Original Movie Posters Blog

Character is Everything

2010-02-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

We have all been told to "do unto others" so good things will happen for us. We've also grown up hearing how it is important to have a great character, for character is really everything. Frankly, after observing so many films for so many years, I'd have to say, indeed, character is everything.

Some of the greatest films were great because of their character actors. Leading men and women come and go and have a short shelf life. Although leading men have a longer shelf life, I believe that both leading people worry constantly about how the ageing process will affect their appeal and their position in Hollywood.

But character actors never have to worry about that. Think James Cagney, Laird Cregar, Edward G. Robinson, Peter Lorre, Thelma Ritter, Diane Wiest, Danny DiVito, Jeffrey Jones, James Cromwell, Jon Favreau, Harry Dean Stanton, Agnes Moorehead, Seth Green, Gary Oldman, Edie McClurg, Zooey Deschanel, Miguel Ferrer and his father, Jose Ferrer and Kathy Bates – the list goes on and on with these phenomenal actors. Honorable mention should also be given to those wonderful actors on TV in "The Big Bang Theory", Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar.

Whether they add the spark of light like Thelma Ritter, or the spark of dark, like Edward G. Robinson, every movie these character actors have ever been in, they have made the films better by their sheer presence. Without these people, the movies they were in would have fallen flat; something would have been missing. Many times, these actors are the unsung heroes. The success of their films largely depends on their personalities filling the screen, whether we realize it or not. Character actors are also lucky, in that they never have to worry about ageing, so that ensures them many years of work where leading ladies, many times, find their careers going much more slowly in their 30s than in their teens and 20s.

So to all the actors out there who want to be successful, and I don't say "stars", never despair if you do not look like Marilyn Monroe or Elizabeth Taylor. It is a great joy to be able to know that you'll be able to work for your entire life and your work doesn't depend on your youth or your beauty. And many of these people are very attractive, like Celeste Holm or Kathy Bates and while many of these people can look very attractive, they are not hired for that. But more power to them. I just had the privilege of watching Edward G. Robinson in "Key Largo". With all due respect to gorgeous Lauren Bacall and magnificent Humphrey Bogart, where would the movie have been without Edward G. Robinson? And Humphrey? Frankly, you were a leading man and a character and we miss you!

Seeing and Hearing is Not Believing

2010-02-01T08:17:00.000-07:00

Forget everything you've seen. Forget everything you believe. If it's based on what you've seen. If you've never seen "Wag the Dog", see it. It maybe one of the most important movies for this generation. The reason for this is that this generation is bombarded by news 24-hours a day. On many stations. How do we know anything we see is actually true? We're actually one giant movie.

When Shakespeare said, "All the world's a stage and the men and women merely players", I believe he was writing about our time.

When you turn on a news station and you see comedians telling you the news, you have to wonder, "Is this 'Saturday Night Live', or is it real?" Half the time we cannot tell anymore. Which brings me to the following story.

My coming-of-age years were when Marilyn Monroe was riding the crest and then falling into the crevasse of her life. In the 1950s, she set the standard for beauty and sexuality. And, as the public, despite the fact that they were divorced, we were always told how much Joe DiMaggio loved Marilyn. How he put flowers on her grave weekly for many years after her death. I recently read a book which disturbed me deeply about Marilyn. When Joe married Marilyn, she was at the peak of her fame, but yet he wanted her to quit the movies. He was jealous, not only of the attention she received, but also the fact that as "The Yankee Clipper", she really outshone him at every public event they attended. I had to ask myself, "Could Joe not imagine what it would be like to marry this woman before he did marry her?" What was really disturbing was that Joe was physically abusive to Marilyn. On the set of "There's No Business Like Show Business", they had to cover her bruises so that they would not be seen on-screen. When her skirt blew up in the scene from "Seven Year Itch", he got so mad, he was very violent, and this finally provoked their divorce.

Regarding the flowers, when they were married, Marilyn made Joe promise to put flowers on her grave weekly. This is what William Powell did for Jean Harlow after she died. Frankly, she deserved the flowers. Later in life, Joe did what he could to help Marilyn fight her demons, but to think that he could lift a hand to this beautiful creature, hurt me, as the reader and a fan.

So how much did Joe love Marilyn? How can any of us ever measure that kind of emotion or lack of it? But whenever I hear people tell me things, I always have to say to myself now, "Is it real, is it true, am I being played."

I think in the end, we all have to judge reality ourselves, and not just listen to the things we hear or the pictures we see. Remember, everything we see and hear can be doctored and fabricated. Edgar Cayce once said the best book is "self". Maybe we all better look inside to find the truth and reality.

