This is my contribution to Letter the Stars Blogathon.
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Dear Cyd Charisse, I wanted to write to let you know how much I enjoyed watching you perform in one of my all time favorite classic musicals, Singin’ In The Rain. It was a thrill to see one of the best musical numbers ever filmed, “Broadway Melody Ballet” on the big screen.. I have watched Singin’ In The Rain, more times than I can remember and one of the first classic movies, that I added to my ever growing classic movie DVD movie collection.
I have always thought of you as one of the most talented female icons of dance. Because, of all your unforgettable contributions to the Golden Age of MGM Hollywood musicals which include: Silk Stockings, The Bandwagon, Brigadoon and the classic Singin’ In The Rain.
I loved watching your dance performances with two of the greatest male dancers in film history, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. How was it acting with Gene Kelly? I've always been a fan of his and if he is starring in a movie, it's guaranteed that I'll be a fan of the film.
My 3 favorite Esther Williams movies are: Fiesta, On an Island with You and Easy to Love. Mostly, because of your dance routines with the very handsome and talented, Ricardo Montalban. You and Ricardo made an amazing dance couple and it seems.. no matter who was your partner, you always remained powerful and glamorous. I was sorry to learn that you broke your leg during the filming of the big ceremonial dance in the classic musical, On an Island with You and they used another dancer.
You would be a perfect celebrity for Dancing With The Stars! Bruno, Carrie and Len would have loved you! You would have definitely taken home the mirror ball!
I would like to end this letter thanking you for your dedication to your dancing and acting. For me... your performances will always remain timeless.
Last night, during a huge thunderstorm, My husband Stephen and I drove to the Century-Oro Valley Market Place Theater in Arizona, to see one of my favorite musicals, Singin' in the Rain. I would say 30 other people, also.. came out in the rain to see the classic musical.
I was thrilled to have been one of those who were selected to receive two TCM promotional passes, for the 8/22/12 showing. I have not been to a movie theater, since my son was a little boy.
I have to share with you, that seeing a classic film, on the "big screen" is an amazing experience. I hope all of you get the opportunity to experience it at least once.
Watching the film, in a theater armed with a bag of movie popcorn and drink, sitting with an audience, is like seeing the classic for the first time. With the large size screen you really do see more detail:
The costumes really sparkled and were more amazing on the "Big Screen".
When Don was doing his "Make um Laugh" routine you could actually see his feet ripping up the carpet.
As I mentioned before.. we had a huge thunderstorm in Tucson, last night and while we were watching Gene Kelly, "Singin' in the Rain" routine, you could actually hear large claps of thunder, from outside the theater.. it was amazingly(is that a word) good timing.
Gene Kelly, dancing routines are breathtaking. Seeing the film at the theater, made me realize how well Gene Kelly, really danced..
Cyd Charise, was full of energy and commanded the screen in all her dance numbers, even though she did not have any speaking parts.
Jean Hagen's voice, was even more irritating on the 'Big Screen". Matter of fact "that voice" is still ringing in my ears.
Debbie Reynolds, voice seemed very girlish.. but it worked...
My gosh.. the color just popped off the screen, it was like watching a firework display, in some of the scenes. The black and white scenes, were amazing and odd. It was the first time in my life, that I had ever seen one up on the "big screen". Thank you The Lady Eve, Jill and Michael for making this possible! I had a wonderful time. A night I will remember for the rest of my life..
East Side, West Side(1949). Melodramatic/crime film. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Ava Gardner in one of her earliest roles, James Mason and Van Heflin. Based on a novel by Marcia Davenport and a screenplay by Isobel Lennart, the film was directed by Mervyn Leroy.
Late one night, Jessie Bourne, is homealone, while, her philandering husband Brandon, is out drinking at the Del Rio night club, with model Rosa Senta. Rosa, later asks Brandon, why he cheats on his wife. Brandon says, "just because a man has one perfect rose at home, doesn't mean he can't enjoy the flowers of the field."
It is not long before Brandon's, former mistress Isabel Lorrison, just back from Paris, shows up forcing Rosa to leave. Isabel, is hoping to pick up where they left off, but Brandon, is ready to move on, telling her that.. "he is now faithful to his wife".
