Hollywood's Golden Age v. 2.0

[miliosr]

The moderators closed the old thread because it had become too rambling and diffuse. Here is a new discussion thread to replace the old one.

When discussing Hollywood's Golden Age, it's best to start with the face of the greatest movie star of past eras, the present era and all future eras:

http://reelartpress.com/catalog/edition/45/hurrell

[dirac]

Them's fighting words, mister. By me that title goes to La Crawford's colleague and rival at MGM, Miss Garbo.

That's a smashing frock by Adrian. We'll never see his like again, either.

[sidwich]

And having just re-watched the original The Blue Angel with my film club, my vote would go to Marlena Dietrich. At least this week.

[bart]

miliosr, these movie threads are always great, but I find myself looking for a topic here. Or at least guidance towards a starter-topic.

Version 1.0 mortuus est. Vivat Version 2.0.

.

[dirac]

I thought we got off to a reasonable beginning, bart. Perhaps you'd like to nominate your movie star supreme?

This is a wide open subject, so a certain amount of wandering is expected. Ideally topics strong enough for a long independent thread will be introduced there, but we have some flexibility. (The main reason I closed the old one was that it had extended to nineteen pages and had grown unwieldy, difficult to read and search through.)

[bart]

Thanks, dirac. "Movie star supreme" is a hard one. Depends, I think, if we are talking about still photography or when seen moving, silent or with voice, black and white or color, depth and/or range of performance, one iconic role or complete oeuvre. On many of these, if I may choose only one star — and if we stick with Hollywood — I'll go with Bergman.

[dirac]

Post from Quiggin plucked from another forum:

Quote

New York Times Oct 15, 1949 Garbo May Appear in Ballet

Greta Garbo, film star, may appear at the Paris Opera House in the title role of Phedre new ballet by Jean Cocteau, Georges Auric and Serge Lifar. Auric, composer of the music, said today, “Miss Garbo, who is at present in America, has accepted in principle. She is at present in possession of the manuscript. * * * We are awaiting her definite decision. If she accepts she will mime the role. She will not dance.”

"She will not dance"? I should think so indeed.

As dubious as this project sounds the idea of Garbo as Phedre is an enticing one. Imagine the erotic charge she would bring to "Ce n'est plus une ardeur dans mes veines cachée: C'est Vénus tout entière à sa proie attachée" ! I see Robert Taylor as a passable Hippolytus - at least he'd look the part.....

[miliosr]

Them's fighting words, mister. By me that title goes to La Crawford's colleague and rival at MGM, Miss Garbo.

Really, dirac . . .

miliosr, these movie threads are always great, but I find myself looking for a topic here. Or at least guidance towards a starter-topic.

Think of the original thread and its successor as vines which grew and grow any which way -- heedless of any particular direction.

[bart]

Post from Quiggin plucked from another forum:

Quote

New York Times Oct 15, 1949 Garbo May Appear in Ballet

Greta Garbo, film star, may appear at the Paris Opera House in the title role of Phedre new ballet by Jean Cocteau, Georges Auric and Serge Lifar. Auric, composer of the music, said today, “Miss Garbo, who is at present in America, has accepted in principle. She is at present in possession of the manuscript. * * * We are awaiting her definite decision. If she accepts she will mime the role. She will not dance.”

"She will not dance"? I should think so indeed.

As dubious as this project sounds the idea of Garbo as Phedre is an enticing one. Imagine the erotic charge she would bring to "Ce n'est plus une ardeur dans mes veines cachée: C'est Vénus tout entière à sa proie attachée" ! I see Robert Taylor as a passable Hippolytus - at least he'd look the part.....

Dirac, I looked this 1950 production, which was without Garbo but WITH Toumanova, and posted about it on the current Serge Lifar thread. There are elements of Lifar's account of his own choreography which may give a sense of what Garbo might have been able to do with the role if she had taken it. From the awkward, sometimes comical, but generally comprehensible Google Translation:

The faces of the dancers is a screen, a series of tragic masks. [ ... ] the face and body dance speaks! [...] The plastic lines are deliberately very simple, with a geometric simplicity, sometimes hierati befits the grandeur tragic characters.