You're Never Too Old!

2010-01-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in life we get to a point where we think we have experienced it all, that we'll never see anything we haven't seen, or hear anything we haven't heard before. Not that that's a bad thing, but it closes us off to possibilities.

I recently had that experience. On December 31, 2009, my husband and I were watching "The Kennedy Center Honors". The honorees and the entertainment to honor them were fantastic. During the middle of the performance, my husband said to me, "Do you mind if I leave the room for a second?" We put the video recorder on "pause" and it went to PBS, which I had been recording. PBS had their usual New Year's Eve special. Apparently, every year the New York Philharmonic puts a show on. This year, they had a special guest who is an artist-in-residence named Thomas Hampson. I'd heard him sing, "In the Still of the Night" and immediately after that, he sang, "Begin the Beguine". I had never heard "Begin the Beguine" sung that way..with such impact.

Now you may think, "Well, she probably never heard 'Begin the Beguine'...big deal!" I'm an artist, and I currently have over 11,000 favorite songs and I have "Begin the Beguine" sung by the best singers in the last 70 years, from Sinatra to Ella Fitzgerald. And they are all wonderful. You simply can't spoil "Begin the Beguine". However, when Thomas Hampson sang it, it was one of the most unforgettable moments I've ever experienced, and it taught me a lesson.

We're never too old. At 60, 70, 80, to experience those peak moments where we feel our life is altered by a performer who has touched our hearts and souls. I thank you Alan Gilbert, the conductor with the New York Philharmonic and I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, Thomas Hampson. You began the Beguine for me!

Poster Power

2010-01-25T08:32:00.000-07:00

We live in a world today where scandal is a common occurrence, and nobody really seems to care anymore. Despite all the talk shows and waxing eloquently constantly on peoples' indiscretions, we seem to value the reality that it's a "Get what you want – take what you can" world.

In the late '50s, there was a scandal to rival all of the ones happening today. And Elizabeth Taylor was made a pariah throughout the world. After Mike Todd's death, Elizabeth Taylor made the unwise choice of choosing Eddie Fisher as her lover and husband. In hindsight, I'm sure Elizabeth would have been happy to let Debbie keep him! But I'm not sure Debbie would have done that if "the scandal" hadn't happened. But happen it did.

Eddie Fisher was one of Mike Todd's friends, not his best friend, and certainly if Mike had seen what happened after his death, I don't think Eddie would have been his friend at all. Be all this as it may, the reality of the situation for all parties was this: Elizabeth Taylor made some of her finest movies during the '50s, "A Place in the Sun", "Giant", "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", and "Suddenly, Last Summer". She had been nominated for an Academy Award many times during these years, but because of "the scandal", her chances were slim. She gave a remarkable performance in "Suddenly, Last Summer" and she should have definitely gotten the Academy Award for this movie, but at the time, the producers were seriously worried that no one would even go see the movie. To put it simply, the movie was about homosexuality and cannibalism, and remember, this was the '50s! So how do you sell a movie with such dire and heavy overtones, despite having the world's most beautiful woman as the lead? This is what the producers did.

They made a poster.

The poster was of Elizabeth Taylor in a very sheer, white bathing suit, looking extraordinarily sexy and provocative. The producers knew this was their key to getting people in the theatre and the poster worked. This was the poster from "Suddenly, Last Summer" that was the ticket to ride.

Elizabeth would later be nominated again for an Academy Award for this movie, and as a fan, I thought she more than deserved it. Her last scene was remarkable and startling. Naturally, as most people know who were around then, Elizabeth did not win for this movie, either. However, the following year on the set of "Cleopatra", Elizabeth fell ill and newspapers reported her near death. When "Butterfield 8" was released the following year, she was again nominated for the award. Because of her near-death experience, "the scandal" was forgiven and Elizabeth received the long-awaited Academy Award for a movie she truly did not like. What this proves is, posters are powerful tools. The right poster can make all the difference in the world. In this case, it sold a movie.

Say it Isn't So!

2010-01-06T08:04:00.000-07:00

Pardon me if I repeat myself. But that's the whole point of this blog. I recently heard that they are doing another remake of "Robin Hood" and this one will star Russell Crowe.

With all due respect to the talented Mr. Crowe, do we really need another repeat of "Robin Hood"? When all is said and done, many actors have played this particular part, and who do we remember best? ERROL FLYNN.

