Classic and James Bond films unite
Although Our Dancing Daughters (1928) is the film that is often cited as Joan's star making role, she herself said that it was her starring in The Unknown that really taught her to act. According to IMDB , Joan Crawford always considered The Unknown (1927) a big turning point for her. She said it wasn't until working with Lon… Continue reading The Perfect Joan Double Bill: The Unknown (1927) and Berserk! (1967)
In a career that spanned almost fifty years, Joan starred in almost every type of Woman's Picture, and played almost every kind of part in the genre, as well as starring in almost every other kind of genre, and playing almost every type of role in those genres, too. But Joan's later films are often… Continue reading What A Dame: Joan’s Four Essential Later Performances
Erica and I are utterly thrilled that Gwenda Young, the author of Clarence Brown: Hollywood’s Forgotten Master, has written a post for our Blogathon. Please direct all of your comments for this post to Gwenda by twitter or email at, @y_gwenda and gwendayoung@gmail.com. So without further ado, here is Gwenda's incredible post about Joan and Clarence Brown: “Let’s… Continue reading Joan and Clarence: A Match Made in Nitrate
The day that Erica and I have been waiting for for months has finally arrived, the day on which we get to honour our favourite goddess of Nitrate, Miss Joan Crawford! We cannot wait to read your contributions! Erica and I will be hosting all three days jointly, so you can comment on either of our arrival… Continue reading Bow to the Queen: The Queen of the Silver Screen Blogathon has arrived!t
As many of you know, Alan Ladd means a lot to me. He's my favourite classic male film star, and I have spent many happy hours trying to watch as many films of his as possible. I've also started a blog series dedicated to him and have written a number of articles that feature his… Continue reading Announcing The Man Who Would Be Shane: The Alan Ladd Blogathon
Although choosing an Audrey Hepburn film is like choosing a favourite child, How To Steal A Million is right up there. It's the perfect vehicle for Audrey. While she's wonderful in everything, this film shows how brilliant her comedic timing was and also how sophisticated her image became in the late 1960s. With Breakfast… Continue reading Close Quarters: Audrey Hepburn in “How To Steal A Million” (1966)
Audrey Hepburn had never set out to be Audrey Hepburn. The girl with the perfect smile, the mellifluous voice that spellbound millions. She had never wanted to be an actress. She had wanted to be a ballerina. Her love for ballet was one that was all consuming, she became a courier during WWII for the Dutch Resistance… Continue reading The Girl with the Ethereal Air: The Early Career of Audrey Hepburn
I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't know who Michael Caine was. He just seems to have always been an actor who is very much liked in my household. My mother has always adored him. She introduced so many of his films to me, such as Zulu, which we both love because it's… Continue reading Introducing Harry Palmer: Michael Caine in “The Ipcress File” (1965)
The film starts with a visual representation of Edward "Teddy" Bare's (played by Dirk Bogarde) mind. A stark, dark, confusing labyrinth, with the face of a screaming woman. The things in the labyrinth: a stuffed ape, a clown, would be mundane in the sunlight, in the sane world, but in this place they are representations… Continue reading The Chamber: Dirk Bogarde in “Cast a Dark Shadow” (1955)
William Holden was born to play David Larrabee, with his perfectly combed golden hair and that little smile that always bordered on a smirk. He has that whole likeable cad thing, like George Sanders, Basil Rathbone and Richard Widmark down to a tee. He looks louche and sunkissed (even though the film's in black and… Continue reading The Privileged Playboy: William Holden in ‘Sabrina’ (1954)
Pale Writer 