Classic Movies - Legendary Couple: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (Fred)

Today, let’s talk Classic Movies of Fred Astaire! One half of our legendary screen couple, Fred Astaire, was a very gifted dancer, choreographer, and actor. In the 1920s, he and his sister, Adele, were the “dancing darlings of Broadway”, but when Adele married and retired, Fred went to Hollywood to make his first picture in 1933. That picture, MGM’s Dancing Lady, with Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, was not a triumph for any concerned, but Fred Astaire’s foot (or should we say feet?) was firmly in the Hollywood door and he would soon be paired with Ginger Rogers at RKO Pictures. That pairing would indeed be a triumph and the rest, as they say, is history.

Fred Astaire’s screen partnership with Ginger Rogers was, however, only one phase of his long and successful career. We previously discussed the ten films the team made together, but in today’s post, we’ll share several of Fred’s legendary screen performances minus Ginger. Most of us think only of his illustrious MGM career, but the truth is that after RKO, Astaire worked for many movie studios including MGM. It was there that he made Broadway Melody of 1940 with Eleanor Powell. Although the film received mixed reviews, the dance with Powell to Cole Porter’s “Begin the Beguine” on that very shiny floor is one of our favorite Astaire numbers of all time. He worked at Paramount and paired up with Bing Crosby for Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn (1942) which showcased both Astaire’s dancing brilliance with his famous Fourth of July “firecracker” dance and Crosby’s incredible singing with his marvelous rendition of “White Christmas” which was first introduced in that film. Crosby and Astaire teamed up again in another Berlin musical, Blue Skies (1946) in which Astaire danced his wonderful “Puttin’ on the Ritz” number. Astaire also partnered with gorgeous Rita Hayworth in You’ll Never Get Rich (1941) and You Were Never Lovelier (1942) for Columbia Pictures. Those films sky-rocketed the young pin-up girl to stardom.

When Fred Astaire did begin making the big, splashy musicals of MGM’s heyday in the late 1940s to early 1950s, another phase of his legendary career began. With his fabulously innovative dance numbers, the movie musical would reach new heights in such screen gems as Ziegfeld Follies (1946), with an all-star cast including the equally innovative Gene Kelly with whom Fred teams up for a terrific dance number called “The Babbitt and the Bromide”; Easter Parade (1948), with another screen legend, Judy Garland; Three Little Words (1950), with Red Skelton and Vera-Ellen in a musical biopic of songwriting team, Kalmar and Ruby; Royal Wedding (1951), with Jane Powell in a story of a brother-sister act that plays London at the time of Queen Elizabeth’s wedding to Prince Phillip (watch for the incredible “ceiling dance” in which Astaire dances all over the walls, floor, and ceiling of a room-people still wonder how he did it); and Silk Stockings (1957), with wonderful Cyd Charisse in a “cold war” musical spoof. He also made the films Daddy Long Legs (1955), with Leslie Caron and Funny Face (1957), with Audrey Hepburn. Both are enjoyable musicals, especially the latter, although Fred Astaire looks rather old beside his very young leading ladies.

The Fred Astaire classic movie in the spotlight today is 1953’s The Band Wagon, with lovely Cyd Charisse. As an aging movie actor who is set to star in a Broadway musical, Astaire is perfectly cast. He has doubts about his ability to dance with the beautiful, young ballerina (Charisse) who is chosen as his leading lady, but when a famous dramatic director (Jack Buchanan) comes on board and wants to turn the musical comedy into a Faustian nightmare, everyone is ready to quit. With the help of the play’s original writers (comically portrayed by Nanette Fabray and Oscar Levant), Astaire, Charisse, and company take matters into their own hands to create the kind of show the musical play was intended to be. There are lots of wonderful musical numbers in The Band Wagon including the classic Astaire rendition of “By Myself”, the romantic yet simple “Dancing in the Dark” sequence between Astaire and Charisse in Central Park, the “film noir” dance, “A Rag, A Bone, and a Hank of Hair”; and the finale number “That’s Entertainment” sung by the cast at the picture’s end. The selection we enjoy most, however, is “Triplets” with Astaire, Fabray and Buchanan dressed as babies. It really is funny. Take a look at The Band Wagon sometime and see for yourselves.

