Pre-code Hollywood Movies: The drama, the glamour, the acting!

The Women (1939)

My favorite movie from 1939 is the movie "The Women"!  It was directed by the great George Cukor.  The one liners in this movie are still hilarious to this day!  Don't even bother with the remake made because it is awful.  This movie stars only women - no men in the movie - but the movie is all about men!  It always makes me laugh to see this movie.  Joan Crawford took the role of Kristen Allen, and did a good job playing a villain!  She really revamped her slumping career by taking this role.  Here is a video with a few of the great lines from the movie, which was made after the success of the play on Broadway.

Cute 1930's Song

It has been quite a while since I have posted but my love for the 1920's, 30's, and 40's has not changed!  I came across this cute little musical number starring the adorable Janet Gaynor who was a very famous actress who made her start in silent films and made a great transition to talkies.  She actually was the first to ever receive an Oscar for Best Actress in 1927. 

Gaynor was also married to the fabulous designer Adrian (see blog post on Adrian)! 

This little song gives me hope to keep holding on with courage that someday I will meet somebody from somewhere for me.  :) 

The Great Gatsby: Redford vs. DiCaprio

Today I saw "Gatsby", the one out in theaters.  To be perfectly blunt, the best thing about the modern version is the soundtrack - namely, the song "Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey.  The song appears throughout the movie in different versions but nonetheless the lyrics and voice of the singer are hauntingly beautiful.  Here is the YouTube of the song:

 

Now, I have to admit, as a die hard classic movie lover, I am prone to enjoy more of the movies made in the old days.  The version "The Great Gatsby" made in 1974 and starring the drop dead hot (young) Robert Redford is my favorite.  I almost did not go see this new modern version because I did not think Leonardo DiCaprio could portray a good Gatsby.  For starters, look below: 

 

 

Redford is yes, better looking than DiCaprio, but he also was a great actor...something I do not think DiCaprio is.  This is my personal opinion, but if you want to debate then you better go back and look at some Redford's old films such as "Barefoot in the Park"  or "This Property is Condemned."  Redford just possessed a charm and the believability of a war-time hero that DiCaprio never could.  To me, Redford IS the character "Gatsby." 

 

 

Here are some more photos from the 1974 version: 

 

 



 

 



 

I do think Carey Mulligan did a fabulous job of playing the innocence, fragility, and ultimate frivolity of Daisy.  She was great in several scenes.  Also, the fashion in the movie was great!  The costume designer actually modeled his designs from Clara Bow, the famous "It girl" of the silent movies of the 1920's.  Notice the scarves.  Interestingly, F. Scott Fitzgerald described Clara Bow as the "first original flapper."

 I highly recommend checking out the movie "It" starring Clara Bow if you like "The Artist" or are interested in 1920's culture and fashion.  She was a truly great actress and mostly forgotten by Hollywood once "talkies" became the norm.

 

 

 

 

 

So, all in all, it was a good movie to watch, but the song "Young and Beautiful"  added more depth to the picture than the imagery, acting, or plot. 

 

I liked the ending, in which they summed up the eventual characters of Daisy and Tom.  I especially liked how they typed the excerpts directly from Fitzgerald's book on the screen and ended with this one: 

 

"They were careless people, Tom and Daisy - they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money of their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made."  F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Cha. 9

 

Fitzgerald himself is an interesting character to learn about.  I personally feel he modeled the character Daisy after his wife Zelda, who was eventually committed to a sanitarium and died there...but I will save a discussion about him for a different post.  However, to end, I think it appropriate to end with the man who created this beautiful tale - here is a picture of F.Scott Fitzgerald, one of the great American writers from the 1920's jazz age and whose work, we can see, lives on. 

 



(September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940)

 



Photo Credit to Mad Men/AMC 2013

 

 

Why do I love Mad Men so much?  Not just because Don Draper is smokin hot but because it is a modern program that transports me to the late 1950's! I love it!  If you don't watch Mad Men I highly suggest you check it out! 



Classic Stars at Their Vanities

 

To begin, this is the type of vintage vanity I would like to have some day!  Isn't it beautiful?  I have always liked the idea of a women having her own personal area to get ready.  Isn't that part of the fun?  Such vanities were common in the 1930's, 40's, and 50's for women at home.  Back then I feel like femininity was more celebrated and women really embraced it.  That is one of the reasons I love old movies!  Scroll down to see pics of famous film stars at their vanities!

Jean Harlow

 

Elizabeth Taylor

 

Marilyn Monroe

 

 

Above are some of Marilyn Monroe's own personal cosmetic products by the brand that still exists today, Erno Laszlo.  The above items were sold at auction several years ago for a hefty sum.  If you look above at the first photo of Marilyn at her vanity you can see some Erno Laszlo products on her vanity! 



Garbo: The Two-Faced Woman