So I decided I would clean up my answers to Amanda's lovely survey, and add some pretty pics that were missing before. And this version is way better. :)
1. What is your all time favorite Clark Gable movie?
It Happened One Night. Perfect. Always.
2. Do you like Joan Crawford best as a comedienne or a drama-queen?
I’m not a fan of hers; but I think she worked better as a drama queen.
3. In your opinion, should Ginger Rogers have made more musicals post-Fred Astaire?
Maybe…
4.I promise not to cause you bodily (or any other serious) harm if you don't agree with me on this one. So please be honest: do you like Elizabeth Taylor? Hm?
She doesn’t bother me. I guess I do like her.
5. Who is your favorite off screen Hollywood couple?
Bogie & Bacall have a special place in my heart. :)
6. How about onscreen Hollywood couple?
Hard…probably Cary Grant & Deborah Kerr.
7. Favorite Jean Arthur movie?
You Can’t Take it With You.
8. What was the first Gregory Peck movie you saw?
Roman Holiday! My number one favorite!
9. What film made you fall in love with Alfred Hitchcock? (And for those of you that say, "I don't like Hitchcock" -- what is wrong with you?!)
Rear Window...and here is Lisa Carol Fremont, in all her glory.
10. What is your favorite book-to-movie adaption?
Laura...12 Angry Men...The Maltese Falcon...The Third Man.
11. Do you prefer Shirley Temple as a little girl or as a teenager?
I know her best as an adorable little girl. :) (Though really, I prefer the drink).
12. Favorite character actor?
Peter Lorre & Sidney Greenstreet...oh, hey Mary Astor.
13. Favorite Barbara Stanywck role?
Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity.
14. Who is your favorite of Cary Grant's leading ladies?
Probably Grace Kelly.
15. Bette Davis or Joan Crawford?
Bette all the way! She's one of the few mean people I actually admire and adore a lot. :)
16. What actors and/or actresses do you think are underrated?
Ava Gardner...she could never be underrated or overrated as a beauty, but as an actress, she isn't given much credit. (Which boggles my mind).
George Sanders...like Quentin Tarentino said, is there anyone like him anymore? Who else in Hollywood can tell you they're going to kill you, and still remain eloquent and charming?
17. What actors and/or actresses do you think are overrated?
Sometimes…Marilyn Monroe. I do adore her, and she really was extraordinary, but her hype tends to overshadow her talent and other greats.
18. Do you watch movies made pre-1980 exclusively, or do you spice up your viewing-fare with newer films?
I like to spice things up. This year I've seen Transformers 2 (really nothing noteworthy), Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince (:D), The Hangover (vulgar, crude, hilarious), Julie & Julia (wonderful), and The Informant!
19. Is there an actor or actress you saw in a film and immediately loved? If so, who?
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Um, I kinda fell in love with him after seeing this photo.
Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday
Linda Darnell in Blood and Sand
Ingrid Bergman in Anastasia.
Gregory Peck in Gentleman's Agreement
Fell in love with Ingrid & Gregory in Spellbound :)
George Sanders in Rebecca
Joseph Cotten in The Third Man
20. Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire:
I adore them both! Grr, don't ask me to choose! (EVER).
21. Favorite Ginger Rogers Drama:
Stage Door. (Beautiful dress worn by Kate; adorable pajamas modeled by Ginger) =]
22. If you wrote a screenplay, who would be in your dream cast and what roles would they play? (Mixing actors and actresses from different generations is allowed: any person from any point in their career.)
A movie starring Ray Milland & Carole Lombard as two clumsy spies during the "Red Scare" of the 1920s.
23. Favorite actress:
Audrey Hepburn
24. Favorite actor:
Gregory Peck...looks just as good in a beard as he does w/o one.
25. And now, the last question. What is your favorite movie from each of these genres:
Drama:
The Best Years of Our Lives
Romance:
Indiscreet
Musical:
Guys and Dolls
Comedy:
Arsenic and Old Lace
Western:
High Noon
Hitchcock (he has a genre all to himself):
Dial M for Murder
Ok, so I got inspired by Sarah from Cinema Splendor to write my own post about "overrated stars."
