Month: April 2019

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Top Ten Tuesday – Ten Book Quotes

Today’s Topic: Inspirational/Thought-Provoking Book Quotes

Hosted by: That Artsy Reader Girl

What a fun, original topic this week’s prompt is. I love quotes, but for some reason I find it much easier to remember film quotes than book quotes. The good thing about that is it led me to go back through all my book highlights to re-live some of my favorite lines.

As a lover of words and well turned phrases, I appreciate a really good quote. Some of these I chose because I found the sentiment beautiful, others because they echo my own opinion. Then there are the ones which remind me of important truths.

Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday – Ten Book Quotes”

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Series Review – The Hour (2011-2012)

I’ve long been a fan of actress Romola Garai as well as British period dramas, so I was thrilled when I discovered the BBC series The Hour. Not only does it feature Garai in a leading role, but it also co-stars Ben Whishaw and Dominic West. The Hour is a tautly written political and newsroom drama set in 1960’s London.

SUMMARY

Bel Rowley (Garai) achieves her dream when she is tapped to be the producer of a televised news program for the BBC called The Hour. Joining Bel are experienced foreign journalist Lix Storm (Anna Chancellor) and Bel’s best friend and fellow journalist Freddie Lyon (Wishaw). Also, new to the team, is the well-connected and handsome Hector Madden (Dominic West) who serves as “the face” of The Hour.

Together, along with the rest of their team, they present their weekly news program covering current events both national and international. But the investigation and presentation of this news is a fine balancing act. Not only are they constrained by the need to present proof in their stories, but also by an advisor from Westminster who wishes to censor any information not favorable to the government.

For my full review, please follow me over to The Silver Petticoat Review.

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Book Review – The Girls in the Picture; Bringing Early Female Film Pioneers to Life

SYNOPSIS

It is 1914, and twenty-five-year-old Frances Marion has left her (second) husband and her Northern California home for the lure of Los Angeles, where she is determined to live independently as an artist. But the word on everyone’s lips these days is “flickers”—the silent moving pictures enthralling theatergoers. Turn any corner in this burgeoning town and you’ll find made-up actors running around, as a movie camera captures it all.

In this fledgling industry, Frances finds her true calling: writing stories for this wondrous new medium. She also makes the acquaintance of actress Mary Pickford, whose signature golden curls and lively spirit have earned her the title “America’s Sweetheart.” The two ambitious young women hit it off instantly, their kinship fomented by their mutual fever to create, to move audiences to a frenzy, to start a revolution.

But their ambitions are challenged by both the men around them and the limitations imposed on their gender—and their astronomical success could come at a price. As Mary, the world’s highest paid and most beloved actress, struggles to live her life under the spotlight, she also wonders if it is possible to find love, even with the dashing actor Douglas Fairbanks. Frances, too, longs to share her life with someone. As in any good Hollywood story, dramas will play out, personalities will clash, and even the deepest friendships might be shattered.

With cameos from such notables as Charlie Chaplin, Louis B. Mayer, Rudolph Valentino, and Lillian Gish, The Girls in the Picture is, at its heart, a story of friendship and forgiveness. Melanie Benjamin brilliantly captures the dawn of a glittering new era—its myths and icons, its possibilities and potential, and its seduction and heartbreak. Continue reading “Book Review – The Girls in the Picture; Bringing Early Female Film Pioneers to Life”

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Top Ten Tuesday – First Ten Books I Reviewed

Today’s Topic: (First Ten) Books I Reviewed (These do not have to be formal reviews. A small sentence on a retailer site or Goodreads counts, too!

Hosted by: That Artsy Reader Girl

Sadly, I was never in the habit of doing book reviews before I started my blog two and a half years ago. Major apologies to all the authors I’ve been reading all these years. I still don’t do a lot of reviews on sites like Amazon and Goodreads, and when I do, they are generally brief.

But in preparing for today’s prompt I realized how much I enjoyed going back to read my thoughts on the books I first reviewed for my own site. Which means, I really want to get better at recording my thoughts on the books I read in the future. Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday – First Ten Books I Reviewed”

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William Holden Blogathon – Meet the Stewarts (1942)

Last year I had the honor of participating in the William Holden Third Golden Boy Blogathon. Although Holden has never been a personal favorite of mine, I’m so glad I did, because I discovered Dear Ruth, which is a delightful, lesser known rom-com. With such great luck, I decided to join in again this year, and chose another one of Holden’s lesser known comedies, Meet the Stewarts.

