Welcome to BlogHub: the Best in Veteran and Emerging Classic Movie Blogs
You can rate and share your favorite classic movie posts here.
You can rate and share your favorite classic movie posts here.
A Romance of the Redwoods
Once Upon a Screen Posted by Aurora on Jun 2, 2012
Other than the significant role she played in Hollywood history, I know close to nothing of Mary Pickford’s work as an actress. This is why I wanted to take part in The Mary Pickford Blogathon hosted by Classic Movies. My attempt to venture wholeheartedly into the world of silent film. To this read more
Seabiscuit (1)
Once Upon a Screen Posted by Aurora on May 27, 2012
This is my contribution to a Horseathon, an event where bloggers are writing about films featuring horses. Though I normally prefer to post commentary on classics, my choice for this event is not a classic film. At least not based on its year of release. The story it depicts is certainly during read more
Future Classic Movies: ZODIAC
Once Upon a Screen Posted by Aurora on May 23, 2012
Following is my contribution to the Future Classic Movies (FCM) blogathon hosted by Paula Guthat of Paula’s Cinema Club. The requirement of the blogathon is to choose a film released since 2000 that I believe will be considered a classic in 40-50 years. I chose a film that remains with read more
Dracula, a tribute
Once Upon a Screen Posted by Aurora on May 20, 2012
This week (May 26th to be exact) marks the 125th anniversary of the release of Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula. It went on sale for the first time in London bookshops on that day in 1897. Since (to me) that novel introduced what would become the single, most popular and influential character in popul read more
The Hitchcock Signature
Once Upon a Screen Posted by Aurora on May 13, 2012
For the Love of Film: The Film Preservation Blogathon III _____________________________________________ Everyone knows that all Alfred Hitchcock films have a lot in common, all that is Alfred Hitchcock. The mark he left on each of his movies is indelible and undeniable, comparable to the mark any o read more
Adam’s Rib – you be the judge
Once Upon a Screen Posted by Aurora on May 12, 2012
“It’s the hilarious answer to who wears the pants!” That was the tag line used to get audiences to go see Adam’s Rib in 1949 and the pants still fit. This George Cukor classic offers great fun, real smarts and stars two of Hollywood’s greatest actors, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. read more
Novel to films – The Godfather
Once Upon a Screen Posted by Aurora on May 3, 2012
Since its beginning, cinema has been inspired by many other art forms – but none has had the impact on the telling of stories on the big screen as literature, the written word, more specifically, books and novels. As source material, novels have dealt motion pictures huge varieties of topics and read more
Foolproof and beautiful “Out of the Past”
Once Upon a Screen Posted by Aurora on Apr 29, 2012
“Nothing in the world is any good unless you can share it.” So says Jeff to Kathie during their first encounter in Mexico. She is hiding from the notorious Whit – he is there to find her and bring her back to a dangerous, duplicitous world. Here I am to share a bit of their journey. By no read more
ALL ABOUT…The Wisdom of Eve
Once Upon a Screen Posted by Aurora on Apr 29, 2012
All About Eve, Academy Award-winning Best Picture (1951) is based on the short story, “The Wisdom of Eve” by Mary Orr. The 9-page short story first appeared in Cosmopolitan magazine in May 1946. Orr later expanded her short story, in collaboration with Reginald Denham, into a successful play. read more
Set a thief… To Catch a Thief
Once Upon a Screen Posted by Aurora on Apr 22, 2012
I sit on a lazy Saturday afternoon watching the beauty of Hitchcock. Not the man (necessarily), but his work. He is so deliberate, the master manipulator – I am putty in his hands! To Catch a Thief never comes to mind when I consider my favorite of Alfred Hitchcock’s films – and there read more
My night in Casablanca
Once Upon a Screen Posted by Aurora on Mar 22, 2012
Bogart. Bergman. Henreid. Rains. Romance. Intrigue. Espionage. Patriotism. Humor. Humanity. Just a few of the reasons why I was one of what I hope were millions who went to a local movie theater last night to see a film I’d seen countless times before. I imagined being part of a read more
The Godfather trilogy – reviews and reception
Once Upon a Screen Posted by Aurora on Mar 11, 2012
On March 24, 2012, The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola’s organized crime family masterpiece, celebrates an anniversary – the 40th from the day it was released. To honor it, here is a look back at how the film and its sequels were received when first released. Mario Puzo’s novel, The Godfather read more
The Awful Truth …the matter of Mr. Smith
Once Upon a Screen Posted by Aurora on Feb 21, 2012
Divorce. An ugly business. It turns love into hate and dependency into burden. Facts that are never truer than when young ones are involved – when they are forced to choose between those they love most. Mr. Smith, or Smitty, as his friends and family know him, has to grapple with this difficult read more
Funny Girl…from stage to screen
Once Upon a Screen Posted by Aurora on Feb 11, 2012
In December of 1936, Fanny Brice made her final appearance in front of a New York audience at the Winter Garden Theater as part of that year’s tour of the Ziegfeld Follies. Nearly three decades later a show based on her life opened on that very same stage. The Broadway production of Funny Girl read more
Women Directors…special tribute to Ida Lupino
Once Upon a Screen Posted by Aurora on Feb 5, 2012
I wrote this essay several years ago as part of a course I took on women directors. Since the essay was submitted, women have made some strides in the movie industry. The most significant being Kathryn Bigelow’s ‘Best Director’ Academy Award win for The Hurt Locker. The win, significant read more
The Dark Side of Genius
Once Upon a Screen Posted by Aurora on Jan 15, 2012
Some time ago I read Donald Spoto’s 1999 book, The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock. Here are my thoughts on the book and its infinitely fascinating subject… As soon as one begins to read Daniel Spoto’s The Dark Side of Genius it is apparent that the book’s emphasis read more
The Lady Vanishes…
Once Upon a Screen Posted by Aurora on Jan 2, 2012
… (1938) is the last film Alfred Hitchcock would make in England before his move to Los Angeles to start work in the Hollywood Studio system. Defying some genre conventions, The Lady Vanishes is a fun film, as far as Hitchcock films go, and outright funny at times. But a Hitchcock film it read more
Sidney Lumet…at the beginning and in the end.
Once Upon a Screen Posted by Aurora on Dec 4, 2011
I recently watched the new Criterion Collection blu-ray of Sidney Lumet’s classic, 12 Angry Men. I wanted to share my thoughts on this film but in all truth, what can I possibly say that hasn’t been said already? I love it. It is as impactful and as relevant today as it was when released in read more
Judy’s greatest performance
Once Upon a Screen Posted by Aurora on Nov 26, 2011
Jill of sittin’ on a backyard fence recently sponsored a contest where the winner would win the new Judy Garland biography, Judy: A Legendary Film Career by John Fricke. As a life-long Judy fan, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to submit my two cents on my favorite Judy Garland performance. read more
Welcome! I promise to say absolutely nothing…
Once Upon a Screen Posted by Aurora on Nov 23, 2011
If you are reading this, you somehow made it to my first ever blog post. I’ll admit up front I don’t know what I’m doing. I actually know very little about most things. So, if you’re looking for answers to anything substantial, or for a clue to the meaning of life, STOP read more