Gene Tierney speaks French

I don’t like the music here but the visual tribute to Gene showcases her beauty and screen presence.

Oh dear, I’m so tired of  reading books and essays on Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier, Vincente Minnelli, Audrey Hepburn, Sonja Henie and Peter Lawford.  I still have Ernst Lubitsch, Rouben Mamoulian and Stanley Donen left. Everyone is quoting Richard Dyer.  I tell you I’m dying myself. I’m in dire need of a vacation.  I need a good slasher flick after all these Cinderella story musicals.

Well if you haven’t noticed, all except Sonja Henie have a French connection so it makes me think of Gene Tierney. Gene Tierney was one of the most stunning screen actresses ever in my opinion and also a pretty good actress.  Her performance in Leave Her to Heaven was excellent no matter how negative Darryl Hickman speaks of her talents. Anyway we remember Gene not Darryl.

If memory serves me right, Gene went to finishing school in Switzerland learning French. The French language is one reason that brought her and Oleg Cassini together.  Anyway I’ve linked an interview in French from 1985 at the Festival du film romantique à Cabourg

Interviews in English

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyVxl5fCRQ4&feature=relate

Sun Valley Serenade (1941)

Another 1940s musical that exceded my expectations. I saw Sun Valley Serenade as a kid and frankly Sonja Henie was not a very good actress, not even as good as mediocre.  Henie made up for it with a sweet smile and charming disposition to go along with her figure skating talent.  Her character is a bubbly Norwegian refugee sent to a pianist (John Payne) who was expecting a child not a cute grown woman. She can cook, ski, skate, and dance the polka. With these talents she snags Payne from his cold girlfriend (Lynn Bari).

John Payne and Sonja Henie dance the Polka

The film has many merits that makes you forget the silly plot. Firstly Henie’s skating but also the Glenn Miller Orchestra playing “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” “Moonlight Serenade,” and “In the Mood.” The Nicholas Brothers and a very young Dorothy Dandridge also perform to “Chattanooga Choo Choo.” This movie was Oscar-nominated for B&W cinematography and Best music. There is also Milton Berle as comedic relief.

This video includes Milton Berle, The Glenn Miller Orchestra and Lynn Bari.  Dandridge and The Nicholas Brothers start performing at 5:00 minutes. Enjoy!

Movie star musuems

Some classic stars have their own museums.  Here’s a few you can visit.

Jimmy Stewart Museum (Pennsylvania)

Ava Gardner Museum (North Carolina)

Sonia Henie Museum (Norway)

Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center (New York)

Liberace Museum (Nevada)

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum (Missouri)

Ronald Reagan Library (California)

Burt Reynolds Museum (Florida) not exactly a classic star but oh well

Norway Nostalgia

One of my fondest memories of Norway is lomper and gudbrandsdalsost cheese.  Lomper is best described as a potato tortilla.  It’s great wrapped around a hot dog but if you’re vegetarian you can treat it the way you treat a tortilla, pita, etc.  Gudbrandalsost is a sweet brown cheese.  I swear I gained 10lbs during my 2 month Norwegian stay because I was hooked on lomper not to mention smoked salmon, lingonberry jam, sausages, Norwegian waffles, and Norwegian pancakes.  Unfortunately I can’t get lomper and gudbrandsdalsost where I live.  I found a recipe for lomper but failed.  All I have now are memories and the occasional google image.

Now why was I in Norway fattening myself up with their good food?  I found an internship with the Norwegian Emigrant Museum.  I wrote the museum stating my love for Norwegian-American stars and to my surprise, the museum had just inherited a Greta Nissen collection including photos, newspaper/magazine clippings, paintings, and letters.  I was offered to create a database.  Who is Greta Nissen?  Well she was a well-known actress during the silent era.  She was set to star in Howard Hughes Hell’s Angels (referenced in the film, The Aviator) but since it was to redone as a talkie, the part went to Jean Harlow.  Unfortunately in the annals of film history, this is Nissen’s most famous role, a role that was not to be.

My biggest regret from my Norway sejour was not visiting the Sonja Henie Museum.  Sonja Henie, the Olympian ice-skater was top-box office in the 30s.  I can’t think of a bigger Norwegian Hollywood star.  I also thank her because she along with Betty Grable, Alice Faye, John Payne, Don Ameche (I saw him in real life when he filmed a movie in my hometown), and Carmen Miranda were the ones who introduced me to classic films.