tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69692358513841021622012-03-02T19:44:26.743-05:00"Drama is life with the dull bits cut out." (Alfred Hitchcock)ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.comBlogger921100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-8175873252715705422012-02-29T21:56:00.021-05:002012-02-29T22:13:23.839-05:00

I think it would be fun to give a nod to some of the truly nasty ladies on screen who are not given the spotlight very often.  Of course there are the oft-discussed greats like Bette Davis in The Letter or Of Human Bondage and Gene Tierney in Leave Her To Heaven -- but there are other wicked women in wonderful movies.  I've chosen six who have absolutely no redeeming qualities, not even remorse

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-89730163540992907782012-02-22T00:58:00.002-05:002012-02-22T01:03:48.163-05:00

Classic Film and TV Cafe is sponsoring a Dogathon -- movies about or featuring some of the most memorable canine actors.  My contribution is a little tribute to a dog that scared me to death.  My first Sherlock Holmes movie experience as a little girl was 1939's The Hound of the Baskervilles.  I fell in love with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and Watson, a love that continues.  I fell

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-46755622940485980432012-02-17T18:34:00.000-05:002012-02-17T18:34:00.270-05:00

My Faithful Readers know me as a real purist with classic film -- I saw a commercial years ago that had used special effects to have Fred Astaire doing one of his best numbers with a vacuum cleaner replacing the girl.  I almost had to call paramedics to be taken to the hospital!  So this is a surprise to me ... in looking for Gene Kelly numbers on YouTube, I ran across a tribute to Kelly set to

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-47239053399694175282011-12-30T20:10:00.000-05:002011-12-30T20:10:04.093-05:00

Should we trust the Mayan calendar that does not go beyond 2012?  Maybe they just ran out of flat stones and chisels ... that's as good a theory as any.  I have made plans for 2012 anyway.  If the world winks out sometime during the year, at least I won't have to do all the work I'm making for myself.  My blog is definitely a main focus.  I have not written anything substantial for a couple of

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-6666764075560156572011-12-24T04:09:00.000-05:002011-12-24T04:09:05.785-05:00

This month it is Kim's turn to question me. It is also her turn to post our monthly question and answer on her blog. Head on over to Kim's place to see what we are dishing about in honor of New Year's Eve -- two completely different ways to ring in 2012! http://www.1001moviesblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/two-dames-dishing-december.html.

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-66295372476152220982011-12-22T19:47:00.018-05:002011-12-22T20:18:00.400-05:00

So far, I am being allowed by my fiendishly fickle computer demon to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas -- at least I will know if that is so after I try to post it.  Hit and miss is the phrase of the day for my internet connection.  Well, I'll give it a try... On my sidebar is a spiritual proclamation for Christmas, and here is the worldly wish I make for all of my Faithful Readers and friends

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-33664306631065414462011-12-14T11:46:00.004-05:002011-12-14T22:41:24.259-05:00

The eye that saw the world as no one else did. The masters of great art have been on my mind, and Picasso is one of my great loves.  He captures the human condition in a completely unique way. I am unable to post anything very substantial right now, and a comprehensive biography of Picasso would be difficult because of ongoing computer problems.  However, I would like to share with my

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-89202787982918426262011-11-30T08:08:00.001-05:002011-11-30T08:10:47.203-05:00

In this game, you must describe each movie in a short phrase, no longer than 6 words (I just picked that number out of the air).  All are classics with their remakes ... some are not exactly remakes but films about the same story.  You don't have to judge which is better, but you can if you want to.  It should be a little challenging and interesting to see what you can say in a few words ...  

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-57731051339230983632011-11-27T10:40:00.023-05:002011-12-14T17:58:22.305-05:00

Bette of Bette's Classic Movie Blog,  http://www.bettesmovieblog.blogspot.com/ is sponsoring a blogathon for a group called Movember, striving for the education and research of prostate and other cancers in men.  Every November, men grow moustaches in support of the cause, and Bette decided to advertise this worthy venture with a blogathon about classic stars with moustaches.  Click on her link

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-6364074557494614932011-11-22T19:52:00.001-05:002011-11-22T19:53:32.462-05:00

Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone!  Here are a couple of funnies to get you into the spirit ...  Yuck, yuck, yuck ...   Boy, I LOVE Maxine!

