Liebster Award

I would like to first thank The Wonderful World of Cinema for the Liebster Award- Thanks so much Ginnie – considering my blog is still so new. Below are the questions, and my 11 randoms tidbit. And in honor of the country this award comes from- (Ich lernte Deutsch in der Schule seit 3 jahre) Danke schön!  Ihr seid sehr toll! Fröhliche Weihnachten und Frohes neues Jahr!!!

The Wonderful World of Cinema’s Questions

1- If you had to “promote” a not too well known classic film, what will be your choice? Definitely a little hidden gem of a film called Apartment for Peggy (1948). It’s a cute story- Bill Holden plays a GI married to Jeanne Crain and Edmund Gwenn plays a retired elderly, but kind professor named Henry Barnes. Henry is contemplating suicide but is given a new look on life when a pregnant Jeanne Crain and husband, college student Bill Holden move into his attic.  The film has a post WWII feel to it and its a great look at what life was like for young people during that era. It makes you realize young people today have the same struggles as people back then.

2- You are participating to the making of a film. What’s your job? I would like to be a producer or maybe a scriptwriter- something involved in the creative process but not the head honcho- I’m more of a wingman/ right hand type of person.

3- Do you share your birthday with one of your favourite movie stars? If yes, who? Sadly no- but I am darn close to Ingrid Bergman’s- mine’s Aug 27

4- What is your favourite movie score? Tough- The score in Leave her to Heaven (1945) is really good- but I also love the score (and soundtrack) of Sleeping Beauty (1959)

5- How many films per week do you usually watch? Four or Five films- I have a ton on my watchlist- but its more a problem of finding a source to watch them- thankfully there is TCM and Amazon- I always end up buying films to watch!

6- What do you think is the most CREATIVE movie ever made and why? Another tough one- maybe Charade (1963)- it doesn’t make sense if you explain it to someone verbally, but then you sit down to watch and its genius. The plot is just so well crafted and the film is visually stunning- there’s a lot of creativity in planning the story and then viewing it on screen

7- Do you have a child name after a certain movie star or movie character? Or are you planning this for your future kid (if you plan to have one, or many!). Sadly- I’m not named for anyone famous! I don’t want children- but I love the name Dorothy. I want to name a future dog “Lombard” and maybe a second one “Gable”

8- How much does classic films influence your everyday life? Much more than I even begin to imagine. I try to emit some of the classiness found in the films that I watch into my everyday life- I use the words “swell” or “darling” way more than the average young adult. I think everyone should try to live life though the films they watch. Life should imitate art and vice versa.

9- What are you planning to do to honour Olivia de Havilland’s on her centennial next July? 😉By watching her films! I haven’t seen too many of her pictures and I will have to watch one of them with her and Errol Flynn

10- What do you enjoy the most about blogging? “Meeting” new people and learning new information. I like belonging in a place with people who have the same interests as me- I don’t know people who like classic film and old Hollywood in my everyday life!

11- Do you have any advises, suggestions for future bloggers? Don’t be afraid to get out there and have fun. I’ve only been blogging weeks (maybe a month or so) but I’m having the time of my life! It’s a great way to become more involved and connect with others who share the same hobby you do

11 tidbits about me

1- My other main interest is the British Royalty- I’m American but I love the Royal family. Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge (Kate) is my role model!

2- I watch a lot of costume Drama TV series- due to my love of history

3- One day I want to go to Australia and also the UK- been dreams of mine for a long time

4- My favorite flavor for anything sweet is Vanilla- I don’t eat chocolate

5- Tea is my favorite beverage

6- I got through both of my required science classes for college without a textbook- and still got As in both classes

7- In 4th grade we had an assignment to write a letter to a famous person and then we were to mail them out- while my classmates wrote to people like Hilary Duff or the then President Bush, I wrote to Julie Andrews.

8- If I were to be a film star, I would want a career like Ginger Rogers- she can do act, sing and  dance and play any role in any genre

9- When it comes to modern day actors and actresses, I prefer the talent of British, Irish, and Australian performers, rather than American.

10- Clara Bow is my favorite silent actress

11- I consider myself a “wannabe” flapper because I don’t want my hair to be that short!

#PayClassicsFoward

As seen on twitter here’s my contribution! Choices were tough!!!!

