Happy Birthday Olivia de Havilland!

One of the greatest of them all, Olivia turns 97 years old today!
In my opinion Olivia has only 2 to equal her abilities as an actress, Bette Davis and Barbara Stanwyck!

This is one of the most prized pieces of my collection...A vintage 1936 photo of Olivia signed and inscribed by her to director Mervyn LeRoy!

My picks for Essential Olivia:

"A Midsummer Night's Dream"

"Captain Blood"

"Anthony Adverse"

"Charge of the Light Brigade"

"It's Love I'm After"

"Gold is Where You Find It"

"The Adventures of Robin Hood"

"Dodge City"

"Gone with the Wind"

"The Strawberry Blonde"

"Hold Back the Dawn"

"They Died with Their Boots On"

"The Male Animal"

"To Each His Own"

"The Dark Mirror"

The Snake Pit"

"The Heiress"

"My Cousin Rachel"

An interesting thing about Olivia is that, to the best of my knowledge, she appeared in more technicolor films in the 1930's than anyone else! (five in all) Needless to say there are few cinematic sights more lovely than Olivia de Havilland in blazing technicolor!

The Fun Never Stops!!....

Some new vintage items that I have acquired recently...

Vintage still of Joe E Brown and Patricia Ellis from "Bright Lights"- 1935

Vintage 5" x 7" publicity photo of Patricia Ellis

Page from a vintage 1943 autograph album signed by Warner Bros workhorse character actor, Guy Kibbee.

For those that dont recognize the name you might recognize the face! Kibbee appeared in dozens of classics at WB including "42nd Street", "Footlight Parade", "Gold Diggers of 1933", "The World Changes" and so on and so on...he also appeared in films at other studios like "Mr Smith Goes to Washington", "Our Town" and "Three Godfathers"

I saved the best for last, this just came today...beautiful vintage double weight photo of Olivia DeHavilland signed AND inscribed by her to the great director Mervyn LeRoy! I'll need to find a very special frame to put this one in!

Happy Birthday Olivia deHavilland...

To me Olivia is right up there with the best actresses of all time! Versatile, believable and beautiful she always gave dimension to a role even if it wasnt in the script!

Some vintage items from my collection to honor Olivia's 94th!

A publicity still for "Charge of the Light Brigade"

Vintage Title Lobby Card for 1938's wacky "Hard to Get"

Postcard

Another postcard

A few misc ad tear sheets featuring Olivia

A George Hurrell portrait

Lobby Card for the film Olivia won her first Oscar for best Actress.

Title Lobby card for what is arguably her best ever performance and certainly had to be one of the most challenging.

Another lobby card for the "Snake Pit"

Susan Hayward... part IV

The Susan Hayward tribute continues...

Another scan of a promo postcard I have. In the mid 1950's Susie starting wearing her hair shorter but only because she wanted to. Always keenly aware of her strengths and protecting her interests (which would serve her well during her divorce!) , she had a clause in her contract stating her hair could not be cut against her wishes! Her 2nd film at Fox was actually done on a loanout to Sam Goldwyn and released through RKO. "My Foolish Heart" was a tailor-made vehicle for Susie and she nabbed her 2nd oscar nomination for her work in it. The film received great notices across the board and was the 3rd hit in a row for director Mark Robson, who directed the searing noir boxing film "Champion", starring Kirk Douglas, also in 1949. Robson is a director that doesnt get enough recognition these days but he did some truly excellent and wide-ranging work. Susie didnt get the oscar that year, the award going to Olivia deHavilland for her incredible performance in "The Heiress" instead.

A publicity still for one of Susie's best films of the early 1950's, Henry Hathaway's western thriller "Rawhide" with Tyrone Power. A taut, credible and well-acted film with gritty location photography by Milton Krasner. In 1952 Susie and John Wayne were declared "The Most Popular Stars in the World" by the Foreign Press Association. I recall AMC showing the newsreel footage of them receiving the "Henrietta" statue for this award. I probably have it on tape... somewhere!

One of my fave pics of Susie, a publicity shot for "I Can Get It For You Wholesale", a film I have yet to see, but by all accounts one of her best "ambitious-climbing-to-the-top-bitch roles" ever! On Aug 10th 1951 Susie was invited to put her hand prints in cement at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Shortly after that she had her biggest film to date, the biblical epic "David and Bathsheba". Directed by Henry King in searing technicolor, the film had everything going for it but is a major snoozer. The only reason I would steel myself to sit through this again would be to see Susie in color. But it was the biggest money-maker for Fox that year!

