Back to Golden Days

I started this blog six years ago as a way to share my passion for classic films and the Old Hollywood era. I used to watch dozens of classic films every month, and every time I discovered a new star I liked I would go and watch their entire filmography. But somewhere along the way, that passion dimmed down. For instance, I watched 73 classic films in 2016, and only 10 in 2020. The other day, I found this film with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. that I had never heard of, and for some reason it made me really excited about Old Hollywood again. It made me really miss the magic of that era and all the wonderful actors and actresses that graced the silver screen. And it also made me think of all the reasons why I fell in love with classic films in the first place. I came up with 80 reasons, which I thought would be fun to share. Most of them are just random little scenes or quirky little quotes, but put them together and they spell Old Hollywood to me. This is part four (the final one) of the 80 r...

The 1950s were an era of both prosperity and great conflict. After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in a series of conflicts collectively known as the Cold War. The Soviet Union began the Space Race with the launch of Sputnik 1, while Fidel Castro became the first Communist leader in the Western hemisphere. The landmark Brown v. Board of Education court decision ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, and the Civil Rights Movement was born. Joseph Stalin died, the Vietnam War began, and Elvis Presley turned rock 'n' roll into the most popular music genre in the world.   (from left to right) Replica of Sputnik 1; Fidel Castro; the Vietnam War; Elvis Presley.   The 1950s changed Hollywood as well. As a result of the introduction of television, studios were desperate to attract audiences back to the theatres and resorted to such exotic techniques as CinemaScope and 3D film. The Cold War era zeitgeist translated into a ren...

This week's «Film Friday» is quite special because it is entirely dedicated to Debbie Reynolds, whose 85th birthday would have been today (hence why I am posting this on a Saturday). Sadly, Debbie pasted away last December, so I thought I would honour her with a compilation of all the Debbie Reynolds films I have written about on this blog. Singin' in the Rain (1952)   Directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen | Co-starring Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor Singin' in the Rain gave 19-year-old Debbie her breakthrough role and it remains her best known work. She played Kathy Selden, a nightclub performer and aspiring actress who falls in love with Don Lockwood, the swashbuckling matinee idol played by Gene Kelly. Selected over established stars like Judy Garland , Kathryn Grayson, Jane Powell and June Allyson, Debbie always stated that Kelly and Donen did not want her in the film, feeling that they were «stuck» with her. However, Donen maintained that he and Kelly want...

Whether it's a funny remark, an inspirational phrase or a terribly romantic line, I love a good movie quote. Although I'm not very good at ranking my favourite things, since I change my mind faster than I flip pancakes, I thought it would be fun to compile my top 20 favourite classic movie quotes. These are quotes that have stayed with me ever since I watched these films. I know every single one of them by heart, and some I even quote myself from time to time. Some are extremely well-known, others are just lines that I really love. There is even a quote from a silent film in this! Obviously, all of my choices are restricted to the films that I have seen so far. 20. Insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops! Cary Grant as Mortimer Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)     19. Kid, the next time I say, «Let's go some place like Bolivia,» let's go some place like Bolivia. Paul Newman as Butch Cassidy in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)     18. Y...