Have a good time learning about and watching these classic movies and if you can, buy the DVD! (You can keep movies alive and support this blog this way!)
DVD links will be added movie by movie - from where you can pick your own favorite one. (Isn't it wonderful to have your own?)
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Monday, July 21, 2014

Updates on the following posts

New Download and DVD links were added - 


The unholy three 1930
Born reckless 1930
Men without women 1930
Romance 1930
Abraham Lincoln 1930
Madam Satan 1930
Follow thru 1930
Young man of Manhattan 1930
The girl said no 1930
The sins of the children 1930
Fast and loose 1930
Viennese nights 1930
The return of Dr. Fu Manchu 1930
Monte Carlo 1930
Hook line and sinker 1930
Sin takes a holiday 1930

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Updates on the following posts

New Download and DVD links were added - 


Min and Bill  1930
The devil's holiday 1930
The divorcee 1930
Anna Christie 1930
Framed 1930
Paid 1930
The big trail 1930
The light of Western stars 1930
Tom Sawyer 1930
The Florodora girl 1930
Whoopee! 1930
Remote control 1930
Man to man 1930
Show girl in Hollywood 1930
Sarah and son 1930
Ladies of leisure 1930
Let us be gay 1930

Friday, July 4, 2014

Discussion

1953 (the nominees and the winner in alphabetical order):


Leslie Caron – Lili (Lili Daurier)
Ava Gardner – Mogambo (Eloise “Honey Bear” Kelly)
Audrey Hepburn – Roman holiday (Princess Ann) - WINNER
Deborah Kerr – From here to eternity (Karen Holmes)
Maggie McNamara – The moon is blue (Patty O’Neill)


1953 – My rankings:


1. Audrey Hepburn – Roman holiday


This performance is a fine, faultless character development from the young, enchanting Miss Hepburn. Though she had not to play Her Highness at all as she was the picture of a princess, yet she just shined naturally, without the smallest effort in every scene (especially in those ones when her character can forget who she really is for a day). This story could be about anybody; it doesn’t necessary that the person must be a princess being unsatisfied with her fate and obligations. Who doesn’t want to escape from their gloomy everyday life just to do and experience something else; so everyone can relate to this story and character. Sitting on the terrace of a cafĂ©, changing the hair-style, dancing on a romantic evening or just walking in the rain and falling in love in the meanwhile.
I put her in front of Leslie Caron because although both actresses managed to achieve character development – I so prefer – Miss Hepburn’s performance was more dramatic (and for me it is an essential condition of Oscar nomination and winning).
Three extraordinary rise above the others: the one is when after the dancing chaos we are in Joe Bradley’s room and the lovers are looking at each other for long then they fall into each other’s arms; the other one is when they say goodbye to each other in front of the palace in the car and the third one is at the end of the press conference. 

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2. Leslie Caron – Lili


Principally I could compare this performance to Shirley Booth’s from the previous year; it was so cute. But while Booth’s performance was captivating in its adult and dramatic manner, this had a childish, innocent appeal. Caron’s acting was very believable to me from beginning to end – this was much more a coming-of-age than Julie Harris’ performance also from the previous year. This movie was a short little “still life” that could entirely carry me away – we laugh and cry with the innocent Lili. The movie also showcases brilliantly what a ballerina-turned-actress was capable of in those classic years: her scenes as the waitress are little gems – first she moves awkwardly, then in her fantasy she transforms into a seductive waitress and woman from her mousy attitude. The last dance sequence is also full of emotions – what joy shines on her face when she discovers real love inside of her that differs from the sudden crush she felt for the Magician and that can only be expressed by dance so magnificently!

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The remaining three nominations are riddles to me and I put them in tie – all of them were uninteresting and not worth even the nomination:

Ava Gardner – Mogambo


Miss Gardner has incredibly good acting qualities – kind/chirping voice, impressive/sexy look, beautiful face – and she could use these to the maximum in this movie. Mogambo is a very silly movie with beautiful landscape scenery, so there is nothing much to expect from the performances. Gardner plays a jealous woman who is saved from escaping into desperation and self-pity only by her own sharp tongue and modern way of thinking, when her safari knight breaks up with her in the favor of the newly arrived, innocent looking blonde. Probably the lack of drama was the main reason that this character could not unfold, so that’s why it just stuck in a kind of mediocrity that is not worthy of an Oscar nomination. The only better performance is by Grace Kelly who was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category but lost to Donna Reed.

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Deborah Kerr – From here to eternity  


It is obvious that this performance was nominated due to the film’s popularity and not because this was something outstanding. Nothing extra, no change in emphasis, no character development – absolutely one-dimensional, almost boring performance. It is true that Miss Kerr played real “lady-like” characters before this and this one (the slut cheating on his husband whenever she has the chance) meant a turning point in her career; but it was not enough for an Oscar nomination.

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Maggie McNamara – The Moon is blue


The character of a talkative, slightly jolly yet outspoken young woman really suited this Audrey Hepburn look-alike actress, but unfortunately it remained as uninteresting as the film itself. She played the character with no depth or scope; she just rattled off her lines as they were written. And that’s it.

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Updates on the following posts

New Download and DVD links were added - 


Judge Hardy's children 1938
The rules of the game 1939
Daybreak 1939
Zorro's fighting legion 1939
The story of the last chrysanthemum 1939
Only angels have wings 1939
The old maid 1939
Dark victory 1939
Love affair 1939
Stanley & Livingston 1939
Drums along the Mohawk 1939
Dodge City 1939
The little princess 1939
Son of Frankenstein 1939
Jesse James 1939
Juarez 1939
Intermezzo 1939
Gulliver's travels 1939
The rains came 1939
The Mikado 1939
Babes in arms 1939
City girl 1930
The dawn patrol 1930
Hell's angels 1930

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Updates on the following posts

New Download and DVD links were added - 


Angels with dirty faces 1938
Holiday 1938
Alexander Nevsky 1938
The human beast 1938
The lady vanishes 1938
Pygmalion 1938
The baker's wife 1938
Port of shadows 1938
The dawn patrol 1938
Flash Gordon's trip to Mars 1938
Block-heads 1938
J'accuse 1938
The citadel 1938
If I were king 1938
A slight case of murder 1938
Boys town 1938
Merrily we live 1938
They drive by night 1938
Four daughters 1938
Test pilot 1938
Mysterious Mr. Moto 1938
The drum 1938
Love finds Andy Hardy 1938