Scarlett AND Blanche and yet nobody has posted here?
Let us celebrate this legend of an actress!
shareBeautiful enchanting actress, no one like her today unfortunately.
MovieChat Forums > Vivien Leigh Discussion > Scarlett AND Blanche and yet nobody has ...
Great actress!
shareA lot of people these days don't even acknowledge films/actors/actresses from before they were born.
shareThat is something that really pisses me off. I completely agree with your post, and it’s such a shame that people are like that these days. So unbelievably self centered. “If this movie was made before I was born it doesn’t matter. It’s, like, totally black and white...and stuff.” Ugh, that attitude drives me nuts!
I love the golden age of Hollywood, and find that era fascinating, and loaded with talent and actual movie stars that most of today’s “stars” don’t even come close to.
I used to be one of those guys who didn't watch older movies. If it was made before about 1980 I just didn't really mess with it, with the exception of a few films I grew up with like The Wizard of Oz and The Sound of Music.
But then about 10 years ago I took a film history class and that opened me up to all kinds of films that I had never seen before. I have since gone back and watched many of the classics that I missed in my younger years--everything from the big stuff like Lawrence of Arabia, Citizen Kane, Casablanca and Singin' in the Rain to lesser known minor classics like Cat People and Gun Crazy--and it's been a great journey. In fact, just a few months ago I watched Gone with the Wind for the first time after blindly buying it on Blu-Ray.
There was definitely something about those old stars and starlets that today's actors don't have and there really is something compelling about that era in Hollywood. If you listen to podcasts, you may want to check out You Must Remember This. It's a podcast about Golden Age Hollywood history and there are a ton of episodes available. A good episode to start with is the ep on Val Lewton.
Classic cinema is my comfort food. I really don't like stuff from my crass generation.
shareBeing an action movie junkie, I still primarily watch films from the modern era. But there IS something comforting about those old movies. It was definitely a different era, and those films really do make the past look like a simpler time.
shareI agree, they are comforting, and for the most part better written, better acted, had better music and gorgeous sets, costumes and cinematography than today's movies which for the most part either resemble expensive, 2 hour long video games, or mediocre tv movies.
shareOne thing in particular in older films that you literally don't see anymore are matte paintings. With everything being digital now, it is literally a lost art. While those paintings didn't always look realistic, they did often look quite beautiful.
I mean, look at insanely awesome these are. I still to this day do not really understanding how they seamlessly blended the live action with the paintings.
Black Narcissus
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ECSsLTzU8AYpgnP.jpg
Citizen Kane
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f9/b8/0e/f9b80ec0a28f29bf0fd92f031fba5ca7.jpg
Cleopatra
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d0/b5/cc/d0b5cc5c01e0e474f6753d840985c9f2.jpg
Yes, completely agree.
Sadly a lost art.
Actually forgot how stunning the Himalayan backdrops look in Black Narcissus...that's like a Renaissance painting!
How about these:
MARRY POPPINS
https://www.toolbox-studio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Mary_Poppins_LARGE.jpg
BEN HUR
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTquP1X4Lw25GhCxvRj-lLOn9-MUqQC3JyKog&usqp=CAU
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTUOxizbbkafeuAHL4o-Ij5VtJSJDzk5UbLuA&usqp=CAU
Those are nice. Great craftsmanship in all of those. If I didn't look at it too closely, I might even think Singin' in the Rain is totally real.
In fact, when I was a kid and didn't know any better I actually thought that all of those shots in old movies WERE real. Like, I knew that something looked a little weird about them, but I just had no conception of matte paintings or that it was possible to manipulate the image like that.
One that actually fooled me just recently was this shot in North by Northwest:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b8/08/af/b808af1a890aae9fdd24f1022dbbc96c.jpg
I totally thought that house actually existed!
I'll also mention all the matte work in the Star Wars films. Much of it looks almost photo-realistic.
I used to be one of those guys too with the exception of Cagney and Bogart, I always loved their films, which later led me into the delights of film noir and then enjoying the most well-known films of great actors like Vivien Leigh, Charles Laughton and Laurence Olivier.
Most of the time I buy second hand DVD's or watch them for free online on a Russian website similar to YouTube.
Some of the best films I’ve seen this year are from the 1930’s!
The 30s rule! Curious, which great 1930s movies did you watch this year?
I was also a strict Bogie and Cagney guy and didn't bother watching anything else that was old... until I saw a restored and remastered print of "The General" by Bustor Keaton, which I loved and it sparked a kind of inspiration in me to watch more movies later throughout the era and earlier. Lately, I'm discovering amazing foreign directors like Kurosawa, Ophuls, Fellini and Herzog.
St. Martin's Lane with Charles Laughton and Vivien Leigh is pretty good, as well as a thriller called 21 Days with Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier, I'd love to see that one remade!
The best film from the 30's I saw this year which I had never seen before is without a doubt is a drama called I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, based on a true story about a chain gang escapee, Paul Muni puts in a masterful performance, with the final shot and line likely to linger with you for some time after!
Ida Lupino, an actress I wasn’t all that familiar with is also great in a film called They Drive by Night which stars Raft and Bogart but goes off into another direction once Ida Lupino appears.
I recommend those two movies if you’ve yet to see them.
Yeah, "I Am a Fugitive From a Chaingang" is indeed a great movie.
They Drive By Night is on my watch list
Never heard of 21 Days but I'll definitely seek it out, too! Thanks.
Sure, sounds good.
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