A few months ago, I did my Cinematic Alphabet, which was a lot of fun. I've seen a few blogs do the same method, but using actors first names instead of film titles. I needed an idea for a blog post and figured I'd give it a try.
I don't know if I've ever mentioned this on my blog before, but I love Lucille Ball. This is no surprise considering I grew up watching I Love Lucy (which I still do everyday), so, naturally, I was so excited when I read about this blogathon on True Classics.
One thing I've realized over the last few days is that I had no idea what to write. So, I just decided to talk about my favorite episode from each of the six seasons (I didn't include episodes from The Lucy-DesiComedy Hour, as I haven't seen as many episodes from it). Of course there are dozens that I love, but I've found these six to be the ones I watch/enjoy the most. I wasn't able to find full episodes online (except for the last one), but I did find a few clips on YouTube that I've included and also some trivia from TV.com. Listed in order by season and air date:
Season 1- Lucy Does a TV Commercial- (Original Airdate May 5, 1952)
I realize this is completely unoriginal, as this is probably the most popular I Love Lucy episode. But, it's popular for a reason- Lucy is absolutely hilarious (as usual), which is why it's my favorite. This also was reportedly Lucy's favorite episode, and it's easy to see why.
Trivia:Vitametavegimin is actually 23% alcohol. However, if you closely examine the labels on the bottles seen behind Lucy when she is rehearsing the commercial, they say Vitametavegamin is 11% alcohol. It was originally 11% in the script, but, changed to 23% on the spot because the higher percentage of alcohol sounded funnier.
When Lucy is showing Ricky that she can do the commercial, Desi Arnaz is clearly trying not to laugh.
Season 2- Job Switching- (Original Airdate September 15, 1952)
My unconditional love for chocolate has caused me to be unoriginal again. I think this was most likely the first episode I ever saw, so it plays a significant role for me in both introducing me to Lucy and making me realize how much I loved classic films and television. A close second from season 2 would be Lucy Goes to the Hospital.
Trivia:The candy dipper, Amanda Milligan originally had lines in her scene with Lucille Ball but these were cut because of Milligan being uncomfortable talking on camera. Amanda Milligan was a real life candy dipper who worked at the Farmer's Market in Hollywood. At the time of this episode, she had never seen an episode of "I Love Lucy" before because she watched wrestling on Monday nights.
While the conveyor belt is speeding up, Lucy was too soon to eat one of the chocolates. And realizing her mistake, she quickly removed the candy and dropped it on the floor.
Season 3- Ricky Minds the Baby- (Original Airdate January 18, 1954)
The main reason I chose Ricky Minds the Baby is solely for the scene above, although I love the whole episode. I thought it was really sweet to see Ricky bonding with his son, as Little Ricky is such a sweetheart.
Trivia: In the scene where Ricky is telling Little Ricky the bedtime story, the camera cuts to show Little Ricky in his crib. If you look closely, the picture on the bumper in the crib is of a cartoon Lucy & Ricky kissing each other.
Season 4- L.A. At Last (Original Airdate Febrauary 7, 1955)
My favorite season of I Love Lucy is definitely season 4, because I have a fascination with pointing out my favorite actors in the Hollywood episodes. This episode guest stars the wonderful William Holden in another iconic scene.
Trivia:Contrary to popular rumor Lucy's nose was supposed to catch on fire. There was a tiny candle wick under the clay. What was improvised was how she extinguished the fake nose. In the original script Lucy was supposed to take her fake nose off and dunk it in her cup of coffee, instead she dunks her nose into the coffee cup while it is still attached to her face.
Season 5- Paris at Last- (Original Airdate February 27, 1956)
I enjoy the Europe episodes as much as I do the Hollywood ones. I was stuck between this episode and two others- Lucy's Italian Movie and Lucy Meets the Queen, but I decided I liked this one most out of the three. My favorite part is the scene included above, but I also like the scene where Lucy attempts to eat snails...
Trivia: Writers Bob Carroll Jr. and Madelyn Pugh are sitting at the cafe. Lucy toasts Carroll with a glass of wine but Pugh was frequently out of the film frame.
Season 6- I Love Lucy Christmas Show (Original Airdate December 24, 1956)
I don't really like the idea of colorizing I Love Lucy episodes (or anything that was formerly black and white), but this clip was the only thing available. I really love this episode for the sole fact that it's about Christmas and I also really enjoy the flashback's included, particularly the ones from Lucy Goes to the Hospital.
Trivia: Also known as 'The Lost Episode' or 'Jingle Bells'. Because this was a "special" and employed so many long flashback sequences, this episode was not included in the eventual syndication package. The last time even a portion of it was telecast was December 1981 on Rona Barrett's short-lived NBC series, "Television: Inside and Out." Today, most fans can find this episode available on video.
That's about all I have to share, except again to say that I truly love Lucy and what she was to the world. I hope we all take some time to remember her on her 100th birthday. Also a big thanks to Brandie, Nikki and Carrie for hosting this blogathon. It was a lot of fun, and I hope we bloggers can do this again in the future.
