God Speed Lauren Bacall

Lauren Bacall (1924-2014)

When I heard the news about Lauren Bacall's death, I didn't want to believe it. One of the things I always admired about Bacall was her resiliency. Surely she could survive death rumors! Alas, it was then confirmed by the Bogart estate that Bacall passed away yesterday.

Lauren Bacall was absolutely stunning. She was a talented actress who was as effective at being sultry as she was being serious or silly. She had wonderful range and I admire her for embracing old age when many other actresses were terrified of it.

Her love affair and marriage to Humphrey Bogart is the greatest love story to come out of Hollywood. When you hear "Bogie and Bacall" you immediately think of a relationship of passion, devotion and mutual respect. I'm sure it wasn't a perfect marriage but they were perfect for each other.

I even honored Bogie and Bacall at my own wedding. Table number four was dedicated to them and featured a framed photo of them on their wedding day.

Check out this video clip from 1954. Edward R. Murrow gets a virtual tour of the Bogart home by Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart. Little Stephen and Leslie Bogart also make an appearance! It's a charming little tribute to their family.

If you want to pay your respects to the Bogart family, consider leaving a message on Twitter, include @BogartEstate in your tweet, or on Facebook on the estate's official page.

2014 Summer Reading Challenge - First Round-Up

Woah. Hey there, Summer. Why don't you slow down a bit? The days of June and July felt like they were on fast forward. Next thing I noticed it was already August and I only have 1 out of 6 books reviewed. Yikes! I have to catch up. Right now I'm finishing a 1,000 page biography on Barbara Stanwyck (and it's only volume 1!). I've been chipping away at it all July and it's been a great read. I'm glad I threw in a few shorter books into my challenge list so I can balance things out.

I'm also way overdue on sharing the first round-up of reviews by all the participants in the challenge so I'm sharing them below. These are some fine pieces on a varied collection of classic film related books. I encourage you to stop by these blogs and read their challenge submissions. You never know. You might find your next favorite classic film book!

If I missed one of your reviews, let me know and I'll add it below.

BG of Classic Reel Girl
Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations by Peter Evans and Ava Gardner
Doris Day: The Untold Story of the Girl Next Door by David Kaufman


Emily of The Vintage Cameo 

Cinematic Canines: Dogs and Their Work in the Fiction Film by Adrienne L. McLean

KC of A Classic Movie Blog
The Wizard of Oz FAQ: All That’s Left to Know About Life According to Oz by David J. Hogan 
Sharon Tate: Recollection by Debra Tate
Hitchcock’s Partner in Suspence: The Life of Screenwriter Charles Bennett edited by John Charles Bennett
Stella! Mother of Modern Acting by Sheana Ochoa
Dangerous Rhythm: Why Movie Musicals Matter by Richard Barrios


Laura of Laura’s Miscellaneous Musings
John Wayne: The Life and Legend by Scott Eyman
Still Memories: An Autobiography in Photography by John Mills
Dangerous Rhythm: Why Movie Musicals Matter by Richard Barrios

Raquel of Out of the Past 
Dangerous Rhythm: Why Movie Musicals Matter by Richard Barrios

Rich of Wide Screen World

Three Fingers by Rich Koslowsky
Silent Stars by Jeanine Basinger
Main Street by Sinclair Lewis

Robby of Dear Old Hollywood

Welcome, Foolish Mortals: The Life and Voices of Paul Frees by Ben Ohmart
Life at the Marmont: The Inside Story of Hollywood’s Legendary Hotel of the Stars – Chateau Marmont by Raymond Sarlot and Fred E. Basten

Good job everyone!

One participant will win this set of Vintage Movie Classics!

God Speed James Garner

James Garner and his wife Lois Fleischman Clarke. Source: AP

James Garner 

1928-2014 

I was very sad and somewhat shocked to hear of the death of actor James Garner. On screen, he was always charming and gave consistently good performances. And boy was he handsome! James Garner was a talent who mastered both film and TV. I’ve enjoyed watching him in films such as Boys’ Night Out (1962), The Great Escape (1963), The Thrill of It All (1963) and Grand Prix (1966). And for me, the best parts of the contemporary film The Notebook (2004) were the scenes with Garner whose role and performance were what made the film a classic tearjerker. One of the things I love about Garner is that he was a fighter, a quality that I’m sure resulted from his rough childhood. He wasn’t afraid to stand up for what he believed in.

This blog has been getting a lot of traffic lately because of this post I did about James Garner two years ago: ‘Til Death Do Us Part – James Garner and Lois Fleischman Clarke. Before I got married in 2012, I did a blog series called ‘Til Death Do Us Part which celebrated Hollywood marriages that stood the test of time. I did a post on James Garner and his wife who at the time had been married for 55 years (now 57 years upon his death). I figured that all of the traffic was coming from people searching “James Garner Death”. On the contrary, many visitors found that post searching for "Lois Fleischman Clarke." The post serves as a nice little tribute to their marriage and a small insight into Garner's life.

 God Speed James Garner