tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73991586556264240142012-01-19T07:22:04.893-05:00Musings on the Golden Age of Hollywood.C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.comBlogger2701100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-20866610671754934982011-12-24T06:20:00.005-05:002011-12-24T06:27:13.919-05:00

Merry Christmas to everyone from all of me us here at Hollywood Dreamland!

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-66980076232520873632011-11-22T12:39:00.002-05:002011-11-22T12:43:33.221-05:00

Yikes! Where have I been??? Anyway, just catching up with things during the holiday season, so here are some first thoughts on the recent PBS American Masters documentary on Woody Allen:Part one was two hours and while it's interesting to have an extensive interview with Woody, there just seems to be a glossing over of the content of his films. A movie every year for thirty five years will do

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-55539413476052848312011-10-09T05:34:00.012-04:002011-11-03T04:46:13.366-04:00

Seems to me that there’s a 1920s revival going on! Numerous movies and TV programs have been released that either feature or take place in the ‘20s and I find it all quite exciting! Looks like I picked the right time to become enamored with the first truly modern decade! It’s a refreshing alternative for retro aficionados not really interested in the early ‘60s Mad Men craze currently sweeping

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-9141729569881111532011-09-26T07:19:00.006-04:002011-10-04T12:42:33.774-04:00

Please pardon my obsession with this movie, but one of the best aspects of Midnight In Paris is its vivid recreation of 1920s artistic luminaries like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Salvador Dali, and Luis Buñuel is the tremendous performance of the heretofore unknown to me Corey Stoll. His take on Ernest Hemingway is rendered with affection and humor, and it's clear that writer-director Woody Allen

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-59183834052595711232011-09-23T08:22:00.015-04:002011-09-23T09:14:25.452-04:00

"The only way men can respond to a star is to gaze at it from their remote planet. And even when a star passes out of our sight in the sequence of orbits; we believe that it exists still and feel the gravitational pull it exerts." Over at Laura's Miscellaneous Blog and Matthew Coniam's Movietone News I was saddened to learn of the death of fellow blogger Gerald, aka Gordon Pasha. Gerald often

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-25344320561410177222011-09-20T09:03:00.027-04:002011-10-02T08:05:29.647-04:00

"Nostalgia is denial - denial of the painful present... the name for this denial is golden age thinking - the erroneous notion that a different time period is better than the one one's living in - its a flaw in the romantic imagination of those people who find it difficult to cope with the present."~Paul (Michael Sheen) in Midnight In ParisLegendary writer-director and Golden Age devotee Woody

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...at least I like to think so! Yesterday TCM featured French actor Jean Gabin (though NOT Quai des Brumes (1938), pictured above) by airing his films in its annual August Under the Stars showcase. Yes, I'm quite pleased! The poll results of last month's question, "Should TCM air more foreign films?" ended 19-16, with the yays edging the nays. If yesterday's Gabin marathon is any indication,

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-34715362493340404882011-08-15T08:07:00.010-04:002011-08-15T08:55:26.046-04:00

Holiday (1938; Dir. George Cukor) is among my all-time favorite movies, but while watching it this morning I noticed the boom microphone shadow across Lew Ayres' face. Ayres' performance, along with the rest of the cast, is impressive. The fact that Holiday is one of the most overlooked films of the Golden Age of Hollywood still baffles me. Perhaps it's due to it coming among Katharine Hepburn's

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-23986311762118765372011-08-14T06:32:00.007-04:002011-08-14T06:51:50.009-04:00

In another post, someone in the comments section mentioned Anna Magnani in The Fugitive Kind (1960). I had caught part of a scene when TCM aired this film a couple of weeks ago and was immediately interested in Anna Magnani's performance. I'm only familiar with her as being a Best Actress winner for The Rose Tattoo, but it's interesting that she was cast in Tennessee Williams adapatations,

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-80540212404017148712011-07-17T11:14:00.001-04:002011-07-17T11:59:04.448-04:00

Turner Classic Movies is the best place on TV to see classic, uncut movies. But seeing as there aren't any channels--at least in the US of A--dedicated to foreign and/or art films, why couldn't TCM expand the definition of classic film to include more foreign films in their schedule? TCM would be the best hope for this, since the Independent Film Channel (IFC) is crap, what with it being chock

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-75337721306408798042011-06-27T07:26:00.014-04:002011-06-28T15:47:12.949-04:00

“That’s so overrated!” “He’s/She’s so overrated!” “They’re overrated!”If I had a penny for every time I read or heard the word “overrated” as it relates to classic film, I’d be the world’s wealthiest--and therefore best--blogger.Overrated: To overestimate the merits of; rate too highly. I don’t know how this term came to such heavy usage. I associate it with people under thirty who happen to see

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-16825562718719267542011-06-17T07:40:00.004-04:002011-06-17T15:24:36.083-04:00

Here's your clue...the answer will be posted in the comments section of this post:He was the only actor in Hollywood who posed for more mug shots than publicity photos. The day his mother killed herself in 1960, [] was arrested for breaking down a woman's door and assaulting her boyfriend.His off-screen antics also continued, and in 1948 he served three months for breaking a student's jaw.

