The Million Dollar Mermaid's Wedding Photos

Our exclusive feature of the month - Esther Williams wedding photos! Oh you lucky people you. It isn't every movie blog that would hire a photographer to travel back in time to get some exclusive photos for their readers, but that's exactly what we did ( if you'd like to imagine that ). Our chief photographer Peabody Snappit took a trip in the Wayback Machine and captured these lovely images of the wedding of Esther Williams and her first husband...and second...and third...and fourth. 


Actually, he couldn't find any pictures of her first husband, Leonard Kovner, so Van Johnson was kind enough to step into his place for a few ( reluctant ) snapshots. We don't know how Lucy got wind of the event. 

Esther Williams and second husband Ben Gage, a fun-loving ex-big band singer. They were married between 1945 and 1959 and had three children together. In that first photo he bears a striking resemblance to our grandfather, but I can't even doggy-paddle so we surely are not related to Esther Williams. MGM's big boss Louis B. Mayer thought of Gage as "an idiot, a moron, an asshole". He must of lived up to that description too because he left Esther up to her neck in debt when they separated. 

Esther Williams and Fernando Lamas ( 1969-1982 ). Argentine-born Lamas had previously been married to the rapturous red-head, Arlene Dahl. Esther first met Lamas when they were filming "Dangerous When Wet" but the orange blossoms didn't bloom until 1969. They were married until his death of cancer in 1982.

And lastly, but certainly not leastly...Edward Bell. This lucky fellow knew Esther for 14 years before he popped the question. It was quite a merger too, Mr. Bell played quite a role in making Esther William's swimsuit business what it is today....a million dollar splash! 

Strega Anyone?

Suzanne Pleshette and Troy Donahue share a bottle of Strega after a whirlwind day tour of the mountains of Italy in "Rome Adventure" ( 1962 ). Shortly after finishing the film these two lovebirds married in real life...but they stopped toasting each other within a year's time. 

My Mother, The Star

In honor of Mother's Day we have gathered together some photos of classic "star" mothers with their children, who have become famous actors or singers in their own right. These images capture the love between mother and child despite the conflicting relationships that some of them may have had in later years. 

Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli

Angela Lansbury and mother Moyna MacGill

Maureen O'Sullivan and Mia Farrow

Marlene Dietrich and Maria Riva

Irene Hervey and son Jack Jones

Shirley MacLaine and Sachi Parker

                                          

Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher

Ingrid Bergman and Isabella Rossellini

Here's a toast to all wonderful mothers and the care and love they give us everyday!

Hitchcock's Stage Fright ( 1950 )

"Hands that applaud can also kill!"

The stage is set. The curtain is drawn. Act One begins. Eve Gill (Jane Wyman) is helping fellow dramatic art student Jonathan Cooper (Richard Todd) escape to her father's coastal home to hideout until they can smuggle him across to Scotland. He's in an awful jam you see, as he explains to Eve he has just unwillingly become the prime suspect in the murder of flamboyant stage actress Charlotte Inwood's 

husband. In a flashback of his account we see how Charlotte manipulated him, her lover, into returning to her townhouse to fetch a dress after she had stained her own with blood while bludgeoning her husband with a fire-poker, only to be seen by Inwood's maid before fleeing. 

Eve sets out to prove his innocence and with the help of her father and Detective Smith (Michael Wilding) lead the police to whom she believes to be the real murderer - Charlotte Inwood (Marlene Dietrich). 

Stage Fright was released on February 23rd, 1950 and marked the first picture in a four film contract agreement Hitchcock had signed with Warner Brothers. While it garnered rave reviews by critics it was rather harshly received by the general public due to the key element in this intriguing film - the false flashback. Hitchcock himself dismissed the film in later years because of this flashback, a technique he considered was the second worst directorial mistake he had ever made in his career. 

Alfred Hitchcock had gained notoriety as a suspense film director in the UK as far back as the mid 1930s with such films as The Lodger and The Lady Vanishes. It was not until the early 1940s that he became known in America making such hits as Suspicion, Notorious,

Lifeboat and Shadow of a Doubt.                                                                                 

Stage Fright was a sojourn back to his native land. It was filmed entirely in England at Associated British Pathe Studios and boasts a superb English cast. Michael Wilding, a very charismatic actor who was popular overseas in his frequent pairings with Anna Neagle, plays a dapper gentleman detective named Smith who has his eye - and heart - on Eve. Alastair Sim, one of England's most engaging character actors, costars as Commodore Rill, Eve's father, who fancies himself a notorious criminal for having once smuggled two cases of brandy across the Scottish border. Dame Sybil Thorndike portrays Mrs. Gill, Eve's mother, a very dotty mother whose prim and properness contrast starkly with those of her husband, the Commodore. 