Fred Astaire went on to appear in several non-musical roles. With the nuclear doomsday classic On The Beach (1959), starring Gregory Peck; the disaster film, The Towering Inferno (1974), with Paul Newman; and the thrilling Ghost Story (1981), with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Fred proved himself to be a fine dramatic actor as well as Musical legend. Several of Astaire’s later films also include a final “unsuccessful” musical, Finian’s Rainbow (1968), with Petula Clark as well as appearances in the MGM Musical tribute films That’s Entertainment (1974), That’s Entertainment II (1976), and That’s Dancing (1985). Fred Astaire died in 1987 at the age of 88. His life had been rich and full of accomplishment. His legacy will live on forever in the Musical genre he helped to pioneer.

**Trivia for Today: Was Fred Astaire ever married and if so, to whom?

Trivia Answer for Previous Post: Swing Time (1936) is considered to be the best of the Astaire-Rogers films and was the favorite of Ginger Rogers.

Classic Movies - Legendary Couple: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

This week we are continuing our month of Legendary Classic Movie Couples. We will first present films and information concerning one particular screen couple followed on Wednesday with a segment on the male actor of the team and finish with the featured female actor on Saturday.

Today, let’s talk Classic Movies of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers! The dynamic dancing duo of Astaire and Rogers began in 1933 when RKO Pictures featured them in Flying Down to Rio. The film starred Dolores Del Rio and Gene Raymond, but when Fred and Ginger danced the “Carioca”, they stole the show. Throughout the 1930s the team danced together in nine films, becoming the best known dancing couple of their era and probably of all-time. Fred Astaire was inventive, personable, relentlessly hard-working, and a perfectionist. Ginger Rogers was a quick study, lovely, and also extremely dedicated. On screen together, they dazzled.

The eight remaining films they went on to make in the 1930s are The Gay Divorcee (1934) in which they demonstrate "The Continental”; Roberta (1935), with Irene Dunne and features the classic love song, “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”; Top Hat (1935) has them dancing “Cheek to Cheek”; Follow the Fleet (1936) features “Let’s Face the Music and Dance”; Swing Time (1936) features songs, “Pick Yourself Up” and “The Way You Look Tonight”; Shall We Dance? (1937) has Fred and Ginger singing “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” while on roller skates; Carefree (1938) is more screwball comedy than musical and features “The Yam” dance number. By the time they made the rather serious musical biopic, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939), the magic of Astaire and Rogers was wearing a bit thin or perhaps audience tastes were changing. In any event, that was their last picture together for RKO. Astaire’s contract with studio ended and he went on to partner other dancing ladies at other studios. Rogers, on the other hand, promptly won the Academy Award for best actress in 1941 for her non-dancing, non-singing title role in Kitty Foyle.

Although Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers would not dance together on the silver screen for another decade, they were gloriously reunited for one final film appearance. That film was MGM’s The Barkleys of Broadway (1949) and that is the classic in the spotlight today. As Josh and Dinah Barkley, Astaire and Rogers portray a bickering musical-comedy stage couple. Josh is perfectly content with the musical roles they share while Dinah would like to expand her acting talent to more dramatic roles (similar to Fred and Ginger’s real-life situation). Oscar Levant as friend, Ezra, is on hand to referee the couple’s fights as well as lend his considerable musical and comedic skills to the mix. We especially enjoy “My One and Only Highland Fling” (Fred and Ginger wear kilts and speak in their best Scots accents) and their romantic rendition of “They Can’t Take That Away From Me”. Even the opening credits dance number (“Swing Trot”) is sheer perfection and can be seen minus the printed titles in 1994’s That’s Entertainment III. The Barkleys of Broadway is a wonderfully entertaining motion picture and the only Astaire-Rogers vehicle filmed in color. It is a fitting farewell from two very gifted artists whose screen collaborations were, and still are, magnificent contributions to the musical genre of classic cinema.

