Tag Archives: Busby Berkeley

“In the 20s, you were a face. And that was enough. In the 30s, you also had to be a voice. And your voice had to match your face, if you can imagine that.” — Joan Blondell

Posted on August 30, 2025 by sheila

It’s Joan Blondell’s birthday today. I am sure I saw Joan Blondell in her 1930s movies when I was a kid, although maybe not the Pre-Codes. That would come later. My real introduction to her, though, came through her performance … Continue reading →

Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day | Tagged Busby Berkeley, Elvis Presley, Gold Diggers of 1933, James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Mervyn LeRoy, WWI | 15 Comments

For International Women’s Day: Ladies I Love

Posted on March 8, 2025 by sheila

I post edited versions of this every year. I add names. I take names off if I feel like it. I enjoy compiling it. It’s not just about enjoyment. As women’s rights are up for grabs more than ever, like … Continue reading →

Posted in Actors, Art/Photography, Directors, Personal, writers | Tagged A.S. Byatt, Abigail Adams, Agnes Varda, Aline MacMahon, Amy Heckerling, Ann Savage, Anna Karina, Anne Frank, Anne V. Coates, Annie Proulx, art, Aubrey Plaza, Australia, Austria, Barbara Bel Geddes, Barbara Stanwyck, Barbra Streisand, Bette Davis, Bibi Andersson, Brazil, Britney Spears, Busby Berkeley, Camille Paglia, Canada, Carole Lombard, Cate Blanchett, Charlotte Bronte, Charlotte Rampling, China, Croatia, Diane Keaton, Dolly Parton, Drew Barrymore, Dubravka Ugrešić, Edie Sedgwick, Ellen von Unwerth, England, Etta James, Eve Babitz, France, Frances Farmer, Gena Rowlands, George Eliot, Georgia, Germany, Gloria Grahame, Golshifteh Farahani, Greta Garbo, Greta Gerwig, Harriet Andersson, Hediyeh Tehrani, Hong Kong, Ida Lupino, Ingrid Thulin, Iran, Ireland, Isabelle Adjani, Isabelle Huppert, Italy, Janet Malcolm, Japan, Jean Arthur, Jeanette Winterson, Jill Clayburgh, Joan Crawford, Joan Didion, Joan Jett, Joanna Hogg, Josephine Decker, Judy Garland, Julie Christie, Kate Lyn Sheil, Kay Francis, Keri Hulme, Kristen Stewart, Kristen Wiig, L.M. Montgomery, Laura Dern, Laurette Taylor, Leila Hatami, Lily Tomlin, Liv Ullmann, Louise Glück, Madeleine L'Engle, Madeline Kahn, Maggie Cheung, Maggie Smith, Marianne Moore, Marilyn Monroe, Martha Graham, Mary Oliver, Maud Gonne, Mélanie Laurent, Mia Hansen-Løve, Nancy Savoca, Natalie Portman, Nina Hoss, Nina Simone, Olivia Laing, Olympia Dukakis, Patricia Highsmith, Pauline Kael, photography, Poland, Rebecca West, Romania, Rosalind Russell, Russia, Sandrine Bonnaire, Shabnam Toloui, Shirley Jackson, Sophia Takal, South Korea, Spain, Supernatural, Sweden, Tana French, Taraneh Alidoosti, The Netherlands, Tiffany Haddish, Tina Turner, Tuesday Weld, Wanda Jackson, women directors | 106 Comments

For Busby Berkeley’s birthday: Remember My Forgotten Man and Sucker Punch

Posted on November 29, 2024 by sheila

I wrote a piece originally for the Musings blog at Oscilloscope (it was included in a book!), and now lives on my site (since it’s off the Musings blog). It’s about the similarities between Busby Berkeley’s Gold Diggers of 1933 … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies, On This Day | Tagged Busby Berkeley, dance, Gold Diggers of 1933, Joan Blondell, Mervyn LeRoy, musicals, Sucker Punch, war, WWI | 15 Comments

February 2023 Viewing Diary

Posted on March 6, 2023 by sheila

Reboot (2022) Allison and I watched it together when I was in New York for the first half of this month. I adore this series and am so bummed it wasn’t picked up for Season 2. We had a blast … Continue reading →

