Monday, July 21, 2025

CMBA Profile: JoAnn DiVerdi, Classicfilmblog.com

Meet JoAnn DiVerdi, one of the CMBA's newest members who writes at classicfilmblog.com -Whaddaya Hear? Whaddaya Say? JoAnn took time to answer our questions so we could all get to know her better.

Why do you blog?

I blog to share my enthusiasm for the films, and for all those who helped to create them, from Hollywood’s Golden Age, the 1930s, 40s & 50s. These films speak to me on every creative level: the dialogue, cinematography, fashion, set design, music, even the typography of the screen titles and end credits. I believe them to be works of art to enjoy and to learn from and to be inspired by. In the most engaging of ways these films show us how much things have changed and how much they’ve remained the same.

 

Besides classic movie blogging, what are some of your other passions?

I’m actually a little lazy. My other ‘passions’ are more like interests. They include watching documentaries, reading, listening to all different types of music, going to museums, catching any classic car shows that I can and trying to eat out as often as possible. 

 

What genres do you favor?

I favor Screwball Comedies and Film Noir. It seems that together, these two classic film genres reflect the light/dark, yin/yang, of my personality.

 

If you could have an afternoon chatting over coffee or a cocktail with three people from classic films who would they be and why? (They can be actors, directors, writers, crew – it’s your choice!).

Bette Davis, Preston Sturges, Cary Grant. Talent, Genius, Beauty. <swoon>

 

What classic film (or films) do you recommend to people who aren’t familiar with older films?

I tend to ask what the person’s favorite genre is first and then suggest a film from that category. But, in general, I feel that you can’t go wrong with:

Bette Davis in either Jezebel (1938) or The Letter (1940).

Barbara Stanwyck in The Lady Eve (1941) or Ball of Fire (1941).

John Garfield in either Body and Soul (1947) or Force of Evil (1948).

Robert Mitchum in Out of the Past (1947) or Angel Face (1952).

And, for the true romantics, Wuthering Heights (1939) or Random Harvest (1942).

And, though they may be more of an acquired taste for some, I love the lightness and fun of:

Hitchcock’s screwball comedy, Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)

Archie Mayo’s, It's Love I'm After (1937) – proving that Bette Davis could do comedy! And Howard Hawk’s, Bringing Up Baby (1938), cuz well…it’s Bringing Up Baby!

And, “Whaddaya Hear? Whaddaya Say?” I’d be remiss if I didn't recommend these 3 gangster films, all starring James Cagney:

The Public Enemy (1931)

Angels With Dirty Faces (1938) 

White Heat (1949)

 

What is something that most people don’t know about you or that you would like to share?

When I was very young I worked as a graphic designer in the creative department at the now defunct Thom McAn Shoe Company. They were planning on coming out with a line of shoes in 1987 named “Marilyn Monroe” to mark the 25th anniversary of her death and they needed a tagline. As more of a gesture of good will than of confidence, they first offered up the assignment to their in-house talent before turning it over to their big ad agency in New York, McCann-Erickson. And, to the surprise of everyone, including myself, I was the one that came up with the line! I wrote: “Shoes are a girl’s best friend.”

I was thrilled because my tagline was then used across all media platforms, along with print and in-store displays. Plus, I received a raise and promotion!

But the really cool thing is that ‘my tagline,’ (which I have no legal claims to what-so-ever) lives on! Google it. Lots of products, graphics, fashion articles and blog posts will pop-up using, “Shoes are a girl’s best friend.” 

It pleases me that a tagline I wrote so long ago continues to connect and resonate with people today. Especially since it was a line that drew upon my knowledge and passion for classic film.

 Why do you use the tagline "Whaddaya Hear? Whaddaya Say?" on your blog?

Why? Because it’s such a great line! Plus, it symbolizes so much that means so much to me: 

That James Cagney, one of the greats of the Golden Age of Hollywood, said it in one of my favorite films, ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES (1938). That it was an ad-lib on his part. A line he had heard growing up from a local drug-addled pimp in Hell’s Kitchen. That both Cagney and the line were woven into a couple of episodes of THE SOPRANOS. And that, less than 10 years ago, the man and the line (among many other of his signature lines) inspired an award-winning off-Broadway play, CAGNEY

It’s all there: classic black & white film, the behind-the-scenes story, the actor and film’s continuing ability to influence and inspire.

"Whaddaya Hear? Whaddaya Say?" embodies it all to me. And, it's just the perfect line to invite others into my world, my blog and into a conversation about classic films.

You can visit JoAnn's blog at classicfilmblog.com.

