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Monday, 19 March 2012

Box Set Monday #12: Mildred Davis (Guest post!)

For this week's Box Set Monday I am very excited to have the wonderful Missy from labelleboheme guest posting. Missy is the biggest Mildred Davis fan you will probably ever meet and, as such, she is extremely knowledgeable about Mildred's films and life. Who better to create a box set for the lady in question? No one! And I, for one, am looking forward to watching the films in the box set because I've shamefully only seen one (a long time ago at that). So, without further ado, I'll hand you over to Missy.
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Silent film actress Mildred Davis is often underappreciated as an individual actress. She tends to be seriously overlooked due to the bulk of her work being as a leading lady in comedian Harold Lloyd's films (and then more-or-less retiring shortly after her marriage to Lloyd in 1923). And that's a bit unfortunate. Though she may not have been a huge force in the silent era, Mildred's sweet charm and her skills as a comedic leading lady contributed much to Harold Lloyd's films, at a time when Lloyd's popularity was certainly on the rise. And she's personally my favorite of Lloyd's female co-stars! In a box set centered around Miss Davis, some of her greatest and most memorable films with eventual husband Harold Lloyd would be featured.


Contains:
From Hand To Mouth, 1919
I Do, 1921
A Sailor Made Man, 1921
Grandma's Boy, 1922
Dr. Jack, 1922
Safety Last!, 1923

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From Hand to Mouth (1919) is significant because it was Mildred's first film opposite Harold Lloyd, replacing former Lloyd co-star Bebe Daniels. In this short film, Mildred plays an innocent young heiress who is being swindled out of her inheritance by a dastardly lawyer and a gang of criminals. The plan to keep her from claiming her inheritance by midnight? Kidnap her. The impoverished Boy (played by Harold Lloyd), of whom Mildred's character had helped earlier that day, somehow gets caught up in the scheme. Once he realizes who the damsel in distress is, he vows to help save her and her inheritance. Knowing this is Mildred and Harold's first film together, it's interesting to see how they interact with one another in character.

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I Do (1921) is my favorite of the Lloyd-Davis short films, mainly because of the interaction between the two. In this short, Harold and Mildred play a young newlywed couple who are told to babysit a brother-in-law's two young children. As you would imagine, the children are a handful and it doesn't help that word on the street is there's a dangerous burglar on the loose in their neighborhood. What I especially love about this film is the strong sense of companionship between the two. Here, Mildred's character is not simply there as the object of Harold's affection; instead, Mildred takes part in the majority of the hilarious antics side-by-side with Harold and really shows her own brand of comedic skill. They play off of one another and it's a wonderful thing!

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In A Sailor Made Man (1921), Mildred and Harold both play wealthy young people. Harold's character, a pretentious playboy, falls in love with the daughter of a wealthy business man (played by Mildred) and suddenly decides to marry her. To prove himself worthy to her father, he enlists in the Navy. When the Navy ship docks on a Middle Eastern town, it is found that The Girl and her father also arrive there at the same time by yacht. The Girl gets kidnapped by the local maharajah and, in the ultimate test of worthiness, Harold's character embarks to outwit the maharajah and save her. Mildred's flirtatious nature, especially in the beginning of the film, is quite funny and endearing.

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Grandma's Boy (1922) was Harold's personal favorite of his films and was the film that really established him as a force to be reckoned with in the world of silent comedy. Again, Mildred plays Harold's love interest but she gives her character an innocent, coquette, and bubbly personality that makes her very likable (and very funny!) Her character really believes in Harold's shy character and is one of the reasons that drives him to prove his courage and assertiveness.

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Dr. Jack (1922) is actually my personal favorite out of all of Harold Lloyd's films, and a large part of that is due to Mildred's character and performance. Though Dr. Jack is not considered one of Lloyd's groundbreaking films, Mildred's complex character and her acting in this film really shine through. In the film, Mildred plays "The Sick-Little-Well Girl" who is, as her name suggests, not actually sick but is being treated as though she were deathly ill. Harold is Dr. Jack, the new specialist they bring in to check up on The Sick-Little-Well-Girl. In addition to being funny and charming in many scenes, Mildred's character also tugs at your heartstrings. You feel especially sympathetic towards The Sick-Little-Well Girl, of whom no one but Dr. Jack seems to truly understand. The forbidden love story-line is also another one of my favorite things about this film -- you don't often see it done in the Lloyd-Davis films.

