A blogathon for my darling Deborah

On September 30th this year it will be 90 years since Deborah Kerr graced us with her presence here on earth. While she is sadly no longer with us, we still have her films, photos, OTRs etc. to remember her by. Even if you've only been following my blog for a very short amount of time, you probably already know that Deborah is my favourite person in the entire film/tv world. I can't express my love and admiration for her enough and so I came up with the idea of hosting a blogathon in honour of her this year on her birthday.

The blogathon will be held on her birthday (September 30th, as I said above) and anything you want to share about Deborah is welcome. If you're stuck for ideas, perhaps a story about her that you love, a review of one of her films, the story of how you became a Deborah fan, your Deborah graphics etc. Just leave me a comment below if you want to participate and I'll create a page up above to keep a running list of all the participants as well as details about the blogathon.

I made a few banners/posters for the blogathon which you can put on your blog if you'd like (it would be great if some of you could do that so that we can get as many people as possibly participating!), but feel free to create your own banner if you'd like to!

Thanks for reading and I hope you'll join in the Deborah birthday fun! :D

P.S. Sorry I haven't posted much in the last 10 days or so, I promise I'll start posting regularly again soon!

Box Set Monday #8: Debbie Reynolds

Today we have a "Box Set Monday" post from Amanda of A Noodle In a Haystack (isn't her blog name the best thing ever? :D ). She's writing about 6 of Debbie Reynolds' films (only one of which I've seen... *hangs head in shame*), hope you enjoy!

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Contains:

Singin’ in the Rain, 1952

Give a Girl a Break, 1953

The Catered Affair, 1956

The Gazebo, 1959

Tammy & the Bachelor, 1957

The Unsinkable Molly Brown, 1964

So you want to get to know Debbie Reynolds, eh? Good thing you came to an expert – Debbie is one of my favorites, and I’m never at loss when it comes to suggesting her movies. My only problem is limiting myself to just a few, so you can imagine how hard it’s been for me to pick only six of her movies to share with you guys today.

Singin’ in the Rain – Aside from being one of the greatest musicals ever made, this was also the first movie to shine the spotlight on Debbie. She had only been in five movies before Singin’ in the Rain, and always in a bit part – or portraying the sister of a bigger star. As Gene Kelly’s love interest, though, she was allowed to shine and show everyone just how talented she was – whether she was dancing, singing, or throwing pies at Jean Hagen.

Give a Girl a Break – I always say that this is one of the best musicals that no one ever talks about. Debbie is teamed with Bob Fosse this time: their scenes together are really adorable, and their musical numbers are of the kind that make you want to dance up and down the walls and onto the ceiling.

The Catered Affair – Debbie is always remembered for her bright comedic roles, and rightly so. She’s one of the funniest actresses I’ve ever seen. Sometimes we forget, though, that she could handle the dramatic parts, too. The Catered Affair is in black and white and has no splashy musicals numbers and no slapstick: it’s just an unassuming film about a New York cabbie (Ernest Borgnine), his wife (Bette Davis), and the effects that their daughter’s (Debbie) upcoming wedding has on their family. Debbie’s performance is more subdued than usual, and her scenes – especially the ones with Rod Taylor, who plays her fiancé – are quietly effective and sweet.

The Gazebo – Glenn Ford’s character is the main focus of the movie, but Debbie holds her own quite well as his loving wife. Her comedic scenes are terribly funny, too – watch this movie if only to see Debbie try to dial a telephone with her nose!

Tammy & the Bachelor – Tammy may be a little on the corny side, but that doesn’t detract from its appeal. Debbie plays a girl who was raised on the Mississippi and has suddenly been transplanted to a large Southern plantation, where her frank manner and sweet temper helps heal old wounds in a family that was once wealthy but is now on the brink of poverty. It’s an old story, I know, but this is a great movie for a summer afternoon.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown – Last but not least, we have Debbie’s own personal favorite. For her performance as social climber Molly Brown, she received an Oscar nomination. Amazingly enough, Julie Andrews won for Mary Poppins. Whether she won or lost, however, is beside the point: Debbie is, as always, a joy to watch. She plays Molly all the way through from a backwoods gal to a lady of high society, showing us all the stumbling blocks and heartaches along the way.

