***This post is part of the Elizabeth Taylor Blogathon, hosted by Crystal of the In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood blog. *** ***Some spoilers.*** Mary Catherine Castelli (Carol Burnett): “It’s weird telling all this to a total stranger.” Deborah Shapiro (Elizabeth Taylor): “We’re not strangers anymore, kiddo.” When I saw Crystal put up … Continue reading Not Strangers Anymore: Female Friendship and Fulfillment in Between Friends (1983)
Photo Credit: Unknown Woman Formally Known as Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Samuel John Stump, date unknown (but before 1863), National Portrait Gallery: Dcoetzee/Wikimedia Commons /PD Art (PD Old 100) “‘Invention, it must be humbly admitted, does not consist in creating out of void, but out of chaos’” (as quoted in “How Mary Shelley…”, par. 17) Going … Continue reading Author Inspirations: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s Frankenstein
Photo Credit: Jacqueline du Pre on the cover of her Dvorak Cello Concerto in B Minor album with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenbom (who was also her husband), 1971, EMI Records: amadeusrecord/Flickr/CC BY SA 2.0 “Well, that just means I’ve had to use more my mouth than my hands.” – Jacqueline du … Continue reading The Transition from Hands To Mouth of Jacqueline Du Pre
Photo Credit: A Tale of Two Cities, A Female Jacobin, Title-Page Vignette, 1870, Fred Barnard: Robert Ferrieux/Wikimedia Commons/PD Art (PD Old) “Writing a tale that seeks revenge, you’ll quickly see that tale as merely a list of hurts, which, when you get to the end of that list, is a list that may not interest … Continue reading Writing as Vengeance
***This post is part of the Sixth Annual What a Character! Blogathon, hosted by the Outspoken & Freckled, the Paula’s Cinema Club, and the Once Upon A Screen blogs.*** ***Some spoilers.*** “Russell often brought haughty imperviousness to mystical heights.” (biggayhorrorfan, par. 2) I love character actors, especially classic film character actors. These are the people … Continue reading Moya Sestra: The Cat-Like Career of Elizabeth Russell
***This post is part of the Joan Fontaine Centenary Blogathon, hosted by Crystal of the In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood blog. *** ***Some spoilers*** Maria (Francoise Rosay): “What you’re doing is selfish, cowardly, and wrong — a poor foundation for happiness.” (September Affair, 1950) Joan Fontaine is probably best known for her … Continue reading Escaping Reality – Joan Fontaine and Joseph Cotton in September Affair (1950)
***This post is part of the Spencer Tracy & Katharine Hepburn Blogathon, hosted by Crystal of the In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood blog. *** ***Some spoilers*** James (Ralph Richardson): “I’m not you’re jailor. This isn’t a prison.” Mary (Katharine Hepburn): “No. I know you can’t help thinking it’s a home.” In my … Continue reading Thinking of a Home: Katharine Hepburn in Long Day’s Journey Into Night (1962)
***This post is part of the June Allyson Centenary Blogathon, hosted by Simoa of the Champagne For Lunch blog.*** ***Some spoilers*** I confess – I’ve never been a huge fan of either Katharine Hepburn (her earlier work, at least) or June Allyson. But Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is a classic and it’s hard to … Continue reading Plucky and Lady-Like: June Allyson in Little Women (1949)
***This post is part of The Adrienne Barbeau Blogathon, hosted by the Movie Movie Blog Blog blog. *** “All my life I’ve been a performer – an actress, a singer, a dancer, even a talk show host – but never in the wildest dreams of my first 50 years did I ever imagine I would … Continue reading Independent Creativity: The Writing Life of Adrienne Barbeau
***This post is part of the Hollywood’s Hispanic Heritage Blogathon, hosted by Aurora of the Once Upon a Screen blog. *** ***Some spoilers*** “The variations on the role of the Western heroine found in Michelena’s characters are unusual for their time, allowing for an unprecedented fluidity in both ethnic and gender identity.” (Lyons, par. 6) … Continue reading Unprecedented Fluidity: Beatriz Michelena in Salomy Jane (1914)
