Backlots Posted by Lara on November 23, 2011

Here’s hoping that all my readers have a happy Thanksgiving with lots to be thankful for! I’ll be spending the evening at a family friend’s house, but not before tuning into TCM for their SPECTACULAR lineup all day tomorrow: (Please note: I have the TCM website set to Pacific Ti   read more

Backlots Posted by Lara on November 20, 2011

After the difficult birth of her first child in 1943, Gene Tierney began showing some serious signs of mental instability. She ultimately spent a good part of her adult life in and out of mental institutions, struggling with what we would now term bipolar disorder (then known as “manic depres   read more

Backlots Posted by Lara on November 19, 2011

Today is Star of the Month Gene Tierney’s birthday! She would have been 91 years old. Here is a photographic and video tribute to her. Stay tuned the rest of this month for more Gene Tierney-themed posts! Interview with Gene Tierney, July 1985.   read more

Backlots Posted by Lara on November 18, 2011

30 years after Natalie Wood’s tragic drowning off the coast of Catalina Island in 1981, the initial ruling that her death was accidental is being reexamined. According to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s office, the captain of the boat off which Natalie Wood allegedly slipped and fell into t   read more

Backlots Posted by Lara on November 10, 2011

In celebration of our Star of the Month Gene Tierney, I will be reviewing Tobacco Road, one of Gene’s earliest endeavors into film, and one in which despite efforts to the contrary, her striking looks win out over all the makeup to make her look like a hillbilly, and she...   read more

Backlots Posted by Lara on November 6, 2011

Our Star of the Month Gene Tierney left this world 20 years ago today, succumbing to a long battle with emphysema at her home in Texas. Here is an article written by Richard Severo of the New York Times, appearing in the newspaper on November 8, 1991–2 days after Gene...   read more

Backlots Posted by Lara on November 5, 2011

Today, November 5, marks what would have been Vivien Leigh’s 98th birthday. Here is a tribute to mark the occasion of the birth of one of the 20th century’s best and most beautiful actresses, who encompasses far more than Scarlett O’Hara and Blanche DuBois. We’ll soon be rev   read more

Backlots Posted by Lara on November 4, 2011

Attention, all prospective attendees! Passes for the 3rd annual TCM Classic Film Festival will go on sale November 9. GET YOUR PASSES EARLY–last year they had 25,000 attendees. The theme this year is Style in Movies, and the opening night Gala screening will be a newly remastered version of   read more

Backlots Posted by Lara on November 1, 2011

First off, you may notice something different about the title of this entry. When you are not God, it is rather stressful to try to cram an entire lifetime into one 7-day period. I have, thus, converted Backlots’ regular Star of the Week feature to a celebration of one star...   read more

Backlots Posted by Lara on October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween, everyone! Well, here is the final installment of Hitchcock Halloween, and I have picked probably Hitchcock’s most twisted tale. A creepy motel, multiple personalities, an Oedipus complex, and a whole lot of chocolate syrup take center stage in this immortal (!) thriller, in   read more

Backlots Posted by Lara on October 30, 2011

I have been wanting to write a post about Rebecca for some time now, as in the list of the top 10 most brilliant Hitchcock films, this one takes the #1 spot in my book. It is the perfect thriller and mystery, one that stays with you long after you’ve...   read more

Backlots Posted by Lara on October 29, 2011

Starting later today, I am going to start what I am calling Hitchcock Halloween, which will be a 3-day countdown to the big day, Hitchcock-style. A new poll will show up in the “Polls” section, asking readers what they think is the scariest Hitchcock film, and I will profile what...   read more

Backlots Posted by Lara on October 29, 2011

How’s that for a still? This scene is the marker for the beginning of the action in Dial “M” for Murder, a film that I think is far too overlooked in the Hitchcock pantheon. When most people hear the name “Alfred Hitchcock,” they tend to think of Rear Window or...   read more

Backlots Posted by Lara on October 27, 2011

You may recall that when I made Myrna Loy the Star of the Week a few weeks ago, I discovered mid-week that there was to be a new biography, in fact the only biography ever written about Myrna Loy (aside from her own autobiography, Being and Becoming). This was a...   read more

Backlots Posted by Lara on October 25, 2011

Upon falling asleep last night after a relatively uneventful evening, I had a dream about Carole Lombard. Mind you, I have not seen any of Lombard’s movies for about a month or so, and wasn’t particularly thinking about her yesterday, so this was a rather strange occurrence. The dream   read more

Backlots Posted by Lara on October 23, 2011

Just a small note. So as not to make you think you’re seeing things, I have added a “Backlots on the Web” section to the sidebar. In this section I have added a button leading to Backlots’ Twitter page and, after much ethical and moral deliberation, a PayPal button. Times...   read more

Backlots Posted by Lara on October 23, 2011

For the last day of Rita Hayworth week. I hope you enjoyed the Rita theme this week–I actually think I’m going to change Star of the Week to Star of the Month, starting in November. That way I can have more time to really go in-depth with each star. But...   read more

Backlots Posted by Lara on October 22, 2011

Turning 94 today is the beautiful, multi-talented stage and screen star, Joan Fontaine. One of my personal favorites, Joan now lives in Carmel with her secretary and her dogs, and continues to sign autographs and answer fan mail. Primarily known as a “Hitchcock actress,” having starred   read more

Backlots Posted by Lara on October 21, 2011

Here is a new poll that will remain on the site for the next week or so. Enjoy!   read more

Backlots Posted by Lara on October 21, 2011

When the silent era finally gave way to talkies in 1927, an art form was lost–the art of meaningful expression without words. When we look at the films of the great silent stars, for example those of Clara Bow, Norma Talmadge, or Lillian Gish, we see a wholly separate kind...   read more