Old Vs. New Hollywood

If you read this blog on a regular basis, if such a person exists, thank you for reading, but one will notice a theme. I didn't start out to make this blog with any persistent themes, but I myself have noticed one emerging. Maybe this happens to everyone once they start getting old, but it seems impossible not to notice that the past was better. Sure, it wasn't perfect, and I don't mean to whitewash everything, but you must admit it was just BETTER. Today's topic is about something way before my time, but seems worth noting because I don't know how much people are talking about this.

I submit to you that the Hollywood of "yesterday", or, the classic Hollywood, is much better and more interesting of the Hollywood of today. Not to say there weren't scandals, because there were as many controversies and scandals back then as there are today, but the actresses had a certain beauty, talent, class and glamor that is largely missing today. Perhaps it is a certain intangible quality. They supported the war effort and many of them visited the troops in World War II on USO tours.










I figured the above could prove my point far better than words. They being: Veronica Lake, Jane Russell, Linda Darnell, Rita Hayworth, Ella Raines, Lana Turner, Julie Adams, Gloria Grahame, and Gene Tierney, from top to bottom. These are only a few examples and a few pictures. There were many more. But a lot of these were "femme fatales" from the film noir era. In those movies, life was tough and these women had to survive. They had to be tough too, just as tough as the city and the men in the city, but they always retained their vast feminine side as well.
I didn't include Marilyn Monroe (or any that followed in her wake such as Mamie Van Doren, Diana Dors or the underrated Jayne Mansfield) because I feel she already represents a popular idea of the women of Hollywood past. I felt I should concentrate elsewhere.
Male actors didn't have to, for the most part, have the model-perfect good looks of Brad Pitt or Johnny Depp, they just had to have the talent or fit a certain character perfectly. Take Edward G. Robinson with his ubiquitous cigar, forever cast in gangster roles, or Vincent Price, who played many types of roles but is primarily known for his horror interpretations. It is doubtful the sole criteria for these men becoming movie stars were their looks. I know the movie industry has always been superficial -- in many ways it HAS to be, because it is trading in images, after all -- but it has never seemed as soullessly so as it is today, compared with yesterday.
So while today we have actors and actresses bashing Bush and the war, and promoting the liberal views they have the time and money to pursue, all the while adopting a cadre of multi-racial children from other countries while spurning their own, not to mention Angelina Jolie making out with her brother or whatever, and the rehab sagas of the starlets, and Paris Hilton and her pornography...just think about the way it used to be for a second...or do you honestly prefer THIS...?

A Tribute To Greatness In Entertainment

The temptation here at this blog is to get too negative about life. Well, that would be unfair. From what I've been able to gather, life is generally mediocre or bad, with scattered moments of greatness, like a a desert with a few scattered grains of emerald sand.
Since everyone turns to TV, movies, music, sports and such for entertainment to dilute the awfulness of life, I find it disappointing who is held up as role models and the quality of "stars" out there today. I'm not going to go further into it, or name any names, you fill in the blanks. So today I hope to show, once again, how much better the past was than the present is. You may notice that is a theme with me. Expect many blog posts about this in the future. Almost all of them deal with that in one way or another. So, in that spirit, I present to you: A Tribute to Greatness In Entertainment!

MUSIC


Liberace has sold millions of albums, I think. It's hard not to love this picture, as well as this man's lust for... "life". Millions of blue-haired ladies who are unaware of the concept of "gay" were, and, I'm sure, still are huge fans. He made millions of dollars, has a museum and got to live life to the max his way. You gotta love that. I mean, I'm not totally convinced he was gay.

BASEBALL


I know nothing about Rollie Fingers, or about baseball in general, but two things: he has a great name, and even without the mustache, he would be a legend just with that name alone, but couple that together with that 'stache, this man is a God. NO ONE could come out like him today. Now baseball is all about scandals, juicing and guys with giant heads. The world needs another Rollie Fingers.

GAME SHOWS


In the 70's Richard Dawson would kiss all the female contestants because it was the 70's - their spirits were free and there was a harmless, freewheeling sense, if they thought about it at all, that it was OK to kiss and love in an overriding spirit of friendship and good will, it was all part of the zeitgeist. Now, we live in an age where that is frowned upon and it's all about lawsuits, sexual harrassment and STD's and that's why I'm angry and disappointed and life sucks and I hate everyone.


NO, not you! You're everywhere! Get out of here! Can't I mention the words "game show" without you magically appearing?

WRESTLING


Back when the WWE was the WWF, and before those selfish and pesky annoyances at the World Wildlife Fund had their way, and before the term "sports entertainment" was ever coined, there was a warrior. An ULTIMATE warrior. Not to be confused with the Yul Brynner film of the same name, I feel that this picture says it all. Mainly because I don't know anything about the Mr. Warrior. Was he the guy that demanded we "Snap into a Slim Jim"? Because I doubt he would have that muscular physique if he snapped into a bunch of Slim Jims. Why wouldn't he hawk something healthier? NO ONE knows what are in Slim Jims. NO ONE! Not even Jim himself!!! But I digress.

TALK SHOWS/EXCERCISE & FITNESS


Sweatin' To The Oldies and Deal a Meal rebelled against the previous generation, defiantly declaring "we don't want to do things your way!" Looking at it in today's perspective, they were clearly more cultural statements than anything else. Expect to see this graphic many more times in the future. I mean, I'm still not totally convinced he is gay.

TELEVISION


Who didn't love this man's double takes and reactions? Not to mention his physical movements and voice? Today's TV stars could learn a lot. Learn from the past. Shame on everyone. I mean, I'm still not totally convinced...ah, never mind.

MOVIES


I LOVE Ernest Borgnine. If you don't love him, I hate you. His Oscar-winning movie career (Marty, a great movie) is absolutely stellar, with many, many classics, and his TV work such as McHale's navy has gone down in history as classic. The icing on the cake is he is from HAMDEN! He is a Hamden High graduate, and there is an Ernest Borgnine park in Hamden (actually a small bit of excess grass in front of a brown wall, he deserves better) and an Ernest Borgnine Way (actually the driveway leading up to a golf course, he deserves better) -- You HAVE to love him. He is still going today, with his TV movies and traveling the country in his bus. He is like everyone's Grandpa. God bless this great man.

BASKETBALL/RAP/VIDEO GAMES


It takes one many years of training to learn Shaq Fu, and should one be lucky enough to be able to execute the infamous Shaq Attaq -- notice that's spelled with a Q (interesting, seeing some of the other people on this list). Apparently Hawking Icy Hot Medicated Pads hasn't slowed down this scary giant. If anything, it has increased his already huge powers. Was he the first guy to be successful at basketball, thus thinking he could rap well? Or were people just too scared to tell him "No"? Nevertheless, he is a true trailblazer. A big, scary, possibly insane trailblazer.

EVERYTHING ELSE (MASTER OF ALL MEDIA)


What can I say that hasn't already been said? I'm NOT going to make fun of him. (Or, in other terms, "hassle the Hoff") I wouldn't dream of hasslin' the Hoff. Or Wrasslin' the Hoff.

If you liked this more visual piece, do let me know. I enjoyed presenting it to you.

HONORABLE TV MENTION


They could never do this show today due to political correctness. Those PC snobs won't rest until all great stuff is gone. Who knows what other classic material fell under their blade? It's just a shame. Now I'm mad. Well, I'm really OK now. I'll save an anti-PC rant for another day. I want to go out on a positive note. Good night and Godspeed!