**Trivia for Today: Which of the Astaire-Rogers films is considered the best and was also Ginger’s favorite? The answer will appear in our next post.

Trivia Answer from Previous Post: Unfortunately, Myrna Loy was never nominated for an Academy Award for any of her fine film performances.

Classic Movies - Legendary Couple: William Powell and Myrna Loy (Myrna)

Today, let’s talk Classic Movies of Myrna Loy! As the other half of our legendary couple, Myrna Loy was a film veteran of more than 50 movies by the time she made The Thin Man (1934) with William Powell. Beginning her film career in the silent 1920s, Loy usually played Oriental vamps and half-breed sirens bent on luring men to their destruction. Several of her early silent films are What Price Beauty? (1925), her first small role; Pretty Ladies (1925), with Joan Crawford; and Bitter Apples (1927), her first starring role. In the early 1930s, she often switched to glamour girls, models, and the smart and decorative “best friend” of the leading lady, but it was back to the oriental "bad girl" makeup for The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932), with Boris Karloff in the title role.

After signing with MGM, she was finally assigned two heftier projects with The Prizefighter and the Lady (1933) and The Thin Man (1934), in which Myrna Loy found her comedic niche. She was perfectly delightful in comic roles and audiences loved her wit, charm, and warmth as Nora in “The Thin Man” series and in similar pictures. By 1936, Loy was voted “queen of the movies” and Gable was “king”. Although she never won an Oscar for a particular performance, Myrna Loy did receive an Honorary Academy Award in 1991. She received it via television camera and simply said, “You’ve made me very happy. Thank you very much”.

Several of our favorite Myrna Loy pictures (minus William Powell) include The Rains Came (1939) an exciting “disaster” film complete with earthquake, breaking dam, flood, falling temple, and handsome Tyrone Power; The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947), a delightful comedy with Cary Grant and Shirley Temple; Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948), another fine comedy with Cary Grant; John Steinbeck’s The Red Pony (1949), with Robert Mitchum; Cheaper By The Dozen (1950), with Clifton Webb; and its sequel, Belles On Their Toes (1952), with Jeanne Crain. The last two films follow the real-life adventures of the large Gilbreth family in the 1920’s. Clifton Webb is wonderful as the strict “efficiency expert” father while Myrna Loy is the perfect calm and caring mother of twelve children. When father (Webb) dies at the end of the first film, mother (Loy) must learn to carry on alone in her husband’s work and as the head of the family in the sequel. Both are fine family films full of warmth and humor.

The Myrna Loy picture in the spotlight today, however, is the Academy Award winning picture of 1946, William Wyler’s The Best Years of Our Lives, with Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, and Harold Russell. Fredric March won the Best Actor Oscar for this film while physically challenged non-actor, Harold Russell, won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar and an Honorary Oscar for his performance as Homer Parrish, a sailor who comes back from World War II without his hands, having had them burned off when his ship was destroyed. The film follows the lives of three returning servicemen. Al (March), Fred (Andrews), and Homer (Russell) must all readjust to civilian life, learn to fit back into their old lives, and accept the new challenges that face them in a very changed America after the war. Myrna Loy, as Al’s wife, Millie, is remarkably convincing as a woman who must also adjust to having her husband back after years of separation. The poignant scene between Homer and his girlfriend, Wilma (Cathy O’Donnell), as he demonstrates his nightly ritual of removing his prosthetic metal hands, is extremely moving and eye-opening. The Best Years of Our Lives is one of the best dramas ever made and is certainly one worth watching again and again.

