THE WINNERS of The Great Katharine Hepburn Blogathon!

Thanks again to anyone and everyone who submitted a post to my first ever blogathon, The Great Katharine Hepburn Blogathon! It was a great experience and I look forward to hosting another blogathon in the future. I'd like to say a special thank you to Fritzi at Movies, Silently for the great blogathon advice she gives, and to Will McKinley and Jennifer Garlen for their valuable feedback. I couldn't have done it without you!

23 bloggers sent in articles about the great Kate. It felt like it was my birthday, reading everyone's wonderful thoughts about my favorite actress. Today I put all the submitted blog entries into a hat and randomly drew three winners. DRUMROLL PLEASE!

FOUND OUT THE WINNERS HERE!

The Great Katharine Hepburn Blogathon Has Finally Arrived!

Check out all the awesome entries and prizes at margaretperry.org!

Announcing The Great Katharine Hepburn Blogathon!

The time has come! After three years participating in the classic film blogging community with thegreatkh.blogspot.com, Margaret Perry is finally ready to host her very own blogathon. What will the topic of this blogathon be, you ask? Who else but my most favorite classic movie star ever, the great Katharine Hepburn herself!

The Great Katharine Hepburn Blogathon will take place over Miss Hepburn's birthday weekend, May 10-12. Hepburn would have been 107 years old May 12, 2014, which sounds pretty old, but she was all of 96 when she passed away in 2003. Quite a dame.

Find out about rules, prizes, and participants at margaretperry.org!

Mae West: The Original Blonde Bombshell

This post is written in conjunction with Classic Chops - Blonde Bombshells, hosted by The LAMB.

Mae West made some of the raciest films of the studio era, single-handedly necessitating the instigation of censorship in the motion picture industry. This voluptuous blonde almost exclusively played over-sexed madams on screen, but her golden tresses did nothing to conceal the capacity of West's active mind.

"Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" Saturday Morning Memories blogathon

This post is written in conjunction with the True Classics' 4th anniversary Saturday Morning Memories blogathon:

"The rules are simple: on your own site, post a brief piece about one beloved cartoon short that you remember from childhood. If you can find a video and embed it on your site, that’s wonderful; if it’s so obscure that no video clip exists, no worries. But here’s the important part: tell us why that cartoon is particularly memorable to you. Are you a Popeye patron? A Droopy devotee? A Bugs booster? A Woody Woodpecker worshiper? A Fudd fan? A Donald disciple? (Stop me; I could go on all day.) Simply put: what is a favorite cartoon from your youth, and why?"

Although my mother enjoyed Saturday morning cartoons when she was a kid, she did not allow the tradition to continue in her adult household. My brother and I were more or less forbidden to watch cartoons at home. However, there was a whole different set of rules at Grammie's house. We were spoiled rotten with ice cream, candy, soda pop, and all the television and Disney movies our little minds could handle. Bliss!

We always visited Grammie's on Sunday afternoons after church, so my memories of cartoons aren't of the Saturday morning variety. At any rate, growing up in the 1990s, our supply of vintage toons was broadcast 24/7 on Cartoon Network and Boomerang. For us, vintage toons meant the original 1969-72 series "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!"

CMBA Film Passion 101 Blogathon: THE WOMEN (1939)

This post is written in conjunction with the Classic Movie Blog Association (CMBA) Film Passion 101 Blogathon.

Old movies were a natural part of my childhood. My parents have always enjoyed classic films, so I grew up with AMC, Turner Classic Movies, and movies from our own VHS collection. My mother's best friend from college would hand down her old movies whenever she upgraded to a digital edition. The first classic movie I ever saw was THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) at my aunt's house. As a kid, movies were just movies, and it wasn't until my teenage years that I made my love for classic movies my own.

I remember watching THE WOMEN (1939) on TCM with my mom. I was probably about 13 years old and I was eating jelly beans (it's funny what you remember, isn't it?). I remember laughing my head off at the fast-paced dialogue. I remember the costumes. The movie can be viewed in full on YouTube.

