Hollywood Golden Age of cinema
@HGACinema • 83,421 subscribers
Celebrating the movie stars from the Golden Age of cinema. Posts by Neil Macready.
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![Sally Ann Howes landed the role of Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) without auditioning, but there was one problem. “I don’t dance,” she later admitted. “I’m appalling.” Howes had told producers she could dance and now had to learn fast. The “Doll on a Music Box” number was “the most difficult thing in the whole world. I really was very proud of it,” Howes recalled. “I did it on the set. I was a bit nervous about it, with about 150 extras [looking on]. They put me up on this box and off I went. And I got it in one take!”](https://image.24vids.com/tw-1992889076752490558/amplify_video_thumb/1992889008612126720/img/xKIQnk2viweHYj5b.jpg)
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Travis Bickle’s mohawk in Taxi Driver wasn't De Niro's idea. It came from Victor Magnotta, a friend of Scorsese's who had served in Vietnam and played a Secret Service agent in the film. Magnotta told them that in Saigon, if you saw a soldier with a mohawk, it meant he was ready to go into a Special Forces operation and you stayed away from him. De Niro couldn't actually shave his head because he was about to start filming The Last Tycoon with Elia Kazan right after. So he called Dick Smith, the makeup artist behind The Godfather and The Exorcist, who later won an Oscar for Amadeus. Smith built a latex bald cap and glued each bit of hair onto it individually. The cap was so uncomfortable that De Niro had to keep his neck completely stiff all day to stop it from peeling off. That stiffness ended up becoming part of the character; Travis doesn't move his head like a normal person in those scenes because De Niro physically couldn't. The whole film cost $1.9 million. The mohawk is still intact and you can visit it at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens. Description and photos sourced from Filmatic. Filmatic on X (Twitter) | Filmatic Filmatic on Instagram |
Hollywood Golden Age of Cinema173,532 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
In Remembrance of Marilyn Monroe on her 100th Birthday Born | June 1, 1926 in Los Angeles, California, USA Probably the most celebrated of all actresses, Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926, in the charity ward of the Los Angeles General Hospital. Her mother, Gladys Pearl (Monroe), was born in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, to American parents from Indiana and Missouri, and was a film-cutter at Consolidated Film Industries. Marilyn's biological father has been established through DNA testing as Charles Stanley Gifford, who had been born in Newport, Rhode Island, to a family with deep roots in the state. Marilyn grew up not knowing for sure who her father really was. Gladys gave Norma Jeane the name of Baker. Poverty was a constant companion to Gladys and Norma. Gladys, who was extremely attractive and later worked for R.K.O. Studios, suffered from mental illness and was in and out of mental institutions for the rest of her life, and because of that Norma Jeane spent time in foster homes. When she was nine, she was placed in an orphanage where she was to stay for the next two years. Upon being released from the orphanage, she went to yet another foster home. In 1942, at sixteen years old, Norma Jeane married twenty-one-year-old aircraft plant worker James Dougherty. The marriage lasted only four years, and they divorced in 1946. By this time, Marilyn began to model swimsuits and bleached her hair blonde. Various shots made their way into the public eye, where some were eventually seen by R.K.O. Pictures head Howard Hughes. He offered Marilyn a screen test, but an agent suggested that 20th Century-Fox would be the better choice for her, since it was a much bigger and more prestigious studio. She was signed to a contract at $125 per week for a six-month period and that was increased by $25 per week at the end of that time when her contract was lengthened. Her first film was in 1947 with a bit part in The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (1947). Her next production was not much better, a bit in the forgettable Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948). Two of the three brief scenes in which she appeared wound up on the cutting room floor. Later that same year, she was given a somewhat better role as Evie in Dangerous Years (1947). However, Fox declined to renew her contract, so she went back to modeling and acting school. Columbia Pictures then picked her up to play Peggy Martin in Ladies of the Chorus (1948), where she sang three numbers. Notices from the critics were favorable for her, if not the film, but Columbia dropped her. Once again Marilyn returned to modeling. In 1949, she appeared in United Artists' Love Happy (1949). It was also that same year she posed nude for the now famous calendar shot which was later to appear in Playboy magazine in 1953 and further boost her career. She would be the first centerfold in that magazine's long and illustrious history. The next year proved to be a good year for Marilyn. She appeared in five films, but the good news was that she received very good notices for her roles in two of them, The Asphalt Jungle (1950) from MGM and All About Eve (1950) from Fox. Even though both roles were basically not much more than bit parts, movie fans remembered her dizzy but very sexy blonde performance. In 1951, Marilyn got a fairly sizable role in Love Nest (1951). The public was now getting to know her and liked what it saw. She had an intoxicating quality of volcanic sexuality wrapped in an aura of almost childlike innocence. In 1952, Marilyn appeared in Don't Bother to Knock (1952), in which