Archives

HOWARD HAWKS

May 7, 2013 by Vickie Lester

I understand Howard Hawks enjoyed talking to young people: And, mentoring talent: “We discovered Bacall was a little girl who, when she becomes insolent, becomes rather attractive. That was the only way you noticed her, because she could do it with a grin. So I said to Bogey, “We are going to try an interesting thing. You are about the most insolent man on the screen and I’m going to make this girl a little more insolent than you are.” […]

Categories: Art, Blogging, Culture, Design, Entertainment, Film, History, Hollywood, Humor, Life, Los Angeles, Marriage, Memoir, Movies, Photography, Relationships, Story, Truth & Rumors, Uncategorized, Writing • Tags: actor, actress, behind the scenes, Beverly Hills, Bogart, BRINGING UP BABY, celebrities, Classic Movies, Cuba, director, directors, fashion, film, film classics, film history, genius, history, Hollywood, Howard Hawks, humor, Infidelity, Lauren Bacall, Los Angeles, Movie Star, Movie stars, movies, Nancy Gross, Old Hollywood, on set, photography, Slim Keith

MOTHER RUSSIA

December 30, 2012 by Vickie Lester

My uncle, who is retired (and very, very aged), used to travel the world. He was a Hollywood Production Designer. A title he scoffed at, preferring the old-school moniker, Art Director. He often sniffed, “King Cameron Menzies, what’re ya gonna do?” Uncle, once a medical student whose aspirations shifted in the gore on the beaches of Normandy, drafted up skyscrapers, and Spanish galleons, and space ships, and made them all into movie sets. The last movie he worked on was […]

Categories: Architecture, Art, Culture, Design, Entertainment, fashion, Fiction, Film, History, Hollywood, Humor, Los Angeles, Movies, Photography, Politics, Relationships, Short Stories, Story, Writing • Tags: bar, Bentley, canary in a coal mine, Chaika, crime, drugs, film history, graft, Hollywood, hookers, humor, Leningrad, machine guns, mafia, mobster, Movie stars, Production Designer, restaurant, Russia, sex, St. Petersburg, uncle, William Cameron Menzies, WWII

BEHIND THE SCENES – TALKIES

October 23, 2012 by Vickie Lester

Silents in the 1920s had fluidity and range that was roped in by Talkies – suddenly scenes with dialogue were boxed in, restricted, and stagey because of sound technology. Sound recording, 1928 – Microphone and lights adjusted on set, 1928 -

Categories: Film, History, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Movies, Photography, Science, Uncategorized • Tags: 1928, baffled camera, behind the scenes, booth, bulky, dialogue, equipment, film history, microphone, on set, silent movies, stagey, synchronized sound, talkies, THE JAZZ SINGER

GARBO AND ADRIAN

October 17, 2012 by Vickie Lester

A series of posts for Ms. S.V.G., a friendly follower of our FB page. Sarah wanted more Garbo and here she is – what struck me about these designs (by the head costume designer at MGM – Adrian) was the drama and the way most of the garments drew attention to, or framed, Garbo’s face: – - A brief note about Adrian, he was openly gay in Hollywood at at time when that was extremely difficult. Bearing that in mind, […]

Categories: Culture, Design, Entertainment, fashion, Film, History, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Movies, Photography, Uncategorized • Tags: Adrian, Adrian Adolph Greenberg, costume design, Costume Designer, film history, Greta Garbo, Inspiration, Mata Hari, MGM, silent film, talkies, Torrent

VINCENTE MINNELLI & MADAME BOVARY

August 4, 2012 by Vickie Lester

. These excerpts are from an amazing and comprehensive interview conducted by Film Critic Henry Sheehan with Vincente Minnelli – the link to his site is at the bottom of the page. Q. Another film I’d like to talk about is a very early one, Madame Bovary (1949). If some films can be regarded as a summing up, this one seems to be an anticipation. There’s really no liberation for Madame Bovary… A. No! She fantasized everything! Her dreams were […]

Categories: Books, Choreography, Culture, Design, Entertainment, History, Movies, Uncategorized, Writing • Tags: 1949, beauty, director, Film Critic Henry Sheehan, film history, Hollywood, interview, James Mason, Jennifer Jones, Louis Jourdan, Madame Bovary, Movie stars, Van Heflin, Vincente Minnelli, Waltz

A PRETTY GIRL IS LIKE A MELODY

June 21, 2012 by Vickie Lester

Do you think the attitude reflected toward women in Busby Berkeley’s films might have had something to do with the fact he was married six times? I’m just asking…

Categories: Choreography, Culture, Design, Entertainment, History, Movies, Uncategorized, Writing • Tags: Busby Berkeley, choreographer, extravagant, FASHIONS OF 1934, film history, Hollywood, movie director, movies, objectify, women

MEASURING UP

April 14, 2012 by Vickie Lester

A little bird in the wardrobe department chirped this item in my ear –she was having a hard time getting actors under thirty to put on their underwear. Besides the obvious issues of hygiene what you wear under your costume affects how the garments look on top. Children, it isn’t a question of free will, networks and the MPAA come down hard on odd protuberances and popping nipples. Okay? Apparently this wasn’t a problem only in our era. (Insert shameless […]

Categories: Culture, Entertainment, History, Movies, Writing • Tags: film history, Movie stars, wardrobe

BEGUILING HOLLYWOOD

Want crotch shots? Go to TMZ. If you want a little historical perspective you're home.