Joan Fontaine, Norma Shearer, Rosalind Russell, Mary Boland, and Paulette Goddard

Sara Haden: What a Character!

This post is written in conjunction with the second annual What a Character! blogathon hosted by Kellee at Outspoken and Freckled, Aurora at Once Upon a Screen, and Paula at Paula's Cinema Club. Read my contribution to last year's blogathon about black character actress Louise Beavers.

Classic film fans will immediately recognize Sara Haden as Mickey Rooney's spinster Aunt Milly in the Andy Hardy films.

I recognize Sara Haden from her debut film, a long lost and forgotten Katharine Hepburn flick called SPITFIRE (1934). It's actually one of my favorite Hepburn movies, though Hepburn herself would rather nobody ever saw the raw hillbilly movie ever again.

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.

Five Roles Katharine Hepburn Never Played: Imaginary Film Blogathon

We all indulge in a little wishful thinking at some times.

"I wish political leaders wouldn't use chemical weapons on their own people."

"I wish Congress would NOT shut down the entire US government."

"I wish Katharine Hepburn had made a film about Amelia Earhart."

You know, the really important things in life.

Well, thanks to the wonderful folks over at Silver Scenes, now is every classic movie lovers chance to dream openly about those films that will never be. Here is a list of films I wish Katharine Hepburn could have gotten around to making.

REMODELING HER HUSBAND (1920): A lost Gish sisters treasure

This post is written in conjunction with the Gish Sisters Blogathon hosted by The Motion Pictures and Movies, Silently.

For my previous post about Dorothy and Lillian Gish, see Conservatism in Revolution: The Gish sisters in D. W. Griffith's ORPHANS OF THE STORM (1921). For more about silent movies in general, check out The Joys of Silent Film, a guide for newbies to the medium.

Sisters Dorothy and Lillian Gish had been working with famed movie legend D. W. Griffith for many years before he handed over the directorial reigns to Lillian for REMODELING HER HUSBAND (1920).

"Having worked in almost all the branches of motion pictures, I still felt that there was one thing I should like to do before I could feel that I really understood the medium: I wanted to direct." (Lillian Gish)

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!

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.

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! 

Barbara Stanwyck: A Lady or a Liar?

Just this past December, I profiled TCM's then star of the month, Barbara Stanwyck, or "Babs from Brooklyn." The sassy broad is back again for the Barbara Stanwyck Blogathon, hosted by The Girl with the White Parasol.

Barbara Stanwyck played her share of angelic mothers and the like (SO BIG (1932), THE TWO MRS. CARROLLS (1947), STELLA DALLAS (1937)), but my favorite Stanwyck roles are when she played a smart-talking chiseller  Often, Stanwyck was even able to bring a certain degree of empathy to the dastardly of characters (excepting Phyllis Dietrichson, of course). Many of her swindling characters weren't really bad women, they were just involved in some pretty seedy dealings. Here is my list of Stanwyck anti-heroines. Whichever way you take your Stanwyck, these movies are definitely classic cinema gold.

Dynamic Duos in Classic Film: Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant

This post is written in conjunction with the Dynamic Duos in Classic Film blogathon hosted by Once Upon a Screen and the Classic Movie Hub. This article and many like it can be found on margaretperry.org.

HOLIDAY (1938)

Katharine Hepburn had the privilege of playing with some of the best leading men of her day, from Humphrey Bogart to John Wayne. She is perhaps best known for the nine films she made between 1942 and 1967 with her long-term lover Spencer Tracy. Hepburn also worked with director and friend George Cukor on a remarkable ten movies, starting with her Hollywood début picture, A BILL OF DIVORCEMENT (1932), until THE CORN IS GREEN (1979) just a couple years before his death.

These two Hepburn teamings may be the most well-known, but we must not forget that Hepburn made four films with sex-pot Cary Grant before she ever met Tracy, and three of these four movies were directed by Cukor.

When Comedy Was Queen: The Women of the 1950s Sitcom

This post was written in conjunction with the Funny Lady Blogathon, hosted by Fritzi Kramer at Movies Silently. This article and many more film/feminist-related articles by may be found at margaretperry.org.