Thanks, Sophie, for letting me share my love for Debbie Reynolds with your readers, and thanks to everybody who took the time to read this post. If you aren’t familiar with Debbie already, I hope you’ll take my advice and check out of couple of her films. You won’t regret it.

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Amanda, thank you so much for writing such a smashing post for this week's "Box Set Monday"! It's been a pleasure having you! :)

If you would like to participate in "Box Set Monday", just let me know my leaving a comment (along with some way for me to contact you), drop me an email, tweet me etc. and we'll see what we can do! :)

I'm irresistibly sweet, don't ya know?

Rianna of Frankly My Dear, who started writing her lovely, entertaining blog last month, very kindly gave me The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award! Thank you so much :) *

According to the rules I have to:

• Thank and link the person who nominated me 
• Share 7 random facts about yourself.
• Nominate 12 fellow bloggers for the award.
• Notify the recipients.

7 Random Facts About The Girl Behind the Blog

1. Whilst I don't start out all my stories with "Well, back in St. Olaf...", I have the same level of skill in storytelling as Rose Nyland - namely, none. 
2. My two favourite tv mini series are Bleak House and Band of Brothers. I love them both with a burning passion and will rave about them to anyone who will listen. I highly recommend everyone to watch them at some point, although Band of Brothers is very violent and bloody, emotionally intense, and swear-y so is not really suitable for younger viewers. ;D
3. I never had chicken pox as a child therefore now I dread contracting it as an adult.
4. I have a dog called Scamp (see photo below).
5. I hope to train to become a Doctor.
6. I play the trumpet.
7. Gillian Anderson is my favourite modern actress - and by favourite, I mean that she is just a teeny bit behind Deborah for first place favourite actress of all time! 

WARNING! 

My dog is so cute you might not be able to stand it and go crazy Old Hollywood style (lots of dramatic hands).

12 of My Favourite Blogs

• Millie of Classic Forever
• Clara of Via Margutta 51
• Bette of Bette's Movie Blog
• Audrey of Fedoras and High Heels
• Meredith of Movie Montage
• Kate of Scathingly Brilliant
• Monty of All Good Things
• Lara of Backlots
• Jennifer of Films of Yesterday
• Emma of Emma's Music
• Amanda of A Noodle In a Haystack
• Craig of Put the Blame on Mame

Once again, thank you so much for the award, Rianna! :)

*I wrote this post this afternoon after I published the Liebster Blog Award post (yes, I am stupid for not putting both of them in the same post) and saved is a draft to post this evening but in the meantime I found out that the lovely Clara from Via Margutta 51 and Bette from Bette's Movie Blog also nominated me. Thanks girls! :)

I received the Liebster Blog Award - twice!

*insert a Greer Garson-like acceptance speech*

Monty of All Good Things and Amanda of A Noodle In a Haystack both very kindly awarded me the Liebster Blog Award. Thanks guys! They both have really wonderful blogs, and I urge you to go and check them out! :) 

According to the rules I must pass on the award to 3-5 blogs who have less than 300 followers but deserve a whole lot more! Here are the bloggers I chose...

Clara of Via Margutta 51 - I check Clara's blog religiously every day to see if she's posted because I don't want to miss any of her witty, wonderful, and always insightful posts! If you're not already following her, you should remedy that immediately. 

Meredith of Movie Montage - I am constantly in awe of Meredith's knowledge of classic film. All of her posts are full to the brim with utter brilliance and wit - I can't get enough of her blog! Also, two of her favourite actresses are Deborah Kerr and Barbara Stanwyck ;D

Mr. Mythical Monkey of A Mythical Monkey Writes About the Movies - MM's blog was one of the first I ever followed and it's thanks to him that I've watched many silent films that I might not have otherwise - thank you! :D You should all go over there and follow him immediately!

Audrey of Fedoras and High Heels - I always enjoy reading Audrey's posts - especially her wonderful  film reviews! I always end up wanting to watch the film as soon as I've finished reading her post about it :D Hop on over to her blog and hit the follow button - you won't regret it! 

