BEST PHOTOS WAR

HOLLYWOOD DREAM LAND (PART I)

2009-12-21T12:48:00.000-08:00

I don't look anything like the guy in the photo above, but if his musical accompaniment is inspired by the gorgeous Ava Gardner, then let this image represent the blogger and his muse! I've been taking a break from this place lately, but am finally working up a head of steam again. I haven't even touched a Golden Age movie DVD or flipped on Turner Classic Movies except once (to watch The Parallax View), and I have been pursuing other interests. But I've started work on that Thin Man overview I mentioned before as well as some Katharine Hepburn ideas. Thanks for sticking around and not getting disgusted with my lack of postings here lately.
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As I continue to age and become increasingly feeble, forgetful, and just plain dopey, I nevertheless come up with theories that appear to be accurate. Case in point: Rita Hayworth. The movie goddess and dreams of millions of men the world over was best known for being a red-headed pinup during World War II. However, in the 1948 film noir The Lady From Shanghai, hubby Orson Welles had Rita dye her hair for her role ass a sick and twisted femme fatale. But you knew all that. Now before I go forth with my crackpot belief, I'll have you know that what I don't know about style could be stuffed into the Grand Canyon. But what I've always found interesting about Rita-as-blonde is how well she makes that look work for her. Rita was of latin extraction, so her looks were such that her dark complexion wouldn't really work all that well with blonde hair. In fact, I see zillions of bleach blondes of all ages out there in the real world and I can tell from their olive or yellowish complexion--or black eyebrows--that they're not real blondes. How did Rita Hayworth pull this look off? Perhaps the fact that Shanghai was filmed in black and white helped. But the color still pictured above shows Hayworth aquitting herself quite well with this look, latina extraction and all. I guess some women are just plain beautiful no matter how they're made up.
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The results are in! The winner(s)of the poll question, "Which is your favorite Astaire/Rogers musical?" is Top Hat (1935) AND Swing Time (1936)! Here's how the carnage looked:

Top Hat (1935) 22 (31%)
Swing Time (1936) 22 (31%)
Shall We Dance (1937) 7 (10%)
The Gay Divorcee (1934) 4 (5%)
Follow the Fleet (1936) 4 (5%)
Flying Down to Rio (1933) 3 (4%)
Carefree (1938) 3 (4%)
The Barkleys of Broadway (1949) 3 (4%)
The Story of Vernon & Irene Castle (1939) 2 (2%)
Roberta (1935) 0 (0%)

I have no problem with this poll ending in a two-way tie because one could make a persuasive argument for either Top Hat or Swing Time being Fred and Ginger's most beloved film! Swing Time usually wins this contest handily, but this time Top Hat gave the former quite a bit of trouble, as Top Hat led the voting by as many as seven votes early on.

Each film has its own virtues. Top Hat has the better supporting cast, comedic dialogue, and songs. Swing Time has Ginger looking her very best, with all that rehearsal time sculpting her magnificent form to perfection; plus, there's THE dress, which surpasses any and all dresses ever crafted for any film EVER. You can quote me on that. Swing Time also has Fred owning "The Way You Look Tonight", singing it better than anyone ever did or well (sorry, Sinatra). Top Hat has the better pacing, as Swing Time has to burn thirty minutes before getting to a Fred and Ginger song and dance number. This is typical George Stevens bloat, though in a Fred and Ginger film, it thankfully doesn't come close to the director's 1950s indulgences (Giant, anyone?). Swing Time does have the best dance number in "Never Gonna Dance" and that positively tear-jerking finale with fred and Ginger simultaneously singing each other's songs from earlier in the movie, with Ginger taking "The Way You Look Tonight" and Fred handling "A Fine Romance" and it ending triumphantly with their embrace. LOVE that!

As for the other films, I'm rather surprised that Roberta didn't garner a single vote! Not one! Irene Dunne singing like an angel wasn't enough, I guess. Maybe it was that frog-throated dope in the beginning, or Ginger's annoying Russian princess accent that was present even when she sang. Or perhaps it was the unloved studliness of Randolph Scott, whose appearance in Follow the Fleet didn't seem to affect that movie's four votes. I also have to applaud those gutsy individualists who cast their vote for The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle and Carefree. I'd be interested in learning the whys of your selections, other than "it's my favorite"!

Regardless of which films won or didn't, I always find something to enjoy in even the least of Fred and Ginger's movies, and their worst is 100 times better than a lot of people's "best." I'd rather watch Fred and Ginger "do the Yam" than a lot of other acts doing their best-known numbers! I love these movies that much.
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Here he is, Nick Charles himself, playing out the string of a long, productive life. William Powell, the debonair one, the thinking man's Cary Grant. Relaxing poolside with that ever-present cocktail. If one of Hollywood's greatest stars ever had a happy ending, then it was William Powell. Happily married to his (younger) wife of thirty years, Powell retreated into a private, simple life. Apparently he became lovably grouchy owing to his increasing deafness. Any man who endures the death of his fiancee, cancer at the peak of his career, and the suicide of his son has got to emerge a winner. The interview is from Hollywood Studio magazine. Feel that California heat...

This month is Hollywood Dreamland's first anniversary. I was Lazy Bones Jones last month, but have renewed purpose for October. I'll be focusing on Nick Charles with a typically offbeat rundown of The Thin Man series, my favorite films of all time,
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Ever see The Awful Truth (1937)? Remember Aunt Patsy (Ms. Cecil Cunningham) who played the sassy, undersexed confidant of Lucy (Irenne Dunne)? The same character who hands Ralph Bellamy's mama's boy his "diploma"? The same woman who steals virtually every scene she's in?

That's the kind of woman I refer to as a Grand Old Dame.

Several women with that same sort of pluck populated Hollywood during the Golden Age, and the persona they crafted existed in real life, too. In fact, the women who played tough old gals who were quick with a quip, bawdy in demeanor and behavior, and who could outdrink the men without a thought.

Some names that come to mind: Bette Davis, Lucille Ball, Shelley Winters, Elizabeth Taylor, and Bea Arthur. These are women who battled their men on screen and off. Whose marriages toughened them and their dealings with studio bosses and sexist directors toughened their attitudes towards men and life. These "broads"--and I use that name in the very best sense of that usually derogatory term--were great raconteurs, who knew where all the bodies were buried and laughed about it. Ever see Bette Davis on The Dick Cavett Show from the early 1970s? Here was perhaps the greatest Grand Old Dame of them all, smoking, drinking, and swearing with aplomb. But also absolutely charming.

As a kid, I knew there was something special about these women who emerged from the studio system run by tightfisted tyrants like Jack Warner, Hal Wallis, and Daryl F. Zanuck, Gals like Davis, Garland, and Taylor had to be tough, or die meekly. Garland coped with booze and drugs and died young, but not before becoming a wonderful storyteller with a great laugh. She could hold a room spellbound with her dramatic and comedic flair. Women like Davis were so much more interesting than their shrinking violet successors of the 1950s and 1960s, where women seemed to take a step back after progressing during the 30s and World War II. They became institutions unto themselves.

Do we have anyone like that today? I don't think so. Liz Taylor is scarce in public these days, and no one who's a star today has that kind of charisma or presence to tell great tales. We communicate more and say less these days, which would no doubt disappoint Dames like Davis.

I recommend the Dick Cavett DVD set Hollywood Greats, to see Bette in action. Judy Garland did an interview on either The Jack Paar Show or The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Go scour youtube for those.

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I'm overdue in posting this past month's poll results...So here they are- The winner of the poll question, “Which of these actors had the best on-screen chemistry with Audrey Hepburn is Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday (1953). Of the 79 votes cast, the results are as follows:

Gregory Peck- Roman Holiday 34 (43%)
Cary Grant- Charade 25 (31%)
George Peppard- Breakfast at Tiffany's 10 (12%)
Humphrey Bogart- Sabrina 4 (5%)
Rex Harrison- My Fair Lady 3 (3%)
Gary Cooper- Love in the Afternoon 2 (2%)
Fred Astaire- Funny Face 1 (1%)

I’ve gone on about Audrey Hepburn’s career-defining role in Roman Holiday before, so for this I’d like to recognize Gregory Peck’s 1950s film roles. The Fifties was a decade in which he received no Oscar nominations, but that time period finds the handsome—my wife thinks he’s dreamy-- and popular actor in many disparate and challenging roles. Peck had gotten a few Academy Award nominations in the late-1940s, but became a full-fledged star in the 1950s.

The Gunfighter (1950) has Peck in a fondly-remembered role as the best gunslinger in the west that is doomed by his very profession’s credo that there’s always someone trying to prove themselves against you, and that there’s always someone faster and more accurate on the draw.

David and Bathsheba (1951) If it was the 1950s, you did a Biblical Epic, or at least you wore a toga. Interesting? No. Varied? Absolutely!

The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952) Peck as the dying Hemingwayesque writer with a bitchy wife is dying and reflects on better times. Why didn’t they ever do Papa right in those 1950s film adaptations of his work? Only Bernard Herrmann’s score truly soars.

The Man In the Gray Flannel Suit (1955) “That sounds hot”, said the girl at Blockbuster Video back in 1997 when I asked if they had this film for rent. Jennifer Jones was no great actress, but she showed up with her weird ways and indefinite personality to play Peck’s wife, who had already sired a kid during his harrowing WWII experiences. More interesting was that Peck had become the prototypical man of his generation. If men wanted to be Burt Lancaster as he was in From Here to Eternity (1953), then most Joes actually found themselves in Peck’s predicament in this turgid effort. Another fine Bernard Herrmann score, though.

Moby Dick (1956) This is one of Peck’s great roles. He eschews the controlled and lets loose with a buoyant, dark, and obsessive character in Ahab. Plus, Peck himself almost got killed by that rubber whale. Greg wouldn’t explore this megalomaniac until his portrayal of General Douglas MacArthur in the 1970s.

Designing Woman (1957) Greg is a bachelor sportswriter in this splashy and colorful romantic comedy co-starring Lauren Bacall, who was a lot less interesting without Bogart and seemed adrift in her post-Bogart career. To be fair, Bogart had just died when she made this film, and Peck commended her professionalism. This movie could’ve been wonderful, but Peck just isn’t “bachelor” enough. He should’ve thrown in some Ahab wildness here.

The Bravados (1958) Rancher Peck kills off the gang of outlaws whom he believes murdered his wife. A dark, relentless film only brightened by a very young—and not as hot as she would be in middle age—Joan Collins. Peck is one-note here, but acquits himself well in his final scene. Nice cast of character actors in this one.

The Big Country (1958) Peck’s best movie and role of the 1950s. It’s a HUGE, sprawling, epic Western that has William Wyler/1950s written all over it. The Big Country also has one of the great Western music scores of all time in Jerome Moross' effort. Peck is gaining steam again; A good performance from him, and everyone else, too.

On the Beach (1959) Post-nuclear war film set in Australia. Another interesting choice for Peck, who could do anything by this point. Boy, those days were so bad when everybody worried about the Cold War and the USSR. Things are so much safer now!

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I was pleased to learn that Hollywood Dreamland favorite Gary Cooper has received a United Staes Postage stamp. I'm also pleased to see that it's the more mature Coop, from the period when he did For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) and The Fountainhead (1949). By the mid-1940s Cooper had become an American institution, and this other institution, the United States Postal Service, has done a fine job in honoring him. I know many people like to bash the post office, but more often than not they get my packages to me in much better shape than their competition.

The stamp looks great, though I noticed that the price has been cancelled out; so much for the belief that people are "basically good"!
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For as long as I can remember, many up-and-coming actors have been given the appellation, The Next Brando. A few names that come to mind:

James Dean
Paul Newman
Steve McQueen
Christopher Jones
John Saxon
Horst Bucholz
Russell Crowe
Mickey Rourke
Sean Penn
Steven Hill
Martin Landau
Burt Reynolds
Al Pacino
James Caan
Robert De Niro
Ben Gazzara
John Cassavetes
Peter Falk
Martin Sheen

...and many more, I'm sure...

So who came closest to being "The Next Brando", and what the Hell does that actually mean? Has there been anyone with that kind of effect on the acting profession?

On a related note, I remember a Siskel & Ebert show where they compared the careers of Humphrey Bogart and Jack Nicholson...do these actors have any acolytes?

I guess the influence of Marlon Brando is everywhere, even if it isn't readily acknowledged by today's "hot" stars.

I have more questions than answers when it comes to this (or any other) topic, but I was hoping this could be hashed out in the comments section. Feel free to speak your mind about this important world issue.

Okay... sing, you sinners!

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Take a look at Joan Crawford, Carole Lombard, and Kay Francis. All long and lean--well, not really, of the three ladies, only Kay Francis was actually tall: 5'9" (1.75 Meters) Crawford was 5'5" and Lombard 5'2"! Hollywood had the art of illusion down pat, especially in the 1930s. I love finding photographs of 1930s stars done in a Deco-style setting. It drives home the fact that movie stars were truly at their peak of prestige and the most desirable objects--yes, objects--of the general public's fantasy during that time. It sure makes for some striking imagery.

Carole Lombard

When people think of glamour, they must think of the 1930s, an era so glamorous--at least when it came to Hollywood--that it is today--as it no doubt was then--largely unattainable because of its very perfection. 1930s gowns leave very little to the imagination: The long, satin, backless gowns expose every flaw and one must have a wonderful build to carry off this look. The short hair popular for women then isn't flattering to every face, either. You should see my wife's grandmother's 1930s nursing school yearbook--so many tragic attempts at beauty with disastrous "done at home" hairstyles--discombobulated bobs, crispy-fried Marcels...if it weren't so hilarious, it'd be four-hanky material. So many women mutilated by well-meaning friends and incompetent, small town hairstylists of semi-rural, Mid-West America. The 1940s, with its stacked shoulder pads, imposed "V" shape, and abundance of fabric is a whole lot easier to emulate because no matter what the body type, it can be done. Not so with the 1930s.

Kay Francis

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One afternoon in 2006 I was scanning the channels when I stopped upon Turner Classic Movies and saw an interesting-looking 1930s movie. It may have been this one. Anyway, I forgot about the movie, but I didn't forget what proved to be my introduction to Kay Francis. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see anything else with her in it because I didn't have TCM for eighteen long, bitter, hellacious months. In fact, I wept copious tears when September, 2008 saw TCM spotlighting Kay Francis as their "Star of the Month." Curse my barbed-wire soul for not having TCM! Now that I think about it, how in blazes did I not have internet access AND Turner Classic Movies for so long??? What am I, a Buddhist monk?

Insane, ascetic lifestyle aside, it was only last week when I made sure I tuned in to Turner Classic Movies--I've had it back for a few months now--and I jumped at the chance to see 1932's pre-Code delight, Trouble In Paradise. This also happened to be the first Ernst Lubitsch film I'd ever seen in its entirety. Simply put, Trouble In Paradise is one of the few perfect movie experiences I've ever had. Not a scene, not a word of witty, literate dialogue, not a moment is wasted in this wondrous film. Miriam Hopkins, despite her limited screen time, sparkled, Herbert Marshall gave the performance of his life and then there's Kay Francis...

I'll admit to thinking she wasn't much of an actress, based on what I had foolishly surmised to be the truth. I felt that while she was charismatic and lovely, in an awkward beauty sort of way, I didn't think she had the acting "chops" to interest me. Yet in Paradise, whatever it was she did had me watching her and listening to her wonderful-sounding voice and gazing with adoration at her perfect profile, which was showcased a lot. The film went by like a whirlwind and I barely had time to cheer before it was over. I was left dazzled by the production and I found myself on the lookout for more of Kay Francis. Sorry for the lack of deep, meaningful, and thoughtful analysis of this film, but I'm too gah-gah for that academic stuff now. I'm enjoying the thrill of discovery...