The face. The mask. The gestures. The idea of "mute anguish," which is mistranslated by Google as "deaf theater dance." It makes me think of Garbo's other flirtation with "dancing," in Mata Hari. But that's another story.

[dirac]

Them's fighting words, mister. By me that title goes to La Crawford's colleague and rival at MGM, Miss Garbo.

Really, dirac . . .

Pistols at dawn? Name your seconds, sir.

[miliosr]

Them's fighting words, mister. By me that title goes to La Crawford's colleague and rival at MGM, Miss Garbo.

Really, dirac . . .

Pistols at dawn? Name your seconds, sir.

I'll take Ramon Novarro as my second. No doubt he would faint at the sight of blood but he would look so handsome as he swooned.

You can have Norma "screwing the boss" Shearer as your second.

[Kerry1968]

I've spent a considerable amount of time studying this issue, and I've come to the inexorable conclusion that THIS is greatest movie star of them all!

[Mme. Hermine]

And so very versatile! (from the Metropolitan Opera's 100 anniversary broadcast of 1984):

[Mme. Hermine]

And 62 years earlier, as a girl with an abusive father, in Broken Blossoms (Donald Crisp as the father):

A segment of a 1983 interview with Joan Rivers; she was about 85 I think:

So can you guess who has my vote????

[lmspear]

I'm with the Gish group.

[pherank]

Crawford, Stanwyck, and Gish are all favorites of mine as well. ;)

[miliosr]

Crawford, Stanwyck, and Gish are all favorites of mine as well. ;)

You have excellent taste and, if I may say, sound judgement -- you've put the correct person first!

[pherank]

You have excellent taste and, if I may say, sound judgement -- you've put the correct person first!

LOL - Yes! My first A on a quiz in many years.

There are so many others to mention from over the years: Katherine Hepburn (and Audrey), Deborah Kerr, Wendy Hiller...

[miliosr]

I picked up the best cookbook (more like a pamphlet, actually) from 1933 on e-Bay -- Betty Crocker's 101 Delicious Bisquick Creations As Made and Served by Well-Known Gracious Hostesses; Famous Chefs; Distinguished Epicures and Smart Luminaries of Movieland. Recipes include Mary Pickford's Strawberry Shortcake, Claudette Colbert's Peach Shortcake and Gloria Swanson's Cheese Bisquicks. I would like to know why Joan Crawford wasn't included, though. I'll bet Norma "screwing the boss" Shearer was behind this injustice!

In any event, this well-know gracious hostess enjoyed reading through these recipes from nearly 80 years ago.

[miliosr]

Rizzoli has released a new book devoted to legendary M-G-M costume designer Adrian:

https://www.amazon.com/Adrian-Lifetime-Movie-Glamour-Fashion/dp/0847860116/ref=sr_1_1?crid=JTS6KCJ2SAMU&keywords=adrian+hollywood+designer&qid=1573344653&s=books&sprefix=adrian+hollywood%2Caps%2C187&sr=1-1

This is the third book devoted to Adrian in the last 20 years.

Lyons Press has also released a monograph anout legendary M-G-M art director Cedric Gibbons:

https://www.amazon.com/MGM-Style-Cedric-Gibbons-Hollywood/dp/1493038575/ref=sr_1_1?crid=HINORJ1YJ948&keywords=cedric+gibbons&qid=1573344927&s=books&sprefix=cedric+%2Caps%2C171&sr=1-1

 

[sandik]

Thanks for the heads-up!

[dirac]

Miss Crawford in the “Letty Lynton dress" of white organdy, which set a trend in broader shoulders for evening frocks. This was a man unafraid of ruffles: