Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween: Oldie Style

Tonight is the night to get dressed up (or down), light the jack-o-lanterns and party until the best costume award has been passed out. Check out these oldies having a monster ball
 on the big 10-31.


Joan Crawford and friend.


Charlie Chaplin


Cary Grant, Mary Pickford, and friends.
(Check out the photo bomber on the right!)


Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, William R. Hurst.


Janet Gaynor


Ethel Merman, Lucille Ball


Gloria Swanson, Marion Davies, Constance Bennett, Jean Harlow


Claudette Colbert and Marion Davies (again)

Happy Halloween!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Scare Your Socks Off

In the great journey of Hollywoodland there have been a few monumental characters from films that are truley evil. Witches and gangsters and crazies, oh my! Here are some good ones. 


I asked the fiancee to think of a scary character from the oldies. His first thought; Boris Karloff as Frankenstein, 1931.


Bette Davis as Baby Jane Hudson, 1962.


 Max Schreck as Graf Orlok, 1922


Anne Baxter as Eve, 1950


James Cagney as Tom Powers, 1931


Conrad Veidt as Cesare, 1920


Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West, 1939


Robert Mitchum as Harry Powell, 1955


Wicked Queen, "Snow White", 1937


The best of them all, Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates, 1960. 

Thursday, October 27, 2011

"Freaks" 1932

In 1932 MGM did a film showcasing real circus features in a strange but entertaining picture called "Freaks". Hans and Frieda are little people in the show and are married (played by real life siblings Harry and Daisy Earles). Hans falls for a regular sized gal, the trapeze artist, Cleopatra. Cleo flirts back but only as a joke, and Hans forgets he is married. Frieda is devastated. 




Meanwhile, sweet animal tamer, Venus is dumped by mean lion tamer, Hercules, naturally. She is sad and he moves on to Hans' love, Cleo. We also get a look at some of the 'freaks" in the circus.





Venus stars to fancy the clown, Phroso. Cleo finds out Hans has a fortune so Cleo and Hercules devise a plan to get Hans and her hitched, then kill him. Hans tells Frieda he wants Cleo instead. She is heartbroken.





Back at the circus, the bearded lady gives birth, the siamese twins both get engaged and Hans and Cleo marry. But when Cleo kisses real love Hercules in front of Hans, he is pissed!





The "freaks" don't really like Cleo but decide to accept her. They drink wine and chant, "One of us!" Cleo is angry and yells at them, calling them freaks! She will never be one of them! This marriage is doomed from the start!





That night she starts to poison Hans. Little does she know that Hans is on to her and has his "freak" friends ready to get back at her.




In the end, the good people get the good life and the bad people get the..well you know how it goes. Cleo's future is not bright, but you need to watch and see what happens to her in the end. 

Picture Of The Day


Alfred loosing his head.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

What to Wear...

If you are like me, you take Halloween very seriously. I spend a loooong time thinking of what I will be, even though usually it doesn't come to mind until the last minute. I am sure all of us have taken the oldies into consideration before choosing out costume, but here are some ideas if you find yourself stuck...

Do a take on Cleopatra like these gals.


Claudette Colbert, 1934


Elizabeth Taylor, 1963


Theda Bara, 1917


Vivien Leigh, 1945

The guys can take a cue from their favorite western player.


Clint Eastwood


Jimmy Dean
John Wayne



Paul Newman


Steve McQueen


Yul Brynner

For the gal who wants to stay warm, any nice princess or evil queen will suffice.


Dorothy Lamour, "Road To Morocco", 1942


Ingrid Bergman, "Anastasia", 1956


Bette Davis, "Essex and Elizabeth", 1939


Sarah Bernhardt, "Queen Elizabeth", 1913


Shirley Temple, "The Little Princess" 1939


Audrey Hepburn, "Roman Holiday" 1953


"Snow White", 1937

Happy Costuming!