she played a somewhat mentally unbalanced babysitter. Critics didn't particularly care for her work in this picture, but she made a much more favorable impression later in the year in Monkey Business (1952), where she was seen for the first time as a platinum blonde, a look that became her trademark. The next year, she appeared in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) as Lorelei Lee. It was also the same year she began dating the baseball great Joe DiMaggio. Marilyn was now a genuine box-office drawing card. Later, she appeared with Betty Grable, Lauren Bacall, and Rory Calhoun in How to Marry a Millionaire (1953). Although her co-stars got the rave reviews, it was the sight of Marilyn that really excited the audience, especially the male members. On Thursday, January 14th, 1954, Marilyn wed DiMaggio, then proceeded to film There's No Business Like Show Business (1954). That was quickly followed by The Seven Year Itch (1955), which showcased her considerable comedic talent and contained what is arguably one of the most memorable moments in cinema history: Marilyn standing above a subway grating and the wind from a passing subway blowing her white dress up. By October 1954, Marilyn announced her divorce from DiMaggio (though the divorce was not finalised until October 31, 1955). In 1955, she was suspended by Fox for not reporting for work on How to Be Very, Very Popular (1955). It was her second suspension, the first being for not reporting for the production of The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955). Both roles went to others. Her work was slowing down, due to her habit of being continually late to the set, her illnesses (whether real or imagined) and generally being unwilling to cooperate with her producers, directors, and fellow actors. However in Bus Stop (1956), Marilyn finally showed critics that she could play a straight dramatic role. It was also the same year she married playwright Arthur Miller. (They divorced January 20, 1961.) In 1957, Marilyn flew to Britain to film The Prince and the Showgirl (1957), which proved less than impressive critically and financially. It made money, but many critics panned it for being slow-moving. After a year off in 1958, Marilyn returned to the screen the next year for the delightful comedy, Some Like It Hot (1959) with Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. The film was an absolute smash hit, with Curtis and Lemmon pretending to be females in an all-girl band, so they can get work. This was to be Marilyn's only film for the year. In 1960, Marilyn appeared in George Cukor's Let's Make Love (1960) with Tony Randall and Yves Montand. Again, while it made money, it was critically panned as stodgy and slow-moving. The following year, Marilyn made what was to be her final film, The Misfits (1961), which also proved to be the final film for the legendary Clark Gable, who died later that year of a heart attack. The film was popular with critics and the public alike. In 1962, Marilyn was chosen to star in Fox's Something's Got to Give (1962). Again, her absenteeism caused delay after delay in production, resulting in her being fired from the production in June of that year. It looked as though her career was finished. Studios just didn't want to take a chance on her because it would cost them thousands of dollars in delays. She was only 36 years old. Marilyn remains a pop culture icon, with the American Film Institute ranking her as the sixth-greatest female screen legend from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Marilyn acted in only thirty films, but her legendary status and mysticism will remain with film history for ever.
Hollywood Golden Age of cinema35,552 Aufrufe • vor 7 Tagen
Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) wears the same dresses all the way through Breakfast at Tiffany's, simply changing the accessories to give each outfit a different look. Her black shift dress features through the movie at least four times. This signifies that while she wasn't well-off, she was savvy with being stylish, using the little she had to great effect. According to lyricist Johnny Mercer, in a meeting following a San Francisco screening of the movie, a Paramount executive, in reference to “Moon River”, said, “Well, I think the first thing we can do is get rid of that stupid song”. Audrey Hepburn stood up at the table and told him, “Over my dead body!”. The song stayed in the movie, and has since become a classic. Since then, “Moon River” has been recorded more than 500 times.
Hollywood Golden Age of cinema88,391 Aufrufe • vor 23 Tagen
The town barn-raising event in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), described by film critic Stephanie Zacharek as “one of the most rousing dance numbers ever put on screen.” To perform the dance numbers and action sequences, choreographer Michael Kidd wanted dancers to portray all six of Adam Pontipee's brothers. Kidd said that he “had to find a way to have these backwoods men dance without looking ridiculous. I had to base it all around activities you would accept from such people—it couldn't look like ballet. And it could only have been done by superbly trained dancers.” However, he was able to integrate into the cast two non-dancer MGM contract players who were assigned to the film, Jeff Richards, who performed just the simpler dance numbers, and Russ Tamblyn, using him in the dance numbers by exploiting his talents as a gymnast and tumbler. The other four brothers were portrayed by professional dancers—Matt Mattox, Marc Platt, Tommy Rall, and Jacques d'Amboise. All four balanced on a beam together during the barn-raising dance. Professional dancers played all seven of the brides. The four girls whom Adam sees in the Bixby store when he first goes into town are Dorcas, Ruth, Liza and Sarah.
