Dial M For Murder

 Dial M For Murder is a clever little movie. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, the movie is set in motion when we see Margot (Grace Kelly) and Mark (Robert Cummings) in a living room, talking about old times. We find out that they were once upon a time lovers, and Margot has married another man while Mark was away. The husband is Tony Wendice (Ray Milland) who is a old, has been, tennis player. It is unknown to Margot and Mark that Tony is fully aware of his wife's love affair, and is planning on killing her in order to gain her money and be rid of her.

Tony blackmails a old college acquaintance into killing Margot while he and Mark are conveniently at a party, away from the scene of the crime. He has every detail planned on how it is to be done, overlooking nothing. What Tony was not planning on, was Margot killing the intruder instead of it being the other way around! When Tony finds this out, he must quickly come up with a new plan before his secret is found out.

This movie is not Hitchcock's best film, in my opinion, but it still is a good watch due to the clever ending. I became intrigued watching this movie because I was waiting for the husband to make a mistake. Lie after lie he wasn't caught and I was amazing at how well things seemed to be turning out for him. Dial M For Murder was produced in 1954, and it won three awards.

Always,
Avery

Sources Used:
http://www.imdb.com
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Show Boat

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 Always,
Avery

Sources Used:
www.imdb.com
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Old Yeller

A family of four live in Texas after the Civil war ends. With no money, the dad goes on a cattle drive for a few months, leaving his oldest boy, Travis (Tommy Kirk) in charge. While the dad is away, the family adopts a yellow dog known as "Old Yeller". The youngest boy, Arliss (Kevin Corcoran) loves the dog and comes to depend on it. Travis originally didn't trust Yeller, but after awhile Yeller helps Travis with the cows and keeps racoons away from the corn field.

Later in the movie, Yeller gets in a fight with a wolf and Travis shoots the wolf when the coast is clear. Yeller makes it out of the fight with a few bit marks which worries Travis and his mother, because it could lead to rabies. So they lock Yeller up for a few weeks to make sure nothing is wrong with the dog, but Yeller begins to act aggressive. First Yeller tries to bite Travis, then later Arliss.

Its a sad ending, which im sure you can guess. The movie was made in 1957 and directed by Robert Stevenson.

Always,
Avery

Sources Used:
www.imdb.com
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Wuthering Heights

Based on the book, Wuthering Heights is based on the story of how Heathcliff (Laurence Olivier) and Cathy (Merle Oberon) fell in love. Heathcliff is a servant for Cathy and her family. When Cathy's father dies, her brother takes over the estate.
Cathy and Heathcliff fall in love as they grow up, but can't get married because Cathy's brother wouldn't allow it. Cathy ends up marrying a rich neighbor and Heathcliff runs away. Years later, Heathcliff returns a rich man, but do the two end up together?
Watch and see.

Wuthering Heights won the Oscar for best black and white film, and was nominated for seven other Oscars. It was directed by William Wyler in 1939.

Always,
Avery

Sources Used:
www.imdb.com
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The Wizard of Oz

Dorothy (Judy Garland) and her dog Toto are swept up into a tornado and land in another world. This world is know as the Oz. In order for Dorothy to go home, she must seek out the the Wizard of Oz (Frank Morgan) in Emerald City. On the way there, Dorothy meets a scarecrow (Ray Bolger) who needs a brain, so he too must ask the Wizard for a favor. As they follow the yellow brick road they meet a lion (Bert Lahr), and a tin man (Jack Haley). The tin man needs a heart, and the lion needs courage, so the group travels together to find the Wizard.

The group runs into trouble with the Wicked Witch of the West and her crazy flying monkeys. Dorothy finally makes it home after clicking her sparkly red shoes and saying "there is no place like home".

The Wizard of Oz is a fantasy world which creates fun for the viewers. The movie was made in 1939 and directed by Victor Fleming. It won two Oscars for best music and effects.

Always,
Avery

Sources Used:
www.imdb.com
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Gone with the Wind

An American classic, Gone With the Wind was made in 1939, directed by Victor Fleming. It won eight Oscars.

Scarlett O'Hara, (Vivien Leigh) is a sassy, beautiful, southern bell living during the Civil War. She is faced with problem after problem, never giving up. When her house burns down, or her father dies, she just deals with it. Scarlett loves a man named Ashley, (Leslie Howard) but Ashley loves Scarlett's cousin, not her. Nobody ever told Scarlett no, so she chased and chased Ashley until they finally kissed, which is when she realizes that she didn't like Ashley at all.

Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) seems to be the only one who can help Scarlett. Rhett loves her because of her fire and independence, but that's exactly why he hates her too. Scarlett ends up marrying Rhett, because, well, Rhett has money and Rhett doesn't let her make the rules. They balance each other out. I wont tell you how it ends, I'll just say that it surprised me the first time I watched the movie.

Its  fun, interesting story everyone needs to watch. Ive never seen anything like it. The story is written beautifully and the acting is terrific. I also have to add that the costumes are gorgeous.

Always,
Avery

Sources Used:
www.imdb.com
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An Affair to Remember

Its another love story! Nickie Ferrante (Cary Grant) is traveling on a ship to meet his fiance in New York City. Nickie is charming and just loves women. He can't understand why a man should spend his entire life with one women when there are so many other women he has yet to meet! Terry McKay (Deborah Kerr) is also traveling on the ship, only she is taking a trip while her boyfriend is off working. The two meet and start falling in love during the cruse, with photographers trying to catch anything that might look "suspicious".

Nickie and Terry decide that if they still love each other after six months apart, they will leave their significant others and get married. They plan to meet on top of the empire state building, but it doesn't turn out according to plan. Terry gets hit by a car trying to reach the empire building and doesn't see Nickie waiting for her. Terry can no longer walk, and has no way of connecting with Nickie, all the while Nickie believes he was stood up.

A year goes by before the two run into each other again, and Nickie is still hurt after waiting for Terry to show up, when she never did. Terry is too independent to tell him what really happened to her, believing that Nickie couldn't afford to take care of her.

I'm not going to tell you how the movie ends, your just going to have to watch it. The movie was made in 1957 and directed by Leo McCarey. It was nominated for four different Oscars and won a gold medal.

Always,
Avery

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Its a Wonderful Life

 I felt like this would be the perfect movie for Thanksgiving. "It's a Wonderful Life" is a heart touching story about a man named George Baily,(James Stewart)and his life in his hometown of Bedford falls. The movie shows George's life growing up in the small town all the way until he becomes an adult.
George has done so much for the town, but when he falls on hard times, George wishes he never existed. An angel hears George and grants him his wish. When he walks back to town, Bedford Falls is a dirty trashy mess. Finally George realizes his mistake and understands how one person can make such a difference.

The film was directed by Frank Capra and produced in 1946. It was nominated for five Oscars and won five other awards.
This movie was shot in California, but something that is kind of cool is in the movie, there is a scene at a high school dance, where George meets his future wife, Mary Hatch (Donna Reed). In the scene, everyone is dancing and someone presses a button that makes the dance floor open up into a swimming pool. Every one dancing jumps in, and the high school this was filmed at was Beverly Hills High School in CA.

Always,
Avery

Sources Used:
www.imdb.com
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This is the High school where the swimming pool scene was shot.

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North by Northwest

This movie, I believe is Alfred Hitchcock finest accomplishment. If you like a good plot, talented actors, and films with wit and suspense, this is your answer.

In the film, Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant), becomes mistaken as a man named George Kaplan. Mister Kaplan was involved with some, shall we say, dangerous men, and is about to be "knocked off". When Grant tries to make since of this misunderstanding, he gets accused of murder and is wanted by the police and men he was already running from. Little does Grant know that he has just stepped into a web of lies laid out by the government to catch the bad guys. Thornhill never existed, but now Grant gets to play the bait for the government. By the end of the movie, Grant and his leading lady (Eve Marie Saint as Eve Kendell), are dangling from Mount Rushmore.

North by Northwest (1959) won several awards and was nominated for three Oscars. Starring Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint in Alfred Hitchcock's best film.

Always,
Avery


Sources Used:
http://www.imdb.com

All About Eve

 A young aspiring actress wiggles her way into the tight circle of a famous actress, Margo Channing, (Betty Davis) and becomes her biggest fan. Eve (Anne Baxter) fallows Margo around, doing anything she wants or needs. Eventually she steals Margo's fans away and gains the trust of influential directors, play writes, and friends. Without Margo, Eve would have remain unnoticed.