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It's been too long, and since this is the tribute that would not die, I submit to you another chapter of this blog's unofficial icon, Gail Patrick.

Amazing Gail: One of the best pictures I've seen of her.

Early-30s Gail: She looks about 23 here. Nice!

"Love Crazy" Gail: Based on her dress, I'm guessing this is a promo from 1941.

Exotic Gail: I have a few in this series, where Gail looks "ethnic." Which role could this be?

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Ah, good ol' Jimmy Stewart. Always the one with the sage wisdom. Actually, Stewart cribbed that line from another acting titan, Laurence Olivier, he of the infamous line to "Method" actor Dustin Hoffman: "Dear boy, it's called acting."

"You play yourself--in deference to the character."

That line sums up my view on the kind of acting I love best. To me, acting isn't always about the becoming of the character, but rather the characteristics of the performer that are revealed in that performance. Make sense? I hope so. Let me know if it doesn't, as I try my best to avoid pretentious talk. What follows is most likely obvious to everyone else, but I feel the need to tell myself this.

Movie stars like Stewart, Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy, and Burt Lancaster all act brilliantly within the parameters of who they are. Now don't get me wrong, I treasure the work of Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, and James Caan--always have; but I don't think they're any better or worse than their Golden Age predeccessors. James Stewart didn't need to gain sixty pounds or wear a digital "fat suit" to play Jefferson Smith, and John Wayne didn't have to hang around tormented war veterans to "get a handle" on Ethan Edwards, yet these performers managed to create two of the greatest characters in cinematic history. They tapped resources within themselves and the likes of Wayne and Stewart revealed more about the spectrum of their personalities--and without all of that Strasberg baggage. I love seeing the individual's personality come out in a performance, that's what makes a movie star an artist--their very individuality in a role. That's their personal charisma that comes out of the actor whether they want it to or not.

"I don't act; I react."--John Wayne

Atta boy, Duke. There's a lot more to Wayne's quote than his dismissing the criticism of his acting ability. I take that statement as being a personal one, as in how John Wayne himself would answer another actor's line. That's the acting within one's parameters that I've been going on about.

"Learn your lines and don't trip over the furniture."--Spencer Tracy

It's that simple. If you know what's being said, you'll know how to say it, and say it like it's supposed to be. Besides that, everyone watching a movie is a co-creator of the art, in that we all filter art through our own experiences and opinions, and that's what Golden Age giants like Grant, Wayne, and Stewart do, too.

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This post began as a fun "what if?" concept but has become a rambling, barely coherent rant--make that "lament." I could go on all day about it, but I'll restrain myself here.

Something I've often thought about was whether the Golden Age stars who perhaps aren't as well known by today's average Joe or Jane could "cut it" in today's movie business. I'm sure it's just my wishful thinking and glorification of those stars and that era, but could someone like Gary Cooper be as big a star nowadays like he was in his heyday?

I have to wonder.

On the surface, it would seem that given Coop's looks, sex appeal, and nice guy reputation, he would be a darling at the box office. But would Cooper's subtle acting resonate with the moviegoer of 2009? He probably wouldn't be "emotional" enough, or "sensitive" enough, at least in the obvious, self-help, talk show-baring-of-the-soul sort of way that men engage in today. Actually, Cooper had all of those tender qualities, he just didn't wear them on his sleeve like a Clift or Dean. Maybe those 1950s actors really did change everything forever. Stoicism is kaput, but it's really subtelty and reading-between-the-lines acting that is forever gone. Grown ups can read between the lines, kids need everything spelled out for them.

In this age where movies look like video games, the 18-35 demographic is the portal to riches, and the overly-simplistic titling of any movie sequel in a film franchise (not counting James Bond) is simply titled with a number--not even a roman numeral anymore. Everything is so incredibly dumbed down today. There's a stigma against everything not fresh out of puberty. It's like the society is so afraid of being called "old", but it's more like they fear growing up. Black and white is anathema to today's audiences, even those in their fifties they who ironically grew up with the Pepsi slogan "For those who think young."

I used to hold out hope that there would be a reaction to the stultifying, vapid popular culture we have had over the past ten years: "Reality" shows, endless Law & Order and CSI spinoffs, the polarizing and sensationalized news programs airing 24/7 and that at least some quality might emerge. I realize that every decade has had its share of mindless entertainment and that only the good stuff is remembered, but I feel that we don't have that excuse anymore. The unprecedented access to anything that the internet can provide should've been, but hasn't led to any intellectual curiosity, or at least not enough to make a difference.

Oh. Gary Cooper. He'd be a rancher in Montana today, because he would be so unlike anyone working in films. He'd still be handsome, quiet, and forthright--just not in the movies.

Sorry, Coop: Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur wouldn't be employable in today's Hollywood. The fox they would just CGI...

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It’s Carole! In the 110 votes cast (a Hollywood Dreamland record), the majority of you voted Carole Lombard as the quintessential 1930s actress. The 1930s is hands down the best decade for women that there has ever been! So plentiful were the choices that I had to omit the likes of Irene Dunne and Claudette Colbert. But I doubt they were serious contenders. Here’s how the voting went:

Carole Lombard 29 (26%)
Bette Davis 18 (16%)
Jean Harlow 16 (14%)
Myrna Loy 14 (12%)
Ginger Rogers 14 (12%)
Katharine Hepburn 7 (6%)
Greta Garbo 6 (5%)
Joan Crawford 6 (5%)

I’m sure that there are many Carole Lombard fans out there, even if she did have a great campaign manager…But I have no problem with her taking the crown in this poll, because after all, Carole’s career pretty much spanned the 1930s and she is probably associated with this decade more than any other actress. I think the voting tally accurately reflects the popularity as well as the memories of classic movie fans.

I think that Carole could do comedy *and* drama better than anyone, which isn’t to say the others couldn’t do both well, but Lombard was just perfect in both styles and had more opportunities to do them. I like how she can mix drama and comedy at once, as she does in that great scene of her break down in My Man Godfrey, with her sighing and mock hopelessness. I have a more opinionated view of Carole's abilities in an upcoming post, just bear with me while I write it!

Bette Davis almost never did comedy, though she was funny as hell. I think as long as Davis’ career was, that she really missed out by not doing more comedy roles, because she was that good.

Jean Harlow didn’t find her way until she started being funny, but her career and life was cut even shorter than Lombard’s. Had she not died in 1937, I truly believe that Jean Harlow would’ve emerged as the greatest star of her time.

Myrna Loy did much better than expected in this poll, but maybe she was just too buttoned-down to come out the winner here.

Ginger Rogers' being shackled to Fred Astaire probably hurt her chances, and while she wanted to do more dramatic roles (winning an Oscar for Kitty Foyle), I think she hurt her long-term career by running away from comedy and musicals, which turned out to be her strengths.

Katharine Hepburn. Where were the Kate fans again? They seem to be legion over at the IMDB boards, but were nowhere to be found here. My corner of the internet is entirely too tiny…

Greta Garbo. Maybe she’s under the radar outside of her small, dedicated following, but she was quite popular in the 1930s and a media figure despite her penchant for reclusiveness…

Joan Crawford is a polarizing figure due to her “Mommy Dearest” reputation. Boy, did Christina’s book deconstruct the Crawford legend or what? It couldn’t have been her fearsome eyebrows, as they wouldn’t take over her face until the 1940s. She still managed to get some votes towards the end, though. And yes, I do like her…

As for our champ, Miss Lombard, click the first picture in this post--to quote Ralphie's dad: it's indescribably beautiful!

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HOLLYWOOD DREAM LAND (PART II)

2009-12-21T12:39:00.000-08:00

I always regretted not being more into Jennifer Jones. Not because she died this past week at age 90, but because she was one of those performers that I was quite familiar with yet never embraced. To me, Jones was the actress that people's mothers, aunts, and grandmothers liked. She often played the good girl, dutiful wife, and even the occasional martyr, but she appeared against type in enough films that she got my attention. She certainly grabbed and yanked me to the TV screen when I saw her as the tempestuous Pearl in 1946's Duel in the Sun. Jones was hotter than a Texas Summer in that movie. She got top billing over the likes of Gregory Peck--then a rising star--and Joseph Cotten--an established second lead. I didn't know about Jones' connection to David O. Selznick, big shot studio boss. When I did learn of her marriage to him, I dismissed her Oscar win as politics in action and moved on. Why I did this, even though Jones had received five Oscar nominations in less than ten years, shows what I knew.

Years later, when I became interested in post-war America and specifically, Sloan Wilson's novel The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit ("That sounds warm" said the young female book clerk when I called my local bookstore inquiring as to their having a copy). Of course it was long out of print, but I would run into Jennifer Jones again as she played the long-suffering wife to Peck's preoccupied corporate career climber in the film version. This is when Jones' talent made an impression on me. Her performance alone was the sympathetic role that I clung to when watching this rather depressing movie--with a typically moody score from Bernard Herrmann--and then I no longer dismissed Jennifer Jones as a studio mogul's wife with the right connections.

Jennifer Jones had endured much personal tragedy. Her husband, the actor Robert Walker (Strangers on a Train) died prematurely, and was overwhelmed by devastating emotional problems after he and Jones' divorce in 1945. Jones' daughter, Mary Jennifer Selznick, committed suicide by jumping from the 20th floor of a building, age 22 in 1976.

Perhaps Jones' refusal to give interviews and maintaining an intensely private life hurt her chances of being remembered by the general public. Or maybe the shrill feminism of subsequent decades cast a scornful eye on Jones' roles and "inconvenient" screen persona. If Jones had led a public life and tended to her own legacy like some stars have, it may have kept her in the minds of film lovers. But Jones saw her life with her family and work with mental health issues as more important than her screen career. I respect her all the more for it. It takes a selfless person to turn their back on fame, and Jones no doubt had her fill of it, for better or worse. I was surprised to learn of her death because I mistakenly believed that she had died back in the mid-90s. Chalk up another victory for the privacy-loving actress, who would no doubt find that amusing.

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Like many other classic movie blogs, Hollywood Dreamland has the LinkWithin feature below each entry because it brings attention to similarly-themed posts that someone might enjoy. I love reading people's comments, both the critical and constructive, but I can't help but notice how often an entry gets comments initially and then nothing at all. Most blogs are like this; I'm sure this is the case in your corner of the bloggosphere. So I'm pleasantly surprised when someone surfing the 'net finds something I scratched out six months ago and comments on it, whether it be correcting a mistake, praising my "insight", or directing me to "Beautiful Russian Women." It's especially pleasing when someone posts a comment on an entry of which I'm particularly proud. But overrall the shelf life of a blog post--be it a long-winded Thin Man article or short Gene Tierney blurb--is rather brief, but I'm grateful for those who read and above all--comment on what's written.

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May 25, 1934. MGM released another quickly-produced mystery film starring two of its stars, William Powell and Myrna Loy. That film was based on a Dashiell Hammett novel. It began as just another quickie mystery, but ended up becoming a huge critical and commercial success, as well as being William Powell and Myrna Loy’s defining career roles. Which movie was that again?

The Thin Man. Surprised?

The chronicle of the entire series is best left to better writers, so we direct you to Rich Drees’ essential piece on the subject, whereas Hollywood Dreamland will continue to provide its oddball view of the series for the fan who knows many of the Thin Man basics. And we’re spoiler free, as always.

Nick’s introduction is iconic. The camera moves along as a jazzy dance number fills the hotel bar and we see the back of our hero while he’s giving an impromptu clinic to bartenders on the proper way to mix a Martini:

“The important thing is the rhythm. Always have rhythm in your shaking. Now a Manhattan you shake to fox-trot time, a Bronx to two-step time, a dry martini you always shake to waltz time.”

And thus the magic begins. After the ten-minute set up which covers the mystery part of the film, we get the brilliant opening to one of the greatest-ever movie characters. The setting is sophisticated, the joint itself is wonderful, and the character is holding forth on the subject he knows more about than anyone in this old brown world: Drinking. Nick’s intro is mind blowing when I think about it, because it’s easy to take this perfect entry for granted to a character many of us would love to be. There are very few introductions to characters that measure up to that of William Powell’s tippling super sleuth. And as is often the case in things likes this, the shot was the first used and Powell didn’t even know it until after director Van Dyke said “Print”! Such was the ease and expertise of “One Take Woody” who always got a film done under budget and on time.

“Oh, it's all right, Joe. It's all right. It's my dog; and, uh, my wife.”

“Well you might have mentioned me first on the billing.”

Both Powell and Loy’s introductory scenes were devised by Woody Van Dyke. It’s no small wonder that he would receive a Best Director nomination for The Thin Man. Van Dyke was just as important to the Thin Man’s success as Powell and Loy were. It was he who asked Louis B. Mayer to cast the two as the leads and it was Van Dyke who wanted to direct the property in the first place, as the director was an admirer of Hammett’s work and hardboiled mysteries in general.

“Well, can't you tell us anything about the case?”

“Yes, it's putting me way behind in my drinking.”

Even the trailer for The Thin Man is fresh and amusing because it stars William Powell in character as both of his iconic detective roles. Philo Vance is walking down the street and spots a billboard for the new MGM movie, and Nick Charles, who’s pictured on the billboard, begins a conversation with his former incarnation! It’s brilliant! Imagine if the outgoing James Bond actor had a similar set up with the incoming 007? It’d never happen.

“How'd you like Grant's tomb?”

“It's lovely. I'm having a copy made for you.”

Nora gets the best lines in this movie, though most everything said by Nick is also highly and dangerously quotable. The more I see this movie—and I’ve seen it a lot—and it keeps getting better. Lines I know by heart invoke a smile and knowing laughter, but then more dialogue sprouts up that I hadn’t taken notice of previously! This film is stacked with wonderfully witty dialogue and it never stops! The immediate sequel, After the Thin Man, may have more laughs, but the original is a better film in every respect. It’s still fresh and vital the thirtieth time around as it is the first. I actually didn’t like the movie the first time around! The second and fourth films received several viewings from me before I had seen this one, so I was accustomed to the sequels’ comedic fireworks. I was initially put off by the first ten minutes of mystery-in-the-making. We don’t even see, hear, or know about Nick and Nora until after the mystery has been established.

“Say, how did you people happen to pop in here?”

“We hear this is getting to be sort of a meeting place for the Wynant family, so we figured we'll stick around just in case the old boy himself should show up. Then we see this bird sneak in, we decide to come up. And lucky for you we did!”

“Yes, I might not have been shot.”

William Powell snagged an Oscar nod for his first turn as Nick Charles, and boy did he deserve it. The sum of Powell’s total charm, elegance, and wit as Nick can be seen in the Christmas party where he works the room spouting off multiple witticisms and banter while distributing a tray of cocktails. He gives Nora a peck on the cheek and Loy’s smile makes me think that it was an improvisation on Powell’s part. Either that, or Myrna Loy was such a good actress that she can make us believe she was surprised. Whatever the case, she’s great and so is he. Effortless charm! And the scene definitely gives off a “Christmas party” feeling, as there’s much merriment in this scene. And Nora is wearing an absolutely gorgeous (red and white?) striped dress for the occasion; I often wonder why it doesn’t get more attention from style mavens.

Best scene in the entire film: Christmas morning at the Charles’ hotel room. Nora is bemusedly watching Nick shoot the Christmas tree bulbs off of the tree with the new “zip gun” she got him for Christmas. This is the kind of device that the Student School Handbook “warned” us about.

Nick: [to Nora in fur coat] “Aren’t you hot in that?”

Nora: “Yes, I’m stifling; but it’s so pretty!”

***

Nick: "I'm a hero. I was shot twice in the Tribune.

Nora: “I read you were shot five times in the tabloids.”

Nick: “That’s a lie. He didn’t come anywhere near my tabloids!”