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-53539038342975691542011-06-03T11:50:00.009-04:002011-06-05T16:04:07.451-04:00

Fast and Loose (MGM, 1939; Director: Edwin L. Marin) is the second of three entries in the sleuthing saga of husband and wife rare book dealers Joel and Guarda Sloane. This one stars Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell as the sleuthing couple. The studio was still trying to replicate the success of their Thin Man series with a similar-themed married detective duo when their star, William

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-4553273671422229302011-05-27T08:08:00.006-04:002011-05-27T08:20:39.819-04:00

The #1 Oscar travesty of the Golden AgeDouble Indemnity fails to win Best Picture in 1944.It would help to get inside the Academy’s mindset in early 1945 in order to try and comprehend why one of the greatest of all crime dramas lost Best Picture to the relentlessly cheery and sentimental Going My Way.It was early 1945 and World War II was near its end. The Academy, wishing to send an “uplifting”

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-34873592069379560392011-05-26T07:04:00.001-04:002011-05-26T07:33:52.411-04:00

The #2 Oscar travesty of the Golden AgeHigh Noon fails to win Best Picture in 1952.The result of the 1952 Best Picture race was among the first that shocked me when I first learned of it so many years ago. It was 1990, and I had recently seen High Noon at my grandfather's recommendation. I was 18 or 19 and quite taken with High Noon's themes of courage and duty. I was especially impressed with

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-35706300995473332232011-05-25T07:49:00.004-04:002011-05-25T15:27:51.397-04:00

The #3 Oscar travesty of the Golden AgeDeborah Kerr NEVER wins.I’d love to have been a fly on the wall if Deborah Kerr and Glenn Close commiserated over their combined eleven Oscar losses. Somehow I think the talk would shift to more interesting subjects, but the point is made: these are the Best Actress bridesmaids of all time (honorable mention goes to Rosalind Russell).Until 1958, Kerr and

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-82347888614675980822011-05-24T08:38:00.003-04:002011-05-24T18:35:51.427-04:00

The #4 Oscar travesty of the Golden AgeKirk Douglas fails to win Best Actor, 1956.Whenever I think of the stage performance defeating a classic film performance, Yul Brynner’s Best Actor victory over Kirk Douglas immediately comes to mind. In fact, it’s my own personal “Poster Child” of that very phenomenon. I don’t think many share my view on this example, because Kirk Douglas has always been a

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-23674582605756886572011-05-23T08:54:00.002-04:002011-05-23T16:08:07.662-04:00

The #5 Oscar travesty of the Golden AgeJames Stewart fails to win Best Actor for It's a Wonderful Life.Forget the annual Christmas tradition, forget Clarence and his stinkin' wings, forget Gloria Grahame..oh, wait, scratch that last one...I'm a lukewarm admirer of Frank Capra. I'm an "everyman" kind of guy, but Capra laid the sticky sentiment on with a trowel, and sometimes I can't go near any of

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-23641586379801360782011-05-22T06:42:00.006-04:002011-05-22T06:59:47.385-04:00

Before the top five Golden Age Oscar travesties are unveiled, Let's take a moment to mention what didn't make it. This is because I don’t think of these as major travesties--though others might--yet somehow I felt the need to include them, just to let you know they were thought about, but not enough to be in the running.“Near travesties” considered for this list, but ultimately rejected:How Green

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-41781422647404042252011-05-21T10:51:00.004-04:002011-05-21T22:06:21.908-04:00

The #6 Oscar travesty of the Golden AgeBarry Fitzgerald’s nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for the same role in 1944.“Performances by an actor or actress in any supporting role may be nominated for either the Best Acting Award or the Award for Best Supporting Player.”~the Academy’s official rules circa 1944.Oh, so you can be lead and second banana?Barry Fitzgerald wasn’t a man

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The #7 Oscar travesty of the Golden AgeBette Davis fails to win Best Actress, 1950.I originally titled this entry "Judy Holliday wins Best Actress, 1950", but I love Judy Holliday and her turn as Billie Dawn in Born Yesterday is delightful; she was never better. It's probably the only reason this travesty isn't higher on the list. Why? Because I have this prejudice against actors who play a role

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-26715372722920267632011-05-19T07:19:00.005-04:002011-05-21T09:28:10.628-04:00

The #8 Oscar Travesty of the Golden AgeEdith Head fails to win the first Best Costume Design award in 1948.It may not seem such a travesty to you, but it most certainly is. Why? Edith Head was the greatest costume designer in movie history, with 35 nominations and eight victories. In terms of total dominance, only Walt Disney compares to Edith Head--in any category. Head is, ahem, Head and

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-71113223445934766342011-05-18T07:10:00.004-04:002011-05-18T11:13:18.664-04:00

The #9 Oscar Travesty of the Golden AgeLuise Rainier wins Best Actress Oscars in 1936 and 1937. Luise Rainier's consecutive Oscar wins were a blight on an otherwise glorious era of cinema. I honestly don't have much ire to vent about her win for The Great Ziegfeld. Yes, it's melodramatic and painful to watch, but the other nominees' performances didn't move me much, either. It didn't make me

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-66450278943604940992011-05-17T15:13:00.022-04:002011-05-17T19:41:42.369-04:00

The Golden Age of Hollywood was also the Golden Age of the Academy Awards, right? Ha! The sickening sneer you have on your face is matched by the one I have perpetually smeared on my own grubby mug as I scratch out my own personal Top Ten Oscar Travesties. However, before the series commences, I'd better lay down the ground rules.Only the Golden Age: For the purposes of this series, let’s just

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-341611532135996682011-05-10T08:27:00.012-04:002011-05-14T05:47:46.664-04:00

In looking back at just some of Disney’s 1970s live-action cinematic endeavors, this partial list alone reads like a Shakespearean tragedy:The Computer Wore Tennis ShoesBedknobs and BroomsticksSuperdadThe Shaggy D.A.Freaky FridayThe Apple Dumpling GangThe Apple Dumpling Gang Rides AgainThe Cat from Outer Space (both M*A*S*H commanders are in this: Harry Morgan and McLean Stevenson)The North

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-55367703054782658602011-05-08T05:25:00.013-04:002011-05-09T04:22:20.536-04:00

The death of actress Dana Wynter on May 5 probably got under the radar in light of other recent deaths, but I doubt the passing of a somewhat obscure performer, even one as lovely as Miss Wynter, would have gained much media coverage anyway.She's best known for her role in the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but my connection to her is through her various TV appearances, where she was