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One Directorial Debut- Billy Wilder – The Major and the Minor (1942)

Two Duos- 1- William Powell and Myrna Loy/ 2- John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara

Three Foreign Films– 1- M (1930) 2- Pandora’s Box (1929) 3– Diary of a Lost Girl (1929)

Four Soundtracks– 1– The Wizard of Oz (1939) 2– Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)  3- Top Hat(1935)  4- Sleeping Beauty (1959)

Five Westerns- 1- The Shootist (1976) 2–McLintock! (1963) 3- High Noon (1952) 4- True Grit (1969)5- The Cowboys (1972)

Six Dance Routines- 1- Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off (Shall We Dance, 1937) 2-Never Gonna Dance (Swing Time, 1936) 3– We’re in the Money (The Gold Diggers of 1933) 4- Girl Hunt Ballet (The Band Wagon, 1953) 5– Get Happy (Summer Stock, 1950) 6- They Can’t Take that Away from Me (The Barkleys of Broadway 1949)

Seven Comedies– 1- Some Like it Hot (1959), 2- The Awful Truth (1937) 3- You Can’t Take it with You (1938) 4- Nothing Sacred (1937), 5– Love Crazy (1940) 6- The Philadelphia Story (1940) 7- The Palm Beach Story (1942)

Eight Films Noir– 1- Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)  2- Murder, My Sweet (1944) 3- The Killers(1946) 4– Niagara (1953) 5- Kiss Me Deadly (1955) 6- Gun Crazy (1950) 7- Sunset Blvd (1950) 8-Gilda (1946)

Nine Inspiring Films- 1- The Best Years of our Lives (1946) 2- It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) 3- Mrs Miniver (1942) 4– Miracle on 34th Street (1947) 5– To Kill a Mockingbird (1963) 6- Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) 7- Mr Smith Goes to Washington (1939) 8- Witness for the Prosecution (1957) 9- State of the Union (1948)

Ten Performances- 1-Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday (1953) 2- Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief (1955) 3- Gene Tierney in Leave Her to Heaven (1945) 4- Ingrid Bergman in Notorious (1946) 5-Cary Grant in Charade (1963) 6- Clark Gable in It Happened One Night (1934) 7- Jean Arthur in The More the Merrier (1943) 8- Carole Lombard in My Man Godfrey (1936) 9- Katharine Hepburn InHoliday (1938) 10- Maureen O’Hara in The Quiet Man (1952)

Eleven Children’s Movies (not animated and assuming everyone’s seen The Wizard of Oz– hardest one!)- 1- Meet Me In St Louis (1944) 2- Singin’ in the Rain (1952) 3- Mary Poppins (1964) 4- The Sound of Music (1965) 5-Bringing up Baby (1938) 6- Chitty, Chitty Bang, Bang (1968) 7- Girl Crazy(1943) 8- Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) 9- Lassie Come Home (1943) 10- National Velvet (1944) 11- The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)

12 Heros- 1- Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine in Casablanca (1942) 2- William Holden as Harry Brubaker in The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954) 3- John Wayne as Ethan Edwards in The Searchers(1956) 4- Henry Fonda as Juror #8 in 12 Angry Men (1957) 5- Spencer Tracy as Father Flanagan inBoys Town (1938) 6- William Powell as Nick Charles in The Thin Man (1934) 7- Dana Andrews as Mark McPherson in Laura (1944) 8- James Stewart as L.B Jefferies in Rear Window (1954) 9-Gary Cooper as John Doe/Long John Willoughby in Meet John Doe (1941) 10- Charlie Chaplin as the Jewish Barber in The Great Dictator (1940) 11- Irene Dunne as Martha “Mama’ Hanson in I Remember Mama (1948) 12- Clara Bow as Betty Lou Spence in It (1927)

Announcing- Classic Quotes Blogathon

Hello everyone! If you didn’t know, I myself am new to the classic film blogging world. Wanting to be more involved and have some fun, I’ve decided to host my very first ever Blogathon! Want details?- Continue reading below!

If you’ve ever wanted to discuss the significance of a certain film quote that has found its way in pop culture, here’s your chance to do so! The theme of the Blogathon is called “Classic Quotes” and it will run from March 4-6 2016. (I went for March because Christmas season is busy and I know Oscar season will have passed by then. Also, I know there are some other Blogathons coming up in February I don’t want you guys to feel rushed!!)

The rules are you must pick a quote that has made its way into pop culture and since its release has went on to become relevant to everyday life. You can choose any quote on the AFI top 100 list, but of course it’s not limited to it, as there were many quotes that didn’t make the cut. Try to stay away from films made from the 2000s.

So what do you include in the post? Here’s a list to get you started: 1- The speaker (actor and the character they portray) 2-The film it is from 3-Who the quote is directed to 4- anything significant surrounding the quote (i.e. maybe it almost got edited out, or maybe it was improvised by an actor or director) 5- the legacy it gives (why do we love this quote in the modern day when it was said by someone years and years ago?!) Don’t be afraid to throw in your own 2 cents! 😉

Please submit your blog name and quotes in the comments section, DM me or tweet me on Twitter ( @flapperdame16 ), or contact me on tumblr (under the message me tab) and requests will be made on a first come first serve basis. (Note- if you do the tumblr option and you leave a message as an “anonymous”please leave an email address so I can confirm your participation) No repeats as there are many, many great quotes to talk about! I will make a list for everyone to see once requests start coming in.  Below is the list of taken quotes and participants.

