Friday, February 25, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Swing Time
I saw Swing Time (1936) for the first time last night. It was just more proof that 30's comedies are actually very funny even for today's audiences. Victor Moore was so funny to watch. He and Fred Astaire both had the funniest mannerisms throughout the film. I also think this is the loveliest I've ever seen Ginger Rogers. I never really paid attention to what beauty she has until watching this film. And her hair!!! Her hair just glistens. Of course it was heavily dusted with gold shavings and dyed but her hair looked amazing! I did have a bit of an issue with the Bojangles of Harlem number. That black face makeup is quite racist. Even though the dance number was so innovative with the big shadows and Fred Astaire danced amazingly I just thought it was distasteful to use black face I understand it was acceptable for it's time but I wasn't alive then and that might just be a good thing. Anyway the dancing was brilliant and it really is true that Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did only backwards and in heels! That girl can dance.
I read recently that the makeup department had to use whipped cream in this shot instead of shampoo because every shampoo they used would run down her face too quickly.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Goddess In White
Audrey Hepburn
Thursday, February 3, 2011
What A Gal-4
Anne Francis 1930-2011
Anne Francis was such a breath of fresh air to watch on screen. She had this complex that made her seem even sweeter than Shirley Temple. She may not have had the extensive number of dramatic roles that other actresses had but she was an actress that represented the peppy, good-natured girl of the 1950's. At the same time she was very entrancing and had eyes that seemed to have a magnetic force. I was watching Blackboard Jungle (1955) today and thought I would research her a little and found that she died just last month. I had no clue that she had passed. When I think of her I think of drive-in movies, dungaree jeans, campy sci-fi movies, pencil skirts, and 50's rock and roll. It's easy to think she was a cookie cutter blonde by seeing her pictures but she had warmth and didn't seem to fake her personality. She seemed to make the whole duration of Forbidden Planet (1956) worth while.
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