Natalie Wood's Death: Case Re-opened

I feel I should report this rather HUGE classic film news. Natalie Wood who, is one of my favorite actresses, just made headlines! The case of her death has just been re-opened after thirty years. I heard rumors of this happening, but never thought it would become official. Her death has been well-documented, and is a rather complicated story, so Google it if you're not familiar. Here, also, is the article from The New York Times.


Natalie Wood's Death is Being Re-investigated

Let's Make it Legal (1951)

The opening scene of Let's Make it Legal reveals the old beauties of post-WWII suburbia: white houses, white fences, lawns lined with cars and dotted with rosebushes. Enter Hugh Halsworth (Macdonald Carey), who cares deeply about his own rosebushes. He makes special trips to the home he used to share with his soon-to-be ex-wife Miriam (Claudette Colbert) to tend them, much to her annoyance. Hugh and Miriam will soon see their divorce finalized. While Miriam feels elated, proclaiming several times she does not need a man, Hugh fights his grief. He "won" Miriam in a gamble years before, and considers it his luckiest moment.

Now, enter Hugh's competitor in the gamble and Miriam's old flame, Victor (Zachary Scott). Victor, a wealthy "businessman," spends the film pursuing Miriam, and convinces her to become engaged. To counter this, Hugh flaunts a blonde tart, Joyce, (Marilyn Monroe) in Miriam's face, but she does not convey jealousy.

Then there's the Miriam's live-in couple: the daughter, the son-in-law (Robert Wagner), and their newborn baby. The daughter refuses to grow up, as she asks Miriam to take care of the baby and keep house for her. While I admire how Wagner's character constantly calls her out for this while keeping so darn handsome, it remains an annoying subplot in this otherwise cute film.

And it boasts cuteness. I could not get over the happy ending. Claudette always gives a good performance, as does Marilyn (even though I always find it odd watching her early films where she plays smaller roles), but Macdonald Carey stole my heart. What a romantic.

At only an hour and sixteen minutes, Let's Make It Legal may not provide layers of depth, but I am always down for alternate retro worlds where nothing but the best persists. Wunderbar!

~F.

Beautiful Elizabeth Taylor

To make up for how lame I thought Blue Valentine was, I thought I would post this Elizabeth Taylor tribute I found via YouTube. She is, after all, the epitome of Classic Hollywood Glamour, in my opinion.

The dealio

Hey readers!

Well, if there are any readers anymore, ha! I feel awful I do not update anymore. I work over 40, sometimes 50 hours a week, and I am still adjusting to living in such a different city. When I have free time, there just seems to be so many other things to do besides blog (like, negotiate how much time I have to buy groceries).

But, anyway, Waterloo Bridge, and Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice are awesome, and is anyone else as excited for The Artist and My Week with Marilyn as I am?

Hopefully I will blog more in the future, and read all of your blogs again :-)

~F.

A Date with Judy (1948)

A Date with Judy is a fun, late 40's MGM musical starring Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Powell, among others. The trials of Judy, played by Powell, and her friend, played by Taylor, first came alive through radio programming, according to Imdb. I also stumbled upon an original broadcast via You Tube. It's adorbs! I need more radio stories and girly drama in my life. I also need a boyfriend named Oogie who I call "cad" and who calls me "pearl." Then we can see the "new Tyrone Power picture" together, yadaydayada. 

The film version most likely did its predecessor justice. The music and surprise technicolor (I missed the whole "MGM musical" aspect when I stuck it in my NetFlix queue) aside, I found a small detail delightful:

Carmen Miranda's shoes.

Seriously. They're sick. Wonderbar. You can see them in the trailer below around the two minute mark. Strappy platforms galore! 

HAHAHAHA!

I am probably a late viewer, but I totally love both of these! Fashion should always be fun.

Blonde (2001)

While pursuing my English undergraduate degree, I read Joyce Carol Oates' short story "Three Girls." The idea of spotting Marilyn Monroe perusing a used bookstore, clad in menswear, enchanted me. I never forgot the story, and respected Oates' interpretation of a generally oversimplified woman. This oversimplification became more clear to me after I read Marilyn's autobiography, and the much-publisized Fragments earlier this year. Like "Three Girls," these books transformed Marilyn from the "sex-symbol," and the "cute blonde," to someone I wanted to have coffee and discuss Michael Chekhov with. Or we could explicate poetry. I don't know. I just wanted inside her brain. This remains one reason "Three Girls" still counts as my favorite short story.

However, Oates did not leave Marilyn there. She also wrote a novel, Blonde, which I have not read. It seems to further chronicle Oates' interpretation of Marilyn. While not a biography, I have read it attempts to "get inside" Norma Jean Baker, even as she continues the transformation into Marilyn Monroe.  This novel also became a miniseries in 2001, starring Poppy Montgomery as Norma Jean Baker, Patricia Richardson as her mother, Ann-Margret, and Patrick Dempsey. I do not know if many would consider it an "excellent" film, but I appreciate it.

The film begins with a blonde woman in a red dress sprawled across an empty beach, the waves lapping against her. Viewers learn later she is, in fact, "washed up" at this point. But just at that moment, the contrast of her peroxide hair against the dull sand colors caught my attention. She seems so beautiful and out of place. I love visuals like this.

Montgomery fills the image. I find it scary how much she looks and talks like Marilyn. This film excludes scenes of her blown-up skirt during The Seven Year Itch, and instead shows her seeking affection from various characters: her mother (Richardson was also great), Joe DiMaggio, Arthur Miller, and Patrick Dempsey's bizarre, friend-like, character. I like these tender moments. I like seeing Marilyn in a cardigan, black pants, and ballet flats. I like her desperation for motherhood.

Just ... like, and love.

Blonde makes me more curious about My Week with Marilyn, which will release soon. Michelle Williams will probably give a decent performance, but now, I almost do not want a more biographical approach.

~F.