The Thin Man was filmed in sixteen days in April 1934. The evil, puritanical Production Code amendment was issued on June 13, 1934 which required films to receive a certificate of approval. The Thin Man was released in May of that year, so it would appear that they got their "naughty" content in under the wire. Otherwise, how would that look-fast-or-you’ll-miss-it lingerie ad make it past the censors? Or what about the Nunheim and Marion characters, who live together yet don’t appear to be married?

The Supporting Cast

Maureen O’Sullivan: (Dorothy Wynant) Young and lovely O’Sullivan was just twenty-three when she appeared made this movie and she’s a delight. Innocent, beautiful, and she’s one of the few three-dimensional characters in all of Thin Man land. She evinces much sympathy and is a delight to watch. It’s interesting to see O’Sullivan here and then flashing forward to 1986’s Hannah and Her Sisters to see her as a show-biz mother, all boozy and temperamental. All those drinks with Nick must’ve done it.

William Henry: (Gilbert) Hard to believe that the actor who played the odd, bookish, twenty-year-old boy with the carefully measured speaking tones would later become a rugged character actor who showed up in countless movie and TV Westerns! I know him from his brief role as “Dodd Draper” in the 1967 John Wayne film, El Dorado. It’s a splendid reinvention.

Nat Pendleton: (Lt. Guild) He’s there with Nick, trying to solve this case. He shoots off a couple good lines, especially one at Gilbert’s expense. Pendleton had already appeared with Powell in Manhattan Melodrama, where he played Clark Gable’s lackey. He wa suitably dopey in that but he’s not as dim here.

Porter Hall: (MacCaulay) Wynant’s attorney. You may also know him as one of the reporters in 1940’s His Girl Friday. Or any number of assorted attorneys and judges in major motion pictures of the 30s and 40s. Hall was a non-nonsense character actor, the kind they can’t/don’t/won’t make anymore. Hall has the great ability to blend into the background and become the character. It’s what great acting is all about.

Harold Huber: (Nunheim) This guy’s name gets said more than any other! I found myself saying the name “Nunheim” like an absent-minded obsessive-compulsive! Nunheim is real trash, the kind they still make, unfortunately. But he manages to elicit sympathy because he’s such a pathetic sap.

Gertrude Short: (Marion) Nunheim’s shacked up with this tootsie, and she’s brilliant! Short has more charisma than most leading ladies today. In The Thin Man, Marion and Nunheim have, shall we say, a less than ideal relationship. She really lets poor Nunheim have it, too.

Edward Brophy: (Morelli) Another “repeat offender” in the Thin Man series. He also appeared as the shrub-loving postcard salesman, Brophy, in The Thin Man Goes Home. Here he’s the dangerous and ill-tempered Morelli, who holds Nick and Nora at gunpoint in their bedroom. Morelli was carrying on with Wynant’s mistress and is a key suspect in the latter’s death.

Cesar Romero: (Chris) He looks suitably menacing and is a deadbeat all at once. The always-enjoyable Romero would enjoy a sixty-year career as a variety of amusing roles. This is the earliest role I’ve seen him in.

Edward Ellis: (Wynant) As most aficionados know, Wynant is the title character. The tag was so catchy that it came to mean any movie in this series. The character’s a curmudgeon and a philanderer, too. I’ve only seen Edward Ellis in a Garson Kanin-directed called A Man to Remember (1938). Ellis plays a small-town doctor and he’s vastly different from the jerk he plays here. The film would appear to be rare because the print TCM showed had Swedish subtitles on it. Perhaps that was all that could be found.

The film’s lovely is again Myrna Loy, who simply radiates with intelligence, beauty, poise, and cool—long before that word’s meaning was killed through misuse. This is Loy before that “Ideal Wife” nonsense killed her original appeal. In her maiden voyage as Nora Charles, she’s just amazing and we’ve never had anyone like her. Loy’s an original, that’s for sure. It's a crime that she was overlooked at Oscar time. A crime.

The finale is done in typical mystery fashion, the assembly of the suspects. Nick and Nora do this with style also, as it’s at a swank dinner party with Nora wearing an amazingly sexy black evening gown. I’m told its black satin, but it looks more like leather! Yowza! Of course Nick solves the mystery of Wynant’s death and while it may take a few viewings to entirely remember the large cast and their motivations and connections, the wit and undeniable chemistry between Powell and Loy will bring you back time and again. There’s nothing more comforting than a cherished classic movie to lift one’s spirits again. The Thin Man does it for me every time.

If I had to live my life in a movie, it would be as Nick Charles in a never-ending Thin Man mystery. I’d crack wise, banter back and forth with my lovely wife, have the best dog ever, and hold a perpetual cocktail in my hand. The Thin Man is well-loved by classic movie lovers, but I still feel—despite the strong sales of the Complete Thin Man Collection DVD set—that it is a film, and series, largely unknown by the general public. It’s known mostly through word-of-mouth and via regular runs on Turner Classic Movies, which is probably the only channel that airs these films. I think of the series as a well-kept, but open, secret.

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The Plot: Nick and Nora track down Nora’s cousin’s lecherous, waywardly husband, who ends up murdered on New Year’s Eve; many laughs (and plot twists) follow.

The Thin Man was a surprise smash hit, so a sequel was quickly planned in order to capitalize on the tremendous on-screen chemistry between stars William Powell and Myrna Loy. That cinematic lightning-in-a-bottle was enough to convince screenwriters Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett that the second film should include even more witty repartee for Powell and Loy. The one-liners come from everyone, not just the stars, and it’s staggeringly good stuff. This is the kind of dialogue we could never come up with ourselves, so we’ll just have to borrow the material that Goodrich and Hackett gave us. There are dozens of lines in the film that could be quoted in one’s day-to-day drudgery. We’ll refrain from quoting all the delicious dialogue because even those can act as spoilers to those who haven’t “imbibed” a Thin Man movie. But it’s too good not to mention a few great lines along the way.

“Come on, let’s get something to eat. I’m thirsty.”

After the Thin Man is not just an immensely enjoyable mystery-comedy (better make that comedy-mystery, as the yuks are more plentiful this time around), but rather one of the greatest sequels ever made. It’s rare that a sequel comes close to equaling its classic predecessor, but After the Thin Man can be counted on that short list of great sequels. Credit must go to the aforementioned screenwriters, but also to perennial Thin Man director Woody Van Dyke for coordinating this cinematic endeavor. After all, film is the most collaborative of arts.

“Are you packing, dear?”

“Yes, darling. I’m just putting away this liquor.”

After the Thin Man (1936) takes place right after the events in the first film. Nick and Nora Charles, fresh off their triumph of the Wynant case are headed back to San Francisco on New Year’s Eve. Nick wants nothing more than to get some well-needed rest and to enjoy all the money he married Nora for. Upon their return to San Francisco, Nick and Nora are besieged in their own hilltop mansion—Telegraph Hill no less-- by a gaggle of partygoers, none of whom Nick and Nora even know! A wild, drunken swing-era party is in full…swing! There’s a small band, a singer performing “Sing Sing Sing” (which was the second half of the decade’s anthem), some dopey drunks lifting up one another to prove their manliness, and some silly dame with severe self-esteem issues who has to be “rescued” from a “burning” building! Nick and Nora escape to the kitchen, where the staff is hard at work with their harsh, working-class tones in full evidence. Then Aunt Katherine phones the Charles home and Nick is guaranteed no peace on New Year’s Eve!

That opening scene is but a sample of how fast and furious things get. It’s as though the filmmakers were stuffing everything they could for maximum entertainment value and it shows, too. Every aspect of After the Thin Man is pure gold. The “Swing Era” spirit is all over this film; 1936 was indeed something special. The 1934 movie opened with ten minutes of set up for the murder mystery and only afterwards did we receive our introduction to the suave, debonair hero. This entry opens with our glamorous couple westward bound for some much-needed rest after that strenuous Wynant murder case.

And will you get a load of the Charles’ San Francisco home? It’s an art deco masterpiece! MGM was the best studio for a reason, and Cedric Gibbons’ art direction is spectacular! This is my 1930s movie dream home! In the scene where Nick and Nora are chasing the clue-chewing Asta around the place, but I spend the time that scene takes absorbing the beauty of the house! The Cinema Style blog has pictures of this house.

As impressive as the Charles’ Deco home is, the Lichee (pronounced “Lye-Chee”) Club, the swankest Chinese restaurant in all history. It’s the premiere set piece in the film; the joint is jumpin’! The Lichee is certainly a far cry from the Chinese restaurants I’ve ever been to, where sullen workers speak in harsh, clipped tones and answer every question in one word or less. The Lichee Club has the patina of class, like a gilded lily, but there’s dirty double-dealings going on behind the scenes. The patrons are crazy drunk and play miniature novelty instruments. It looks like everyone is having a ball. The Great Depression is an unknown event at this swanky den of bawdy celebration! An interesting pop culture reference of the time is when Nick has commandeered a miniature saxophone and he quotes a hugely popular song of 1936, The Music Goes Round and Round, (Tommy Dorsey had a stellar version of this) a tune that is quoted by Curly Howard in a Three Stooges short, 1936’s Half-Shot Shooters.

"Have you made any New Year's resolutions?"

"Not yet; any complaints or suggestions?"

"A few."

"Which?"

"Complaints."

"All right, shoot."

"Well, you don't scold, you don't nag, and you look far too pretty in the mornings."

"All right, I'll remember: must scold, must nag; mustn’t be too pretty in the mornings."

The sequence leading up to Robert’s murder is well handled and beautifully atmospheric. I don’t think they filmed this on location in San Francisco but the art direction is a world unto itself: foggy, cold, dark, and foreboding. Black and White photography excels at chronicling the darkness of the moment. There’s effective editing which cuts back and forth between the numerous suspects until the final moment of rotten Robert’s short-happy life.

After the Thin Man boasts a wonderful extended, wordless sequence, which takes place when Nick is snooping around a suspect’s apartment. This goes on for about six and a half minutes. I seriously doubt any filmmaker would do that today, given the attention span of the average viewer. The wordless sequence is punctuated by an excellent use of sound effects, culminating in the sharp crack of gunfire as Dancer takes aim at Nick Charles. Tell whomever you’re with to pipe down during that scene because it casts quite a spell on the attentive viewer, or rather, listener.

The Supporting Cast: It’s a large one this time around. The supporting players are a fine blend of character actor stalwarts, obscure bit players, veteran character actors, and one bona fide movie legend. Every single actor in this film gives terrific support. Some of the notables:

James Stewart: Yes, it’s that James Stewart. He plays David; a former boyfriend of Selma’s who sticks around out of loyalty to her, even after her marriage to Robert. You can hear those Jimmyisms in several of his lines and in a short time, Stewart would emerge as the biggest star of anyone in this film. He’s his usual, enjoyable self here although he himself apparently didn’t think much of this early performance.

“When he gives you the sack, let me know, will ya?”

“I certainly will!”

Jessie Ralph: Aunt Katherine is, in Nick’s words, “an old battleaxe.” She lets anyone and everyone have it with both barrels blazing. Nora’s family is certainly eccentric bunch still back in the Victorian Era. Jessie Ralph has played a variety of roles and she’s so convincing as the crotchety Aunt Katherine that it’s amusing whenever I see her playing a nice character in other films like Double Wedding. She’s a hoot in After the Thin Man.

Sam Levene: Lt. Abrams’ first appearance. He’s over-the-top and I love it! He desperately needs Nick’s expertise and relies on whatever Nick gives him. The idea to have a colorful cop Nick helps is a valued element in the first four films. The last two lack this rapport, which Powell and either Levene or Nat Pendleton (Lt. Guild in the first and third movies) providing a fun interaction during the mystery. A running gag with Lt. Abrams is that Asta doesn’t like him; Abrams is the only character who can claim this dubious honor.

Penny Singleton aka Dorothy McNulty: She plays nightclub singer Polly and is quite a character! She’s best known as the voice of Jane Jetson in that futuristic cartoon show, but she’ll always be Polly to me. She warbles a ditty called “Smoke Dreams”, a crappy but catchy song she performs in her Lichee Club act. She’s also part of a blackmail scheme and maybe even…murder! Polly fires off some great one-liners and she steals every scene she’s in.

Paul Fix: Plays Phil, who is Polly’s…just watch the movie and find out. Fix is quite young here and he would go on to become one of John Wayne’s crusty cronies in many of The Duke’s movies from the 1940s to the 1960s. He also played the worthless sheriff in The Rifleman TV show.

Joseph Calleia: Calleia is Dancer, the shady owner of the Lichee Club. He has a passing resemblance to William Powell. His character’s supposed to be Irish, but his accent comes and goes like a deadbeat dad. However, Dancer is as mean as a rattlesnake and one of the nastiest people Nick Charles ever dealt with. Good performance by Calleia.

Elissa Landi: Landi is Selma, Nora’s tormented and emotional cousin. She’s being two-timed by her rotten husband and Aunt Katherine is always on her back like a bad boss. Is it any wonder that the poor thing is on the verge of a complete mental collapse? Notice how she’s about the same age as Nora but she’s dressed in stodgy Victorian clothes, whereas Nora is the picture of 1930s modernism. Actress Elissa Landi was a tragic figure in real life, dying of cancer in 1948, age 44. According to Charles Tranberg in Murder over Cocktails, Landi was only told that she had a “chronic condition.” Perhaps that was the medical industry’s modus operandi.

Mrs. Asta: We don’t get Nick, Jr. in this one, but we do get a sub plot about Asta’s “wife” who’s taken up with a Tom Jones-like Scottish terrier. One of Mrs. Asta’s pups looks just like the scoundrel and don’t you doubt for a second that Asta doesn’t notice this.

*Sighs Wearily*

This is the kind of material that would bog down future Thin Man efforts. The scene is understandable given the pooch’s enormous popularity, but his thespian brilliance is put to better use in the amusing clue-chewing sequence.

The movie's lovely is none other than Myrna Loy. She's at the peak of her beauty, brilliant line delivery, on-screen magnetism, and career peak. I've gone on and on about how William Powell had such a great year in 1936, but Myrna matches him every step of the way. She even got voted "Queen of Hollywood" in a nationwide poll of moviegoers.

“I don’t care whose wife she is! I don’t like a dame that gets noisy after she’s had a few snifters!”

After the Thin Man concludes with the gathering of suspects in a room which gives the viewer one last chance to guess whodunit. But that’s even handled brilliantly here, as each character gets a choice piece of dialogue to throw out there for our benefit. It’s been mentioned that Goodrich and Hackett believed this to be the final Thin Man movie and perhaps they wanted to pack it full of great dialogue. The plan to emphasize William Powell and Myrna Loy’s crackling chemistry can be typified in this film, too. I can’t quite say that this is their finest collaboration, but it’s probably the best dialogue they’d ever have to speak in any movie they did together. Another hint that this was perceived as the last Thin Man film would be the final scene, where Nora is knitting baby booties.

“And you call yourself a detective.”

The Thin Man novice could do a lot worse having After the Thin Man as their initial foray into Nick and Nora’s world as it’s the most comedy-oriented and a fun way to get into this most entertaining of series from a studio that knew--note past tense--how to make ‘em.

