5 Favorite Actresses With...

I love Myrna Loy with William Powell, but she sure was great with Clark Gable! She really could hold her own with this man's man!

Jean Harlow also had great chemistry with Clark Gable. They sizzled in Red Dust!

Ginger was just adorable in her Giner&Fred musicals! In the words of K.Hepburn... Ginger gave Fred sex appeal!

Norma was great with any male lead... I went ahead and chose Chester Morris... the man deserves a little love... I mean, come on, his name was Chester!

The most obvious choice of leading man for Joan Crawford would be Gable, but I actually like her better with Robert Montgomery!

5 Favorite Actresses

These are in no particular order!

Ginger Rogers! I adore her in her comedy roles. She had this spark and energy that I find very inspiring!

Joan Crawford... I will admit, I wasn't always a fan, but I am a complete convert. I really like Joan's wild streak. When she gets that crazy look in those big eyes of hers... I get goosebumps!


Oh Jean Harlow! There is nothing about this girl I don't like. I love her serious characters and her dumb blond ones! She defined bomb shell, and I only wish she could have lived long enough to feel the full impact she made on film culture.

Myrna Loy. Isn't this picture steamy! I like this actress so much... I named my cat after her! She was wickedly funny and was so quirky sweet!

Norma Shearer. I could go on forever writing my admiration for this woman, but I will keep this short and sweet! Whenever I watch Norma, nothing else in the film matters. She was exciting, emotional and one heck of an actress!

Untamed...

Untamed stars Joan Crawford and Robert Montgomery. It was made in 1929 and is an early talkie. I like it because Crawford is so crazy young. She looks different, acts different but still has that wonderful wildness about her. She plays a girl raised in the jungle who is taken, after her father dies, to NY to become a lady. She meets Robert Montgomery (whom I will affectionately refer to as 'Bob') on board the boat to NY and is instantly in love. He is the male "companion" of an older lady (or pre-code cougar). My favorite part is when Crawford finds Bob in his room aboard ship and they flirt while he shaves. Adorable scene! Crawford and Bob had such a wonderful chemistry and this scene proves it! They part ways when they reach NY. Bob doesn't feel like he has the means to support Crawford. Crawford meanwhile becomes a lady (but still keeps a few of her wild habit... like convincing Bob and another man to box in the middle of the dance room... Bob does this w/o a shirt by the way!) Wonderful little movie, if you aren't a Bob or Crawford fan yet, you will be after this one!

Bob Should Always Get the Girl

I have recently watched a few wonderful early Robert Montgomery movies, and I am amazed at the lack of Bob love! Both of them stared Norma Shearer and both times Shearer's character ended up with a pumpkin of a man instead of her ardent admirer, Montgomery.

The first was Riptide.

I adored this movie just because Montgomery is so darn funny in it. He is trying to win over the wife of another man, and he is so charming and suave... he almost does it. Shearer however is devoted to her husband. (Oh fidelity... it's messed up many a beautiful old movie pairing) The scene where Bob is wearing a towel on his head and a waiter is putting ice in it... oh its brilliant.

The second was Strangers May Kiss

Okay... I know that this opinion is shared by film viewers everywhere, but there is no denying it... Norma Shearer is one of the most amazing actresses of all time! I love it when the man in her life has just walked out on her. There is this moment where you can watch every emotion pass over her face (especially her eyes) devastation, anger, sadness and then the distant, shell shocked look takes over her feature... and Norma gives into the idea that she will no longer belong to one man, but become available to men everywhere. It's hypnotic.

But back on topic... Again, Montgomery is sweet, forgiving, solid and Norma goes for the man who broke her heart.

I'm not quite sure why MGM didn't cast Montgomery as the leading man more opposite Norma. Or why they didn't cast him in different type roles. Strangers May Kiss is a wonderful pre-code though. It has some great quips and naughtiness associated with Shearer Pre-codes!

No worries however Bob will always be the leading man in my heart!