Myrna Loy made films off and on through the 1950s, but roles became fewer and fewer. We’ve always enjoyed her performance in Midnight Lace (1960), with Doris Day, but it would be 1969 before she made her next film, April Fools. Her last film was Sidney Lumet’s Just Tell Me What You Want (1980) and her last TV movie was Summer Solstice in 1981. Myrna Loy died in surgery in New York City in 1993 at the age of 88. She was a lovely actress and a true legend of the silver screen.

**Trivia Question for Today: Though she never actually won an Oscar, for what film(s) was Myrna Loy nominated for an Academy Award winning performance?

Trivia Answer for Previous Post: The William Powell film that has the distinction of being the first installment on NBC’s Saturday Night at the Movies in 1961 is How to Marry a Millionaire (1953). It was the first Cinemascope and Technicolor film to ever be televised.

Classic Movies - Legendary Couple: William Powell and Myrna Loy (William)

Today, let’s talk Classic Movies of William Powell! As half of our legendary couple, William Powell had more than 50 films to his credit before he made The Thin Man in 1934. Throughout the 20s and early 30s, Powell made a name for himself as a debonair “heavy”, usually playing con-men, villains, detectives, or seducers. His first small part came in the silent classic Sherlock Holmes (1922), with John Barrymore as the legendary detective. Other silent film classics in which he appeared include Beau Geste (1926), with Ronald Colman in the title role (Powell played the character Boldini) and The Great Gatsby (also 1926), with Warner Baxter as Jay Gatsby. Powell played the role of George Wilson, the distraught husband who shot Gatsby. Unfortunately, no copies of this film survive. Shortly after, William Powell was cast as Detective Philo Vance in a series of movies based on the stories by S. S. Van Dine. The series began with The Canary Murder Case (1927) and ended with The Kennel Murder Case (1933) progressing from silent to talkie during its run.

During his long and distinguished career, William Powell portrayed many memorable characters in many memorable classics. He was a three-time Academy Award nominee for his roles in The Thin Man (1934), featured in our previous post; My Man Godfrey (1936), a fabulous screwball comedy co-starring Carole Lombard (Powell’s ex-wife and friend) as a scatter-brained socialite who hires “assumed” derelict, Godfrey (Powell), as her butler during the Depression, unaware of his prominent social standing in another city; and Life With Father (1947), based on the life of 1880’s New York stock broker, Clarence Day, as told amusingly by Clarence Day, Jr. in his recollections of life in his “perfectionist” father’s household. Lovely Irene Dunne and young Elizabeth Taylor also star in this charming period piece. All three films are fun to watch and wonderfully entertaining. Unfortunately, Powell never won the coveted “Oscar” statuette for any of his performances.

Also worth mentioning: William Powell starred with Jean Harlow in Reckless (1935) and Libeled Lady (1936). They were engaged, but never married. When Harlow died suddenly in 1936, Powell was devastated. That loss coupled with his own battle with colon cancer, caused him to accept very few roles during that difficult period from 1936-1939.

Later in his career, William Powell made several enjoyable change-of-pace films that include the delightful musical comedy Dancing In the Dark (1949) in which he plays Emery Slade, a once major film star trying to get back on top by talking the studio chief (Adolph Menjou) into starring him in a film version of a Broadway musical; How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), a very amusing comedy with Betty Grable, Lauren Bacall, and Marilyn Monroe as husband-hunters of rich men only (Powell is the “older” wealthy man that Lauren Bacall has in her sights); and last, but certainly not least, one of our favorite films with William Powell and our classic in the spotlight today, Mr. Roberts (1955). This wonderful comedy, based on the Broadway smash-hit, also stars Henry Fonda, James Cagney, and Jack Lemmon in his Oscar-winning performance as Ensign Pulver. The film tells the tale of an American Naval cargo ship during the waning days of World War II. Cargo Chief, Lt. Doug Roberts (expertly played by Henry Fonda who created the role on Broadway), is bored with his duties and longs to get into combat action in the South Pacific before the war ends. He must continually butt heads with Captain Morton (played to the hilt by James Cagney) over his treatment of the crew, often resorting to driving the Captain “up the wall” with various stunts, usually cooked up with the assistance of Ensign Pulver (Lemmon) and “Doc” (Powell). This film is hilariously funny, but there are some sobering moments. Under the legendary direction of John Ford, all performances are first rate, making Mr. Roberts the perfect “swan song” for William Powell. He retired after the film and though he was often entreated to return to the screen, he was happy in his retirement and felt that 35 years of acting was long enough. William Powell died in 1984 of cardiac arrest at the age of 91.

