CMBA Spring Blogathon…

source: MGM

Well, well, well…..it feels good to be back!

If you all recall, back in early 2020 I took a brief hiatus from writing here on AGAM to focus on other writing gigs I had at the time. But, due to my love of classic films (plus my bone to pick with Comcast for putting TCM with sports for some reason,) I’ve decided to brush off my boots and continue sharing my love and knowledge of classic films with you all!

What better way to kick start my return to writing than with another wonderful CMBA blogathon.

Due to the spread of COVID-19 and the immediate shutdown of the large swaths of the country, many people are stuck inside their homes for extended periods of time.

A lot people will use TV and movies as a way to escape their woes, sort of like comfort food.

source: Woman’s Day

In fact, at least in my head, there are certain classic films that you can equate to comfort food as well.

So, for this blogathon I’ll be counting down my top five favorite ‘Classics for Comfort,’ in no particular order.

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Number 5: High Society 1956

source: MGM

Ahhh, yes. What better way to comfort your soul then with a quintessential MGM movie musical.

High Society has always been one of my favorite films. It holds a special place in my heart because it was the last movie Grace Kelly filmed before she left Hollywood and moved to Monaco to take on a new role of mother and princess.

I also really enjoyed the smooth jazz sounds of Louis Armstrong and his band that permeated throughout the film. Another great thing about this movie are the performances from the leads: Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, and last but never least Frank Sinatra.

The chemistry between the three was splendid and provided an abundance of laughs as the movie progressed.

I never get tired of this film, and it is absolutely the perfect way to spend an afternoon.

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Number 4: Sunday In New York 1963

source: MGM

Sunday in New York is a cute movie. It stars a fairly young Jane Fonda and a very handsome Rod Taylor in what is essentially the battle of the sexes.

Fonda plays a young professional who broke up with her boyfriend after he pressured her to go all the way before she was ready. To keep it short, she runs into Rod Taylor’s character on a bus and by the end of the movie’s many, many, many twists and turns they end up falling in love.

One, we need to look at this withtin the context of the 1960s.

This era, wasn’t the best for women to say the least so it’s very possible that making light of a topic such a pressuring a woman to have relations before she’s ready wouldn’t sit well with a lot of people.

Quite frankly, even I did some soul searching before putting this film on the list because I wasn’t quite sure if it was appropriate. But, I came to the conclusion you have to view it through the lenses of history and take it for what it is: a romantic comedy with 1960s ideals and a trends that wouldn’t be right now in 2020.

That being said, the film does give us gorgeous shots of New York City in the 1960s and I might say Rod Taylor is very funny in the movie as well.

So all in all, I really enjoy the film and it’s, ironically, become one of my go-to’s on Sunday evenings – it’s fitting, haha.

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Number 3: Ocean’s 11 1960

source: Warner Bros

Glitz! Glamour! Vegas!

1960s Oceans’s 11 is one of my favorite films of all time. I mean, what more can you ask for? Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Dean Martin and the rest of the Rat Pack planning a major heist under the sparkling lights of Las Vegas.

The movie looks beautiful. The way director Lewis Milestone shot the film immediately immerses you into a time where Vegas was the number one entertainment spot in the country.

Couple that with the soundtrack the movie provides us with, including my favorite sung by Dean Martin, and Ocean’s 11 will leave you feeling with a great sense of nostlagia.

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Number 2: Funny Face 1957

source: Paramount Pictures

“Bonjour, Paris!”

Funny Face made me want to travel to Paris, become an author, and find love while I’m there. It’s not just a movie musical, it’s an experience. From the music, to the dancing, the plot, the wonderful array of color schemes that we see in the film, it’s an absolute treat to watch.

Audrey Hepburn’s on screen chemistry with Fred Astaire is one for the history books. The way they went from strangers, to friends, to lovers all under the lights, sounds and smells of the City of Love, is enough to make anyone swoon.

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Number 1: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers 1954

source: MGM

Last but not least, we have Seven Brides for Seven Brothers from 1954.

