Filmland Follies

            The theme of this CMBA blogathon, Blogathon and the Beast, includes "complex protagonists who challenge social norms" - and what could challenge social norms more than Katharine Hepburn, directed by a woman, playing an Amelia Earhart-inspired character in Christopher Strong ?              Christopher Strong is a misleading title for this movie, because it's really about three women. True, their lives are intertwined through their relationships with Christopher Strong, but the film is constantly showing us that they can do without him. Pre-Code heroines already tend to be independent and self-sufficient - put a woman behind the camera, and suddenly the movie examines what these women can achieve when men aren't holding them back.             Dorothy Arzner began her career as a script writer and editor who became so valuable to Paramount Studios that s...

              Doesn't that poster just say it all? Pre-Code murder mysteries are a special kind of madness - the usual formula includes a sassy reporter trying to make her way in a man's world, inevitably stumbling into a murder (and a romance). She's your everyday career girl but somehow dresses like a model, isn't afraid to confront creepy guys lurking in basements, and cracks cases as easily as one-liners.             A Shriek in the Night followed this well-loved storyline, proving the biggest hit that independent "Poverty Row" studio Allied Pictures would ever release. Its success was mostly due to Ginger Rogers, fresh out of 42nd Street and Gold Diggers of 1933 and about to become a worldwide sensation in Flying Down to Rio . Despite her undeniable screen presence and comedic timing, A Shriek in the Night doesn't make full use of Ginger's talents - it's more of a preview for what's to come.  ...

               Singin' in the Rain is one of those gorgeous films where you can pause at any moment and it might as well be a painting. Besides being an iconic movie, it's a stunning combination of Technicolor and fashion - which is why I decided to round up the costumes in one big stunning survey. Here it is: the Singin' in the Rain Costume Analysis !                  Scene One: The Movie Premiere               At the beginning of Singin' in the Rain , Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) are at the premiere of their latest film, The Royal Rascal. The year is 1927, and silent films are just making the switch over to talkies. Don and Lina are dressed in coordinating white outfits - because they're such an amazing screen team who totally adore each other! (Sarcasm intended.) Even though Don can't stand Lina, their matchy-matchy out...