A promo postcard for "Snows of Kilaminjaro", which about half of Susie's scenes wound up on the cutting room floor. She ends up with a rather thankless role and the film totally belongs to Ava Gardner. But before she made that film she starred in "With a Song in My Heart", a bio-pic about singer Jane Froman. Susie once again gave a solid, gutsy performance (and even allowed her hair to be cut shorter to more resemble Froman!) which garnered her a 3rd Oscar nomination, this time losing out to Shirley Boothe for "Come Back Little Sheba". That was one of the few times she didnt actually attend the Oscar ceremonies because she, husband Jess Barker and the twins took off on a long awaited European vacation.

A shot from another excellent but often overlooked gem of a film, Nicholas Ray's "The Lusty Men". Susie's co stars were Robert Mitchum and the ever-reliable Arthur Kennedy. Ray's films are usually off-beat and interesting and this one is no exception. Susie gave a restrained, realistic performance and looked totally gorgeous to boot. In 1953 after 9 years of marriage Susan filed for divorce from Jess Barker. It was an ugly, bitter and long drawn out process because Barker simplty stated he did not want a divorce! She offered him a $100,000 settlement which he refused, demanding instead half of her community property which would have been worth about a quarter of a million, BUT back in 1944 she had him sign away any rights to her property when they got married! Quite an unprecedented thing at that time! Susan had made about $374,000 in 1951-52 while during the same period Barker had made $665! No wonder he didnt want a divorce!!

To be continued...

Movie Alphabet - part I

I saw this thing a while back on "Blog Cabins: Movie reviews" about "Name a fave film for each letter of the Alphabet" and so I thought that could be fun and then I thought I would take it a step further and post my list but with pics for each of the films listed scanned from stills, lobby cards, books or magazines in my collection. So I'll list 4 or 5 at a time until it's done, probably with other blog posts mixed in between so no one gets too bored. Some choices were no-brainer's other's were tough, anyway here goes . . .

A - "Angels with Dirty Faces"(1938)

My all-time fave Cagney film! This one had me enthralled as a 3 or 4 year old kid, sitting in front of the TV completely and utterly oblivious to any and all things going on around me, totally mesmerized by Cagney's "Rocky Sullivan"! Almost 40 years later and it still has the same effect on me! This was one of the "no-brainers" I mentioned!

Rocky in the Death House on his way to the Chair! Will he turn "Yellow"? This is one of those instances where every aspect of a film; direction, writing, casting, acting, cinematography, music, etc, meshed perfectly.

Cagney with frequent co-stars Ann Sheridan and Pat O'Brien. Cagney and O'Brien made several very enjoyable films together but this easily stands at the top of the list for me.

B - "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935)

"Yes, I want friend . . . like me!"

Karloff in between takes. Arguably the greatest monster movie ever made and certainly one of the most unique! And what a performace by Karloff! Btw, they used to use the same kind of board for Jean Harlow over at MGM because sometimes her dresses were so tight she could not sit down between takes while wearing them!

A great shot of Elsa Lanchester as the "Bride"! I would nominate her and husband Charles Laughton as possibly the most bizarre Hollywood couple ever!

"Do you like gin?... it is my only weakness!"

One of my fave lines, spoken in inimitable fashion by the utterly outrageous Ernest Thesinger as "Dr Pretorious", here in a neat pic with director James Whale.

C - "Captain Blood" (1935)

A great publicity shot of Flynn and Olivia. Neither were Warner Bros. first choices to appear in this film but afterwards there was no looking back for either of them. I rate this as one of the greatest action-adventure-romance films ever made. Pure escapist entertainment and great fun!

Even at this very early point in her film career Olivia gave honest, 3-dimensional characterizations. She continued to excel at that in the years that followed without resorting to scenery-chewing histrionics and became, in my opinion, one of the finest actresses that ever worked in Hollywood. And she sure was beautiful *sigh*!

D - "Diary of a Lost Girl" (1929)

Louise Brooks in what appears to be a wardrobe test pic. This is my fave of her films and also one of my fave silent films as well. Totally bizarre and filled with reprehensible examples of humanity (or more precisely, a lack of!) and through it all Brooksie mezmerises with her black helmet haircut, flawless face, imperious neck and unsettling mix of innocence and candor.

Louise Brooks, the Kansas farmgirl who wanted to be a dancer and became one, who never wanted to be in films but did anyway, who went to Germany and became an actress, who then became a has-been, then a streetwalker, then a recluse, then a writer and then finally, a legend!