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-31894392577909348792011-04-20T08:03:00.008-04:002011-04-25T21:25:35.993-04:00

"My God. It was something devastating--and unreal--likethe beginning of the world--or the end of it--and I slogged and sloshed, crawled through ditches and hung on to keep going somehow--got drenched and bruised and scratched--completely bedraggled--finally got to where there was a working phone and called Dad."~Katharine Hepburn, recalling the September 21, 1938hurricaneThe first picture

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-40919285919525771202011-04-16T22:23:00.028-04:002011-10-24T18:01:19.408-04:00

Manhattan Murder Mystery (“MMM”), Woody Allen's 1993 film brings the “Husband & Wife Detectives” concept towards a contemporary time frame, but this being Woody Allen and this being a Golden Age blog (mostly), there’s nostalgia aplenty in this lightweight effort, so it’s just the kind of mystery-comedy we love. Besides, even my dearest enemies know I’m a longtime Woody Allen fan, so reviewing

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-25490459707336632582011-04-07T14:26:00.011-04:002011-04-16T14:30:16.857-04:00

If there's any release that can break Hollywood Dreamland out of its moribund state, it's April 12th's release of Tracy & Hepburn: The Definitive Collection! It's a ten-disc DVD set of all nine of their films together. This blog has long been a bastion of Kate and Spencer-friendly posts, and the news of this tremendous release will snap me out of my long, long funk. It's been a horrendous year

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-73538007410544617852011-03-08T08:17:00.007-05:002011-03-08T08:45:29.812-05:00

Here's Noir icon Robert Mitchum as Philip Marlowe in this Saturday Night Live spoof (aired November 14, 1987) of hardboiled detective films. It even begins with a variation on Mitchum's own opening monologue and music from 1975's Farewell, My Lovely which was reviewed on this very blog.Mitchum was as laconic an actor as there will ever be, but he had a mischievous-- or "mischievious", as my 12th

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-77946657746154775502011-02-25T05:26:00.011-05:002011-02-25T10:33:52.523-05:00

Here’s a stream-of-consciousness post that I refuse to refine or edit. Besides, it requires more work and would only blur my original train of thought anyway...I’ve always liked the rogue cop/detective/private eye genres. Aside from the action-oriented and individualist elements that inhabit these films, I get a sense of timelessness about them. I used to think that the only worthwhile detective

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-60960969098088178632011-02-12T05:40:00.007-05:002011-02-12T05:59:06.178-05:00

One of the best things about blogging is when someone comments on what you've written. 99% of the time it's something complimentary or encouraging, though it's often a way of plugging one's own site, which is how I've discovered many of the fine blogs I follow. However, every once in awhile there are comments left that amuse for all the wrong reasons. In June 2010, I posted the somewhat

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-7867790980160509872011-01-23T09:02:00.007-05:002011-01-23T09:31:50.843-05:00

Yikes! It's been awhile since I've posted, and for that my apologies. It's been an absolutely rotten start to the new year and it's already one I'd like to forget. I've developed a dim view of many things and can't remember a time I've felt so negatively about "stuff." On top of all that, my commments aren't being delivered to my gmail account-- what's the deal with that? However, the only way

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-56573624080793309912010-12-05T09:27:00.005-05:002010-12-05T21:27:00.168-05:00

John Cassavetes is Johnny Staccato! The 1959-60 TV series is out on DVD! Cassavetes is the title character, a struggling jazz pianist-turned private detective. I used to watch this back in 2004 when the TRIO channel aired it on its Brilliant But Cancelled theme. I'd known about the show for years and finally saw it then. John Cassavetes was great, the chicks were cute, the Crime Jazz was cool,

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-71870830425538898952010-11-10T14:40:00.002-05:002010-11-10T14:44:36.892-05:00

The 1939 Ginger Rogers-David Niven comedy, Bachelor Mother finally comes to DVD via the Warner Archive! I lovingly refer to the movie as "Get a blood test!", but it's a charming comedy with both Ginger and David Niven at their delightful peak. Seems that the only we classic movie folk can get our most-desired films on DVD is through these "made to order" programs. I was hesitant and skeptical

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-51812005172273771622010-10-28T15:22:00.007-04:002010-10-29T04:54:07.013-04:00

James MacArthur, one of the best-remembered TV sidekicks, has died at age 72. He's best known as detective Danny Williams in the original Hawaii Five-O. Here's a nice picture of him with Jane Fonda and Celeste Holm, in what looks to be the late '50s or early '60s. MacArthur was the son of stage and screen legend Helen Hayes, who adopted James when he was an infant. MacArthur grew up with showbiz

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-89202055091175516632010-10-12T09:03:00.008-04:002010-10-29T05:50:03.423-04:00

Without Love was originally a stage production about an American diplomat who comes to Washington, D.C. to persuade Ireland--neutral during WWII--to join the Allies by allowing English ships into Irish ports. The diplomat goes "undercover" as an Irish butler while staying with a wealthy American widow--Hepburn--who discovers his identity and offers to enter into a platonic marriage.The film is

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-89432571393828725772010-09-30T08:48:00.005-04:002010-09-30T09:03:48.335-04:00

Tony Curtis, 1925-2010I first became aware of Tony Curtis in 1997, when I became obsessed with his 1957 movie, Sweet Smell of Success. It had everything going for it, and Tony Curtis-as-Sidney Falco was a wonderful performance. Why he wasn't nominated for a Best Actor Oscar is beyond my ability to comprehend. As I mentioned in a previous post, I watched Sweet Smell of Success every Friday night

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-74862825607844908942010-09-21T07:21:00.005-04:002010-09-21T07:36:09.351-04:00

Mike Hammer must've spent hours marvelling over his wall-mounted, reel-to-reel answering machine in Kiss Me Deadly (1955)! I've been distracted as well, though not by gadgets. Seems I've spent the last few weeks in a big comic book mood and have neglected my blogging. I'm patiently waiting for the weather to cool down, the days to get shorter, and my attention span to grow longer as Fall--Florida

