Love Letters to Old Hollywood

So, I definitely have a problem and it's called "hosting blogathons." I just can't help it, especially when it comes to celebrating people I adore. Life has been pretty hectic lately -- we had to recently put my grandfather in the nursing home and sell his house; I've finally recovered after three months of impaired vision; and my family is getting ready to embark on a European adventure that we desperately need. (Let's just say 2018 hasn't been completely kind to us so far.) This is all to say that I know this is a bit of a late announcement, but when thinking about what blogathons I wanted to host this year, my mind quickly went to the Van Johnson celebration I held in August of 2017 . As you may know, Van is one of my favorite actors. He has been a bright light throughout my entire journey with classic film, and it only makes sense that I show my love for the man by hosting the Second Van Johnson Blogathon on August 24-26! The rules are simp...

"Whatever you write about me, don’t make it sad." -- Rita Hayworth On October 17, 1918, Margarita Carmen Cansino was born. In the 1930s, she became Rita Hayworth, and over the next few decades, she was the iconic "Love Goddess." To this day, she remains a stunning talent and tragic figure for millions of film fans. For three days in October, I'll be celebrating this tremendous woman -- and just in time for her 100th birthday, too! I know it seems silly to announce this so early, but I'm going to be out of the country for two weeks soon, I'm about to start grad school, and I was afraid someone would beat me to the punch, so early announcement it was! The Rules: You can write about anything relating to Hayworth -- her films, her personal life, her dancing, her Hispanic heritage, the list goes on! I also won't limit how many posts you want to do. This probably goes without saying, but I would like for this event to be a loving tribute ...

After the success of 1929's The Broadway Melody , the first talkie to win Best Picture, MGM made a whole series of "Broadway Melody" films. While none of them have the same characters, the films are similar in their plots about backstage musicals and MGM always made sure they were full of glitz, glamour, and talent. Roy del Ruth's Broadway Melody of 1938 is a perfect example of this. Starring Robert Taylor, Eleanor Powell, Judy Garland, Sophie Tucker, Buddy Ebsen, George Murphy, and more, this movie is filled with bouncy musical numbers, beautiful cinematography, a nice score comprised of mostly Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown tunes, and some truly impressive moments. I'll be honest: when I started writing this post, I thought I had already seen Broadway Melody of 1938 only to realize that I had confused it for the movie that came before it, Broadway Melody of 1936 , which also features Powell, Taylor, and Ebsen, plus another score by Brown and Freed. A...