He epitomized that part, he looked it, he sounded like it, his essence was "Robin Hood". So, that is why, 70 years later, Errol still wears the tights the best.

Do we really need to remake older classic movies? Should we not, instead, encourage this generation to watch the best of the previous generations, and to understand why they became classics.

Can you imagine a remake of "Gone With the Wind" or "Rebecca" or "The Ten Commandments" or "Ben Hur"? The producers, directors and actors of these films set the bar and excelled.

So perhaps, now and then, we do need a remake, although I don't know why. But maybe, with all the reality shows, all the great writers will have time to think of something new to film, and let the classics claim their moment in the sun forever, which they deserve.

Sir Richard Burton

2009-12-04T10:41:00.001-07:00

I'll never forget the first time I saw Richard Burton. He was playing King Arthur to Julie Andrews' Guinevere on Broadway. "Camelot" was a play by Lerner and Lowe and, although "My Fair Lady" was a hit from the beginning, "Camelot" was somewhat struggling.

Ed Sullivan invited Richard and Julie to perform some songs from "Camelot" on his show. When I saw Richard Burton sing the title song of "Camelot", I, and thousands of others, fell in love with this glorious actor.

Through the years, after his marriage to Elizabeth Taylor, many criticized that he never became the true success that he might have become if he had not followed the Hollywood path. But when I look back at all of his movies and body of work, from "Cleopatra", "Taming of the Shrew", "The Rains of Ranchipur", and even "The V.I.P.s" and "The Sandpiper", I see an actor who could convey convincingly any part he was asked to portray.

Too often in life, we taint our own success with beliefs that we haven't achieved what we wanted or risen to other people's expectations. This particular notion has tainted many lives, including that of David O. Selznick, when he tried to repeat the success of "Gone with the Wind".

As someone who has reached a point in my life where I'm able to look back and reflect upon the good and the negative and the sweet and not so sweet, I truly believe that all the work we create should be evaluated at the end of our lives. We should never belittle any role or any contribution in a movie. In Hollywood, there have been many films that did not succeed at first, and later became cult classics. In art, there have been many artists who achieved nothing in their lifetime, only to find true and unbelievable immortality after they're gone. So, to all the people out there like Richard Burton, who didn't appreciate his contribution during his life, I want to say, enjoy whatever it is that you create. Time will tell you the whole story. Our opinions are only a facet.

Bell, Book and Candle in the Night

2009-11-23T10:14:00.001-07:00

Was there any greater beauty than Kim Novak in the '50s and '60s? With her short blonde hair and "come hither" eyes, she embodied the beautiful, the strong and the mysterious all in one. If one were to examine her film career in great detail, one would see that her movies in the '50s and '60s were astonishingly successful and well-received. Take "Picnic", "Pal Joey", "Jeanne Eagles", "The Eddy Duchin Story", "The Man with the Golden Arm" and, of course, the extraordinary "Vertigo".

What a body of work to have left of a career. Kim decided Hollywood was not where she wanted to cast her entire life. So she wisely, after the '60s, semi-retired and came out for her good friend Alfred Hitchcock, and she appeared on "Falcon Crest" in her later years. Kim’s great love was for animals, and how lucky these animals were, to have someone as lovely as she is fight for them and protect them as she’s gone through life.

Whenever I think of actresses who’ve had great careers whom I admire, she’s always at the top of my list. She reached the pinnacle and she did it her way. Kim, wherever you are today, your fans out there still love you and appreciate your contribution to film history.

Love Makes the World Go Round!

2009-11-16T09:00:00.001-07:00

Elizabeth Taylor Hilton Wilding Todd Fisher Burton Burton Warner Fortensky once said, "I had to get married. That's what you did in those days! You didn't just have affairs." And this was so true!

Years later, Gardner McKay of TV's "Adventures in Paradise" once said that he had serial relationships, and he did not get married until he was almost 50-years old.

However, while this worked for Gardner, Elizabeth was right! In her day, one didn't just "hook up". The world has changed today. Permanent relationships are the exception to the rule. And therefore, all of the people out there who have been like Gardner McKay, in serial relationships, should really comfort themselves that, perhaps, this is what life is. It's wonderful to find a mate and be able to stay with them, but to quote Shakespeare, "Aye, there's the rub!".

So, as people go through life looking for this permanent relationship, perhaps we should all comfort ourselves in knowing that life isn't perfect. We may not find our perfect mate, and no mates are perfect anyway. To enjoy and love someone for as long as we can, may be the best we can hope for, and this should not discourage us. Fortunately, while there are many things going haywire in this world, we can accept that people don't have to be married, and they can find love where they find it!

