Dancing Legs Quiz ~ February Edition

Each of these dance routines first graced theatres in February of their release year.  Guess whose legs these are. Then give yourself a bonus if you can name the movie.

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Dueling Divas: Crosby and Hope

Or is it Hope and Crosby??? 

When it comes to dueling divas, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope are probably not the first pair that come to mind. However, during their Road movies, the two got into plenty of "duels" - 

over money,

over women--Dorothy Lamour in particular,

and over who delivered the best line.

Dancing Legs ~ January Edition

I have been so busy with work that I missed putting up a quiz for last Friday. I don't know about you, but I always find these kinds of things fun. (Some favorite places to go test my classic movie knowledge include Rick's Movie Connections over at Classic Film and TV Cafe--mainly a learning versus knowing experience for me, and getTV which has a bunch of quick quizzes categorized by movie star.) 

So whether you are a regular waiting for the weekly quiz or just stopping by for the first time, let the games begin! All the legs this week appeared in movies that were released in January of their year.

Guess whose legs these are (bonus for naming the movie) in the comment section. 

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2) 

   

Good Luck!

(edited 2/7/15)

Why I never joined The Band Wagon...

When I signed up to write an anti-Band Wagon post, I was a little nervous. Images of angry dancing gods Down to Earth-style popped into my head. How dare I speak badly about the pairing of two dancing greats: Cyd Charisse and Fred Astaire.

I have revisited The Band Wagon (1953) many times over the years. In fact, I own two copies of the movie--quite by accident; they were gifts from well-meaning friends. I know I should like love the film, but my heart will not obey my mind. Give me a couple peppy tunes, throw in a few dance numbers, and normally I am a shoo-in for even the flimsiest of plots. Why can I not get on board with this one?

Dancing Legs Quiz 4

It is only right that we should pay homage to the choreographers who helped bring great dance to the silver screen. 

Name the choreographers and their partners. Bonus if you can name the movie in which they are dancing.

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2) 

Note: The above film was actually filmed in Technicolor. The best pic I could find of their legs, however, was this publicity photo.

10 Classic Films for 2015

At the beginning of each year, Laura at Laura's Miscellaneous Musings puts together a list of ten films she plans to see during the new year. I thought this was a grand idea--what a wonderful way to ensure you are exposed to some new movies while checking off others that you have long been wanting to see! 

I searched my new DVD collection sets (my Christmas gifts were Classic Hollywood themed--yay!), the books I am reading/plan to read, AFI lists, and other classic film fans' opinions to help compile my list. After going back and forth a few times, here is the final list I resolve to see by the end of 2015:

1) American Madness (1932) - I received a Frank Capra set a few years ago, and this is the only movie I have yet to see. I typically enjoy "Capra-corn." Bonus: The movie is pre-code. Seems like a winning combo.

2) My Man Godfrey (1936) - I saw the very beginning of this film but got busy and was not able to finish it before it was removed from TCM On Demand. It looked promising. Plus it stars Carole Lombard and William Powell, two favorites.

The next four are inspired by the books I am either currently reading or plan to read before the year is up.

3) The Impatient Years (1944) - Jeanine Basinger wrote about this movie in I Do and I Don't: A History of Marriage in the Movies. It stars Jean Arthur and looks at what happens when a GI returns home to a wife he hardly knows. In a way, the film picks up where many early WWII movies (such as The More the Merrier, also starring Arthur) leave off. Intriguing. I just hope I can find a copy of this on DVD! Any leads would be welcome.

Dancing Legs Quiz 3

These dancers could strike a pose like no other. With beautiful lines, their dancing was art in motion. 

Name these renown dancers. Extra points if you can name the movie in which they are dancing.

1) 

Vacation from Marriage (1945)

***This is an exception to my no play-by-play rule. Warning: spoilers abound.***

Posted prominently on the fabric bulletin board above my desk is the phrase: "Never be afraid to try something new." It serves as a reminder to always seek adventure and new opportunities. In terms of marriage, it evokes images of Nick and Nora Charles as they go wherever the leads take them with cocktails in hand and a quick quip to lighten any misstep. In their eyes, the risk of adventure is worth the humor and affection it brings. And along the way, they catch a crook or two.

 The antithesis of Nick and Nora would be Cathy (Deborah Kerr) and Robert Wilson (Robert Donat) in Vacation from Marriage (1945; known as Perfect Strangers in Britain). The couple's life is an unending dance of drudgery:

Cathy - Opens window. Sneezes. Passes shirt collar through the door. No word spoken. Picks up newspaper from doorstep. Places on table. 

Robert - Comes out of bedroom. Changes date on calendar. Adjusts the time on the mantle clock. 

At breakfast table - Lifelessly stare at each other. No word spoken.

Reality of marriage. No glamor girls or Hollywood hunks here, folks. 

Faboulous Footwork Friday

Quiz 2

Continuing with our celebration of dance in the movies...Can you guess the owners of these famous gams? Bonus - Name the movie in which they are dancing.

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Just for Fun ~ Fabulous Footwork Quiz

Let's dance in the new year and celebrate great choreography in the movies. Can you guess the owners of these famous gams? Bonus - Name the movie in which they are dancing.

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New Year Reflections ~ Life's a Banquet

I'll be honest. Auntie Mame (1958) is not part of my annual holiday lineup. I prefer to save this film for a day when life has got me down, and I "need a little Christmas," as Mame of the musical version would say, "Right this very minute!" Maybe subconsciously I know this is how Mame would intend her film to be used--should characters be able to hop the fourth wall and converse with their audience.

Nonetheless, this year Auntie Mame (Rosalind Russell) keeps popping into my head. I desperately wanted to finish an email reminder to read over Winter Break with Mame's famous line, "Life's a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!" I refrained, knowing that most parents and students would not get the reference and might focus too heavily on the "sucker" part. Here, however, I can share the line and know my readers will delight in the line as I do. Mame's advice is wise--there is so much to learn if only one opens his/her mind (or for the purpose of my email, opens a book) and applies his- or herself.

Hope in the Night

Remember the Night (1940) and I met quite by accident. One might think between my affinity for Fred MacMurray, admiration for Barbara Stanwyck, and passion for all things Christmas, I would have discovered this holiday film years ago. Alas, I happened to flip on the channel, and there it was, waiting for me. Kismet. 

At first I questioned the premise. An attorney (Fred MacMurray) taking home a thief (Barbara Stanwyck) over the holidays? Really? Who would do that? But as I continued watching, the film pulled me in. There is a much deeper message than the surface summary would have you believe. The story is about the difference between being on the wrong versus the right side of the tracks, and what that can do to one's spirit.  

I Feel Pretty - The Musical Side of Beauty

Keeping with last week's theme...

Movies have also taught us that glamorizing oneself is part of the fun of womanhood. Being a musical-lover, I can think of several films in which young women joyfully sing about the benefits of being a female--and a beautiful one at that. 

Here are three that come to mind:

West Side Story (1961) - "I Feel Pretty"

 

Flower Drum Song (1961) - "I Enjoy Being a Girl"   

Bye Bye Birdie (1963) - "How Lovely To Be a Woman"