Today is Olivia de Havilland’s 100th birthday! Olivia is probably best-known for playing Melanie “Mellie” Hamilton, Ashley Wilkes’ sweet wife-to-be and the eventual sister-in-law of Scarlett O’Hara in the 1939 classic Gone with the Wind. I became a fan of her through that role, Gone with the Wind being one of the first classic films I watched. But Olivia is much more than just Mellie … Continue reading Happy 100th Birthday, Olivia de Havilland!
Jerry Paris, the actor/director best-known for his work in classic television, was born William Gerald Paris in San Francisco, California on this day in 1925. A child of divorce, Jerry was adopted as a child by his mother’s second husband and took the name William Gerald Grossman. When he became a professional actor, he would revert to his biological father’s last name. Prior to his … Continue reading Jerry Paris: A tribute
Happy (early) birthday to Thelma Ritter, born February 14, 1902 in Brooklyn, New York! Ritter got her acting start in high school plays before training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Prior to her first bit role in Miracle on 34th Street, she worked on the New York stage and on the radio. Her role in that film was uncredited — she simply played a … Continue reading Thelma Ritter: a tribute
Born on this day in 1888, Frances Marion (born Marion Benson Owens) would grow up to become one of the most prominent women of Hollywood’s golden age. But Frances Marion was no screen star — she was a writer, one of only a few women who were able to find major success in the male-dominated world of 20th century screenwriting. Before becoming a screenwriter, she … Continue reading Frances Marion: a tribute
Ruby Ann Wallace, later known as Ruby Dee, was born in Cleveland, Ohio on October 27, 1924. As Ruby described in With Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together, her parents were teenagers who hadn’t wanted another child. They already had one son and one daughter. When Ruby was about three years old, her mother left the family “to follow a preacher man.” Her father … Continue reading Ruby Dee: a tribute
On October 6, 1908, an average American couple by the names of Frederick and Elizabeth became parents to a baby girl. They already had two sons. They named their family’s new addition Jane Alice Peters, but she would later become known as Carole Lombard, the queen of screwball comedy. Elizabeth divorced Frederick when her daughter’s age was still in the single digits. She moved her … Continue reading Carole Lombard: a tribute
TMP celebrates a very special birthday today! One of my favorite performers of all time, Lena Mary Calhoun Horne, was born on June 30, 1917. Though she moved around the country quite a bit during her childhood, often traveling with her mother, by the 1930s Horne had made it back to her birth state of New York, where in 1933 she joined the Cotton Club … Continue reading Lena Horne: a tribute
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was born on May 12, 1907 in Hartford, Connecticut. After graduating from Bryn Mawr College she began her stage career, and a few years later found Hollywood success in the 1930s. She went on to amass 51 film and television credits between 1932 and 1994. As we celebrate her birthday today, the following are my five favorite Katharine Hepburn films (at the … Continue reading Katharine Hepburn: a tribute
On April 23 in either 1942 or 1944 (the year has been debated, with her son claiming 1944 as the correct date) Alexandra Zuck was born. She would later become known as Sandra Dee, a model-turned-actress who lived a troubled life in the public eye. Sandra Dee’s struggles have been written about at length in books and on blogs much like my own, so rather than … Continue reading Sandra Dee: a tribute
Happy 89th birthday to one of my favorite directors and choreographers of the classic era, Stanley Donen! The following are a few of my favorites from his filmography, listed chronologically because I love them all equally. On the Town I’ve mentioned on more than one occasion that On the Town is my favorite musical of all time. Few films of any genre have packed so … Continue reading Favorite films of Stanley Donen
