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Movie Monday: Leave Her to Heaven (1945)
On this Movie Monday, we a discussion one of the last great noir films: Leave Her to Heaven. The color pallet used in this film is not one you would expect of a drama/mystery. Technicolor was used to its utmost in this movie and it added to the intense plot that thickened as it went along. These photos are not mine. Although today we consider Leave Her to Heaven a classic, this movie did not go over as well with critics in 1945. Despite this, the story arch in this spoke to audiences at the time and was one of the highest grossing movies for 20th Century Fox in the 1940s.…
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How Veronica Lake Changed Her Hair and Career
If you ever feel like your hair is a large part of what makes you feel like yourself, you may not be the only one. Hair is such a influential part of how we are viewed and there is one fantastic example of this. Veronica Lake was a Old Hollywood actress who became famous for her “Peek-a-Boo” hairstyle. Unfortunately, being known for this hairstyle would ultimately be the demise of her acting career. These photos are not mine. The story goes that Veronica Lake was like any other Hollywood actress when, one day while filming, Lake’s hair randomly fell over one of her eyes. It instantly became her signature look!…
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Movie Monday: I Married a Witch (1942)
Continuing on with the monthlong theme of classic films that are perfect for Halloween, today’s film is one that inspired a television show! I Married a Witch was the movie that cause Bewitched to come to life. The classic 60’s, Bewitched, was one of the reasons I decided to go into the advertising profession, I used to watch Darrin Stevens work on all of the ad campaigns and it excited me. What a chain of events! Technically, I suppose you could say that I Married a Witch gave me my career path! These photos are not mine. This film, starring Veronica Lake and Fredric March, had some onset secrets. Behind the scenes…
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Movie Monday: Rope (1948)
Hitchcock films are always fun to watch, but they especially get the adrenaline pumping during the Halloween season! One of the best and (in my opinion) highly underrated Hitchcock movies is the cinema classic Rope. These photos are not mine. This is yet another Hitchcock film where James Stewart stars as the leading man. It is said that Stewart was Hitchcock’s ideal leading man like Grace Kelly was his ideal leading lady. People have also said that Stewart was the only actor that could ever hold his own against Hitchcock in a screaming match. I suppose the director respected him a little more because of that. Rope was based off…
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Movie Monday: Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
For years all I have heard is how Hocus Pocus is the perfect Halloween. Trust me I love that film too, but Arsenic and Old Lace takes the cake for Halloween movies. This film has it all! It even takes place on a Halloween! These photos are not mine. There are not too many Halloween themed films that can make you laugh, but Arsenic and Old Lace manages to do just that! We initially see that the day which we observe this entire movie is, in fact, Halloween. After that fact is established, it all goes downhill for Cary Grant’s character. The reactions Grant makes in Arsenic and Old Lace…
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Movie Monday: The Time Machine (1960)
As the month of October begins, I will be dedicating the whole month of #MovieMondays to scary/Halloween themed films. The classic film I am highlighting today is The Time Machine, produced and directed by George Pal. These photos are not mine. As much as I hate to admit it, sci-fi and scary films are my guilty pleasure. I remember seeing this film for the first time and being absolutely taken with the plot as well as Rod Taylor’s acting talents. The idea of a society drastically different than ours is not all that hard to imagine, but this film really brought the fear that comes along with a doomed future to…
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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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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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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…
