Goodbye, Summer - Hello, September!

Happy September, everybody! Alas, summer has gone and autumn is upon us. Actually, fall is my favorite season, so I'm not exactly sad that the wretched days of Virginia humidity are behind us. But I am bummed that there will be no more Summer Under the Stars on TCM until next year.

Thank you to Turner Classic Movies for another great year of stars - it was nice to see some of the old familiar faces, while also being introduced to some new friends. SUTS is a great way to meet new actors and expand one's movie-watching experience.

I would like to thank Michael at ScribeHard on Film and Jill at Sittin' on a Backyard Fence for hosting the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon again this year. There were so many great entries from across the blogosphere. A big thank you to those who read along and commented - our followers are as much participants in these events as are the hosts and writers. I look forward to doing this again next year!

Shirley Jones (28 August SUTS)

This post is written in conjunction with the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon hosted by Sittin’ on a Backyard Fence and Scribe Hard on Film. Full listings for SUTS programming on Turner Classic Movies can be found HERE.

"Deep down I am a small-town girl from Smithton, Pennsylvania."

Despite having only seen a couple of her films, Shirley Jones is a pet favorite of mine because my parents currently live in her home town of Smithton, PA, about an hour southwest of Pittsburgh on the Youghiogheny River.  As a kid, I spent my summers in Smithton with my grandmother, frittering away my carefree days in Jones's old stomping grounds. I remember when the Jones Brewery, which had been producing Stoney's Beer in Smithton since 1907, shut down and my parents went to the gift show sale. My sainted mother, who never touches beer, bought a comfy pull-over with the Stoney's logo, which she still wears.

Hattie McDaniel (20 August SUTS)

This post is written in conjunction with the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon hosted by Sittin’ on a Backyard Fence and Scribe Hard on Film. Full listings for SUTS programming on Turner Classic Movies can be found HERE.

"We all respect sincerity in our friends and acquaintances, but Hollywood is willing to pay for it."

"You can best fight any existing evil from the inside."

"A woman's gifts will make room for her."

"Every actor and actress is possessed of the absorbing passion to create something distinctive and unique."

Bette Davis (14 August SUTS)

This post is written in conjunction with the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon hosted by Sittin’ on a Backyard Fence and Scribe Hard on Film. Full listings for SUTS programming on Turner Classic Movies can be found HERE.

I love this dame and could talk abut the whys and wherefores of my respect for her, but I'd rather she speak for herself.

"Acting should be bigger than life. Scripts should be bigger than life. It should ALL be bigger than life."

"I'm the nicest goddamn dame that ever lived."

"Gay Liberation? I ain't against it, it's just that there's nothing in it for me."

"Success only breeds a new goal."

Mickey Rooney (13 August SUTS)

This post is written in conjunction with the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon hosted by Sittin’ on a Backyard Fence and Scribe Hard on Film. Full listings for SUTS programming on Turner Classic Movies can be found HERE.

As far as I am concerned, he who is tired of Rooney is tired of life. I don't know that I would personally enjoy the company of the boyishly energetic actor, but there is nothing in this world better at getting a person out of a bad funk than a good, healthy dose of an old-fashioned Mickey Rooney flick. Toss in a Judy Garland song and dance number and you can't help but be grinning from ear to ear.

At 93 years of age, Mickey Rooney has been in the movie business for longer than any other actor, living or dead. He has co-starred with the most women, sung the most songs, danced the most dances. Although I am always pleased to see his face in more recent movies, like THE MUPPETS (2011) and NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM (2006), I will always love his old movies best.

Henry Fonda (11 August SUTS)

This post is written in conjunction with the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon hosted by Sittin’ on a Backyard Fence and Scribe Hard on Film. Full listings for SUTS programming on Turner Classic Movies can be found HERE.

Did you know...?

Henry Fonda knew Marlon Brando's family from Omaha - he had studied acting with Brando's mother.

Fonda and James Stewart had been roommates in the early 1930s when they were first starting out in acting. The two remained pals for the rest of their lives and enjoyed building model airplanes together.

Fonda was an amateur bee-keeper.

Along with Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and other Hollywood liberals, Fonda vocally opposed the House Un-American Activities Committee. He took a six-year hiatus from film making in the 1950s to distance himself from the hostile political climate in California at the time.

Lana Turner (10 August SUTS)

This post is written in conjunction with the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon hosted by Sittin’ on a Backyard Fence and Scribe Hard on Film. Full listings for SUTS programming on Turner Classic Movies can be found HERE.

Did you know...?

Lana Turner was known as "The Sweater Girl"

She was married 8 times, twice to the same man.

Turner's father eloped with her 15-year-old mother - her grandparents objected until they learned she was pregnant with Lana, who would be their only child.

Her father was murdered in 1930 after a crap game.

Alec Guinness (3 August SUTS)

This post is written in conjunction with the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon hosted by Sittin' on a Backyard Fence and Scribe Hard on Film. Full listings for SUTS programming on Turner Classic Movies can be found HERE.

