rosebette

That's the one. It was more stunning "live" on display; the fabric had a sheen to it. Also, its wearer was a tall and statuesque woman. It was among gowns and dresses worn by many actresses, and I'd say proportionately, the size was similar to costumes worn by Ingrid Bergman and Linda Darnell (both taller women). Tiniest dress I saw -- Olivia deHavilland's black gown from My Cousin Rachel. She must have had a waistline like a bird's.

In case anyone's interested, the gold dress I was describing was offered on icollector and sold for $1100.00. When I saw it displayed, of course the full hoop petticoats were underneath. But just to let you all know what really fetched top dollar -- $13,000 for 5 shirts and pairs of tights that Flynn wore in that film.

Just quoting so we all get another opportunity to check out this beautiful close-up. I've only seen Vivica in this film, and she reminded me of a brunette Ingrid Bergman. By the way, I went to an exhibit in Lowell, MA of film costumes several years ago, and one of her dresses from Don Juan was displayed -- it was exquisite.

I have a terrible weakness for Men in Tights, but dislike Spaceballs, which I find rather tacky and tasteless. I find poking fun at Kevin Costner's Robin Hood perfectly legitimate humor, especially when Cary Elwes does such a great job mimicking Errol Flynn. It's pretty clear the Brooks knows who the real Robin Hood was. The best homages in Men in Tights are to The Adventures of Robin Hood, and I don't know what happened to Elwes after the Princess Bride and Men in Tights, but he was a gem. The godfather-type sequence with Dom Deluise is also a classic.

Tyrone Power in King's Row --- wow. While I can't resist that turn of the century Peyton Place, Robert Cummings is another guy on my "meh" list. I think the rest of the cast and the Korngold score are what make that movie a classic; even Ronald Reagan is good in it.

I think Lemmon's performance in Costa-Gravas' "Missing" is probably his most brilliant.

I may have seen Man on the Eiffel Tower many years ago because I vaguely remember it; I'll try to catch it again. Phantom Lady is another good one, although I haven't seen it in a while. A bizarre film with lots of good performances.

One of my favorites is the steamily trashy Mandalay. Another guilty pleasure -- Ricardo Cortez, although he usually plays someone who is rotten to the core. But who wouldn't prefer him to George Brent and the other Warners' stiffs she usually ends up with. I don't know what happened to Cortez; I actually prefer him to George Raft and could see him in those kinds of roles. Like others have noted, George Raft is another zero. I think I like him best in Some Like It Hot, when he gets his. You can see Kay's weaknesses more when she's paired with really skillful leading men. Basil Rathbone easily steals Confession from her, and Stolen Holiday is completely Claude Raines' show. Leading man, Ian Hunter, another meh -- pleasant enough, but you can see why Robin Hood would have to take over if England was governed by such a softie.

Probably why Rita Hayworth is the more well-known pin-up from that era. I remember trying to watch her and June Haver in The Dolly Sisters and found the actresses indistinguishable from each other.

I've never seen this one, but it sounds interesting. I'm also a fan of Charles Laughton. "The Suspect" is one of my favorite performances of his in the 1940s. I also find "Jamaica Inn" a guilty pleasure, despite his hamminess in that one.

Anthony Lane and David Denby of the New Yorker are my two favorite critics. I especially enjoy their reviews of films they dislike -- some truly delicious writing! From the classic era -- James Agee was the tops.