Posh Frock Friday

skirt: New Look

vest: New Look

cardigan: New Look

belt: no idea

tights: no idea

shoes: New Look

Ever since Kate Gabrielle of Scathingly Brilliant fame started doing the Posh Frock Friday series on her blog back in 2010, I've wanted to participate because I think the idea of dressing up in your finest frills and furbelows each Friday is wonderful! But, being the type of girl who is to be found 99.9% of the time wearing old skinny jeans (you know the type: full of holes, faded at the knees, but oh-so comfortable!), a t-shirt with a slogan on it, and hair pulled back in a ponytail, I never got around to taking the photos. 3 weeks ago, however, I impulsively decided to get my hair, which was over half way down my back, cut. I had what seemed like a foot of hair lopped off and, the next day, my Mum kindly dyed it for me (I don't trust myself enough to do it myself ;D). It was the first time I've ever dyed my hair, and, although it's only a shade or two darker than my natural colour, I really love it! For a couple of days after The Great Haircut of 2011, I was at a loss of how to style my hair but eventually I thought "Hmm, why don't I get my rollers out? I haven't been able to use them for years due to my long hair, but now... !!". I popped them in in a fairly basic setting pattern, and a few hours late took them out and became rather giddy with excitement at the result! I haven't looked back since. It takes me ten minutes to set my hair, then I pop on a hair net and a few hours later I'm all good to go! I'm going to try experimenting with legit vintage hairstyles like I used to a few years ago soon, but I'm really loving this style for the time being. 

Box Set Monday #7: Ava Gardner (guest post by Clara)

This week I am honoured to have the wonderful Clara from Via Margutta 51 writing the guest post for "Box Set Monday". If you aren't already following her blog, go over there and do so immediately! I'm always in awe of how beautifully she writes, combining humour with a deep understanding of all aspects of classic film. So, without further ado, I will hand you over into her very capable hands!

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Hi Sophie's readers!  I tried to make the complete homework and did watch 8 movies from Ava I hadn't seen before. Even when some of them were bad; I found two new films I really liked and added them to the list. That's why movies like The Killers and On the beach were left out (sorry). My final selection is varied in genre, so you can pick your favorite.

Contains:

One touch of Venus, 1948

East Side, West Side, 1949

The Bribe, 1949

Mogambo, 1953

The barefoot contessa, 1954

The night of the iguana, 1964

One touch of Venus (1948): I included this film because is one of the few comedies Ava did. Plus it has a lot of funny moments. I love the idea of the movie: Robert Walker kisses the expensive statue of goddess Venus owned by his boss, and all of the sudden she comes to life. I personally like fantasy movies; this one is light and very entertaining plus you also had Eve Arden being hilarious as always and a magic song, Speak Low (http://youtu.be/DiXAWU_FQvo) . Ava's Venus is playful, relaxed, funny and cool.

East Side, West Side (1949): Interesting movie starring Barbara Stanwyck, Ava Gardner, James Mason, Van Heflin and Cyd Charisse. Drama, romance, crime, all together. Barbara is worried because the ex lover of her husband (Mason), Ava Gardner, is back in town. She had forgiven his affair, but now she's not sure if her hubby will remain faithful. Ava is great as the seductive bad gal, recognizing she only has her good looks to triumph in life. Stanwyck, and a new supportive male friend (Heflin) have great chemistry.

The Bribe (1949): I hadn't seen this movie before and I really liked it. Ava Gardner and Robert Taylor made three movies together and this one is the best. It tells the story of an American agent investigating a case in some hot Caribbean country. Soon, he falls in love with the wife of one his targets. Ava is innocent: she doesn't know what her husband is up too, but as the movie develops you learn she's also desperate because her hubby is ill and may commit a crime for him. Charles Laughton brilliantly plays the sick and sweaty assistant of the leader of the criminal group, boss Vincent Price. Believe me, Laughton steals the movie with his performance. "The bribe" is entertaining and keeps you intrigued. Ava's acting is believable and measured, according to her role of a long-suffering and young housewife.