**Trivia Question for Today: Which of the William Powell’s films has the distinction of being shown on the first installment of NBC’s Saturday Night at the Movies in 1961? The answer will appear on our next post.

Trivia Answer for Previous Post: Manhattan Melodrama is “infamously” known as the film showing at the Biograph Theater in Chicago when federal agents gunned down gangster, John Dillinger, as he left the theater on July 22, 1934. It was the last film Dillinger ever saw.

Classic Movies - Legendary Couple: William Powell and Myrna Loy

Our month of “Screen Couples” continues this week with another legendary duo of the silver screen. We will first share the couple’s films together on today’s post, the male actor’s “solo” performances on Wednesday, and the female actor’s “solo” performances on Friday. Today, let’s talk Legendary Classic Movie Couple, William Powell and Myrna Loy!

This terrific twosome appeared in fourteen films together, a list of which will be shown at the end of this post. Of all their classic films, they are best known and loved as the married sleuthing couple, Nick and Nora Charles of “The Thin Man” series of movies. It is that series that is in the spotlight today. Tribute to the "Thin Man" movies. As the ultra-sophisticated, martini-drinking, murder-solving couple, Powell and Loy appeared in six “Thin Man” pictures beginning in 1934 with The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett. The “thin man” of the title actually referred to the murder victim, but because of Powell’s slender build, audiences thought the title referred to him and from then on, it did. In the first film, Nick, a former detective, is called upon to solve a murder. At the urging of his new bride, Nora (a wealthy socialite who is rather bored by a life of glamour and endless cocktail parties), he takes the case. As is usual in these films, the murder is solved when Nick gathers all of his suspects in one place (this time at a dinner party) and eliminates each suspect, one by one, until he exposes the killer. Along the way to solving the murder, you can expect lots of witty repartee between Nick and Nora, more than a few martinis sipped, a parade of exquisitely chic costumes, a diverse cast of characters, and assorted tricks from the cleverest of little dogs, Asta, who often digs up a clue or two to help his owners unravel the mystery.

The other five “Thin Man” movies are: After the Thin Man (1936), often considered better than the original and co-stars young James Stewart; Another Thin Man (1939) which came three years later after William Powell had been seriously ill; Shadow of the Thin Man (1941), perhaps a little weaker in plot than the others, but still fun to watch; The Thin Man Goes Home (1944), a particular favorite of ours because of the hilarious dance floor sequence with Nora doing the Jitterbug as Nick watches in amazement; and Song of the Thin Man (1947), the final film of the series. Powell and Loy were getting older, so it was probably time to pull the plug on “The Thin Man”, but it had been a good run while it lasted.

As promised above, here is a list of all fourteen films in which William Powell and Myrna Loy appeared together: Manhattan Melodrama (1934); The Thin Man (1934); Evelyn Prentice (1934); The Great Ziegfeld (1936); Libeled Lady (1936); After the Thin Man (1936); Double Wedding (1937); Another Thin Man (1939); I Love You Again (1940); Love Crazy (1941); Shadow of the Thin Man (1941); The Thin Man Goes Home (1944); Song of the Thin Man (1947; and The Senator Was Indiscreet (1947) in which Myrna Loy only appears briefly in an unaccredited cameo role.

