5th annual 31 DAYS OF OSCAR BLOGATHON!

Welcome to the 31 Days of Oscars Blogathon redux for the fourth time, making this the fifth installment of our grand celebration of all things Oscar. Aurora of Once Upon A Screen, Paula of Paula’s Cinema Club and yours truly, Kellee of Outspoken & Freckled started this event to coincide with Turner Classic Movies’ 31 Days of Oscar marathon. For 31 days TCM spotlights the … Continue reading 5th annual 31 DAYS OF OSCAR BLOGATHON!

Fifth Annual What A Character! Blogathon – Day 3

Originally posted on Paula's Cinema Club:
Now in its fifth fabulous year, the What A Character! Blogathon celebrates those actors whose faces you know but whose names you may not. I’m your hostess for the Day 3 offerings. Be sure to also check out Day 1, hosted by Kellee at Outspoken and Freckled and Day 2, hosted by Aurora at Once Upon A Screen.… Continue reading Fifth Annual What A Character! Blogathon – Day 3

Joan Blondell, Shining Star Forced to be a Satellite

“I don’t know what the secret to longevity as an actress is… maybe it’s the audience seeing itself in you.” … Joan Blondell Joanie should know. Joan Blondell, born Rose Joan Blondell on August 30, 1906, in NYC, lived her entire life performing on stage and screen. She died of leukemia on December 25, 1979 in Santa Monica, CA. It is bittersweet to honor this … Continue reading Joan Blondell, Shining Star Forced to be a Satellite

WHAT A CHARACTER! 2016 – Day Two

Originally posted on Once upon a screen…:
I’m thrilled to be hosting Day Two of the 2016 What A Character! Blogathon. This is the fifth consecutive year that I co-host this tribute to the lesser known players that enriched so many movies. As you probably know my co-hosts are the fabulous Kellee of Outspoken & Freckled who kicked things off with Day One and Paula of Paula’s Cinema… Continue reading WHAT A CHARACTER! 2016 – Day Two

Victor McLaglen – A Man as Big as the Screen

*The following is a guest post by my husband Gary, aka Santa on twitter as @SantaIsThinking I signed up for the What A Character! Blogathon to write a post on one of my favorite character actors, Victor McLaglen (pronounced Muh-clog-len, not Mack-loff-len) because he appears in my favorite movies, adorns one of my walls at home, and reminds me in so many ways of my … Continue reading Victor McLaglen – A Man as Big as the Screen

It’s here! 5th annual WHAT A CHARACTER! BLOGATHON: Day 1

The day has finally arrived to honor those unsung heroes of the silver screen, the character actor. For the 5th year, the classic film obsessed trio of Aurora aka @CitizenScreen of ONCE UPON A SCREEN, Paula aka @TCM_Party & @Paula_Guthat of PAULA’S CINEMA CLUB and yours truly, Kellee aka @Irishjayhawk66 of OUTSPOKEN & FRECKLED bring you this film community tribute to the marvelous scene-stealers. DAY … Continue reading It’s here! 5th annual WHAT A CHARACTER! BLOGATHON: Day 1

Announcement: 5th annual WHAT A CHARACTER Blogathon

“What’s great about being a character actor is you know that you can survive forever. It’s not about the gloss of your eyebrows.” – Martin Short We’re back for a fifth consecutive year to honor the versatility and depth of supporting players with the WHAT A CHARACTER! Blogathon.  Based on a phrase borrowed from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) the WHAT A CHARACTER! Blogathon is an … Continue reading Announcement: 5th annual WHAT A CHARACTER Blogathon

Hometown Pride Honors Robert Taylor in Beatrice, Nebraska

Traveling across the highways and roads under dark, stormy skies, I recently found my way to Beatrice, Nebraska. As a Beatrice native, attorney by day and film historian by passion, Jeanelle Kleveland shared, “Beatrice’s population was about twelve thousand when I was born and it’s remained about twelve thousand to this day.” While many things about this small Nebraska town appear relatively unchanged over the … Continue reading Hometown Pride Honors Robert Taylor in Beatrice, Nebraska

The Black Pools of Noir in MURDER, MY SWEET 1944

It’s dark. Too dark to see without assistance from a handy flashlight to confirm the time on his watch. Private dick Philip Marlowe is scouting out the meeting place in a densely wooded area, just off the road. He walks cautiously as dense, smoky fog crawls along the ground, in his tipped fedora and buttoned up trench coat. He hears the snap of a twig … Continue reading The Black Pools of Noir in MURDER, MY SWEET 1944

The Seduction of SHANGHAI EXPRESS (1932)

Josef von Sternberg’s SHANGHAI EXPRESS was the top grossing film of 1932 (in US and Canada)- at the apex of the salacious Pre-Code era. With good reason. This exotic film takes us on a journey via rail in Northern China from Peking to Shanghai. There’s a uniquely diverse group of passengers that sometimes clash and sometimes simmer for the ride. Ultimately, each are surprised to … Continue reading The Seduction of SHANGHAI EXPRESS (1932)