Classic Cinema

  • Movie Monday: Sudden Fear (1952)

    It’s time to take a moment and appreciate how amazing Joan Crawford was as an actress. Sudden Fear is one movie that she not only starred in, but also made up for the lack of co-stars who were equally talented. I’m not saying that the other actors were bad necessarily, but I will explain my position more in this review. Let me pick up where I left off above, Joan Crawford is undeniably the star of Sudden Fear. I am not trying to put down the other actors in this movie, but the reason such an awesome plot like the one in this film gets the justice it deserves is…

  • Movie Monday: Bringing Up Baby (1938)

    In my opinion, Bringing Up Baby is one of the most underrated classic comedies ever! I am so excited to review this Grant and Hepburn classic (no, not Audrey)! I have thought a lot about this film in relation to both Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant’s careers, and I have come to the conclusion that Bringing Up Baby was the training ground for Grant’s role in Arsenic and Old Lace. So many of the same comedic elements Grant used in Bringing Up Baby film he recreated for Arsenic and Old Lace. For Hepburn’s side of the acting coin, Bringing Up Baby really set her up for the roles she would…

  • Movie Monday: Sabrina (1954)

    Recently, I re-watched the film Sabrina starring Audrey Hepburn and I became so inspired by both the fashion and the acting. That inspiration has led me here to this Movie Monday to review this classic film! Sabrina is full of symbolism and metaphors which is one of the reasons I love watching it! In one scene we see Audrey Hepburn’s character speak with her father through a window while he is standing in their shared home’s kitchen. This, in my opinion, is supposed to symbolize her feeling like an outsider in many ways including in comparison to the wealthy family who the man she loves is a member of. This…

  • Movie Monday: A Woman’s Face (1941)

    If you are looking for a good drama to watch, you have come to the right place! Today I am reviewing A Woman’s Face, a Joan Crawford classic. This movie has it all! Action, drama, sadness, love, and fashion! There is a lot to cover so let’s jump right in! At first A Woman’s Face seems like a horror/mobster kind of film. However, once you get into the thick of the plot you quickly begin to realize it is so much more! This multifaceted film wants you to root against Joan Crawford’s character. You already know from the moment she makes her debut on the screen that she has done…

  • Movie Monday: Monkey Business (1952)

    It’s time to take a moment to laugh and celebrate a comedy this Movie Monday! If there is anyone who can master classic film comedy it is definitely Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers! Monkey Business is a funny and adorable film from what could be expressed as the typical 50’s style comedy. In Monkey Business Grant brings back the coke bottle glasses he wore in Bringing Up Baby and his comedic skills. This isn’t the same style of comedy he used in some other movies, though, like Arsenic and Old Lace. Monkey Business shows us an older more mature side of Cary Grant until it doesn’t and everything just begins…

  • Movie Monday: Boomtown (1940)

    Boomtown is one of those movies that you watch without expectations and then suddenly it ranks within you list of favorite movies to watch! The story in this film is as timeless any other, and the acting is superb. This Movie Monday I will be reviewing this classic that has quickly become one of my favorites! Before watching Boomtown, I had never seen Spencer Tracy star in a film before. It wasn’t until see this movie that I realized just how talented this man was as an actor. The way he captures a rather simple, sometimes hard luck guy is as timeless as this film. He balanced out Clark Gables…

  • Movie Monday: How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)

    One of the best girl squad films of all time has to be How to Marry a Millionaire! This film is also one of my favorites because of the beautiful fashion we see. How to Marry a Millionaire is a movie that capitalizes on the color film era using fashion! These leading ladies in this film are department store models, and we see some truly beautiful designs. Not only are the colors striking, but the shape of each design are a mix of luxurious and simple. All of the looks we see in How to Marry a Millionaire are very much of the 1950’s time! Despite the storyline of this…

  • Movie Monday: His Girl Friday (1940)

    Is there anything more fitting for April Fool’s Day than a good comedy? I don’t think so! That is why for this Movie Monday I am reviewing the hilarious comedy His Girl Friday! This fasting talking and witty film can be pretty hard to keep up with sometimes. If you are not paying close attention then you might miss some of the jokes being thrown everywhere in His Girl Friday. But when you do pay attention, man is this film hilarious! The characterization of having these newspaper journalists speak in such a fast manner feels so fitting. Realistically, I don’t think anyone could constantly roll out the sentences that these…

  • Movie Monday: Dark Passage (1947)

    A drama that has stood the test of time is Dark Passage! This one of the iconic Bogie and Bacall films, and an intense one at that. All of these elements are the reason why Dark Passage is such a perfect fit for Movie Monday! One of the best aspects of Dark Passage is the cinematography choices they made. A large portion of this film is viewed from Humphrey Bogart’s point of view. Everything is seen through his eyes and from his perspective. This was what initially drew me into this movie. The artistic choice to not show the leading man’s face was a bold move. Eventually Bogart does show…

  • Movie Monday: Strange Cargo (1940)

    Strange Cargo is one of those films that you see one time and all you can do is replay it in your head afterwards. Although this movie is considered a classic, not many people have heard of it. That is why today’s Movie Monday is dedicated to this highly underrated movie! Strange Cargo is full of rich symbolism. It’s about right and wrong, and understanding that the right thing may not always be what is best for your specific situation. The boat scenes are symbolic of life and the waves we all go through on a daily basis. Among all of the hidden meanings in Strange Cargo are complicated characters…