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-31644404699984432352011-11-21T11:46:00.007-05:002011-11-21T12:12:08.883-05:00

During the month of Thanksgiving, we are each discussing a movie that meant a lot to us, and for which we are personally grateful. Becky:  Kim, for what film are you most thankful and why? Kim: That’s a strange question, Becky. How can you be thankful to a film? Let me think… I suppose if there is one film for which I am thankful it would have to be The Nun’s Story (1959)—followed closely by The

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-83112056633098827952011-11-15T00:58:00.002-05:002011-11-26T08:01:23.443-05:00

 Now isn't this more elegant than typing on a keyboard in sweatshirt and pajama pants?  Slower, but more elegant!  To my Faithful Readers:  I take my pen in hand to tell you that I am back from my offline adventures, happy to be rejoining all of you in cyberland.  I couldn't help but think of a favorite movie, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House.  I don't look like anything like Cary Grant

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-9964619092898274262011-10-29T19:13:00.005-04:002011-11-26T08:08:41.116-05:00

Halloween was not always about children gathering sweets for the sweet.  Long ago it was the deadly serious twilight of All Hallow's Eve, when demons prowled the night and people disguised themselves in demonic costumes so as not to be recognized as human prey.  At the cockcrow, the demons were banished back to the underworld, and God's light shone on the Day of All Saints.  It was all about the

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-58137882785429557732011-10-23T23:45:00.003-04:002011-10-24T00:05:12.067-04:00

I love the Twilight Zone, but I never expected to find myself living in it.  Within the last 72 hours, I stepped from one dimension to another -- I had a nice little house to rent, and my own house closing was scheduled for this Wednesday.  In one day, the closing was postponed, and I found out that my potential landlady is completely insane.  I am now bereft, bothered and bewildered, caught in a

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-3815551060067002822011-10-18T20:14:00.001-04:002011-10-18T20:17:46.296-04:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again... The best classic movie organization on the Web I just want to thank all members of the CMBA who voted my article, Mobsters, Pals and Skirts, as Best Classic Movie Article for 2011.  If you have not read it and are interested, click this link to the article:  http://www.classicbeckybrainfood.blogspot.com/2011/04/

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-6584223341150952002011-10-17T10:12:00.000-04:002011-10-17T10:12:35.139-04:00

The Dames This month it is Kim's turn to put me on the witness stand.  It is also her turn to host our monthly question and answer post.  Head on over to Kim's blog to see what we are dishing about during this Halloween month: http://www.1001moviesblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/two-dames-dishingoctober.html Love those beautiful autumn trees...

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-38210783802599556732011-10-16T21:57:00.000-04:002011-10-16T21:57:16.460-04:00

I am in a nostalgic mood, it's autumn, Halloween is coming, and I decided to re-print one of my earliest posts, done on October 21, 2009. It fits the season. I did not yet know most of you, my Faithful Readers, and I'd like to share it with you. It's a strange, wonderful little movie that I don't think has ever been given its due. If I wrote it today, I would give more information about history,

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-27791309471642271032011-10-16T21:17:00.012-04:002011-10-16T22:11:52.945-04:00

A look back ......... October 21, 2009 By ClassicBecky   In October of 1957, the British Board of Film Censors stated: “This is to certify that The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas has been passed as more suitable for exhibition to adult audiences.” The maturity required for this film, however, has nothing to do with sex or violence. Known in later releases simply as The Abominable Snowman

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-47298242253844577232011-10-10T19:14:00.005-04:002011-10-24T11:35:21.600-04:00

 Dark and frightening horseman ... artist unknown  I always thought that the story of the Headless Horseman from Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and was a uniquely American story.  Not so, it seems, for the legend, with some variations, exists in Ireland, Scotland, Germany and likely other countries as well.  Each paragraph of my article is illustrated with some really

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-16227676370153853852011-10-06T00:04:00.026-04:002011-10-07T11:22:59.896-04:00

 Then as now ... autumn is my time Two years ago today, October 6, 2009, I posted my first article on my new blog.  I wrote about my favorite book of fright, which also was made into the best supernatural horror movie ever made, in my opinion -- The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson.  So, without further ado, I am re-printing that inaugural article for ClassicBecky's Brain Food,

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-26848569048267787912011-10-02T18:52:00.026-04:002011-10-05T03:27:04.863-04:00

Ivan of Thrilling Days of Yesteryear was inspired to put together a blogathon for the Dick Van Dyke show, and his inspirations are always right on the money!  A lot of people loved the idea, including me ... this is my contribution.  Click on this link to find the entire line-up:  http://www.thrillingdaysofyesteryear.blogspot.com/. Dick Van Dyke's weekly comedy show gave us so many memorable

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-77290177749505324282011-09-22T18:45:00.008-04:002011-09-22T23:55:10.904-04:00

The Two Dames - Becky and Kim - (we look very familar...) Welcome to the first in a series of question and answer posts featuring those two smart dames: Kim of "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" http://www.1001moviesblog.blogspot.com/  and Becky of "ClassicBecky's Brain Food" http://www.classicbeckybrainfood.blogspot.com/ Topics will range from classic to modern films, classic to

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-54409409098985238282011-09-17T00:11:00.007-04:002011-09-17T10:08:19.145-04:00

For a period of about four years of my life, Wednesday nights at 10:00 p.m. found me in a rut.  I was always doing the same thing – watching The Night Gallery. Oh,  I missed a few here and there, particularly when I was in labor and delivery, but always managed to catch up with re-runs. Night Gallery ran on NBC from 1969 to 1973, and it seemed to be famous for three things: (1) many episodes

