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

LAMB Acting School 101: Rosalind Russell

This post is written in conjunction with the LAMB Acting School 101 hosted by the Large Association of Movie Blogs.

Rosalind Russell has been one of my favorite actresses ever since I first saw her in THE WOMEN and HIS GIRL FRIDAY. I love the verve, energy, wit, and confidence that she expresses on screen in all her films. She was a talented actress who could perform well in all genres, though comedy was hr undeniable forte. Below is a list of the Rosalind Russell films I would recommend for any classic movie fan. What are your favorite Rosalind Russell movies and how would your list compare to mine?

(In reverse chronological order)

Feminist Star Personas of Classic Hollywood (other than Katharine Hepburn)

http://feministguidetohollywood.blogspot.com/

Feminist personas of classic Hollywood come in many shapes and sizes. Some, like the great Katharine Hepburn, found profound new ways to represent strong women on the big screen. Others more subtly broke new ground in their private lives. There is no set way to define a feminist icon, but there are some ways you can measure how progressive the stars' personas could be. For one, all of these women are professionals who get paid (a lot) for their talent and hard work. Secondly, stars who were aware of their desire to present a progressive view of women often chose films which would showcase these strengths.