Posted in Monthly Viewing Diary, Movies, Television | Tagged Alfred Hitchcock, Aline MacMahon, Aubrey Plaza, Australia, Barbara Stanwyck, biopic, Boris Karloff, Brad Pitt, Busby Berkeley, Charlotte Bronte, comedy, Douglas Sirk, drama, Emily Bronte, England, film noir, France, Fred MacMurray, Ginger Rogers, Gold Diggers of 1933, Greta Garbo, Hugh Grant, Hungary, Ireland, Joan Blondell, Joan Crawford, John Barrymore, Kay Francis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Loretta Young, Madonna, Mervyn LeRoy, musicals, Pre-Code, Quentin Tarantino, reviews, William Powell, William Wellman, women directors | 18 Comments

Remember My Forgotten Women: The Dire Worlds of Sucker Punch and Gold Diggers of 1933

Posted on March 25, 2021 by sheila

This piece appeared first on Oscilloscope Laboratories “Musings” blog, and then was published in Volume Two of their series of books, compiling many of the pieces from that blog. I had been wanting to write this piece for literally years … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged Aline MacMahon, Busby Berkeley, Ginger Rogers, Gold Diggers of 1933, Joan Blondell, Mervyn LeRoy, Sucker Punch | 4 Comments

A Perfect Double Bill: Sucker Punch (2011) and The Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)

Posted on March 27, 2018 by sheila

I have been wanting to write this essay for 7 years (ever since I saw Sucker Punch, basically). Why didn’t I? Because I was busy writing reviews and getting writing jobs and taking assignments. I do have a little folder … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged Busby Berkeley, fantasy movies, Gold Diggers of 1933, Mervyn LeRoy, musicals, reviews, WWI | 5 Comments

August 2015 Viewing Diary

Posted on August 31, 2015 by sheila

Smell of Camphor, Scent of Jasmine (2000; d. Bahman Farmanara). A profound and touching (and very funny) film from Iran, written and directed by and starring Farmanara. It tells the story of a death-obsessed film director who hasn’t made a … Continue reading →

Posted in Monthly Viewing Diary, Movies, Television | Tagged Abbas Kiarostami, Albert Maysles, Barbara Stanwyck, Busby Berkeley, Canada, Carole Lombard, Christian Petzold, documentary, family, Germany, Iran, Iranian film, Jack Nicholson, John Wayne, Jonathan Demme, Monte Hellman, Nina Hoss, Sam Rockwell, Supernatural, The Rolling Stones, Warren Oates, William Powell, X-Files | 131 Comments

July 2015 viewing diary

Posted on August 1, 2015 by sheila

Faith of Our Fathers (2015; d. Carey Scott). A poorly done Christian movie. My review at Rogerebert.com. In Stereo (2015; d. Mel Rodriguez III). The second terrible movie I’ve had to see and review in June. My review at Rogerebert.com. … Continue reading →

Posted in Monthly Viewing Diary, Movies, Television | Tagged Austria, Brad Pitt, Busby Berkeley, Channing Tatum, dance, documentary, England, France, Germany, Gold Diggers of 1933, Howard Hawks, Ireland, Joan Blondell, John Ford, John Wayne, Mervyn LeRoy, Montgomery Clift, Orson Welles, Supernatural, Syria, Terrence Malick, X-Files | 62 Comments

Busby Berkeley At Work

Posted on March 29, 2007 by sheila

Posted in Directors | Tagged Busby Berkeley | 1 Comment

Tag Archives: Busby Berkeley

“In the 20s, you were a face. And that was enough. In the 30s, you also had to be a voice. And your voice had to match your face, if you can imagine that.” — Joan Blondell

For International Women’s Day: Ladies I Love

For Busby Berkeley’s birthday: Remember My Forgotten Man and Sucker Punch

February 2023 Viewing Diary

Remember My Forgotten Women: The Dire Worlds of Sucker Punch and Gold Diggers of 1933

A Perfect Double Bill: Sucker Punch (2011) and The Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)

August 2015 Viewing Diary

July 2015 viewing diary

Busby Berkeley At Work

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