Man Crush Monday (Retro Style) - #7

Before Mr. Poitier and Mr. Belafonte--this man broadened the scope of what a black actor could be in early Hollywood. Today's "man crush" is James Edwards.

Source

Source

Mr. Edwards is probably best remembered for his work in Home of the Brave (1949), The Joe Louis Story (1953), The Killing (1956), The Manchurian Candidate (1962), and various television roles throughout the 1960s.

I went to see "The Wizard"!

I finally got a chance to see my favorite movie, The Wizard of Oz on the big screen! If you've never seen it on the big screen, you've still got time!

The movie celebrated its 75th anniversary last year and was shown in IMAX theaters to celebrate. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend and was extremely sad about it, but as you can see, the sadness is over! I should also add that this was also a birthday gift to me (my big sis paid and watched it with me).

 

From Wikipedia

I'm a great lover of film--classic film in particular, as you can probably tell by this blog. I minored in Film/Video Studies in college, so not only is The Wizard of Oz "just" a favorite movie of mine, but it's sort of a "dream film" for me, as well. Whether I'm watching it on a big screen or a TV screen, it's an event, period. Whenever I sit down to watch it, I'm not sitting down to "watch a movie", I'm sitting down to experience something--to be taken away. I'm also scanning the screen for things I didn't see in the last viewing--opening my ears for sounds I never noticed before. I'm always in awe when I finish watching this 1939 movie--and creating at least one film with as big an impact as The Wizard of Oz is a huge dream of mine (why I call it a "dream film"). 

 

From Wikipedia

I'm so, so happy I got to see this movie in the theater. I couldn't contain myself. Even as I write this, I can't contain myself. While watching the movie, I had to keep crossing my arms and legs to hide my excitement during the epic tornado scene. I even had to stop myself from leaning over to my sister to whisper fun facts and trivia to her (I only stopped because she claims that I can't whisper). Man, I'm such a geek about this movie that even the intro and outro music (*doom--DUM DUM DUM DUM DUM DUMMMM (roar! roar! roar!) DUM DUM DUM DUM DUM DUMMMM*) sends me into fit of muffled giggles of excitement.

*sigh*

I'm getting *this* close to popping in the DVD right now (at 11PM EST), so...it's about that time for me to wrap this up. I hope this post didn't make me seem too nerdy--or pretentious, either!

Either way, thank you for taking the time to read my gushing--and I hope you go see The Wizard of Oz on the big screen on January 14th or on any other date in the future!

  

"Chick" shoes :)

First of all, a big thank you to my mom who is buying the majority of my needs and plenty of my wants right now.

One of her more recent purchases are these pair of shoes:

(Sorry about the low quality, terrible lighting, terrible angle--and I think the watermark site I used diminished the quality, as well)

My mom and I were both having a hard time trying to figure out what kind of shoes we wanted. I'd gone from picking up a pair of simple black flats to some cute oxford shoes, and finally, to these little babies (that actually caught my eye when we first walked into the store). I now call them my "Chick" shoes.

Nina Mae McKinney as "Chick" (Hallelujah 1929)

I've always wanted a pair of shoes like Chick, and I think my (mom's) purchase is as close as one could get in 2014 (outside of custom-made shoes, of course).

What do you think? :)

I watched "Come Back, Little Sheba"...

(Written on July 25, 2014)

For years, I never thought to look up the summary for Come Back, Little Sheba (1952 movie). For years I assumed it was a movie about some lost kid's dog. Sometimes, I confused it with Shane ("Come back, Shane!"). Basically, I was not interested in this movie. Then, this week, I checked the current assignments for an online class I'm enrolled in, and guess what one of the assignments were? "View Come Back, Little Sheba."

This was me:

But of course, I didn't want to fail this class, so I watched the movie. 

The movie was excellent.

From Wikipedia

I love a good "angst" story (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? being among my favorites). As always, whenever I watch a good classic film, I'm always inspired to write, so once I get a few household things done, I will be hopping back on this script I've been working on for months. I've also added this movie to my "Must Have DVDs for a DVD Collection to rival all DVD Collections" list.

