Classic Cinema
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Movie Monday: The Big Heat (1953)
If you are like me and enjoy a good drama film every now and then, The Big Heat is the movie for you! This black and white classic is real, raw, and gripping. It is no wonder critics and fans alike view it as a timeless piece of cinematic history! The Big Heat is held is such high regard that it even made it on the National Film Registry list of the Library of Congress in 2011. These photos are not mine. Before this film was made in 1953, gangster movies were always portrayed in a more Al Capone kind of light where it was the mob versus the police.…
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Samantha Stevens’ “Bewitching” Style
With the Kate Spade show at New York Fashion Week and the impending Halloween holiday, the retro vibes are in full throttle with me right now! I just love how that show mixed the 60’s with a modern touch while still keeping it feminine and fun! It reminded me very much of the same style we would have seen Elizabeth Montgomery’s Samantha Stevens of Bewitched wear! Hence the inspiration for this post! Shall we explore the endless retro inspirations brought to you by the one and only Samantha Stevens? These photos are not mine. At the beginning of the show, we saw Samantha do her best to assimilate to what…
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Movie Monday: Pride and Prejudice (1940)
Because I had never seen one of her films before, I always wondered what all the Greer Garson buzz was about. After seeing Pride and Prejudice I finally understood why she is considered a legend. I fell in love with the story of Pride and Prejudice all over again when viewing this film, and became an instant fan of Garson! These photos are not mine. Originally, MGM’s Irving Thalberg purchased the rights to this Jane Austin romance novel as a role for Thalberg’s wife at the time, Norma Shearer. After Thalberg passed away in 1936, the process was paused for a time. Not long after Thalberg’s passing Greer Garson was selected as the…
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Movie Monday: A Face in the Crowd (1957)
Long before he was the beloved sheriff of a little town called Mayberry, Andy Griffith played a southern jailbird named Lonesome Rhodes. A Face in the Crowd is a little known film, but one that will make you realize just how talented Andy Griffith was as an actor. Honestly, I had a hard time watching The Andy Griffith Show after seeing this film! These photos are not mine. This gripping story is centered around Griffith’s character who is a backwoods philosopher who gets his big break on the radio! A Face in the Crowd is a significant movie because it was one of the earliest and first films to discuss…
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The Fashion of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
One of the most fashionable ladies of the 1970’s is Mary Richards, better known as Mary Tyler Moore! The Mary Tyler Moore Show has been and continues to be one of the most empowering and influential shows for all women who watch it! The stylish looks worn by Mary are still serving as inspiration for fashion designers all around the world. Today, we will be taking a closer look at a few of these outfits and how we can recreate them with a modern edge! These photos are not mine. Early in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mary Richards would wear dresses, sweaters, and turtlenecks with short skirts. Despite living in Minneapolis,…
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Movie Monday: The Big Parade (1925)
The Big Parade was the first silent film I ever saw and it made a lasting impression on me. One day I just happen to turn on the TV to TCM, and there it was! This 1925 film gave me a passion for early cinema and for John Gilbert films! These photos are not mine. As a viewer, in this film you witness many sides of war. It starts out as a simple experience, but quickly turns into one that is devastating. Initially, in the early lighthearted moments of the war, Gilbert’s character attempts to win over a French girl who doesn’t speak English while he doesn’t speak French. Their…
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Movie Monday: Designing Woman (1957)
At one of the toughest times in her life, the legendary Lauren Bacall created one of her most memorable films in Designing Woman. Originally, Grace Kelly was set to star in both this film and another Bacall classic, The Cobweb (1955). However, Kelly’s career plans changed for her once she became engaged to Prince Rainier of Monaco. Designing Woman was the film that provided Bacall the chance to show a different side of herself. It was time for her to step out of the shadow of the films she made with her husband Humphrey Bogart. What better way to get back into acting than by starring in two films that are directed…
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Movie Monday: 12 Angry Men (1957)
It was my college Psychology 100 class of freshman year that prompted me to watch 12 Angry Men for the first time. We were learning about group think and (like any good student) I was watching YouTube videos about the subject. One of the videos I watched used 12 Angry Men as an example of group think, the video showed a clip of the film and I was hooked! I couldn’t wait to watch the full movie! The compelling story about the American judiciary system and how one man standing up for what he believes is right has gone down in history as one of the most notorious films of the…
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Movie Monday: Lover Come Back (1961)
One of my favorite Rock Hudson and Doris Day films is definitely Lover Come Back! Maybe it is the nostalgia of what was leftover by the 1950’s or the fact that this film centers around two professionals in the advertising business, the major I am currently studying. Whatever the reason, this goofy romantic comedy goes down in the books right next to When Harry Met Sally on my list of all-time greatest films! These photos are not mine. Lover Come Back is a great example of the kind of tried and true friendship Hudson and Day had in real life. Hudson trusted Day’s comedic timing in each film they starred…
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Movie Monday: A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
In the mid-1960’s, while a slew of Elvis Presley films were dominating theaters all around the world, the United States experienced something of a British invasion. Beatlemania had taken over seemingly everywhere, and this band was considered a fad of it’s time. The decision to make a semidocumentary, semicomedy was an urgent one! In 1964, A Hard Day’s Night was made in six and a half weeks. These photos are not mine. Scenes like the one pictured above could only be shot once or twice before fans would cause them to have to move along. In the opening scene of the film, The Beatles were truly chased by fans to a…