Where do I begin?

This is the first classic film I bought on DVD, if that tells you anything; I have a serious affinity for this movie. MGM movie musicals are basically chicken soup for the soul: the plot isn’t complicated, you know what’s going to happen and the songs are out of this world.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is no different.

Starring Howard Keel and Jane Powell, the film tells the story of the Pontipee brothers in 1850s Oregon territory looking for, well, wives.

Stanley Donen, masterfully crafted this in a way where watching it is not only easy on the eyes, but you’re in awe of how the way the scenes were filmed.

Take this scene for example:

The choreography is extraordinarily difficult! The actors pulled it off seamlessly, but without the eye catching direction of Donen it wouldn’t have looked the same.

I really do love this film, I have it on DVD so whenever I’m feeling down or stressed I pop it into my DVD player and let my mind relax a bit.

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All of these films hold a special place in my heart and they truly do make me feel warm when I’m going through a particularly rough time.

For all of you stuck inside due to COVID-19, I hope that my list could cheer you up a bit! I really mean it! ❤

Come say “Hi” to me on twitter! Here!

If you would like to read the other submissions in this blogathon, click: here.

Goodbye? Well, not for long…

source: Holiday 1938

Hello all!

It’s been a while, now, hasn’t it?

These last few months have been pretty life changing.

I left my job at my University’s newspaper, began to freelance properly part time and luckily got a gig covering my local soccer team for a nationally recognized sports site.

Unfortunately due to my schedule, my blog has more or less taken a back seat. I feel quite bad about this because I absolutely adore classic films, so taking this hiatus is pretty bitter.

You can always find me on Twitter and I’ll pop in occasionally to read some of my favorite blogs as well.

I’ll be back soon!

Love you all.

Katharine Hepburn Is Better Than You

source: Me!

Ahhh, the summer. There’s nothing better than kicking back, planning vacations and seeing them come to fruition.

This past summer I was fortunate enough to take a trip to D.C and tour through the National Mall. Between feasting on artisan burgers and sipping on bubble tea, I squeezed a trip to the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.

source: https://www.si.edu

Initially I was a bit hesitant to visit this particular museum; seeing as though I’m a bit of a history nerd I wanted to see actual artifacts not necessarily art work.

I was hilariously wrong.

When I walked inside I was taken back at how many brilliant paintings and sculptures I saw. From Presidential portraits to Barbie figurines, the National Portrait Gallery is arguably the most underrated museum there is in the National Mall.

The thing that shocked me the most during my visit was Katharine Hepburn‘s Oscar collection.

After my squealing calmed down after 3 minutes I was able to bask in the history of these four statues.

On Golden Pond, The Lion in Winter, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and Morning Glory are all represented here through Katharine‘s four Academy Awards.

We all know that Katharine Hepburn was one of a kind and it was pretty moving to see her awards in the flesh.

All four of the films that she won her Oscars for are absolutely brilliant, with Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner be a favorite of mine.

If you get a chance to visit America’s Nation’s capital I highly recommend stopping by the National Portrait Gallery, you never know what other classic Hollywood memorabilia you’ll find.

To read more entries into this blogathon, click: here.

AGAM Emergency Post: I WANT MY TCM

Hello all.

Hope you’re having a wonderful Saturday, I, for one, am not.

Just yesterday I found out that my cable service Comcast has moved TCM to what appears to be a ‘More Sports and Entertainment’ package. Understandably I was absolutely livid when I found out about the decision.

TCM and I have been inseparable since high school, and to have it suddenly pulled from my daily viewing availability is…..quite infuriating.

Of course like any good late millennial, I immediately went to Twitter to see what other Comcast having, TCM viewers were going through.

Predictably, Comcast’s decision was met with a ton of upset customers and miffed streamers. It looks as if TCM tried to remedy the situation by replying to angry consumers with a link that leads them to other cable packages that cost significantly less than what Comcast is offering.

