All Posts

February 26th & 27th, 2015
Hosted by Tales of the Easily Distracted and Silver Screenings

Note: This was originally posted on Tales of the Easily Distracted website (click HERE).

Madeleine Carroll made her stage debut with a touring company in The Lash. Widely recognised as one of the most beautiful women in films (she won a film beauty competition to start herself off in the business), Carroll's aristocratic blonde allure and sophisticated style were first glimpsed by film audiences in The Guns of Loos in 1928. Rapidly rising to stardom in Britain, she graced such popular films of the early 1930s as Young Woodley,Atlantic, The School for Scandal and I Was a Spy. She played the title role in the play Little Catherine. Abruptly, she announced plans to retire from films to devote herself to a private life with her husband, the first of four.

Carroll attracted the attention of Alfred Hitchcock and in 1935 starred as one of the director's earliest prototypical cool, glib, intelligent blondes in The 39 Steps. Based on the espionage novel by John Buchan, the film became a sensation and with it so did Carroll. Cited by the New York Times for a performance that was "charming and skillful", Carroll became very much in demand. The success of the film made Hitchcock a star in Britain and the US, and established the quintessential English 'Hitchcock blonde' Carroll as the template for his succession of ice cold and elegant leading ladies.Of Hitchcock heroines as exemplified by Carroll film critic Roger Ebert wrote:

The female characters in his films reflected the same qualities over and over again: They were blonde. They were icy and remote. They were imprisoned in costumes that subtly combined fashion with fetishism. They mesmerised the men, who often had physical or psychological handicaps. Sooner or later, every Hitchcock woman was humiliated.

--From the Madeleine Carroll Wiki page

This wouldn’t be strictly a CMBA blogathon, but simply a fun, casual affair open to all who love Madeleine 's movies, and wish to participate.

While we won't keep people from doing the same films, we will let you know if a film has been "taken" so you can select another film if you like.  As the event approaches we'll post a list of the usual suspects here so everyone will know who's participating.

For those of you who need a crib sheet on Ms. Carroll's work, here's a link to her IMDB page.

To sign up, contact either Dorian Tenore-Bartilucci or R.A. Kerr to ask any questions!

Here are some banners you can use on your sites to help the spread the word!

For its final 2014 blogathon, The Classic Film & TV Café wanted to do something different. So, this blogathon was "built" by the participating bloggers over the last month. During a span of 20 days, 20 bloggers will write about 20 classic movies. Each movie will somehow be connected to the next--but the connections will vary. The films may be connected by be an actor, director, theme, location, etc. Each participant selected the blogger that follows them--well, except for The Blonde at the Film (who holds the distinction of closing out the blogathon). The fun starts on August 4th! You can view the complete blogathon schedule here.

SNOOPATHON, JUNE 1 - 3 

Spy movies, we can't get enough of them! Well, here is your chance to cover your favorite spy movie made in or before 1970!

Funny spies, sexy spies, action spies, brooding spies... If they snoop, we want 'em! 

Movies Silently will be hosting the Snoopathon June 1 - 3. The event is open to CMBA members and non-members alike. You can find more details here.





1967 IN FILM, JUNE 20 – 22 

Far out! Silver Screenings has teamed up with The Rosebud Cinema to host a blogathon that looks at the year 1967 in film.

1967 was a watershed year in Hollywood. Some regard it as the start of unprecedented creativity in American cinema; others regard it as the era of self-indulgent filmmaking. Regardless, it is a year worth examining. Hollywood would not be the same after 1967.

Entries for this event can be anything Wilder related – commentaries on his films or television work, created by his pen or from his place behind the camera. Click here for all the details…

The CMBA Blogathon: Fabulous Films of the 50s 

CMBA members will be taking a look back at some of the most memorable, interesting films of the decade.  The event will run from May 22nd - May 26th and we do hope you'll join us.

If you haven't yet signed on for the Blogathon and you would like more details email classic.movie.blog.assoc@gmail.com  with CMBA Blogathon in the title by April 20th.

We hope you'll add the banner to promote the event and stay tuned for the full list of participants.

He rose to movie stardom at the ripe young age of 22 and reigned as an international star for another 22 years, until his sudden death in 1958. During those two-plus decades, Tyrone Power was top-billed in hit films of many genres, from romantic comedy to disaster epic, musical, costume drama, western, adventure, wartime drama, swashbuckler, prestige literary adaptation, biopic, courtroom drama and even film noir. He also managed to serve as a pilot in the Marine Corps during World War II and carve out a stage career for himself after the war. His wedding to his second wife, Linda Christian, in Rome, caused a near-riot. When he collapsed and died, at age 44, while filming a biblical epic in Spain, it was headline news around the world. His private funeral in Hollywood was attended by filmdom's great luminaries and his burial was a mob scene of frenzied fans.

Monday, May 5^th marks the 100^th anniversary Tyrone Power’s birth, and Patti of They Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To and Patty of Lady Eve's Reel Life will host a blogathon in celebration of his life and career. Power-Mad is a one-day-only event.
ladyevesidwich@gmail.com or Patti at pattiamg27@gmail.com and include your name, your blog's name and web address, and the title/subject of your post.