My entry for the Ida Lupino blogathon, hosted by Jen to remember Ida seventeen years after her death on August 3, 1995.
My favorite film of Ida's would have to be High Sierra (1941). The film was directed by Raoul Walsh and co-stars my favorite actor of all time, Humphrey Bogart, in the role that made him a star. I considered just discussing the film itself, but I instead decided to write about a topic that has interested me for some time: the much-speculated relationship between Ida and Bogie. As you may have already noticed, several websites and biographies state that they strongly disliked one another, while a majority of them also say they were good friends throughout filming.
Bogie first co-starred with Ida in They Drive By Night (1940), also directed by Walsh. (I'll admit that I have yet to watch this film, but I've heard Ida's performance is wonderful.) I wasn't able to find her exact quotes, but I have read statements from Ida that they didn't get to know each other well and she was thrilled when he was cast opposite her in High Sierra, which strongly supports the theory that they got along.
Also supporting this theory is information found on Bogie's Wikipedia page about the filming of High Sierra, saying:
There are quite a few statements/articles however that say the opposite about Bogie and Ida's relationship:
"Never a team player, Lupino had quarrelled with Humphrey Bogart during the production of High Sierra, and vowed after the film’s completion that she would never work with the actor again." -http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2009/great-directors/ida-lupino/
"When Ida Lupino found herself unable to cry during the film's final scene, co-star Humphrey Bogart coaxed her into it by telling her, "Listen, doll, if you can't cry, I'm going to take the picture away from you." Despite this, Lupino disliked Bogart's verbal treatment of her, and refused to accept another co-starring role with him in Out of the Fog." -http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033717/trivia
From a certain point of view, I suppose it could be seen that Ida and Bogie disliked each other since they never made another film together and she didn't want to co-star with him in Out of the Fog (1941). I would like to point out, though, that they did collaborate again in 1944 to perform High Sierra for the Screen Guild Theater's Live Radio Programme, which is available here.
What do I think about the rumor's surrounding Ida Lupino and Humphrey Bogart? Well, being a huge fan of both, I like to believe they were friends despite several arguing reports.
Either way, High Sierra is a wonderful film that I feel every classic film fan should see, and it's a great way to remember Ida on the sixteenth anniversary of her death.
I would also like to thank Jen for hosting this great blogathon. It was a lot of fun, and I hope there are more to come!
As most of you probably know, TCM's annual Summer Under the Stars begins this Monday, August 1st. SUts is my personal favorite feature on TCM (along with 31 Days of Oscar), so, naturally, I'm very excited. I'm also quite excited that some of my favorite actors and actresses are being honored this year. Here are some of the highlights I recommend viewing throughout the month of August. I won't be including everyday, but most of them, at least,
August 1- Marlon Brando
I'm really not much of a Brando fan, but he's in a few of my favorites that are definitely worth watching:
Guys and Dolls (1955)- 5:15PM EST A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)- 9:30PM EST On the Waterfront (1954)- 12:00AM EST
August 3- Bette Davis
Davis is one of my favorite actresses- I'm so glad she's been included this year!
Stardust: The Bette Davis Story (2005)- 7:30AM EST Now, Voyager (1942)- 9:00AM EST My all time favorite of hers- a must see. 20,000 Years In Sing Sing (1932)- 12:45:PM EST The Letter (1940)- 4:30PM EST The Petrified Forest (1936)- 6:30PM EST Jezebel (1938)- 10:00PM EST
August 5- John Garfield
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)- 8:00PM EST Destination Tokyo (1943)- 3:30AM EST
August 6- Lucille Ball
Happy 100th, Lucy! This is also the day of the Loving Lucy blogathon at True Classics.
Without Love (1945)- 9:30AM EST (One of Tracy and Hepburn's best- very underrated.) The Long, Long Trailer (1954)- 2:30PM EST Stage Door (1937)- 8:00PM EST The Big Street (1942)- 9:45PM EST
August 9- Ann Dvorak
Scarface (1932)- 8:00PM EST
August 10- Shirley MacLaine
The Children's Hour (1961)- 12:00PM EST The Apartment (1960)- 8:00PM EST Some Came Running (1958)- 10:30PM EST Ocean's Eleven (1960) 1:00AM EST
August 12- Claudette Colbert
Without Reservations (1946)- 4:15PM EST It Happened One Night (1934)- 11:30PM EST Since You Went Away (1944)- 1:30 AM EST
August 13 (birthday of yours truly:)- James Stewart
I'll admit I'm disappointed that they're not airing any of his Hitchcock films (as it's Hitchcock's birthday as well).
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)- 9:00AM EST Wife vs. Secretary (1936)- 11:15AM EST The Shop Around the Corner (1940) 2:30PM EST Anatomy of a Murder (1959)- 12:00AM EST
August 14- Ralph Bellamy
The Wolf Man (1941)- 6:45PM EST His Girl Friday (1940)- 8:00PM EST
August 17- Humphrey Bogart
Honestly, I'm more excited for this than I am my birthday, even though I've seen all but five of the films featured. Although I wish they were showing The AfricanQueen, several other of my all time favorites are coming on that I'll definitely be sitting down to watch again.