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-58622055690860194392011-09-11T11:52:00.001-04:002011-09-11T11:56:02.613-04:00

Today, New York City is in all of our thoughts.  New York in my mind will always look and feel like two separate cities.  The first is the city of the 1930's and 40's, with beautiful brownstone homes, tenements, news kiosks and coffee shops, the Empire State Building (with King Kong on top) -- all in atmospheric, shadowy, beautiful black and white.  The second is the New York of the movie West

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-21473697743331513252011-08-30T13:19:00.058-04:002011-09-04T23:00:50.878-04:00

Hauntingly evocative Spanish-language theatre poster Freud (also know as Freud - The Secret Passion) In 1962, a herculean task in movie history was undertaken -- creation of a film about one of history's giants, Sigmund Freud.  Who better to tackle this project than another giant in his own field, John Houston? And who better to create the character of this complicated, tortured, gifted man 

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-22827958155534402272011-08-24T14:06:00.028-04:002011-08-25T10:35:46.407-04:00

I ran across four little movie gems as I surfed through Netflix Instant Streaming, my last remaining source of uncut classic films, at least apart from my collection.  I have been pretty happy with the amount of classics available, although certainly not as many as a fan like me would like.  In using the Netflix suggestions, I found these four movies that I have watched one after the other, just

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-25977840795006955502011-08-19T12:08:00.002-04:002011-08-19T12:15:39.694-04:00

 Mike Nelson with his Robot Friends  Bill Corbett with his alter-ego, Crow T. Robot   Kevin Murphy, the man behind the gumball head of  Tom Servo    I thought you might enjoy a little update of the live-by-satellite theatre showing of Jack the Giant Killer, a movie which was verbally demolished by the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 trio in fine form.  (See

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-7670271995824442362011-08-15T19:51:00.020-04:002011-08-28T00:31:09.906-04:00

 The great Leopold Stokowski and Mickey Mouse. How did this odd combination come about? Well, of course, Stokowski and Mickey met during Fantasia, the 1940 Disney masterpiece of animation and classical music.  If you know Fantasia well, I bet you thought I was going to link to Mickey's piece, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice."  Nope.  I just love this picture of the grand old man of

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-54902088702844089392011-08-13T15:20:00.000-04:002011-08-13T15:32:12.437-04:00

Nothing lasts forever, but their genius will live on in our dreams. Today, on Alfred Hitchcock's birthday, I cannot help but think of Bernard Herrmann.  Hitchcock and Herrmann were established professionals when they began to work together ... Hitchcock a great director, and Herrmann a great composer.  They did not need each other to be remembered for their work, but together they created a

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-63561880459355360402011-08-13T08:00:00.007-04:002011-09-04T07:59:01.341-04:00

Errol Flynn as Mike Campbell in The Sun Also Rises Errol Flynn died at the age of 50, a little over two years after appearing in 1957's The Sun Also Rises. Ernest Hemingway's novel is a story of people whose lives had been changed forever, some ruined, by the horrors of World War I. Hemingway's characters were damaged human beings who had lost their personal centers of identity with their

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-90715158816769577472011-08-05T22:53:00.028-04:002011-08-07T07:37:10.061-04:00

Would you like to see an unintentionally terrible movie and laugh until your stomach hurts? I've got just the thing for you. If you are in or anywhere near the Indianapolis area, get yourself over to the UA Galaxy Stadium 14 theatre on Wednesday, August 17th at 8:00 p.m. The best movie theatre in Indianapolis will be presenting a live showing (via satellite) of Jack The Giant Killer, as only the

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-19276590130406798902011-08-04T14:00:00.000-04:002011-08-06T00:14:04.603-04:00

My favorite picture of Bette Davis ... I wish I could walk around with venetian blind shadows across my face ... it makes you look so good! Most of my classic film favorites are on VHS tapes, and we all know those are becoming as obsolete as my old black rotary phone.  The tapes are getting old and the picture and sound quality are deteriorating.  I'm getting panicky about some of the old

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-44981366970264326112011-08-02T11:17:00.005-04:002011-08-05T23:58:39.475-04:00

This is my contribution to the Ida Lupino Blogathon being sponsored today and tomorrow at  www.missidalupino.wordpress.com.  The banner for this Blogathon is posted on my sidebar at right.  Don't miss these wonderful articles about a wonderful actress! Beware, My Lovely is not a typical film noir. It does not take place in the underworld of Chicago or the back streets of New York. It is not

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-39096158031642142242011-07-23T01:33:00.001-04:002011-07-23T01:35:45.538-04:00

I wanted to put something new on my site until my next BrainFood article is finished, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone and provide a link to my new post on the Classic Film and TV Cafe.  Even though I state in the prologue that I might lose friends over this post, I'm taking another chance on losing my non-CMBA friends as well.  Thus, the title I chose for this shout-out to my post

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-66935213460662990262011-07-16T20:41:00.007-04:002011-07-17T01:22:43.941-04:00