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-90095409677496423332010-09-04T05:48:00.007-04:002010-09-04T07:52:03.256-04:00

As soon as I saw these four statuettes standing side by side, I knew who their owner was... Katharine Hepburn, of course. These four symbols of career triumph--though meaning seemingly little to Kate--are on display at the Smithsonian. Her first Oscar, won for 1933's Morning Glory, is located on the far right. It's constructed of tin-plated bronze, whereas begininng in 1945, the Oscar was made of

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-52260852376706443962010-09-02T08:10:00.004-04:002010-09-02T15:17:49.921-04:00

In most of the northern hemisphere, Summer is coming to an end. But not here in South Florida, where it's 93 degrees Fahrenheit (or 34 Celsius or thereabouts) all of this changiness made me I realize that I've neglected Hollywood Dreamland for too long. This thought occurred to me when Patricia Neal died and I didn't write a single word in tribute to one of my favorite "dames." So I've put my

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-54361058035812613872010-08-30T06:50:00.005-04:002010-08-30T07:04:51.931-04:00

Never let it be said that we at HD don't honor requests. That is, we received our first (sort of) request this past week in Fluff..or Stuff?, which had Claudette "Sign of the Cross" Colbert as its main attraction. We're cleaning out the archive with the remaining bath photos we could find: Myrna Loy and another Colbert. I'm not certain which movie the Myrna pic came from. I haven't seen any of

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-86597594648408438912010-08-27T00:01:00.006-04:002010-08-29T12:47:44.631-04:00

A childhood friend of mine used to do a dead-on but foul-mouthed impression of William Holden. It wasn’t a putdown of the actor, but our own (twisted?) way of paying tribute to a cherished performer. And we had nothing but admiration for William Holden. Even as kids we saw the kind of power and restrained rage he brought to a role. Holden was never over-the-top or stagy, even if my friend’s

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-41983145066392622182010-08-25T08:41:00.004-04:002010-08-25T08:53:46.455-04:00

When it comes to blogging, I often wonder what people prefer to read--is it the in-depth, long-winded style entry with lots of personal opinions and some well-worn data? Or is the quickie post with a swell picture and a few pithy remarks better-suited to get you through your day? Whatever one's preference, it seems like the quicki-fun pic o' the day gets more comments--comments make this blog go

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-71193916109711366322010-08-22T13:31:00.004-04:002010-08-22T13:36:03.028-04:00

This is the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer alumni, circa 1944. Look at who's there! Kate Hepburn doesn't look too happy to be there. Robert Benchley's on the far right, third row; he'd be dead by the end of 1945. James Stewart's in his Army Air Force uniform and would be "playing soldier" for real. There are few notables missing, and it'd be more challenging to see who isn't there!

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-9151872877670913552010-08-17T06:59:00.003-04:002010-08-17T07:06:53.969-04:00

Turner Classic Movie's Summer Under the Stars is an addiction! They've earmarked August 20 as Katharine Hepburn's day and on top of that, they're playing many films from my favorite Kate era, the '30s and '40s! I've already reviewed Kate's performances in several of these movies and I'm long overdo in my review of Without Love (1945) (airs @10PM EST), which will hopefully be ready by the end of

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-20622980838123556942010-08-16T09:38:00.005-04:002010-08-16T09:51:07.569-04:00

The Warner Brothers Archive has come through once again, as on August 10th, they released a DVD on demand of Columbia Pictures' 1936 mystery-comedy, The Ex-Mrs. Bradford. The film, a Thin Man take off starring William Powell and Jean Arthur, was reviewed here in these very pages last August. I didn't exactly love the movie but most any film in what I call the Husband and Wife Detective genre is

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-22015613833644117582010-08-13T05:30:00.015-04:002010-08-13T06:10:19.580-04:00

Friday August 13 is Robert Ryan's turn in TCM's Summer Under the Stars. I'm thrilled at some of the films they've scheduled, especially those 1940s Westerns and 1973's The Outfit, which will find me up at 4am to watch--no fancy recording technology at this residence, folks! Ryan's day also reminds me that I should be horrified that he didn't make my top ten actors list earlier this year. I'm

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-73863279633084534942010-08-12T05:15:00.005-04:002010-08-12T05:23:33.085-04:00

Had a swellegant, elegant time in London even if I wasn't able to stay as long as I wanted and see as much as I'd have liked. Still, I had a tremendous time there--great weather, too--and was actually sad about coming home! I'm exhausted from jet lag but wanted to touch base again, as it's been awhile.As for Golden Age of Hollywood-related things, the Victoria & Albert Museum--do go if you get

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-58749817245945856392010-07-29T13:21:00.012-04:002010-08-02T18:47:14.070-04:00

In a previous post, we reviewed Katharine Hepburn's performance in the WWII drama/propaganda film, Dragon Seed. Today Film Score Monthly (FSM) has announced the release of Herbert Stothart's magnificent score to this film, in a 1000 copies-only limited edition. And it's in stereo which is a rarity indeed for a film of this age. Stothart's music is the best thing about Dragon Seed with its Far

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-2851135287246581032010-07-23T07:06:00.006-04:002010-07-23T07:31:33.253-04:00

I rarely need an excuse to post a 1930s photo of Joan Crawford, but with Tropical Storm Bonnie mere minutes away from the Florida coast, my thoughts turn to the memorable experience watching the 1932 film Rain, starring Crawford and Walter Huston. The purpose of this post is to put my thoughts down before I go and see the movie through adult, pre-Hays Office eyes. It'll be interesting to see if

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-65971058250397289762010-07-14T07:49:00.002-04:002010-07-14T08:01:33.001-04:00

