Posts tagged as:

old hollywood

The Seven Year Itch (1955)

by Bill on May 24, 2009

Directed by Billy Wilder I’ve tried watching and enjoying The Seven Year Itch a number of times over the years and always come up with the same feeling: I just don’t like it all that much. In fact, I find it rather dull. I tried again last night and had the same response to it. [...]

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The combustible Ava Gardner

by Bill on May 17, 2009

Ava Gardner: ‘Love is Nothing’ (2006) by Lee Server I recently finished reading Ava Gardner: ‘Love is Nothing’ by Lee Server and it’s nothing if not entertaining. Somewhere, he makes mention of her living life “like a rocket.” It’s an apt description but I think I’d say she lived like she drove cars – fast, [...]

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Books reviews

by Bill on May 17, 2009

Ava Gardner: ‘Love is Nothing’ My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Autobiography of Errol Flynn

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My Wicked, Wicked Ways

by Bill on May 17, 2009

The Autobiography of Errol Flynn (1959) by Errol Flynn I just finished reading, and thoroughly enjoyed, My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Autobiography of Errol Flynn, originally published somewhere around 1959, available now through Cooper Square Press (part of Taylor Trade Publishing group). Heavens, what a helluva good read. Is anything he says true? Well, maybe. [...]

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My Man Godfrey (1938)

by Bill on January 2, 2009

Directed by Gregory La Cava Everyone has their favourite movie and I have mine – My Man Godfrey. I love screwball comedy, I love Carole Lombard and I love this movie, perhaps because both, the genre and the star, are at the top of their form. And let’s not forget the pitch perfect William Powell [...]

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An Affair to Remember (1957)

by Bill on October 28, 2007

Directed by Leo McCarey I recall reading something by Doris Lessing years ago. At least I think it was Doris Lessing – let’s assume I’m right. Anyway … She said every book has its time. I took this in two ways (and applicable to movies as much as books – applicable to any artistic work). [...]

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Baby Face (1933)

by Bill on April 15, 2007

Directed by Alfred E. Green I noticed today that IMDb has had something of a facelift. I haven’t explored it to any great extent but it does seem an improvement. At least visually it seems a bit more contemporary. But that’s a very superficial impression. I simply haven’t used it enough to judge. I caught [...]

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Marie Antoinette (1938)

by Bill on February 10, 2007

Directed by W.S. Van Dyke Let’s cut to the chase: dull, dull, dull. Throughout the entirety of Marie Antoinette (1938), all I could think was, “When does this damn thing end?” Which is not to say it doesn’t have its merits. Really. To begin with, the movie was a showcase for Norma Shearer, wife of [...]

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The Philadelphia Story (1940)

by Bill on February 4, 2007

Directed by George Cukor I’ve been doing a bit of “re-watching” of some all-time favourites, such as The Philadelphia Story, which I ran in the DVD player last night. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen this movie. In re-watching films like this I usually find, as with The Philadelphia Story, that during [...]

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