Have you ever avoided a movie only to be pleasantly surprised by how good it was?

Aige's Faves in Old Hollywood Costumes

Who doesn't love nice clothes?

One of my many goals is to be able to have enough money to wear nothing but clothes from ModCloth and Etsy for the rest of my days. In the meantime, I can only admire other people's clothing--particularly the movie costumes of some of Old Hollywood's Leading Ladies.

In no particular order, here are ten of my favorite Old Hollywood costumes (worn by women)......

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Of course, I have to mention my "fave", Ms. Dottie D!

Most would associate the black top/red skirt ensemble with Carmen Jones and Dorothy Dandridge herself. That outfit--the colors in particular--are definitely a Carmen thing, but unfortunately, the TRUE stunner of the 1954 film is often overlooked--the dress pictured below:

This dress was definitely ahead of its time with its attached hooded scarf, the sequined (but somehow, not tacky) bird-looking thing on the shoulder, the low and diagonally cut neckline to the left (her left) and the peek-a-boo cut out on the right.

Here is a better look at the top part of the dress:

From Confessions of a Serial Dater in LA

I loved this dress so much that I wanted it to be my prom dress. I don't think I was even in high school yet when I made that decision. 

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From All Good Things

We owned Imitation of Life on VHS for many years before I actually watched it for what I believe was the first time--I was about six or seven and I cried myself to sleep because of its ending. I didn't watch it again until I was about 10-12 years old, and look...when I saw Lana Turner in the dress pictured above, the air "whooshed" from my lungs, but how she wore it in the photos below is what killed me:

Look! The freaking sash/train is over her shoulder!

Lana Turner w/Juanita Moore & Susan Kohner (from Sound on Sight)

From House of Retro

If you haven't seen Imitation of Life (1959), please check it out, if not for the movie itself, at least for this dress.

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From 5x5 Clothing

The "love goddess" Ms. Rita Hayworth wore many stunning outfits. Gilda alone is like a great fashion show--and when we think Gilda, we think the long black gown she wore while singing "Put the Blame on Mame", but like Dorothy's pink dress, the little number above is criminally unsung. I mean, for one, Rita's body: Amazing; her hair: Killin' it; the pose: Slayin'. This outfit isn't making Rita--Rita is making this outfit!

 Plus, I've seen probably a handful of other outfits--especially from this era of Hollywood--that look anything like this.

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From Wikipedia

I bring you legs, breasts, thighs, and sweet potato pies from the legendary silent star, Theda Bara. "The Vamp" wore many "risqué" costumes in her movies, but the most controversial is arguably the one she wore in 1917's Cleopatra, pictured above. I haven't even seen the movie and I am positively, absolutely, undeniably, and reliably here for this dress.

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From Warner Archive

The curly hair, the hat with the dangling grapes, those SHOES, and of course, the drop waist dress with the fringe at the skirt. At just sixteen years old, Nina Mae McKinney donned the look of a quintessential flapper when she played "Chick" in Hallelujah! (1929).

Her dress has DICE on it. Iconic.

From Hollywood Past (great site, btw)

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Katharine Hepburn was/is popular for many things--her preference for wearing pants (and those ugly sandals with socks, might I add) is one of those things. Now, I love Ms. Hepburn's pants suits and slacks, but if I had to choose my "Favorite Katharine Hepburn" outfit, it would have to be a dress--the one below:

From National Portrait Gallery

All eyes were on "Kate the Great" when she wore this gorgeous gown in The Philadelphia Story. It's so simple, yet so elegant. "Understated elegance" I guess you could say. Dexter (played by Cary Grant) maliciously referred to Tracy (Katharine's character) as a "goddess" (basically called her arrogant) in one scene of this movie. If I were Tracy and I knew I owned this dress, I would have said "Thank you" and sashayed away.