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The Sound of Music 27 (57%)
The King and I 8 (17%)
Oklahoma! 5 (10%)
Flower Drum Song 3 (6%)
South Pacific 2 (4%)
Carousel 1 (2%)
State Fair 1 (2%)

Was anyone really surprised? I wasn't. Julie Andrews treated the competition to a real rear-end kicking as her The Sound of Music thrashed the other Rodgers and Hammerstein adaptations. Yul and Deborah tried to muscle in on the nun and her kids, but had to settle for a distant second place. I was disappointed that South Pacific didn't fare better because it has so many great songs in it. Carousel must've been hampered by there being two versions of the film made at the same time! The next poll is already up and it's one many of you will like to mull over.
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Another Thin Man was Big Bill Powell’s return to films after a lengthy absence. In March, 1938 Powell had surgery for colon cancer and a second operation in January, 1939. Powell had already been grieving over the death of fiancée Jean Harlow in June, 1937. MGM even had business concerns regarding William Powell’s mortality, so they attempted to quickly fabricate another hit sleuthing couple series. Melvyn Douglas was cast as a dapper, Nick Charles-like character in two potential franchises (That bit of intrigue is covered at length in Replacing the Thin Man). Another Thin Man began filming began in July, 1939 with a weakened Powell determined to tough it out and get back to work. He had already “settled” for an $8,000 a week (for 40 weeks) contract with MGM after the studio rejected Powell’s demand to be paid $200,000 a picture. Remember, this is late-1930s dollars we’re talking about here.

Powell's Thin Man co-stars kept busy in the years after the second film's completion. Myrna Loy made five films in-between Thin Man assignments, including the crowd-pleasing Test Pilot (co-starring Clark Gable) and Double Wedding with Powell.

Canine superstar Asta was just as active during Powell’s absence, as the pooch had scene-stealing roles in The Awful Truth (nailing the role of “Mr. Smith”) and Bringing up Baby (charming moviegoers as “George”). Asta was a bona fide movie star in the 1930s and he made sure his handlers got him plum parts in all the big movies.

The Plot: Nick and Nora Charles are called to Nora’s (late) father’s business associate, the crotchety and in-need-of-killing Colonel Burr MacFay (C. Aubrey Smith). The Colonel is convinced that someone is trying to kill him, so the old grouch calls Nick and Nora—with infant Nick, Jr. in tow-- out to his secluded New York estate to help him.

What could have been a huge misstep in the series turns out to be one of the darkest--and strongest--entries in this franchise. The labyrinth plot is the most engaging of all the films. There’s a somewhat serious tone throughout the film—minus a ridiculous sight gag in the film’s opening--and Powell’s performance has a subdued vibe to it that is absent from the other entries. Perhaps his state of mind was such after having endured two terribly difficult years of his life after having risen to such great career heights in 1936. Whatever the case, Powell gives an assured performance here but with a streak of seriousness that makes me wonder what he could have done with the kind of dark material that Cary Grant took on in his Hitchcock films Suspicion and Notorious. Many chalk up Powell’s on screen demeanor as a man weakened by serious illness. He doesn’t look frail, but I’m sure he felt like Hell.

The plot is probably the most engaging of the entire Thin Man franchise. I was more interested in whodunit as well as “howdunit” because the latter was handled in a clever manner. I never used to hold Another Thin Man in as high regard as the first, second, and fourth films but having watched it in preparation for this post has made it a much more worthwhile movie.

The set used for Col. MacFay’s estate is impressive; dark, ominous, and full of foreboding. It’s isolated enough so that a killer could move about without fear of detection. Of course someone’s going to die here! Set Decorator Edwin B. Ellis and cinematographers William Daniels and Oliver T. Marsh succeed in immersing the viewer in a vividly detailed environment.

It’s uncertain whether the event of Powell’s return to the series inspired MGM to craft a more serious mystery or whether they were attempting to recapture the 1934 film’s atmosphere. The black and white cinematography is the best of all the films and that’s saying something since James Wong Howe, who was on the first film, is a legend of the craft. Maybe the film elements were in better shape; Another Thin Man looks gorgeous.

Even if one discounts the off-screen misery that William Powell went through in the months just prior to this film, we can still see that this proud new papa is protective of his family. Nick Charles’ personality has changed. When gangster and all-around bad guy Phil Church (Sheldon Leonard) threatens the Charles brood via his “dreaming” when something always bad happens to those he dreams about, Nick quietly stands up and decks the guy.

But Another Thin Man isn’t without the comedic touch we’ve come to expect from this series. After a suspect is gunned down by police, there’s a hilarious exchange between Nick and a dopey cop:

Cop: “What were you shootin’ at him for?”

Nick: “I wasn’t shooting at him; he was shooting at me.[pauses] Why were you shooting at him?”

Cop: “Well, everybody else was!”

The most notable set piece in Another Thin Man is set at the (fictional) West Indies Club, where Nick gains some vital information about the murder and Nora attracts a dozen dashing men! I love nightclubs as seen in the movies. There’s nothing like the world they create and the glamour they perpetuate. The West Indies Club is infinitely superior to the crappy Mario’s Grotto eatery from Shadow of the Thin Man (who could forget that dirt floor?) There’s a fine dance number in this sequence. Renee and Stella, who were real-life headliners at New York's Havana-Madrid Club, do their mesmerizing act here.

The Supporting Cast: Great job as usual as one might expect from MGM. Nick deals with two different policemen:

Otto Kruger (Murder, My Sweet; High Noon) is the assistant D.A. Van Slack, who casts a wary eye on Nick and goes so far as to hint that Nick could be a suspect. When the action shifts to New York City in the second half of the movie, we are treated to Nat Pendleton (Lt. Guild), who made a great second banana to Powell in the first movie. Pendleton’s screen time isn’t as long as before, but he makes the most of his scenes with Powell, including a bit when Guild thinks Nick is “stepping out” with other dames.

C. Aubrey Smith does his usual routine, retaining the persona which made generations of Americans believe that that was how all old British men behaved. The old jerk even ordered the liquor cabinet locked so Nick would be clearheaded enough to think. Thankfully, Nora circumvents that ill-advised move with some trickery of her own. Yes, Colonel MacFay is annoying as heck and a large part of me didn’t mourn his character’s murder.

Tom Neal (Freddie) is MacFay’s secretary and Neal does his best Clark Gable characterization. I found myself impersonating his impersonation long after the film had ended. In 1945 Neal would appear in his career-defining role in the film noir Detour, one of the bleakest in the classic noir era. Neal’s life was a real-life film noir and I know I wouldn’t want to get on his bad side. Neal, an ex-boxer, walloped Franchot Tone in a 1951 fight over actress Barbara Payton. Tone would end up with a fractured cheekbone, broken nose, and a concussion. Years later, in 1965, Tom Neal would later be sentenced to fifteen years prison for involuntary manslaughter for the shooting death of his third wife, Gail Bennett. Neal blamed his troubles with the law on women. No kidding.

Marjorie Main has a small but memorable role as land lady “Miss Dolley.” She gets physical with Nick during an amusing but important plot development. You know her voice and you’ll love her character. Main was one of the great character actresses of all time.

William A. Poulsen (Nick, Jr.) Sure, he’s just an infant and this was his one and only known screen appearance. He doesn't annoy or anything. Mainly, he just lies in a dresser drawer and gets stolen. Poulsen would die in 1973, aged 34. I’ve been unable to find out how.

Virginia Grey (Lois MacFay) has film and TV credits are as long as Nick Charles’ bar bill. I was unfamiliar with her until I saw her here, but she worked in countless films and TV shows for decades; I’ll be on the lookout for her in other films. She plays Col. Macfay’s adopted daughter.

Sheldon Leonard as ex-engineer Phil Church is suitably menacing. This no doubt aided him tremendously during his subsequent career as a big-shot television producer (The Andy Griffith Show; The Dick Van Dyke Show; Bewitched; I Spy, etc.). Leonard plays his part with equal parts menace and even some vulnerability, as he comes off as a tough guy who’s also a real sap for a dame.

Ruth Hussey is is the criminally underused character here. She plays Nick, Jr’s nanny, Dorothy Waters. Hussey was one year away from her Oscar-nominated role in The Philadelphia Story yet I wonder if MGM ever knew what to do with her. She should’ve done more substantial films. Incidentally, Hussey was fresh off her appearance in a Thin Man wannabe movie, Fast and Furious, starring…that’s right, Franchot Tone, the gent who got his face pushed in by Tom Neal. And seeing as Miss Hussey worked with both men, perhaps she should’ve warned Franchot about Tom’s furious temper and ability to knock a guy out.

I’ve come to enjoy Another Thin Man more than in past viewings because the plot is consistently interesting and not nearly as convoluted as other Thin Man murder mysteries. I was initially put off by the darker material (a dog dies, for cryin’ out loud; thankfully, not Asta) and Nick Charles is not as happy-go-lucky as he was in the first two entries. This is the first time I was more involved with the actual storyline than with the witty Nick and Nora interaction. Now that I see the film with that mindset, I can place Another Thin Man in the upper echelon of the Thin Man series. I should mention that “upper echelon” means the first four movies…

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1941 brings the fourth film in the Thin Man movie series, Shadow of the Thin Man. This one has the occasional attack of the cutes, but Nick and Nora Charles are still crackling with their wit, charm, and nonpareil chemistry. There’s a ton of great dialogue—none of which I’ll quote here, ironically enough-- and things do go by fast and furious in terms of funny banter. Shadow of the Thin Man is the last great Thin Man film. I don’t honestly remember, but this may have been the first one I saw. It seems like Nick and Nora have been a part of my movie watching life forever instead of just eight years. But will you get a load of that poster! They do no favors for Myrna Loy on it; she looks like a gassy frat girl looking for her next beer keg and funnel. C’mon, MGM, this is one of your top moneymakers and most popular female star! And to think that some people actually have this poster hanging in their bedroom!

In keeping with the east coast/west coast back-and-forth theme, Nick and Nora are presently in their San Francisco digs, not the same one that was their splendorous art deco abode of the second movie, but the nicely situated St. Cloud Hotel, located in a scenic area of the MGM lot.

I mean, “Scenic area of San Francisco.”

The plot in this one is the most complex, or if you’re not into plots, then it’s the most convoluted. I’ve seen this one twenty times or more and am only now just getting a handle on what’s going on. That’s why Nick Charles is the world’s greatest detective—he figures these things out immediately.

Briefly: a horse jockey is murdered at Nick’s favorite racetrack and he happens to be there just after the murder is committed. Then there are a few more murders and things get really interesting.

The Charles family is quite happy and domesticated here, as Nick, Jr., (Dickie Hall) is about four and dressed in military uniform—you could tell that Nick and Nora aimed to keep the unwelcome lad away from further interruptions of their ongoing booze binge. In fact, director W.S. Van Dyke II was also in uniform, as he’s credited here as “Major W.S. Van Dyke II.” Something that’s always interested me is the timing of the movie’s release. I’ve never been able to confirm if Van Dyke joined the service before the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941 or if he signed up afterwards and subsequent prints of the film were altered to reflect the patriotic atmosphere of that time. Shadow of the Thin Man was filmed in August, 1941 and had its New York opening on November 21, 1941. Just over two weeks before the Pearl Harbor attack. Considering the quick filmmaking style and no-nonsense approach that Van Dyke had, I wouldn’t be surprised if he changed the credits to make note of his new title of Major.

This would be the last hurrah for director W.S. Van Dyke, who would be diagnosed with terminal cancer and commit suicide in 1943. Van Dyke was a Christian Scientist and refused medical treatment for his condition. Coincidentally, the Thin Man series took a nosedive when he was no longer in the director’s chair.

The film opens with Nick Charles, Asta, and Nick, Jr. having a stroll in the park. Nick, Jr. has Asta on a leash and Nick has sonny boy on a leash. And the Boomers thought that they invented this over-protective concept! Nick is “hard at work” trying to figure out which horses he’s going to bet on later that afternoon. It’s sort of a secret, though, since the “racing foam”—to use Nick, Jr’s vocal styling—is wedged between the pages of the kid’s fairy tale book. You see, Nick doesn’t really want to spend time with his screenwriter-imposed child, so he’s taking his mind off that ill-advised concept by focusing on his gambling. I joke, because Nick, Jr. really isn’t that horrible. He is a terrible idea, though. Thankfully, Nick Jr. is limited to three scenes not related to the plot. One of which is actually amusing: when Nick Charles, Tippler Extraordinaire, is made to drink…milk!

Nora can summon Nick no matter where he is by merely throttling a cocktail shaker. As she’s doing this, Nick suddenly knows that booze is being prepared for him. These psionic powers of his are just one more reason why Nick Charles is the world’s greatest detective. It’s also another example of the broader comic style the series was taking. The sophisticated couple of the first film would become even sillier, as evidenced in the final two films. In looking at the publicity stills for the 1940s-era Thin Man movies, it’s difficult to find evidence of the sumptuously sophisticated sleuthing couple of the first two entries. In fact, I’m of the view that the 1940s were a lot more “square” than the 1930s ever were.

Those of you who may be unfamiliar with the Thin Man series or may confuse the films may remember Shadow of the Thin Man as the one with Nora’s “screwy-looking hat.” The hat is pasted to the side of her head and cocked at such a strange angle. I’m not big on 1940s styles, but even then this thing got negative attention back then! This is also the film when Nick takes Nora to see a wrestling match. The funny thing about that is how unchanged the “sport” is, even back then. It was phony in 1941 and it attracted the same kind of brutish, intellectually-vacant dopes it does today. And I’m sure it made money then, too! But as H.L. Mencken wrote: “No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.”

"Mario’s Grotto" is a theme seafood restaurant with an interior like the HMS Bounty and a dirt floor. Yes…a dirt floor. I’ll bet the dames loved going there and having their feet sink up to their ankles in dirt. Plus, there’s that overbearing waiter who strong arms everyone into ordering Sea Bass. Even when Nick holds fast and wants broiled lobster, the waiter tricks him into saying the words "Sea Bass", which at Mario’s (dirt floor) Grotto, is apparently the same as ordering it. And also like in the first film, Asta is allowed into this exclusive eatery and to roam at will. The pooch even starts a free-for-all brawl when he gets underfoot, causing a waiter to spill a tray full of drinks on a pug’s head. Luckily, the sixty-year-old cops who populate all 1940s films show up to mop up the riff raff. Later on Nick, Nora and friends have turtle races at the bar.

Now, on to the notable supporting cast!

Sam Levene returns as Lt. Abrams and he’s a welcome presence here, because he was a comic delight in the second film in the same role. The fact that continuity was maintained is another plus in this movie. He gets some great one liners and his rapport with William Powell is impressive. I first saw Sam Levene in 1957’s Sweet Smell of Success, where he played the manager of Martin Milner’s jazz guitarist character; believe me, that doesn’t sound nearly as bad as it reads.

Donna Reed is her usual beautiful self and she’s playing the “Good Girl” again, even if she is the secretary to a man with more than shady dealings. Donna gets to be the girlfriend of reporter Barry Nelson, who gets framed for a murder by the real killer of this film. However, Donna Reed isn’t the beauty of Shadow, that honor belongs to…

Stella Adler. The legendary acting teacher in one of her rare on screen roles plays Claire Porter, a suspect in the case. Adler is subtle and mysterious at first but reveals more of her character as the movie goes on. She has some great scenes with William Powell and two absolutely hilarious one liners in the usual gathering of suspects. Adler’s performance may not immediately get your attention but it’s an excellent one that you’ll find rewarding through repeat viewings. She has wonderful comedic flair.

For anyone who hasn’t seen the Thin Man series in order and may catch this one running on Turner Classic Movies, Shadow of the Thin Man wouldn’t be a bad place to start. It’s got enough of the series’ fun banter and amusing characters to hook newbies and despite the domestication of the Charles family, there’s still enough of what made the series so much fun for veteran Nick and Noraphiles to count Shadow of the Thin Man as one of the better entries in this memorable movie series.

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1944: World War II rages on. Sugar, butter, rubber, and gasoline are all rationed and “Is this trip really necessary?” becomes a well-worn phrase in World War II-era America. With that as the backdrop, the Thin Man series rolls on.

