Max Jungk (1872–1937)

He wrote the Fritz Lang silent version of Madame Butterfly called (Harakiri)

He also wrote the German scenario for Throw of the Dice (1929) (view entry)

See the movie on the following link from archive.org (as I cannot embed the code here although I am trying different ways)

http://www.archive.org/download/Harakiri1919fritzLang

Max Jungk works 

Joan Blondell & Bette Davis

via

Technorati Tags: vintage actresses,joan blondell,bette davis,classic actress,cinema

My Reputation, a classic movie with some erotic hints

Didn't I say yet that I like George Brent? Oh did I… And can never get rid of this actor. Although he never played as the main character, his presence and well acting was brilliant in most cases. I could speak for hours about the lovely feelings he transmits me through the screen but here I will speak about a scene that startled me, because by the time it was on Spanish cinemas, Franco’s film code would not have allowed this movie to be screened. Yet it was. The plot itself is a song for a woman’s freedom, when a woman of those times in Spain should Never think like she does, or go against all odds. And then.. while some scenes where the characters kiss were banned and cut, here we see the original film as it was showed back in 1946-47 in Spanish Theaters, a scene that is more than a kiss, to me is like a hundred kisses, yet it’s not explicit. But it has even more mystery and expression and Was Not Cut. So, normally, today this could sound silly, but to the vintage lovers, we know that this “means something”, like those pre-code movies, so different from the 1940s films. And yet, here, a film made in the 40s shows an erotic scene, very subtle, very funny and that I wanted to share here.
Barbara Stanwyck and George Brent made more than two movies together. My reputation was directed by Curtis Bernhardt. The dialogs are great and as I said, it is rare that this movie was showed back in those times.

Technorati Tags: 1940s,actors,actresses,classic movies,george brent,barbara stanwyck,erotism

FNAC IT! Vintage Lovers

On October 10 at FNAC Paris.
Discover Fnac it! VINTAGE LOVERS, the second collection, rendez-vous for all vintage lovers: with its section dedicated to High-Tech and all kind of vintage objects. Go back to the “happy days”, nostalgie…
Where:
Fnac de La Défense, Montpanasse, Ternes and of course Fnac.com

Technorati Tags: fnac,paris,france,exhibitions,musica,cinema,retro

FANTOMAS – OFFICIAL TRAILER

Starring René Navarre and directed by Louis Feuillade, this movie is a classic silent.

Technorati Tags: fantomas,louis feuillade,rene navarre,mystery,silent movies

The Rich Are Always With Us (1932)

When I first got this movie, I didn't watch it right away, thinking
that, most probably it was a light comedy drama movie, but the actors interested me, especially George Brent and Bette Davis. Knowing that, in this movie, starring Ruth Chatterton, who was married with George Brent at that time, was happened to be the movie where Bette Davis and George Brent fell in love, appealed to me. Later on Chatterton and Brent would divorce but Brent and Davis never married although they kept a relationship for quite long.

But when I saw this movie I realized what a great actress Ruth
Chatterton was. And for a time when actors and actresses would say their line the best right and straight forwarded way,

Ruth Chatterton speaks in such natural way, at times repeating one or two words in a sentence, as if there was no camera at all. Something that nowadays actors do, at times not so naturally.

  Bette Davis still not being "caught" by the clever camera, appears very glamorous, beautiful and determined, but her eyes, alas, the camera doesn't really focus the moment she is sitting on a couch and looking
to the right, slowly... what would made her later on "Bette Davis' eyes". Anyhow she is so wonderful here that Davis fans will really love her play. The romantic scenes are very well filmed, Bette and Brent have  some hilarious moments, Ruth and Brent very charming and romantic, and because everything seems so naturally sophisticated, Brent kisses and embraces in a great gentleman's style. What he was in real life.

 

This movie's plot is very simple, but it is very well portrayed and love has a great importance as a meaning, like in so many classic movies. Only that in this one, love goes beyond "you and me"…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Technorati Tags: classic movies,vintage movies,bette davis,george brent,ruth chatterton,love

Luxury Liner

 
As these days I am dedicated to discover movies where George Brent played in, yesterday I saw "Luxury Liner", a 1948 MGM Technicolor movie starring Brent, Jane Powell, singer/actor Lauritz Melchior, Frances Gifford, and among others, my dear Xavier Cugat, who seldom speaks but is great with his orchestra and didn't forget to bear his chihuahua.. In his late years, Cugat would live in a room for himself at the Ritz hotel in Barcelona. He died years ago, but he is so remembered here. I would see him getting out from the Ritz sometimes when I went to my father's school near the hotel, and some months ago, I went to have a drink to a bar which had lots of his photos, near The Ritz as well. I asked the owner, a young girl, and she told me that her grandmother used to guest Cugat at that bar years ago. It was like travelling through time and being with Cugat himself there, he loved speaking about his adventures, his career, his ups and downs, and women.