Mogambo (1953): I must confess I don't like the complete movie. But if this is an Ava's Box Set I think it should be included only because Ava is hilarious in it. This is a love triangle (the other two involved are Clark Gable and Grace Kelly) that takes place in Africa. Ava's character is a showgirl from New York, an honest gal that doesn't stand social conventions and just lives her life the best she can. The problem is that she falls in love with Clark Gable, while he falls in love with a dull (and married) scientist. In that tense situation, Ava's lines become sharper than an African spear and so hilarious (http://youtu.be/Dli6k6IqSwA) you keep waiting for the next one. Her acting is playful and natural, very memorable.

The barefoot contessa (1954): One of my favorite directors, Joseph L. Mankiewicz (All About Eve; A letter to three wives, etc) is in charge of this movie. It tells the story of a poor Spanish dancer Maria Vargas (Ava) that's is spotted by a millionaire who wants to transform her in an international actress/star and another object in his collection. In the very first moment we learn that Maria has died, so different characters recount the story in flashbacks. One of them, the most important and Ava's best friend, is Humphrey Bogart, a movie director.His iconic voice describes most of the facts, which is pleasing to the ear. Because we know the ending, the tone of the movie is always hopeless; the pace, moderate, giving you time to detect everyone's motivations. Ava's acting is my second favorite, transmitting the grief of her character, like a wild animal in a cage.

The night of the iguana (1964): A classic. Ava at her best. Director John Huston tells the story of an ex priest, now a touristic guide (Richard Burton), that gets involved with one of the girls he's guiding in Mexico, causing the criticism and shock of their teacher. The group stops at Ava's inn, where also arrives a poor artist (Deborah Kerr) and her old poetic uncle. The movie (and novel) is based in everyone's passions, in human relationships, in the things that are unsaid. The clash of these different people provokes a dramatic implosion, but at the end everyone manages to solve their issues. Here Ava is ironic because she's tired of her life; passionate, because she knows that previous fact. And by portraying that in such natural way, Ava looks more alive than ever.

Well, that's it. Hope you enjoyed!

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Thank you so much for writing such a great "Box Set Monday" post, Clara! :)

As always, if you would like to write a guest post for "Box Set Monday", just leave me a comment (please leave me some way of contacting you though), drop me an email, tweet me etc. and we'll work something out! :D

P.S. I participated in the first part of a new series over on Clara's blog on Friday, you can check it out here. :)

The poll results are in!

1 poll. 8 contestants. 10 days. 48 voters. Who is about to be crowned the Queen of Screwball Comedy?

*drum roll*

In first place with 26 votes, an astounding 54% of the votes cast, is CAROLE LOMBARD! 

I did think that it was probable she would win, but I never thought it would be such a huge victory. Well done, Carole! 

In second place, with 6 votes, was someone I was not expecting to be up there in the top 3, Katharine Hepburn. Well played, Kate! ;D

Chilling in the grass very pleased with 2nd place!

Tied for 3rd place with 4 votes apiece are Irene Dunne and Jean Arthur. I thought that Irene might have come in first, I have to admit, but 3rd place isn't too shabby.

Roz Russell came in 4th with 3 votes (I was a little sad about this, I had hoped more people would vote for her). Barbara Stanwyck and Myrna Loy tied for 5th place with 2 votes each, and poor Claudette Colbert came in last with only 1 vote :(

Thank you to everyone who participated in the poll, I had so much fun watching to see how it was playing out! Hopefully I'll have another poll up soon, so check back for that! :)

A gift of 50 cigarette cards

Yesterday my Dad returned from visiting my eldest brother at uni. (aka helping him move his belongings from one house to another and then bringing another part of my brother's HUGE book collection home to completely incapacitate the spare room ;D) and gave me an album of 50 cigarette cards that my brother had bought for me. I was, and still am, over the moon! They're so wonderful; I can't stop looking at them! Thank you, big brother!

