The Silver Screen Oasis

Garbomaniac wrote:Yes, MJ, Crawford is still sometimes hard to take, but not so in her early films for me anymore. And, the problem with Loretta is like Judith said, her face is so big, her eyes are so big, and her nose is so flat.

You should see her in "Midnight Mary" - Loretta is gorgeous in her early films. I find large eyes attractive and very expressive, especially suited to silents. The commentators even commented on how lovely Loretta was in her precodes on the new Forbidden Hollywood set. But to each their own.

Then I recently watched the pre-code Midnight Mary, where the 20/21-year old is simply amazing (director Wellman does a great introduction of her, focusing on her beautiful eyes as she peers over a newspaper).

You should see her in "Midnight Mary" - Loretta is gorgeous in her early films.

I'll try to catch that movie someday, MJ and SS.

Here are some more photos of Annette Tapert's Eleven:

Gloria Swanson





Joan Crawford





Norma Shearer





Carole Lombard





Kay Francis





Dolores Del Rio





Constance Bennett





Claudette Colbert





Katharine Hepburn





Greta Garbo





Marlene Dietrich

That second picture of Garbo looks all wrong, she just doesn't suit frilly dresses. I'm sure Garbo herself wouldn't have liked it.

They are all such beautiful women.

I think those photos of Hepburn are sort of ludicrous and histrionic looking. I can almost hear her peculiar, snorting laughter as she posed for them.

I really like the top photo of Norma Shearer -- I think she looks pretty and very elegant. However . . . . that second photo -- oh, no no no. Look at her face -- it looks like a different woman. I think she looks like Fanny Brice in that one, and I can't equate Brice with glamour. I see now that one of Shearer's problems was the limited range of her photogenic quality.

I see now that one of Shearer's problems was the limited range of her photogenic quality.

Or, as Lillian Hellman said of her: a face unclouded by thought.

Loretta Young and Franchot Tone in "Midnight Mary" She got the full MGM glamour treatment in this one. She wasn't always the strict Catholic girl that she later became. After all, she had affairs with both Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy. She later admitted to loving "Midnight Mary."




How about this one of a young Loretta in swim suit?



I like the fact that I've discovered different sides to Loretta. While she could be quite prim and proper, she was also known as the "Iron Butterfly" when it came to her career.

I know what you mean, CC, I put that second pic of Garbo in there on purpose. It is so sweet and soft, completely uncharacteristic of GG. But, it does attest to her versatility, at least in her onscreen clothes.

And, jdb1, I chose those pics deliberately for you. I wasn't sure how you would react to the first pic, but you did as I did. I think it is one of Norma's best! But, I knew the second one would cause a riot! Ha! It is just too much. It might as well be fringe; although, Colbert wore fringe and looked sensational!

I loved the crack about "a face unclouded by thought," Chio; however, that could be said of many a "golden age" gal.

I thought the close-ups of Crawford and Del Rio were especially striking. And, the two best dressed are Constance and Dietrich; that winged creation by Banton for Dietrich is HOT! I am also partial to that close-up of Greta, her hair looks so soft and pretty, and that close-up of Claudette is very pretty. I see your point about Katherine, but I still love both of those pics. It forced her to combine that magnificent mane with Hollywood Glamour to display that fabulous bone structure.

silentscreen wrote: You should see her in "Midnight Mary" - Loretta is gorgeous in her early films. I find large eyes attractive and very expressive, especially suited to silents. The commentators even commented on how lovely Loretta was in her precodes on the new Forbidden Hollywood set. But to each their own.

Also Zoo in Budapest - I viewed that one last night and thought Loretta looked quite pretty in that film. Odd film, though - it's evidently something of a cult film (I suspect animal lovers have a soft spot for it). I checked out her filmography and as it turns out, she made 9 films in 1933 (or at least had 9 released that year). Actually, it looks as though throughout the entire 1930s, she was quite the busy bee.

Not sure why, but I would never use the word "glamorous" to describe Katharine Hepburn. "Regal-looking," perhaps, in her twilight years. Eh, I'll think about it some more.

I always liked Norma Shearer and most of her films, but the last time I brought her up in another group....ouch. Well, won't make that mistake again.

-Stephen

I think the second picture of Norma Shearer really compliments her figure but she doesn't suit long hair.

I loved Midnight Mary. I think she wears the fringed cap very well, it's so complimentary, not everyone could carry that off.

Oh, I would love to see "Zoo in Budapest" srowley75. That's one I've heard of, but have yet to see.

silentscreen wrote:Oh, I would love to see "Zoo in Budapest" srowley75. That's one I've heard of, but have yet to see.

It's not bad, but I wonder if there are any good broadcast prints out there without numerous skips and sputters. Mine was recorded from Fox Movie Channel, and as the film progressed I grew more and more annoyed with the many film skips (which, making matters worse, only seemed to happen when people were speaking). The latter half of the film didn't seem to contain as many, though.

If you're an animal lover, you'll certainly enjoy it. The protagonist's attitude toward fur-wearing was years ahead of its time.

-Stephen

srowley75 wrote:

silentscreen wrote:Oh, I would love to see "Zoo in Budapest" srowley75. That's one I've heard of, but have yet to see.

It's not bad, but I wonder if there are any good broadcast prints out there without numerous skips and sputters. Mine was recorded from Fox Movie Channel, and as the film progressed I grew more and more annoyed with the many film skips (which, making matters worse, only seemed to happen when people were speaking). The latter half of the film didn't seem to contain as many, though.

If you're an animal lover, you'll certainly enjoy it. The protagonist's attitude toward fur-wearing was years ahead of its time.

-Stephen

I am an animal lover, and no fur has ever crossed my back. I've seen screen grabs of "Zoo in Budapest", and Loretta was lovely in it. To my knowledge, it's never made it to DVD.

Well, back to the topic at hand, I found these two dynamite pictures of Gloria Swanson. I have tried to find the film from which they came, but without success. Anyway, they were so good, I just decided to go ahead post them without any info.

Nice pix of Swanson. I'm thinking about how very, very thin she was in later years. I like these, where she has a little flesh on her, much better.