Melanie Not

2009-11-10T08:44:00.001-07:00

Everyone, by this time, has at least seen "Gone with the Wind" at least once, even if they don't remember the last time they saw it. The characters of Scarlet, Rhett, Melanie and Ashley are probably the most recognized characters in movie history.

In the movie, Melanie was the sweet, gentle, loving, kind, perfect person and Olivia de Havilland spent most of her career playing these kinds of parts. Her movies with Errol Flynn are memorable to all film-goers, and again, that sweet gentleness was always her main character trait.

But there was steel in Olivia. She managed to create and maintain a lengthy career. That can't be done without determination and steel in one's character. There was always speculation as to whether she and Errol Flynn ever "connected", and for all of us Errol Flynn fans, we hope they did and that she someday writes a book about it and tells us what it was like!

Her relationship with her sister, Joan Fontaine, was fraught with sisterly competition throughout both of their lifetimes. How sad that is when you think of the movies to which both of these women contributed. Movies like "Rebecca", "The Heiress", "Robin Hood", "Captain Blood", "The Charge of the Light Brigade", "Dodge City", "They Died with Their Boots On", "Suspicion", "Jane Eyre" and "Frenchman's Creek" are all classic movies and any actress today would kill to play in these films and have a career like these two sisters did.

So I would like to thank both Olivia and Joan for a lifetime of extraordinary work. I hope you are friends today. I picture you smiling together as you've made millions of your fans smile and enjoy your films.

Heroes Come in Many Shapes and Sizes

2009-10-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

There is one actor that needs to be recognized for his contribution to so many wonderful films. Despite his short life, any person who is lucky enough to see a movie with this actor in it would never forget him, and when an actor is that unforgettable, he should be acknowledged.

Looking at the poster for "This Gun for Hire", one is caught up in the exquisite beauty of Veronica Lake, gone before her time. But there is another actor who was in that movie that left even earlier than Veronica. And this is Laird Cregar.

Laird had a great deal of talent and parleyed it into some of the great films of the '40s like "Blood and Sand" with Tyrone Power and Rita Hayworth. "I Wake Up Screaming" with Ginger Rogers, "The Lodger", "The Black Swan" and "Hangover Square".

Because of Laird's girth, he was never a focal point for movie posters, but for the movies themselves, he was an unforgettable icon who gave every performance a certain mystery and compelling force. Laird died at 31-years of age. I've often lamented that, even though I was of the next generation. I so wished he could've lived to play more parts and embellish more movies. When I think of people I'd love to talk to, he's right at the top of my list. In a Hollywood that worships youth and beauty, he gave us talent, nuance and multi-dimensional performances.

Montgomery Clift – Unrecognized Yet Beyond Compare

2009-09-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

I recently had the chance to see "From Here to Eternity" with Burt Lancaster, Frank Sinatra and the incredibly talented and unrecognized Montgomery Clift. Whenever people talk about "From Here to Eternity", all you will hear is about the beach scene with Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr, or Frank Sinatra winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and resurrecting his career.

However, I believe the glue and the heart and soul of that movie belongs to Montgomery Clift. He was a dedicated and kind man and actor. It is a shame that he died so young before he had a chance to be fully recognized and afforded his due.

Much has been written about Clift's good looks in the early years before his devastating auto accident which left him scarred. When I look at the posters from "Raintree County", I see the Clift after the accident, but I also see the one before. This is a man who had soul, and it came through every performance.

He was a man that inspired love and the dedication of his friends. Think Elizabeth Taylor, who absolutely adored him. But when you look back at his body of work, and I hope that people will in the future look back at his body of work, they will see a remarkable actor who was taken before his time.

Thank you, Montgomery Clift. You made every movie memorable.

Fame by a Hair, or a Head of It!

2009-08-21T09:30:00.001-07:00

We are all mourning the loss of beautiful Farrah Fawcett. Much has been made of her beautiful smile and famous head of hair. When I was a young girl, everyone wanted Farrah's hairdo. And I must admit, everyone who got one actually looked good in it! So I ask myself, how could this be? Certainly, there have been celebrities who have inspired hairdos, like Dorothy Hamill and Princess Diana. Unfortunately, I don't think that everyone looked good in their hairdos.

But Farrah was another story.