Spheksophobia - fear of wasps Apiphobia - Fear of bees  I watched a movie last night called The Swarm.  It was released in 1978 by Irwin Allen as the disaster movie of the year, and it was a disaster.  The cast consisted of - wait for it -Michael Caine, Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Fred MacMurray, Jose Ferrer,  Richard Chamberlain, and Olivia deHavilland.  It is my guess that all

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-19390148550136900582011-07-03T02:41:00.003-04:002011-07-07T15:12:50.433-04:00

Oh no!  Tell me it isn't so! It is late at night, and I was struck by an interesting thought ... and please, faithful readers, no sarcastic quips about how seldom that happens...  It certainly is not a new thought, not even to me.  Just a memory. I was reading an article about the film noir Double Indemnity written by my friend Dorian.  It's a very good read, and because it inspired this little

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-47889996828300020962011-06-28T19:27:00.005-04:002011-06-29T18:26:55.287-04:00

It really was like this! I am experiencing a strange kind of writers's block.  My next post was going to be about famous sci-fi movies behind the scenes.  I don't know, maybe I have been struck by a ray from Mars.  In any case, I've been in the mood for nostalgia, not movie nostalgia, but teenage music memories.  With some of them I actually wasn't yet a teenager at all, just a little girl, 

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-44065343112707141342011-06-19T13:27:00.007-04:002011-08-23T15:44:27.524-04:00

This article is my contribution to the Roger Corman Blogathon sponsored by Nathanael of http://www.forgottenclassicsofyesteryear.blostpot.com/  (*Alert -- It’s just about impossible to write about The House of Usher without spoilers*) I would love to seat Roger Corman and Edgar Allen Poe together at a dinner party. The grim and tragic Poe is certainly not known for a great sense of humor, and

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-57255794266099091462011-06-15T12:40:00.004-04:002011-06-15T22:46:02.314-04:00

I wish I could decipher personality clues of handwriting, because I think this autographed picture of the great Vincent Price shows a very interesting style of signature!  I'm spotlighting him because I will be writing about Roger Corman's "The House of Usher," starring Vincent on Sunday, June 19th.  My article is just one of many that Nathanael of Forgotten Classics of Yesteryear has put

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-30385521668851778162011-06-10T22:31:00.000-04:002011-06-10T22:31:04.115-04:00

"You like me ... you really like me!" No, I'm not channeling Sally Field.  Several of my movie blogging friends have inspired me to acknowledge and thank my followers -- I hit 50!  That's a well-rounded and respectable number!  It is such a compliment when someone likes my stuff well enough to be an official follower.  And the names are great!  You should arrow over their pictures and see some

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-38996278358389478482011-06-08T09:28:00.024-04:002011-06-08T11:39:11.964-04:00

It will require a tall cold one, and about an hour of your time, to peruse my latest, deepest and most profound writing, posted today at Classic Film and TV Cafe, another blog for which I write.  Click this link when you are ready: http://classic-film-tv.blogspot.com/.  The article is titled  TV Detective Month Would Not Be The Same Without .... (You may want to keep your dictionary handy.)

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-52058173600216330762011-05-31T22:29:00.002-04:002011-05-31T23:43:48.387-04:00

 The Winners in their triumphant victory march!  BestforFilm movie site recently sponsored a contest for the best Japanese haiku poetry inspired by movies. It was a big competition, and I am thrilled to congratulate four CMBA blogs chosen as winners: Caftan Woman, Flick Chick, Clara of via Margutta and the the team of Brandie, Carrie and Nikki of True Classics! These winning women are

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-70308600969365676582011-05-25T18:04:00.002-04:002011-05-29T07:52:59.951-04:00

Today I was in a Sherlock Holmes mood, so I watched Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon with the wonderful Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.  I was inspired to do this just-for-fun pictorial by the hair stylist who was so incompetent he was able to make handsome, distinguished Basil look silly!  Takes a real lack of talent to do that!  I'm using captions for my little remarks for 2 reasons. 

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-81551425192550298382011-05-16T00:37:00.011-04:002011-06-07T01:00:46.136-04:00

 Original movie poster  1939 was certainly an incredible year for movies, more truly great masterpieces released than any other year in film history. On Your Toes was one of those movies. A great movie? Not really – it’s a fun story, wonderful cast, particularly a marvelous assembly of beloved character actors. However, On Your Toes is the vehicle for one of the greatest musical numbers of

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-11402685419241595902011-04-30T21:05:00.002-04:002011-04-30T21:09:39.725-04:00

Rochester's tortured soul and Jane's unwavering spirit gave Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine two of the best movie roles of their careers.  A moving tale of life's cruelty and love's redemption, worthy of poetry... A pitiless world... Passion denied...oh, Jane, Jane... She hears his voice call... *Jane Eyre (1944)* This is an entry for the Best For Film Hollywood Haikus blogging competition.

