Five Stars Blogathon.

It's National Classic Movie Day! Although many of us celebrate this every day, it's still nice to declare it a holiday, don't you think? To honor this wonderful occasion, the Classic Film and TV Cafe is hosting the Five Stars Blogathon. Participants must pick their five favorite actors from Hollywood's Golden Age, an idea that sounds great until you have to actually do it. I didn't think I could ever choose just five, but once I started reading other bloggers' posts, I decided I didn't want to miss out on the fun.

I'll admit that none of my picks are that surprising. I've talked about these five people so, so much, yet when I started writing this post, they felt like no-brainers. It still hurt my heart to leave out certain people, but what can you do?

Kate the Great will forever be my woman of the year. Her acting stuns me. Her beauty is undeniable. Her perspective was always unique and invaluable. Her voice was perfect. Simply put, I love this gal.

 Without Fred Astaire, how much duller would our lives be? A genuine sweetheart offscreen, on the screen Astaire was playful, funny, natural, romantic, and incredibly mesmerizing. I've found so much light and happiness in his work -- being deathly afraid of needles, I actually had to picture Fred and Ginger dancing when I had an IV for the removal of my wisdom teeth a few years ago. He was such a lovely human being and I think we could all learn a thing or two about humility and grace from him.

 Honesty time: I thought one of my picks was going to be Audrey Hepburn. She is tied for my second favorite actress, after all. (My other second favorite will be revealed shortly.) When I was scrolling through my files to find a photo of Audrey, though, I saw a few of Judy and I just knew I had to change it. Judy Garland has been one of the most influential people in my life. As a kid, Dorothy Gale was like my best friend, and when I opened my eyes to the classics, Judy was one of the reasons why. I've been fiercely protective of her ever since. I get goosebumps just thinking about the sheer talent this woman had. Hollywood will never see a performer like her again, a person who could so easily wrap you around their finger with one single look. A divine woman we didn't deserve.

 I've sighed over so many men from classic Hollywood, but no one has made me fall harder than Cary Grant. The man was gorgeous. To make a delicious cake even sweeter, he is one of the best actors I've ever seen. His comedic timing, double takes, yelps, and banter are all unparalleled. His dramatic work could be tender, angry, vulnerable, and full of pain. He practically created the word "debonair." And his voice! Everything about Cary makes me swoon.

Show of hands, who saw this one coming? Esther Williams is someone I will cherish for the rest of my life. She is everything I hope to be and more. With kindness, confidence, humor, and honesty, Esther has become my life coach and my biggest source of comfort. Her films are singular, fascinating, and they challenged the mechanics of filmmaking. No one could replace MGM's mermaid and no one outshone her in her delightful aqua musicals. I mean, she basically invented her own genre! So many resources went into producing films that were centered around one person, one woman. How can I not applaud that?

Happy National Classic Movie Day!