The Thin Man Goes Home finds the nationally famous, loved-by-the-press detective Nick Charles along with his droll, wisecracking heiress wife Nora, and their wire-haired terrier Asta on their way to visit Nick’s parents--via excruciating train trip--to Nick’s hometown of Sycamore Springs. It’s located just south of “Anytown” and “Your Town, USA”; this is the movies and that’s how we know this. Of course, there just happens to be a murder while Nick is there, so we get ourselves another mystery and it’s one related to the war effort, as there’s a defense plant in town. The mystery in The Thin Man Goes Home is actually well-handled and relatively easy to follow. But as usual, I’m not too concerned with the plot of a Thin Man film. It’s more interesting to observe the characters and how they interact with one another. Call it continuity, or the lack thereof. If the writers make Nick and Nora speak or behave in a manner inconsistent with the original film—aka The Template—I take notice.

The Thin Man Goes Home was made three years after the fourth film in the series, The Shadow of the Thin Man, and while that previous entry was a continuation of the successful formula, the irritating addition of Nick, Jr. must have rubbed moviegoers the wrong way, because this time around Nick and Nora don’t take him out of kindergarten because he loves it so much. Oh, sure! Nick and Nora would’ve kept the boy there for life if they had their way! Nick was largely indifferent to the boy outside of a weird bonding scene in the third film and Nora was in no sense of the word a doting mother (neither was Myrna Loy, who never had children). The Nora I choose to remember is the one in her 1930s prime, before a screenwriter-imposed pregnancy and subsequent motherhood sapped her joi de vivre and ability to out drink anyone. This is not the same Nora Charles who had the barkeep line up five Martinis so that she could catch up with Nick’s binge drinking.

The advent of Nick, Jr. was a painful reminder that the 1930s with its hardboiled sensibilities and glamorous sets was the long-gone apex of the Thin Man series. Now Nick and Nora are stopping off in Sycamore Springs, a Louis B. Mayer-approved facsimile of Andy Hardy’s Carvel, with its perpetually chipper view of an America that never existed except in our darkest moments of wishful thinking.

I get a laugh out of Nick and Nora neglecting to bring Nick, Jr. to see his grandparents, yet they still bring Asta, who’s the couple’s real “child.” I like to think that Nick, Jr.'s blatant absence was a slap at the idiotic idea of making Nick and Nora parents. I still gag at the thought of that scene in Shadow of the Thin Man when Nick, Jr. utters the immortal line: "Nick, why don't you put da book down an weed da racing folm?" in the most absurd dialect of cutese I've ever heard.

I view this film depiction of Nick's hometown as a "perfect" representation because it's such a puritanical hellhole! Seeing it in this film let me know right away just why Nick never goes back home all that much; Sycamore Springs stinks! Even Nick's childhood memory of the windmill gives him the willies.

Other changes: Nick has quit drinking liquor and now guzzles cider out of a Texas-sized flask he keeps in his coat pocket. Ostensibly Nick’s stopped nipping at the hooch because his puritanical and emotionally constipated father—Dr. Bertram Charles (Henry Davenport)—disapproves of his son’s drinking. The good doctor also frowns on Nick’s career path of world-famous detective. I guess ol’ doc Charles would rather his son be a crotchety and judgmental small-town drip like him. Can you tell I don’t like Nick’s father? Nick’s mother (Lucile Watson), however, is a genuine sweetheart. She’s well aware of the father-son friction but her disposition is so wonderfully charming that it’s easy to see where Nick gets his personality. Anyway, back to the drinking: I think that the reason Nick becomes a teetotaler here is because of the war years; with its rationing of most goods; it wouldn’t look like those same restrictions applied to movie characters and as we know, the propaganda machine was going full tilt in support of the war effort (the total opposite of today’s Hollywood). So if Nick Charles “sacrificed” his need to keep a buzz on, then John Q. Public should follow suit.

By gosh, that Nick Charles is a patriot!

Another continuing gag is that despite being alarmingly stone-cold sober, everyone attributes Nick’s pratfalls and injuries—including getting his head bashed in with a metal, stand-up ashtray—to his usual boozing! If he was going to suffer those indignities, he should’ve kept the stopper off the liquor bottle!

An element of the series that is awkwardly kept alive in Goes Home is the inclusion of Brogan (Edward Brophy; who had a role in the first film) who was “sent up the river” by Nick but is now out of stir and a traveling postcard salesman. He sticks around in this film, being found by Nick in the bushes—twice--doing God-knows-what. I’m not sure if there was a crude joke intended or whether standing in the bushes was a short-lived national fad, but it’s bizarre.

The scene in Goes Home that will get your eyes rolling is when Nick spanks Nora in front of his parents. This occurs after a local reporter asks Nora if Nick is in Sycamore Springs on a case. When Nora tells the reporter to draw his own conclusions, he takes that as a “yes” and the story becomes big news. As Nick is popping her fanny with a rolled-up newspaper, he says “That’ll show you the power of the press!” Dr. Charles laughs at the entire humiliating scene and Nora is embarrassed beyond belief. This scene is something that never would’ve happened in the 1930s Thin Man films. Nick and Nora’s wonderful marriage is rendered idiotic in this scene and I can’t tolerate jokes made at the expense of a Nick and Nora’s character. They’d kid and joke with one another, but would never ever humiliate one another in such a grotesque way.

Nick and Nora do get a couple of nice scenes together, like when Nick is reclining in a hammock in his parents’ front lawn, wearing his Sycamore Springs High School shirt and reading Nick Carter: Detective. The couple also shares some of that trademark banter we’ve come to expect, such as this exchange:

Nick: "A couple of weeks on this cider and I'll be a new man."

Nora: "I sort of like the old one."

Nick: "Why, darling, that's the nicest thing you've said to me since the time I got my head caught in that cuspidor at the Waldorf."

There's another bit that is reminiscent of earlier Thin Man efforts, like when Nick maroons Nora at the local dance with an overzealous sailor, who proceeds to dance with her and flipping her around like she were a pair of nunchakus! It looks to be a Myrna Loy stunt double in most of it, but William Powell's facial expression when he sees his poor wife whirling like a top is quite amusing.

The supporting cast is dependable, and there are several familiar faces, though they—particularly the men--get little more to do than act guilty or stupid. The art dealer, Willie Crump (Donald Meek), is a slow-witted dope; his inability to comprehend even the most basic of expressions makes me wonder how manages to wake up on his own every morning. Too bad there wasn’t enough murder to go around to include him! He plays his role to perfection, I’ll give him that.

Gloria DeHaven is this movie’s lovely. She plays melodramatic drama student and ingénue Laura Ronson who amuses with her artsy pretensions and airy voice. She’s quite the beauty and was a mere teenager when Goes Home was made. DeHaven plays her part with such aplomb that when I first saw this movie, I hoped that she wasn’t the killer! She’s likable, funny, and all-too underused here; I’d like to see more of her movies. DeHaven is also quite the fashion plate, a most-welcome sight because Nora dresses in some truly horrific outfits. What was the deal with the overabundance of fabric in the 1940s, anyway? Was it a reaction to the streamlined look of the 1930s? Whatever the reason may be, Joan Crawford and her eyebrows would thrive a few years longer because of it.

Anne Revere as “Crazy Mary” Revere was nearing the peak of her career when she appeared here. She would continue to build on this, appearing in a fantastic run of roles: National Velvet (1944); Fallen Angel (1945), Dragonwyck (1946); Body & Soul; Gentleman’s Agreement (1947). Revere’s film career was stomped out after she was blacklisted in 1951. She would not appear in any film for the next twenty years; I’m sure not a day went by that she didn’t mention HUAC in her nightly prayers.

Believe it or not, The Thin Man Goes Home is the sequel that wins my personal “Most Improved” award! It used to be my least favorite of the series, but there’s enough of Nick and Nora’s still-great rapport (minus the spanking scene) coupled with the welcome absence of Nick, Jr. that acquits the film of any previous charges I leveled against it. Seeing Nick’s hometown reminds me of what a poor fit he was for the place but the glimpse into Nick’s long-ago drives the point home about how much more suited he is in his usual New York City and San Francisco stomping grounds.

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[I accidentally deleted the original entry, so here I am, posting it again. The Thin Man Goes Home will be up tomorrow.]

In this series of musings on the Thin Man movies, I thought it’d be best to start at the end, because then I’ll have the superior, earlier movies to discuss last. It’s a form of delayed gratification which no doubt shows how mature I've become. I get talkative when it comes to the Thin Man, so hang on!

They should've called it SWAN Song of the Thin Man.

Song of the Thin Man (1947) is the sixth and final entry in the legendary adventures of husband and wife detectives Nick and Nora Charles. It came three years after the last entry, 1944’s The Thin Man Goes Home.

I don’t like to summarize plots and they’re really not important to my enjoyment of a Nick and Nora epic, but Song of the Thin Man is this: Big Band leader and all-around jerk Tommy Drake is murdered on a ship where his orchestra is playing a charity benefit. Drake was possibly murdered over money (what’s new?). Nick and Nora are there as guests and are pulled into the case when their friend, Phil Brant is named the suspect. Phil and his fiancée Janet (Jane Meadows, later Mrs. Steve Allen) come to the Charles’ swank NYC apartment and after Phil asks Nick if he saw the paper someone takes a shot at Phil, Nick calls the cops ostensibly to keep the “guilty” Phil behind bars, but really so that Phil will be kept safe in prison from future murder attempts. Nick knows that Phil couldn’t have done it, so he’s on the case!

The running gag that doesn’t work for me is how Nick and Nora are portrayed as being out of step with hip big band Jazz musicians and their crazy slang. It just emphasizes how this series has run out of steam. Just to put this in a pop culture context, big band music was taking it on the chin in 1947, as this was during the time when Bebop was leading a musical revolution, even becoming a national fad! Here we had Nick and Nora struggling to comprehend big band Jazz musicians who were already on the decline in terms of popularity. Orchestras were getting smaller because big band leaders like Benny Goodman and Count Basie had to cut costs to keep their operations in circulation. Even the great Duke Ellington had to scale back, and he’d play any gig.

And speaking of music, there’s a catchy song called “You’re Not So Easy to Forget”, which figures in the mystery and gets performed often. In fact it gets played so much that I found myself making up my own lyrics. When you watch the movie and the song comes on, sing the line “You are a moron Tommy Drake” instead of the title and it’ll stay in your head for days. Why you’d want to do that is anyone’s guess, but it amused me…what’s even more amusing is Gloria Grahame, who’s dubbed warbling the tune before her character…well, let’s just say she moves her lips to the song and that GG’s part in this is tragically brief.

That’s what I love about old movies: the cast is often rife with up-and-comers, crafty veterans, and ubiquitous performers whose names you can never remember.

Keenan Wynn plays Clarence “Clinker” Krause, a clarinetist who helps out on the case. I adore Keenan Wynn. Many of us younger weasels remember him as the voice of “Winter” in the Rankin-Bass production of Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (1970) or the big business tycoon Alonzo Hawk in 1974’s Herbie Rides Again, where Helen Hayes and that Volkswagen bug rip ol’ Keenan a new one. Wynn isn’t blustery like he would become in the 1960s and 70s, so it’s a refreshing change of pace to see him toned down in Thin Man land. I like the Clinker character assisting Nick and Nora, especially when he helps the Charles’ navigate all of that preposterous 1940s slang, but when you can remember those Thin Man films of yore when all Nick needed was a stiff drink and Asta by his side to crack a tricky murder case. But his continued presence is a reminder of something that often happens in TV: give the established leads “help” and “energy” by providing them with a shoehorned-in sidekick or unwanted new character. There’s no policeman as in previous entries, so Clinker fills that role to a degree.

Don Taylor plays tormented clarinetist and composer Buddy Hollis, whose mental health makes Montgomery Clift look as controlled as Klaus Von Bulow. Buddy’s emotional state runs the gamut from screaming lunatic to half-crazed delusional madman. It was against the Production Code to have him an out and out junkie, but he sure acts like one here. Don Taylor would later go on to marry Elizabeth Taylor’s character in 1950’s Father of the Bride.

The beauty quotient in Song is filled by Patricia Morison, whose entire career can be defined by the word “Underused.” Miss Morison is lovely to gaze upon and she gets to have a big scene in this, but her career never materialized as many thought it should. Morison, unlike Gloria Grahame, was a singer, but she doesn’t sing in this film. Another brunette has a small role here, Marie Windsor, whose appearances in several Film Noir thrillers during the late 1940s and early-50s made her a familiar face on screen. You’ll recognize her immediately, though she has nothing to do but look great.

The weakest link in Song of the Thin Man is unfortunately Mrs. Charles herself, Myrna Loy. Yes, it’s sad to admit, but Loy displays none of the energy, mischief, or on-screen charisma that moviegoers loved during the 1930s. She looks a bit older, but none the worse for wear. Gone are the cherubic features of the first two Thin Man films and Loy’s features looks thinner and more angular. However, her appearance is not the problem, but her vacant and tired expressions and lifeless delivery of her lines that gets me. Whereas in previous films her dry wit worked well with her delivery but now it’s as though she were just sleepwalking through the role. Even her character’s motivations have changed. The Nora of the first four films urged Nick to take on the murder cases, but in Song all Nora wants to do is go to bed and get some sleep! Maybe Myrna’s changing public persona as the ideal wife cut into the adventurous spouse of the 1930s. It’s a depressing alteration of identity of one of the 1930s greatest stars.

There’s some effective cinematography and set design here, as the gambling ship has a Film Noir quality about it. MGM did a fine job creating a dark, foggy, and ominous atmosphere. When Nick and Asta sneak aboard the ship for a look, you’d think that you were watching a crime drama from RKO or Universal, not something from high-gloss Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Impressive! It’s the best scene in the entire film, even if it is reminiscent of a similar sequence in Shadow of the Thin Man and the original 1934 film. I also like the set that serves as the Charles’ home. They’re back in New York again, in keeping with the alternating west coast-east coast locales of each movie, excluding The Thin Man Goes Home, which takes place in the Midwest. The Charles place isn’t as great as their smashing art deco digs in After the Thin Man (1936) but there’s a huge skylight in their entry hall that’s worth noting. They still sleep in separate beds, as was the real-life custom of the time--yeah, right!

After the mystery is solved, Nick and Nora return home where this final exchange occurs:

Nick: “Now Nick Charles is going to retire.”

Nora: “You’re through with crime?”

Nick: “No, I’m going to bed.”

Song of the Thin Man isn’t awful. It’s not even sub-par. It’s actually a breezy ninety minutes and if it were any other series with other actors, I’d probably enjoy it even more. But this is The Franchise, The Template for The Husband and Wife Detective genre. If it weren’t for Myrna Loy’s tired performance, this final entry in the series would rate a lot higher, but there’s nothing worse than a disinterested performer in a role they no longer like, and Myrna Loy fits that description here. The Thin Man films succeeded because of the fantastic and witty rapport between Powell and Loy, and we don’t get much of that here. Jon Tuska’s book The Detective in Hollywood even goes so far as to claim that the two stars weren’t even on speaking terms during this time!

I’ll admit that I would’ve preferred William Powell and Dean Stockwell solving the case themselves and leaving Nora at home, since that’s where she wanted to be during the course of Song of the Thin Man. Now isn’t that most un-Nora like?

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FEMALE ART PAINTINGS (PART I)

2009-12-21T12:17:00.001-08:00

This is a fun one! This is an old postcard that shows a woman skating on the ice. Don't you love her fur trimmed coat and hat?!!
I really love the autumn tones in this old Eastern European postcard! This postcard features a beautiful young woman harvesting shellfish along the sea.