We must also make mention of the fact that The Great Ziegfeld won the Best Picture Oscar of 1936. If you’ve ever seen it, you understand why. We couldn’t believe the fantastic sets MGM built for that movie. They were enormous and surely couldn’t have fit on a real Broadway stage. After all that trouble, we fail to understand why it wasn’t filmed in color. It would have been even more magnificent, but perhaps a little too expensive. Powell (as legendary showman Florenz Ziegfeld) and Loy (as his second wife, Billie Burke) were wonderful in that film and a fabulous team in all their movie appearances together, but they were each pretty great in films without the other. Check out our next post for the Classic Movies of William Powell.

**Trivia Question for Today: Manhattan Melodrama, with Powell and Loy, also starred Clark Gable, but do you know what “infamous” occurrence that picture will always be associated with? The answer will appear in our next post. Read “Let’s Talk Classic Movies” every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Trivia Answer for Previous Post: Bobs Watson is the amazing child actor who was dragged by runaway horses in Dodge City, with Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. It always seemed to us that Bobs was able to “cry at the drop of a hat”. He demonstrated that ability in other film favorites such as In Old Chicago, Boys Town, and On Borrowed Time.

Classic Movies - Legendary Couples: Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland

Today, let’s talk Classic Movies of Legendary Couple-Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland! We previously talked about their performances apart, but today’s post is all about their wonderful movies together. Whether in swashbuckler, Western, or modern setting, Flynn and de Havilland are indeed one of the best-loved of all screen couples and their films are always enjoyable entertainment. The eight screen classics this dynamic duo made together, usually under the capable direction of Michael Curtiz, are as follows:

Captain Blood (1935) was their first romantic pairing. It is a fabulous sea-faring swashbuckler that includes an exciting seaside swordfight between Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone (not the last time these two amazing swordsmen would meet on film). Flynn and de Havilland are youthfully enchanting and their on-screen chemistry is clearly apparent throughout the movie.

The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), loosely based upon the classic poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, depicts the disastrous British Cavalry charge against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War in 1854. Errol Flynn and Patric Knowles portray soldier brothers in love with the same girl (de Havilland) in this story that culminates with the infamous cavalry charge also known as “the magnificent blunder”. Don’t expect historical accuracy in this film, but do expect rousing adventure, romance, and a surprising outcome for our dynamic duo.

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) is our favorite of all the Flynn-de Havilland pairings and is the classic in the spotlight today. With a supporting cast that includes the considerable talents of Claude Rains, Basil Rathbone, Alan Hale, Patric Knowles, Eugene Pallette, Una O’Connor, and Ian Hunter, this tale of Robin Hood and the “merry men” of Sherwood Forest is, in our opinion, the most enjoyable of all “Robin Hood” films to date. There is just something about the brilliance of Technicolor, the magnificent musical score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, and the presence of dashing Errol Flynn as Robin Hood and beautiful Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marian that cannot be recaptured by today’s versions. Robin’s exchanges with Little John (Hale), Friar Tuck (Pallette), and Prince John (Rains) are amusing, often sarcastic, and great fun to watch. The archery competition is exciting and the climactic swordfight between Robin and Sir Guy (Rathbone), as they descend a spiraling stairway, is spectacular. Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland absolutely light up the screen as their characters fall in love, despite a somewhat dubious beginning. We adore The Adventures of Robin Hood and recommend it highly to anyone who enjoys action-packed drama mixed with romance and humor.

Four’s A Crowd (1938), co-starring Rosalind Russell and Patric Knowles, is a screwball romantic-comedy that we have never had the pleasure of seeing, but we do hope to remedy that soon. After watching several clips of this film, we think it looks very entertaining and a delightful change-of-pace for Flynn and de Havilland. We intend to check on the availability of this film with Blockbuster (see our banner ad for classic movie rentals or purchases).

