Leibster Blog Award. Well This is New!

Hello dear two followers and any possible readers!  (Maybe I should start going out and promoting this or something...Things to consider.)
I've heard the Leibster Blog Award is going around.  I've only ever heard of it once or twice but never knew what it was or the point of it.  Ha.  But Natalie over at In the Mood decided to tag me, so it's game time!  The rules (because, according to Natalie, they've changed since this last time around):

1. The tag-ee must tell eleven things about themself
2. The tag-ee must then answer the eleven questions given to them from by tagger
3. The tag-ee tags eleven more blogs (we'll see how this turns out for me...)
4. And then the tag-ee assigns their eleven blogs eleven new questions

Oh boy what fun!  Moving on.

11 Things About the Fan Girl Behind the Blog

• I'm going through a Psych craze.  Hiatus sucks.
• Repeat songs included, I have 160 Rosemary Clooney songs from 6 CDs, plus a yet-to-be-listened-to Rosie record with Harry James.
• My main reason for being on Tumblr is all the pictures.  I have over 3000 photos in my Classic Stars picture folder on my computer.
• I was a toe-head as a child.
• I will be entering my Sophomore year in high school in 11 days.  (How fitting...)
• Not including my second grade class's production of E-I-E-I Oops, I have acted in 11 productions, starting with Alice in Wonderland, Jr. in 6th grade as the Caterpillar.
• I really geek out on the Holocaust.  I've read numerous books, fiction and non, and really enjoy learning about it.
• I don't have a favorite animal.  If I really had to choose, though, I'd pick dolphins.
• Yes, Wikipedia is reliable, and yes, I use it to look up everything I want to know.
• I really dislike the color pink.  Purple has been my favorite since 1st grade.
• I tend to pick at my lip when concentrating.  Because I like having the dry skin to pick at, I'm not very good at having chapstick handy, much less using it.

11 Questions (from Nat)

1. In film do you prefer black&white or color?
Black and white.  Color can be a nice change, but there's really nothing that says Classic Hollywood like black and white.

2. In photographs do you prefer black&white or color?
Toughie.  Black and white photos are nice because you can color them in Photoshop.  Color photographs are always nice, especially for stars who you are accustomed to seeing in black and white films.  I'll have to pick color, though, because right now my desktop background is a snazzy colored picture of Myrna Loy.

3. Your favorite era in music?
1950s baby!  Rosemary Clooney all the way!

4. Do you have a tumblr?
Yes.  Yes I do.  Tumblr  Please don't be alarmed by the Psych spam.

5. Your second favorite actress?
Uh...Who on EARTH am I suppose to choose for that?  Um...well, seeing as I've seen the most Ginger Rogers movies (behind Minnie, of course) let's go with her.

6. Your favorite movie starring your second favorite actress?
I think picking Ginger was a mistake...Yeah, I'm going to go with 1940's Primrose Path.

7. Your second favorite actor?
Jimmy Stewart, yo!

8. Your favorite movie starring your second favorite actor?
Ooh...This is the part where I wonder if I should choose It's a Wonderful Life, The Stratton Story, or Rear Window...In honor of Yin, let's go with Rear Window.  Pure suspense perfection.  Mmm!

9. Favorite foreign film?
This is the part where I have to go back through all my films and find a foreign one...This is a real problem here!  Found one!  That Hamilton Woman.  It's the first foreign film I came upon...

10. Ice cream or french fries?
ICE CREAM!

11. If you could see your favorite actress in any movie role (real or imagined) what would it be?
Ooh.  You know, I'm still feelin' like The Proposal should be remade to star Minnie and Bill Powell, so let's go with that!

Tag.  You're it.

• Film-Classics
• The Shades of Black and White
• The New Andrews Sisters
• and anyone else who would like to play along!  I'm still new to the blog world here.

Question time!

1. What was your first classic?
2. Favorite classic TV show?
3. If you could spend a day with any one classic star, who would it be?
4. Least favorite classic actor?
5. Least favorite classic actress?
6. Musical remakes from the '50s: yes or no?
7. Hayes Code: yes or no?  Why?
8. Silent or Talkies?
9. What do you think of movies like The Artist?
10. What role did your favorite actor deserve an Oscar for?
11. What role did your favorite actress deserve an Oscar for?

Thanks for taggin' me, Nat, and have at it everyone else!

