msladysoul
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Posts posted by msladysoul
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Stoneyburke I enjoyed your post.
My intention wasn't to start a bashing or who's better.
I meant to get feedback from you all about which era was more impressive.
Something about those pre-code movies that's so different and unique from others.
The 1940s movies I like when I first started watching classic movies but their not my favorite now. I enjoy them 1930s films. Something about the image, clothes, sexual innuedo, gestures, attitudes, plots.
I read where some said TCM use to show some rare classics, especially of the pre-code era but the past few years we've been seeing repeats and movies you could buy anywhere or rent.
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Good topic,
Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell are my favorites.
No one could do it like them. They had such a great presence together. They were like the all american couple.
Dick Powell starred with Ginger Rogers, Gloria Stuart, Joan Blondell and others. But Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler was the best. They were like the perfect couple to me. They seem so realistic. They were the young loves.
Dick Powell was a better match then Al Jolson for Ruby Keeler, that's my thought.
I loved Ann Sheridan with James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart.
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You shouldn't of asked me this one.
Here's my list:
Nancy Carroll
Helen Twelvetrees
Nina Mae McKinney
Patsy Kelly
Alice Faye
Veronica Lake
Frances Gifford
Ann Sothern
Eleanor Powell
Ruby Keeler
Joan Blondell
Kay Francis
Alice White
most of the people I would like to see as stars of the summer, TCM don't have their films but hopefully one day they will.
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Well I have to add my two cents.
I like Esther Williams, she was a lady. I love her swimming scenes. Esther was a part of a time in history where people "wowed." Esther wowed in the water.
I think Esther was an attractive lady. I haven't really sat down and watched all her films but she had a presence on the screen and that was something.
How I would love to see actresses today do something "wowing" as Esther Williams.
I have respect for the classic movie people. Some I wonder how were they ever movie stars or how were they ever called beautiful. But everyone has different taste.
What one calls beautiful and talented another may not.
Esther Williams contributed to the greatness of MGM and classic Hollywood.
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Which is the better era of movie-making?
I chose the pre-code era. The early 1930s. To me that was the best. I guess because there were no rules. Even though some things were sexual and blatant. The actors and actresses were good in keeping certain things to the imagination and using talented sexual innuendos. Its sosmething about that era that I always loved. Every actresses had their own image. The movies could really control your emotions. Also Blacks in the movies had more to do in their roles then just be seen and not heard.
In the 1940s, movies were more so sophisticated and un-realistic. I never been much of a fan of the 1940s movies.
I hate the code was passed to stop films being made like they were in the pre-code era. Was America getting alarmed that the pre-code era of movies were showing that America wasn't all what it was cracked up to me meaning showing people weren't so innocent and pure as America wanted the image to seem like.
For instance in "Torch Singer." Claudette Colbert played a woman having a child out of wedlock. Barbara Stanwyck in "Baby Face" played a woman who slept her way to the top. In "Night Court" the movie showed the corruption with the law. In "Safe In Hell" Nina Mae McKinney(the first black actress) has more of a scene then a stereotype and embraces Dorothy MacKaill and other whites of the movie. The underworld, race, drugs, sex, liquor was very evident in the pre-code movie making. Many others I could use as an example. The pre-code movies were entertaining but had some truth to it in the reality of the world.
After the code was passed, a lot of studio got rid of their pre-code films. We can see the ones made by Warner Bros and MGM on TCM. The ones made at other studios you can buy at Ebay... the ones with Nancy Carroll, Helen Twelvetrees, Alice White, etc.
What's your views?
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Judy is wonderful. One of the best. No matter how many books and documentary put her down. She has a place in the world's heart forever which will passed down to generation to generation. If the other classic movie stars are forgotten- Judy Garland won't be.
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Dorothy Van Engle was in Harlem After Midnight, Murder In Harlem, Swing, and God's Stepchildren, and a few others. Dorothy wasn't in Lying Lips and Girl from Chicago though in was in the obituary. I didn't see her in those films. Her family says she was in others, which probably is true, a lot of actors and actresses in Micheaux films were in the movies but not credited. In God's Stepchildren, Dorothy had a small but important part. When I watched that movie I wasn't expected her in it, but there she was. So there's probably more. I've seen most of Micheaux films but most are lost. But I'll be looking for Dorothy, there's a few Micheaux films I haven't seen. I liked her a lot. Dorothy reminds me a lot of Myrna Loy. Both were classy, sophisticated, natural, kind of had that aloofness. Dorothy was surrounded by stars was good friends with Lena Horne growing up and Jack Johnson lived in the same apartment. Her step-father played in Cab Calloway's band.
