Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Oh, So Suave and Debonair

 ... and a tailor-made scene-stealer.  Adolphe Menjou was born February 18, 1890, in of all places, Pittsburgh, PA.  He was fluent in six languages and had perhaps the largest wardrobe in the movies.  

Bob wore that same hat numerous times.  Gorgeous piece of attire.  Too bad classy hats are no longer in style.  Replaced by ballcaps.  Menjou (and Bob) are cringing.

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Harlow, Loy, Asta and Bill

 There are a number of absolutely gorgeous photographs of William Powell available for purchase.  Unfortunately, there are plenty of admirers of Mr. Powell who seem to have an unending source of money, or at least that is how the photos are priced.   I am not one of those lucky, lucky people.

I can afford the occasional substitute.  Rather than an 8x10 photo, a 4x5 works just fine ... if you deal with scans a lot.  And even 4x5's are getting rarer.  The Bill/Jean Harlow photo below may not be in the greatest shape, but their sexy pose distracts from the image loss.

Another 4x5, this time with Myrna Loy.  All Bill and Myrna photographs are great, no matter the size or condition of the print.


Or, you could pick up a reprint.  Reprint quality ranges from pathetic to it's impossible to tell the difference from an original.  I'd describe this one as being mid-range.  Well, Asta looks pretty good.

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

I Never Could Blow a Decent Smoke Ring

All you need for an ad is a pack of cigarettes and an actor who is just a bit of a ham.  The pack of Lucky Strikes on the desk, a perfectly formed circle of smoke heading for the pen ... will the ring make it or dissipate before it can encircle the pen?  I like the phone not having a cord.  You wouldn't want it to distract from the smoke ring.

            Robert Montgomery Presents Your Lucky Strike Theatre


Thursday, February 06, 2025

"Cardboard Lover": To Pretend To Be In Love --- I didn't know what that was either!

 A nice painting made for the 1928 silent, The Cardboard Lover.  It appears to be one of a series printed as a 5x7 fan card.  Quite the expensive ad campaign for a B&W 1928 movie.  Of course, it was a Cosmopolitan produced film and William Randolph Hearst always saw that Marion Davies got only the best treatment in her career.   Anyway, Nils and Marion make a handsome couple.  

        Marion Davies & Nils Asther in The Cardboard Lover (1928)


Tuesday, February 04, 2025

He Just Couldn't Get a Break

 Poor Silky.  Everything's going great, and then ...  


A bootlegger with a gun phobia.  I like the concept.  And the look on his face after the confrontation with Doc Ramsey (Edward Arnold), the dead guy.  


The Earl of Chicago (1940) is available to stream on TCM until March 2nd.