SUMMARY

Although he is in love, Michael Stewart is reluctant to marry Candace Goodwin. You see, Candy comes from a wealthy family and Michael is strictly middle class. He worries about their financial compatibility and has real doubts as to whether Candy can stick to a budget. But Candy is insistent, so they marry only after her father vows to cut her off without a dime.

The Stewarts are blissfully happy, but challenges quickly arise when they must furnish their house. They go over-budget, but Candy assures Michael they can economize elsewhere. Little does he know that this is the beginning of a pattern in their marriage. Not only does Candy have no concept of how to manage money, but she has no practical house skills either. After a disastrous joint dinner with both of their families, it is also clear that neither family has much faith in their ability to make the marriage work. When the strains of real life finally catch up and overwhelm them, will they be able to stay together? Continue reading “William Holden Blogathon – Meet the Stewarts (1942)”

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Top Ten Tuesday – Recommendations for Rainy Day Reads

Today’s Topic: Rainy Day Reads

Hosted by:That Artsy Reader Girl

Well this is an interesting category. I’m not entirely sure how to interpret and correctly apply this week’s prompt. I kind of feel like rainy day reads should be cozy. But sometimes rainy days feel broody and mysterious. So, my list consists of mixture of both. Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday – Recommendations for Rainy Day Reads”

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March 2019 Quickie Film Reviews

This month I actually made it to the theater for a new release. Of the thirty two films I watched in March, seven of those were re-watches, six were modern movies, three starred Marion Davies, two with Frederic March, two silents one documentary and one foreign film.

I really loved revisiting some great classics likes Design for Living, The Bitter Tea of General Yen and Valley of the Kings. My three favorite discoveries this month were the comedies The Reluctant Debutante with Sandra Dee and Rex Harrison and Bedtime Story with Loretta Young and Frederic March. I also fell hard for the western Kit Carson. Continue reading “March 2019 Quickie Film Reviews”

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Top Ten Tuesday – Cover Love

Today’s Topic: Outrageous Things I’ve Done for the Love of Books (i.e. skip meals, camped outside a bookstore, broke up with someone because they don’t like books, etc.

Hosted by: That Artsy Reader Girl

Even though I’m a book lover and voracious reader, I’ve never done anything crazy for the love of books. I’m a bit too practical for that. So, I decided to go a different route for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday list.

I am someone who is always drawn to a book which has a stunning cover. It’s been a long time since I did a cover love post. I figured it’s time for another. Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday – Cover Love”

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Classic Film Review – The Quiet Man (1952)

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara are one of the under-rated screen couples of classic cinema. Together they made five films, three of those with legendary director John Ford. One would think that three such stubborn, opinionated and temperamental people might find it hard to create such a charming, sentimental picture like The Quiet Man. But that is exactly what they accomplished.

SUMMARY

After decades of living in the America, Sean Thornton is returning to his birthplace in the little villiage of Innisfree, Ireland. Most of the villagers are happy to welcome home a member of the Thornton family, with the exception of Will Danaher, the local squire.  Sean and Danaher get off on the wrong foot after Sean purchases the little cottage where he was born out from under Danaher. Making matters worse, Sean also takes a liking to Danaher’s fiery-tempered sister Mary-Kate.

While the villagers welcome him, Sean must adjust to the Irish customs and traditions honored in Innisfree. Nowhere is this culture shock felt more than in his courtship of Mary Kate. Of course, Danaher refuses to make it easy for him. And Mary Kate runs hot and cold. But Sean is assisted by the local matchmaker Michaeleen Flynn, Father Lonergan and the Reverend Playfair in adapting to his home country and in winning Mary Kate’s hand.

For the full review, please follow me over to The Silver Petticoat Review.

 

 

 

 

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Doris Day Blogathon – It Happened to Jane (1959)

Blonde romantic-comediennes are a staple in Hollywood films. Names like Reese Witherspoon, Meg Ryan, Goldie Hawn, Carole Lombard and Jean Harlow immediately come to mind. And every single one of them is a talent with many popular rom-coms under their belts. However, perhaps none is so affiliated with this genre as Doris Day. She had what might be the best comedic run of any actress in film history beginning with her first romantic comedy It Happened to Jane in 1959 running  through her last onscreen appearance in With Six You Get Eggroll in 1968.

I grew up watching the Rock Hudson and Doris Day trio of rom-coms.  I absolutely adored them and still never get tired of watching them. Then I discovered her one outing with Cary Grant (who is a personal favorite) in That Touch of Mink. Next I fell in love with The Glass Bottom Boat, with co-star Rod Taylor, which I reviewed for last year’s Doris Day Blogathon.

Continue reading “Doris Day Blogathon – It Happened to Jane (1959)”