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Then there's the classic Safety Last (1923). Mildred plays the devoted girlfriend to Harold's iconic go-getter character. When Harold's character moves to the city to try and make well enough to buy a nice home for Mildred and himself, Harold gives his girlfriend the false impression that he's doing splendidly. Mildred, believing him, decides to join him in the city earlier than expected, leaving Harold to try to keep up the lie he concocted. This movie is arguably their most famous film together and it became the pinnacle of thrill comedy. Though Mildred didn't climb any buildings and hang off of clocks with Harold in this film, she does a fantastic job at perpetuating the comedy of the whole situation with her adorably naive character. It's a classic, indeed.

A large thank you to Sophie for allowing me to write this guest post -- it was a lot of fun and I really appreciate it! I hope this post inspires some people to watch my lovely lady Mildred Davis's films and I hope these films brighten your day and give you a good laugh!
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Thank you so much for such an interesting box set - I can't wait to watch the films! :)

As always, if you would like to participate in BSM, leave me a comment, send me an email etc. and we can work something out! :) 

Monday, 12 March 2012

Box Set Monday #11: Rosalind Russell

Roz Russell was, after Deborah, one of my first classic actress loves. I admired her, and still do, because where someone like Ava Gardner only had to slink across a room whilst nonchalantly pulling on a cigarette to command audiences, Roz made use of something else: her comedic talent. She may not have been a femme fatale, but she remained popular with audiences around the world because she knew how to make them laugh. On the flip side, as well as being a brilliant comedic actress, she was equally as well equipped to perform in more dramatic roles. In short, she was an incredible actress and everyone should love her as much as I do!

Contains:
The Women, 1939
His Girl Friday, 1940
My Sister Eileen, 1942
A Woman of Distinction, 1950
Auntie Mame, 1958
The Trouble With Angels, 1966


The Women is a film that every fan of classic film should see and a good starting point for those looking to get into the classics. In terms of 1939 in film, I rank this as #1. As well as Roz's great performance as the delightful and hilarious Mrs. 'Prowler', The Women is filled with a veritable who's-who of great Hollywood names: Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, Joan Fontaine, and Paulette Goddard, to name but a few. If you're looking for something with strong female leads, this if your film. In fact, I would go so far as to say that never has there been such a brilliant all female cast. 

Like the film above, His Girl Friday is a must for all fans of classic film. The epitome of screwball comedy, Roz slays Cary with her quips, one-liners, and hilarious faces. It was the first film Roz films I saw and I've been hooked ever since. There's something so ageless about HGF that makes it all the more brilliant and worthy of praise.

My Sister Eileen tells the story of wo sisters, Ruth (Roz) and Eileen (Janet Blair), who move to New York in the hopes of boosting their respective careers of writing and acting. This may very well be the most ridiculous film in this box set. However, it's ridiculousness rules in it's favour because it's not a silly film trying to be serious, it really is just silly (and rather witty at times). Without Roz, however, I'm not sure that it would have been quite the same. It's contrived, full of scenarios that everyone has seen a hundred times before, but Roz brings a freshness to it which makes it quite impossible not to enjoy.


A Woman of Distinction sees Roz playing a college dean who firmly believes that her life is far to full and busy to leave any room for romance. So when an fantastical love story is cooked up by publicist Teddy Evans involving Roz's college dean and Ray Milland's English professor (of astronomy, no less), sparks being to fly - and not the sparks of love. The highlight of the entire film, for me, has to be the bike ride. I'm not the biggest fan of slapstick but that scene has me doubled up with laugher every time.


What can I say about Auntie Mame? Perfect films don't exist but if they did, Auntie Mame would be up there at the top. Roz IS the eccentric, extremely flamboyant, and always good fun Mame Dennis who, after her brother dies, is given charge of his only son, Patrick. Together, they manage to weather the ups and the downs of Mame's crazy life. With aspects of comedy, drama, and just downright craziness, no one with a heart will manage to get through this film without laughing and crying - quite possibly doing both at the same time.

Whilst The Trouble With Angels isn't actually a Disney film, it definitely has the Disney live action vibe that is present in films like The Parent Trap and The Moon Spinners (it probably helps that Hayley Mills stars in all three films!). Roz plays the Mother Superior of an order of nuns who run a private school for girls and she does so with wonderful gravitas and her usual dry wit (Fun fact: Roz was actually a Catholic in real life.).  Everything about the film makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside - it's so heartfelt and so lovely. And, you wouldn't think it, but Roz has some absolutely hysterical one-liners!
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As always, if you would like to participate in BSM, leave me a comment, send me an email etc. and we can work something out! :)

Thanks for reading!