To Have and Have Not (1944)- 11:00AM EST The Big Sleep (1946)- 12:45PM EST High Sierra (1941)- 2:45PM EST In a Lonely Place (1950)- 6:15PM EST The Maltese Falcon (1941)- 8:00PM EST Sahara (1943)- 10:00PM EST Beat the Devil (1954)- 12:00AM EST The Caine Mutiny (1954)- 2:00AM EST Tokyo Joe (1949)- 4:15 PM EST
August 19- Debbie Reynolds
Singin' In the Rain (1952)- 2:15AM EST (I need to see more of her films...)
August 20- Montgomery Clift
Lonelyhearts (1958)- 9:00AM EST From Here to Eternity (1953)- 3:30AM EST The Misfits (1961)- 5:45PM EST A Place In the Sun (1951)- 8:00PM EST (Every classic film fan has to watch this at least once.) The Heiress (1949)- 10:15PM EST The Search (1948)- 12:15AM EST I Confess (1953)- 2:15AM EST
August 21-Cary Grant
The Philadelphia Story (1940)- 3:30PM EST North by Northwest (1959)- 5:30PM EST Only Angels Have Wings (1939)- 10:15PM EST The Bishop's Wife (1947)- 2:15AM Bringing Up Baby (1938)- 4:15AM
August 22- Joan Crawford
Mildred Pierce (1945)- 11:00PM EST
August 23- Conrad Veidt
All Through the Night (1942)- 9:30AM EST (Very underrated film, and one of Bogie's best.) A Woman's Face (1941)- 6:00PM EST Casablanca (1942)- 12:00AM EST (Best. Movie. Ever.)
August 25- Burt Lancaster
Sweet Smell of Success (1957)- 12:00PM EST Brute Force (1947)- 4:00PM EST The Killers (1946)- 11:30PM EST
August 28- Carole Lombard
To Be or Not to Be (1942)- 6:15PM EST My Man Godfrey (1936)- 8:00PM EST
August 31- Marlene Dietrich
Stage Fright (1950)- 1:15PM EST Shanghai Express (1932)- 6:30PM EST
IMDb Synopsis: Musical about a widow who accepts a job as a live-in governess of the King of Siam's children.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a huge fan of musicals. Sure, I like some, such as The Wizard of Oz, A Star Is Born and Mary Poppins, but most of my favorite films are found within the likes of dramas and film noirs. I'm glad to say, though, that The King and I is an exception.
This film is one of several to be adapted from one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Musicals, so it's no surprise that the musical numbers and the score are both wonderful. (The score actually won an Academy Award in 1957). My personal favorite of the musical numbers was "Shall We Dance"; you can view it here.
As for the acting, I thought Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner were both marvelous. I've seen Kerr is several films, as she is one of my favorite actresses, and she does not disappoint as Anna. This is my first time watching a Brynner film- he even won the Best Actor Oscar for this film- but it certainly won't be my last.
The color cinematography in The King and I is spectacular, but I don't expect any less from a Cinemascope film. Walter Lang's Academy Award nominated directing is great as well. Lang also directed another Rodgers and Hammerstein film, State Fair, which I don't care for very much.
Overall, I found The King and I to be a wonderful film, and one of few musicals that I can say I truly loved. Check it out if you haven't done so already.
Before I post my review of The King and I (which should be up before Wednesday), I wanted to share the news of a few upcoming blogathons I will be participating in over the next few months. I have them all listed in a widget on the left, but I wanted to make an official post, too.
IMDb Synopsis: In 1948, an American court in occupied Germany tries four Nazi judges for war crimes.
I'm going to start off and say that this was one of the most amazing and mind-blowing films I've ever seen. Stanley Kramer made an absolute masterpiece that should have taken home the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1961.
Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Marlene Dietrich, Maximilian Shell, Judy Garland, and Montgomery Clift. If it's not already obvious, this film has a heckuva cast. All of the actors delivered flawless performances, but I think the most profound ones came from the supporting cast- particularly Judy Garland and Montgomery Clift. Anyone who has seen A Star Is Born knows that Judy was a wonderful actress, and she proves it again in Nuremberg. Monty Clift is one of my all time favorite actors, and I think it's safe to say that this is my personal favorite of his performances (although I do love A Place In the Sun and From Here to Eternity). His acting was so deep and genuine to the point that I found it to be heart-breaking.
The direction in Nuremberg is stunning, but I don't expect anything less from Stanley Kramer, who also directed two of my favorite films, The Defiant Ones (1958) and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), Spencer Tracy's last film. Rob Reiner actually compared it to his film A Few Good Men, which I have not seen, but is considered to be one of the all time greats.
Overall, Judgment at Nuremberg is an amazing film and a complete essential for anyone who loves films as much as I do. You can watch it here if you have not already done so.