Oops! I forgot to include these ads with the last post--Blogger is still unwieldy to me--and these I've had on my hard drive for years! Here's Ginger Rogers again, hawking makeup and that perennial, third-place cola, Royal Crown! I'd buy RC if it were ever available! I seem to dimly recall it being in the soda machine at the Whiting Hall public swimming pool (along with Frosty root beer)

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-50880226816216840592010-07-11T09:24:00.010-04:002010-07-11T13:10:52.289-04:00

Just as they do today, major motion picture stars shilled for products in the days of yore. It's especially noteworthy that the female actresses of the day were particularly prominent in product ads, as I'd imagine that much of their income could be derived from such work. There's no doubt that many stars, like Ginger Rogers, got the bulk of their cash from advertising work, whether for radio or

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-65684570663062856732010-07-01T08:11:00.006-04:002010-07-01T08:36:27.905-04:00

It's hard to believe that I've only seen one Linda Darnell movie, Fallen Angel (1945). She's certainly great looking and not a melodramatic sort by any stretch. I grew up knowing who she was because my movie-loving grandmother was quite a fan of her. And my grandmother, ever the cheery optimist, never failed to mention Darnell's tragic early death in a 1965 house fire. So, with that happy story

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-90573547535085769942010-06-21T08:48:00.009-04:002010-06-26T12:53:12.996-04:00

Despite the fact that Father of the Bride is among my favorite movies of all time, I’ve never been an Elizabeth Taylor fan. I truly believe that from the start of her career as a child star to the tabloid press’ obsession with her personal life, that Taylor has been a media creation from the very beginning. Yes, she’s an Oscar winning actress but are they movies that I’d ever want to sit through

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-12750990388059302442010-06-14T12:18:00.009-04:002010-06-18T10:37:04.380-04:00

There's a site out there EDIT: I've deleted the link because that weasel doesn't deserve a link--that has full posts and pictures from yours truly! I'm not talking about friendly links and plugs, but everything! I'm not against using images from other sources--we all do it--but this is bizarre. I'm not sure whether to be flattered or not. Whatever the case, it's there and that's that. I just wish

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-55589159310833766022010-06-04T00:12:00.004-04:002010-06-05T19:46:41.691-04:00

In last month's poll question: "Which actor most deserves a posthumous Academy Award for lifetime achievement?" William Powell treated his tough guy competitors to a butt kicking:William Powell 32 (43%)Robert Mitchum 19 (25%)Glenn Ford 9 (12%)Tyrone Power 8 (10%)Leslie Howard 4 (5%)Dana Andrews 2 (2%)When thinking of who to select, I would definitely think of how each actor would've given their

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-91947537848095704472010-05-31T11:56:00.017-04:002010-08-17T07:16:08.797-04:00

Heavy-handed sentiment and political messages never make for a great movie, and terms like “Important Film”, “World War II Propaganda”, and “Interesting Failure” come to mind when Dragon Seed (1944) is mentioned, but it’s no less a fascinating experiment. Based on the Pearl S. Buck novel, it’s the story of Ling-Tan (Walter Huston) and his family, the simile-and metaphor-spouting denizens of a

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-50889893355656885872010-05-29T10:37:00.002-04:002010-05-29T10:48:25.190-04:00

Indeed she was. Just a quick pic to touch base again. This is my favorite Joan Crawford photograph. We'll be back with more of the usual next week...

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-72267812229123351822010-05-22T10:08:00.008-04:002010-05-22T10:36:49.351-04:00

Okay, 1947 is a bit outside the Golden Age, but how's this for a 1940s pin up? The sketch is a preliminary drawing for the Steve Canyon comic strip, which was created by artist/writer Milton Caniff. Caniff (1907-1988), whose nickname was "The Rembrandt of the Comic Strip" because of his influential inking style, began the Steve Canyon comic strip in 1947 because he wanted complete ownership of

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-82563760401022322042010-05-21T00:37:00.005-04:002010-08-17T07:18:08.666-04:00

Sylvia Scarlett concerns the sensitive title character (Kate) who’s saddled with a dopey father, a recent widower who also gambled away money he “borrowed” from his company. The two leave their home in France and head for England, with Sylvia disguised as “Sylvester Scarlett” to avoid capture by the authorities. They meet Cary Grant—who steals every scene he’s in—and form a traveling

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-22924743820706277532010-05-20T08:33:00.007-04:002010-05-22T07:44:28.958-04:00

One night I can't sleep--a common occurence in recent years--so I'm up at three a.m. watching my favorite Robert Mitchum movie in one of the greatest Films Noir ever slapped to celluloid, Out of the Past, from 1947; it's the year's best Noir in Noir's best year. Anyway, since I'm up late and don't want to disturb my sleeping wife, I watch with the volume down and the subtitles on.I was blissfully

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-52051923893796255892010-05-19T07:44:00.015-04:002010-05-26T17:34:20.919-04:00

I'm so nervous I feel like Warner Baxter in 42nd Street! I've started a second blog focusing on the 1960s and '70s! That's right, Hollywood Dreamland can now experience the Generation Gap! The Neo-Edwardian Hipster: Movies, TV, and the Pop Culture of 1965-1975 is open for business. Hollywood Dreamland will soldier on--do you think I could gush about Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers with '70s

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-73596389774443256272010-05-16T12:22:00.007-04:002010-05-16T12:36:03.751-04:00

In this scene from The Philadelphia Story, C.K. Dexter Haven (Cary Grant) and George Kittredge (John Howard) react at the first sight of a hungover Macaulay Connor (James Stewart; Oscar winner--get used to it Fonda fans) singing "Over the Rainbow" while carrying a hungover Tracy Lord (Katharine Hepburn) back home at dawn...on her wedding day(!). Not only is the above-shot priceless, so is the

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-73564584972795790652010-05-14T08:44:00.011-04:002010-08-17T07:18:08.684-04:00

It’s been mentioned here before how totally Hepburn becomes her character, Linda, in 1938’s Holiday, another Philip Barry play co-starring Cary Grant and directed by George Cukor, and how there’s nary a trace of Kate the iron-willed individualist that audiences have come to know. I was floored by how wonderfully vulnerable she was, yet with a nascent strength brought out by Cary Grant’s Johnny

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-49919017338123583402010-05-12T09:22:00.003-04:002010-05-12T09:25:15.434-04:00

Today, May 12, marks what would've been Katharine Hepburn's 103rd birthday. I didn't have a proper post planned as the date caught me by surprise, but I couldn't let the day go by without acknowledging my favorite actress' birthday, could I?