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-46535385733346657102011-04-29T01:27:00.000-04:002011-04-29T01:27:58.713-04:00

I'm trying my hand at a little different type of haiku this time -- well, a lot different.  A tribute to my favorite, absolutely awful movie: Worst movie on screen... Cardboard props, poor dead Bela... What?  No sequel?  Aww! *Plan 9 From Outer Space* This is an entry for the Best For Film Hollywood Haikus blogging competition. Enter now.

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-34516037506745580832011-04-28T00:22:00.001-04:002011-04-28T00:25:42.302-04:00

Best For Film movie blog is sponsoring an unusual and challenging contest.  Contestants must write a haiku-style poem inspired by the movie of their choice.  The form of haiku consists of 3 lines of poetry -- the first line of 5 syllables, the second of 7 syllables, and the 3rd of 5 syllables.  Multiple entries can be submitted.  This is my first shot at a movie-inspired haiku: Phantom love, so

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-39076346905143034762011-04-07T16:21:00.467-04:002011-10-24T12:06:09.623-04:00

Edward G. Robinson  Humphrey Bogart  James Cagney       Paul Muni  Prologue Why do we love the old gangster movies? I’ve never seen a gangster in my lifetime that was anything close to the handsome, colorful, well-dressed movie mobsters of the 1930’s and 40’s. The truth is that Al Capone, Busy Siegel and Lucky Luciano were no different than the sociopathic, predatory

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-71179902463605072862011-04-04T12:06:00.001-04:002011-08-11T08:53:10.185-04:00

Mike Myers in "Coffee Talk" from Saturday Night Live says it best.  Gangsters when I get well -- Nyquil today.  Faithful readers, to keep your interest while I recover and wrok on my new gangster series, I offer what I consider to be the best song recorded on film by the best torch singer in her prime -- "The Man That Got Away" by Judy Garland, from A Star Is Born.  The YouTube clip was created

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-89353968024150809462011-04-03T11:08:00.001-04:002011-08-11T08:50:24.521-04:00

I don't know how to type a lisp, but you can imagine how Donald Duck would say it.  To my faithful readers who expected Part 1 of my gangster series today, I can only apologize and ask for your patience.  I feel and look just like Donald.  The series is worthy of better writing than I have been able to do the last couple of days.  So I'm not going to post a half-baked version while I'm sick. 

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-13679194173941045622011-03-30T11:13:00.004-04:002011-08-11T08:55:48.257-04:00

For my Faithful Readers, I want to announce a new series beginning soon.  The series will be about the golden age of gangster films, 1930 - 1949.  Some of my earliest memories of classic movies are of James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson, Humphrey Bogart and Paul Muni as the biggest, baddest guys of all.  I love those movies!  One of the most interesting facets of every one is the bad guy and his

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-54128605541038944862011-03-24T16:25:00.019-04:002011-03-24T17:01:33.369-04:00

I am thrilled to be one of 7 classic movie blogs to have been awarded Dawn's Stylish Blogger Award.  Dawn has always created beautiful blog designs of her own, and I value her opinion.  Dawn is a prolific blogger who enjoys and follows over 40 classic film blogs.  She has asked her winners to tell 7 personal things of their choice about themselves, and I am happy to oblige: --------------------

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-12581213407729584822011-03-23T12:10:00.007-04:002011-03-23T20:51:38.403-04:00

 A great many classic movie lovers will be posting tributes to Elizabeth Taylor.  She died today at the age of 79.  Elizabeth has been an integral part of movies and the Hollywood mystique from the time she was a very young child, and continued to be so until today.  My mother's generation watched her grow up on screen, and tabloids made a lot of money with the controversial parts of her life.

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-65474855285630010012011-03-16T13:57:00.009-04:002011-03-17T14:25:40.377-04:00

When I finished reading Stephen Jared’s new novel, Jack and the Jungle Lion, I thought immediately of that terrific line from My Favorite Year, a film about a swashbuckling star who knows what he is and proudly proclaims it. Jared’s fictional 1930’s-era action movie hero, Jack Hunter, is just such an archetypal movie star. In the grand tradition of Douglas Fairbanks and Errol Flynn, Jack is a

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-80070026119771535022011-03-13T17:43:00.010-04:002011-03-14T07:25:35.519-04:00

I guess I'm on a roll.  (I just did an article on bosses in the movies.)  I saw my own dentist the other day, and was inspired again.  Believe me, he is nothing like the dentists I am highlighting today.   He gives the best novocaine shots in the business, but I still use the nitrous oxide in case he is having an off day.  Just a joke at your expense, Dr. S.!  His assistants are wonderful, but

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-63448022352821652952011-03-12T13:19:00.002-05:002011-03-12T13:23:57.713-05:00

Words cannot describe the feelings.  Yo-Yo Ma plays a traditional Japanese song that we all know.  The music speaks for our heartbreak and our prayers:

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-20406902592461278652011-03-07T12:23:00.009-05:002011-03-07T13:03:49.658-05:00

