Angela Greene, 1946
Maureen O’Hara, 1945
Happy St. Patrick’s Day from Font & Frock!
Films
Happy Birthday, Joan Fontaine!
The talented and lovely Joan Fontaine was born on 22 October 1917. I love the WWII-era hair she is sporting in this photo from 1943:
Joan Fontaine, August 1943
Lovely Lillian
I dig this image of Lillian Gish, and I thought you might enjoy it, too.
Lillian Gish by Adolfo Best Maugard in Screenland, December 1929.
[Classic Movie History Project 2016] The Emancipation of Ossi Oswalda: I Don’t Want to Be a Man (1918)
This is my entry in the Classic Movie History Project, hosted by Movies Silently, Once Upon a Screen, and Silver Screenings.
Classic Movie History Project
Ossi gets emancipated
THE EMANCIPATION OF OSSI OSWALDA: I DON’T WANT TO BE A MAN (1918)
“You are a dream; I hope I never meet you.”-Sylvia Plath
Reliable biographical information on German silent movie actress Ossi Oswalda is scant. Even worse, the crumbs that do exist often conflict with one another. To be blunt: facts are on particularly unreliable ground here. Matters are further gummed up by the early-film habit of naming characters after their actors. Ossi was often Ossi, or, to add variety, Össi. Who was who was who? Does it matter? Fortunately, since the focus of this essay is on her incredible comedic performance in I Don’t Want to Be a Man (1918), I’m not particularly concerned with the trajectory of her personal life, or to what extent her true personality coursed through the veins of her screen selves. Even though her off-screen circumstances, opportunities, and choices undoubtedly affected her career, an understanding of them is not a fundamental component to enjoying her remarkable gifts. It would benefit us to take a page from her delightful films, and, at least for the duration of this piece, leave the logical, workaday world behind in favor of the magical hinterland of the imagination. Let’s travel to a place, then, where time and reality don’t matter, where Our Heroine, in her various fictional disguises, is forever brave, scampish, and determined to grab every experience within her reach.
Ossi Oswalda, circa 1917
To sheltered twenty-first century viewers, Ossi Oswalda can seem like a young woman ahead of her time. Her screen characters embrace values that we chauvinistically claim as exclusively ours: they are full of physical courage and a feminist resolve to be treated as equal to all comers, have spicy senses of humor, are confidently attractive, take chances as if they were made for risk, and rebel against the mundane as a matter of principle.
Silent film fans know better. Continue reading
#ReelInfatuation Blogathon Round-Up
Thanks to all who participated in, read, shared, or otherwise engaged in the inaugural #ReelInfatuation Blogathon!
Reel Infatuation Jagger Banner
You know who you are, and you’re ALL the best (especially our co-hostest with the mostest).
Here’s a round-up of all five fabulous days:
Although we plan on doing a second Reel Infatuation Blogathon, you don’t have to wait that long to join in the fun. The character crush conversation will continue on our website, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. Stay tuned for more info.
Until then…
Cheers!
The Reel Infatuation Blogathon: An Origin Story
I’m kind of obsessed with Christmas films. For many people, Thanksgiving marks the start of the decorating or shopping season. I, on the other hand, take it as the sign to begin watching as many holiday flicks as possible. I’d do it around the clock if I could. My husband thinks this is really strange, but he leaves me to it with nary a head shake. He’s a good man.
Sometime in mid-December of last year, after watching both White Christmas (1954) and Miracle on 34th Street (1947) a few too many times, I had a mild personal epiphany.
I realized that my two biggest film character crushes are on these guys:
John Payne as Fred Gailey
Dean Jagger as Major General Thomas Waverly
I’ve been crushing on this holiday duo since my teen years, thus my insight was embarrassingly belated. Once I had this figured out, it was an easy leap in nosiness to wondering which film characters other people–family, friends, total strangers–think are exciting, sexy, intriguing, or, well, just plain hot.
So, basically, my two main character crushes came together and, aided by a healthy dose of curiosity, planted the seed of an idea that, with the help of my co-hostess with the mostest, Ruth of Silver Screenings, grew up to be the Reel Infatuation Blogathon.
Clara Bow Reel Infatuation Banner
That was the easy part. Deciding which of my celluloid honeys to write about was truly difficult. In the end, though, there was one clear winner: Dean Jagger as Major General Thomas Waverly in White Christmas. I cannot wait to share my character crush with you, or to read all about yours.
Let’s get this party started!
Happy Birthday, Lovely Audrey!
The talented and lovely Audrey Hepburn was born on 4 May 1929.
My very favourite Audrey-based book is Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit: A Son Remembers by Sean Hepburn Ferrer.
Goodbye, Patty Duke!
Sigh. She’s a hard one to say goodbye to…a brilliant actress and human being. More later.
Patty Duke (1946-2016):
Patty Duke,1975
Goodbye, Dean!
Dean Jagger, my fave actor and fellow Ohioan, died on 5 February 1991 at age 87.
Dean Jagger in Dangerous Number (1937).
Announcing the Dorothy Lamour Blogathon!
I’m co-hosting the Dorothy Lamour Blogathon with Ruth of Silver Screenings.
Let’s get this party started!
Dorothy Blogathon
Font and Frock 