Lights, Camera, ACTION!

Let's talk ♥ movies ♥.

In this post, I wanted to share four of my all time favorite films. These mentioned made an impact in how I, as a young girl, saw the world . It was by watching these classics that I learned a little about love, longing, lies, selflessness, silliness, unconventional beauty, and the want for "something more". A bit melodramatic, I know, but it's true!

In my family, movies are a big deal. I grew up with the REAL classics. My grandparents (on my fathers side) had a HUGE influence on my raising, which I am forever grateful. My Nana & Poppa were...are...everything to me. They were the ones, specifically Poppa, that shared their love of the moving picture. I would love to show you some of the movies that have really stuck with me and have even been passed down to my 2 ladybugs.

movie poster

"The Greatest Show on Earth" was released in 1952 and directed by Cecil B. DeMille.

I actually saw it on TCM at the end of last week. *sigh*
Just as wonderful as I remembered.

Anyway, the movie follows 5 main characters...something of an oddly shaped love triangle -

2 being trapeze artists, one elephant trainer/charmer, the circus manager, and Buttons the clown (not in the love triangle; just the BEST character of all).

Charles Heston as the gruff, no bull circus manager, Brad Braden.

Soooo delicious.

Betty Hutton is the high flying Holly. A bit of a diva, but still a lovable character...I guess.

Cornel Wilde as The Great Sebastian

Gloria Grahame is the sassy, Angel.

Angel (doing her thang)
A fire-ry redhead that has no shame in speaking her mind...and what a lovely mind.

Definitely my favorite female in this.

Drum roll please.

(Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da)

BUTTONS the clown played by the one and only James Stewart.

He is the most complex character of the film.

Buttons never gets out of makeup, only goes by "Buttons", and carries a deep, dark secret....

Oooooooo...you want to see it now, don't you? Good, cause I'm not tellin'!

Okay, SO - Sebastian loves Holly, aaaand

Holly loves Brad & so does Angel, but the elephant trainer loves Angel who she hates, but she's perfect for Sebastian, aaaaaand

They hate eachother.

Then EVERYONE winds up happy, except...

*****

"The Women" (1939) follows the troubled marriage and questionable friendships of Mary, Mrs. Stephen Haines.

The players:

Joan Crawford is the villainous Crystal that stole Mr. Haines.

Rosalind Russell is the so-called "friend", Sylvia Fowler, who is dying to tell Mary that her husband's been running around town with the perfume girl (not out of deep concern, that's for sure).

Norma Shearer is the endearing and ever-so-beautiful Mary.

Lucile Watson plays Mrs. Morehead, another of Crystal's victims.

Notice the ladies are all hiding their claws behind their backs.

Here's Sylvia doing what she does best, play both sides.

Crystal, however, has her guard down and actually thinks Sylvia is a friend.

HA! That's what you get, hussy!

The very moment of Mary's epiphany.

"I've had two years to grow claws, Mother. Jungle Red!!!"

Also where the movie came full circle:

In the beginning,

Mary found out about the affair from a nail tech Sylvia suggested (of course).

Jungle Red was a polish color and the code for that specific nail tech.

Later,

Mary fights back. Woohoo!

*****

The Red Shoes

One of the most romantic and heart renching movies I've ever seen.

Victoria 'Vicky' Paige is played by Moira Shearer, a real live ballerina and not a bad actress either.

This storyline is based off the fairytale by Hans Christian Anderson,

and the screenplay by Emeric Pressburger.

***found via Wikipedia: "also said to have been inspired by the real-life

meeting of Sergei Diaghileev with the British ballerina Diana Gould"***

Victoria - a tortured soul. She is in love......but a dancer has no time for love.

You know what? I could get extremely lengthy in this description of the plot.

So why don't you click the wikipedia link to read it yourself, then immediately watch the movie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Red_Shoes_(film)

Isn't she lovely?

*****

"Funny Face"

For this movie, Audrey Hephburn played the quirky, not-at-all interested in being sexy, preoccupied Jo Stockton. This is one of her many characters that I relate to incredibly. Such a sweet spirit.

Who better to dance alongside and be photographed by than Dick Avery aka. Fred Astaire.

I love how uninhibited Audrey was for this film, actually for all her films, but this one in particular.

She reminds me a little more of Sabrina here. Another magical movie also featuring Humphrey Bogart.

This is what you call a natural beauty. I don't think she could be ugly

no matter how hard she tried.

"Take the picture! Take the picture!"