Which boss would you prefer? I was talking to my boss this morning, and I began thinking about the portrayal of employers in movies. They come in all shapes and sizes, some rotten, some wonderful – I must admit that the rotten ones are more fun. These are some of my favorites, good and bad, usually in the same movie. I will paraphrase Frankenstein’s monster in describing my choices:   “Boss

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-63893265785223493692011-02-28T03:22:00.006-05:002011-02-28T05:29:17.408-05:00

Just a short, personal opinion about the Oscar hosts tonight -- PU !! There have been bad hosts before, wonderful comics who didn't come across, favorite personalities who couldn't hack it -- but James Franco and Anne Hathaway will remain in my memory as the worst to date.  I'm not going to try to speak to everyone who ever hosted, but I remember being particularly disappointed in Chevy Chase

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-28624859486324852082011-02-24T03:58:00.013-05:002011-02-24T04:25:42.169-05:00

Patricia Neal was a woman whose career was marked by a diversity of movie roles as well as illness and tragedy in her personal life. As an actress, she was wonderful. As a person, she was strong and resilient. She is remembered for her beauty, her infamous affair with the married Gary Cooper, her marriage to author Roald Dahl, two beloved children who died under tragic circumstances, and the

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-15859926980143756542011-02-16T19:40:00.067-05:002011-09-01T11:45:41.090-04:00

Movie musicals come in many forms -- Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music, the great fun of the Golddigger musicals of the 1930's, the famed MGM musicals of the 1940's and 50's -- but there are other musical movies as well.  I would like to share one with three definite stories performed in ballet. Return of the Firebird presents, as separate movies, Igor Stravinsky's The Firebird,

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-79579977350376059282011-02-04T20:24:00.003-05:002011-02-04T20:32:33.988-05:00

Have the poles reversed?  Are we moving away from the sun?  So many places in the country are battling snow and ice, sleet and hail -- Indianapolis had all that this week, and we are now a city of ice.  The streets, walks, alleys, every surface in my neighborhood are skating rinks, perfectly smooth, thick sheets of ice.  There are a few footprints on the yards, but they don't break through the

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-84983576691451962662011-01-17T03:00:00.000-05:002011-08-11T19:00:31.115-04:00

There are some opening lines of books or movies that stay with you forever. Years later, just hearing those words evokes memory and feelings experienced the very first time. I am reminded of the beginning of the immortal Moby Dick -- "Call me Ishmael." Or the whispered "Rosebud" in Citizen Kane. The first words of Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel, Rebecca, are among the most famous -- "Last night

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-74319609340921091832011-01-09T12:40:00.001-05:002011-01-09T12:44:03.090-05:00

The Classic Film and TV Cafe will participate in a Hitchcock Blogathon on January 17th, sponsored by the Classic Movie Blog Association. Eighteen classic movie blogs will post reviews and articles on Hitchcock films.  As a member of the Cafe and the CMBA, my blog will feature a favorite Hitchcock film of mine, but you will have to visit here on January 17th to find out which one.  Links to each

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-72155455481856532782011-01-01T11:31:00.001-05:002011-01-01T12:11:28.884-05:00

Now this is what 2011 should look like!  I was a child of the late 50's, early 60's. Remember?  All of the movies, cartoons, comic books, Twilight Zone episodes that portrayed the future -- now the future has come and it doesn't look a whole lot different.  Oh, we have cell phones and computers -- but I wanted flying cars and robot maids who do housework, casual trips to Mars and time machines,

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-57624797160298205982010-12-23T10:46:00.002-05:002011-01-14T00:25:04.164-05:00

I want to share with you my favorite Christmas song as done by the honeyed voice of the great Nat King Cole.  MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY FRIENDS!

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-22276062235508470492010-12-15T23:58:00.001-05:002010-12-16T00:01:35.148-05:00

I usually do a lot of research and re-writing for my posts here on my blog.  This is not one of those posts.  It is off the cuff, about an issue I just ran into on American Movie Classics channel.  AMC started out as a purely classic film channel, with no editing or commercials, much like Turner Classic Movies still is.  After a few years, AMC turned into a commercial channel, no longer showed

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-1677977525217817762010-10-29T13:50:00.001-04:002010-10-29T13:52:14.634-04:00

I am writing  this short post to announce the showing of what is to me the best dramatic performance of the career of Tony Curtis.  The recent death of Curtis is a loss that affected many classic movie lovers.  He was known for good looks and charm, as a wonderful comedian, and a good dramatic actor.  His best dramatic role, in my opinion, was his portrayal of Albert DiSalvo in the true story of

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-86148675104149944862010-10-24T01:50:00.007-04:002011-09-12T01:09:15.057-04:00

Some Grandmas bake cookies and pot roasts for the grandkids.  Some knit sweaters and scarves.  I like to scare my grandchildren.  It's not as bad as it sounds...I do it with classic movies.  It's almost Halloween, so it's respectable.  Tonight the kids are spending the night with Grandma, and it was scary movie night.  (I'm a very young grandmother -- really, I was 11 when I had my son, and he

