please

one of these days actor michael pitt will make another film i want to see. i don't mind waiting.

marlon moment

my all time favorite snap of brando. courtesy this time of a wonderful blog called 'tatielle.'

to be a redgrave

michael regdrave is such a super actor and his children followed in his talented footsteps. while he is sobering his daughters are quite the opposite. both vanessa and lynn can be dizzying. i have a feeling the film 'georgy girl' put lynn on the map big time. she owns this film. that is quite an achievement when one considers her co-stars in this serious romp from 1966. james mason plays a wealthy older man determined to make her his own. charlotte rampling plays her skinny, gorgeous, selfish, and cruel roommate. in love with said roommate is alan bates, one of the most beloved actors to come out of merry old england.
lynn gets to be 'georgy', tirelessly taking care of everyone. she shines like mad in this wonderful movie.

photos: lynn and alan/lynn and alan/charlotte

julie as julie

never saw this before....

the british are coming

i see a theme in today's postings! so, here is a lovely image i captured off my dvd the other night. this is a very young john hurt from the film, 'a man for all seasons.'

genes

daphne du maurier (1907-1989) was certainly undaunted by her ancestors achievements. her father was sir gerald, an actor/stage manager. her grandfather was george du maurier, writer of 'trilby', the novel that gave to the world the character 'svengali.' in time daphne too became a dame of the empire.
i love all her books. like fellow english writer, patricia highsmith, many films were made based on her novels. here are some of the most famous:

rebecca
jamaica inn
the birds
my cousin rachel
don't look now

romance and ghost stories were her domain. i think her work translates well into film. in the case of 'don't look now', too well.

by way of illustration

that reminds me....

i often see a beautiful image that transports me smack into a film i've loved. it took me a while to locate a copy of 1952's 'my cousin rachel' but it did arrive at a time when i was immersed in all things richard burton. i don't mention him as much as i used to, but being that i created this blog in response to his performance in the film, 'look back in anger' i am happy to point to another early richard movie.
based on the novel written by the delightful/spooky daphne du maurier, the story is simple/complex as all love stories are. rachel is older, secretive, and the inheritor of the estate of her husband who seems to have mysteriously died. said husband was the guardian of a young man who falls madly in love with her. olivia is as enchanting as always, richard is both very young and completely spellbinding.

photo: the movie could have been filmed in the desolate countryside near this lovely dwelling.

francoise dorleac

oil painting detail 'france was' by pal shazar

untitled

for marilyn

no matter what....

i have yet to see a photo of marilyn monroe where she does not look special.

jersey girl

eva marie saint made her film debut opposite marlon brando in 'on the waterfront.' amazing good fortune, that is. she played 'edie', the sister of 'joey', who 'terry's' brother and friends knock off. against the wishes of his brother's hoodlum pals, marlon sang and danced his way into edie's heart. her performance as the shy convent school girl who sees right through his shroud of guilt won her an oscar.
eva marie has such a beautiful presence. naturally platinum hair, amazing bone structure and an overall countenance as soft as her mitten which terry picks up and slips his hand into while they walk through the park. it is one of the sweetest moments on film and her participation is perfection.

a true new jersey girl born in 1924/publicity shot for 'on the waterfront'