I dedicated a page for Dorothy at my site http://www.geocities.com/nina_mae_mckinney
Another favorite in Micheaux films was Ethel Moses. She passed years ago but she was star in her time and got to tell her story. Ethel was a pretty good actress. Ethel was called one of the most beautiful women in the world. Ethel worked at the famous Cotton Club. Micheaux billed her as the black Jean Harlow. There is sort of a resemblance, she kind of has Harlow lips.
Most people who starred in Micheaux films either became stars from it or bigger stars.
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Dorothy Van Engle has passed away a few weeks ago.
Dorothy Van Engle was the star of many Oscar Micheaux films.
A very popular star to black audiences since the independent films were made for and by Blacks.
Dorothy is still a favorite of audiences of all today.
Dorothy was the most beautiful woman to appear on any screen period.
Had she been on the Hollywood screen, she would be considered one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood screen, but nonetheless, she was a rare beauty.
On screen Dorothy had a natural, cool, calm, collective, sophisticated, classy screen image, she didn't underact or over-act. Almost in the same fashion of Myrna Loy.
Dorothy started out as a model.
Dorothy made her own clothes that she wore in films and helped Oscar Micheaux with movie ideas.
Many who seen her work fall in love with her beauty and her warm, friendly persona even shows with her acting. The films she appeared in were showed a few times on TCM in the past. Just by her obituary being in major newspapers like New York Times, L.A. Times, many have became interested in her.
Dorothy contribution ot films is very recognized and appreciated.
If you would like to read her obituary, here is a link below.
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Sometimes I think Judy Garland is over-rated. I enjoy her, she's a great entertainer and actress, she could do it all but people seem to forget the other sirens of the time like Frances Langford, Carole Landis, Betty Grable, Ann Sheridan, Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, Martha Raye, Marilyn Maxwell, and Betty Hutton who could belt tunes as well and were musical favorites of the 1940s.
Joan Crawford to me is over-rated in some ways. What kept her name was alive was that Mommie Dearest incident, so that's drawing people to her movies and wanting to know who she is.
Katharine Hepburn is over-rated to me, what is it about her. Yes, she has a very distinctive voice and is a natural but she never wowed me, the same with Bette Davis.
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Who are some of classic Hollywood actors and actresses who are over-rated, who are overly talked about, considered more talented then they were.
When I first started watching classic movies of course I was drawn to the names of the legends of Golden Era Hollywood, because they were more known and considered more talented, so I watched them first and enjoyed them, but I never thought of them as great as their considered, especially when I got to know other stars of the time who are just as good but under-rated.
I think some of the stars who are over-rated are more talked about because of their wild, reckless, lives, instead of their career. So that's the way to be remembered in this business.
Who do you all think are over-rated and why?
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I have a few to add to the list. The under-rated actresses who aren't legends and aren't known but was stars in their time.
Nina Mae McKinney
Nancy Carroll
Constance Bennett
Kay Francis
Laura LaPlante
Ann Sheridan
Ida Lupino
Ann Sothern
Alice Faye
Joan Blondell
Ann Sheridan
Ida Lupino
Susan Hayward
I also found these three ladies to be the greatest actresses of the Golden Era, people thought so back then also. But for some reason their not legends. Ida Lupino was known as and called herself the Poor Man's Bette Davis. I find Ida a better actress. Susan Hayward was the greatest actress. No one, not Bette Davis, Joan Crawford could play I'll Cry Tomorrow and I want to Live like Susan. Ann Sheridan could adapt to anything.
There's many more ladies but those are the ones who really were good and big stars, and still looked at as great today, but for some reason or another their not legend material, not because they weren't talented, because they weren't full of tragedy and scandal. I guess it's the pick of the trade, some are Legends, some aren't.
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Marion Peter Holt, I wanted to reply to your Nancy Carroll post. I know this is an old post, but I wanted to bring it up again.
I do love Nancy Carroll. I didn't know who she was either until I was on ebay and I ran across some beautiful photos of her on magazine covers then I search the internet and I ran across a site that was made by a fan and she gave me some info and I watched her films and now I'm a fan.