All About Eve was produced in 1950 and won seven Oscars! The whit and humor is outstanding. I have watched this movie at least 5 times and I never tire of it. The acting is superb and the movie as a whole is wonderful.

Always,
Avery


Sources used:
Picture
http://www.imdb.com

Rebecca

Rebecca was directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1940. So of course, its a great movie. A young women (Joan Fontaine) marries a rich widowed man named Maxium' de Winter, (played by Laurence Olivier), and moves into his mansion. His previous wife, Rebecca, has her personal touches throughout the entire house, and nothing has change since her death. The new Mrs. de Winter has a hard time living up to Rebecca, in every way. The house maid was very close with Rebecca, so when the newly married couples move in, she convinces Mrs. de Winter that Maxium doesn't love her. Eventually, the bride becomes jealous of a dead women, and uncovers secrets that were never meant to be found.

One particular scene in the movie takes place on Halloween, and the de Winter's are throwing a party. The maid suggests that Mrs. de Winter dress up as a previous family member, whose painting hangs on the wall.When Mrs. de Winter makes her grand entrance to the party, her guests are shocked and stare with their jaws on the floor. She cant figure out what is wrong, until she learns Rebecca had worn the same costume the previous year. That is when things really start to get interesting. Everything unfolds and gets more exciting as the audiences starting piecing information together.

Rebecca won the 1941 Oscar for best picture as well as best cinematography. This movie is interesting and contains drama and mystery. The end is truly creative, and your heart breaks for Mrs. de Winter. Maxium is a good husband, but doesn't pick up on the manipulation between the maid and his new wife.

This movie is somewhat similar to Gaslight (1940) because of the mind tricks and a women going mad. Other than that, nothing is similar. Rebecca truly is a one of a kind movie, and a must see. The scenery and details are special while the story line and actors keep you on the edge of your seat.

Sorry this post is so long. But it really is a good movie.

Always,
Avery

Sources Used:
http://www.imdb.com
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Gaslight

  

In London a newly married couples move into a new town house. Everything seems normal, until the neighbors hear rumors that the wife is crazy. Stealing her husbands things and hiding picture frames at random. When the couple goes out in public, the wife throws fits and starts crying hysterically.What could possible be wrong with her?

The wife's name is Paula (played by Ingrid Bergman) and the husband Gregory (Charles Boyer) who have moved back into her old home. Previously, Paula's aunt owned the town house in London but was murdered mysteriously. The audience soon finds out that the murder killed the women for some precious jewels, but never found them. Seeking what he never got, the killer searches the London home every night looking for the jewels.

Paula is kept in her room most of the time, and truly believes she is insane. At night she hears strange noises, and watches the gaslight dim and brighten as someone comes and goes in a home that is supposed to be empty. What little she knows.


Gaslight was produced in 1940 but remade in 1944 with Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer. The stories are similar but I prefer the 1944 version because it adds more details and information, which helps tell the story. It won two Oscars and had five other nominations. I like this movie because of the suspense and it keeps you interested in trying to solve the puzzle of Paula and her strange husband.

Always,
Avery

Sources Used:
http://www.imdb.com
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Rear Window

Rear Window was directed by the best man ever, Alfred Hitchcock! It was made in 1954 with Grace Kelly (I think she is so pretty) and James Stewart who you might know from "Its a Wonderful Life". The movie is a mystery and thriller. Stewart is temporarily in a wheelchair and lives in an apartment complex. Being in a wheelchair, he gets bored and people watches. As he starts taking an interest in his neighbor behind him, he comes to believe that the man has killed his wife!

As the weeks go on, Stewart is convinced that he has seen a murder, and even has his maid and girlfriend (Kelly) worried he might be right. It's not a scary movie like the ones made today are, but it does have suspense and keeps you glued to the screen. As the movie unfolds, you cant decide if Steward is right, or just bored and making things up until he goes crazy. Its a good, satisfying movie that actually has an ending, it doesn't leave the audience to make up their own mind.

Rear Window was nominated for four Oscars in 1955. The film is in color for those who don't like black and white.

                                            (The movie clip is only around 3 minutes long)

Always,
Avery


Sources Used:
http://www.youtube.com
http://www.imdb.com

Singin' in the Rain

Singing in the Rain was produced in 1952 featuring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O' Conner. The movie is about a film crew who transition between making silent movies to ones with sound in 1927. The group decides to make a musical as their first film with sound. This movie is a happy funny silly movie with many dance numbers. 