Saturday, 10 March 2012

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Upon waking up this morning I checked, as I always do, my emails from my phone and saw that I had received a blog award from the wonderful Natalie over at In the Mood. Thank you so much! :)


Now, according to the rules, I have to:

  • Tell everyone something that no one else knows about
  • Link to one of my posts that I personally think best fits the following categories: Most Beautiful Piece, Most Helpful Piece, Most Popular Piece, Most Controversial Piece, Most Surprisingly Successful Piece, Most Underrated Piece, and Most Pride-worthy Piece
  • Pass this award on to seven other bloggers

Something that no one else knows about: By "no one else", I'm  presuming it means no one on blogger. I can't think of anything remotely interesting so it's going to have to be that, ethnicity wise, I am a mixture of English, Irish, and Italian. 

I feel a little embarrassed already about selecting my own blog posts for being "Most Beautiful", "Most Underrated" etc. However, I shall try to do my best! ;D

Most Beautiful Piece: I like to think that my Darling Deborah Blogathon: Memories of The King and I post was rather heart-warming and I think that's the closest to beautiful that my writing can achieve. 

Most Helpful Piece: Maybe my 100 Essential Classic Films posts? Maybe to people who are just starting out in classic film, at any rate. (I really need to finish the series!)

Most Popular Piece: Fortunately, I didn't have to hand pick this. According to blogger, my most popular piece is my Sunday Star - Lucille Ball post from back in September, 2010 with over 15,000 page views. A little ridiculous seeing that it's a pretty rubbish post but courtesy of Lucy's 100th birthday last year, it received an insane amount of hits.

Most Controversial Piece: It's a bit of stretch to call in controversial, but I think that my Top 10 Most Overrated Classics is the only one that really fits the bill.

Most Surprisingly Successful Piece: Films I've Seen a Ridiculous Amount of Times #2: Anne of Green Gables. Obviously Anne is an extremely well loved book/film but I really didn't think anyone would care about my post on it. It was lovely to see how much other people cared about Anne too.

Most Underrated Piece: Lol, every blogger must have those posts that they spend hours working on and are really proud of only to publish them and find that only 1 person, or no one, comments on them. SO MUCH PAIN. One of mine would be Films I've Seen a Ridiculous Amount of Times #1: The Sound of Music. I TALK ABOUT THE LADLE DANCE IN IT. Despite me pouring out far too many of my TSOM feelings into the post, the reason it only garnered two comments was probably because everyone has heard it all before. NO1CURR any more.

Most Pride-worthy Piece: I'm sort of proud of my If Fictional Characters Could Live in Our World... post, despite the fact that it makes hardly any sense.

Now I have to tag 7 bloggers. I'll try not to re-tag anyone!

Clara of Via Margutta 51
Craig of Blame Mame
Monty of All Good Things

Thanks for reading! :)

Thursday, 8 March 2012

My Year in Film: January & February

I have very shamefully been neglecting this blog for the last couple of month and I apologise profusely. I have not, however, been neglecting films. Like last year, I hope to have watched 365 films before the it's time to sing Auld Lang Syne and, although technically I'm 20 films behind, I'm ever hopeful that I can accomplish my goal. I've seen some absolutely brilliant films in January and February, something I hope will continue to happen throughout the rest of the year.

2012's round-up posts will be in the same format as last year, minus the most watched actors and actresses lists (because they were a real pain to compile). Feel free to comment with film suggestions, whether they be your favourites or just films you think everyone should see at least once! 