 


Monday, June 23, 2025

CMBA Profile: Dominique Revue

Get to know one of the CMBA's newest members, Dominique Breckenridge who took the time to answer our questions so we could learn more about her. She writes at Dominique Revue.

 
Why do you blog?

I find writing as a form of expression - naturally - and films, for me, make such an impression and create such a connection - be it to a character, a location, or a situation - that they form an imprint, or what I like to call a film memory, connecting us to a moment, a time in our lives; part of what becomes a component of our makeup, what makes us who we are, inspires us in our personal and/or professional lives, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and as humans - especially creatives - we want to share those thoughts, to express our feelings out loud, through our connection with film, to connect us with others.  

Your blog goes beyond writing about classic films to include photos of fashions that you've made that are inspired by the classics. How did that come about? 

One of many of the facets that connected me to classic cinema was the costuming, both garments and sets.

Very early on, the garments the actresses, performers, or entertainers wore caught my attention - Carmen Miranda, Lena Horne, Hedy Lamarr, Sophia Loren. The way they dressed made an impact on me. In turn, elaborate musical ensemble costumes followed - especially (but definitely not limited to) Pre-Code - 42nd Street (1933), Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), Footlight Parade (1933) - and I think Cab Calloway's zoot suit, style, performances blew me out of the water above anything I had ever seen or heard before (outside of the robust personality of Little Richard, which was a structure of music in our house growing up) and, I wanted to know, how do I do that?! How do I create something original that is inspired by what I love, fashion and film?

Gradually, I began constructing a space using the influence that classic cinema had on me and translating that inspiration into my own designs. Initially, my ideas turned into sketches, developed into a portfolio, evolved into garments, and ultimately, a collection, Dominique Private Collection. Designing garments and wear inspired by Old Hollywood. This transition simultaneously inspired me to build a direct bridge between fashion and film, and I began to write, direct, and choreograph fashion shows. I incorporate classic scenes or quotes with an original theme that I write, influenced by Old Hollywood and classic cinema. It became Dominique Revue: Theatrical Productions.

I've designed garments and gowns inspired by those like Judy Garland's suit dress-blazer in Summer Stock (1950), Constance Bennett in Topper (1937), Myrna Loy in The Thin Man, Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story (1940), Irene Dunne in The Awful Truth (1937), to garments directly inspired by classic entertainers as Josephine Baker's banana skirt (banana belt, as she called it), Cab Calloway's classic white zoot suit - that eventually influenced me to write a Minnie the Moocher-esque theatrical production with all garments (designed and created by me) in the style of late 1920s to early 1930s. More recently I've designed Hitchcockian dresses, inspired by some of his film's leading ladies.

Besides classic movie blogging, what are some of your other passions?

Reading. As much as I love films (and music), reading is completely my own personal space. You can get lost inside a book differently than a film, in a way far exceeding our imagination on an earthly plane. Because when we read, we become the creators of the story we are reading, visually.

Guided by what is written, we begin to see that person, place, and setting as authored but in our version of that text. We create those characters based on the description and when it becomes personal, we make what we are reading . . . real. Through our imagination. Through our vision. 

Books, to me, are limitless in their ability to capture your inner being and transport you to another dimension, setting, or period, becoming the narrative of the book for those moments when it's you and the words written on the pages. I love storytelling.   

What classic film (or films) do you recommend to people who aren't familiar with older films?

Recommending classic cinema is one of my favorite things. I love when someone who is not classic cinema savvy but who loves cinema or those new to classic cinema, or open to watching more movies, asks me to drop some recommendations for them to start with. Most recently, I was asked this and I gave them Summertime (1955), The Portrait of Jennie (1948), Black Narcissus (1947), and Princess Tam Tam (1935).

On social over time I've been vocal about A Warm December (1973) starring and directed by Sidney Poitier, Hitchcock films in general (which, to me, are so universal, whether you are a classic film fan, a film fan, or not even much of a movie watcher), On the Waterfront (1955), Witness for the Prosecution (1957), and any Mae West film. If you are not familiar with older films, watch Mae West and get acquainted.

In the past, some of my friends wanted to gather at my house once a month to watch a classic film I'd recommend. I'd give them a brief intro before the film, we'd watch it, then discuss it afterward. I picked films I fell in love with on sight, especially films I "discovered" early on that nurtured and helped mold my love for classic cinema:

GILDA (1946)—a film that struck a chord for me from the first frame I saw of the film
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951)
ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (filmed in 1941/released in 1944)
GUYS AND DOLLS (1955)
LE SAMOURAÏ (1967)
ASCENSEUR POUR L'ÉCHAFAUD/ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS (1958)
NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947) - and highly recommend reading the book!

What is a classic movie you love, but most people don't know about? And what do you love about the film?