People know I love Audrey Hepburn. They associate her with me. Young girls my age love to gush and say: "I loveeeeeeeee her too!" These girls are usually the ones who have never heard of Irene Dunne or say, Carole Lombard. (I'm kind of in a Carole Lombard mood)! In fact, the fellow Audrey lovers I meet aren't fans of classic film in general. Unlike me and many of us, they didn't discover the world of old movies though Audrey; they've probably never even seen an Audrey film. They've only seen photos or ads. But they don't "know" Audrey. They just know her clothes.
Although,
Roman Holiday wasn't the first classic film I saw. It was just the first Audrey I had seen, in which I declared it my new favrorite movie, and wanted to see more of the lovely actress. I think the first movie I saw and really loved was
Bringing Up Baby. Cary Grant has been as much apart of my old movie life as Audrey is. (Most of the first films I watched starred Cary).
I once made a comment about Karl Malden passing away (one of my favorite actors by the way), and a boy I know reminded me that it was Olivia de Havilland's birthday. Um, a teenage boy who knows Olivia? That is not something you see or hear everyday. He even said: "She turned 93 today." Huh. And I thought I was alone in knowing the birthdays of classic film stars.
But what irks me the most is the fact that people don't know about the "big" stars. I've been in love with the 40s since I was about 10. No I didn't watch any of the movies or listen to the music, but I knew Bogart. People I worked with asked me who Audrey was, or looked at me weird when I said Ingrid Bergman was my second favorite actress. I remember one of the boys in my class remarked to me that Humphrey Bogart was a god among men. I disagreed; don't get me wrong, I love Bogie, but come on! What a cliche thing to say. (Not the comment itself, but the person the comment was about). Everyone knows Bogie, and if they don't, well, that's super annoying, as I have already stated.
That's what gets me; people know Marilyn Monroe, but that's it. There were others too, you know! Gene Tierney was STUNNING; does anyone ever mention her? No. And it's usually because if you mention her, they say: "Who was that?" And when I actually did introduce someone to Gene, they told me: "You're really on top of your black and white game." Thanks; too bad in the world of classic film lovers, Gene is anything but obscure!
I love knowing about the more obscure actors and actresses, because I love making arcane references. It gives me a chance to root for the underdogs! So I make a promise right now: to continue to search for the movies of the lesser knowns, just so I can hold a conversation about someone other than Audgers, or Marilyn, or Bogie. Maybe even talk about my lesser known faves, like Ingrid, Carole, or Gregory. George Sanders, even. I can't say he was a god among men, because um, I'm Catholic after all, but he certainly held a candle to Bogart!
So the next time someone comes across the picture of Linda Darnell on my phone, and says: "Who is she?" I can gush and gush and gush.
PS...Me: "Hey, Sandra, you know Katharine Hepburn, right?"
Sandra: "Who? Was she related to Audrey Hepburn?"
Sigh; you see what I mean?????
Carole Lombard aka The Profane Angel
10/6/1908-1/16/1942
101 years and she continues to steal hearts! Happy Carole Lombard Day!
"Don't tell me you forgot my birthday..."
With Robert Montgomery in a scene from
Mr. and Mrs. Smith"Better than cake!"
With "Pa" aka Clark Gable, enjoying some watermelon. =D
As Lily Garland in
Twentieth Century.
1. Favorite Carole Film
To Be or Not To Be (1942)
Dark humor, serious subject matter, and the profane angel at her best. This being her last film, it holds a special place in my heart, as I'm sure it does for many people. I cried a little when it was over; it had been very entertaining, and yet it was her last.
2. Carole's career was cut tragically short in 1942. Though she worked with many amazing and talented actors, who would you have liked to see her with?
Humphrey Bogart. What a clash; she the screwball queen and he the cynical tough guy. What film might they have made together? Film noir, where she plays the dangerous femme fatale? Or a comedy, where her zany antics drive him crazy and make him fall in love?
The possibilities are endless...:)
3. Ok, so who was your favorite out of Carole's leading men?
No, not Clark Gable, though goodness knows I love him too. John Barrymore; they had such powerful chemistry in Twentieth Century. Truly my second favorite performance of hers, and they just hit it off so well together.
4. Do you think Carole's relevant today? if so, why?
Yes; her attitude, humor, and style were "modern" back in the day when she ruled Hollywood, so of course, she's very relevant.
