Alfred Hitchcock Cavorting with Cavett

This post is written in conjunction with the Hitchcock Halloween blogathon hosted by Backlots.

Alfred Hitchcock's groundbreaking work had a ubiquitous effect on the film industry - there isn't a scary movie today that has not in some way been influenced by the English director's vision. The famed horror/mystery/thriller/suspense director was a rotund 73-year-old little boy when he appeared on The Dick Cavett show in June, 1972. The episode opens with the recognizable opening theme to the ever-popular The Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-62), with Cavett and Hitchcock appearing in silhouette from opposite sides of the screen. Though Cavett struggles to keep a straight face through his introduction, Hitch maintains an expression of bored indifference like a pro.

However, Hitchcock's 90 minute interview with Cavett is anything but boring. The audience is treated to an hour and a half of the directors maudlin sense of humour, as well as insight into his production methods and motivations.

Sequins, Satin, and Silk: Hollywood Costumes at the V&A

Earlier this week I had the most amazing opportunity to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum in central London to see their Hollywood Costume exhibit. The exhibit showcases more than 100 iconic film costumes from the last 100 years of cinema. About thirty of the costumes were from what I consider the "Golden Age of Hollywood," from the earliest silents through the 1960s. The designers featured included those familiar names we've seen so often in the opening credits: Edith Head, Adrian, Walter Plunkett, Travis Banton, Travilla, and Irene Sharaff, among many others.

There were costumes from all our favourite classic films, from Charlie Chaplin's Tramp costume in the THE CIRCUS (1928) to GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) and THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) to the Darth Vader get-up from STAR WARS (1977). The greatest film stars were also celebrated: both Katharine and Audrey Hepburn, Barbara Streisand, Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, Mary Pickford, John Wayne, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Errol Flynn - you name it! Below is a list of the costumes that struck my fancy, along with images from the original films.

Katharine Hepburn: MARY OF SCOTLAND (1936) and THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)

Compared to the elaborate Queen Elizabeth I costumes which surrounded it, Hepburn's Mary of Scotland gown looked delicately petite. Walter Plunkett's frock is a crimson silk velevet with a gold leaf thistle pattern. Punkett remembers that after filming MARY OF SCOTLAND:

Great Adaptations Tonight on TCM

Turner Classic Movies has planned out an amazing schedule for this Thanksgiving week. The week kicks off with a continuation of TCM’s month of “GreatAdaptations: Novel to Film.” Monday primetime and Tuesday morning will feature films based on Russian and French Literature. For tonight I can recommend the following classics:

8:00 pm:       DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965), directed by DavidLean and starring Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin, Alec Guinness, Rod Steiger, and Ralph Richardson. A romance unfolds despite the turbulence of the Russian Revolution. This epic film chronicles a part of history, as well as a part of the human spirit. Stunning cinematography and a beautiful score make this one of the greatest films of the latter half of the 20^th century.