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6:00 PM
CMBA Blog Profile: The Man on the Flying Trapeze
The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and
the 15th of the month. Today we're featuring David from The Man on the FlyingTrapeze.
If you remember the
Spike Jones version of the song “The Man on the Flying Trapeze”, you’ll recall the
mixture of admiration and humour in the lyrics. The song is kind of a reluctant love
letter to a venerated trapeze artist who has stolen the songwriter’s
girlfriend.
The blog, The Man on the
Flying Trapeze, is an unabashed love letter to classic Hollywood film. David writes with
admiration and wit about the films from the Golden Age, especially pre-code films. These he's chronicled in his "Pre-Code vs Post-Code" series.
“I love pre-code movies,”
says David, “and I love to dig into how they were ‘cleaned up’ (and usually
made worse) to meet a set of silly standards.”
One example compares Grand Hotel to Week-End at the Waldorf. You can read this post HERE.
6:00 PM
CMBA Blog Profile: Spellbound by Movies
The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and
the 15th of the month. Today we're featuring Beth Ann from Spellbound by Movies.
Beth Ann Gallagher knows how to "sell" classic film.
Her blog,
Spellbound by Movies, is an eclectic collection of all things classic film –
filmmakers, film events, and the films themselves. She's one of those bloggers
who make classic Hollywood seem fresh and hip.
Her blog is like a
vintage boutique that specializes in unique pieces. One example is a look at
Alfred Hitchcock and his terriers.
“It remains my most
popular one four years after posting,” says Beth Ann. “I love animals, and I'm
a Hitchcock fan, so I had a lot of fun writing the piece, and I'm sure that
shines through.”
You can read her post
on Hitchcock and his terriers HERE.
8:00 PM
CMBA Blog Profile: A Trip Down Memory Lane
The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per
month, on the 1st and the 15th of the month. Today we're featuring David from A Trip Down Memory Lane.
David’s experience with blogging likely sounds familiar to a lot of
people. You might start a blog with a specific goal, only to have it morph into
something else.
“I started my blog in March of 2010,” says David. “I started it so I
could put all the information and tidbits of classic Hollywood in one place,
but then it evolved into a blog showcasing memories of great entertainment and
stars that I enjoyed. My blog was originally called The Great Entertainers
Archive, but a year later I changed it to A Trip Down Memory Lane.”
A Trip Down Memory Lane is a valuable resource for those looking for
information on celebrities of classic Hollywood. David chronicles lesser-known
personalities, too, such as Nedra Sanders Broccoli.
“She was the widow of singer Buddy Clark as well as the
wife of James Bond producer Albert Broccoli,” explains David. “Nedra had a
lifetime of heartache and disaster. There were no other stories on her
anywhere, so I researched what I could find on her for months. I was proud of
the reaction I got, and it was used on other websites and publications. I also
got emails from her two children who were toddlers when she died thanking me
for writing the article on her. Even though her story was a sad one, I felt
happy that I had the opportunity to tell it.”
You can read David’s post on Nedra HERE.
8:00 PM
CMBA Blog Profile: Journeys in Classic Film
The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and the 15th of the month. Today we're toasting Kristen from Journeys in Classic Film.
If you're looking for all-out zeal for classic movies, you'll find it at Journeys in Classic Film.
Kristen, a prolific blogger, podcaster and CMBA Board Member, infuses her website with a fresh, energetic vibe. She offers film and book reviews, news updates, and interviews with classic film biographers and actors – such as actress Jane Withers.
Kristen, a prolific blogger, podcaster and CMBA Board Member, infuses her website with a fresh, energetic vibe. She offers film and book reviews, news updates, and interviews with classic film biographers and actors – such as actress Jane Withers.
"I still get readers who ask me about getting in touch with [Jane] and mentioning how she shaped their lives or other personal anecdotes," says Kristen. "This was the second interview I ever did and the first with someone directly connected to what I was writing about. Jane was so sweet and funny (and actually wanted a picture of me!). I could have talked to her for hours."
You can read Kristen's interview HERE.
8:00 PM
CMBA Blog Profile: Silver Screen Modes
The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and the 15th. Today we're celebrating Christian from Silver Screen Modes.
Author and researcher Christian Esquevin has an infectious passion for classic film costume design.
His blog, Silver Screen Modes, presents a thoughtful, fascinating look at Hollywood costume designers and the design process. He's also the author of Adrian: Silver Screen to Custom Label.
But his interests include more than costume design. He has a true appreciation for film itself, including films that are lesser known or are not widely appreciated, such as Michelangelo Antonioni's Blowup (1966).
"The film is not everyone’s cup of tea, but
part of the problem is that many people say they don’t understand it," says Christian. "[I want] to explicate the movie to others, or at least to
point out that it does not follow a plot that has a neat resolution at the end.
It also has a lead character that is not particularly nice to women, but he’s not
nice to men, either, and that’s the story/character showing his alienation. On
the other hand, it has tremendous vitality and shows swinging London in the
1960s. It’s a mystery where the answer dissolves the closer you look at it – much like life, really. I saw it in the theater in France when it first came out,
and it left an indelible impression on my youth."
You can read Christian's review of Blowup HERE.
You can read Christian's review of Blowup HERE.
8:00 PM
CMBA Blogger Profile: Strictly Vintage Hollywood
The CMBA profiles two classic movie
blogs per month, on the 1st and 15th. Today we're toasting Donna from
Strictly Vintage Hollywood.
Donna at Strictly Vintage Hollywood has a thing for Rudolph Valentino.
But let's face it: who doesn't?
Not only does she curate a well-researched blog, she's written a book on Valentino, entitled Rudolph Valentino The Silent Idol: His Life in Photographs. She's now hard at work on a second book, tentatively titled The Films of Rudolph Valentino - A Chronological History.