When I started seeing the "Luxury Liner", I remembered the tv series "Love Boat" and asked myself if this movie was the inspiration for the tv series. I have no idea, but it looks quite similar. 

Jane Powell sings so beautiful and mixing opera with cha cha cha, how could this be? Cugat made it possible:-)

Regarding Brent, the story has reminiscences of something that happened to me some years ago with someone. But in this case he says "if you love someone you must tell him/her", not that person's case, although this was the only difference. 


If you want to spend a time with nice songs, some silly jokes, and feel the glamour of old times's travel by cruise, then perhaps you will like this movie very much. I have to say it made me feel very good after it ended, leaving me a sensation of gaiety. 

Had I choose a character to play myself, without doubt I would loved to play Zita Romanka's, hahaha.

Also posted to  

Technorati Tags: 1940s,actors,cinema,love,music,george brent,jane powell

George Brent

I remember when I was little that my mother would give me the names of her favorite actors and I could hear one time and another Gregory Peck, Herbert Marshall… a few others and … George Brent.

After having seen many movies, discovered actors I had no idea of, from different countries as well, belonging to the silent era, talkies, classics, etc., I remember the first time I saw George Brent was in Baby Face (1933) as Courtland Trenholm, the man who finally redeems Barbara Stanwyck  (depending if you switch endings, I believe, as I have not seen the “other ending”) What appealed to me of Brent was at first his attitude, his smiling eyes, his smile per se, very charming. His hair, so well done, but something about him, that I could not forget, as no one can forget the charisma someone shows without noticing. Sweet and charming, George Brent appeared to me as a very special actor, gentleman and with a very beautiful debonair. 

Then, after a few months I started watching old Bette Davis movies with my brother and there I saw again George Brent who completely mesmerized me in Dark Victory (1939), The Great Lie (1941) The Rains Came (1939), In This Our Life (1942), The Painted Veil  (1934),I could add Jezebel, but I saw this movie many years ago and cannot remember very well what happened only that I loved Bette Davis in that movie.

There are so many movies I would love to see featuring George Brent. I am going to watch very soon The Crash (1932) and I hope so many others. In The Crash Brent appears with Ruth Chatterton whom he married and made a few movies together.

George Brent has a peculiar biography if you check his page at imdb. In The Great Lie, he pilots an aeroplane, something that he was used to before he became actor. Needless to say, in those times, I would have loved to live as a journalist and interview so many stars that now are a great part of our nostalgia.

Technorati Tags: george brent,1930s,bette davis,classic movies

Ich küsse Ihre Hand, Madame

Billy Bartholomew's „Delphians"-Jazzband Grammophon 21658 mx. 744 br II Berlin, 1928

Technorati Tags: ich kusse ihre hand madame,musica,cinema,1920s,billy bartolomew

Tanz-Sinfonie-Orchester Peter Kreuder - Easy to love (1937)

By Peter Kreuder.

I really love so much this kind of music. Magical, makes you daydream and imagine.

 

"Easy to love" is perhaps one of Cole Porter's most beautiful compositions. The song was featured in the MGM musical "Born to dance" starring Eleanor Powell, James Stewart and Virginia Bruse. It is James Stewart who serenades Eleanor Powell with "Easy to love..." read more

Technorati Tags: 1930s,easy to love,cinema,cole porter,peter kreuder

Lillian Russell Film in Colour (1913)

Small fragment of a lost film in Kinemacolor, "How to Live 100 Years" (1913), starring Lillian Russell. This appears to be the only surviving footage of Russell in colour.

Technorati Tags: 1910s,cinema,music,lillian russell

Vintage Ad Browser

This is a great website where you can find advertisements classified by year and topic.

VINTAGE AD BROWSER.COM

Technorati Tags: vintage posters,vintage advertisement

Mary Pickford

Flickr

Technorati Tags: mary pickford,1910s

A Daring Rescue

Found this old German postcard on Ebay. I find it so realistic and detailed. It is sad that the postcard is not in very good condition  if you see the original but never the less it is a great piece of art and the fact that it looks old gives to it a greater value for some collectors as well. I remark here the great realism and imagine that Herr Von Stroheim could perfectly have directed a scene like this one (there is one I remember where he appears in it in a silent movie, I think it’s Foolish Wives or Blind Husbands….) And coincidentally, this postcard is German. Von Stroheim was Austrian but had the perfect German allure during his Hollywood and French eras of great cinema.,

RAYMOND GRIFFITH

ELEGANCE

Natalie

I have seen many photos featuring Nathalie Wood. This one is of my most favorites.