1950s

Powering through the movie rewatch as I approach a couple of all-time favourites. I really enjoyed the next four on my list.



Father of the Bride (1950)

Stars Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor as the father and bride of the title.
Concerns the rigmarole surrounding an extravagant wedding, including the usual pre-wedding jitters of the bride and the ever- increasing expense of the whole affair. Very sweet movie. Much prefer this to the more recent version starring Steve Martin.

All About Eve (1950)

A young hopeful actress befriends her theatrical idol with less than good intentions.
Bette Davis is sublime as aging actress Margo Channing. Fabulous ensemble cast, who all play off each other superbly. Anne Baxter is wonderful as the outwardly sweet but secretly scheming Eve.

The African Queen ( 1951)

Set in German East Africa in 1914, straitlaced missionary Rose (Katharine Hepburn) and rough-around-the-edges boat captain Charlie Alnutt (Humphrey Bogart) join forces to attempt to sink a German gunboat.
As they travel along the river in Alnutt's boat "the African Queen", they are faced with many obstacles and dangerous situations while a sweet romance blossoms.

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

Vivien Leigh is faded Southern belle Blanche DuBois who comes to stay with her sister Stella (Kim Hunter) and Stella's husband Stanley (Marlon Brando) in their rundown New Orleans apartment.
Mystery surrounds Blanche's recent past and why she is in such a fragile mental state.
Surprisingly violent and confronting for this era.
Brando is amazing as the brutal Stanley.
Watching Blanche deteriorate as the movie progresses is draining, especially when one considers Vivien Leigh's well-documented health issues of that period.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And just for fun, I found a couple of behind-the-scenes shots from "The African Queen" and "Streetcar".

 

 

Clearly everyone smoked back then!