(This post is part of the Swashathon hosted by Movies Silently. To view other great posts visit here.)
D’Artagnan (Douglas Fairbanks) travels to Paris to fulfill his ambition to become one of the King’s Musketeers while Cardinal Richelieu (Nigel De Brulier) plots to rule the court of King Louis XIII by involving a scandal with the Queen (Mary MacLaren).
The Cardinal sends his henchman, Rochefort, with a forged letter from the Queen to Buckingham who has feelings for her. D’Artagnan encounters the henchman in Meung who makes fun of his horse.
When D’Artagnan gets to Paris he trades in his horse for a fine new hat and meets Constance (Marguerite De La Mott), the Queen’s seamstress.
In England Buckingham receives the forged letter.
2016 marks the 90th anniversary of The Son of the Sheik. Donna Hill’s Valentino calendar for 2016 will honor this classic movie. To view the calendar and get yours please visit Lulu.com.
Not only was Hattie McDaniel the first African American to win an Academy Award but she was also the first African American to sing on the radio.
Some of her movies include: The Little Colonel (1935), China Seas (1935), Alice Adams (1935), Saratoga (1937), Vivacious Lady (1938), and of course Gone With The Wind (1939). She has appeared with Jean Harlow, Clark Gable, Bela Lugosi, James Stewart, Bette Davis, and Katharine Hepburn.
Hattie McDaniel in Alice Adams
Hattie McDaniel’s roles were that of sassy African American housemaids. It was her greatest role in Gone with the Wind that won her the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Her Oscar was not the familiar golden statue, but a 5-1/2″ x 6” plaque. At the time this was the type of award given to the Best Supporting Actor and Actress.
McDaniel was not able to attend the Gone with the Wind premier in Atlanta, Georgia due to segregation. Her good friend Clark Gable threatened to boycott the premier unless McDaniel was able to attend. McDaniel talked him into attending.
For her part during WWII she was on the Hollywood Victory Committee and performed at USO shows and war bond rallies.
When Hattie McDaniel died on October 26, 1952, one of her last wishes was to be buried in Hollywood Cemetery (now Hollywood Forever). Due to segregation the cemetery refused to bury her there. Instead she is buried at Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery. In 1999 Hollywood Forever dedicated a cenotaph to Hattie McDaniel overlooking the lake.
Hattie McDaniel has two stars on the Hollywood walk of fame, one for film and one for radio. She also appeared on a US postal stamp in 2006.
2006
During the silent era Gloria Swanson was the Queen of Hollywood. She was a modern woman, an early sex symbol and personified glamour. Swanson was one of the most photographed women in the world. She had to fight to prove her talent as an actress and was nominated for an Academy Award three times for her roles in Sadie Thompson (1928), The Trespasser (1929) and Sunset Boulevard (1950). Swanson is the first ever to be nominated for back to back Academy Awards. She is best known for her role as Norma Desmond. In addition to films Swanson appeared in the theater and television.
In 1916 she started working for Mack Sennett. At age 17 she married her frequent Keystone co-star Wallace Beery. The marriage ended in divorce. Swanson was married a total of six times.
Cecil B. DeMille enhanced her look and transformed her into a glamorous star. At that time she starred in costume dramas and had lavish wardrobes. She was a trendsetter in fashion.
In 1927 Swanson joined United Artists. Her first film for UA was The Love of Sunya. After that she starred in the controversial Sadie Thompson. Swanson was able to transition to talkies with her film The Trespasser. In 1950 Gloria Swanson starred in her greatest role as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard.
Some of her other films include Don’t Change Your Husband (1919), Male and Female (1919), Why Change Your Wife? (1920), The Affairs of Anatol (1921), Beyond the Rocks (1922), Zaza (1923), and Madame Sans-Gene (1925) to name a few.
Gloria Swanson will always be a legend of the silent screen.
The 88th Annual Valentino Memorial service will be August 23, 2015 at Hollywood Forever Cemetery at 12:10 PM Eastern time.