I actually started watching this movie when I was in grade school along with seven brides for seven brothers. I loved watching the musicals and dance numbers as a little girl, but now I watch this movie and think about the transition between sound and silent movies.

Personally I cant stand to watch silent movies because I feel like the actors are very dramatic to get the plot across. Also because the flow of the film is choppy due to the fact that the screen flips from the film to the text to let the audience know what is going on. Some people don't mind silent movies but they dislike black and white movies. Its a personal opinion but I love black and white movies if you didn't already catch onto that.

Always,
Avery

Sources used:
http://www.imdb.com
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Sherlock Holmes Series

 There are 14 Sherlock Holmes films made ranging from the late 1930's though the mid 40's. Theses films are detective stories with Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson. The duo solve mysteries together with suspense and trickery though out the films. Holmes is very observant and can often catch a person telling a lie just by looking at his clothes. Dr. Watson is a bit gullible and  slow in comparison.

The first film produced was The Hound of Baskervilles (1939) which is  a story about a man who was an heir to a family estate that was being threatened by a "family curse"; then Sherlock Holmes investigates the problem.Sounds spooky right? These films are in black and white which I actually think adds to the films because of the mysteries in the plot. Holmes is very smart and catches just about everything, and I'm often left wondering how he knew so much. You might have to watch the movies more then once just to get it all, but they are entertaining and creative.

If you enjoy mysteries and detective stories, then these are perfect. With 14 films, surely you haven't seen them all. Directed by Sidney Lanfield who was nominated for an Emmy in 1964 and won Star on the Walk of Fame in 1960. Below is a list of all the movies if your interested or want to watch one for Halloween.

1939- The Hounds Of The Baskervilles
1939- The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes
1942- Sherlock Holmes And The Voice of Terror
1943- Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Weapon
1943-Sherlock Holmes In Washington
1943- Sherlock Holmes Faces Death
1944- Sherlock Holmes And The Spider Woman
1944- The Secret Claw
1944- The Pearl Of Death
1945- The House of Fear 
1945- The Woman In Green
1945- Pursuit To Algiers
1946- Terror By Night
1946- Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Code or "Dressed To Kill"

Always, 
Avery

Sources Used:
http://www.imdb.com
http://www.morlocks.btinternet.co.uk
http://www.imdb.com

"Everybody has a heart. Except some people"- Betty Davis

Betty Davis was an actress from the late 30's through the 50's. She was hired by Universal and then signed a contract with Warner Brothers (1932). Davis won the Best Actress Oscar in 1935 for her performance in Dangerous, and later Jezebel (1938).  It was said that the only role she didn't get that she wanted was for Scarlett O' Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939). Personally I do like Betty Davis but I think Ann Rutherford did an amazing job as Scarlett.

During the 40's Davies performances got worse with every movie she was in. In 1950 she made a comeback and an Oscar nomination for All About Eve (1950). Ive watched that movie maybe five times and still love it. At one point in the movie Davis is hosting a party and she says to her guests "Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night" which I just love because its so perfect in the movie.

Davis played Jane in "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" Which she received an Oscar Nomination. In 1977 she won the AFL's Lifetime Achievement Award.  I personally have not seen the movie but I really want to! Betty Davis accomplished a lot over her life time. Shes recognizable and I always get a kick out of her, but I have to admit it drives me crazy when her character tries to act flirty or sexy because it just doesn't look good on her. She really was talented but towards the end of her career you could tell she was a smoker, non the less an amazing actress.She had a unique laugh and would have made a perfect Halloween witch (not in a bad way). In 1989 Davis passed away from caner.

Always,
Avery

Sources Used:
http://www.imdb.com
http://thinkexist.com 

Alfred Hitchcock

 Alfred Hitchcock was a movie director in the late 1920's through the 70's. He is well known for his thrillers and suspense movies such as Psycho, The Birds, and Marnie. I think Hitchcock was a genius! Some movies are better then others, but they are all good. He could really get inside the mind of a killer or rapist, which made his movies truly special.That's why he is known as the "master of suspense."


