I’ll Be Back In Two Shakes !!!

~ Hello Everyone ~
Welcome To Daniel’s Critical Corner !

That’s right folks.  I’m hittin’ the happy trails !  But I will be back before
you know it, (October 26th) !  Around Halloween…  Speaking of Happy
Trails, (and speaking of Halloween for that matter), I have some rather
TERRIFYING trivia for you…  I’m going to tell you WHO WALKS AMONG
US !!!  Fiendish GHOULS posing as the living…

Yep…  This is some fascinating crap stuff.  So, as the late (great) Bette
Davis once said, “Fasten your seat belts.  It’s going to be a bumpy night”.

A couple of weeks ago, the legendary Anita Page passed away at age
98.  She was considered by many to be one of the last big-name stars
from the “silent film” era.  I was rather saddened by this news…  But it
got me thinking…  If everyone from 1920’s Hollywood is gone…  Who
is left from the true “Golden Age” of Hollywood:  The 1930’s ?!!

I know who already has gone to that giant “dressing room” in the sky.
So many.  Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Fay Wray, Katherine Hepburn,
Joan Crawford, Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, Charles Boyer,
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.  Just to name a few !   

So I did some hardcore research.  Not kidding folks.  HOURS of research.
Some people that are living came to mind, but with closer examination
they got their start in the 1940’s…  Lauren Bacall, Van Johnson, Jennifer
Jones, Esther Williams and Elizabeth Taylor are all alive and kicking, but
NOT from the decade I was looking for.

And so here we have it.  The last of Hollywood’s TRUE living legends.
Some of the biggest names of the 1930’s, all still alive and well.  Hmmm. 
Alive anyway.  (There are only eight of ’em) !  I put them in order of
“youngest” to “oldest”.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Shirley Temple ~ Age 80

 

Looks Like “The Good Ship Lollipop” Hit
An Iceberg !

 

 Notable Films: 

Bright Eyes ~ 1934
Curly Top  ~ 1935
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm  ~ 1938
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer  ~ 1947

* She became a well respected American Ambassador
later in life.  She was also THE FIRST star to publicly
announce her battle with breast cancer.  A true
survivor.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

 Jackie Cooper ~ Age 86

 

What The HECK Happened To Shirley Temple ???

 

 Notable Films:

The Champ ~ 1931
Treasure Island ~ 1934
Superman ~ 1978
Superman II ~ 1980

* Jackie Cooper holds the record for youngest guy to be
 nominated for an Oscar (age 9 in 1931 for “The Champ”).  
He played Perry White in all four of the Christopher Reeve
“Superman” movies.  Jackie (and Mickey Rooney) are the
only people on this list that actually started their film
careers in the late 1920’s !

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Mickey Rooney ~ Age 88

 

Oh Mickey, You’re So Fine…  I Hope You Live To See 99, 
Hey Mickey !

 

 Notable Films:

Love Finds Andy Hardy ~ 1938
National Velvet ~ 1944
Breakfast at Tiffany’s ~ 1961
Night at the Museum ~ 2006

Mickey Rooney’s career is one of the longest spanning, starting 
in 1927 and (so far) going to 2009 !  He is one of the last men
still standing.  What a STUD.  That’s NINE decades of film !!!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 

Maureen O’Hara  ~ Age 88

 

It’s Not Just About “The Booty” !!!

 

 Notable Films:

The Hunchback of Notre Dame ~ 1939
Miracle on 34th Street  ~ 1947
The Quiet Man ~ 1952
The Parent Trap ~ 1961
Only the Lonely ~ 1991

* In the 1930’s Maureen was considered one of the world’s most
beautiful women.  She was also one of John Wayne’s best
friends !  (They did five pictures together).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Joan Fontaine ~ Age 90

 

The “Fontaine” Of Youth !

 

 Notable Films:

The Women ~ 1939
Rebecca ~ 1940
Suspicion ~ 1941
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ~ 1961

* “Rebecca” was director Alfred Hitchcock’s first American
film.  It was a HUGE hit, winning best picture.  The next year,
Hitchcock asked Joan to be in another one of his movies, and
she won the Oscar for best actress in 1941’s “Suspicion” ! 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

 

Olivia de Havilland  ~ Age 92

 

Almost Gone With The Wind ! 

 

 Notable Films:

A Midsummer Night’s Dream ~ 1935
The Adventures of Robin Hood ~ 1938
Gone With The Wind  ~ 1939
Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte ~ 1964
Airport ’77  ~ 1977

* She still continues to do movies, and is wrapping up
her latest picture due out in 2009, titled “I-59 South”.
 Olivia also just so happens to be Joan Fontaine’s big 
sister ! (They hate each other, and have not talked
since 1975).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Gloria Stuart ~ Age 98

 

No, I’m NOT Ready For My Closeup,
Mr. DeMille !

 

 Notable Films:

The Old Dark House ~ 1932
The Invisible Man ~ 1933
Titanic ~ 1997

* Yep, that’s old Rose ! (Funny she is actually older
 than the last living survivor of the Titanic, one Mrs.
Millvina Dean, who is alive and well at age 96) !!!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Luise Rainer ~ Age 98

 

Did You Say You Are Going To “Mount” Rainer ?

 

  Notable Films:

The Great Ziegfeld ~ 1936
The Good Earth ~ 1937
Dramatic School ~ 1938

* She’s the first person to win back-to-back
Oscars for best actress (1936 and 1937) and
she’s also the oldest living Oscar recipient !

~  ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Well, there you have it.  I hope this thrilling information tides you over
until my return !!!  If I have missed someone BIG from the 1930’s, leave
me a comment (or send me an email) !  Don’t forget to check out my
AWESOME archives while I am away !!!  Thank you for reading.  More
great reviews coming to you SOON !

~

Daniel’s Critical Corner:  ALWAYS a “10” out of “10” !!!

~ Daniel Boyer Critical Corner