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Lauren Bacall--a woman who never goes wrong when it comes to fashion. I happen to be a big fan of french berets, so it was only right that I add one of her outfits from The Big Sleep to the list:

With real-life hubby, Humphrey Bogart (From GlamAmor)

Another costume that's so simple, yet so stylish. Give me a cigarette in a cigarette holder and I'd step into any and all business meetings in this outfit. French beret and all. I'm also a fan of checkered patterns and houndstooth.

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The top reminds me of Wonder Bread packaging, but that's not a bad thing at all. In the role of "Georgia Brown", Lena Horne wore this sexy outfit in 1943's Cabin in the Sky. What I really love about this costume is that like Rita Hayworth's Gilda outfit, I can't recall seeing too many other costumes like it--specifically cropped tops.

Just thought I'd throw in one more photo featuring the Wonder Bread top and Ms. Horne's jealousy-inducing stomach area. This is actually one of my favorite photos of Lena Horne in general.

*Both of the images above were obtained from Classic Movie Stills*

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Like most, I'm usually here for anything Audrey Hepburn wore, but the black jumpsuit above is just sooo me (flats included). 

The outfit is pretty nice from the front too, but man--when Audrey (as the title character in Sabrina) turned her back to the camera, I can't remember exactly what I said or did, but there's a chance that a series of "Oh my Gods" may have slipped from my lips. 

*Both of the images above were obtained from Fanpop*

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In the movie, the dress looks pink. Outside of the movie (in screen test photos and candid ones), the dress looks red. Whatever color it is or was, I present Marilyn Monroe slaying us all in 1953's Niagara:

From GlamAmor

THIS is the kind of dress you'd wear to seduce someone while pretending to be a sweetheart with good intentions *dorky wink*.

Also from GlamAmor

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I hope you enjoyed scrolling through my list! 

Do we share any comment favorites? Do you have a favorite that didn't make a list? 

Leave a comment below!


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This images above were used for informational purposes only. If the rightful owner(s) of any of these photos wishes to have them removed, please contact me, and I will do immediately.

--Adrienne (aka "Aige")

Quick Thoughts on Nina Mae McKinney

These "quick thoughts" on Nina Mae McKinney have been on my mind for a few weeks now. In case you don't know, I'm a big fan of Nina Mae McKinney fan--the actress best known for her work as "Chick" in 1929's Hallelujah!--a role that would make her Hollywood's first Black Leading Lady. 

From Afrobella

Just as soon as Ms. McKinney's star rose in Hollywood, it quickly began to fall--a story that a lot of classic actresses of color were/are all too familiar with. However, as always, I have my "shoulda, coulda, woulda's"...

A few weeks ago, I watched a clip of Ms. McKinney in the 1931 pre-code film, Safe in Hell. While watching it, I immediately thought about how perfectly her name would have fit alongside the names of the most notorious Pre-Code queens (Barbara Stanwyck, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Blondell, etc.). She had the looks (but at the same time, she didn't--if you know what I mean) and she definitely had that "Pre-Code" spunk and brashness.

From the trailer for 1935 film, Reckless (Made by me)

Unfortunately, I'm quite certain that if Ms. McKinney were given those envelope-pushing (lead) roles of the early 1930's, there would have been a lot of emphasis on her race--probably to the point of fetish, but it is nice to journey through a perfect world in my mind--a perfect world where Nina Mae McKinney is in front of somebody's camera, exchanging witticisms, getting revenge on her wrongdoers, and shamelessly destroying the patriarchy and racism like her Hollywood peers. 

Lily & Chico on The Sims 3

Clearly, I'm a huge fan of Classic Hollywood. I'm also a big Sims fan as well. A few weeks ago, I watched, reviewed, and fell in love with Baby Face (1933) and a few nights ago I attempted something with The Sims 3......

Lily Powers

Chico (Harris)

I went on ahead and gave Chico the last name 'Harris', after the actress who played her of course. 

I just wanted to share this useless information with you all, el-oh-el. 

Top 30 Old Hollywood Beauties (Aige's List)

Dorothy Dandridge is and always will be my "Number One" Old Hollywood beauty, but in order to avoid making a "beauty competition" out of this, I've put my Top 30 Old Hollywood Beauties in alphabetical order (by last name).