Comcast, naturally, attempted to fix the situation by frantically direct messaging anyone who tweets angrily about the situation.

How will this be fixed?

Well, either Comcast returns TCM to its basic cable package, or they’ll see a mass exodus of customers leaving to other cable platforms.

I have a feeling this incident is far from over.

Classic Film Reviews: Funny Face 1957

source: Paramount Pictures

Paris has always been a city I’ve dying to visit for a long time; the art, the culture and the food would all make a trip to the French capitol worth while.

In 1957’s Funny Face starring Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire, Hepburn’s character Jo Stockton goes through a similar love affair with Paris as well.

Being plucked out of obscurity by fashion magazine editor Maggie Prescott, played by Kay Francis, in order to usher in a new era of “intelligent and beautiful,” Jo goes on a whirlwind makeover that see her go from mousy librarian, to high fashion cover model.

source: Paramount Pictures

While undergoing her transformation she meets and slowly but surely falls in love with photographer Dick Avery, played by Fred Astaire.

Initially she treats him like any other woman would a man who made unwanted advances, but when Dick subverts her expectations she gradually lets her heart get carried away.

Luckily for Jo, Dick appeases her every whim and desire, even going as far as going to underground clubs to discuss the inner workings of the human psyche with philosophers.

source: Paramount Pictures

Slowly but surely, Dick and Jo start to fall in love, and this coincides with Jo’s professional modeling career taking off.

Hell, there’s even a huge musical number celebrating their love for Paris in “Bonjour Paris!”

But, as always in typical Hollywood fashion….something goes a’muck. Jo and Dick get into an argument over something pretty trivial ( another man, what else is new) which causes the budding new relationship to strain.

source: Paramount Pictures

As Jo and Dick continue to fight, Dick makes plans to leave the country due to Jo’s extracurricular escapades. Eventually Jo makes a complete 180 but not until Dick takes a taxi to the airport.

At his terminal, he runs into the man that Jo was with and he learns that Jo attacked him refused his advances and that’s when the light bulb goes of in Dick’s head.

Dick makes his way back to the year end fashion show where Jo is supposed to be wearing her statement piece. But according to Maggie, it’s revealed that Jo ran back to the place where they shared their first romantic moment: a church where Dick first photographed her in a wedding dress.

They inevitably make up while serenading each other with “S’Wonderful” thus erasing any bad blood between them.

source: Paramount Pictures

Funny Face is absolutely an incredible movie. It’s visuals, acting and on location shooting makes for a wickedly entertaining ride.

Stanley Donen most definitely had the magic touch when it came to movie making. The film is every pre convieved notion you had about Paris and more.

The Bohemian intellectuals, the fashion, the art, and the food, all the while you fall in love with the person of your dreams.

What’s not to like?

If you get a chance be sure to give this flick another spin, you’ll probably catch some things you missed the first time!

*****Author’s note*****

I apologize for being MIA for a month and a half. School has been quite stressful and my job at the school’s newspaper has given me extra ‘food’ on my plate.

Since my time is starting to free up, I’ll be able to post a lot more regularly. This means more intriguting behind the scenes stores I can bring you all!

Thanks again!

• Alex

Summer Under The Stars Blogathon…

Ava and Lena were surprisingly very good friends.

In Hollywood, it isn’t uncommon to find friendships that pleasantly surprise you.

One of these close duos happen to be the unlikely paring of Ava Gardner and Lena Horne.

Much has been heard about these two, and we all know about that infamous “battle” for a coveted role in Showboat. But, if you were to go behind the scenes and take a deep dive into these two women, you’ll see that they were quite possible the closest pair of friends you’d ever meet.

Showboat 1951

As part of the Summer Under the Stars lineup, TCM has dedicated two separate days for both Lena Horne and Ava Gardner. Airing on the 6th and 8th respectively, Gardner and Horne have much more in common that most people would be led to believe.

After movie shoots, Ava and Lena would go to each other’s apartments, drink, laugh, and tell stories of sleazy co-stars that tried to hit on them.

