Content starts here
CLOSE ×
Search
Reply
Social Butterfly

That's Entertainment Trivia

From a young age, I always loved watching the old classic movies and and adored the movie stars.  It was one of the few ways my dad and I bonded.  He was a brilliant engineer, and strict disciplinarian, but always had a soft spot for the movies and the lives of the stars.  

 

My contribution: Fred Astaire: one of the greatest ( if not the greatest ) dancers in the movies.  In 1933 Fred Astaire received his first screen test. It was quoted that a casting director conclusion was that  Astaire, "Can't act, slightly bald, but can dance a little."  Hopefully whoever said that was fired!

Anyone else have a fascination about the stars and their movies from the 1930's - 1970's? Would be fun to have a place to swap little known, but interesting facts about the era. I can't be the only old movie fan in the on-line community.

 

Bronze Conversationalist

I remember watching a lot of old movies as a kid. I liked all the Shirley Temple movies until I watched them more recently and saw they were pretty awful scripts and lots of over acting by the adults and/or bad directing. Hepburn and Grant in Bringing Up Baby was funny. I enjoyed Hepburn and Tracy in Desk Set. Never really got into info about the lives of stars. 

 

Social Butterfly

@DeahWAI think the most fascinating thing about Shirley Temple's career, was that she could watch a whole dance demonstrated once, and could do it flawlessly.  Hepburn and fill in the blank, awesome.  Loved her pairing with Humphrey Bogart  in the "African Queen."

0 Kudos
4,797
5
Report
Social Butterfly

Read More
0
Kudos
5936
Views
Conversationalist

I need to see "Casablanca" again. I only saw it once, about fifteen years ago. And what stuck with me beyond the fact that it was a great film was that I recognized so many references that Bugs Bunny made in countless cartoons I saw growing up.  He quotes the movie a lot!

Social Butterfly

@AvocadoDog It's amazing the humor in cartoons, often pretty sophisticated jokes on pop culture, over the heads of kids, but great for the adults.  Bugs is my favorite cartoon character, my dad loved Pink Panther.

 

Casablanca has got to have the most quotable lines of any movie.  There's so many great ones.  Can't even think of all the times that movie has been spoofed.  "Play It Again, Sam" with Woody Allen is the first one that comes to mind.

 

 

Social Butterfly

Read More
Social Butterfly

to be continued . . . taking a break

0 Kudos
4,483
0
Report
Social Butterfly

From Fred Astaire to his most famous dance partner, Ginger Rogers.  The whole time they were partners, they never had a fight, except for one time  Fred got exasperated and yelled about a certain dress that Ginger insisted on wearing.  It was covered in blue ostrich feathers, and as she danced a few would fall off, requiring take after take.  They finally found a solution, reinforcing every feather to withstand the rigorous hours of dance, and the dance sequence filmed beautifully. It was from "Top Hat" in the scene where Fred sang "Cheek to Cheek. After that, Astaire's  affectionately referred to her as "feathers."

Social Butterfly

                                        ----- Cary Grant: One Of The Best -----

 

The American Film Institute called Cary Grant the second greatest male star behind Humphrey Bogart ( oddly never won a best actor oscar ).  Not bad for someone who started out with the name of Archibald Leach, very poor, broken home life and dropped out of school at the age of 14.  He supported himself in his first jobs as a acrobat and vaudevillian. Which helped him  him with timing and physical comedy. Never played  a villain in he numerous movies that spanned decades. 

 

Married five times.  But the love of his life was Sophia Loren.  Had a mother who spend most of her life in a psych ward.  Famous Grant quote, " insanity runs in my family.  It practically gallops."  He was quoted as saying, "Everyone wants to be Cary Grant.  Even I want to be Cary Grant." Actress and comedian Mae West is credited with discovering Grant.  The James Bond ( 007 ) was partially modeled after Cary Grant. With his incredible good looks and ability to be suave and charming, not surprising.  Many consider George Clooney as the modern-day Cary Grant.  

Social Butterfly

Are there people in the movie industry that you would like to see featured on this site? Do you have anyone that you would like to share about?

0 Kudos
4,932
3
Report
Social Butterfly

Read More
0
Kudos
7689
Views
Conversationalist

I watch more old TV than old movies, but certainly have an appreciation for old films. I watched a few episodes of "The Barbara Stanwyck Show" a few months ago. It's an anthology series, with each episode starring Stanwyck in a different role. It's pretty hokey by 2020s standards, but I enjoy it for that reason (and for seeing which character actors I recognize). 

 

There's something about Barbara Stanwyck's presence, in the roles she plays on the show and her intros, where I kind of got the impression she was a nice, down-to-earth person.

Social Butterfly

@AvocadoDog  You bring up an excellent point, maybe we should open up this space to old tv shows as well. Thank you for the info on "The Barbara Stanwyck Show", I'll see if I can find that."

cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Users
Need to Know

"I downloaded AARP Perks to assist in staying connected and never missing out on a discount!" -LeeshaD341679

AARP Perks

More From AARP