Hollywood Golden Age of cinema52,149 Aufrufe • vor 15 Tagen
Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland in a scene from “The Adventures of Robin Hood” (1938), directed by Michael Curtiz. During one fight sequence, Errol Flynn was jabbed by an actor who was using an unprotected sword ― Flynn asked him why he didn't have a guard on the point. The other player apologised and explained that director Michael Curtiz had instructed him to remove the safety feature in order to make the action “more exciting”. Flynn reportedly climbed up a gantry where Curtiz was standing next to the camera, took him by the throat and asked him if he found that “exciting enough.”
Hollywood Golden Age of Cinema617,845 Aufrufe • vor 6 Monaten
Julie Andrews reaction to this is everything. 🥹 Celebrating the 65th anniversary of the song “Edelweiss” with this ✨WICKED✨ performance from Cynthia Erivo. Credit: The 48th AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Julie Andrews 2022 Courtesy of the American Film Institute.
Hollywood Golden Age of Cinema536,722 Aufrufe • vor 6 Monaten
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This scene of Cyd Charisse from Silk Stockings (1957 was met with a least a couple of raised eyebrows from the Hays film censors. For one two-second instant, she is seen at length in a silk camisole exposing her legendary legs. This was considered too risqué by the Hays office, and a high-back chair was integrated into the dance for her to run behind. After she emerges from behind the chair, she has slipped on a swirling petticoat, but it is transparent and gives quick glimpses of her legs anyway, which were what most viewers wanted to see. The costume at the end of this clip was designed by Helen Rose.
Hollywood Golden Age of Cinema218,410 Aufrufe • vor 3 Monaten
Happy 80th Birthday to GOLDIE HAWN Born | November 21, 1945 in Washington, DC, USA Video | Worrying is the WORST Thing You Can Do! | Goldie Hawn American actress, producer, dancer, and singer Goldie Jeanne Hawn achieved stardom and acclaim for playing light-hearted comedic roles in film and television. In a career spanning six decades, she has received several awards, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for a BAFTA Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards. She rose to fame on the NBC sketch comedy program Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1968–1970). She made her screen debut in a minor role in the western comedy The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968), before going on to receive the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her comedic role in Cactus Flower (1969). She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for playing a woman who enlists for the army in the comedy Private Benjamin (1980). Hawn has also starred in such comedy films as There's a Girl in My Soup (1970), Butterflies Are Free (1972), The Sugarland Express (1974), Shampoo (1975), Foul Play (1978), and Seems Like Old Times (1980). She later starred in Overboard (1987), Bird on a Wire (1990), Death Becomes Her, Housesitter (both 1992), The First Wives Club (1996), The Out-of-Towners (1999), and The Banger Sisters (2002). Hawn made her return to film with roles in Snatched (2017), The Christmas Chronicles (2018), and The Christmas Chronicles 2 (2020). Hawn is the mother of actors Oliver Hudson, Kate Hudson, and Wyatt Russell. She has been in a relationship with Kurt Russell since 1983. In 2003, she founded the Hawn Foundation, which educates underprivileged children.
Hollywood Golden Age of cinema448,075 Aufrufe • vor 6 Monaten
Grace Kelly's entrance in Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954) has been called “the most perfect entrance made by an actress on film”. 💋😙👩❤️💋👨 According to Hitchcock’s associate producer, Herbert Coleman, “it was the most beautiful shot of a woman I have ever seen in my life”.
Hollywood Golden Age of cinema421,458 Aufrufe • vor 6 Monaten
In the 1953 film “Niagara”, Marilyn Monroe left her mark on cinema history with one of the most iconic walks ever captured on screen ― and in one continuous shot! 👠 Her graceful steps, the way her costume highlighted her silhouette, and the confidence in her gaze turned a simple walk into pure legend. Designed by Dorothy Jeakins, the costume perfectly framed Marilyn’s unforgettable presence. Her walk in “Niagara” is remembered as one of the longest — and most unforgettable — in the history of cinema.