January
1. Avanti! (1972) - Jack Lemmon, Juliet Mills ★★★★★
2. *Another Thin Man (1939) - Myrna Loy, William Powell, Virginia Grey ★★★★
3. Irma La Douce (1963) - Shirley MacLaine, Jack Lemmon ★★★★★
4. Easy Living (1936) - Jean Arthur, Ray Milland ★★★★★
5. Revolutionary Road (2008) - Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet ★★★★
6. Defiance (2008) - Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell ★★★★
7. *The Mad Miss Manton (1938) - Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda ★★★★
8. The Notorious Landlady (1962) - Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, Fred Astaire ★★★★
9. *Mamma Mia! (2008) - Meryl Streep, Julie Walters, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried ★★★★★
10. No Highway in the Sky (1951) - Glynis Johns, Marlene Dietrich, James Stewart ★★★★★
11. *The Awful Truth (1937) - Irene Dunne, Cary Grant ★★★★★
12. *The Palm Beach Story (1942) - Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, Mary Astor, Rudy Valee ★★★★★
13. *The King and I (1956) - Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner, Rita Moreno ★★★★★
14. *Random Harvest (1942) - Greer Garson, Ronald Colman, Henry Travers ★★★★★
15. *The Lady Eve (1941) - Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn ★★★★★
16. While You Were Sleeping (1995) - Sandra Bullock, Glynis Johns, Bill Pullman ★★★
17. Papa's Delicate Condition (1963) - Glynis Johns, Jackie Gleason ★★★
18. The Hours (2002) - Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Clare Danes, Ed Harris ★★★★★
19. Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) - Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, Lindsay Duncan ★★★
20. Stepmom (1998) - Susan Sarandon, Julia Roberts ★★★★★
21. The Great Lie (1941) - Mary Astor, Bette Davis, George Brent ★★★★
22. *Yours, Mine, and Ours (1968) - Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda, Van Johnson ★★★★★

February
23. Blonde Fever (1944) - Mary Astor, Philip Dorn, Felix Bressart, Gloria Grahame ★★
24. Red Dust (1932) - Jean Harlow, Mary Astor, Clark Gable ★★★★
25. Little Women (1949) - Mary Astor, June Allyson, Elizabeth Taylor, Margaret O'Brien, Janet Leigh ★★★
26. Across the Pacific (1942) - Mary Astor, Humphrey Bogart ★★
27 *Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) - Mary Astor, Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien ★★★★★
28. Chromophobia (2005) - Damian Lewis, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Chaplin, Ian Holm, Penélope Cruz ★★★★★
29. La Vie en Rose (2007) - Marion Cotillard, Sylvie Testud ★★★★★
30. Chocolat (2000) - Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench ★★
31. Noel (2004) - Susan Sarandon, Penélope Cruz, Paul Walker, Robin Williams ★★★★
32. Superstar (1998) - Will Ferrell, Molly Shannon, Glynis Johns ★★★★
33. That Darn Cat! (1965) - Hayley Mills, Dean Jones, Elsa Lanchester ★★★★
34. Bottle Shock (2008) - Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, Bill Pullman ★★★★
35. Lost in Translation (2003) - Bill Murray, Scarlett Johannsson, Giovanni Ribisi ★★★★★
36. Oorlogswinter (2008) - Martijn Lakemeier, Yorick van Wageningen, Jamie Cambell Bower ★★★★★
37. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) - Martin Freeman, Mos Def, Sam Rockwell, Zooey Deschanel, Bill Nighy, Anna Chancellor, Alan Rickman, Helen Mirren, Warwick Davis, Steven Fry ★★★★
38. Coffee and Cigarettes (2003) - Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray, Tom Waits, Roberto Benigni, Sam Rockwell, Iggy Pop, Steve Buscemi ★★★
39. One Fine Day (1996) - Michelle Pfeiffer, George Clooney ★★★
40. *Dodsworth (1936) - Mary Astor, Ruth Chatterton, Walter Huston, David Niven ★★★★
41. Zwartboek (2006) - Carice van Houten, Sebastian Koch, Thom Hoffman, Halina Reijn ★★★★★
42. She-Devil (1989) - Meryl Streep, Roseanne Barr ★★
43. Das Boot: Director's Cut (1981) - Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, KlausWennemann ★★★★★
44. Das Leben der Anderen (2006) - Ulrich Mühe, Sebastian Koch, Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Tukur ★★★★★

1900s - 0
1910s - 0
1920s - 0
1930s - 6
1940s - 8
1950s - 2
1960s - 5
1970s - 1
1980s - 2
1990s - 4
2000s - 16
2010s - 0

As well as the following five, two of my other most loved films of the past two months are Avanti! (1972) and Zwartboek (2008).
Irma La Douce, 1963
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I firmly believed that Wilder, Lemmon, and MacLaine couldn't possibly do anything better together than they did in The Apartment, but, boy, was I wrong! Whilst it does feel a little sacrilegious to say that it surpasses the aforementioned film, Irma La Douce certainly gives it a run for it's money. Wilder made some of his finest films with Jack Lemmon, and I firmly believe that they are one of the most noteworthy examples of director & actor working together like a well-oiled machine to create something of extreme quality.