" Forgiveness is the secret of a happy marriage...that and good long stretches of the absence that makes a heart grow fonder "  - Commodore Rill

Although Stage Fright is mild in suspense it more than makes up for it in sheer entertainment. For viewers, it is a leisurely stroll to capture a criminal versus an energetic race to clear the guilt of an innocent man and we are sidetracked along the way by some delightful little characterizations by Kay Walsh and Miles Malleson, as well as Joyce Grenfell doing a wonderful guest appearance as a shooting booth attendant at a theatrical garden party. 

Richard Todd had previously scored a hit in the WWII drama The Hasty Heart (1949) and was fast becoming a leading star. Why Hitchcock chose not to use him in other films remains a mystery. His portrayal of the distraught Jonathan Cooper is quite chilling. Today, The Dam Busters (1955) remains his most recognized movie although he made many other excellent films throughout the 1950s including several Walt Disney live-action films. 

"She made me do it! Don't you see? I had no other choice"

Jane Wyman was dressed down for her role as Eve and plays a soft-spoken young lady who endangers herself for the sake of the man she believes she loves. When "ordinary Smith" comes into her life her affections take a new direction though. Marlene Dietrich, on the other hand, is as Dietrichesque as ever as Charlotte Inwood and is especially alluring in her final scene. Cole Porter wrote the song "The Laziest Gal in Town" for her one musical number in the film and it remained a signature song in her repertoire until her final days. 

Strangers on a Train would be Hitchcock's next picture and its success, both critically and commercially, would knock Stage Fright away from the spotlight to the back rows of obscurity. Nevertheless, it is an underrated gem from the Master of Suspense and deserves to be recognized among his fans for its charm and character, if not for its "fright".

It's Spring Fever Time!

Andy Hardy is certainly enjoying spring with his band of hula honeys in this still from "Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever" ( 1939 ) starring Mickey Rooney, Ann Rutherford and Helen Gilbert. 

The Triple Crown Winner

And they're off! Coming around the first bend is Lucretia's Child, in the lead by a body length with The Fat Lady Sings, Gone With the Wind, Dunkin' Dixie and I'm Gonna Get You following closely behind. Now Lucretia's Child and Dunkin' Dixie are neck to neck..and here comes the home stretch...aaaand Seabiscuit is the winner!! ( Darn. I bet two bits on Dunkin' Dixie ).

With the Kentucky Derby, the most popular horse race in the U.S classics, coming up this Saturday what better way to get into the hoof of the moment then by watching some winning horse racing films. Can't think of any good ones off the top of your head? Well then, you've come to the right place.  

Below we have a line-up of some of the finest racing flicks you'll ever come across ( pre-1965 of course ). Look over the contenders while they are in the paddock, read the plots, weigh the odds, use your gut instinct and then place your bets, for on Saturday they race! Okay, not really "race"...but they are going to be compared head to head. Select the film you think will be the Triple Crown Winner, the grand chawhee of them all, to be announced right after the Kentucky Derby. 

( Good luck trying to find a bookie who will place your bet. )  

THE LEADERBOARD 

Kentucky ( 1938 ) - Loretta Young and Richard Greene star in this Southernized modern version of Romeo and Juliet set amidst the bluegrass country of Kentucky. With a strong supporting cast included Best Supporting Actor Walter Brennan, vivid Technicolor, and a fine roster of thoroughbreds racing their hearts out, this is a winner for sure. Odds : 3-1

Boots Malone ( 1952 ) - This is the horse-racing picture for true horse-racing fans. "Boots Malone" captures life at the track the way it really is. William Holden plays a cynical agent for a young jockey who wheels and deals with everyone and everything to get what he wants ( yes, this is Holden being Sefton at the racetrack ). An unexpected ending just adds to the splendor of this great film. Odds 2-1

Pride of the Bluegrass ( 1939 ) - This Warner Brothers programmer tells the story of Elmer Gantry ( "Gantry the Great" ) a blind stallion who gallops his way to glory in the Grand National. James McCallion, Edith Fellows and Granville Bates star. Odds 7-1

