Happy Birthday: Ingrid Bergman

Happy Birthday to Ingrid Bergman! TCM decided to dedicate the entire day to her, which is exactly what they should do on this date every year. Ingrid Bergman is the only person that I know of who has died on their birthday. She left behind some of the best films that I've ever watched. She was a spectacular actress and completely immersed herself into her roles, especially when it came to showing her emotions and when she was in love. That is why I love Notorious (1946) so much, I totally fell for the romance between her and Cary Grant.

Happy Birthday: River Phoenix

Happy Birthday, River Phoenix! He would have been 42 today, but he is forever 23. River truly cared about other things in life, which is what makes me so sad for him. He was multi-talented, gifted as an actor, a humanitarian, and musician. I can't decide what my favorite River Phoenix film is, so I'm going to say it's a tie between Stand By Me (1986) and My Own Private Idaho (1991). River was so handsome. I wish I could tell what color his eyes were though! Some pictures they look green, others they look blue. Happy Birthday, River!

Happy 100th Birthday: Gene Kelly

Happy 100th Birthday to Gene Kelly! I love the way he danced. It was incredible and it's still incredible to watch it now. My favorite Gene Kelly film is An American in Paris (1951), but my favorite dancing scenes of his are in Singin' in the Rain (1952). The part where he's actually singin' in the rain is awesome, but I think the best one is when he dances with Cyd Charisse. When he's wearing that yellow vest and she's wearing that green dress. They were so sexy together! Happy Birthday, Gene! Thanks for the dances.

Hitchcock

Happy Birthday to Alfred Hitchcock! Today feels like a Rear Window (1954) sort of day, although I wouldn't mind watching The Lady Vanishes (1938). TCM is not playing Hitchcock movies all day, which annoys me. Not that I don't like films with Deborah Kerr, but seriously, it should be Hitchcock day on there.

Marilyn Monroe: 50th Anniversary

It's hard to believe that Marilyn Monroe has been gone for 50 years now. I think it's hard to believe because there are so many who still love her today; she has definitely not been forgotten. I watched my first Marilyn film during the summer going into my Sophomore year in college. It was Some Like it Hot (1959) and I became an instant Marilyn Monroe fan. I think Billy Wilder knew what she was perfect for. He knew she wasn't a dumb blonde and he knew she could pull off witty humor.

I sometimes think about what it was like to be alive when the majority of my favorite stars were alive. I think it was the best time for film making and clothing, but I think Hollywood was definitely not as glamourous as it was made out to be. I think that it got to a lot of the stars from that era. However, I still do not believe that Norma Jeane committed suicide. I'll admit that she seemed capable of it given her history, but not on the night she supposedly did it. It all seemed a little bit too staged if you read the details. Marilyn's death came way too early, but her films and spirit will live on forever.