La Vie en Rose, 2007
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La Vie en Rose is a film I've wanted to see for a long time but have never got around to watching. Although I'm not exactly fanatical about Edith Piaf, I do have a soft spot for her and, although by all accounts it's not the most accurate of biopics, LVER is a tremendous film that packs an incredible emotional punch. Marion Cotillard's performance as Piaf is alone worth watching the film for. It's rare to see such precise characterisation that isn't just overt mimicry in a biopic (a nod to Cate Blanchett as K.Hep. in The Aviator is called for at this point. Best!).

Lost in Translation, 2003
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I found this film, a story of two lost souls in a foreign city, extremely touching and poignant. There's something very Brief Encounter-esque about it but without a single trace sentimentality. From what I've heard you either love it or you hate it, but, personally, I think it's a case of watching it at the right moment in your life. There's something in there for everyone and if you've watched it previously and disliked it, I urge you to give it another shot.

Oorlogswinter (Winter in Wartime), 2008
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What could be more compelling than a film about occupied Holland seen through the eyes of a young boy who is old enough to understand what is what is happening around him but not quite old enough to do anything about it? Absolutely nothing. I wasn't expecting anything from this film, I watched it because I often would rather watch a mediocre film about WWII than a film about anything else. Needless to say, it completely bowled me over. The young actor (Martijn Lakemeir) who played the main character, Michiel, is very talented and, although it's entirely beside the point, has an incredibly sweet English accent.

Das Boot, 1981
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Ever since I was little I've heard my Dad singing the praises of Das Boot but until now I'd never got around to watching it. Big mistake. I saw the director's cut which is 208 minutes long and I became more and more tense with each passing minute. The realism of the dialogue, the acting, and the undercurrent of strained emotion is incredible. It has a depth (no pun intended) that not many films focusing on the World War II manage to achieve.

Thanks for reading! :)

Monday, 5 March 2012

Box Set Monday #10: Myrna Loy (Guest Post!)

It's been exactly 6 months since the last Box Set Monday post so when Bette of Bette's Movie Blog sent me a message last month asking if she could write a BSM for Myrna Loy, I was thrilled. I've decided that this post will mark the start of a new BSM series which will hopefully be 6-8 weeks long. After that I'll put the series back on the shelf for a few months and then start again at the end of the summer. As always, if you would like to participate and write a guest BSM post, you can shoot me an email, leave a comment, send me a twitter message etc. I'll list the criteria that you have to follow when writing a post at the end.

Now, onto Bette's wonderful post!
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It's a travesty that Myrna Loy never got her own DVD box set. She was never nominated for an Oscar, hardly any of her movies are even on DVD. This drives her fans - like me - to forever haunt the likes of YouTube and MetaCafe for clips or if we're lucky whole movies from our favourite star. My other favourite - Katharine Hepburn - has had many a boxed set created, and the majority of her films are released for us on DVD. I wish there were more of her films on DVD and I wish that there WERE A BOXED SET OF HER ALONE!!! There is the Thin Man Box set and the William Powell and Myrna Loy boxed set, but why not make one of her own? Surely she - one of the most underrated actresses of the golden age - deserves one, particularly as she's just had a new biography written about her. I remember deforest writing about a time on the TCM cruise when an 80 year old man stood up in the middle of a crowd of 300 and screamed at the head TCM programmer "WHERE IS THE ANN SHERIDAN BOX SET?" and then sat down again. So here is what I think should be in a Myrna Loy box set, some of these aren't even on DVD (TCM, I don't know if you frequent Classic Film Blogs, but please read this... Hint, hint?)

Contains:
Test Pilot, 1938
The Thin Man, 1934
The Best Years of Our Lives, 1946
Libeled Lady, 1936
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, 1948
Evelyn Prentice, 1934

Test Pilot, 1938
Starring: Myrna Loy, Clark Gable, and Spencer Tracy
Directed by: Victor Fleming

Ever since my mum told me she loved this film and I searched out some clips from it I wanted to see this movie. I'd searched and searched for the DVD, but alas, it was no-where to be seen. Test Pilot isn't on DVD.I found it on YouTube and immediately fell in love. Clark Gable is playing a carefree, debonair test pilot self who didn't "give a damn" about women or home life - that is, until he meets Myrna Loy's farm girl character. Spencer Tracy plays Gable's loyal best friend and "manager"... at least he has some common sense! Myrna Loy is adorable in this film. It's one of my favourites of hers.