"Four Daughters" 1938: Reviewed

Last night I decided that Priscilla Lane was pretty.  Well, no; I take that back.  Miss Lane is gorgeous--so gorgeous I deemed her Myrna Loy gorgeous.  (I assume we’ve all seen Myrna, so you know that’s saying something.)  And so that's what drove me to watch “Four Daughters” last night.  Before I go on, I want to point something out: when I watch a movie on this site, I normally have 3 tabs up.  The 1^st tab is, of course, the movie.  The 2^nd is its Wikipedia page.  And the 3^rd (which I pull up after I finish the picture) would be the IMDb page.  Anyway—According to Wiki, “Four Daughters” is a musical drama.  I slightly disagree with this.  I would not say this movie is a musical (so musical-haters, you’re all set), although it does have a few songs here and there.  It stars 3 of the 4 Lane sisters: Lola Lane, Rosemary Lane, and Priscilla Lane.  The 4^th, Leota, did audition for a role in this film but did not make the cut.  She was instead replaced with Gale Page.  Combined, these four make the four daughters, the movie’s namesake.  Alongside them are Claude Rains, Jeffrey Lynn, John Garfield, Dick Foran, Frank McHugh, and May Robson.  Four Daughters was nominated for 5 Academy Awards but did not receive any.

“Four Daughters” opens with the opening credits (as is customary) over bits of video of the four daughters.  Funny side note—as they announce the actresses for the four daughters you see: Priscilla Lane, Rosemary Lane, Lola Lane, and Gale Page.  Cut to a lovely looking house from which lovely signing and instrument playing is coming from.  See, the Lemp family is very musically talented.  Ann Lemp (Priscilla) plays the violin and is the youngest.   Kay Lemp (Rosemary) is the singer and guitarist in the group and 3^rd to be born.  Thea (Lola) plays the piano and is second older, and Emma (Page) is a harpist and the oldest of the four.  Their father is Adam Lemp (Rains) and we are inclined to think that he, too, is a musical prodigy who conducts and plays a flute-looking instrument.  He much prefers classical music over modern swing, unlike his daughters.  After an angry outburst about his daughters’ musical talents he heads downtown to ‘remove his name from his daughters’ birth certificates.’  His sister, Aunt Etta (Robson), accuses him of purposely getting angry for the pampering he gets from his daughters, receiving laughs from the four.  We then meet our first love interest for one of the girls—Ernest Talbot (Foran)—who has come to deliver flowers to both Emma (his crush) and Thea.  We then learn that Thea has met a wealthy man by the name of Ben Crowley (McHugh) who has invited her out to a country club dance that evening.  Ernest bids the girls farewell and we soon find them scampering around up stairs preparing Thea for her date.  Thea, wearing Emma’s slip and Ann’s scarf, refuses her sisters’ requests to meet her date (“What?  And have him wonder why he picked me?") and heads out.  We find the girls in the kitchen a few nights later preparing dinner for the family and Ben.  After an awkward silence, everyone is seated at the table and ready to eat, only to discover that Ann never lit the oven under the duck for that night’s meal.  A few nights later the girls learn that Thea is engaged to Ben!  Hurrah!  Ann and Emma decide they'll grow old together and have a pet cat since neither of them have any love interests.  The next day Ann is practicing her violin when she hears squeaking noises.  She at first thinks it's her playing and starts her scales over.  But she soon discovers it's their fence gate being swung on.  We now meet Felix Deitz (Lynn) who declares, after a short swinging lesson from Ann, he'll be joining them for dinner as soon as he speaks with Daddy Lemp.  Sure enough, Adam and Felix show up together later that night and, after some quick introductions, it's announced he's been offered a job at Adam’s job and will be boarding with the Lemps.  He's invited along to the family picnic and it's clear all the girls are a little in love with him.  But Felix only has eyes for Ann and declares it by giving her a charm bracelet while on a grocery run.  Later, Felix is working on composing a composition for a competition with a grand prize of $1000.  This is where we next meet Mickey Borden (Garfield), a poor, pessimistic man who hasn’t had much luck in life.  Aunt Etta and Ann declare him impossible, but Ann starts in on improving his look on life and lightening his mood altogether.  They take him in.  When decorating ginger bread cookies around Christmas time, Mickey gives Ann a nice peck on the cheek.

"I don’t want you to think that was a spur of the moment kiss.  I planned it for a week."