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-7096085806195709352010-10-05T05:12:00.002-04:002010-10-05T08:15:31.592-04:00

I watched John Huston’s marvelous movie Moby Dick (1956) today, and feel that a tribute to actor Leo Genn is in order. Genn played first mate Starbuck, about whom the narrator Ishmael said “He was one of the great staples of the ship, like beef or flour, there when needed and not to be foolishly wasted.” This description of this character applies in a special way to Leo Genn as an actor. He was

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-57373936565343815422010-09-20T01:26:00.002-04:002010-09-20T01:58:55.162-04:00

Some works of stage and screen are sad and bring us to tears. Others come under the category of the tragedy, a form of literature that is not so common. That is not to say that the whole story is laden with sorrow. On the contrary, the central and supporting characters are people we grow to care for, laugh with and love. An authentic tragedy receives this designation because it describes

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-17449040968688829472010-09-11T17:16:00.000-04:002010-09-11T17:16:37.521-04:00

All of us have certain movies that capture something that speaks to our dreams. Usually I suppose they are the great dramas, but I have found that isn’t always the case. The Time Machine, released by MGM in 1960, mesmerized me as it began, even before the credits. It begins with silence, then the tiny ticking of a clock that moves across the screen. Then more clocks pass by, each with their own

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-3033106676188120492010-08-30T07:36:00.000-04:002010-08-30T16:36:26.676-04:00

It's 5:30 a.m., and I did not go to bed until 1:30 a.m.  I did not have to get up early this morning, but here I am, wide awake.  It is completely dark outside, the crickets are singing, my neighborhood is silent, and that is the time that I start to think and worry about anything difficult that is going on in my life.  At the moment, there is plenty to fret about.  Instead of just letting those

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-90939980474627322652010-08-28T20:28:00.000-04:002010-08-30T05:51:39.510-04:00

                                                    TIL DEATH DO US PART The Bride of Frankenstein is such a staple for classic film lovers and horror movie lovers that it is difficult to add anything to the many reviews and articles written over the years. From the time that director James Whale designed the look for the monster in 1931’s original Frankenstein and directed it to perfection, all

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-36271150461051088922010-08-18T13:32:00.000-04:002010-08-19T14:50:48.586-04:00

The Lovely Ann Sheridan Today is Ann Sheridan day on Turner Classic Movies. I thought it would be appropriate to do a tribute to one of my favorite actresses.  Throughout most of her career, Ann played women who were direct and earthy, with common sense and a subtle sensuality that never crossed the line to open sexuality. She was associated for most of her career with Warner Brothers, and

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-61527937794819449952010-08-15T18:53:00.001-04:002010-08-16T00:50:43.753-04:00

If you are not familiar with William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of King Richard the Third, you are missing the greatest villain of stage and screen. To quote my own post announcing my intention to write about this monstrous man, "...Shakespeare puts most teenagers into a comatose state.” I don’t believe this would happen if people were introduced to Shakespeare not with sweet

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-79255557765340741412010-08-12T12:55:00.005-04:002011-08-20T12:34:03.218-04:00

I am the happy owner of a wonderful boxed set featuring my favorite actor, Warner Brothers release “Errol Flynn Adventures”. These are Flynn's World War II era movies, and they have been beautifully restored and are crystal clear in quality.  The set includes war-time newsreels, Warner Brother cartoons, military band shorts, and theatrical trailers.. The 5 films are a picture of an era and of

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-59475837975729404852010-07-14T15:27:00.000-04:002010-08-09T15:58:39.935-04:00

By ClassicBecky This picture may be a slight exaggeration of my situation, but it feels the same!  Knee injury, surgery, possibly more surgery -- enough boring details.  Suffice it to say that my poor blog has suffered accordingly.  I have not been able to finish my article on Richard III, Laurence Olivier's 1956 version and Ian McKellan's 1995 version.  I will be back at the desk writing just as

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-24931683187405048032010-06-08T05:14:00.000-04:002010-08-09T16:00:44.554-04:00

By ClassicBecky That phrase from a great Sinatra song beautifully evokes the feeling of being awake in the darkest hours of the night.  In my case, the setting is not a bar but my darkened living room, and no one is in the place except me and my movies and books.  It's not a bad time, really.  I have always loved the night.  Sometimes, though, worries and fears easily surface and whisper in your

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-61289013718167216652010-05-26T23:40:00.000-04:002010-08-09T16:02:12.877-04:00

By ClassicBecky Reading the plays of Shakespeare in high school has caused many a teenager to fall into a deep coma. But these plays were never meant to be just read, but to be experienced on the stage, and in our era, on film.  The difference between reading a play and seeing it is astounding.  Many people are unfamiliar with Shakespeare, or intimidated by the language, and have never given

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-59731435406812949212010-05-23T23:54:00.000-04:002010-06-08T18:09:54.138-04:00