English actor Alec Guinness has been one of my all-time favorite performers since I was a kid. I was introduced Guinness in the original STAR WARS movies, which my family used to watch every time we ordered pizza. Of course, Guinness hated working on the series and was partially responsible for having Obi-Wan written out so early in the story. Sadness. On the other hand, my mother also had a VHS collection of a few of his movies, like KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS (1949), THE LAVENDER HILL MOB (1951), and THE LADYKILLERS (1955), all of which I can highly recommend, and all of which I loved to watch on days I skipped school. Good times!

Doris Day (2 August SUTS)

This post is written in conjunction with the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon hosted by Sittin' on a Backyard Fence and Scribe Hard on Film. Full listings for SUTS programming on Turner Classic Movies can be found HERE.

I'll be perfectly honest - Doris Day is not my favorite. I always end up rolling my eyes and shouting "C'mon now people!" at the television set (which, I've heard, is frowned upon in civilized societies). She's too perky and too sissy and she smiles too much. Blech! I thought I would like CALAMITY JANE (1953) but it was all about how that awesome woman, who rode with the best out west, really just wanted to wear a gingham dress and bring her man his slippers and pipe every night. Blech! That said, I am sure Doris Day was probably a very nice person.

Humphrey Bogart (1 August SUTS)

This post is written in conjunction with the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon hosted by Sittin' on a Backyard Fence and Scribe Hard on Film. Full listings for SUTS programming on Turner Classic Movies can be found HERE. This post can also be found on my website margaretperry.org.

"What an odd fellow. Very generous and thoughtful. Sweet to me. And I found myself being very proud of him... What an odd man. So - how shall I put it - so pure. Like a little kid. Dear Bogie. I'll never forget that close-up of him after he kisses Rosie, then goes back around in back of the tank and considers what has happened. His expression - the wonder of it all - life." (Katharine Hepburn, The Making of the African Queen)

The Summer Under the Stars Blogathon 2013 is Finally Here!

Every year in August Turner Classic Movies hosts "Summer Under the Stars" (SUTS), a month-long movie marathon celebrating the biggest names in acting history. Each day features the films of one notable actor or actress.

A complete listing of the SUTS schedule can be downloaded from the TCM website HERE. Join the Twitter conversation with #TCMSummer or #[actors last name]TCM. The official Facebook page for the blogathon can be found HERE. 

This is the second year of the SUTS Blogathon hosted by classic-film-bloggers-extraordinary Jill Blake from Sittin' on a Backyard Fence and Michael Nazarewycz from Scribe Hard on Film, so check out their blogs for more information about the blogathon. Participants may chose as many or as few stars to write about as they wish. Some hard-core bloggers will write a post a day, one for each of the 31 stars. For each post you write, your name will be entered into the raffle for the three DVD prizes - the more you write, the better your chances of winning. Anyone who participates at least once is entered for the grand prize - just once - for a $50 gift certificate to the TCM store. Pretty sweet, n'est pas?

Last year I contributed eight articles (Lillian Gish, Jeanette MacDonald, Gary Cooper, Gene Kelly, Ginger Rogers, Sidney Poitier, Myrna Loy, and Katharine Hepburn). This year I will be selecting my favorite featured stars (alas, Miss Hepburn is not in the running this year). In the hope to be able to include more of my favorites, the posts will be on the lighter side, rather than the lengthy in-depth essays I wrote last year. They will probably include anecdotes about and quotes by the actor, a few images, and my recommendation for at least one must-watch film made by that star.

My goal with this project is to introduce my readers to some of my favorite personalities from classic Hollywood without overwhelming them with too much heavy biography and theory. If one of the stars catches your interest, I suggest checking out the posts of the other SUTS participants to learn more about the performer.

Thank you so much for dropping by. I would absolutely love it if you would share any questions or observations in the comment box below each post. I love hearing from my readers! 

Poll: Who were your favorite male newcomers to Summer Under the Stars on TCM?

Poll: Who was your favorite female newcomer to Summer Under the Stars on TCM?

I Never Will Forget Jeanette MacDonald...or SAN FRANCISCO (1936)

This post is written in conjunction with the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon hosted by Sittin' on a Backyard Fence and ScribeHard on Film. A full day of Jeanette MacDonald films will air on TCM on August 27. SAN FRANCISCO (1936) will be airing at 8:00 pm EST.

Whenever Judy Garland ever sang "San Francisco," she began with a short verse about the immortal Jeanette MacDonald and her 1936 hit movie by the same name. Garland's chemistry with her audience really comes across in this clip from a performance at the London Palladium. She begins her song with, "This lady [MacDonald] has never talked to me since I did this. I don't know why...." This isn't entirely true - apparently MacDonald didn't mind the joke, "as long as it's Judy!"

Gary Cooper: BALL OF FIRE (1941)

This post is written in conjunction with the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon hosted by Sittin' on a Backyard Fence and ScribeHard on Film. A full day of Gary Cooper films will air on TCM on August 26. BALL OF FIRE will be showing at 8:00 pm EST.

During college, my friend Cookie and I bonded over Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck's romance in Howard Hawks' BALL OF FIRE (1941). Of course "Cookie" isn't her real name - we picked it up from Katharine Hepburn in SUMMERTIME (1955). Anyway, BALL OF FIRE was by far our favorite classic film.