Her haircut fit every woman because it framed their face and softened their features. But, let's examine this whole hair culture going back in time. In the 1940s, exquisite Hedy Lamarr wore her beautiful black hair, either parted in the middle or the side, but framing her exquisite face. Every actress in that generation either copied or was told to copy the Hedy Lamarr hairdo, and Joan Bennett was one of the most famous for doing this. The reason everyone wanted that Hedy Lamarr hairdo, was that again, like Farrah, that style with soft waves framing the face was just so becoming to most women.

So perhaps we ought to think before we copy movie actors and their hairdos and their makeup and their plastic surgery, we should examine whether that look is right for us.

So thank you, Farrah and Hedy. Somehow, I think if most women today wore their hair as either of you did in your day, like WOW!

Truth and Consequences

2009-08-18T09:27:00.001-07:00

The posters of John Wayne are so "John Wayne"! Whenever we picture John Wayne, don't we see the strong, handsome hero who will save the women and save the day?

Nowadays, John Wayne would need a machine gun and a lot of equipment to blow people up. But back in the days when movies were "MOVIES", all it took was a charismatic hero to inspire our imagination.

Also, the poster of Susan Hayward is so beautiful! What a lovely lady she was. When I look at the posters of Susan and John, I am reminded of a certain movie that they made together in the early ‘50s, called "The Conqueror". And what a tragedy behind the scenes this movie turned out to be.

"The Conqueror" under director Dick Powell, was filmed in Nevada, some time around 1956. During this time, our government decided to test atom bombs in Nevada. Without telling the people who lived in the area, or without protecting the people who lived in the area, these bombs would be tested repeatedly. The catastrophic consequences would be discovered much later, when so many people who lived in that area died and lost loved ones due to the bombs, the most famous of which was called "Dirty Harry".

During the filming of this movie, Agnes Moorehead told her costars that the dust that blew up from this bombing would probably kill them all some day. How right she was. By 1980, out of the 220 people in the cast of "The Conqueror", (not counting extras), 91 had contracted cancer and half of them had already died from it by then.

Perhaps it's time to think about consequences of actions. We tell children not to do certain things because of the consequences, and we learn in life by experience that this is important. Isn't it sad that so many wonderful relatively young and talented people had to die as a consequence of setting off bombs in Nevada? It's a shame that John Wayne the hero couldn't swoop down and protect the cast and the people living in the area. But it just goes to show you, there are no superheroes when it comes to the atom bomb. Or any bomb. Or Agent Orange. Or any other poison we put into our environment.

Be Careful What You Wish For...

2009-08-13T12:13:00.001-07:00

Looking at the posters of Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady", I can't help but reflect on how beautiful Audrey was. Indeed, I do believe it was Audrey’s beauty and not so much her talent that awarded her this part of Eliza Doolittle.

In the 1950's, "My Fair Lady" was one of the most successful shows in the history of Broadway. Julie Andrews was its star, and a voice that was incomparable. She astonished audiences nightly and she rightly hoped that when the movie was made, she would be cast as its star. As she should have been.

I believe both of these ladies were victimized by the producers. When it came time to film "My Fair Lady", the producers made a conscious decision not to use Julie because they did not believe her face photographed as well as they as would've wished. But let us not forget that Eliza Doolittle was not supposed to be a great beauty. That really didn't matter. So the part went to Audrey Hepburn, who undeniably looked exquisite, but she could neither sing or erase the memory of Julie Andrews' essence.

I don't believe that either woman ever had any bad feelings toward each other over this. However, on the night of the Academy Awards, both women were nominated. Audrey for "My Fair Lady", and Julie for "Mary Poppins". When Julie won for"Mary Poppins", the first thing she did was thank the producers of "My Fair Lady" for not casting her in the role that she had once so desired. She got what she needed, and she went on to a lifetime of successes. And to be perfectly frank, even to this day, Julie Andrews happens to be a very beautiful woman!

You Can't Judge a Book by its Cover, or its Father!

2009-07-13T08:59:00.001-07:00

I love the posters of Errol Flynn, and looking at the poster of Sean Flynn in "The Son of Captain Blood", one cannot help but reflect how handsome and charismatic Sean Flynn was.

I believe that many things said about Sean Flynn were not true. Too many people compared him to his renegade yet charismatic father. And while Sean inherited the looks and the athleticism, he definitely was not his father in any manner.

The tragedy of his life was that he died too soon, before he could be recognized for what he had to offer to the world. While he made many movies that he probably wished he had not made, he did this to help support himself, as he found his identity in this world.

When he went to Viet Nam as a photojournalist, he found his passion and his strength. He also became a devout Buddhist towards the end of his young life. Those who know him often say what a deep, kind and caring person he was when he felt close to you. It would be understandable that he could not trust people easily, as they always saw him as, "his father's son".

