a good follow up to Woman of the Year, which had been made earlier that year.

A movie tidbit:

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So long for now! :)

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."

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 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