Professor Bertram Potts (Cooper) and his seven co-professors are shut up every day working on completing an encyclopedia when their hum-drum lives are overturned by the arrival of Sugarpuss O'Shea (Stanwyck). Potts meets O'Shea in a nightclub where he was doing some research for his article about slang. When her crooked boyfriend runs into some trouble with the fuzz, his compatriots convince Sugarpuss to go into hiding with the bumbling professors, where she causes incredible upheaval, teaching them the cha-cha and generally interfering with their work. Of course, Sugarpuss and Potts sort of unwillingly fall for each other and that causes all manner of trouble with her boyfriend's mob of gangsters. Not to worry - if you didn't know it already, professors are actually superheroes and they can sort out any problem using wit, brain, and a little bit of adorableness.

Happy 100th Birthday, Gene Kelly!

This post is written in conjunction with the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon hosted by Sittin' on a Backyard Fence and ScribeHard on Film. A full day of Gene Kelly films will air on TCM on August 23, which would also be Mr. Kelly's 100 birthday!

To be perfectly honest, I'm not a very big fan of Gene Kelly. I definitely land myself in the Fred Astaire camp when it comes to classic Hollywood hoofers. But there have been several Gene Kelly movies I have enjoyed over the years, and most of them will be showing on TCM this week. These films are considered must-sees for any classic film enthusiast, so if you haven't seen them, I recommend getting your hands on a copy ASAP.

The Strength of CHRISTOPHER STRONG (1933)

The famous moth costume

I’d forgotten how much I like Dorothy Arzner's CHRISTOPHER STRONG (1933). The plot isn’t very good, and Hepburn’s acting is a bit flat at times, but the Lady Cynthia Darrington character is very good, even if the plot doesn’t treat her well. Arzner’s directing is also very strong. The costumes are amazing - every one of Hepburn's outfits in this film is stunning. Do not underestimate CHRISTOPHER STRONG as merely an early Hepburn film (her second, in fact), as I mistakenly did at first. It is a good film in its own right, and it deserves a closer look.

Writer - Zoe Akins: The fascinating thing about this film is that it was both written and directed by women. Screenwriter Zoe Akins is possibly best remembered for writing HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (1953), the successful play adaptation of Edith Wharton's THE OLD MAID (1939), and CAMILLE (1936). Akins also wrote the screenplay which earned Katharine Hepburn her first Academy Award, MORNING GLORY (1933). 

Our Miss Fantastic on TCM this Friday: Katharine Hepburn on SUTS

This post is written in conjunction with the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon hosted by Sittin' on a Backyard Fence and ScribeHard on Film. A full day of Katharine Hepburn films will air on TCM on August 17.

Turner Classic Movies had selected an amazing line-up of movies for Miss Hepburn's day on Summer Under the Stars this year. As the self-proclaimed KH aficionado in the blogosphere, I'm going to rate Friday's movie selection to help the plebes decide which Hepburn films to DVR. You're welcome!

1.) ADAM'S RIB (1949)

Conservatism in Revolution: The Gish sisters in D. W. Griffith's ORPHANS OF THE STORM (1921)

This post is written in conjunction with the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon hosted by Sittin' on a Backyard Fence and ScribeHard on Film. It is also my contribution to Eternity of Dream's Speechless Blogathon. A full day of Lillian Gish films will air on TCM on August 15. ORPHANS OF THE STORM (1921) airs at 7:45 am EST.

Lillian Gish (1893-1993) started her career at the age of 19 making films for famed director D.W. Griffith. She starred in his controversial film BIRTH OF A NATION in 1915. Griffith had even put Gish in charge of directing the 1920 film starring her sister Dorothy, REMODELING HER HUSBAND, though she preferred acting to directing. Gish and Griffith made several films together until their amicable parting. Gish referred to her former mentor as "Mr. Griffith" until she died. Gish continued to make movies well into the modern era, her final film being THE WHALES OF AUGUST (1987) co-starring Bette Davis.

Actress Profile: Ginger Rogers (1911-1995)

This post is written in conjunction with the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon hosted by Sittin' on a Backyard Fence and ScribeHard on Film. A full day of Ginger Rogers films will air on TCM on August 12. 

Politics: staunch right wing Republican. She was a founding member of the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, an anti-Communist group that supported the Hollywood blacklist.

Religion: raised in Christian Science and remained an active member her entire life. She regularly attended 28th Church of Christ, Scientist, Los Angeles and wrote extensively about the importance of religion in her life in her autobiography.

Marriage: married five times, each marriage lasting less than 10 years. She first married at 17 to her dancing partner Jack Pepper. They divorced in 1931, and in 1934 she married actor Lew Ayres (HOLIDAY, 1938). In 1943 Rogers married budding actor and Marine Jack Briggs, but the couple divorced when he came back from WWII and was no longer interested in an acting career. In 1953 she married French actor Jacques Bergerac, who was much younger than he. They divorced after only four years. She was married longest to her fifth and final husband, producer/director William Marshall, from 1961-71.