But she was the biggest star of her time, late 1920s and early 1930s. She a big star during the early talkie, pre-code era. Which is the era many films were lossed. Her films are on sale at Ebay though.
A film historian said she was a bigger star then the obituaries and film books let you know.
Many have found out about her since this post, at Ebay her items sell like gold. Even though TCM don't show her movies, their available at ebay.
Nancy Carroll was up there with Crawford, Shearer, Constance Bennet, Garbo, Clara Bow, Kay Francis, Dietrich as the top leading ladies.
Historians say Nancy Carroll would have won the Academy for The Devil's Holiday in 1930 over Norma Shearer but because of Norma's relationship with Irving Thalberg and him pushing for her, she won and because Nancy was a new-comer and Norma was more of a legend, Norma had more years on her, but that was no excuse, another rip off.
Nancy received more fan mail then any other star. She was very likeable, beautiful and talented. She wasn't too high society like the other ladies on screen. People really could relate to her.
Hollywood didn't like her though, she was very rebellious to interviewers and Hollywood, from what I learn, but she said that she ruined her own career by being tempermental.
She hate being stereotyped though as the cutey who could do no wrong, she wanted to a bad, wild, reckless girl like Clara Bow, Crawford, and others, so she would deliberately do bad things to get notice to lose their goood girl persona of her. She was tough lady, but you never known it because of her babyface beauty.
It seem I love the more forgotten stars then the well-known stars.
Too much time has passed to write a book on her, because we wouldn't know fact from fiction. It's very hard finding info on her. Though she was in movie magazines, their very hard to find. At ebay they sell for hundreds.
But that website has some good info.
Here's the website on her. It's real beautiful, a wonderful tribute. Beautifully done.
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Chateau/6060/
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Well I mean its alright for you to agree if you want, but there's proof. How is you going to doubt they weren't known. I found out about them myself from watching their movies, I knew nothing about them so I read the newspapers of the time like Chicago Defender, New York Amsterdam News, and Afro American, Los Angeles Sentinel and others and got a good view of who they were. They don't write about nobodies.
The blacks I mention aren't known today, but they were in their time they were popular on the stage, radio, and recordings. They all traveled in the same circles, worked together, worked with the same people, work at the same clubs.
Sheila Guyse a beautiful talented actress and singer did great work in films Miracle in Harlem, Boy What A Girl, and Sepia Cinderella, people said she would give Dandridge a run for her money had she ever came to Hollywood,
the beautiful Francine Everett called the poor man's dorothy dandridge, did some fine acting in many independent films and also showed off her beauty and singing talent, she was a favorite, she was married to Rex Ingram who played De Lawd in Green Pastures, Francine was asked for by Hollywood, but she refused to go to Hollywood and be stereotyped, she got wonderrful roles in the independent films, they may have been cheap, low-budgeted but she got a chance to show her acting ability and get good roles then any other Black got in Hollywood, her best work was in Dirty Gertie from Harlem, Paradise in Harlem, Keep Punching- a film about the life of Henry Armstrong, Stars on Parade, Big Timers, Miss Tall, Tan, and Terrific, and she also appeared in over 100 soundies, Ethel Moses- Oscar Micheaux favorite girl who was called the black harlow appeared in Gone Harlem, God's Stepchildren, Birthright, Temptation, Underworld.
Edna Mae Harris you may know her, she appeared in a few Hollywood films as a maid and a part in Green Pastures, but she got better roles in independent films to show her great acting, singing and dancing in Lying Lips, Sunday Sinners, Murder on Lenox Ave, Paradise in Harlem, The Notorious Elinor Lee, and others were very much known.
Josephine Edwards was a popular nightclubs performer, big band vocalist, and recording star, appearing in her only film role Mystery in swing, which she gave a wonderful performance.
So how is it my view or perspective, I didn't write the newspapers. I found out how popular they were, I didn't know anything about. Some of them are still alive, and I talked with a few, they had some wonderful stories to tell.
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Yeah I knew you was fake. Your not so big and bad. All you can do is make faces.
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I double dare someone to spit on me. That person would be in the hospital or worse and I'll give them a million if they could get up after I got done with them.
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Well you haven't spit on the wrong person yet, that'll spit back or worse.
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Well tell me what rude, devilish, sinful rude comment I made? If you feel I did something criminally wrong.