Apparently Louise never considered herself an "actress" until she worked with director G.W. Pabst. He treated her with respect and guided her through 2 remarkable performances, first in "Pandoras Box" in 1928 and then this film. It didnt hurt that Pabst fell for her and according to Louise she gave "the greatest sexual performance of my life" during the one time she spent the night with him!

The scenes of Louise at the "Home for Wayward Girls" are utterly bizarre and totally unforgettable, the "orgasm scene" will change your life as you know it! Two books I highly recommend as essential reading for anyone interested in old Hollywood are "Lulu in Hollywood" by Louise Brooks and the bio of Louise written by Barry Paris. Both are fascinating reading!

Yup, More Flynn!

The last of my Errol Flynn tribute. All these Flynn pics were scanned from stills, original and repro, from my own collection.

Flynn with Ann Sheridan in Lewis Milestones riveting "Edge of Darkness". Certainly one of the most intense and serious films either one of those great stars ever appeared in.

Flynn Shaking down Ward Bond for some info about a murder in "Dodge City". On the left is Guinn "Big Boy" Williams and on the right is, of course, Alan Hale.

Another still from "Desperate Journey". Once again Alan Hale has a hilarious expression on his face!

A hilarious scene from "They Died with Their Boots On", the last film Flynn and Oliva appeared together in and the only one where their characters got married. Warner's take on the story of General Custer is practically worthless as history but is a damn entertaining film! Sidney Greenstreet's appearance in the film is worth his weight in gold (and that's a LOT!)

Flynn once again with Ann Sheridan in the western "Silver River".

Flynn with S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall and Alexis Smith in "Montana", a film i have yet to see!

More Flynn . . .

A few more stills from the films of the dashing, devil-may-care Mr Flynn!

A great shot from "Captain Blood"!

Olivia . . .*sigh*

Olivia deHavilland with Flynn on her left and Warner's saphead go-to-guy Patrick Knowles on her right in a publicity still for "Charge of the Light Brigade". This was one of 3 films where Olivia ends up with Patrick Knowles at the end of the film, bleh!! Flynn gives a first-rate performance in this film and the final battle scene is incredible!

Flynn at his best in "The Adventures of Robin Hood", undoubtedly the role he is most associated with. Hands down this should have won the Best Picture Oscar in 1938! Interesting to note that co-Star Olivia deHavilland appeared in four technicolor films during 1938-39. This one, two other Flynn films and the fourth of course being "Gone with the Wind". I wonder if any other actress had appeared in that many color films during the 1930's?

There's Flynn with that Saphead again!

Flynn with another Warner's lovely, Brenda Marshall, in the "Sea Hawk". I dont rate this quite as high as "Captain Blood" but it's still a fine film with great production values, a terrific cast, excellent battle scenes, a rousing score and of course, Alan Hale!

In Like Flynn!!!

A few stills of one of my all-time fave actors, Errol Flynn! I dont think anyone would argue that Flynn was incredibly handsome, had great charisma and an undeniable screen presence but i also feel his acting chops are quite unjustly overlooked. No doubt he had a limited range but put him in a role suitable to that range and it will be impossible to think of anyone else in that role ever again! In addition to his unforgettable turns in films like "Captain Blood", "The Adventures of Robin Hood" and "Gentleman Jim" he gave credible and effective dramatic performances in "The Dawn Patrol", "Objective Burma" and "Edge of Darkness".

Flynn with my favorite actress Olivia deHavilland *sigh* in the film that made stars of them both, "Captain Blood". For my money one of the greatest action-adventure-romance films of all time. A tremendously entertaining picture!

An intense scene from "Captain Blood" with Flynn and up and coming Warner Bros. actor Ross Alexander, who tragically died by by his own hand just 2 years after this film was released.

Flynn with Frank McHugh and Alan Hale right behind him in a scene from my fave of all of his westerns "Dodge City".

Flynn, Alan Hale (look at the expression on his face!), Arthur Kennedy, Rondald Reagan and Ronald Sinclair in a scene from the silly and fun over-the-top war time film "Desperate Journey"

Flynn in the center with a 2nd rate actor who became a 3rd rate president, Ronald Reagan, on the left and a 1st rate actor who remained a 1st rate actor throughout his entire career, Arthur Kennedy, on the right, in another scene from "Desperate Journey"

Flynn sporting some fancy duds in "San Antonio". More Flynn stills to come!