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- “I don’t have to be an imitation of a white woman that Hollywood sort of hoped I’d become. I’m me, and I’m like nobody else.” — Lena Horne
- “But man has always succeeded in rising again.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
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Category Archives: Movies
“A lot of people don’t like to think. They get annoyed when you ask them to.” — Thelma Schoonmaker
“The priority is absolutely on the best take for performance, and frankly I don’t understand why people get so hung up on these issues, because if you look at films throughout history, you will see enormous continuity errors everywhere, particularly … Continue reading
“I think I’m a pretty good storyteller.” — John Sturges
It’s the birthday today of great and weirdly under-rated American director, John Sturges. One of the best parts about writing about the Criterion essay for the release of The Great Escape was getting to do a deep dive into the … Continue reading
Posted in Directors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged drama, John Sturges, Steve McQueen, thrillers, war movies, westerns
8 Comments
“I had not directed anything before. In fact I hadn’t told anyone to do anything before.” — Dorothy Arzner
“I’d rather do a picture for a small company and have my own way than a B picture for Paramount.” — Dorothy Arzner It’s her birthday today. Here’s an excellent interview with her from 1974. I have written quite a … Continue reading
Posted in Directors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged Clara Bow, Dorothy Arzner, Joan Crawford, Katharine Hepburn, Lucille Ball, Maureen O'Hara, Rosalind Russell, women directors
4 Comments
“We want to see our lives dramatized on the screen as we are living it, the same as other people, the world over.” — Oscar Micheaux
Pioneering filmmaker Oscar Micheaux was born on this day. You often hear statements along the lines of “Tyler Perry is the first Black American filmmaker to have his own production company.” This is not to take away from Perry’s accomplishments, … Continue reading
“I simply love this business. That’s all.” — Dana Andrews
To those who watch “old” movies, Dana Andrews is a familiar figure and everyone knows how great he was. But his name recognition is almost nil outside of that niche community, although a lot of people have seen Best Years … Continue reading
My Ideal New Year’s Eve Party … Is Fictional
I’m not much for New Year’s Eve (I have already covered this), and I’m not much for big parties anymore, nor am I into people who can’t hold their liquor. My friend Ann Marie calls New Years Eve “open mic … Continue reading
“My ambition is to be an actress. Hollywood had no parts for me.”—Theresa Harris
It’s her birthday today. Criminally, Theresa Harris often went uncredited in the films she appeared in. Nevertheless, she always made an impression. She is probably most well-known now for her unforgettable and realistic performance in the pre-Code Baby Face, as … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged Baby Face, film noir, Gold Diggers of 1933, Out of the Past, Pre-Code
2 Comments
“In America, sex is an obsession, in other parts of the world it’s a fact.” — Marlene Dietrich
I knew why I love taxis, yes subways are only fun when you’re feeling sexy and who feels sexy after The Blue Angel well maybe a little bit — Frank O’Hara It’s Marlene Dietrich’s birthday today. When I interviewed Dan … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged Germany, Josef von Sternberg, Marlene Dietrich
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“I have respect for my profession. I worked hard at it.” — Humphrey Bogart
What an unlikely movie star, on the face of it. Consider the face. The face is now iconic, and “movie star” makes total sense in retrospect. He feels inevitable. But in the ’30s there was no prediction that he would … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged Humphrey Bogart, In a Lonely Place, The Maltese Falcon
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“There is no other way to break the frozen cinematic conventions than through a complete derangement of the official cinematic senses.” — Jonas Mekas
When the avant-garde filmmaker (he referred to himself often as a “film diarist” died at the age of 96, the outpouring of tributes was overwhelming (and, in many cases, instructive. There was a lot I didn’t know.) My fellow NYFFC … Continue reading