The Thin Man, 1934  
Starring: Myrna Loy and William Powell
Directed by: W.S. Van Dyke

This is probably the film that Myrna is best remembered for. The quick witted wife, Nora, of detective Nick Charles. She quips back at him, loves him, teases him and is basically all around awesome. Who could want more in a wife? No-one it seems, because after this, most of Myrna's films had her playing the lead as a wife or devoted girlfriend - prompting the documentary "Myrna Loy: So Nice To Come Home To." You can't really love classic film without having seen at least one of the Thin Man series, and if you are only going to watch one, then this is definitely the best. No sequel could ever quite top it. This is flawless. A great addition to any collection.

The Best Years of Our Lives, 1946
Starring: Myrna Loy, Frederic March, Teresa Wright, and Dana Andrews
Directed by: William Wyler

Myrna loy came out of her "retirement" working for the Red Cross to appear in this. It's a very important film and a very important role for her. Here is my previous review of this post-war film that is bound to have anyone in tears.
Libeled Lady, 1936
(Bette's gif)
Starring: Myrna Loy, William Powell, Spencer Tracy, and Jean Harlow
Directed by: Jack Conway


This is one of my all time favourite comedies and films in general. It's wonderful - and I an only really think of The Philadelphia Story that tops it in terms of romantic comedies. Myrna Loy plays a rich society girl who is suing a big-time newspaper for $5,000,000 in a libel suit - after the newspaper had claimed she was a husband grabber. William Powell and Spencer Tracy work to frame her to undermine the credibility of her complaint. William Powell and Myrna Loy pair perfectly in this, the best since their inspired coupling in The Thin Man. There are plenty of cute scenes with Bill Powell in this movie but in my opinion it's not him that leads the show - though I hav to say he's still brilliant. I think that Myrna Loy and Jean Harlow are the best, and their performances stand out for me. Libeled Lady is a great piece of classic cinema that is never boring and always full of life and fun.

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, 1948
Starring: Myrna Loy, Cary Grant, and Melvyn Douglas
Directed by: H.C. Potter

I love this film. It's a great story full of clever observations about a family's need for extra space - and when they get it - they find out that no matter how much space and land they have, they still have the same age-old problem of living together. Cary Grant plays a kind but easily convinced advertising man who follows his dream of having a beautiful family house in Connecticut - even if it means starting right from scratch. This is a super fun film where Myrna Loy again plays a quick witted wife, and it includes a great scene where Myrna Loy goes into great detail describing the colours she wants her house painted.

Evelyn Prentice, 1934
Starring: Myrna Loy and William Powell
Directed by:  W.S. Van Dyke

Evelyn Prentice is an often forgotten pre-code courtroom thriller. It is by no means a masterpiece but Myrna Loy's performance is one of many that should have at least been nominated for an Oscar. Myrna plays the wife of a successful lawyer who absentmindedly neglects her and their child for his work. When he has a short fling with one of his clients (Rosalind Russel, made up and glamourised beyond recognition in her very first film role) and Myrna finds out, she decides to have tea with a poet/gigolo who had approached her a few nights before. She writes some letters to him that he uses to blackmail her, and she finds herself secretly involved in his murder trial. Her performance is wonderful and the finale courtroom scene killed me. This one's an interesting glimpse into a career she could have had as one of MGM's prime dramatic actresses.

Thanks Sophie for having me guest post on your lovely blog and I hope that the rest of the series goes well :-D! So I hope this has inspired you to go watch some Myrna Loy and I hope that someone reads this and makes this box set (TCM, by the way I am completely happy to be paid in box-sets and lifelong subscriptions to your channel/magazine!)
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Thank you, Bette, for such a great post! I'm going to have to get hold of a copy of Evelyn Prentice as I've never seen it. And readers, you should all check out Bette's wonderful blog

If you're interested in writing a post, it's probably a good idea to read the following points first.
  • When choosing an actor/actress to "box set", you should make sure that a commercially available box set hasn't already been made for said star.
  • You must have seen a fair amount of their films so that you can provide a well thought out and well rounded box set. (Shoot for something like 12+)
  • The star must have made the majority of his or her films before 1965.
  • You must pick 6 films. No more, no less. 
  • As of this series, however, BSM is open to screen couples as well as single stars. Not all screen couples made more than 6 films together, so these box sets can contain a minimum of 4 films (the couple must have made at least 5).
Thanks for reading!
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