National Velvet ( 1945 ) - The timeless Enid Bagnold classic comes to vivid life in this Technicolor MGM adaption starring Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney, Donald Crisp and Anne Revere. It's all about the story of a young girl determined to get her "Pi" into the Nationals and to win at that. Odds 2-1 

Broadway Bill ( 1934 ) - Frank Capra's classic story of a businessman whose passion for his horse leads him to forsake all to pursue his dream of entering the Kentucky Derby despite the odds being against him. Capra later remade his hit in 1953 as "Riding High" with Bing Crosby as our devoted horse fan. Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy and Clarence Muse star. Odds 2-1 

Sporting Blood ( 1931 ) - This early talkie follows the saga of Tommy Boy, a young colt who begins life with such promise and then falls into the wayward path of drugs ( he was doped into it! ) until a young woman ( Madge Evans ) decides to help him back on victory's path. Clark Gable and Ernest Torrence also star in this film which includes actual Churchill Downs racing footage. Odds 4-1

The Story of Seabiscuit ( 1949 ) - A "thorough"ly entertaining fictional account of the life and times of the great Seabiscuit prior to his winning the Triple Crown in 1937. Actual footage of Seabiscuit's win at the Kentucky Derby top off the grand finale. Shirley Temple, Lon McCallister and Barry Fitzgerald star. Odds 3-1 

Glory ( 1955 ) - Margaret O'Brien and Walter Brennan star in this story of a young woman yearning to win a big race with her philly "Glory". This coming-of-age film was made as an attempt to launch Margaret O'Brien's adult career, but it never took off. Lawrence Welk's lovely Champagne lady Norma Zimmer dubs O'Brien's singing voice for her three musical numbers. Odds 5-1 

Blue Grass of Kentucky ( 1950 ) - This Monogram quicky tells the story of Blue Grass, a "secretly" bred horse of the finest stock who is entered to win at the Kentucky Derby despite his owners doubts of his racing ability. Bill Williams, Frank Morgan, and Jane Nigh in this Kentucky drama. Odds 5-1.

Thoroughbreds Don't Cry ( 1937 ) - A young English lad and a cockey jockey set their hearts on winning the Kentucky Derby and no difficulties are too large for them to surmount. Mickey Rooney, Ron Sinclair and Judy Garland star in this light but enjoyable jaunt into the derby. Odds 4-1 

THE TRIPLE CROWN WINNER 

National Velvet!  This thundering winner of 2 Academy Awards ( and three more nominations ) justly deserves the flowered wreath of glory bestowed around its neck. Whilst "National Velvet" is not at all a Kentucky Derby themed film - the Grand Nationals is a "steeplechase" run - there can be no doubt that it captures in its 123 min. run time everything that a horse owner and jockey have ever felt about entering a race. 

" Do you think a race like this is run by luck? " 
" No, by knowing the Pi can win and telling him so! " 

A young girl's faith and trust in the horse she loves and her single-minded determination to win the Grand Nationals allows her to capture her dream. 

Originally a vehicle for Katherine Hepburn, Paramount sold the rights to the Enid Bagnold best-seller in 1941 to MGM studios, whence Pandro Berman took loving care of it and produced this gem of a film. 

Bring Out the Bubbles!

Wahooo! This calls for a champagne celebration! It isn't every day that two sisters from Cleveland start a classic movie blog. It isn't everyday that they start a blog, period. 

But before you pop that cork we better warn you that we start a lot of things with very high expectations which slowly but surely trickle out into half-hearted we-really-oughtta-work-on-that items on a list. A list which somehow gets buried among a heap of other lists. Yes, we admit...we have a terrible case of make-a-list syndrome. But as the saying goes " good intentions willed are as good as good intentions done". Or was it "good intentions are only as good as intentions done"? or maybe it was "good intentions willed are never as good as good intentions done". 

Oh well, enough of that. Here's a summary of all the things you should expect to see on Silver Scenes while we're riding high. ( I don't mean that the way you think! ) 

* a good directory of where to find classic movie info on the web.
* classic movie themed crossword puzzles, quizzes, and picture puzzles. 
* interviews ( you won't see those for a long while from now ).
* lots of rare and unique photographs 
* biographies
* radio broadcasts
* behind-the-scenes tidbits 
..and last, but certainly not least
* classic movie reviews ( you may see the occasional stray TV review meander in if we're feeling sociable ).

On a side note, if you happen to be wondering why there is a lot of mention of Silverbanks Pictures around the site it's because that's the name of our movie photo business and we like plugging it. Smart business move, eh?