This year the 90th Anniversary of The Eagle (1925) will be spotlighted with wonderful displays pertaining to the film on hand for viewing. Included will be the ring Valentino wore in A Sainted Devil (1924), Cobra (1925) and The Eagle (1925). This item has never been on public display before. This year’s key note speaker will be author & historian Jeffrey Vance.
Myrna Loy started out playing Vamps in silent movies. She also played characters of Asian background. She is probably best known as Nora Charles starring opposite William Powell in the Thin Man (1934) series. Loy and Powell starred in 14 movies together. She also starred with Clark Gable, Tyron Power, Cary Grant and Fredrick March. In 1936 Myrna Loy was voted the Queen of Hollywood by a nationwide poll by movie goers. In 1988 she received a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Kennedy Center Honors and in 1991 she received an Honorary Academy Award.
During WWII she went on to fund raising tours, helped run a Navel Auxiliary Canteen and worked closely with the Red Cross.
Some of her movies include: Manhattan Melodrama (1934), Libeled Lady (1936), Wife vs. Secretary (1936), Test Pilot (1938), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947), and Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948).
I adore William Powell. He was sophisticated, suave, debonair, handsome, witty, stylish, a true gentleman and women loved his voice. He was nominated for an Oscar in the films The Thin Man (1934), My Man Godfrey (1936) and Life with Father (1947).
William Powell knew he wanted to be an actor and could move from drama to comedy flawlessly. He was cast as the villain earlier in his career. Powell became a star as Philo Vance in The Canary Murder Case (1929). He would go on to play the character three more times in The Greene Murder Case (1929), Benson Murder Case (1930), and The Kennel Murder Case (1933). It is his character Nick Charles and his enduring movie partnership with Myrna Loy that he his best known for. They made 14 films together including the popular Thin Man Series. Some of Powell’s other movies include: Manhattan Melodrama (1934), The Great Ziegfield (1936), Libeled Lady (1936), How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) and Mr. Roberts (1955).
Powell with Myrna Loy
Powell was married to the beautiful Carole Lombard from 1931 to 1933. They starred in My Man Godfrey together and remained friends. At the time of her death Powell was dating Jean Harlow. He was devastated by her sudden death. Powell purchased the $25,000 crypt that Harlow was laid to rest in. In 1940 he married Diana Lewis. They were married for 44 years.
Powell with Carole Lombard
Powell with Jean Harlow
In 1955 William Powell retired from movies. He died on March 5, 1984 at the age of 91.
Originally from Australia Errol Flynn was handsome, charming, witty, athletic, adventurous, mischievous, a playboy and loved sailing. He became an overnight sensation with the release of Captain Blood in 1935. He is best known for his sword fights and swashbuckler films.
In the late 30’s and early 40’s Flynn was at the peak of his career. Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland were in 8 movies together: Captain Blood (1935), Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Four’s a Crowd (1938), Dodge City (1939), The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939), Santa Fe Trail (1940), and They Died with Their Boots On (1941). Alan Hale appeared in several Flynn movies as his sidekick. During the filming of Gentleman Jim (1942), Flynn suffered a mild heart attack. In Four’s a Crowd he showed a comedic side but fans wanted to see him in action movies so comedies were not as well received. In addition to his swashbuckler movies Flynn made 7 westerns.
In 1942 two girls accused Flynn of statutory rape. He was acquitted.
Between drug use and alcohol the years of hard living took its toll on his looks and career. In 1957 he had fourth billing and played an alcoholic in The Sun Also Rises.
Flynn also wrote two books: Beam Ends (1937) and Showdown (1946). He also wrote an autobiography called My Wicked, Wicked Ways (1948).
Errol Flynn died October 14, 1959 at the age of 50 of a heart attack.
Which Robin Hood do you prefer? Errol Flynn or Douglas Fairbanks?
Much to my surprise I was nominated for an award. It’s the Liebster Award. It’s an award given to bloggers by bloggers. I haven’t been blogging long and I never thought I’d be nominated for any award. I’d like to thank Steve Bailey of Movie Movie Blog Blog. It’s truly an honor.
By Donna L. Hill
Timeless Hollywood 