Ava would tell Lena how difficult it was up-holding the status of being a sex symbol and Lena would open up about the struggles of being a light skin black actress in a notoriously prejudiced Hollywood.

There were even times where Lena, being the brilliant singer that she was, would help Ava sing her way through her own recordings in order to help her prepare for the role of Julie LaVerne in Showboat.

Ava Gardner, Stevie Wonder and Lena Horne

Both of these women have incredible bodies of work and I urge you all to check out at least a couple of their films. They both persevered and fought through the crazy system that was the Hollywood golden age.

It’s only fitting that they were best friends.

The Blistering on-screen Romance of Clark Gable and Joan Crawford

source: MGM

If you know anything about classic Hollywood, then you know that on set romances are as common as chain smoking.

People made up, broke up and repeated the process all over again.

In the case of Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, they did all of things – and then some.

Perhaps the most infamous couple is Hollywood history (besides Brad and Angelina) Joan and Clark had a long history of lust filled glances, late night phone conversations, and on set dalliances.

It first started all the way back in 1931 with Dance, Fools, Dance. Crawford‘s star was quickly rising in Hollywood and Gable was struggling to find his footing on the silver screen. It wasn’t until Crawford specifically chose Gable to star alongside her that his career really started to kick into gear.

“it was like an electric current went through my body…my knees buckled…if he hadn’t held me by the shoulders, I’d have dropped.”

– Crawford on meeting Gable for the first time

The production of this movie went pretty swiftly, and after filming ended, Crawford wanted to work with Gable again.

The next project they worked on was 1931’s Laughing Sinners. It wasn’t a memorable film, but Gable and Crawford continued to get to know one another. I will say that it is an enjoyable film and I hope I get to watch it again someday.

For all the flirtatious looks they had on set with this movie, it doesn’t compare to the blazing fire that they sent into overdrive on their next movie, Possessed.

source: MGM

This is where Hollywood lore was made.

By this point, Gable‘s star was rising and he was a hot commodity. Crawford was a bonafide star, at this point she was dubbed the ‘Queen of Hollywood.’

So, what happens when you combine a handsome young actor with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars?

Well…, let’s just say that many things were exchanged between the two, in more ways than one.

Here’s a quote from Crawford on how she felt about Gable during this time:

“In the picture, we were madly in love. When the scenes ended, the emotion didn’t–we were each playing characters very close to our own.”

– Joan Crawford, from Clark Gable by Chrystopher J. Spicer

While filming Possessed their affair become public knowledge, and naturally the MGM studio higher ups weren’t too pleased with this. Gable and Joan‘s affair nearly turned Hollywood on its head

It got to the point where Louis B Mayer requested that the two stop their romance. Of course, they didn’t comply and Mayer then threatened to destroy their careers.

Eventually they did separate after enough pressing from studio heads, but they didn’t quit seeing each other.

According to some sources, they continued to fool around even while they were married to other people.

Not my cup of tea, but I digress.

In the end, the couple never stopped loving each other, and it shows when Joan talked about him after Gable‘s death.

“Lovemaking never felt with anyone like what it did with Clark.”

– Joan Crawford, from Joan Crawford: The Essential Biography by Lawrence J. Quirk & William Schoell

If that isn’t love, then I don’t know what it.

An Ode to Doris Day

1922-2019

When I heard the news that Doris Day passed away, I initially believed it was a hoax.

The news was so baffling that I strangely thought that maybe it had been a mistake.

Unfortunately, it was very real and my heart couldn’t contain the heartache that it went through. Doris was one of the first actresses I got into when i first started watching classic films, so to hear that she finally went to be with the big guy upstairs hurt me quite a bit.

Pillow Talk, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Please Don’t Eat the Daises were some of the first films I bought on blu-ray thanks to her.

Her movies opened the door to a world of romantic comedies, and eventually this lead me to discover her music and discography. Not only was Doris extraordinarily charming on screen, she also had a lovely voice.

