Classic and James Bond films unite
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
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)
I came across Love Story by chance when I purchased the ITV boxset of Margaret Lockwood's films. I bought it because I wanted to see The Wicked Lady, as I had been very unimpressed by the Michael Winner remake, but had been told the original was wonderful. And then, also quite by coincidence, I listened to a bonus episode… Continue reading Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May: Stewart Granger in ‘Love Story’ (1944)
I can't remember how I first discovered Now Voyager. It just seems to have come into my life and never left. There are movies like that. They become lifelong treasures, friends that you can visit whether you're feeling triumphant or lonely. Now Voyager has been like that for me. Whether I'm on the top of the world like Charlotte… Continue reading The Pain of metamorphosis: Bette Davis in ‘Now Voyager’
Watching a film where Bette Davis plays the female lead is really something. From Now Voyager to Jezebel, Bette never put a foot wrong. But seeing her play both female leads. Well that's really something. And she did it twice, almost twenty years apart, in A Stolen Life and Dead Ringer, in which she played identical twin sisters. And while both of these… Continue reading Walking through the looking glass: Bette Davis in ‘A Stolen Life’ and ‘Dead Ringer’
Doris Day is an actress who I've always known about but only recently really become aware of. I seem to be saying that a lot lately. Remember John Barrymore? It's rather strange really, because Doris was not only admired by my gran, but also has the distinction of being the biggest box office draw in… Continue reading Calamity Doris
Sharpe, which ran from 1993 to 1997 with fourteen episodes and then had two specials in 2006 and 2008, is one of my absolute favourite British television series. It's right up there with Agatha Christie's Poirot and Morse for me as an example of a series that is not only quintessentially British, but quintessential quality. This is largely to do… Continue reading Viva la Sharpe: Sharpe’s Revenge
Laird Cregar has been on the periphery for me for a good while, but for some reason, I just never actively sought out his films. This was despite my admiration for his portrayal of the sleazy, cowardly, mint popping secondary villain in This Gun For Hire, which was his second film with my absolute favourite actor, Alan… Continue reading The Loveliness of Laird: Discovering the Films of Laird Cregar
I am pleased to say that I will be participating in The Rosalind Russell Blogathon hosted by In The Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood, so please watch this space!
Daphne du Maurier is considered one of the greatest writers in history. Her influence as an author is so widespread that people are aware of elements of her work without actually always being familiar with it. She was characterised as a romance novelist in her lifetime, a title she disliked intensely, and with good reason.… Continue reading Announcing The Calls of Cornwall: The Daphne du Maurier Blogathon
Pale Writer 