**Spoilers** A couple hours later we catch Ann getting ready to go home after buying presents for Christmas and Daddy Lemp’s birthday.  Felix catches up with her, and on the walk home he proposes; Ann accepts.  The news is announced later that night, much to the obvious discontent of Emma and Mickey.  Emma goes off into the kitchen to get more coffee, but we find her crying.  Ann soon finds her too and they have a short heart-to-heart talk.  On the day of Ann and Felix’s wedding, Mickey reveals to Ann that not only does he love her, but Emma loves Felix.  This makes Ann feel very guilty, and she ends up marrying Mickey so Emma can have Felix all to herself.  Four months later, Thea is married and everyone but Kay is gathering for Christmas.  Kay is instead singing on the radio and they all tune in to hear.  Felix then excuses himself to leave for the train station because he won the composition competition and is going to be in an orchestra.  Mickey offers to drive Felix to the station and they have a short talk on the drive up.  Before leaving, Felix gives Mickey some money to support him and Ann.  On the drive back, Mickey is clearly distraught and is seen driving faster and faster down the road.  The scene switches back to the house and we hear Thea scream.  Ben has been in an accident!  Everyone rushes to the hospital, only to find that Mickey was the one who was in the accident; he was driving Ben’s car.  The accident is fatal and he leaves behind a crying Ann.  However, in the end, Ann and Felix are once again reunited on their swinging gate.

This movie has a few funny quotes and lines, which I tried to put into this review.  Five stars; I highly recommend it.  And if you’re feeling enticed, go out and buy the book; it's called "Sister Act," by Fannie Hurst.  Also, this movie has 3 sequels: “Daughters Courageous,” “Four Wives,” and “Four Mothers,” all of which are coming out July 1^st in a 4-disc pack at Barnes and Noble.  If you're looking for some teaser clips, under the 'Tributes' section, David used some bits from this movie in 'Classic Stars--In Memoriam,' 'Classic Heartbreaks,' and 'My Love For You Goes On and On.'

"The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" 1947: Reviewed

In the last two weeks, I have watched “The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer” four times, and I must say: it is DEFINITELY one of my favorites.  This hilariously witty film, often referred to as BBS between my friends and myself, stars the gorgeous Myrna Loy, handsome Cary Grant, and not-so-child-star Shirley Temple.  Sidney Sheldon created such a wonderful screenplay for the movie that he won an award.  This movie is a stupendous choice and comes with lots of guaranteed laughs. This film is truly wonderful; the plot is never slow, it brings out Myrna and Cary’s strengths and definitely makes you question Shirley’s fall from the top.

BBS opens with a welcoming view of a beautiful house and landscaping, fit for any family.  The scene quickly cuts to the household’s help, Bessie, who is in the midst of preparing breakfast.  As she goes to wake up the younger of the household, Susan Turner (Temple), we catch a glimpse of a gorgeous room with a bed to die for!  Cue weird look from Susan that says, “Hey!  I’m Shirley Temple!  Aren’t I gorgeous?”  “Just five more minutes, Bessie.”  Susan is feeling a bit sklunklish but hastens to wake up when threatened with the awakening of the judge.  The movie is very sly in revealing that Judge Turner is in fact a lady: Margaret Turner (Loy) to be exact.  And so the morning starts.  After receiving three dollars from Margaret to pay off a bet debt, Susan heads off to school “The call of the wild!  I’ve gotta go!” to listen to a speech.  Little does she know how much this speech will impact her life!  Next, after a few jabs about marriage from Uncle Matt (Ray Collins), we find Margaret in a court setting, listening to a nightclub brawl case.  The man/artist to be blamed, Richard Nugent (Grant), arrives late but is cleared of all charges.  We meet up with Nugent again in a few minutes, giving the speech at Susan’s high school.  Being very good looking, all of the girls are intently interested in what Mr. Nugent has to say, even Susan (though she takes it a bit farther, despite her boyfriend, Jerry White’s (Johnny Sands) wishes.)  Susan is convinced that “Dickey” wants her to pose for him, and sneaks out later that night, causing a frantic search for her and Richard’s arrest. 

"Dicky wants me to pose for him."

Uncle Matt believes that taking Richard, who is now Susan’s love interest, away from Susan will only end in devastation, so it is decided that Dickey will date Susan until her infatuation with him diminishes, instead of doing time.  This plan does not go accordingly, however, and Susan falls even more madly in love with Richard.  Much to Susan’s outrage, someone else falls in love with Richard—and this time, he falls in love back.  I’ll leave you to find out who this someone is and what becomes of Susan and Dickey; but don’t worry, it’s a happy ending!

This is definitely my favorite Shirley Temple film, and is tied for number one (along with the first three Thin Man’s) favorite for Myrna Loy.  This was also my first Cary Grant film, and it was most certainly worth it!  “The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer” sure made me wonder how Shirley Temple went from amazing movie star to public servant.  Not once have I regretted watching this movie!  (As you can tell, considering the number of times I’ve watched it!)

“The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer” most certainly deserves a spot on the classics list for its originality and use of talent.  Bravo Shirley, bravo Myrna, and bravo Cary!