I find Sean Flynn very much like Robert Capa. Robert Capa was also a war correspondent and one of the first to go to Viet Nam in the very early days. Robert Capa also covered World War II. It was said that Robert Capa and Ingrid Bergman loved each other, but that Ingrid needed a fulltime lover, and Robert was a true war correspondent, and needed to go where his work was.

While Robert died young also in the early 50s, both men, Capa and Flynn, were true heroes and should be recognized as such. Sean Flynn was a hero who was never acknowledged as one. But to his family and friends who loved him, and to those who got to see his photographs of the war, he should be recognized as such.

Brigitte Bardot and Life's Lessons

2009-05-18T08:41:00.001-07:00

WOW! The photos and posters of Brigitte Bardot are absolutely gorgeous! And I am reminded of what she meant to French cinema.

50 years ago, Brigitte Bardot represented French movies and French beauty. She was the French Marilyn Monroe and an icon of her time.

Now Ms. Bardot helps the animals and so I reflected upon life, and perhaps the good reason for aging. As we age, we can finally come to a place where we can stop thinking about how beautiful we are, and think about the others in this world who need us.

So that is truly a special thing.

We hear so much now about 40 being the new 30, but where does that leave the 30-year olds? Are they the new 20? We know that the 20-year olds can't be 10, so one decade is going to be pretty overcrowded! And is that truly what we need or want in our society?

Although we want to live forever, we don't want to get older. So let us be who we are! Whatever age! Perhaps "new and improved," perhaps not. Perhaps just the fact that we become wiser and understand our place on this earth is truly the blessing of life.

I believe Brigitte Bardot taught me that, and while I appreciated the beauty of her posters, I think she had many other gifts to offer.

And the Winner Is...

2009-04-27T14:13:00.002-07:00

The Elizabeth Taylor posters on the website are gorgeous. She's always been one of my favorite actresses, and one of the world's greatest beauties.

Although she won the Academy Award for "Butterfield 8," I believe that she should have won the Academy Award for "Suddenly Last Summer," or perhaps, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." I believe Joanne Woodward won for "Three Faces of Eve" the same year Elizabeth was nominated for "Cat." But I really feel Elizabeth was cheated out of the award for "Suddenly Last Summer."

The final scene in "Suddenly," where she explains to everyone what happened to her cousin, Sebastian, was truly horrifying and gut wrenching. She was marvelous in that scene. It might be that because she and Katherine Hepburn were both nominated for this movie that they split the votes.

The posters for "Butterfield" are great, but every time I see them, I remember that she should have won the award the year before.

The irony is Shirley McClaine was nominated the same year as Elizabeth was in "Butterfield 8," once said that she lost the award to a tracheotomy, because Elizabeth had had pneumonia and almost died.

As far as I'm concerned, Elizabeth could have won the Academy Award for "Raintree County" (more gorgeous shots of her!), "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," or "Suddenly Last Summer," and even "Taming of the Shrew" could have earned her that coveted award; she was marvelous!

Bravo Elizabeth – miss you on screen!

Whores, Hos and Tomatoes!

2009-04-07T14:26:00.001-07:00

First of all, let me say that I just love this website! The posters are beautiful, and I love the name "Femmes Fatales." I actually remember when women were called "femmes fatales," or, "tomatoes." Am I crazy, or are any of you out there wishing that we could be called that today, rather than the "whores" or "hos" that are thrown out so liberally!

My personal favorites are the Elizabeth Taylor posters. Wow, wow, wow!! My husband's personal favorites are the Brigitte Bardos. These posters are exquisite, and poster designers today could take some lessons from the artists of the past. And one of my special favorites, and I can't even remember this movie, "La Ronde." I don't think anyone's ever seen Jane Fonda like this!

All in all, I spent a wonderful evening looking at Diana Dors, Catherine Deneuve, Rita Hayworth, and even Nicole Kidman.

On behalf of women everywhere, let's fight for the right to be called "Femmes Fatales" and "Tomatoes" once again!

Is Errol Flynn Really a Bad Boy?

2009-04-01T15:00:00.001-07:00

Frankly, I think Errol Flynn got a bad rap for being a "bad boy." With hindsight being 20/20, how bad, really, was Errol?

Although he was charged with rape in the early '40s, during the trial, the truth came out that Errol never raped anyone. Frankly, they were lined up around the block for their chance at a night, or more, with the handsome swashbuckler!