I believe they're from around 1938/1939 going from the films that it says some of the stars have just completed. I'm enjoying reading the little biographies on the back so much - it's interesting to seeing the erroneous birth dates of the stars we know lied about their age (*cough*Constance Bennett*cough*). They' cards are in brilliant condition and I am so pleased and grateful that I have them!

I've italicised the names of the actors/actresses I hadn't heard about until now, so it would be great if you could recommend some films of their's for me to watch!

Click on photos to enlarge

(Top row l-r: Brian Aherne, June Duprez, Fred Astaire, Charles Boyer

Bottom row l-r: Virginia Bruce, Diana Churchill,  Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis (I lol'd when I realised that Joan and Bette were next to each other ;D)) 

 (Top row l-r: Olivia de Havilland, Deanna Durbin, Nelson Eddy, Gracie Fields, Errol Flynn, 

Bottom row l-r: George Formby, Valerie Hobson, John Howard, Allan Jones, Patric Knowles)

 (Top row l-r: Dick Powell, Vivien Leigh, Margaret Lockwood, Myrna Loy, Corinne Luchaire

Bottom row l-r: Jeanette MacDonald, Barry MacKay, Frederic March, Raymond Massey, Ray Milland)

 

(Top row l-r: Mary Morris, Paul Muni, Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, Maureen O'Sullivan

Bottom row l-r: Lilli Palmer, Nova Pilbeam, Eleanor Powell, Luise Rainer, Basil Rathbone)

(Top row l-r: Rene Ray, Shirley Ross, Rosalind Russell, Norma Shearer, James Stewart

Bottom row l-r: Robert Taylor, Franchot Tone, Spencer Tracy, Conrad Veidt, Anton Walbrook)

Hope you enjoyed looking at them! :D

Box Set Monday #6: Thelma Ritter

Thelma Ritter is the featured star of this week's "Box Set Monday" post. She was one of the great character actresses and received 6 Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nominations (interesting fact: she is tied with Deborah for being nominated the most times in one particular category without a win.).

Contains:

All About Eve, 1950

The Mating Season, 1951

Pickup on South Street, 1953

Rear Window, 1954

Pillow Talk, 1959

The Misfits, 1961

All About Eve is the first film I remember seeing Thelma Ritter in and in every film I've seen her in since then she has never failed to impress. She plays Margo Channing's (Bette Davis, as if you didn't know!) gritty, outspoken maid - the only member of Margo's close circle who dislikes Anne Baxter's conniving Eve Harrington. Thelma gained her first Academy Award nomination for her absolutely stellar performance. 

In The Mating Season, Thelma plays gives such a sweet, funny performance as the mother-in-law of socialite Maggie McNulty (Gene Tierney) who arrives at Maggie and her son's house and is mistaken by her daughter-in-law for the maid. It's such a delightful film, I can't recommend it enough. Also, Thelma plays a bigger part in the film than she does in many others so that is always wonderful!

I think Thelma's performance in Pickup on South Street is probably her finest ever. She plays Moe, a weary peddler of neck ties and seller of information. She is great in the entire film, but her final few minutes are what make her really stand out. If I could award Thelma the Academy Award she never won, this would be the performance I would give it too.

Rear Window is one of my favourite Hitchcock films, not least because of Thelma's fantastic performance as James Stewart's nurse, Stella (STELLAAAAAAA! or maybe not...). It wasn't one of her biggest roles, but her dry wit and perfect timing gives the film a little extra something that makes it all the more exhilarating.

Thelma's comedic, slightly over the top performance as Doris Day's nosy, drunken maid in Pillow Talk may not be one her strongest performances but she is so entertaining and engaging that you can't help but love her. The scenes in the lift make me chuckle every time!

The Misfits and Rear Window are the only films in this box set that didn't gain Thelma an Academy Award nomination; it seems so strange to me that she was overlooked for her performance in The Misfits. She plays Isabelle, a tired, sad, and slightly wistful character who befriends Marilyn Monroe's beautiful and vulnerable Roslyn. This was Thelma's second film with Marilyn Monroe with the first being All About Eve in which MM had a very small part as a young, aspiring actress. I can't recommend The Misfits enough, it's a film I think everyone should see at least once.