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) stars Bette Davis as Queen Elizabeth, Errol Flynn as the Earl of Essex, and Olivia de Havilland as Lady Penelope Gray. This opulent costume drama is beautifully filmed in Technicolor and tells the tale of the middle-aged Queen and her love for the younger, dashing and very ambitious Essex. Lady Penelope Gray is also in love with Essex, but his heart belongs to Elizabeth. The story’s plot is one of complicated intrigue that results in heartbreaking decision-making by Queen Elizabeth who must put her love of country before her love for Essex. The talented supporting cast includes Vincent Price, Alan Hale, Donald Crisp, Judith Anderson, and young Nanette Fabray.

Dodge City (1939) pairs Flynn and de Havilland in a Western for the first time. Alan Hale and Guinn “Big Boy” Williams are Flynn’s humorous sidekicks in this film that has hero, Wade Hatton (Flynn), cleaning up the “wild and woolly” town of Dodge City, Kansas. As he attempts to make the town a decent place for women and children, Hatton also attempts to win the affection of Abbie Irving (de Havilland), with whom he got off to a very rocky start. With a cast of excellent supporting actors including Ann Sheridan, Bruce Cabot, Frank McHugh, Victor Jory, Henry Travers, and Henry O’Neill, Dodge City is classic Western adventure Flynn and de Havilland style!

Santa Fe Trail (1940) is another Western outing for Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. In this film, Flynn portrays “Jeb” Stuart while Ronald Reagan portrays George Custer, seven years before the Civil War begins and directly after their graduation from West Point. Along with several classmates, Stuart and Custer are sent out to the U.S. Cavalry’s “suicide station” in Ft. Leavenworth where they hope to free “bloody Kansas” from the abolitionist raids led by John Brown (Raymond Massey is sensational as the fanatical anti-slavery leader). The chase for Brown begins in Kansas, but eventually moves east to Harper’s Ferry, Maryland for the final showdown. Along the way, Flynn’s “Jeb Stuart” not only falls in love with de Havilland’s “Kit Halliday”, but is joined by Alan Hale and Guinn “Big Boy” Williams as humorous “wanna be” soldiers. Although much of the story is historically inaccurate, it is still wonderfully entertaining and rather thought-provoking, especially where John Brown’s motives and beliefs are concerned.

They Died With Their Boots On (1941), is the last of the Flynn and de Havilland pairings and was one of the top grossing pictures of 1941, despite its many historical inaccuracies. The film follows the life of George Armstrong Custer (Flynn) from West Point cadet, to Civil War general, to leader of the famous 7th Cavalry, to his disastrous defeat at the Battle of Little Bighorn. They Died With Their Boots On also shows the private life of General Custer and his abiding love for Elizabeth “Libby” Bacon Custer (de Havilland) until his battlefield death in 1876. The outstanding supporting cast includes veteran character actor Gene Lockhart, the very versatile Arthur Kennedy, and a young Anthony Quinn as Crazy Horse. As always, the chemistry between Flynn and de Havilland is in full force, making this movie another enduring classic by one of our favorite on-screen couples.

There is a ninth film in which both Flynn and de Havilland appear, but it is one of those studio extravaganzas that put all the major stars at Warner Brothers together for cameos or musical numbers. This was done to promote morale during World War II. The picture’s title is Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943) and although both Flynn and de Havilland are in it, they are appearing as “themselves” and not in the same scenes. We have never had the privilege of viewing this picture, but have enjoyed several films of this type in the past.

Trivia Question for Today: Can you name the amazing child actor in Dodge City who gets dragged by runaway horses while trying to help Abbie (de Havilland)? Check our next post for the answer. Don’t forget to read Let’s Talk Classic Movies every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Trivia Answer for Previous Post: Olivia de Havilland’s younger sister is actress, Joan Fontaine, who won a best actress Oscar for Hitchcock’s Suspicion in 1941. (Fontaine has the distinction of being the only actor, male or female, who ever won an Oscar for a Hitchcock film.) Although both sisters are still living, they have sadly been estranged for many years.