There are a few, and maybe I would say they are not unknown as they are undermentioned, Il Grido  (1957) directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, La Legge (1959), Adua E Le Compagne (aka Adua and Her Friends) (1960), Come Next Spring (1956), The Happy Time (1952), and love it or leave it, one film I find under-mentioned in general, considering the contribution it made in cinema, the all-Black cast Dark Manhattan (1937), which is included in my Notable Black Entertainers series where I highlight under-mentioned Black artists and films every film fan should see.

But the first film that came to mind was director Jacques de Baroncelli's Une Fausse Alerte, aka The French Way, 1945 (filmed in 1940) starring Josephine Baker. Whenever I'm in the mood for a Josephine Baker film, I always find myself reaching for Une Fausse Alerte. She is charming and delightful (per usual) in a cupid-esque role. As always, natural chemistry with the camera. And a reminder that she IS the show in EVERY film she's in!

What is something that most people don't know about you or that you would like to share?

It's not unknown, but it's not anything I bring up in conversation . . . I used to play the violin. I still have my violin, know how to read music, and still know the all the notes on the fingerboard, positions, and vibrato technique.

Thanks, Dominique for letting us get to know you. We encourage everyone to check out her blog at Dominique Revue.

Monday, May 12, 2025

CMBA Cry Me a River: Tearjerker Blogathon 2025

 


CMBA Presents Cry Me a River: Tearjerkers Blogathon
 
May 12-16, 2025
 
It's here! It’s time for some…. tears! This year's theme for the CMBA Spring Blogathon is Cry Me a River: Tearjerkers.

You might want to buy a box of tissues, or grab your favorite handkerchief, and use ink that won’t run when you cry over your notepad, because this theme will have us watching emotional, heartbreaking, tragic and moving films; melodramas, sob stories and weepies.

May 12, 2025

May 13, 2025

May 14, 2025 

May 15, 2025 

May 16, 2025























Thursday, March 20, 2025

CMBA Presents: Cry Me a River: Tearjerkers Blogathon


CMBA Presents Cry Me a River: Tearjerkers Blogathon
 
May 12-16, 2025
 
Spring is here! That means it’s time for some…. tears? This year's theme for the CMBA Spring Blogathon is Cry Me a River: Tearjerkers. It will happen the week of May 12-16, 2025.

You might want to buy a box of tissues, or grab your favorite handkerchief, and use ink that won’t run when you cry over your notepad, because this theme will have us watching emotional, heartbreaking, tragic and moving films; melodramas, sob stories and weepies.

This event is for CMBA members only. Your main film topic should be from 1980 or earlier although you can reference, discuss and compare newer films to it. No duplicate topics please! There are tons of possibilities across eras, nations and genres. Your topic choices will be accepted in the order we receive them. You might even include a second choice when you send in your topic. Please send in your topic by May 11.

Use this form to submit your topic choice, blog name and preferred date for posting, if any. 

Please use one of the banners in this post, put it on your blog, and use it for promo wherever you have social media.

We’re really looking forward to another great blogathon!

May 12, 2025

  • Realweegiemidget Reviews Films, TV, Books and More: Christine (1958) 
  • Rick's Real/Reel Life: Dark Victory (1939)
  • Silverscreenmodes: Random Harvest (1942)
  • A Person in the Dark: All of Me (1984) 
  • Hometowns to Hollywood: On Borrowed Time 1939
  • The EverydayCinephile: The Unchanging Sea (1910) 

May 13, 2025

  • Second Sight Cinema: Imitation of Life (1959)
  • Classic Film And TV Corner: The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946) 
  • Shadows and Satin: Brief Encounter (1954) 
  • Classic Film Observations & Obsessions: A Night to Remember (1958) 
  • Cary Grant Won't Eat You: Back Street (1932)

May 14, 2025 

  • Cinematic Scribblings: Sunflower (1970)
  • Crítica Retrô: The Red Kimona (1925) 
  • Speakeasy: Make Way for Tomorrow (1937)
  • Taking Up Room: The Human Comedy (1943)

May 15, 2025 

  • Once Upon a Screen: Stella Dallas (1937)
  • Another Old Movie Blog: Heat Lightning (1934)
  • Silent Cinema School: Way Down East (1920) 
  • Silver Screenings: Umberto D (1952)
  • Watching Forever: If Winter Comes (1947)

May 16, 2025

  • Nitrate Glow: Ikiru (1952)
  • Whimsically Classic: The Way We Were (1973)
  • The Last Drive In: Now, Voyager 1942 & Baghdad Cafe (1987)
  • A Vintage Nerd: Classic Cinema Spotlight: Terms of Endearment (1983)