By ClassicBecky All of us remember particular scenes in movies that touched, surprised, made us laugh or made us cry.  Here are three of my favorites.  What are some of yours? The Hunchback of Notre Dame, starring Charles Laughton as the tragic Quasimodo, has two scenes that I have never forgotten.  In the first scene, Quasimodo has been unjustly accused of wrongdoing, lashed to a whipping post

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-38355096907251213182010-05-23T22:42:00.000-04:002010-06-08T18:13:09.184-04:00

By ClassicBecky I don’t like baseball, but I love movies about baseball. You see all the good parts without the long, boring stretches. The same may be true for many people regarding ballet. Even if you would not spend an evening at the ballet, there are three movies about ballet that I believe are movie-making at its best. The Red Shoes (1948) is probably the most famous of ballet-themed

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-32760825709662762012010-05-23T22:32:00.000-04:002010-06-08T18:14:03.156-04:00

By ClassicBecky I would not be able to write about Moulin Rouge without surrounding the words with the works of the great genius Henri de Toulouse Lautrec. His life needed little embellishing for John Huston to create a movie about the greatness and tragedy of this artist. Lautrec recorded his own life in watercolor, oils and sketches. In 1952, John Huston and cinematographer Oswald Morris

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-77116981974374098502010-05-23T22:20:00.000-04:002010-06-17T20:01:01.941-04:00

By ClassicBecky I have always loved wax museums. They are out of style now, few and far between, but when I find one I revel in the quiet, creepy atmosphere created by the still wax figures with life-like eyes that seem to follow you as you move. It may be hard to find a real wax museum, but I can always visit the best one ever put on film by watching The House of Wax. Vincent Price, creepy wax

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-83664621598518501492010-05-22T15:22:00.000-04:002010-06-20T01:59:06.088-04:00

By ClassicBecky From the first line -- "Call me Ishmael" -- to the last -- "I only am escaped, alone, to tell thee" -- Moby Dick haunted my imagination and my dreams. Warner Brothers' 1956 production, directed by John Huston, with screenplay by Huston and Ray Bradbury, captures the soul of Herman Melville's 1851 novel about obsession and the demigod-complex that feeds it. There are some

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-90755032645073389412010-05-21T10:18:00.000-04:002010-06-20T06:34:12.478-04:00

By ClassicBecky In May of 1944 the United States was embroiled in the dark days of World War II. After 2 ½ years of war, grief and fear of the future, American audiences chose as their favorite movie a little film which helped them remember what life is ultimately about -- love of God, love of people, humor in the midst of difficulty, ordinary human beings living each day as it comes. Going My

ClassicBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6969235851384102162.post-77841369475768804512010-05-21T01:00:00.000-04:002010-06-20T06:32:02.711-04:00

By ClassicBecky By 1947, Tyrone Power was an established star best known for his romantic and swashbuckling roles, an extremely handsome matinee idol. However, like many actors since the inception of motion pictures, he wanted to break out and do some serious acting in a serious role. In 1946, he appeared in W. Somerset Maugham’s “The Razor’s Edge” in the role of Larry Darrell, a young man

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221B Baker Street, London, has seen many occupants come and go since the 19th century, all of whom are named Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was the author of more than just stories about a detective...he was the originator of a cultural fascination that has made its way through books, movies, radio and television. Holmes and Watson have been portrayed by many actors in

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By ClassicBecky I believe that many classic movie lovers fear the same thing I do, namely, political correctness.  I remember a few years ago when the United States Postal Service released an honorary stamp in tribute to the great blues artist Robert Johnson.  The most famous picture of Johnson that we have is of him looking into the camera holding his guitar and smoking a cigarette.  The Postal

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By ClassicBecky For those who are old enough to remember Carol Burnette's movie spoofs, the above was the title for one her best. The actual movie is 1950's Born To Be Bad, and it did indeed live up to its name. Miscasting, an unbelievable storyline and melodrama to the nth degree made this movie, in my opinion, one of the great turkeys of all time. Even a cast of solid, talented actors could

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By ClassicBecky In my part of the country, October is a magical month. The coming of All Hallow’s Eve with its mix of the profane and the divine, October winds moaning and sighing through the trees in the dark of night, sudden storms of lightning and thunder and cold rain –- could there be a more perfect time for a movie of terror and suspense? If you don’t have such weather, you can experience

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By ClassicBecky Are you a classic film lover but don’t think you really like classical music? Think again! You have been listening to music by Peter Tchaikovsky, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Robert Schumann and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, right along with the great movie composers, including Bernard Hermann, Max Steiner, Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Miklos Rosza. Korngold and Rosza can really be classified

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ClassicBecky here.  Welcome to all lovers of literature and music.  As you can no doubt see, Sherlock Holmes movies and literature are a special favorite of mine.  Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are closest to my heart as the consummate characterization of Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective Sherlock Homes and friend Dr. Watson. There have been other wonderful portrayals of Holmes, notably

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