Later, as Brandon is leaving the club, Alec Dawning, who knows Brandon's reputation, knocks him unconscious. Rosa, takes Brandon to her home, where he spends the night.
When Brandon, arrives home he tells Jessie that he was attacked by a bum, which she does not believe.
Soon after, Helen Lee reminds Jessie about her party for ex-police officer Mark Dwyer, whose book Helen's husband Owen is trying to get syndicated in his newspaper. Jessie, then confides to Helen, that she is afraid of what will happen to her marriage now that Isabel is back in town.
After, seeing a picture newspaper picture of Rosa and her husband, Jessie finds Rosa and speaks with her about the picture. Rosa, explains what really happened and the two become fast friends. Jessie, offers to take Rosa to the airport to pick up her boyfriend.
By coincidence, Rosa's sweetheart is th ex-police officer Mark Dwyer, who seems more interested in Jessie.
On the day of Helen's party, Isabel, manages to keep Brandon, from attending the party. Jessie goes to the party alone and is taken home by Mark, who stays with her until Brandon returns home.
The next day, Isabel tells Jessie that she is going to steal husband from her.
Later, Mark while giving Jessie, a tour of his West Side neighborhood, he confesses his love for her. When Jessie returns home, she finds out that Isabel has been murdered.
She and Mark, rush over to Isabel's apartment, where police Lt. Jacobi is interrogating Brandon. Mark, finds a clue that leads him to the Del Rio club, where he finds Isabel's killer, who turns out to be..
Both Stanwyck and Gardner are well matched in this film. Mason, is such a creep that you, hope that everyone, will kick him to the curb by the end of the movie. Loved, the New York scenes and Costumes, were beautiful. I would watch this film again..
Gale Sondergaard (February 15, 1899 – August 14, 1985), studied acting at the Minneapolis School of Dramatic Arts before joining the John Keller Shakespeare Company.
She later toured North America in productions of Hamlet, Julius Caesar, The Merchant of Venice, and Macbeth. Her younger sister Hester Sondergaard was also an actress.
Sondergaard made her first film appearance in, Anthony Adverse (1936) as "Faith Paleologue" and became the first recipient of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.
Her career as an actress flourished during the 1930s, and included a role opposite Paul Muni in The Life of Emile Zola (1937). During pre-production of MGM's classic The Wizard of Oz (1939), an early idea was to have the Wicked Witch of the West portrayed as a glamorous villainess in a black sequined costume, inspired by the Wicked Queen in, Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Sondergaard was originally cast as the witch in "Oz" and was photographed for two wardrobe test. One was as a glamorous wicked witch, and another as a conventionally ugly wicked witch. After the decision was made to have an ugly wicked witch, Sondergaard, believed it could damage her career, withdrew from the role, and it went to character actress, Margaret Hamilton. Sondergaard was, later cast as the sultry Tylette (a magically humanized, but devious, cat) in 1940s The Blue Bird.
In 1940, she played the role of the exotic and sinister wife in, The Letter, with Bette Davis. She received a second Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress for her role as the King's principal wife in, Anna and the King of Siam(1946).
Sondergaard was first married in 1922 to actor Neill O'Malley; they divorced in 1930. On 15 May 1930, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she married her second husband, Herbert Biberman, a theater director then associated with the Theatre Guild Acting Company; he became a film director and died in 1971. They had two children, Daniel Hans Biberman and Mrs. Joan Campos.
Sondergaard's career was damaged during the Red Scare of the early 1950s, when her husband was accused of being a communist and named as one of the Hollywood Ten. (In the 2000 movie One of the Hollywood Ten, Sondergaard was portrayed by actress Greta Scacchi while Jeff Goldblum was cast as Biberman.) She supported her husband during the production of Salt of the Earth (1954). Highly controversial when it was made, and not a commercial success, its artistic and cultural merit was recognized in 1992 when the National Film Preservation Board selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.
One of the Hollywood Ten (2000) chronicled Sondergaard's relationship with Biberman and her role in the making of, Salt of the Earth. The Bibermans sold their home in Hollywood shortly after they completed Salt of the Earth and moved to New York, where Sondergaard was able to work in theatre.
