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September 2, 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of VJ-Day, the day on which the Empire of Japan finally signed the surrender document, officially ending World War II in Asia. Future film star Tony Curtis, then a sailor in the United States Navy, actually witnessed much of the formal surrender activities in Tokyo Bay from his ship's signal bridge about a mile away. But Tony Curtis was not the only Hollywood celebrity who took up arms against the Axis Powers. Here is a list of 10 stars of the silver screen who served during World War II, either before or after they were famous.    James Stewart (1908-1997) | U.S. Army Air Forces, 1941-1968 Stewart enlisted in the U. S. Army Air Forces in February 1941. He had tried to join up in November 1940, but had been rejected for low weight. Already an experienced pilot, he received basic training at Moffett Field, California, and later served as flight instructor at Kirtland Army Air Field in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and at Gowen Field in B...

A few days after I posted my « Top 10 Favorite James Stewart Films of the 1930s » last year, I finished watching all the films that James Stewart made in the 1940s. At the time, I immediately thought of doing a «Top 10 Favorite James Stewart Films of the 1940s», but I never really got around to do it — until now. I'm still not very good at ranking things, but here are my choices. 10. On Our Merry Way (1948) Directed by King Vidor and Leslie Fenton | Co-starring Henry Fonda and Paulette Goddard On Our Merry Way is an anthology film made up of several comedy vignettes linked by a single theme. Jimmy and his old pal Henry Fonda, in their first joint screen appearance, play a pair of jazz musicians called Slim and Lank. Can you think of two better names for them? Whoever thought of it deserves an award. The film as a whole is not spectacular, but it is still worth a watch because of Slim and Lank, I mean, Jimmy and Hank.     9. Malaya (1949)   Directed by Richard Tho...

Since today is World Photography Day (yes, I bothered to check), I thought it would be fun to put together a collection of colour photos of Classic Hollywood stars. As far as I can tell, these pictures were captured in actual natural colour, rather than being digitally colourised. Enjoy! Robert Taylor and Barbara Stanwyck at their ranch in San Fernando Valley (1939) Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier in a stage production of Romeo and Juliet (1940) Errol Flynn skiing in Sun Valley, Idaho (December 1940) Eleanor Powell and Glenn Ford on their wedding day (1943) Myrna Loy and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. dancing (ca. 1944) Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney before reprising their roles in Laura (1944) for Lux Radio Theatre (February 1945) Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner on a break from filming The Killers (1946) Gregory Peck in a publicity for Duel in the Sun (1946) James Stewart and Donna Reed in a portrait for It's a Wonderful Life...

Did you know that...  In 1947, an FBI analyst investigating Communist infiltration of the motion picture industry submitted a memo to his director, J. Edgar Hoover, claiming that Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (1946) promoted Communism by discrediting bankers.   It's a Wonderful Life is now considered a Christmas classic. According to the memo received by Hoover, written by a certain D. M. Ladd and dated May 26, 1947, It's a Wonderful Life , now a Christmas classic, «represented rather obvious attempts do discredit bankers by casting Lionel Barrymore as a 'scrooge-type' so that he would be the most hated man in the picture. This [...] is a common trick used by Communists.» The report goes on to add that the film  «deliberately maligned the upper-class, attempting to show the people who had money were mean and despicable characters.» An informant interviewed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation spoke in particular of the scene in which Mr. Potter (play...

Throughout February, I have decided to do a series of Oscar-related articles in anticipation to tomorrow's 89th Academy Awards ceremony. Last week, I told you my top 10 favorite Best Picture winners from 1929 to 1969 and from 1970 to 2015 , and today I am sharing with you my top 15 favorite Best Actor-winning performances. Again, please bear in mind that this is my own personal opinion, which is limited to the films I have seen so far.   15. Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club (2013)   Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey): Let me give y'all a little news flash. There ain't nothin' out there can kill fuckin' Ron Woodroof in 30 days.     14. Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront (1954)   Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando): You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it.     13. William Holden in Stalag 17 (1953)   Sergeant J. J. Sefton (William H...