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Tag Archives: Joan Crawford
An Acting Lesson: John Wayne and the “Reality of the Doing”
An old piece, re-posted for John Wayne’s birthday: In one lengthy scene in Hondo, filmed in one almost unbroken take, Wayne makes horseshoes in the little outdoor smith in the yard. Geraldine Page hovers nearby. He talks to her about … Continue reading
“If you want to see the girl next door, go next door.” – Joan Crawford
Today is Joan Crawford’s birthday. Some links first: World-Class Acting: On Joan Crawford and Sudden Fear Here are the re-caps of Feud: Bette and Joan I did for The New York Times. Lots of discussions of Joan Crawford’s career and … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged Clark Gable, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Crawford, Johnny Guitar, Otto Preminger, Sudden Fear, Vincente Minnelli
10 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
“I hope I’ll die on stage at the age at 105, playing Peter Pan.” — Joan Fontaine
A re-post of the tribute I wrote about Joan Fontaine when she died in December of 2013. She almost made it to her goal. She was 96 years old. It’s her birthday today. While filming “The Women”, in 1939, Joan … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged Joan Crawford, Joan Fontaine, Laurence Olivier, Olivia de Havilland, Rosalind Russell
25 Comments
September/October 2023 Viewing Diary
I moved in late September. Again. I found a little cozy apartment, the second floor of a little house, with slanted ceilings, little cubbyhole-eaves everywhere, and a big yard. It’s a 10 minute walk to the beach. I found it … Continue reading
Posted in Monthly Viewing Diary, Movies
Tagged Bette Davis, biopic, comedy, Costa-Gavras, Dana Andrews, documentary, drama, Eli Wallach, England, Ewan McGregor, film noir, France, Fritz Lang, George Cukor, George Sanders, Germany, Gloria Grahame, Hal Wallis, historical drama, Ireland, Joan Crawford, Joan Fontaine, Judy Blume, Kate Lyn Sheil, Lana Turner, Lee Marvin, Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, Miriam Hopkins, Norma Shearer, Otto Preminger, Paul Schrader, River Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Roman Polanski, Rosalind Russell, Sidney Lumet, Spain, Supernatural, Vincente Minnelli, women directors, WWII
29 Comments
“Often we’d secretly like to do the very things we discipline ourselves against. Isn’t that true? Well, here in the movies I can be as mean, as wicked as I want to – and all without hurting anybody.” — Claude Rains
For Claude Rains’ birthday: a conversation some years back, where Mitchell and I discuss the superb actor. I asked Mitchell to describe him in one word, and we took it from there. We both love Rains so much, it was … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged Bette Davis, Cary Grant, Claude Rains, Joan Crawford, Meryl Streep
10 Comments
I’m not sure, but I think Jean-Luc Godard loves Johnny Guitar
Pierrot le Fou (1965) La Chinoise (1967) Weekend (1967) And what’s not to love, really. Been on a Godard kick this month. The December viewing diary may be rather monotonous because of it, but it’s been super fun – even … Continue reading
Posted in Movies
Tagged France, Jean-Luc Godard, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Joan Crawford, Johnny Guitar, Nicholas Ray
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