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

What Would Joan Do? A Post About The Joan Crawford

Where to start with Joan Crawford?  Her career spanned over 5 decades.  She always reinvented herself.  This is a an actress of many faces.  Originally,  I refused to even watch any Joan Crawford movies because I had seen that movie "Mommie Dearest" in which Joan is displayed as an abusive mother.  I say "displayed" because there is much controversy about whether it is actually true.  Her adopted daughter who wrote the book, Christina Crawford, has been accused of lying in the book or exaggerating to make money and most importantly it seems, to ruin her mother's image.  Clark Gable and many others came to Joan's side after she died and this book was published.  Christina herself even admitted the "wire hangers" seen in the movie was exaggerated.  I personally think she was a spoiled little brat who was jealous of her star of a mother.  Maybe she did get disciplined but I hardly think it was child abuse.  

Anyhow, my curiosity got the best of me and I watched my first Joan Crawford movie "The Damned Don't Cry" (1950) and I was hooked!  The way she spit out those lines.  Those eyes that expressed everything without saying a word.  The fashion!  Joan was always dressed to the nines even when running errands.  She said:  

"I never go outside unless I look like Joan Crawford the movie star.  If you want to see the girl next door, go next door."   


Haha!  I LOVE it!  

To me, Joan Crawford is the epitome, the very definition of a movie star.  If you just watch some of  her movies, you will really see what raw talent she had.  Here are a few scenes from my favorite Joan Crawford movies.  I will update this blog with more info about Joan's humble beginnings (understated), her career, her lovers, and of course her ever evolving sense of style.  

Mildred Pierce (1945)

* Joan won the Oscar for Best Actress for this movie, Mildred Pierce.

The Bride Wore Red (1937)

Gratuitous Favorite Joan Crawford Youtube Video

 

 

My Dream Car

1955 Mercedez Benz 190 SL

Pictured here in from the movie "High Society" (1956) with Grace Kelley and Frank Sinatra 

Scarlett O'Hara's Beautiful Gowns from Gone with the Wind

David O. Selznick, the biggest producer in the Golden Age of Hollywood, directed Gone with the Wind.  I read somewhere that the film was over budget and it was suggested to cut the quality of the cast's costumes.  Selznick refused because he wanted to the actors to actually feel they were in that time period of the Civil War era and slacking on the costumes would have taken away from them embodying their characters.  Interesting.  Here are some photos from my favorite outfits Vivien Leigh (Scarlett) wears in the film. 

 

The Infamous Scarlet Red Dress She Wears to Ashley's Birthday

                The famous green dress she made from curtains to visit Rhett in jail.

I love the peach stone necklace she pairs with the dress.

         

This is high fashion back then in the early 1900s.

 The beautiful red robe she wears when she comes down to get a brandy and finds Rhett in the room drunk and angered with jealousy.