“You've heard it before: Women aren't funny. The opinion has been appearing and reappearing in various guises for decades... But few assertions are easier to prove than this one. It's as simple as saying that women make us laugh.” (We Killed 3)

“Women have always been funny. It's just that every success is called an exception and every failure an example of the rule. (We Killed 5)

Women have been active participants in history since the dawn of time (Who Cooked the Last Supper?), and the world of comedy is no exception. When looking back over the history of entertainment, who is the earliest comedienne you can think of? Fanny Brice immediately comes to mind. I am also reminded of Charlie Chaplin's leading lady Edna Purviance. No doubt there are many examples of funny ladies from Hollywood's Golden Age - let's not forget our very own Katharine Hepburn in such films as BRINGING UP BABY (1938) and THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940).

But what of television's golden age? Were women funny in an era when the happy housewife was the glorified ideal of American femininity? You bet your bloomers they were!

“The women featured here headlined their own sitcoms and were the top-billed stars of those shows. These actresses and their characters were the primary laugh-getters on some of the most highly rated sitcoms of the 1950s, shows that were noteworthy not only for their popularity, but for their innovation and creativity in the then-young medium of television.” (The Women Who Made Television Funny)

Many of television's first sitcoms were holdovers from radio. Husband and wife comedies like Ozzie and Harriet, Fibber McGee and Molly, and George Burns and Gracie Allen all enjoyed profound success on the airwaves before appearing on the small screen. Despite Beatrice Arthur's later comment that the women of these shows were "just a bubblehead out to get laughs," each earned professional respect as a comedienne in her own right.

This was certainly true of what I like to call "The Big Three" of early television comedy: Lucille Ball, Eve Arden and Betty White. The popularity of these comediennes, obtained independent of their male co-stars, has endured to today.

Dueling Divas and Why Hepburn Isn't One

This post was written in conjunction with the Dueling Divas Blogathon hosted by Lara at Backlots.

Women in film are often represented as romantic rivals for a male character. Girlfriends and ex-girlfriends, wives and mothers, sisters and fiancées are perpetually warring with each other on the big screen. As the Bechdel test highlights, women are seldom shown as friends, and when they are shown as friends they are still obsessed with love and marriage. We are often exposed to an image of women as bitchy, witchy, and catty. There is no doubt that the media perpetuates this view of womanhood via advertising and news coverage. The current slew of "reality" TV shows is shameless about showcasing the very worst idea of womanhood.

However, there are instances throughout film history when the public has been exposed to alternative, more healthy examples of womanhood. Several of Katharine Hepburn's films include situations where one would expect a "dueling diva" type of scenario, yet in many cases, any semblance of a romantic rivalry is broken down by the ultimate unity, or at least tolerance, of the female characters in question. These examples can be broken down into three distinct categories: communities of professional women, female relatives, and friendships. Hepburn's persona, as a champion of women's equality, serves to bring women together, rather than alienate them from each other. Here are the various ways that the strength of the Hepburn persona as anti-rival is manifested in her films:

Upcoming Events and Blogathons

The month of November promises to be a good one for the classic film blogging community. As usual, The Great Katharine Hepburn will be right in the thick of it. Here are some things to look forward to this month and next.

Dear Katharine Hepburn...

This post is written in conjunction with the Letter to the Stars Blogathon hosted by Marcela (another Hepburn fan!) at Best of the Past.

"Write a letter to your favorite dead star. What did you always want to tell them? How did they change your life? What's your favorite thing about them? How did they impact the world and what legacies did they leave? Write about anything you like, as long as it's addressed to your favorite dead star. Pretend they can hear you: It's your chance!"

Dear Katharine Hepburn,

Just want to say thank you for what you've taught me. Although we didn't properly meet until after your passing in 2003, sometimes I feel like I know you better than my oldest friends. I probably spend more time with you on average than with any other single person. That would be sad, if you weren't such an awesome dame.

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.