In 1927, the Roaring Twenties became the Soaring Twenties. The year was an inflection point in history, when the Model T ceased production five days after being upstaged by a 25-year-old pilot’s epic solo flight.Read More
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I once got an email from an 88-year-old man named George, praising an essay I’d written for the Washington Post. Coincidentally, I had read a piece George wrote for the Post, about living in post-war New York. I joked about being reincarnated from the ‘30s and ‘40s, citing my passion for classic films. To which George replied, “Then you’ve probably heard of my brother Fred.”Read More
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His “Goldwynisms” are notorious, but his films are legendary. The driving force behind three studios, Samuel L. Goldwyn’s story is Hollywood’s story, and his rise from penniless to powerful would have made a swell picture of its own.Read More
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In real life, people rarely burst into song, which is why musicals are superior to reality. Feeling “meh”? Wanna get happy, fast? Zhuzh up your spirits by streaming Singin’ in the Rain. It’s more than a film. It’s like defib paddles for your mood, a Technicolor valentine to movies that transports you from Ennui Hell to Tinseltown in the Roaring ‘20s.Read More
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If you don’t know his name, I bet you know his movies. Director Michael Curtiz was more “journeyman” than “auteur,” but his cinematic legacy is impressive. James Cagney (Yankee Doodle Dandy) and Joan Crawford (Mildred Pierce) scored their only Oscar wins under Curtiz’s command. Read More
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Hollywood is a company town, which means celebrity spawn often join the movie business. Think Henry, Peter, and Jane Fonda. Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli. Kirk and Michael Douglas. But long before those famous clans made their marks, there were the Barrymores: a show biz dynasty that began in the 19th century and lives on in fifth-generation star Drew Barrymore.Read More
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The Best Years of Our Lives opened on November 21, 1946 and became an instant classic. Critics lavished praise. Moviegoers mobbed theaters, making Best Years the decade’s top blockbuster.Read More
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Love is an occupational hazard on film sets. Sexy actors spend endless hours, passionately smooching and faux shagging, in take after take. Every word they speak is witty or cool. Their hair and makeup are flawless. Their clothes are stunning. The lighting is flattering. Don’t even get me started on their movie-god bods. No wonder so many of them hook up on the job.Read More
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