Happy birthday to the legendary songwriter responsible for the standards Stardust, Heart and Soul, The Nearness of You, and Georgia On My Mind, to name but a few. Hoagy Carmichael also appeared in numerous movies, performing his own songs, often with a variety of stars. Today’s SOTD selections are from The Las Vegas Story, and To Have and Have Not, respectively.
Watch Gene Tierney star in her most famous role, as the titular character in Otto Preminger’s 1944 Film Noir, Laura, alongside Vincent Price, Clifton Webb and Dana Andrews. It’s also streaming on Netflix, if you prefer larger screen viewing, and who doesn’t?
“I have a gift for enraging people, but if I ever bore you it will be with a knife.”
With that iconic, sharp bob, and a sexually liberated attitude, Louise Brooks virtually defined the Flapper era of femininity.
http://selvedgeyard.com/2011/02/08/the-original-it-girl-of-the-1920s-the-allure-of-louise-brooks/
Here’s a BBC documentary, as I always find their docs entertaining and well produced (though I have not watched this one yet).
And her most enduring performance, as Lulu in G.W. Pabst’s 1929 film, Pandora’s Box…
Hedy Lamarr would have been 101 today.
“I’m a sworn enemy of convention. I despise the conventional in anything, even the arts.”
Taken from the focus of my last post, 1946’s, Gilda. This is the version that actually has Rita Hayworth’s vocals. Written by Doris Fisher and Allan Roberts.
Anita Ellis handles vocal duties on this version…
and here, as well, on another Fisher and Roberts composition, later covered by Grace Jones.
Now do yourself a favor, whether it’s your first or fiftieth time, watch Gilda. Hayworth absolutely transfixes as the titular femme fatale. Sidenote: Rita sings the version of PTBOM, in which she is playing guitar, all other vocals for Gilda are handled by Anita Ellis. Sidenote #2: Rita Hayworth is my Dad’s celebrity crush, understandably.
A fascinating introduction to her work and life, and a frightening glimpse of what it was like to be a tough and independently minded woman in the golden age of Hollywood.
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