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Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this week's instalment of "Box Set Monday" and, as always, if you would like to write a guest post for this series please leave a comment (please leave me some way to contact you if you do this!), send me an email, tweet me etc. and we will figure something out! 

Loving Lucy | Thank you, Lucille!

(This is part of the Loving Lucy blogathon which is being hosted over at True Classics. Go and check out all the other brilliant posts!)

Today marks the 100th birthday of one of the world's most loved actresses and comediennes, Lucille Ball. It's 60 years since I Love Lucy started airing and, as a testament to it's greatness, it is still one of the most loved tv shows of all time. Even if someone has never seen ILL, show them a picture of a certain ditzy red head with a flaming putty nose and they will know it's Lucille Ball. She becomes part of your life whether you realise it or not.

I didn't grow up watching I Love Lucy because it is rarely, if ever, aired over here in UK, but when I discovered Lucille Ball, and subsequently ILL, it was at a time when I needed to laugh and needed to be taken out of myself, even if just for half an hour. I didn't need just anyone though, I needed someone I could understand and relate to, someone who I could feel was my friend. Lucille Ball was just who I needed. Even in the darkest moments, she could make me smile and feel as though everything wasn't so bad after all. She was one of us, not some aloof movie star that very few could feel close to, but someone who shared with us (as Bob Hope said) one of the greatest gifts to mankind, laughter. Lucy knew how wonderful the gift of laughter is, and she shared it in the most real and tangible way possible through a (then) new medium which assured it reached and touched the lives of thousands of people. 

The world has changed a tremendous lot in the past 60 years but one thing is certain, we need Lucy now just as much as we did in the post-WWII years. I firmly believe that in another 100 years the world will still love her as much as it does now. Thank you, Lucille Ball, for brightening so many people's lives ♥

Happy birthday, Lucille!

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I wish I could have written something with a bit more depth to it; I had so many things I wanted to say about Lucille but I've been trying to write them down all week and it just hasn't happened. I haven't been feeling too good so perhaps that's why, but at least I managed to write something as at one point I was so frustrated I didn't think I'd be able to post anything! 

New Poll: Who's the Screwball Queen? (+previous poll results)

Whenever I think of screwball comedy, I immediately think of a handful of highly talented ladies who made some of the greatest films of the genre. So for this poll I'm asking you to pick between 8 equally fabulous ladies and vote for whom you think is the Queen of Screwball Comedy.

Irene Dunne

Carole Lombard

Rosalind Russell

Claudette Colbert

Myrna Loy

Jean Arthur

Barbara Stanwyck

Katharine Hepburn

Happy voting! :D

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According to the previous poll (which ended over a month ago... oops!) Liesl is the most popular von Trapp kid, with Brigitta coming in second (YAY!), cute little Gretl third, and Louisa, Marta and the two boys all tying for last place with 1 vote. Thanks for voting everyone!

Please check out yesterday's Box Set Monday post featuring on the ladies in the poll.

Box Set Monday #5: Carole Lombard

The star of today's "Box Set Monday" post is Carole Lombard, the gorgeous, tremendously talented Queen of Screwball Comedy.

Contains:

Twentieth Century, 1934

My Man Godfrey, 1936

Nothing Sacred, 1937

True Confession, 1937

Mr. and Mrs. Smith, 1941

To Be or Not To Be, 1942

I saw Twentieth Century for the first time today and just had to put it in the box set (it knocked out No Man of Her Own). Carole plays a lingerie model who is turned into a huge theatrical star by Oscar Jaffe (incredibly played by John Barrymore), a Broadway impresario. It encompasses everything a screwball comedy should and does so with such ease that you become entirely engrossed in the crazy and hilarious goings-on.

My Man Godfrey is the quintessential Lombard film, I think. If you don't end up loving dizzy, scatter-brained heiress Irene Bullock, then there's something wrong with you. William Powell also gives a smashing performance as the butler and only sane member of the Bullock household. MMG one of the most perfect examples of screwball comedy you will ever see, and I would not hesitate in using this film to lure people into the Old Hollywood downward spiral of obsession. ;D

The third film in the box set is Nothing Sacred, the first screwball comedy to be filmed in colour and Carole's only technicolour film (and yes, she is just as flawless in colour as in black and white!). Carole plays Hazel Flagg, a woman dying of radium poisoning. As such, she is invited to New York and becomes the talk of the town. Everything is smooth sailing until it's discovered that Hazel isn't actually dying...