Perhaps this one will help put all of you in the mood to do your holiday shopping, although I have to admit I haven't even started mine yet! This wonderful old French postcard shows a woman shopping in the snow with her arms full of packages.
This is a marvelous old postcard from England! This one features a young actress dressed as a pirate and ready to fence with her sword. What a fun vintage graphic to use in your pirate themed mixed media projects.
This is an old postcard from France that features a pretty young lady wearing a stylish chiffon dress!
This is a pretty vintage French postcard! This one features a woman holding a tray full of Roses as she watches 3 cute white Doves. One of the Doves has a letter in it's beak!
This is a beautiful old print of a woman in a long flowing dress, on a rocky ledge staring at the sea. Be sure to click on the graphic for the largest size.

Here's something you don't find too often, an old photo of a smiling Victorian lady! On the back of the photo someone has written "Great Great Aunt Lizzie". I bet Aunt Lizzie was the life of the party!
I picked up some wonderful antique art books today! This graphic is from an old art book that has a musical theme. Featured here is a beautiful woman wearing a classic Laurel wreath in her hair, and holding some sheet music, as if she is about to sing. This one makes me think of the holidays, I think this would work well in a Christmas project of some kind.

This is a pretty gypsy lady wearing her finest clothing. She has on gold bangle bracelets and a lovely blue and gold striped dress!
Here's a pretty Victorian lady wearing a lovely straw hat embellished with pink Roses. Her hairstyle is quite interesting, it almost looks like fur!
This is a little vintage graphic that I found inside of an old book, someone had cut this out and saved it a long time ago. This image is of Marie Antoinette and her children.

This is a charming old graphic of a Victorian woman wearing an Ostrich Plume hat!
This is a lovely old clip art piece from an early scrapbook. Featured are a pretty dairy maid and her two sweet cows walking across a green meadow.

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FEMALE ART PAINTINGS (PART II)

2009-12-21T12:10:00.000-08:00

Last week I had a request for Cowgirl images. I don't actually run across a lot of these, maybe because I live on the East Coast, or maybe there just aren't a lot out there. Anyway, I did dig up these two old photos, they are not from my personal collection, but they are public domain images. I hope you like them! Make sure you click on the pictures to bring up the largest size!

This is a wonderful early print of a beautiful goddess!! I actually have a fabulous large black and white engraving of this, that hangs in my office. The one I have is too large to scan on my scanner so I was so happy to find this one.

This is a lovely old Wedding photo of a beautiful bride and her bride's maids. I love the pretty ruffles on their dresses and check out those huge bouquets!! I've included two versions here, the first one is the original sepia toned version, and the second one I have cleaned up a bit more. This would make a fun card for a bridal shower!!
I've been using this one on Etsy as a background for some jewelry that I posted, and I had two requests for this image today! This fabulous early engraving features a lovely young woman with several doves, standing in a formal garden. Such a romantic piece! This one comes from an amazing book that I picked up at auction a couple of months ago. It's actually from a ladies autograph book and it's filled with the most delightful handwritten poems and other wonderful engravings. Many of the written pieces are dated 1857! I brightened this one up a bit, but left the age spots intact for an authentically aged appearance.

Well, I'm about 12 hours late with this one, sorry about that! Long day yesterday, but you'll get another one tonight. This a fun old photo of a ballerina, looking a little cupidesque with her bow and arrow!
I've had this antique print for a very long time, probably 17 years or so. It's actually wrinkled and torn nearly in half when you see it in person, I'm so glad I saved it all these years, even though when I first acquired it I would have never thought it would be possible to correct it on a computer! I hope you can find something fun to make with this beautiful Victorian bride, she would make a lovely card for a bridal shower!
Today my husband and I happened upon a wonderful yard sale! This image comes from a book, that I purchased at the yard sale, that was all about women's health. The woman is quite beautiful of course, but I also just adore the way the edges are torn and aged, it makes for such a great texture!
I picked this little beauty up on a recent antiquing excursion. This is a pretty French postcard featuring a lady Gypsy or Mignon. A nice one for those Bohemian themed projects!
This is a fun antique photo of a woman dressed in a Gypsy costume! This one is not from my personal collection, but it is in the public domain. A nice old photo to use in your collage or mixed media art projects!
This is a wonderful old color plate of Victorian hats! The hats are quite ornate, they are embellished with lots of flowers, ribbons and feathers. This one is from an archived source and would be lovely to use in collage work, aceo's or mixed media projects! This might be a good one for Mother's Day too!
I believe this was an old advertising piece, it appears to have been part of an old scrap album as it has lots of glue residue on the back. This lovely piece features a stunning Victorian woman holding a fan. The colors are just so vibrant and gorgeous on this one!
This is a very pretty antique photo of a bride in her wedding gown, veil and gloves! This one is not from my personal collection, it's from a public domain archive, but I thought I would share it with you as it is such a lovely piece.
Well, I haven't forgotten about all of you! I was on a buying trip in Atlanta for several days, buying some really
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BEAUTIES OF THE GOLDEN AGE

2009-12-21T12:05:00.000-08:00

Here's a lovely image for your last minute Thanksgiving projects! A beautiful pilgrim woman carrying a bunch of Holly. Not from my personal collection, but this is in the Public Domain.

Today I added some antique engravings to my , including one of Ophelia. This isn't it, but it reminded me about the gorgeous colorful version of Ophelia that you see here. This one is not from my collection, but it is an archived image and is in the public domain. I just think she is so beautiful and ethereal, and the colors are marvelous.
Some free buttons for your blog, done in silver German glass glitter. Check them out if you get a
This is a wonderful old print of the most glorious looking angel. I love the regal looking Lion in this one as well!
If you get a chance check out my other blog
This is a beautiful old painting of a mother with her 3 precious children. This has gorgeous colors, soft blues, salmon pink and springy greens.

Happy Mother's Day to all of the Moms!
This is a wonderful classic art piece of a princess wearing a jeweled crown. She has on a gorgeous brocade dress and a classic fur trimmed royal cape!
This is a beautiful print from an old painting. This regal looking woman is wearing an ornate gold and white dress with the loveliest blue silk sash!
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Suntans in the 1920s & 30s

2009-12-21T11:54:00.000-08:00

For reasons unknown to us, the idea prevails that beauties of the 1930s were always pale. We constantly hear claims that to be period-authentic, one must (there's that word again!) avoid the sun. This is revisionist history. We are certainly not implying that all 20s-30s women were tan, but it is likewise incorrect to suggest that the ultra-pale look favored by many vintage women today is the only authentic one.

A vogue for tanning began in the late 20s. It was smart to be tan in the summer - also in winter, when those who could afford to went skiing or to one of the new "winter playground" resorts that could now be comfortably reached by train or plane, or on a pleasure cruise. The international set flocked to the French Riviera, where according to legend, Coco Chanel "accidentally" got a tan while yachting and supposedly created a fad for bronzed, glowing skin. The 1929 ad for Marie Earle cosmetics asserts that "smart young things" created the suntan vogue in Palm Beach in 1927. It was also in 1927 that the Southern Pacific Railroad began running special excursion trains called "Suntan Specials" between the San Francisco Bay Area and the beach resort of Santa Cruz. Pictures of bronzed Hollywood stars like Joan Crawford poolside or at the beach helped popularize the trend. It has also been our observation that the use of parasols, in advertising and photos of bathing beauties, seems to decline after 1927. By the mid-1930s, a tan was such an expected part of a vacation to sunny climates that apparently no one would believe you'd actually been there if you didn't come back with one - Fred MacMurray goes under a sun lamp to fake a tan in 1935's Hands across the Table so his girlfriend won't know he missed his boat to Bermuda; similarly, in The Awful Truth (1937) Cary Grant gets the sunlamp treatment to convince his wife he'd been in Florida.

So, worshipping the sun was really a new thing in the late 20s. Just a few years earlier, a tan was something to be avoided, as in this 1924 ad for Tan-No-More, a product that prevented sunburn, tanning, and "all of the injuries from "sun, wind and dust." Most young women of the Art Deco era had probably grown up learning from their mothers and grandmothers to protect their skin from the sun, as in this 1912 ad for Ponds. It was true in their day, but the fashion had changed. Suntans were now not only fashionable and chic but a "healthy tan" was considered physically beneficial.

Sunscreens and Skin Care

1920s & 30s women were well aware of the sun's damaging and aging effects. Many products were developed during this time to prevent sunburning and moisturize skin before and after sunning. They were typically called "sun creams" or "sunburn creams." Some sources attribute the invention of sunblock to L'Oreal founder Eugene Schueller in 1936; others claim it was chemist Franz Greitter in 1938. We know that sunblocking creams were available before either date.

Elizabeth Arden introduced her "Sun Pruf Cream" in the summer of 1933. This ad, from 1934, claims that "burning and peeling have become unnecessary evils." Dorothy Gray advertised her suntan cream in 1936 as "the original burn control sun cream, famous for many years of repeated use at smart resorts." It promised to "control your tan without homely redness or painful burning." Lentheric sold a "sunplexion" cream to prevent sunburn in 1938. We can't vouch for the effectiveness of these products - merely note that their intent and purpose was to prevent sunburn. Sun Protection Factor (SPF) ratings were still a few decades off, but wearers could adjust the level of blockage they desired by applying either a thick or thin layer of cream. To protect the complexion from sun and wind damage, Frances Denny offered an astringent cream as early as 1932. The well-established complexion soap Palmolive touted its benefits for sun and wind damaged skin as well in this 1930s ad featuring the Dionne "Quins."

There were also suntan oils and other products that were supposed to aid tanning. Elizabeth Arden's came in "delectable kidney-shaped bottles in costume colors for the beach" (need we say it - we want one of each). Another group of 1930s California women tried a "milk spray" said to protect the skin from burning and peeling while accelerating the tanning process. We'd like to ask: how'd that work out?

Make up

New products and shades of make up were developed to create a fake tan or better show off a coveted natural one. Our earlier manicure post discussed some nail polish shades created to compliment suntanned skin. There were also new lipsticks and powder. In 1929, Coty came out with Cotytan powder - the "perfect shade of summer chic," as well as a liquid powder that could be applied to faces, "slim bare legs and arms," shoulders and backs. It gave one a "glorious even tan that beats the sun at his own game - and livens you with a new exotic beauty, utterly thrilling. It's the newest vogue of the season." Marie Earle's Palm Beach salon offered "sunburned makeup" for a faux tan that left her patrons "with the look of radiant sun goddesses" and also claimed to ward off "every burning ray of sunlight." Not to be outdone, Dorothy Gray sold face powder in "Suntone" to "forecast or match your tan." as well as a smart lipstick in "Tawny" to accent one's suntan - "the perfect summer lipstick." Rival Elizabeth Arden had her Velva Beauty Cream to "make you appear tanned and chic... really a perfect, ready made tan - indispensible with shorts." It came in four shades: eggshell, dark, evening, and suntan (a "ruddy brown"). We tend to associate leg makeup only with the stocking shortages of WWII, but it began well before then.

For those who couldn't get away, there were always sun lamps. Besides providing fake tans (as well as fake alibis -Cary never does explain where he really spent all that time), sun/heat lamps were thought to have a health benefit and advertisers bragged about their "powerful Ultra-Violet rays." There is not a lot of scholarly research on the history of tanning; most information floating around seems to be largely anecdotal, and in many cases, erroneous. For further reading, try "Suntanning in 20th Century American" by Kerry Segrave.
Cotytan, Tan-No-More, Dorothy Gray, Lentheric, Marie Earle, Elizabeth Arden and Frances Denny are from the fabulous , John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History Duke University Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library.

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Vintage Exercise Routines

2009-12-21T11:52:00.001-08:00

1920s and 30s women had a wide selection of exercise or “reducing” records available to choose from, like our Victor Records for Health Exercises 78s from 1922. Complete sets of these are fairly easy to find and are fun to play if you have a windup phonograph. Alternatively,

This set of WALLACE Reducing Records, "Get Thin to Music," is dated to 1942 but we’ve seen earlier (alas, incomplete) sets from the 1920s. We feel a kinship with the former owner, as it does not appear to have been used at all. It’s intact with all 5 records, instruction booklets and brochures.

We enjoyed this article, “Sweatin’ to the Real Oldies,” which references some other such records. Exercise routines were also broadcast over the radio, typically in the early morning hours.

Gymnastics and calisthenics, introduced decades earlier, remained popular in the 1920s-30s. In E.F. Benson’s Mapp and Lucia (1931), Lucia practices the “Ideal System of Calisthenics for those no longer Young” and later gives classes in the same. Pilates, developed by Joseph Pilates in the 1920s, were used primarily by ballet dancers. Biking, especially with a vintage or retro-style bike, can be fun. Swimming is another option. Don’t have access to a pool? You could do as one 1920s beauty book recommends and "loosely imitate the motions employed by lying across some pillows and kicking vigorously with the same motion that is employed in swimming.” Or how about dancing? As Sylvia of Hollywood suggests in No More Alibis (1934), “get up and dance about the room, sway and swing to the music of a snappy foxtrot.” Golfing and tennis are also superb forms of “vintage” exercise but we find the fashion requirements of these sports demand their own posts. Ditto skiing, skating and horseback riding.

Diet & Exercise Books

Dr. Lulu Hunt Peters, a graduate of the University of California (Doctor of Medicine, class of 1909), was a household name in the 1920s. Her book Diet and Health, with Key to the Calories, made the non-fiction best seller lists for five years running (1922-26). Diet and Health was also the name of her popular syndicated newspaper column. She once wrote "My idea of heaven is place with me and mine on a cloud of whipped cream" – how could we not love this woman?

Dr. Lulu is witty and funny, but also full of practical advice. Having struggled with a weight problem since childhood, she later lost over 70 pounds. Her secret? Calorie counting - then a new concept; in the book she has to tell readers how to pronounce the word (kal'-o-ri), and lists food proportions in units of 100 calories – very much ahead of her time in this respect. Diet and Health also includes a chapter on exercise routines. The book remained in publication well after her untimely death from pneumonia in June 1930, and is still in print.

Then there is the aforementioned Sylvia of Hollywood, aka Madame Sylvia, aka Sylvia Ullback, a beauty writer for Photoplay magazine in the 1930s. We adored No More Alibis, a 1934 non-fiction best seller, and Streamline Your Figure (1939) with its Deco cover. But after we read her article in the May 1932 Photoplay with the horrifying title “Quit Those Cocktails if You Want a Figure,” we rather went off Sylvia for good.

Richard Kline of Paramount was another 1930s personal trainer to the stars. Arriving in Hollywood in 1927, it became his job to whip the studio’s lovely luminaries such as Clara Bow, Nancy Carroll and later Claudette Colbert and Carole Lombard, into shape and keep them there. His advice to housewives (“since you are not in Hollywood to receive personal attention to your individual problem”): “when you bend in your housework, do it gracefully, be conscious of the rhythmic use of your body and legs as you do it. Think rhythm when you sweep; your arms and back will be beautiful” (Beauty Review magazine, October 1939). He also marketed a series of home exercise devices in the ‘30s: Dick Kline’s “Stretch to Health” and Dick Kline’s “Bend to Health.” These can often be found new in the box.

Photo: actress doing arm exercises, date unknown.

Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein had exercise facilities at their upscale salons starting in the late teens and early 20s; Miss Arden’s 1937 Gymnasium Moderne at her Fifth Avenue salon in New York is widely held to have been the model for the gym in the movie version of The Women (1939). Madame Rubinstein advises 20 minutes of exercise daily in her book This Way to Beauty (1936); a chapter “Keep Fit” discusses and illustrates some basic routines.

During the Deco era, anyone interested in exercise or physical fitness would also have been familiar with the name Bernarr MacFadden (1868-1955). He published the long running Physical Culture magazine and the Physical Culture Cookbook, which saw numerous printings following its début in 1901 (1929 edition shown; Physical Culture cover from 1927).

One final book to mention, Better Than Beauty: A Guide to Charm by Helen Valentine and Alice Thompson (1938), discusses diet tips and illustrates several routine exercises. This book was republished a few years ago, and is again widely available for modern readers to condemn as "outdated."