Most of Doris‘ movies were also horribly overlooked.

I actually remember reading on one TCM discussion board that someone didn’t bother checking out her movies cause they felt too “Saturday mornings at your grandmother’s house.”

Baffling.

Not only is this statement off base, I wish the user well, but that’s grossly misunderstanding the power of Day‘s movies.

She could act, very well, actually. Even though most of her movies were considered to be “friendly” they were never boring.

In fact she added an extra dimension to all of her performances, that’s why she was also so adept at transitioning to serious roles like Midnight Lace, The Man Who Knew Too Much and Love Me or Leave Me– masterpieces.

Doris Day was one of a kind and with each year that passes, we lose classic Hollywood stars. Ms. Day‘s life personified the longevity of these movies.

One can only hope that her movies and music are celebrated for another 97 years.

10 Questions With Grace Kelly

source: The Hollywood Reporter

As you may know, Grace Kelly left Hollywood to marry Prince Rainier the third of Monaco. This decision was met with elation by many, but, there are also people who wonder: “what would’ve happen if Grace never left Hollywood?”

This popped into my head recently due to an assignment I had during my mass communications class at university.

We had to pick any person in history and ‘ask them’ ten questions that would provoke a breaking news headline.

Here are my 10:

1. What was it like on your wedding day?
2. Were you nervous marrying into a royal family?
3. Do you still keep in contact with any of your ex co-stars?
4. If so, who is the one you spoke with most recently?
5. Do you ever want to get back into acting?
6. Do you think about how your life may be different had you continued acting?
7. What would you do if Alfred Hitchcock gave you the opportunity to come out of retirement?
8. Would you accept his offer?
9. What if one of your three children wanted to go into acting?
10. How do feel about the shift in social attitudes since your twenties?

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As you can tell, these are questions that I’m sure every classic film fan would love to hear the answers to.

I often wonder what it would’ve been like had Grace returned to the silver screen. But alas, all we have are pipe dreams and daydreams to keep us satiated.

I’ll leave with with this: a letter correspondence between Hitchcock and Grace when the former offered the role as ‘Marnie’ in the movie title of the same name.

Grace’s letter to Hitchcock

Hitch’s rather…curt response

CMBA Spring Blogathon…

When talking about the quintessential classic Hollywood femme fatale, I’d be remiss not to mention what is arguably the most recognizable character of the genre.

Released in 1946 and directed by Charles Vidor, Gilda is with out a doubt, considered one of the best film noirs of all time.

With its shiny glamour shots and acting that would rival even the most dedicated method actors, Gilda will always have a place among the film noir greats. What makes this movie so memorable, is the dress wearing, hair flipping charm of Rita Hayworth‘s title character, Gilda.

source: Columbia Pictures

Sultry, sexy, and dangerous are just a couple words to describe Rita in this role. A shy woman in real life, according to Rita herself, her performance as Gilda is one of the greatest of all time (don’t fight me on this, haha.)

In the film, Gilda is quite cunning, she has most men wrapped around her finger, there’s also a level of manipulation on her part as well. Her leading man in the film, played excellently by Glenn Ford, has this love hate relationship with her.

As the movie continues, we see that Johnny and Gilda had a history together and there are times where we see it get pretty volatile. Gilda openly flirts with men to get Johnny riled up, but on the inside she always loved him.

But, even at the end of the film, Johnny grows power hungry and uses his new found wealth and influence to hurt Gilda for everything she’s put him through.

source: Columbia Pictures

Fortunately at the end, the pair reconcile, but Gilda essentially drives Johnny to go crazy – emotionally, physically and mentally. That’s the great thing about this movie. Not only does it look stunning, it also has some of the best acting of Hayworth’s career.

Gilda knew what she was doing, maybe to a fault, and perhaps that hurt her in the end.

If that isn’t a femme fatale, then I don’t know what is.

If you like to read more entries on this blogathon, click: here 🙂