Tag Archives: classic hollywood

Hot Little American Dream: Jean Harlow in The Girl from Missouri

Posted on July 8, 2015 by regularpop

1930s movies have a lot to recommend them. Tight pacing. Earthy subject matter. Rapid-fire dialogue. But I particularly love 30’s movies because their women embrace the money-hungry, social-climbing American dream so honestly. Onscreen, working class dames likes Joan Crawford, and … Continue reading →

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Ginger & Jimmy: Fresh & Sexy Americana

Posted on June 28, 2014 by regularpop

Vivacious Lady is Hollywood Americana at its best. It stars Jimmy Stewart and Ginger Rogers at the height of their youthful beauty and adorability–Stewart lean and gangly, his face all elongated sensual planes, and Rogers lithe and streetwise, with soft … Continue reading →

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Working Class Heroine- Linda Darnell in No Way Out (1951)

Posted on April 2, 2014 by regularpop

No Way Out (1950, Joseph L. Mankiewicz) is an unsubtle parable of age-old class and race tensions. But it’s executed so energetically and directly that it feels fresh and urgent. We sometimes assume that an old movie is no more germane … Continue reading →

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Irresistible Ava (& The Barefoot Contessa)

Posted on January 1, 2014 by regularpop

Ava Gardner is easy to like. She projects a natural warmth and earthy humility, making her equally appealing to both women and men. Further, she is one of the great beauties of the 20th century. While most movie stars are … Continue reading →

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EVERYDAY NOIR

Posted on December 11, 2013 by regularpop

In Anthony Mann’s Side Street (1949), Farley Granger plays a part-time letter-carrier in a tough spot. He is without a career or business– his attempt to run a gas station failed. Now his young wife (Cathy O’Donnell) is pregnant, and … Continue reading →

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Transcending the Virgin-Whore Complex in Borzage’s “Street Angel”

Posted on October 26, 2013 by regularpop

Many thanks to Girls Do Film for a recent and inspiring post on Street Angel. Full of tragic coincidences and lavish miracles, Street Angel, is a gorgeous melodrama of the late silent era. It stars Charles Farrell and Janet Gaynor … Continue reading →

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