As Always, the Question Remains – What
to Wear?

Early ‘20s exercise wear seems to typically resemble the gym suits/bloomer outfits of the previous decade. We have this McCall pattern, dated 1921, for "ladies pleated gym bloomers" – often worn with a middy blouse- type top as in the above illustration. We’ve also seen them as a one-piece bloomer outfit. For more on these, see Fuzzy Lizzie’s excellent, informative article, “Bloomers and the Gymsuit.”

Many women pictured in 1930s exercise books and articles that we have seen are wearing bathing suits. In Mapp and Lucia, Lucia dons a “dazzling bathing suit of black and yellow” for her calisthenics (this was faithfully depicted in the Mapp & Lucia television series; you can see a snippet of her “skipping” in this lovely montage, at about 0:18). Joan Crawford manages to look glamorous in slacks and a sweatshirt while working out with Clark Gable in Dancing Lady (1933). Simple shorts and a top, including singlet-style T-shirts like the one Clark is sporting, were worn by women as well. Footwear includes anything from pumps to canvas or leather beach shoes; rounded toe ballet-like flats (see the woman in white, above, from a 1928 Physical Culture cover); or ankle socks and simple, white Keds-like tennis shoes. Scans of tennis shoes from period 1929-31 sources may be seen in this article on the Model A Ford Club of America's website.

Some ‘workout scenes’ in 1930s movies:
The “Bend Down Sister” routine in Palmy Days (1931)
Carole Lombard in a shipboard gym in No More Orchids (1932)

Joan Crawford in the gym with Clark Gable in Dancing Lady (1933)

Rosalind Russell and Joan Fontaine in The Women (1939)

...And honorable mention: Patsy Kelly demonstrates an electric exercise belt for department store customers in There Goes My Heart (1938)

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Summer Days - 1925-1926

2009-12-21T11:50:00.000-08:00

What happened to Julys like this? Or this July for that matter? We’re packing up our canoe, wool bathing suits, parasols, and all the Judy Boltons and Nancy Drews we can stuff in a suitcase and heading to Camp. With the days already getting shorter and shops all trying to usher us into fall already, we long to slow down and enjoy the summer before it’s gone. To paraphrase the immortal words of Spanky McFarland, don’t rush us, big boy.

This series of photos came from an old album that we picked up somewhere (old photo albums being on the long list of Things We Can’t Resist. We hate to see these broken up, the photos sold individually – a telltale sign is remnants of black paper on the backs. But we digress…) showing a family canoeing and generally cavorting at a resort-camp on California's Russian River between 1925 and 1927. Russian River Valley towns like Monte Rio, Rio Nido, and Guerneville all had rustic summer resorts that became popular with San Francisco and Oakland families in the 1920s and 1930s when better roads made them more accessible. Most camps had a main hotel building with a cluster of little, freestanding cabins or tents that could be rented by the week or the month. Folks usually came to stay a while. Most of the photos will pull up larger by clicking on them.

Here’s the original owner of the album (we don’t know her name, but she’s quite a cutup; the captions are hers), and below, “Sis” in the doorway of their tent, and in bathing attire.

"Bathing Beauties" "Me, Catherine, Sis, Monica"

Note the name of the canoe –Vampire. (We're stealing this idea!).

The caption reads “Try to get a big load”

"Loring Me + Elmo"

When not canoeing, there was always "Posing" to do - here in front of a tent cabin

"Catherine, Ma, Me"

Catherine, above, and another girl (sister?), Kate

"Mamma" with an unidentified woman, c. 1925

Mamma, Pappa, and the girls in front of a tent, 1925

We have some additional photos of our girl and family from the same time period that we’ll share in a future post. The camp photos, however, don’t continue after 1927 although there are many blank pages left in the album. We hope that she and Sis, and Catherine, and the rest of the bunch went on to have more beautiful, lazy summers like this somewhere else.

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Christmas Shopping - 1930s

2009-12-21T11:31:00.000-08:00

I don't usually look this way, but I've been
Christmas shopping - Myrna Loy as Nora Charles, The Thin Man (1934)

Above: Nora's Christmas shopping outfit, from the Baroness Von Vintage's blog, Tea with the Vintage Baroness (see her own Nora-inspired outfit too!). For a map of literary Nora's shopping trip, see the Walking off the Big Apple blog. Top: Ruth Hall, 1931

Gloves for "her", December 1939.

1939. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, at the plea of the National Retail Dry Goods Association, proclaimed November 23rd, the next to last Thursday in November to be Thanksgiving Day, in order to extend the Christmas holiday shopping season by one week. The merchants had made this request previously, in 1933, but it didn’t go over. To look through Vogue’s Christmas Gifts Issue in either of those years, you would never know there was any such thing as a Depression.

Slippers – can’t go wrong with these. 1939.

Luxurious lingerie from Best & Co., 1933.

Depression? What Depression? Tiffany jewels, one of Vogue’s Christmas gift ideas, December 1, 1933.

Mark Cross fine leather goods and travel cases, 1933.

Furs – the glamorous gift. December 1, 1939 Vogue.

More gift ideas from Sak’s 1939.

All of the big beauty houses offered gorgeous sets at Christmas time: Helena Rubenstein, Elizabeth Arden, and Cutex, 1936.

Perfume then as now a popular gift. Chanel ad, 1938. Caron, 1933.

Stockings, always a welcome gift. December 1939.

Gifts for "Him"

Gift suggestions from Wilson Brothers in Esquire, 1935. Polo shirts, wool socks in "bold colors" and the new "Fair Isle" pattern as well as Argylls, mufflers in vivid patterns, silk "lounging pyjamas," with the famous Nobelt waistline, "Wilstay" shirts, hankies in new pastel colors, broken-stripe ties, sports jacket of knitted pure wool in checked pattern, pleated back with belt, socks with embroidered trim, ties featuring "new Foulard type figures," leather rugby gloves.

Maybe your fellow has always wanted a Rolls…Razor? Vogue, 1936. The Man About Town got a similar set up for Christmas last year, and liked it. The people at classicshaving.com gave excellent service.

Electric razors are also classic. This one was advertised in Esquire, November 1935.

For the well-groomed man, 1938. These were sold in pairs and can often be found new in the box. Some have gorgeous Deco designs on the backs.

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Last Minute Christmas Glamour

2009-12-21T11:30:00.000-08:00

"Christmas Eve Coat" in a wine shade of red, Harper's Bazaar, December 1938.

Surround yourself in glamour. Ladies Home Journal, December 1933. The wine dress with tiny muff and puffed shoulders reminds us of the dress Rhett makes Scarlett wear to Ashley's birthday party in Gone With the Wind (1939). Also a black and white dress with "cold shoulder" sleeves, and a red dress with peaked shoulders and low-V back.

"No night falls without the flare of lamé streaking through its hours," wrote Vouge, November 15, 1936. Dinner dresses above, left, of "tawny gold lamé, ends its pleated skirt just at the ankles. The wide-belted blouse bares your jeweled arms, and more lamé is twisted into a golden aureole (Henri Bendel). On the second siren, a jacket like those worn by the young blades of Dalmatia. It's of velvet, thick with gold braid, short as a bolero. In place of their velvet trousers, a slim black broadcloth evening dress."

Coats of 1936: Black worn over green and black worn over red.

Black and red with gold gowns. 1940.

Evening dresses, 1935.

Black, red, and green. Lilly Daché, 1939.

Over the top in green, with red, black and white accents. Cover of Vogue, September 1, 1939.

Some gala green ideas from Vogue, December 1, 1939. Green and purple was a very popular combination.

More green and purple, with blue. This is by Hattie Carnegie.

Upper left: lamé dinner jacket and velvet skirt in wine. ("See where the skirt stops!"). Upper right: triangular har in red and black, strings of pearls worn with a coral necklace. Center: Agnés’s suede beret collapsed over ear. “World’s shortest jacket” in Persian lamb. Lower right: Worth's lamé bag.

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Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

2009-12-21T11:28:00.000-08:00

Well, you all know it has come to that time of year again when the trees lose their leaves, it starts to get colder, and then it begins to snow. And all of us ladies know how inportant it is to keep our skin looking and feeling it's very best. I've always been very particular about the products I use on my skin, after all I am very sensitive to most of the products that are out on the market now a days. This year, it being ever so colder and my skin feeling ever so dryer, I decided to try something new. These products I've heard many a good thing about from all the wonderful ladies on the fedora lounge.

So, I thought I would give them a try...

These products are by Boots which is a company that was established in 1849. They carry many different products like lip balms, cold creams, body lotions, and body wash. I was even excited about the glamorous retro packaging. They truely are amazing products that keep your skin looking and feeling amazing all day long with a vintage feel.

Merry Christmas to all, and Happy Holdiday!

xoxo Lola*

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The Andy Hardy Series or, Andy Dandy

2009-12-21T11:26:00.000-08:00

There are some modern cynics who watch the Hardy marathons on Turner Classic Movies then complain that too much Andy wears on the nerves after a while. Personally, we can sit through the entire series, including Christmas Greetings from the Hardys and Andy Hardy’s Dilemma, and regret only that they didn’t make more of them - but we would remind those modern cynics that in their day, the films were never intended to be viewed all at once like this. Even at the peak of Hardy Mania (1938-1939) audiences had to wait at least three months to see the next installment of the Hardy adventures.

Released in March 1937 by Metro Goldwyn Mayer, the first Hardy family movie, A Family Affair, starred Lionel Barrymore as Judge Hardy and the eternal Spring Byington as his wife, Emily. Mickey Rooney and Cecilia Parker played Andy and Marion, the Hardy children; Sara Haden played Mrs. Hardy’s unmarried sister, Mildred (“Aunt Milly”) Forrester. The four principals had appeared together in the film version of Eugene O’Neill’s comedy Ah, Wilderness in 1935. Based on a 1928 play, Skidding, by Aurania Rouverol, A Family Affair proved a hit with Depression audiences as well as studio head Louis B. Mayer himself, who authorized a sequel. The result, You’re Only Young Once, appeared in December 1937, with Lewis Stone and Fay Holden now (permanently as it would turn out) in the roles of Mr. and Mrs. Hardy. The title song of this picture “You’re Only Young Once,” remained the theme music for the rest of the Hardy series – although its wistful lyrics by David Snell would not be heard again:

The world will whirl around forever
But you won’t be there
To know or to care
Remember you’re only young once…

Audiences couldn’t seem to get enough of the Hardys. Judge Hardy’s Children appeared in March 1938, followed by Love Finds Andy Hardy in July 1938. Out West with the Hardys was a Thanksgiving treat for November 1938.

April 1939 saw The Hardys Ride High, and they certainly continued to do so at the box office. This was followed by Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever in July 1939 and Judge Hardy and Son in December 1939. Andy Hardy Meets Debutante, released in July 1940, was the only Hardy offering for that year. We are not certain of the reason for this, but have not seen any evidence to indicate that the public was tiring of Andy as some internet sources claim (unsubstantiated of course). In fact, quite the contrary: Edwin Schallert of the Los Angeles Times called Debutante the “sprightliest of the comedies of the series” (“Andy Hardy Hits the Romance Trail with a Vengeance,” Jun. 28, 1940). Similarly, the L.A. Times’ John L. Scott declared it “one of the best in the series,” noting that “George B. Seitz’s direction is up to the standard which has made the Hardy series so outstanding” (“Hardy Film Continues High Standard of Popular Series,” Jul. 3, 1940).

Andy Hardy’s Private Secretary appeared in February 1941, and Life Begins for Andy Hardy in August 1941. Most audiences didn’t see the Hardys again until The Courtship of Andy Hardy in March 1942, but remained enthusiastic. As Philip K. Scheurer of the L.A. Times wrote of Courtship: “Mickey Rooney is in top form as Andy. It’s ‘man-to-man’ talks are as delightful as ever” (“Andy Hardy Rescues New Fair Lady,” Apr. 3, 1942).

Although Andy Hardy’s Double Life premièred in New York in January 1942, it did not appear in theaters elsewhere until December 1942 to February 1943. Again, there is no hint that interest in the series was waning. “Familiar though the pattern may be, these ‘Andy Hardy’ pictures never seem to grow tiresome” wrote John L. Scott in his review of Double Life (“Andy Hardy Gets into More Romantic Trouble," Mar. 12, 1943). Another L.A. Times reporter, Norbert Lusk, observed the public remained loyal to the series and liked the picture, noting that “hardly had it opened than it was announced for a holdover” (“Walt Disney’s ‘Amigos’ Well Received in East,” Feb. 22, 1943).

Andy Hardy’s Blonde Trouble, the next installment, was released May 1944. Of this, the once admiring Schallert said “I think the day is not far distant when he [Mickey] will have to bid Andy, as we have known him in the past, adieu. Probably with the service and all, this is the opportune moment. The sequence of pictures has been a household word but it must end some time” (“Twins Enliven Hardy Film,” May 19, 1944). Audiences might have begged to differ, but indeed, the Hardys were winding down. Mickey Rooney entered the army for a two year stint in June 1944 and, sadly, the series’ longtime director, George Seitz, died on July 8, 1944 at age 56 due to a recurrence of a circulatory ailment.

Love Laughs at Andy Hardy, the last of the series, was released in February 1947 (the last, that is, unless you count the “reunion” film, Andy Hardy Comes Home, made in 1958; we can’t). Another link to the series’ past was broken on December 31, 1948 when Kay Van Riper, who wrote the early Hardy screenplays, died of an overdose of sleeping tablets.

If life in Carvel seems very much unchanged over time (another censure of modern critics), it’s with good reason. Although stretched out over two decades, the series actually covers only a very brief period in the lives of the Hardys. You’re Only Young Once (1937) picks up right where A Family Affair leaves off: Andy is 15 and in high school. By the time of Andy Hardy Meets Debutante (1940) he is 17. In Andy Hardy’s Private Secretary (1941) Andy graduates from high school – Life Begins for Andy Hardy (1941) opens with Andy coming home from graduation night. He has a month before he has to decide whether to accept a scholarship to Wainwright College or not. At the end of Life Begins, he plans to work in the Carvel garage until September 24 – the day that Wainwright opens. The Courtship of Andy Hardy (1942) takes place during that interval; Andy Hardy’s Double Life (1942) covers approximately two days, as 18-year old Andy prepares to leave for Wainwright. Andy Hardy’s Blond Trouble (1944) begins right where Double Life left off – with Andy on the train to college, having happily encountered a pretty co-ed - although the actress playing her does change from film to film! The gap between Blonde Trouble and Love Laughs at Andy Hardy (1947) is supposed to be roughly two years – the time that Andy (like Mickey Rooney) spent in the service; he returns to Wainwright still a lowly “Frosh.”

Some of Andy's women: Ann, Judy, and Lana - from Love Finds Andy Hardy. Woo-woo!

Other “family” series films of the 1930s:

The Jones Family. There were 16 of these films made by 20th Century Fox from 1936-1940. They are definitely “B” pictures; print quality is poor, but they are cute period films and were popular with audiences. Spring Byington, who played “Mother” Hardy in the first Hardy movie, played “Mother” Jones in this series. Some of the titles are: Back to Nature, Everybody’s Baby, Down on the Farm, Too Busy to Work, and Young as You Feel. The last film, On Their Own has the family, minus Father Jones, moving to California to open a bungalow court!

The Murphy Family. A product of low-budget Monogram Studio about an Irish family in (of course) law enforcement, there were only something like 3 pictures made between 1938 and 1939: Tough Kid, Wanted by the Police, and Heroes in Blue. Lillian Elliot starred as the family matriarch.

