Classic and James Bond films unite
Written and directed by actress Bonnie Hunt, Return To Me is a film that my mother adores for two reasons. Firstly because it stars David Duchovny and he is one of her favourite actors. She has watched everything he's starred in from The Red Shoe Diaries to The X-Files (of course) and Californication. Secondly, and most importantly, she loves the film because it… Continue reading How To Mend A Broken Heart: David Duchovny in Return to Me
I'm very pleased to say that I am going to be taking part in The Jean Harlow Blogathon hosted by Musings of a Classic Film Addict and The Wonderful World of Cinema. So please watch this space!
Joan Crawford is one of the most famous and identifiable faces of the classic film era. It's difficult to gauge the extent of her impact on popular culture because it has been so wide and varied. Along with her supposed rival Bette Davis, and her friend Barbara Stanwyck, she has become synonymous with strong, often… Continue reading Announcing the Joan Crawford: Queen of the Silver Screen Blogathon
"I have the face of an ageing choirboy and the build of an undernourished featherweight. If you can figure out my success on the screen you're a better man than I." --Alan Ladd And that was the thing about Alan, despite being a leading man, a sex symbol and star of big money making films,… Continue reading A New Adventure
It is my absolute pleasure and honour to announce that I am now a member of The Classic Movie Blog Association. I am so thrilled and delighted that my fellow members of the Association voted for me, and that I am now a part of this wonderful community of talented and imaginative classic film bloggers!
This Could Be the Night (1957) is probably one of the lesser known films of both Jean Simmons and Anthony Franciosa's varied careers. While it was Anthony's film debut after his incredibly successful Broadway career, Jean already had an established film career having been nominated for an Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA. Jean would also be… Continue reading The Education of Miss Anne Leeds: Jean Simmons in This Could Be the Night
Based on the hugely successful broadway play of the same name, which was in turn adapted from two short stories by Damon Runyon, Guys and Dolls stars Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Vivian Blaine and of course, Jean Simmons. Jean was not the first choice for the part of Sister Sarah Brown, the conscientious, conservative and headstrong leader… Continue reading The Eyes of A Woman in Love: Jean Simmons in Guys and Dolls
Firelight (1997) is a little known gem about how women in the early nineteenth century were often not only robbed of their personality, individual desire and ambition, but also the right to raise their own children, because men had complete control over their destinies. The film brings to mind such feminine bildungsroman as Jane Eyre and Pride and… Continue reading Strange Shapes in the Firelight
Christmas in Connecticut is a lighthearted, lovely holiday film. But upon closer inspection, it has a far more serious cultural resonance. And before you roll your eyes and grumble at the fact that I'm making a serious, real life connection to a romantic comedy, please hear me out. While the film is full of laughs and… Continue reading Christmas in the Countryside: Barbara Stanwyck in Christmas in Connecticut
Colleen McCullough dreamed of being a medical doctor, but due to her allergy to the surgical soap used, she was told to find another career path. Colleen then became a successful neuroscientist, and taught and researched at Yale Medical School for a decade. During this time she was not only highly successful in her chosen… Continue reading The Frailty of the Flesh: Barbara Stanwyck in The Thorn Birds
Pale Writer 