"I have collected and studied Valentino for decades," says Donna. "I am still researching and learning; enjoying the process of research that I hope will result in an entertaining second book, my magnum opus on Valentino."
You can read more about Valentino, and his unique friendship with screenwriter June Mathis, HERE.
But let's face it: who doesn't?
Not only does she curate a well-researched blog, she's written a book on Valentino, entitled Rudolph Valentino The Silent Idol: His Life in Photographs. She's now hard at work on a second book, tentatively titled The Films of Rudolph Valentino - A Chronological History.
"I have collected and studied Valentino for decades," says Donna. "I am still researching and learning; enjoying the process of research that I hope will result in an entertaining second book, my magnum opus on Valentino."
You can read more about Valentino, and his unique friendship with screenwriter June Mathis, HERE.
8:00 PM
CMBA Blogger Profile: Movies Silently
The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and 15th. Today we're celebrating Fritzi from Movies Silently.
Reading the blog Movies Silently is like visiting an amusement park. If you plan to drop by, it's guaranteed you'll end up spending the day. Better bring a lunch.
Fritzi's site is an adventurous look at silent film, as explored through reviews, Top 10 (or Bottom 5) Lists, amusing silent film gifs, and even vintage recipes. It is a celebration of silent film in all its forms – the serious, the witty, the tragic.
It's also a groundbreaking site that isn't afraid to attack cherished misconceptions.
"My review of The Cossacks is an example
of what I most want to accomplish on my blog," says Fritzi. "It represents six months of
research culminating in an epic takedown of a reasonably beloved film and an
expose of its shameless plagiarism. Looking below the surface was rewarding in
this case because it allowed me to both dig deep into film history and expose
an injustice that has been ignored for almost eighty years."
You can read Fritzi's review HERE.
You can read Fritzi's review HERE.
8:00 PM
CMBA Blogger Profile: Classic Movie Hub
The tagline for Classic Movie Hub is "The Classic Movie Cheerleader!"
Indeed it is. The site includes contests, classic celebrity birthdays and Top 100 movie lists – truly a hub of classic movie information. (Psst! It's also a great place to advertise your classic film blogathon.)
Classic Movie Hub features an intriguing blog that delves into a number of eclectic topics. Annmarie, the site founder, is a dedicated researcher who delights in the "odd things you can discover when you're blogging."
For example, Annmarie found buried treasure while working on a post about Kathleen Howard for the 2013 Funny Lady Blogathon.
"I chose Howard as my subject simply because I adored her in It's a Gift," says Annmarie. "Imagine my surprise when I started my research and learned that she was successful in three distinctly tough and impressive careers: opera singer, fashion editor, and actress. It was like hitting pay dirt -- finding mp3s of her voice, newspaper articles about her career moves, and a book she had written about singing. Such wonderful discoveries about an actress that I only knew as W.C. Fields shrewish wife!"
You can read Annmarie's post HERE.
8:00 PM
CMBA Blogger Profile: The Movie Night Group's Guide to Classic Film
The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and 15th. Today we're featuring Patricia from The Movie Night Group's Guide to Classic Film.
Patricia of The Movie Night Group's Guide to Classic Film is a dual-purpose film historian.
Not only do her posts include behind-the-scenes history of classic movies, she also records the discussions of her movie group – a group that's been meeting for over 20 years. (Patricia gives more detail on this in the discussion below.)
Her blog reads like a classic film catalogue, which covers several film genres. However, if there is one subject that resonates with Patricia, it's female doctors in classic film.
"Years ago, I became interested in the image of the woman doctor in classic film," says Patricia, "and I've actually presented a paper about it several times. For instance, Strange Lady in Town is a wonderful example of the trend I'd been seeing in earlier films. Plus, it stars Greer Garson, who is always wonderful."
You can read Patricia's post HERE.
Not only do her posts include behind-the-scenes history of classic movies, she also records the discussions of her movie group – a group that's been meeting for over 20 years. (Patricia gives more detail on this in the discussion below.)
Her blog reads like a classic film catalogue, which covers several film genres. However, if there is one subject that resonates with Patricia, it's female doctors in classic film.
"Years ago, I became interested in the image of the woman doctor in classic film," says Patricia, "and I've actually presented a paper about it several times. For instance, Strange Lady in Town is a wonderful example of the trend I'd been seeing in earlier films. Plus, it stars Greer Garson, who is always wonderful."
You can read Patricia's post HERE.
8:00 AM
CMBA Blogger Profile: Virtual Virago
The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month – on the 1st and the 15th. Today we're honoring Jennifer from Virtual Virago.
Virtual Virago is one of those blogs that helps you see films a little differently.
It's no wonder, considering Jennifer Garlen taught English at the University of Alabama in Huntsville for several years. She is also the author of Beyond Casablanca: 100 Classic Movies Worth Watching.
Her blog offers thoughtful analysis of films you thought you knew, and she explores delightfully surprising territory such as Classic Movies for Cat Lovers and Southern Voices on the Silver Screen.
It's no wonder, considering Jennifer Garlen taught English at the University of Alabama in Huntsville for several years. She is also the author of Beyond Casablanca: 100 Classic Movies Worth Watching.
Her blog offers thoughtful analysis of films you thought you knew, and she explores delightfully surprising territory such as Classic Movies for Cat Lovers and Southern Voices on the Silver Screen.
"One of the most successful posts on Virtual Virago is about Laird Cregar, one of my favorite
actors," says Jennifer. "I think Cregar had
tremendous talent, and he deserves to be remembered and more widely known. His
story is so tragic and utterly Hollywood that it really ought to be the basis
for a book or a film."
You can read Jennifer's post on Laird Cregar HERE.
You can read Jennifer's post on Laird Cregar HERE.