I suppose it depends what you define as a "collapse." For instance, I don't see as "collapse" Lillian Gish's desire to pursue stage work and limited but solid supporting roles after the end of silents; I see her as an intelligent artist who made some choices that adapted to the circumstances. She was also gifted enough to work in other venues. Many silent stars obviously could not go to stage work because their speaking voices were inadequate to the task, or were in contrast to the public's image of them. I see "collapse" as the fall of an artist who is essentially self-destructive; this could even be someone who is successful through most his or her career, but couldn't manage his or her personal demons. I think people like Errol Flynn, John Barymore, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, Montogomery Clift, et al., are excellent examples of this. Some lesser known examples of collapse are people who had early success, but then had their careers interrupted by instability, mental illness, and/or suicide. Ross Alexander, an up and coming light leading man at Warners', who committed suicide is an example of this, as is Frances Farmer, who had a promising early start, but fell victim to mental illness and her mother's manipulations. Laird Cregar was a gifted actor who had a promising start but died early as a result of an aggressive weight loss program. Gail Russell was a young actress who was plagued by alcoholism from early in her career. Robert Walker was another gifted actor from the 1940s who died early due to alcoholism. Alcoholism or some form or substance abuse unfortunately seems to be a "comorbid" condition associated with life in show business.

Brilliant -- meaning having the most proficient acting skills (not looks, star power, charisma, etc.). In today's film world -- Daniel Day Lewis and Meryl Streep,Emma Thompson, Judi Dench In the film world of yesteryear -- Males -- Spencer Tracy, Charles Laughton, James Cagney Female - Barbara Stanwyck and Bette Davis

I guess the Summer of the Stars is a good time for me to decide which actors/actresses are just "meh," and also to review works of seldom seen performers who were once well-known. For instance, I completely understand how Ann Harding is not well known after watch Myrna Loy steal several films from her. In the movie with the Leslie Howard/Myrna Loy/Ann Harding triangle, I still liked the Loy character better, even though she was playing a b****, albeit a charming and sexy one. Harding, although she was a "mistress", still seemed purer than snow and about as colorless. Franchot Tone is another "meh" for me, except for "Lives of a Bengal Lancer" and "Five Graves to Cairo." He's among the interchangeable stable of "meh" Metro men -- Robert Montgomery, Robert Taylor, Robert Young. I find Greer Garson actually annoying except in "Random Harvest," "Goodbye Mr. Chips," and "Pride and Prejudice." June Allyson is my idea of nothing, and her casting in "Three Musketeers" almost ruins the picture. I have to disagree with Tomjh about Kay Francis. I know she's not a great actress, but can't resist her clothes, her voice, and the trashy plots of the precode pictures she's in. Since we're now at Warner's George Brent -- blah. Dennis Morgan, a singing pretty boy, and why Ida Lupino, Joan Leslie, Ginger Rogers, or anyone else would want to make a fuss over him is a mystery for me. I think I'd prefer a one-night stand with Jack Carson in The Hard Way. I don't like most of the 50s leading men -- Rory Calhoun, Rock Hudson, and the blondes even worse -- Tab Hunter, Troy Donahue, etc. I agree with most of the posters on Joan Fontaine. She got lucky with a few early roles which were similar to each other, but I don't see her as a hard working actress. In Frenchman's Creek, she's awful, as is the movie and everyone else in it, except for Basil Rathbone, who destroys the scenery literally and figuratively. Being female, I don't understand the appeal of either Ava Gardner or Jane Russell. I think both of them are mediocre actresses, despite their attractions. Hedy Lamarr is a mannequin, although I have great respect for her work as an inventor (I read her book and saw a one-woman show about her). I don't think she was really interested in acting or Hollywood once she got there, and it shows.

I have a CD called White Heat: Film Noir, which is jazz arrangements of film noir themes. It's older, around 1994. Some good themes on it -- Laura, Lost Weekend, Big Sleep, Bad and the Beautiful, etc.

Of course, he's the "fall guy" in that one.

I saw Born to Kill last night, and it's not exactly a movie that I can say I "like." The protagonists were violent, depraved characters with no redeeming values. That being said, I couldn't stop watching it to the bitter ( and I mean bitter) end. Every character was morally corrupt, even the detective. It says something about a film if the character with the most moral integrity (except for the Helen's stiff of a fiancee) is the aging prostitute/landlady, played by Esther Howard. I had never seen this film before and one engaging pasttime is figuring out when and how Elisha Cook will get his. Does he ever survive in any movie he's in?