5. Do you agree with contemporary views that someone like Cameron Diaz is the new Carole Lombard?
Maybe; she's zany and blonde. But she doesn't inspire the same kind of adoration that Carole did and still does.
6. On a scale of 1-10, how cool was Carole?
This picture says it all: 20.
Hey guys: if you have any suggestions as to what questions should be posted for the Birthday Tag, leave them in the comment box. (Yay, I have a suggestion box)! And if anyone is a member of Golden Age of Hollywood, you've seen that I'm spreading Lombard Day mania over there too! And if you're my friend on facebook (Kate & Nicole), I've done the same over there. Anyway, enjoy the photos.
Currently the background on my computer. She looks so sweet here. "Thanks for the flowers on my birthday." :)
So in honor of the Profane Angel's 101st birthday, I decided I'd post some pic spam in the near future, and dedicate a nice birthday post just for her. It's actually going to be something new; a birthday tag survey, in which all devoted Lombard fans answer and post the survey on their blogs. It'll have questions like: Favorite Lombard movie, co-star, etc. Looking forward to that lovely day, October 6th! It's Carole Lombard day all day long!
Because she really was this annoying...beautiful and photogenic. Enjoy this crap load of photos!
The road to success is paved with the amount of effort you're willing to put it into it. Take it from that gem Audrey Hepburn, who once said:
"I worked my ass off."And well, look where it got her! So I remind myself, and all other college kids, that while distractions may be welcome, they're NEVER helpful. Here's hoping I stop fooling around, and indeed, work off my ass.
(She really could do anything; how many people do you know could pull off looking this good in a candid shot)?
When it comes to plastic surgery, take Sophia Loren's approach: "If you change your nose, you change your face." And really, who would want to change this face???
But even if you don't look like Miss Loren, take pride in the fact that you've got eyes to see, a nose to smell, lips to speak, and ears to hear. Embrace your face! If people want you to change it, they're not worthy to know the person beneath it.
I didn't think I would blog about last night's incident at the VMA's, but I couldn't help it. All in all, it was rather entertaining; Russell Brand is a little too forthright for my tastes, but I will admit, I am an old fashioned girl. (I was pleased with his Harry Potter reference however. ;-) And what about that New Moon trailer? Never read the Twilight series, don't plan to, but I think I might see it! Ok, enough delusional ramblings about wizards and vampires...seriously, you'd think I'd get a grip on my fantasy related escapisms, sheesh...)
ANYWAY, back to the topic that every one is talking about: Kanye West. First of all, how tasteless can you get? I mean, sure, I shouldn't care. I'm not Taylor Swift. But she seems like she's such a sweet girl, and that was after all her moment. I'm pretty sure Beyonce felt like crying in the bathroom because she didn't win. (Ahem, that's sarcasm for you). Is he just a shameless attention seeker? Does the fact that Taylor won a video music award (NOT the Nobel Prize mind you), mean that the genocide in Darfur won't end? Was cancer going to be cured if Beyonce got that particular moon man? It was just a classless, completely rude thing to do. All she had to do was thank the directors, yadda yadda, since she's living out her dream and all that. Should that moment have been taken away? I mean, it wasn't as if she was going to pull a Miley Cyrus if she won.
Miley at the Teen Choice Awards: "Who am I forgetting to thank? Oh, right, GOD, helloooo!"
Joel McHale of the Soup program: "I have to say helloooo because He's not following me on Twitter!"
Personally, not to be rude or even blasphemous, I'm pretty sure God doesn't care about the VMAs. He probably would have told Kanye, as Russell Brand did, it was a night of love. Love in memory of Michael Jackson, whose spectacular tribute was overshadowed because of Kanye's stupid little stunt. We should all love one another; it's something I try to remind everyone of, like say, when they use a deragatory term. I point to Jesus; but if MJ is able to unite people in the same way, then by all means, love one another at award shows you celebrities!
Final Note: I just bought TCM's Leading Ladies book and all I can say or mime is =OOOOOO. What a terrific treat! There was so much intelligence, fire, and beauty behind all that sex appeal and outer beauty. Molly Haskell is definitely right when she says that girls of today look up to those golden era actresses. I'm one of them!
