Michael Rennie

He was a tall, handsome, bright British sophisticate with a beautifully smooth speaking voice who graced the screen, stage and television for 30 years.  True stardom, however, seem to elude Michael Rennie for all those years although his greatest claim to fame would come from his American films in the 1950's.

Good 50's Films: Angel Face

1953 Film Noir
From RKO Radio Pictures
Directed by Otto Preminger

Starring
Robert Mitchum
Jean Simmons
Mona Freeman
Herbert Marshall
Barbara O'Neil
Kenneth Tobey
Leon Ames
Jim Backus
Raymond Greenleaf

Pier Angeli

At the dawning of the 1950's American movie studios caught on that Continental screen types were becoming very desirable.  MGM quickly hired two young actresses, Italy's Pier Angeli and France's Leslie Caron.  That introduction has always stayed in my mind for the simple reason that they are the first two European actresses that I can ever recall.  Leo roared about these two as the MGM publicity machine went into overdrive on both of them.  

Good 50's Films: Island in the Sun

1957 Drama
From 20th Century Fox
Directed by Robert Rossen

Starring
James Mason
Joan Fontaine
Dorothy Dandridge
Joan Collins
Michael Rennie
Patricia Owens
Stephen Boyd
John Williams
John Justin
Diana Wynyard
Basil Sydney
Ronald Squire
Harry Belafonte

REVIEW: Woman Walks Ahead

Directed by Susanna White
2018 Western Biography
1 hour 41 mins
From A24

Starring
Jessica Chastain
Michael Greyeyes
Sam Rockwell
Chaske Spencer
Ciarán Hinds
Bill Camp
Rulan Tangen

RIP Tab Hunter

I was saddened that Tab Hunter died Sunday at age 86 at his home in Montecito (Santa Barbara), California, of cardiac arrest caused by a clot in his leg that moved to his lung.  All the obituaries on him have it right when they refer to him as the 50's Hollywood heartthrob.  He was indeed that... oh my God, yes.  One said his blond all-American good looks made him a matinee idol and poster boy for the Eisenhower era optimism.  Bingo.  

Esther Williams

Across town at 20th Century Fox Darryl F. Zanuck had a smashing success by hiring Norwegian Olympic ice skater Sonja Henie to his roster of stars and featuring her in 10 films where she twirled and romanced some of the studio's brightest stars.  MGM's Mister Big Deal, Louis B. Mayer, wanted his own cash cow so he had his talent scouts comb the Los Angeles area and one of them came up with a shapely swimmer by the name of Esther Williams.  Sonya and Darryl only wished for this kind of success. 

What If Kate Had Met Bette

Last week I had a long phone call with a Hollywood friend who clearly loves movies as much as I do and certainly knows his stuff.  We were chatting up those Golden Age stars when we got into a long discourse on Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn.  He
likes Bette just a teense more than Kate and it's arguably the reverse for me but we agree they are both a notch or two above most of the actresses of their time and most of whom have come since. 

Good 50's Films: The Big Heat

1953 Film Noir
From Columbia Pictures
Directed by Fritz Lang

Starring
Glenn Ford
Gloria Grahame
Lee Marvin
Alexander Scourby
Jocelyn Brando
Jeanette Nolan
Adam Williams
Willis Bouchey
Robert Burton