When you look at stars today, like Brittany Spears, Lindsay Lohan, or any of the other nouveau-famous people, you would have to really see that Errol's life was relatively normal and quiet compared to modern celebrities. If Errol were alive today, would anyone ever even pay attention to what he did in comparison to the celebrities doing everything today?

When we look at Errol Flynn, and perhaps everyone should go back and see movies like "Captain Blood" and the original "Adventures of Robin Hood," you'll see a man that could take a fantasy character, like a pirate, and imbue him with a reality and compassion that most real people cannot convey on-screen. With all the handsome actors in Hollywood today, I don’t think any can compare with the charisma and screen presence that Errol Flynn had. I would like to hear back if anyone disagrees with me!

We have some wonderful posters featuring Errol Flynn, so please have a look at "The Adventures of Robin Hood," "Captain Blood," "The Adventures of Don Juan," "Dodge City," "Escape Me Never," "Gentleman Jim," "Istanbul," "The Prince and the Pauper," "The Sea Hawk," "Silver River," and "They Died with Their Boots On."

Life Lessons: Clark Gable

2009-03-24T09:41:00.001-07:00

How often have rumors or innuendos played a part in your life and changed what you might do in any situation? How vulnerable are we as people to hearing something about ourselves, or someone we love?

We all have heard of the great love affair between Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. But the true course of love, any love, doesn't always run smoothly. The truth was that Clark Gable had issues with commitment and monogamy.

Shortly before she died, this beloved film star went on a trip to sell war bonds to help her country during World War II. Clark was supposed to go, but did not want to. Carole, ever the patriot, went alone instead. At the time, Clark Gable was making a film with beautiful Lana Turner. Carole had heard rumors about Clark and Lana and their relationship on the set "Honky Tonk."

Carole, Carole's mother, and agent had finished their war bond tour, and Carole was getting ready to head home. She had done the war bond drive by train, but she was in a hurry to fly home because of the rumors of Clark and Lana. Her mother, a numerologist, begged her to not fly home. But Carole was determined to find out what was going on with her marriage and her husband.

On the tarmac, a coin was tossed to see whether Carole, her mother and agent would fly or take a train home. Unfortunately, Carole won the toss of the coin, and the three of them went aboard the flight.

Sometime, a few hours later, somewhere over Nevada, Carole's plane went down. All aboard were killed. It was Clark Gable himself, driven by Spencer Tracy, who went to the Nevada area to look for his wife, only to learn that she had died in this crash.

Whether Clark was having an affair with Lana Turner was unimportant. Clark learned a tragic lesson of life. Our actions have consequences, and if we believe rumors, we sometimes can take impulsive actions, which should not be taken. Clark Gable matured after this. He joined the Armed forces and became a hero in World War II. He never recovered from the loss of his beloved Carole, and their relationship, I believe, is a lesson for all of us. To appreciate what we have, and perhaps not take chances when we don't have to.

Movie Songs and Themes of the Past

2009-03-17T09:48:00.002-07:00

I realize, if you are visiting this website, you love movies and movie posters as much as I do. Do you also love, and can you remember, some of the great movie songs and movie themes of the past?

As time moves on, there are many more great movie themes, but how many of you can remember...

One of the most romantic and sexy songs is "Baia." The best version of this song is sung by Johnny Mathis. All of my friends have heard this, and have fallen in love with it! The song was originally sung by none other that romantic heartthrob, Donald Duck, in "The Three Caballeros!"

When I first heard the song, I played it ten times because I couldn't believe how gorgeous it was! When I found out the source – the Donald - I was shocked! Check this song out – you will be amazed.

For those of you who love movie themes, check out Jerry Goldsmith's "Legend." "Legend" was a fascinating film. It was one of Tom Cruise's first films, but it is Tim Curry as "The Devil" who steals the show. What a sexy devil!!

The theme music was composed by Jerry Goldsmith, but there were issues with the music, and other artists were called in to record music for this movie. I was lucky enough to buy a disk with all of Jerry Goldsmith's music, and discovered "Legend." If you get a chance, listen to it!

Would love to hear from those of you who love movie music to hear about your favorites!

Best wishes,

Sherry

Movie Posters for Oscar Winning Films

2009-03-02T11:25:00.004-07:00

The Academy Awards have come and gone with Slumdog Millionaire more than doubling the number of awards any other film won. It has become a film that once was in jeopardy of being distributed to now garnering the highest praise and accolades Hollywood has to give.