True Confession is a wonderful comedy about husband and wife Helen and Ken Bartlett (Fred MacMurray). Helen is a writer and pathological liar, and Ken is a very honest lawyer. Going against against her husband's wishes and behind his back, Helen gets a job as a secretary. However, she soon finds herself in a bit of a pickle. I can't recommend this highly entertaining little film enough.  On a side note, Carole and Fred are one of my favourite '30s on-screen couples.  

One of Hitchcock's few comedy films, Mrs. and Mrs. Smith is a lively little film about a happily married couple who one day find out that they aren't actually married. Will they remarry or... ? The combination of Carole's perfect comedic timing, Robert Montgomery's pure brilliance, and Hitch's peerless skills as a director, makes this one of my all time favourite films.

To Be or Not To Be is a comedy drama (with an emphasis on drama) of the highest caliber. Most of the films in  this box set see Carole in slightly crazy comedic roles, but for the character of Maria Tura in this you have a chance to see her exercise her dramatic chops whilst still maintaining that glorious touch of Lombard comedic genius that we all know and love. TBONTB was the last film Carole made before her tragic death in a plane crash on January 16, 1942.

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Thanks for reading! Be sure to check back for next installment of "Box Set Monday". 

As always, if you would like to contribute to this series please drop me a line either here, on twitter, by email or wherever else you may be able to find me online, and we'll hopefully be able to work something out. :)

My Year in Film: July

212. The Mating Season (1951)

213. To Be or Not To Be (1942)

214. Heaven Can Wait (1943)

215. Holiday (1938)

216. Laura (1944)

217. Gunga Din (1939)

218. The Left Hand of God (1955)

219. Harold and Maude (1971)

220. Tobacco Road (1941)

221. Sullivan's Travels (1941)

222. Good Will Hunting (1997)

223. M (1931)

224. Pickup on South Street (1953)

225. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

226. Out of the Past (1947)

227. Ladri di biciclette (1948)

228. The Heiress (1949)

229. Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941)

230. The Great Dictator (1941)

231. The Dark Corner (1946)

232. The Immigrant (1917)

233. The Killers (1946)

234. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)

235. Les Enfants du Paradis (1945)

236. White Heat (1949)

237. The Lost Weekend (1945)

238. The Little Foxes (1941) 

239. The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)

240. Johnny Belinda (1948)

241. The Woman in Red (1932)

242. The Great Train Robbery (1903)

243. Red-Headed Woman (1932)

244. The Divorcee (1930)

245. Tootsie (1981)

245. La vita é bella (1997)

246. The Public Enemy (1931)

247. The Damned Don't Cry (1950)

248. Sadie Thompson (1928)

249. The Best Years of Our Lives (1948)

250. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

1900s - 1
1910s - 1
1920s - 1
1930s - 7
1940s - 22
1950s - 4
1960s - 0
1970s - 1
1980s - 1
1990s - 2
2000s - 0
2010s - 0

Most Watched Actresses

Gene Tierney - 5
Agnes Moorehead - 2
Carole Lombard - 2
Jane Wyman - 2
Jean Harlow - 2
Joan Blondell - 2
Miriam Hopkins - 2
Teresa Wright - 2
Thelma Ritter - 2
Virginia Mayo - 2

Most Watched Actors

Dana Andrews - 3
Cary Grant - 2
Charley Grapewin - 2
Charlie Chaplin - 2
Chester Morris - 2
Clifton Webb - 2
Edmond O'Brien - 2
Gene Raymond - 2
Henry Fonda - 2
Humphrey Bogart - 2
James Cagney - 2
Lew Ayres - 2
Robert Montgomery - 2

From now on, instead of writing about my favourite films this month here, I will link the reviews I've written about certain films to the film list at the beginning.