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-34927992311916135782010-05-11T10:55:00.008-04:002010-05-11T15:22:30.981-04:00

Last night, I was feeling sort of gloomy but wifey and I watched The Philadelphia Story ("TPS") two consecutive times and felt a heck of a lot better...Anyway, some things that came to mind that I may or may not have mentioned before:Subtlety: What I love about this movie (and its "sister" film, Holiday) is the subtlety of the material. Time spent watching The Philadelphia Story reveals the movie

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-63856020451270964252010-05-05T10:20:00.002-04:002010-05-05T10:29:05.195-04:00

Hey, what happened to “trying hard to look like Gary Cooper”???Fred Astaire easily wins the poll question “After Cary Grant, who’s the best-dressed man of the Golden Age?” I was tempted to include Cary in the poll, but I believed that he’d have won handily. Thus, the race for second best was on! Of the 77 votes cast, the results looked like this:Fred Astaire 36 (46%)William Powell 24 (31%)Gary

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-28370217323495384412010-05-01T07:32:00.010-04:002010-05-01T09:58:54.658-04:00

"Ginger Rogers Swing Time Dress" is the most-popular search term here at Hollywood Dreamland and it stems from this post from February, 2009. Now, thanks to HD reader and commentor Dan, we can get an idea of what it takes to create Ginger's finest gown, as he has had a replica made for his wife! Dan already commented in the original post, but his fascinating commentary is reproduced here for your

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-30739382667339972462010-04-27T06:58:00.008-04:002010-04-27T07:26:58.541-04:00

It's off to Walt Disney World! The weather's due to be grand--the Disney Company has an exclusive deal with Mother Nature--and yours truly will drop his pretentious worldly sophistication and enjoy the Disneyfied creations that the Magic Kingdom offers. Please stop by and say hi! I'll be the adult-looking fellow crying because I'm cranky from the heat or upset that my wife won't let me have that

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-8124863217746166742010-04-25T13:46:00.009-04:002010-04-25T14:25:11.673-04:00

As a longtime Ernest Hemingway fan--note the badge at the bottom of this blog--I've wanted to see the 1947 film The Macomber Affair but it's never on TV. The one fleeting image I had of this movie was back in the mid '90s, when I first learned of this movie's existence it was the above still from a Hemingway coffee table book! The Macomber Affair is based on the brilliant story The Short-Happy

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-48090709265940678892010-04-20T09:10:00.006-04:002010-04-21T18:16:38.917-04:00

As I splashed another cup of lukewarm coffee down my gullet this morning, I realized that I had been more like a regular panelist on other people's blog comments sections, and with Spring in fulll swing, I descended into my usual mode of blogging underachievement by devising another segment of Blogs I Love. I've been spending a lot of time at these blogs lately, what with me actually having

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-82769103408669453302010-04-13T10:38:00.011-04:002010-04-13T11:38:02.277-04:00

This is the first entry in a series of classic Golden Age films that, you guessed it: I've never seen! We begin with Walt Disney's Fantasia from 1940. I've never had the chance to watch what looks to be a beautifully rendered animated film set to classical music. I'm aware of what the movie contains, and I also realize that there was some abomination of a remake in 2000, the coincidentally named

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-51985990405488690182010-04-07T07:06:00.007-04:002010-04-07T17:54:56.126-04:00

I’ve never had any use for the term Guilty Pleasure. Well, except for the purposes of this post…A Guilty Pleasure is usually defined as something of dubious quality or reputation that one enjoys ashamedly. In classic movie parlance, it’s often a critically reviled, poorly made, or widely despised film. But even then the term requires further clarification; as certain movies become cult favorites

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-88492970607330374902010-04-04T09:15:00.007-04:002010-04-04T11:37:22.910-04:00

My, how history has changed! The results of last month's poll question, "With whom did Katharine Hepburn have the best onscreen chemistry?" has given Cary Grant a narrow victory over Spencer Tracy. Of the 62 votes cast:Cary Grant 32 (51%)Spencer Tracy 30 (48%) It's easy to understand why Cary won--he's better looking! Isn't that why he won? No? Okay, I'll maintain the position that his looks had

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-74406540110920634682010-04-01T09:38:00.007-04:002010-04-04T13:33:59.561-04:00

I've thought long and hard--it's time for a change. The Golden Age, as I now define it, shall include early-'70s movies and if there happens to be any old-time stars in said films, then that's fine, too. What's better than seeing John Wayne in a dried-out gray toupee and emptying a MAC-10 submachinegun into Al "The Turk" Lettieri and his polyester-suited goons? Wayne was offered the role of Dirty

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-43305258942798353312010-03-27T11:02:00.010-04:002010-03-27T18:46:00.458-04:00

I guess I'd better thank Turner Classic Movies for making Ginger Rogers their March Star of the Month! This, my own miserable corner of the bloggosphere, has received maybe four times the amount of visitors--and spammers--since Ginger's movies started being shown on Wednesdays. As mentioned before, the most popular search term is "Ginger Rogers [sans clothing]", with "Gloria Grahame [sans

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-30129654225909714092010-03-19T08:01:00.011-04:002010-03-23T23:48:12.541-04:00