Femmes Fatales & Fantasies has numerous Oscar nominated and winning films in our collection of vintage and collectible movie posters. Like modern starlet Kate Winslet, Elizabeth Taylor has starred in her share of award-winning films such as classics "Butterfield 8," "Cleopatra," and "The V.I.P.s." Even so many years later, Miss Taylor's beauty and talent are unforgettable.

Explore our site and find "Gone with the Wind," a perennial favorite of movie lovers. Audrey Hepburn was positively luminous in "Roman Holiday." "All the President's Men" caused quite a stir in 1976, and it remains one of the greatest suspense films of all time.

"The African Queen" took everyone on an adventure, as we watched the drama unfold between Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn.

Femmes Fatales & Fantasies features many more Oscar winners, like "Madame," "The Bad and the Beautiful," "Bhowani Junction," and "Shampoo." See if you can find your favorites within our online collection of original vintage movie posters for sale with new ones being added daily.

Conjuring Memories with Movie Posters

2009-02-25T15:12:00.002-07:00

Vintage movie posters, with their vivid images and distinctive artwork, conjure up memories of afternoons in darkened movie theaters, first dates, a night out with friends, or a cozy evening at home with a big bowl of popcorn.

From sharing the laughter at Tony Curtis in a dress in "Some Like it Hot," to holding our breath when Harrison Ford found himself surrounded by snakes in "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark," movies are part of our heritage, our lexicon, our past. Vintage movie posters evoke a wave of nostalgia in just about everyone.

Here at fffmovieposters.com, we have assembled a varied collection of vintage movie posters which span everything from cinema's earliest history to more modern films. As you browse our site, you're sure to be reminded of a favorite movie, and perhaps you will even find original posters of films you’ve forgotten all about, but want to see again!

If you're a Marilyn Monroe fan, you'll enjoy browsing her films from "Bus Stop" to "The Seven Year Itch." If you enjoy film noire, explore our collection, including "Call Northside 777," "Dark Waters," "The Locket," and more. If Elizabeth Taylor is one of your favorites, spend a few moments perusing our great collection of her movies, like "Father of the Bride," "Butterfield 8," "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "Cleopatra" and many more.

We hope you have a wonderful time browsing through the wonderful images of our vintage movie posters. If you've got a favorite film which isn't part of our current collection, email us at info@fffmovieposters.com, and we'll do everything we can to find that film for you.

Cool Ways to Search for Original Movie Posters

2009-02-05T13:51:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the first entry in the Femmes, Fatales & Fantasies Original Movie Poster Blog. The first of many!

We've put this blog together to inform you about the latest product additions to our website, the latest website enhancements, and simply talk about our shared passion: movie posters. Rather than jump right in, we'd like to get your feet wet first and familiarize you with our website and some of the neat ways you can locate movie posters on it.

The Femmes, Fatales and Fantasies website (www.fffmovieposters.com) was launched in November 2008 with a little more than 100 products listed. Since then, it has grown to list over 300 products and we have many more to add.

The newest posters on our site appear on the homepage as soon as they are available. In addition, you can view all of our latest products on our New Arrivals page.

Every page of our website is framed between two columns. The column on the left offers multiple search methods you can use to locate products. The right column provides general information about movie posters and the process of purchasing a poster through the website.

We offer the common search method of typing in a product's name to see if it is available for purchase. Rather than stopping there, we've expanded the traditional search to allow you to type in a movie actor's name or even director's name in the same box. With upwards of 6 actors in our database for every product, you're bound to find what you're looking for on the first try.

A "Browse All Movie Titles" option is next allowing you to casually browse through all of our products with thumbnail images at the same time. For more targeted searches, you can select an actor's name, movie genre or movie decade of release to view those search results.

For example, one of the newest posters we've added to Femmes, Fatales & Fantasies is a Batman Forever US One Sheet featuring Nicole Kidman as Dr. Chase Meridian. You could find this poster on the homepage listed under US One Sheets, on the New Arrivals page, by searching for "Batman," by searching for "Nicole Kidman," by searching for "Joel" (as in Joel Schumacher, the director), by clicking the "Action" genre, or by clicking the "1990-1999" decade.

Offering multiple intuitive ways to search will only make life easier on you when trying to find that rare original movie poster, lobby card or still you've been looking for. If you can't find something you're looking for on the website, be sure to drop us a line by email (info@fffmovieposters.com) or phone (480-9429-6800) as we could already have it in stock.

Our ultimate goal is to create the "ultimate" original movie poster website and a top spot for you to check regularly to help fill holes in your movie poster collection. To accomplish this we need your help. Please feel free to pass along any suggestions, criticisms or feedback of any kind. We're all ears! Or is that eyes?