The Higgins Family starred the real-life Gleason family: James, his wife Lucille (Webster), and son Russell, as well as Harry Davenport as the grandpa. Made at Republic Studios, 7 or so of these B-films appeared between 1938 and 1940. Titles include My Wife’s Relatives, Should Husbands Work? and Grandpa Goes to Town. Busy Russell Gleason also played the reoccurring character of Herbert Thompson in some of the Jones Family pictures.

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Agatha Christie 1st Edition Facsimiles

2009-12-21T11:25:00.000-08:00

This was supposed to be a simple post about the wonderful Agatha Christie facsimile editions being published by HarperCollins, but once we started writing about Christie’s mysteries the words flowed like sherry. We decided to stick to Christie of the printed page here, and will do a future post on Christie adaptations for television, another subject dear to our hearts.

We aren’t sure how we remained so oblivious to these facsimiles for so long. The first batch was published in 2005. They only came to our attention recently. We have had to play catch up, and despite a ruinous exchange rate, bundles from Britain began arriving regularly. Unfortunately, several are officially ‘sold out,’ the few copies in circulation selling at ridiculous prices. We are delighted with those we’ve been able to get our hands on, though. We thought maybe there might be one or two people out there, who like us, didn’t know these existed, so created this post as a public service announcement.

The facsimiles are like a dream come true, then, with original dust cover art reproduced from the Christie family’s own archives. We also of course enjoy the period features, such as Christie’s original dedications, advertisements for other contemporary mysteries, and the amazingly short list of “other books by this author” inside early works like Murder on the Links.

It was a pleasure to donate our paperback copies to the SPCA fundraiser book sale (where maybe they will strike the fancy of potential new Christie fans?). Now, if only they will reprint more of the sold out volumes, and if someone would do the same for Dorothy Sayers, P.G. Woodhouse, and E.F. Benson (We don’t ask for much…!).

Brief background
Agatha Christie’s first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, appeared in 1920. Set during the Great War, it’s narrated by Arthur Hastings and features Hercule Poirot as the detective in the Sherlock-Holmes-Watson tradition. Her second novel, The Secret Adversary, published in 1922, takes place in the immediate postwar period and features Tommy Beresford and Prudence “Tuppence” Cowley. Her works (mostly the short stories, but some novels as well) appeared in major magazines, like Ladies Home Journal, Colliers, and The Saturday Evening Post, as well as newspapers. For instance, The Secret Adversary ran in numerous rural newspapers in the US between May and December 1923.

Agatha Christie mystery novels and short story collections published in the 1920s & 1930s

This is complicated; we’ve tried to simplify it here. For example, Hercule Poirot’s Christmas was actually released in December, 1938 but its copyright date is 1939. We listed it under the copyright date. More detailed information about the publication dates, etc. can be found in Agatha Christie reference works such as Agatha Christie: A reader’s Companion by Vanessa Wagstaff and Stephen Poole. Sometimes there was a difference in the UK and US publication date, and some works had different titles for the U.S. edition. Though we’re in the U.S., ours are the British editions, so we are going by those publication dates titles. If applicable, we’ll list the U.S. title in parenthesis.

Novels
1920. The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Poirot)
1922. The Secret Adversary (Tommy & Tuppence)
1923. Murder on the Links (Poirot)
1924. The Man in the Brown Suit
1925. The Secret of Chimneys
1926. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Poirot)
1927. The Big Four (Poirot)
1928. The Mystery of the Blue Train (Poirot)
1929. The Seven Dials Mystery
1930. Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple)
1931. The Murder at Hazelmoor (US: The Sittaford Mystery) (Miss Marple)
1932. Peril at End House (Poirot)
1933. Lord Edgeware Dies (US: Thirteen at Dinner) (Poirot)
1933. Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? (US: The Boomerang Clue)
1934. Murder on the Orient Express (US: Murder on the Calais Coach) (Poirot)
1935. Three Act Tragedy (US: Murder in Three Acts) (Poirot)
1935. Death in the Clouds (US: Death in the Air) (Poirot)
1936. The A.B.C. Murders (US: The Alphabet Murders) (Poirot)
1936. Murder in Mesopotamia (Poirot)
1936. Cards on the Table (Poirot)
1937. Dumb Witness (Poirot) (US: Poirot Loses a Client)
1937. Death on the Nile (Poirot)
1938. Appointment with Death (Poirot)
1939. Hercule Poirot's Christmas (US: Murder for Christmas) (Poirot)
1939. Murder is Easy (US: Easy to Kill)
1939. Ten Little N-----s (US: And Then There Were None)

Short Stories
Many of the short stories, having appeared in a magazine or newspaper, would later be published as a collection, although in some instances with different titles than those used in the periodical version, and the plots may have been altered and/or expanded. So, the stories within a collection would typically have been written earlier than the publication date of the book. Some stories were not collected until decades after they were written (we sorted those out and will note them separately below). Some of the collections were not released in the UK, and vice versa – we’ve noted those too.

1924. Poirot Investigates (Poirot)
All of these stories had first appeared in a UK magazine in 1923. The US edition of Poirot Investigates, published in 1925, also included "The Chocolate Box," "The Veiled Lady," and "The Lost Mine." These stories had appeared in the US in a magazine between 1923 and 1925.

1929. Partners in Crime (Tommy & Tuppence)
The stories had appeared in UK magazines between 1923 and 1928.

1930. The Mysterious Mr. Quin
For the most part, these stories had been published in UK magazines between 1923 and 1929, and in US magazines between 1925 and 1929.

1932. Thirteen Problems (US: The Tuesday Club Murders) (Miss Marple)
These stories, with the exception of “The Four Suspects,” had first appeared in UK magazines between 1927 and 1931 – most, therefore, predating the first novel-length appearance of Miss Marple in 1930’s Murder at the Vicarage. “The Four Suspects” appeared in the US in 1930.

1933. The Hound of Death (UK only) (Crime Club edition: 1936)
This collection was first available only by sending in coupons from a weekly magazine called The Passing Show. It was first available in stores in 1936. A few of the stories (Red Signal, Fourth Man, Wireless, Blue Jar, Last Séance, and SOS) had appeared in UK magazines between 1924 and 1927. “The Witness for the Prosecution” appeared in a US magazine in 1925; "The Last Séance” appeared in the US in 1926.

1934. The Listerdale Mystery (UK only)
The stories from this collection appeared in UK magazines between 1924 and 1929.

1934. Parker Pyne Investigates (US: Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective)
These stories, with one exception, appeared in magazines between 1932 and 1933. The original publication of “The Case of the Middle Aged Wife” is not known (by us - someone may know).

1937. Murder in the Mews (US: Dead Man’s Mirror) (Poirot)
Versions of these stories had previously appeared in magazines and newspapers. “Murder in the Mews” in 1936; “The Incredible Theft” was based on a story that had appeared in 1923, “The Submarine Plans;” “Deadman’s Mirror” (as “The Second Gong”), in 1932, and “Triangle at Rhodes” (as “Poirot and the Triangle at Rhodes”) in 1936. The US edition did not include "The Incredible Theft."

1939. The Regatta Mystery (US Only) (Poirot, Miss Marple, Parker Pyne)
These stories had previously appeared in US magazines between 1932 and 1937. “Miss Marple Tells a Story” also appeared in the UK as a BBC radio play in 1934.

Is That All There Is?
No! We created the list above for those who might wish to create an authentic 1920s/1930s library. But Christie wrote many other short stories during that time that contemporary readers would have had access to in magazines and newspaper supplements and/or mystery anthologies. Some of these Art Deco era stories were collected into books in later decades, as follows:

1947. The Labors of Hercules
Stories in this collection, with the exception of “The Capture of Cerberus,” were previously published in the UK in The Strand magazine in late 1939 and 1940.In the US, they appeared in a magazine called This Week that ran in the L.A. Times and other newspapers, and in Ellery Queen magazine between 1939 and 1947. “The Lernaean Hydra” (as “Invisible Enemy”), “The Girdle of Hyppolita” (as “The Disappearance of Winnie King”), “The Stymphalean Birds” (as “The Vulture Women”) and “The Cretan Bull” (as “Midnight Madness”) ran in This Week in September 1939.

1948. The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories (US only)
The stories in this volume, with one exception, appeared in the UK in The Hound of Death and The Listerdale Mystery. “The Second Gong,” had appeared in magazines in 1932 and was later reworked and expanded as “Dead Man’s Mirror” for the Murder in the Mews collection in 1937.

1950. Three Blind Mice and Other Stories (US only)
This collection contains three stories from the 1920s: “The Adventure of Johnny Waverly” (1923); “The Love Detectives” (1926); and “The Third Floor Flat” (1929). The others date to the 1940s.

1951. The Underdog (US only) (Poirot)
These stories appeared in UK and US magazines between 1923 and 1926. The plot of “The Plymouth Express” was later reworked as The Mystery of the Blue Train in 1928, as noted above, “The Submarine Plans” story was reworked as "The Incredible Theft" for The Murder in the Mews collection in 1937.

1960. The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding and a Selection of Entrées (UK only)
Five stories in this collection are 20s-30s era: “The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding” first appeared (in a shorter version) in a magazine in 1923; “The Underdog” and “Four and Twenty Blackbirds” date to 1926; The Mystery of the Spanish Chest is an expanded/reworked version of the “Mystery of the Bagdad Chest,” dating to 1932 and had appeared in the US in the 1939 Regatta Mystery collection, as had “The Dream.” The final story, “Greenshaw’s Folly,” is more modern.

1961. Double Sin and Other Stories (US only)
One of the stories in this collection, “The Last Séance,” appeared in The Hound of Death collection in 1933. “Double Clue” (where Poirot meets Countess Vera Rossakoff) is from 1925; “The Wasp’s Nest” dates to 1929, and The Theft of the Royal Ruby” (as “The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding”) dates to 1923 as noted above). The others are more modern.

1971. The Golden Ball and Other Stories (US only)
With one exception, the stories in this collection appeared previously in 1934’s The Listerdale Mystery collection of 1934 and The Hound of Death from 1933 (see above for details). “Next to a Dog” dates to 1929.

1974. Poirot's Early Cases (US: Hercule Poirot's Early Cases)
The stories in this collection were written between 1923 and 1935. “The Veiled Lady,” “The Lost Mine,” and “The Chocolate Box” had appeared in the US version of Poirot Investigates in 1924; The Problem at Sea” and “How does Your Garden Grow” were in 1939’s The Regatta Mystery.

1979. Miss Marple's Final Cases and Two Other Stories
“Miss Marple Tells a Story” and “In a Glass Darkly” date to 1934. The others are more modern.

1984. Hercule Poirot's Casebook
This collection contains Deco era stories that were included in pervious collections, as well as some later ones from The Labors of Hercules collection.

1991. Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories (UK only).
With one possible exception, the stories in this collection were published between 1926 and 1937. The date of “The Harlequin Tea Set” is not known for sure.

1997. While The Light Lasts (US: The Harlequin Tea Set)
These volumes contain similar stories that, with one possible exception, were originally published between 1923 and 1935. The UK collection includes “A Christmas Adventure,” a reworking of “The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding.”

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Nov. 5 TCM Birthday Tribute to Vivien Leigh!

2009-12-21T11:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Vivien! Yes, all those fireworks are for you...

The Turner Classic Movies lineup, Thursday November 5th:

3am PT/6am ET: Fire Over England (1936)

4:45am PT/7:45 ET: A Yank at Oxford (1938)

6:30am PT/9:30 ET: Waterloo Bridge, with Yank co-star Robert Taylor (1940)

8:30 am PT/11:30 ET: That Hamilton Woman (Emma, that is - not Melanie) (1941)

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Christmas Glamour

2009-12-21T11:21:00.000-08:00

I'm sure most of you can relate to the fact that when, your love for era's of the past becomes your lifestyle. So does every aspect in your life, including the interior of your home. My home is sort of Vintage eclectic. Each room in my home is a different theme and has decor, inspiration and pieces from things I've collected over the years. Ranging from the era's of the 1920's through the 1950's. I took the inspiration for the living room or sitting room of my house from the 1930's and early 1940's Hollywood Regency era. Some familiar names in that interior design style were Dorothy Draper and William Haines.

The original inspiration for this look was taken from the lines and foundations of French Provincial and some of the key elements to incorporate, while styling this look are; mirrors, velvet, satin, damask, fringe, feather's, marble, glass, crystal chandeliers, lacquer, lucite, brass and pops of vibrant colors. This glamorous style of decorating resurfaced itself in popularity again in the later 1960's, after the atomic age, but was already a style that was originally choice of some of the Golden Age of Hollywood's screen stars.

I decided this year, I was going to set up an extra Christmas tree,to match my Hollywood Regency living room. Aside from the more traditional one that I set up in my family room every year, which is where we spend majority of our time. I will call it my Christmas Glamour tree! My new little tree is a small table top tree, but it definitely makes a statement of glamour for my living room. I made sure to use a few of the elements in this Hollywood style not only on the tree, but I added a few small touches of Christmas in other places around the room to continue the flow of Christmas glamour. Such as ostrich & peacock feathers, vibrant turquoise, crystal, gold, sparkles, marble, chandelier ornaments, candles, etc.

Here are a few pictures I would like to share with you. Let me know what you think???

This is just a start, as I hope to add more decorations for next Christmas. Yup that's right, I'm one of those people that waits for all the decorations to go on sale after Christmas, and I stock up for the following year.

Yes, that is an ostrich tree topper and little silver peacocks!
And I still need to get a mini tree skirt for it.

Blue & white sparkly poinsettias and gold peacock feathers!

I completely realize that I am not the best photographer in the world. With lighting and all that good stuff, but the images are there right? I am a stylist, not a photographer, but I do need to take some classes and learn the skill. Oh yeah! and invest in a fancy camera lol!
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~Time to dream about Fairies

2009-12-21T10:55:00.000-08:00

and maybe about flying away and

knocking on someone's door...

I believe that Hope lies in our Imagination

Have a Wonderful Weekend - and Sweet Dreams

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CUTE OF THE DAY

2009-12-21T10:51:00.000-08:00

I collect Pictures of animals on my computer for
a few years now!
So I don’t always know now where I found them.
So are they familiar to you? Let me know please!
…Click on the photo for the link those I do know…

Just enjoy the most adorable creatures ever!

I am Right?
Aren’t they just adorable?

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GOLDEN OLD MOMORIES

2009-12-17T04:11:00.000-08:00

Uniforms

Tragelaphus gratus

McKenney and Hall History of the Indian Tribes of North America

Johann Volckamer Nuremberg Hesperides1701

Birds, Mark Catesby

Mammals, George Edwards

Birds, George Edwards

Birds, Shaw + Nodder

Birds, Francois-Nicolas Martinet

Pinepple, 1771

Birds, Eleazar Albin

Birds, Lacepéde

Albrecht Dürrer

Histronicus histronicus

Felix Édouard Guerin-Meneville (1799-1874)

BIRDS

Jean Bungartz 1890

Cigar Box Labels

Birds Édouard Travies

Splendid Crow

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GOLDEN OLD MEMORIES (PART 1)

2009-12-17T03:59:00.000-08:00

Vintage Fashion

Andrea del Sarto

Arnould di Lappo

Mythology

Petrarca

Dante

Jean Isidor Ignace Gérard Grandville Metamorphoses

RAILWAYS

Arabian Nights

Nuevo Museo de Historia Natural

Butterflies

Die Welt in Bildern

Natural History

FISH

Auguste Racinet

BIRDS

REPTILES

Birds, Alexander Wilson

Windmills

Vintage Postcards

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GOLDEN OLD MEMORIES (PART 2)

2009-12-17T03:52:00.000-08:00

Fashion 1904

FASHION 1873

Raffaello Vision of Ezekiel

Birds, William Jardine

Prise d´Avennes L´Art Arabe (1864)

L´Atlas Curieux 1690

Levasseur Illustrated Atlas, 1856

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