Hollywood Golden Age of Cinema352,124 Aufrufe • vor 6 Monaten
Clint Eastwood as Inspector Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry (1971). “I know what you're thinking: 'Did he fire six shots or only five?' Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, I've kinda lost track myself. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do you, punk?”.
Hollywood Golden Age of cinema348,531 Aufrufe • vor 6 Monaten
Jack Lemmon on working with Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot (1959) During the filming of Some Like It Hot, Marilyn Monroe was facing intense personal struggles, including anxiety, depression, pregnancy complications, and increasing marital strain. These difficulties contributed to chronic lateness, forgotten lines, and numerous retakes, resulting in significant production delays and increased costs overall. For example, the line “It’s me, Sugar” reportedly required 47 takes. “She had a kind of elegant vulgarity about her. That, I think, was very important. And she automatically knew where the joke was. She did not discuss it. She came for the first rehearsal, and she was absolutely perfect, when she remembered the line.” — Billy Wilder
Hollywood Golden Age of cinema55,367 Aufrufe • vor 29 Tagen
Grace Kelly as Tracy Lord in her last Hollywood movie High Society (1956) before her wedding to Prince Rainier and becoming Princess Grace of Monaco: “It was one of my most enjoyable experiences. I was in love, I was engaged, I was singing a song called “True Love” ― it was wonderful, and I remember the cast as a group of amiable professionals. We had such fun making that picture. At last, I thought maybe I could put it all together as Tracy Lord. I was never happy with my singing ― it seemed awfully tentative to me when I heard our playback of “True Love” ― but our director (Charles Walters) left us alone in all the long scenes of dialogue. Maybe because I was about to leave Hollywood, I felt relaxed and could just let the character have her way ― I didn’t impose myself on her.” ― Grace Kelly on making High Society (1956).
Hollywood Golden Age of cinema42,972 Aufrufe • vor 23 Tagen
Fred Astaire brings in the New Year with his “drunk” dance in the 1942 musical “Holiday Inn”. His very patient partner is Marjorie Reynolds. Astaire wrote about shooting this scene in his autobiography, saying: “I had to look plenty drunk in that bit and figured there was only one good way to do it. Yes, you’re right. I took two stiff hookers of bourbon before the first take and one before each succeeding take. I had to fall down on my face and be carried out for the finish. It was hot on that stage, too! All in all we did it seven times. The last one was the best.”
Hollywood Golden Age of Cinema247,445 Aufrufe • vor 5 Monaten
Claudia Cardinale was a lady of many talents. Cardinale's appearance on the Italian musical variety show Canzonissima was initially meant to promote her current film, but transformed into a magnificent, precisely calibrated exchange between her and the RAI orchestra in December 1971. At first I didn't think it could be real, but apparently it is!
Hollywood Golden Age of cinema172,536 Aufrufe • vor 3 Monaten
![Robert Duvall making his screen debut in To Kill a Mockingbird, 1962. The 31-year-old didn’t have a single line of dialogue on-screen. However, in 2021, Duvall revealed that he had one line cut from the film: “At the end, when they’re [Jem and Scout] leading me home, they say, ‘We’re going to take you home,’ and I say Something like, ‘Where are you taking me?’ or ‘Where?’ Something like that. That was all, but they cut the line.”](https://image.24vids.com/tw-1989266673707389013/amplify_video_thumb/1989266574998646784/img/bvLrshu6QJWhi4RE.jpg)
Robert Duvall making his screen debut in To Kill a Mockingbird, 1962. The 31-year-old didn’t have a single line of dialogue on-screen. However, in 2021, Duvall revealed that he had one line cut from the film: “At the end, when they’re [Jem and Scout] leading me home, they say, ‘We’re going to take you home,’ and I say Something like, ‘Where are you taking me?’ or ‘Where?’ Something like that. That was all, but they cut the line.”
Hollywood Golden Age of cinema306,643 Aufrufe • vor 6 Monaten
A relatively unknown Marilyn Monroe makes a cameo appearance in the musical comedy film, “Love Happy” (1949). Groucho Marx told an anecdote ― both on a '60s Today Show segment and in print ― that the movie's producer Lester Cowan asked three aspiring actresses to walk seductively past Marx. Whomever Marx decided was the best walker would play opposite him in the film. When the third girl walked past, Marx asked the producer, “How could you possibly choose anyone but that last one?”. Marx had chosen Marilyn Monroe for the film.
Hollywood Golden Age of Cinema222,976 Aufrufe • vor 5 Monaten