Hitchcock directed more than 50 feature films in a career spanning six decades. My favorite movie of his was Rebecca; but there are still many films I have yet to see, (its on my to-do list). Hitchcock was nominated and won so many awards, I couldn't possibly list them all. I will mention that he did receive the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award in  1979, just a year before he died (1980). He was originally from London and even won awards for best foreign film.

If you have never seen any of his films, YOUR MISSING OUT. Seriously, the man was very talented.

 http://www.google.com/imgres

Always,
Avery

 Sources Used:
http://www.biography.com/
 http://www.imdb.com

The Thin Man Series

 The Thin Man (1934) was the first out of 6 movies based on the same plot. Directed by W.S. Van Dyke, it was shot in just 3 weeks and earned $2 Million dollars! The plot is based on Dashiell Hammett's novel that was written in 1934. The film is based on a detective and his wife who solve  mysteries and save the day. Nick and Nora ( William Powell and Myrna Loy) have a great chemistry on screen and steal your heart as the story is untold. They have a playful banter and witty one-liners that make you laugh. The couple is fun to watch. They like martinis and their little fox terrier dog named Asta. 

Nora is a smart classy wife with (in my opinion) a great style. Nick likes to have fun, but because of his job he knows some rough and tough people. Nora is always game to help her husband with his cases even though it gets the couple into trouble. In the movie the couples Christmas party is interrupted with detectives, reporters, and mysterious phone calls along with their house already full of Nicks drunken guests, Nora says "Oh, Nicky. I love you, because you know such lovely people." 

After the first Thin Man, 5 more films were produced. After the Thin Man (1936) which became a best picture nominee, Another Thin Man (1939), Shadow of the Thin Man (1941), and the last one, The Song of the Thin Man (1947).  The actors stayed in the films and the plot stayed the same also. Always a new mystery to solve but what really keeps you coming back is that the couple is just so amusing and fun to watch.

The video below is from YouTube with lines from the Thin Man Series to give you a glimpse of the films charm and wit.

 

http://www.youtube.com 

Always,
Avery


 Sources Used:
http://classicfilm.about.com
http://www.filmsite.org

My favorite actor of all time, Cary Grant

 

 http://images.search.yahoo.com


Cary Grant was a big movie start in the 1930's trough 60's. I really like him because he plays a different character in every movie. In To Catch a Thief  he played a retired burglar who is being impersonated. In Father Goose Grant was a drunken hermit living on an island. No matter the part, he was always a good guy even if the plot made him out to be bad at the beginning. It was always a surprise to find out the truth at the end of the movies.

Grant has a certain charm and sophistication on film that I find attractive even if he was an older man. He had some of the best and funnest lines in every movie. He worked with the amazing director Alfred Hitchcock several times and starred in North By Northwest which was a huge success in 1959. He was in over 70 films and received the Academy Award For Life Time Achievement in 1970. He also received the second most distinguished actors award from the America Film Institute. The man was amazing!

Cary Grant worked with many actors such as Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Katharine Hepburn, and Bette Davis just to name a few. He was in so many movies but some you might recognize are An affair to Remember, To Catch a Thief, None But The Lonely Heart, and Charade. In Charade (1963) Grant starred opposite Audrey Hepburn who played a confused widow that was much younger in the film. Grant had lines added into the script making it clear that Hepburn was chasing after him and even had jokes in the film about the age difference. He turned down the role of James Bond in Dr. No (1962) because he though that at age 58 he was too old.

As I said before I love Cary Grants work and I hope this made you a fan also! If you haven't seen any of his movies, I HIGHLY recommend it.

Always,
Avery

Sources used:

http://www.biography.com
http://queerhistory.blogspot.com 
 http://www.imdb.com

Introduction

This blog is about old movies in general. Eventually I'll talk about actors, directors, black and white movies and so fourth. I have been watching old movies for about four years and my favorites have been produced between the1930's through the 60's so that's what I'm going to cover. 

The best way to watch these classic films is on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) which is shown on TV with no commercials (how nice) or you can visit your local library and check some out to view.

I chose to write about older movies because Ive become bored with the ones being produced in the past few years. You go pick out this movie and it sounds really good, then when you watch it you already know how its going to end or its just not as interesting as you thought originally. Movies produced in the 1960's and younger bring something different to the screen, in my opinion. Even quotes you hear today came from those movies; such as "frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" in Gone With The Wind. These movies are almost a lost art that I just absolutely adore.

Thank you for reading

Always,
Avery