 Will be updated as requests come in

1. “I am mad as hell and I am not going to take this anymore!” from Network (1976) – The Wonderful World of Cinema
2. “Fasten Your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night.” from All About Eve (1950)-  In The Good Old Days Of Classic Hollywood
3. “I am big. Its the pictures that got small”- from  Sunset Blvd (1950) – Smitten Kitten Vintage
4. “We’ll always have Paris”- from Casablanca (1942) – The Flapper Dame
5.  “Badges? We don’t need no stinking badges.”- from The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) – Silver Screenings
6. “Frankly My Dear, I don’t give a damn!”- From Gone With the Wind (1939)-Amanda Garrett from Old Hollywood Films
7.  “Here’s looking at you, kid”- From Casablanca (1942)- Back to the Golden Days
8. “Here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into!”- Laurel and Hardy- Movie Movie Blog Blog
9. “The stuff that dreams are made of”- from The Maltese Falcon (1941)- Blog of the Darned
10. “I was born when she kissed me. I died when she left me. I lived a few weeks while she loved me.” from  In a Lonely Place (1950) – B Noir Detour 

Posts may be submitted anytime between March 4 and 6 and requests will be accepted until Feb 26. Also on Feb 26 I will give submission details UPDATE 2-7-16 NOW ACCEPTING REQUESTS UNTIL MARCH 3 2016 please email me your posts to emilyg16@sbglobal.net or you can DM the link to me on twitter! ( @flapperdame16 ) 

So everyone, grab yourself one of these iconic badges and Have fun!!!

Try it,You’ll Like It- The Thin Man

Hello Classic (and even non classic) Film fans! This post is an entry for the “Try It, You’ll Like It” Blogathon (click here for more) hosted by Movies Silently and Sister Celluloid, as a way of introducing “gateway” films to people who don’t like classic film or for those who are new to the classic film world, a way to learn about “essential” classics.

My contribution for this Blogathon will be 1934’s famous MGM film The Thin Man starring William Powell and Myrna Loy; directed by Woody Van Dyke.

The Thin Man like many other movies is based off the popular book of the same name by Dashiell Hammett. William Powell plays the martini drinking and retired detective Mr. Nick Charles, and Myrna Loy plays his ever-so-clever socialite wife and wealthy heiress, Mrs. Nora Charles. The Charles’ also have wonderful and lovable white haired terrier named Asta (Skippy). In the original novel, the characters are slightly different, as novel Nick Charles is “fat” (not so with Mr. Powell), and the son of a Greek immigrant, while novel Asta is a female schnauzer.

The plot of this movie is still as fresh today as it was in 1934, and unlike the characters, it closely follows that of the novel: Nick Charles is a retired detective who is ready to settle down with his wife Nora. Travelling from their home in San Francisco to spend the Christmas season in New York, it isn’t long before Nick (at Nora’s urging) gets drawn back into the world of murder and mystery when his friend, inventor Clyde Wynant (it’s this character who is the titular “thin man”), mysteriously vanishes.

Filming The Thin Man created a very relaxed environment for all involved, and it was shot in just 12 days thanks to “One-Take Woody” as director. While the murder mystery is intriguing, everyone knows the real reason as to why The Thin Man is so appealing: the undeniable chemistry between Myrna Loy and William Powell. It was their second picture together after Manhattan Melodrama(1934), and they would go on to make 5 more Thin Man films, and also 6 other non-Thin Man films. Myrna Loy even made a cameo in Powell’s The Senator was Indiscreet. In the end, the pair made 14 movies together (including Myrna’s cameo) – a record that still stands to this day when it comes to screen pairings. On working with Ms. Loy, Mr. Powell remarked,

“When we did a scene together, we forgot about technique, camera angles, and microphones. We weren’t acting. We were just two people in perfect harmony.”

For those who are not familiar with the picture, here is just a sample of the wonderful dialogue between the two. For those who are familiar, let’s just re-visit the reasons why we love Nick and Nora:

Nora Charles: Nick? Nicky?

Nick Charles: What?

Nora Charles: You asleep?

Nick Charles: Yes!

Nora Charles: Good. I want to talk to you.

and even

Nora Charles: Pretty girl.

Nick Charles: Yes. She’s a very nice type.

Nora Charles: You got types?

Nick Charles: Only you, darling. Lanky brunettes with wicked jaws.

And one of my favorites

Nora Charles: Take care of yourself

Nick Charles: Why, sure I will.

Nora Charles: Don’t say it like that! Say it as if you meant it!

Nick Charles: Well, I do believe the little woman cares.

Nora Charles: I don’t care! It’s just that I’m used to you, that’s all.

Even if you’re not interested in watching the other five films, (which you will be after watching the first, as it’s inevitable not to watch the others), The Thin Man remains one of the most popular and well beloved classics from the 30s. TCM will be airing all 6 films on New Year’s Eve (starting at 8pm EST), so if you’ve got time, sit down with a martini (or three) and tune in!!!!