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 with you. Most of them are just random little scenes or quirky little quotes, but put them together and they spell Old Hollywood to me. Yesterday I posted part one ; here i...

The 1940s were marked by World War II, the deadliest conflict in human history. The end of the war signified a change in the political alignment and social structure of the globe. The Marshall Plan helped rebuild war-torn Europe, while the United States became the most influential economic power in the world. Germany was divided in two, and the Cold War began. The State of Israel was established, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated, and Chairman Mao founded the People's Republic of China. Engineers at the University of Pennsylvania developed the first general-purpose electronic computer, and Percy Spencer invented the microwave oven.   (from left to right) American troops of the 1st Infantry Division landing on Omaha Beach on D-Day (June 6, 1944); Glen Beck and the ENIAC, the first electronic general-purpose digital computer (ca. 1947); Mahatma Gandhi, assassinated on January 30, 1948 by a Hindu nationalist; Mao Zedong proclaiming the establishment of the People's Republic of China...

In honor of Robert Taylor's 104th birthday, this week on "Film Friday" I bring you what is perhaps my favorite of his films, which coincidentally was also his personal favorite. Theatrical release poster Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, Waterloo Bridge (1940) opens with Colonel Roy Cronin (Robert Taylor) being driven to Waterloo Station en route to France to fight in World War II. Stopping his car on Waterloo Bridge, he starts reminiscing about his past. Suddenly, it ' s 1914 and air raid sirens screech as a group of young girls hurry past Waterloo Bridge in search of shelter. Among them is a young ballet dancer named Myra Lester (Vivien Leigh), who drops her purse and Roy helps her to retrieve it. They take shelter together and a whirlwind courtship follows, resulting in Roy asking Myra to marry him before he ' s called to the front. When Myra skips a performance to say goodbye to Roy, her tyrannical ballet mistress, Madame Olga (Maria Ouspenskava), dismis...