In The Thin Man, there's a wonderful scene that takes place during Nick and Nora's Christmas party and where Nora (Myrna Loy) sports that gorgeous, I-wish-women-today-dressed-up dress. The sequence has Mrs. Charles entering the bedroom of their swank NYC hotel and finding husband Nick (William Powell) and the comely young Dorothy Wynant (Maureen O'Sullivan) arrives to see Nick and admit to

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-60443243233006434052010-03-12T13:37:00.012-05:002010-08-17T07:18:08.700-04:00

If Katharine Hepburn hadn’t won her first Oscar for Morning Glory, the film wouldn't even merit being the answer to a trivia question; it’s just not a memorable movie. It’s a underdeveloped blend of What Price Hollywood (1932) and A Star is Born (1937) while lacking the superior writing and direction of those films. Morning Glory attempts to inject “cautionary fame” dialogue but it’s only dumped

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-15336350101253900662010-03-10T18:08:00.014-05:002010-08-17T07:18:08.717-04:00

When I first saw Stage Door in 2006 it was because of my newfound interest in Ginger Rogers. Ginger was the comedic backbone of the movie and I became an admirer of hers from that day forward. However, the other major star in the movie, Katharine Hepburn, was already a longtime favorite of mine but her performance in Stage Door didn’t involve many of the comedic bits despite her great rivalry

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-21935495610965709152010-03-07T14:03:00.017-05:002010-08-17T07:18:08.733-04:00

Alice Adams remains one of Katharine Hepburn’s most memorable performances and it’s the role that defined her in the 1930s. Hepburn’s characterization of the Booth Tarkington character is the one that launched a thousand Hepburn impersonations, with Kate’s memorable line ( “Really I do, really”) becoming the words used to “channel” an impression of her, though I’m pretty sure that Hepburn never

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-1338107727282263242010-03-04T11:40:00.005-05:002010-03-06T19:26:02.174-05:00

The voters decided by a landslide that their favorite 1930s performance by Katharine Hepburn is 1938's Bringing Up Baby, easily beating out second-place Holiday (my personal favorite) by twenty-four votes. Of the 83 votes cast:Bringing Up Baby 43 (51%)Holiday 19 (22%)Stage Door 10 (12%)Little Women 4 (4%)Alice Adams 3 (3%)Morning Glory 2 (2%)Sylvia Scarlett 2 (2%)It's not surprising that Kate's

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-34314883368252117272010-03-02T09:14:00.011-05:002010-03-02T12:17:39.516-05:00

Years ago, I was discussing jazz musicians with a friend of mine and when an artist's name came up, my friend said, "He's not one of my favorites, but he should be!" So it is with Robert Montgomery; he should be one of my favorite actors, and he's well on his way. Bob's a hidden treasure of 1930s cinema with his suave, easygoing demeanor and effortless charm, often cast as a dapper playboy.

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-69084819713000837582010-02-23T08:14:00.013-05:002010-02-25T08:06:02.730-05:00

After an eternity of hemming, hawing and just plain making excuses to not buy any titles from the WB Archive, yours truly finally happened upon a title that broke my self-styled, John Garfield,-anti-hero will.The Robert Benchley Miniatures Collection, a 3-disc set of the master humorist's short films made for MGM spanning 1935-1944 became available as of Oct 2009! Cost was $30.00 and coupled with

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-26303284867921326302010-02-22T11:42:00.011-05:002010-02-22T14:49:18.160-05:00

Thanks to Robert at Retro Hound, who awarded Hollywood Dreamland with the One Lovely Blog award. We're always humbled here whenever we're recognized by our blogging peers, so in keeping with the rules of the award, I will pass the award on to *gulp* ten other blogs. This time around, we'll spotlight blogs that are recent discoveries, as well as a nod to some old favorites who've probably been

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-66851743057664895282010-02-18T08:55:00.022-05:002010-02-23T10:08:55.861-05:00

Porky at the Crocadero (1938, Warner Brothers; dir. Frank Tashlin) is a decent, if by-the-numbers effort that only takes off in the final two minutes, when Porky Pig gets his chance to be a bog-time bandleader at the swank Crocadero nightclub. When the band slated to play that night can't make it, just-fired dishwasher Porky is hastily tracked down to get his big shot at the big time.Porky

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-34235690588132385812010-02-16T09:23:00.016-05:002010-02-16T13:15:11.147-05:00

First Movie I Saw Her In: The African Queen (1951; on DVD March 23---finally!!!)Three Favorite Movies: Holiday (1938); The Philadelphia Story (1940); The African Queen (1951)Honorable Mention(s): Stage Door (1937); Woman of the Year (1942)Favorite Movie with Spencer Tracy: Adam’s Rib (1949)Oddly Interesting: Dragon Seed (1944)Favorite Performance(s): Alice Adams (1935); Holiday (1938); Long Day’s

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-60740339058777023362010-02-15T08:12:00.007-05:002010-02-15T19:19:33.326-05:00

First Movie I Saw Her In: The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)Three Favorite Movies: The Thin Man (1934) After the Thin Man (1936); The Best Years of Our Lives (1946).Honorable Mention: Test Pilot (1938)Favorite Movie with William Powell: If you have to ask... Favorite Performance: The Thin Man (1934)Why I Like Her: Anyone who reads this blog knows how mad I am about the Thin Man movies. A lot

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-13769876926820879872010-02-14T09:17:00.005-05:002010-02-14T09:46:01.519-05:00

First Movie I Saw Her In: Stage Door (1937)Three Favorite Movies: Top Hat (1935); Swing Time (1936); Stage Door (1937).Honorable Mention: Weekend at the Waldorf (1946)Favorite Performance: Stage Door (1937) With Astaire: Top Hat (1935)Why I Like Her: Ginger’s been covered at length in the Discovering Ginger Rogers entry. However, I could talk about her all day…Liking Ginger Rogers was easy as pie