Inspired by "It"

As you may know by now, I'm a big fan of classic movies. Sometimes I watch them to wind down, sometimes I watch them for inspiration. Most times, I watch them for both of the mentioned reasons. Tonight was one of those nights where I watched some good, Old Hollywood movies for the heck of it and got some inspiration and fire for my own future writing.

I watched It (1927) starring the vivacious and practically flawless Clara Bow and The Lady Eve (1941) starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda. I enjoyed both movies, but was really inspired by It--particularly Clara Bow in It. 

Clara Bow

Being a young woman myself, I'm always drawn to movies (and television shows--like That Girl) about young, independent, determined, spunky women. I fall in love with the characters, their fashion, their humor, and of course the actresses that play them. I see a lot of myself in these characters and not only feed off of their energy, but I take great comfort in them. 

What do you do for inspiration in your career or even just in your everyday life? Do you find inspiration in nature? People? Music? Sounds? What drives you to create, create, create?

Both It and The Lady Eve are now available to watch on Netflix. 

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I do not own any of the photos in this post. The movie poster photos and the photo of Clara Bow were obtained from Wikipedia and the vintage typewriter photo was obtained from freepik.com. If the rightful owner(s) of any of these images wants them removed, please contact me and I will do so immediately.--Adrienne

Review of 1933's "Baby Face" (Pre-Released Version)

Here's a movie that I've actually wanted to watch for a LONG time: 1933's Baby Face starring the clearly-from-Brooklyn film legend, Barbara Stanwyck. 

SUMMARY

A young woman (Lily Powers--played by Stanwyck) uses her body and her sexuality to help her climb the social ladder, but soon begins to wonder if her new status will ever bring her happiness. [IMDb]

"The Girl Who Saved Universal"--Rest in Peace, Deanna Durbin

From the New York Times: "In a newsletter, the Deanna Durbin Society said Ms. Durbin died “a few days ago,” quoting her son, Peter H. David, who thanked her admirers for respecting her privacy."

The legendary singer and actress was 91 years old. 

My thoughts, my heart, and deepest sympathies go out to Ms. Durbin's loved ones. 

Below is Ms. Durbin singing "Begin the Beguine" in the 1943 film, Hers to Hold:

Sources

IMDb

The New York Times

Waterloo Bridge (1931) Review

Welp. I just got through watching Waterloo Bridge. Interesting movie. 

I can be quite a rambler when it comes to speaking and writing and I sometimes have a hard time organizing my thoughts--so with that said, I have to thank the administrator of Masters Film Review for his page on "Criteria for Film Reviews". I will be using the majority of his criteria from here on out to guide me through reviews! 

Okay, now let's begin...

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Waterloo Bridge (1931) was adapted from the stageplay written by Robert E. Sherwood. After watching the film, I realize that I should read the play at some point in order to have a better understanding of the movie. 

SUMMARY

In World War I London, Myra (played by Mae Clarke) is an American out-of-work chorus girl making ends meet by picking up men on Waterloo Bridge. During a Zeppelin air raid she meets Roy (played by Douglass Montgomery, then known as Kent Douglass), a naive young American who enlisted in the Canadian army. They fall for each other, and he tricks Myra into visiting his family who live in a country estate outside London, where his step-father is a retired British Major. However Myra is reluctant to continue the relationship with Roy, because she has not told him about her past. [IMDb]

My Weekend: Forbidden Hollywood Collection (Volume One)

What are you doing this weekend? Me, well I'm about to sit back and start watching this DVD collection: Forbidden Hollywood Collection (Volume One) which contains three Pre-Code Era films: Waterloo Bridge (1931), Red-Headed Woman (1932), and Baby Face (1933). 

I'd borrowed this collection from the library before, but was only able to watch Red-Headed Woman--a movie I really enjoyed. Now, I can't wait to re-watch that and then watch the other two. 

I will be posting reviews of these movies--if not this weekend, sometime during the week.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!