The scene in which she goes to the boxing match to be "supportive" and then insists on going home alone is a bit much. Of course, then there's that tragic scene when she reveals what happened in the ladies' room. Go to around the 2 minute mark in this youtube to find out what really happened. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT2rTg44SQc

I was able to watch The Sisters (1938) on TCM On Demand with Bette Davis and Errol Flynn. I had never seen this movie, and it was interesting to see the two leads together. I thought it was a good ensemble piece, with the usual Warners' energy and some good character roles -- Beula Bondi, Alan Hale, Donald Crisp, Ian Hunter, Lee Patrick (as a brunette!), etc. Not a great film, and I actually felt Bette's character was too "noble." Errol Flynn was a bit of a heel in that one and I feel not entirely comfortable in his role. In the beginning, he has a couple of lines about not being comfortable without a drink that are kind of deja vu, considering that alcohol ruined the actor's career. His character is basically an irresponsible drifter, but even with the 5 O'clock shadow and mussed hair, Errol's so stunning that any woman would forgive him anything.

I've thought about joining the BackLot, but would prefer to if there's a chapter near me (in the Boston area).

It sounds like "Idiot's Delight" with Clark Gable and Norma Shearer (she does end up with someone who is German, I think), but it's been a long time since I've seen that movie, so maybe I'm on the wrong track.

Wow, Jean Arthur really looked great; she certainly had a youthful aura about her. We talk about female stars being reduced to character roles once they hit 40, but Arthur had several good parts in the 40s (which were her 40s). I feel that Colman looked close to his own age. When I learned he was 56 in A Double Life, I thought he looked older than that, still attractive, but definitely late 50s to early 60s. Grant always had a look of perpetual youthfulness; he always appeared 10 years younger (or even more) than he was.

Yeah, having to choose between Cary Grant and Ronald Colman. That's a problem I'd like to have....

I'm convinced that my father introduced me to old movies at an early age to keep me away from boys. After all, how can some gangling, acne-ridden, inarticulate adolescent compete with Ronald Colman and Cary Grant? Despite his efforts, I did end up marrying, and now my husband has to share his bed with someone watching impeccably tailored men speak in sonorous English accents. However, my husband did go through a passive-aggressive period in response to my adulation of Colman, Flynn, Grant, Power, et al. A few years back when we had a certain cable service, whenever I was engrossed in a movie on TCM, particularly one with a handsome leading man, the signal would break up, and I couldn't finish the movie. One night, I was watching Captain from Castile, drooling during the sultry scene where Ty dances by firelight with Jean Peters. At that moment, I could hear hub's car pulling into the garage, and my TV signal started to break up. I realized that something related to my spouse was conspiring against me. It turned out that if hub's 4G was turned on his cell phone, TCM's signal would experience interference. Until we changed cable provider, the rule was that if I was watching TCM, the 4G had to be turned off.

I hadn't seen A Double Life​ in many years, and I was unexpectedly moved. How can one have sympathy for someone who has done something awful? Yet Colman makes it possible -- a brilliant Tony and a brilliant Othello -- who can depict extreme emotions and yet never go over the top. One thing I noticed about this film, as opposed to Olivier's Othello (and apparently Olivier was considered for the part), is that race does not seem to play a role. The emphasis is more about what happens when an actor is struggling with self-identity and the roles he plays, which can be problematic if the character is a violent or troubled person (and Brita suggests that Tony had this problem earlier with other roles). While Colman wears dark make-up, he does not really play "black." This is not a statement about racial appropriateness or stereotyping, just a remark that the character itself is of a jealous and tormented person, which could be raceless. This could also be because the scenes in Shakespeare's play where race is mentioned are not shown in a ​Double Life, ​or also because Paul Robeson had played Othello and the director didn't want any comparisons to be drawn. When Olivier played Othello, some did criticize his racial characterization, and many feel that Olivier's Othello led some to feel that the role should never again be played by a white person.