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-37661950462323660082010-02-13T08:33:00.002-05:002010-02-13T09:26:38.550-05:00

First Movie I Saw Her In: Double Indemnity (1944)Three Favorite Movies: Ball of Fire (1941); The Lady Eve (1941); Meet John Doe (1941)Honorable Mention: Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)Favorite Performance: Drama: Double Indemnity (1944); Comedy: Ball of Fire (1941)Why I Like Her: Barbara Stanwyck is the Golden Age actress I was ever exposed to, via The Big Valley (1965-69), the Western TV show where

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-89869397374931062402010-02-12T07:24:00.009-05:002010-02-12T09:53:19.279-05:00

First Movie I Saw Her In: My Man Godfrey (1936)Three Favorite Movies: Hands Across the Table (1936); Nothing Sacred (1937); To Be or Not to Be (1942)Honorable Mention: The Princess Comes Across (1937)Favorite Performance: Hands Across the Table (1936)Why I Like Her: Who's that gorgeous gal in the Hollywood Dreamland masthead? Before I ever saw a Carole Lombard movie I was floored by how beautiful

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-53084101598999507622010-02-10T19:20:00.004-05:002010-02-10T19:37:36.106-05:00

First Movie I Saw Her In: Top Secret Affair (1957)Three Favorite Movies: The Lusty Men (1952); I’ll Cry Tomorrow (1955); I Want to Live! (1958)Honorable Mention: Garden of Evil (1954)Favorite Performance: I Want to Live (1958)Why I Like Her: Susan Hayward is my favorite 1950s actress, even though she’s a recent discovery for me. She opened up my interest in 1950s actresses whom I had previously

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-45277074085539939312010-02-09T12:45:00.005-05:002010-02-09T13:12:11.916-05:00

First Movie I Saw Her In: My Man Godfrey (1936)Three Favorite Movies: My Man Godfrey (1936); Stage Door (1937); Love Crazy (1941);Honorable Mention: My Favorite Wife (1940)Favorite Performance: Love Crazy (1941)Why I Like Her: Okay, so this entry's a bit of a cheat. However, anyone who still reads this blog knows how I feel about Gail Patrick. In fact, I've written so much about her here in the

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-78864666862638469002010-02-08T13:39:00.009-05:002010-02-08T21:46:40.450-05:00

First Movie I Saw Her In: Born to Kill (1947)Three Favorite Movies: Born to Kill (1947); Key Largo (1948); Raw Deal (1948)Honorable Mention: Murder My Sweet (1944)Favorite Performance: Key Largo (1948)Why I Like Her: What a woman! I'm a sap for any dame who's an "unconventional" beauty. Claire Trevor just represents so much of what I like about actresses from the 1930s-40s. Despite being an Oscar

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-2457103460437542002010-02-06T09:32:00.006-05:002010-02-07T07:46:53.701-05:00

That's right, another favorite actress named Jean.First Movie I Saw Her In: Shane (1953)Three Favorite Movies: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936); Easy Living (1937); You Can’t Take It with You (1938)Honorable Mention: Only Angels Have Wings (1939)Favorite Performance: Easy Living (1937)Why I Like Her: My reasons might be reactionary in that everything I like about Jean Arthur is what her detractors

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-8390434132968533672010-02-04T07:45:00.007-05:002010-02-04T08:08:29.111-05:00

First Movie I Saw Her In: Libeled Lady (1936)Three Favorite Movies: Dinner at Eight (1933); China Seas (1935); Libeled Lady (1936)Honorable Mention: Wife vs. Secretary (1936)Favorite Performance: Dinner at Eight (1933)Why I Like Her: To be honest, having Jean at #10 saddens me. Harlow died in 1937 at age 26. To get an idea of that devastation, imagine if Ginger Rogers had died right after Swing

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-3526462080803762882010-02-03T10:44:00.014-05:002010-02-06T15:41:20.938-05:00

Hot, but Not: Ava and Lana didn't make HD's Favorite Actresses list.Or rather, as a soon as I complete the first entry! Back in June, Hollywood Dreamland ran down its Ten Favorite Actors list, which was a lot of fun to do. A favorite actresses meme was done here back in December, 2008 but that was a mere listing without any of the blowhard commentary you've (hopefully) come to expect. However,

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-79569694820039044622010-01-31T08:55:00.007-05:002010-01-31T10:10:45.196-05:00

It should've been a landslide, but Mae West edged out Bette Davis by just one vote as the winner of the poll question: "Who's the greatest wisecracking dame of them all?" The competition was fierce! This was one of the closest polls HD has ever done. Myrna Loy led the pack early but Bette and Mae had a fierce see-saw battle over first place. Rosalind Russell did quite well, and I won't shy away

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-32108299033482594672010-01-27T12:33:00.024-05:002010-01-28T20:00:21.851-05:00

Actor, singer, and civil rights champion Pernell Roberts died on January 24, aged 81. Roberts is best known for his six-year run on the Bonanza TV show. In 1958, he co-starred alongside Randolph Scott in the 1958 Budd Boetticher film, Ride Lonesome. This is the kind of role that often comes just before an actor gains his or her breakthrough role. A year later, Roberts would begin his stint on

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7399158655626424014.post-42649702993247837072010-01-23T07:48:00.003-05:002010-01-23T08:21:37.172-05:00

Actress Jean Simmons died January 22, 2010. She was much younger than I belived her to be, but then as one gets older, everyone seems younger than you thought they were. Jean Simmons to me was a generous portion of Audrey Hepburn, for her demure nature, and a dash of Gene Tierney, for her beautifully awkward overbite. She was a stunning woman and a performer that flew under a lot of people's

C.K. Dexter Havenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13991534345391655980noreply@blogger.com4