Your the one made a rude comment outside of this. If you think its so funny to spit on people. I see why you like Hedy so much, your both in the same boat.
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Debbie Reynolds, yes. Wonderful dancer. Anyone who can keep up with Gene Kelly wins in my book, especially if your not a trained, pro like him. Debbie said dancing with Gene was harder then giving birth.
Debbie danced in many films, she had a lot of rhythm and grace.
That's the thing about Golden Era stars they could do it all.
Marilyn Miller is another dancer that wowed me. TCM show her films occassionally. She did about 3 films. Marilyn Miller was the top Broadway dancing star of her time. I'm glad some of her work was shown on the screen.
Myrna Loy was a wonderful dancer, I haven't really seen her dance, but she claimed in her book to be quite good. I believe she danced in a few films, early films.
HAL LEROY, now that's a guy who could dance. I think he could give Fred Astaire a run for his money. He did a lot of Vitaphone shorts which are shown on TCM. He was a big Broadway star. I wish he would of done some Hollywood movies. I would love to see him dance with Ruby Keeler, Ginger Rogers. He danced with June Allyson in a short, before she hit it big, they were so cute together. But, he disappeared from the public's eye quite fast. It's been said he died alone, like he went into seclusion.
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Well others make rude comments, no one says anything about them. I can say whatever I want. I never made no rude comments. I've seen worser things said on here.
And as for Horne and Dandridge, they said they were accepted because they fit white people standards, because of some their white features.
Yes, people should shake their heads at that ignorance.
People just don't like it when someone doesn't like a certain star.
You just don't wanna hear the truth, you needn't respond.
I'm not trying to accomplish anything, I just wanted to see what the fuss over her beauty was about, because I don't see it.
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Does it? Well if you thought that was negative, you haven't seen nothing yet. But I wouldn't say the real negative things about Hedy because it doesn't matter now she's dead and paid for her wrongs, like all of us will. All I said is why she's not beautiful to me and why.
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You must took wrong what I said. All of them are dead, but when he said he thinks that Hedy Lamarr is still the most beautiful woman, that's what I said what I said about the dead thing.
Like I said you don't have to agree with me. We all have our favorites, and our not so favorites, if we sit and dwell on all their negatives it would kill the illusion.
I have personal reasons for not liking her, but so what.
But even if wasn't personal reasons, I don't think she still would be a favorite. Susan Hayward was looked at as mean, cold in Hollywood, but she was a kind hearted person from what I hear.
What do you know about Black beauty or as Lena Horne would say what you think Black beauty is? Nina Mae received more rave reviews then Dorothy and Lena ever did. All of them did great things, broke down barriers, but Nina Mae got the most raves about her beauty and talent.
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Did I call Lena Horne homely? no. I said they didn't use beautiful black women frequently. Nina Mae got a few good films, Lena Horne got a few good films, and Dorothy also, but they weren't use frequently. There were few Black beauties, but the ones Hollywood did use frequently in movies were homely like Louise Beavers, Hattie McDaniel, and other blacks who played maids.
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Well if you think spitting on people is funny, it shows how ignorant you are. You like that stuff.
McKinney holds a light to Dandridge, whites like Dandridge and Horne because they fit white people standards. Which Horne said herself.
You all talk about your beauties, I talk about mine. When the book comes out an documentary, she'll get her recognition.
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I know we all want our favorite stars to be perfect, good people, decent, righteous, and innocent, but sadly few are and Hedy wasn't one of the few.
Which era of move-making was better
in General Discussions
Posted
WOW, cjrogan what a bold statement. No good-looking girls in the 1930s and 1940s. Are you blind? The 1930s and 1940s ladies were what I call real "lookers." I don't know of any 1980s or even today women who were as beautiful. Maybe it was something in the water that made women "naturally" beautiful back then. No plastic surgery or too much make up. Just natural. Of course, women wore makeup but the makeup just brought up their beauty more, not hide or make them look differently then what they looked.
Women today you see them look one way on screen and at the awards then when the paparazzi catch them off guard somewhere they don't look how they look on screen or at the awards.
Women them had real glamour and sophistication. They left something to the imagination. They didn't have to resort to nudity and sex scenes to get their point across. They had more sex appeal in their little finger then women have today in their whole body. They showed sexiness is more then just showing your nude body.
The women of the 1930s and 1940s make today's actresses look sick.