Sister Celluloid

Where old movies go to live

Tag Archives: w.c. fields

TINTYPE TUESDAY: Peeking Behind the Curtain of THE WIZARD OF OZ!

♦ February 16, 2016 ♦ 8 Comments

Welcome to another edition of TINTYPE TUESDAY! This week, we’re off to see The Wizard of Oz—and you won’t believe what was going on behind that curtain. The tornado in Kansas was nothing compared to the blizzard of cast and crew changes—not to mention the many mishaps, including a couple of near-fatalities. Even Toto didn’t escape …

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STREAMING SATURDAY! Brace Yourself for a Classic-Film Shock in PAROLE GIRL

♦ October 24, 2015 ♦ 4 Comments

Welcome to another edition of Streaming Saturdays, where we embed a free, fun movie for you to watch right here every weekend! Parole Girl has the most shocking ending in all of classic film: Ralph Bellamy gets the girl. (Not to fear—we know that from the jump. Also there’s literally no other attractive man in …

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Here’s to Margaret Dumont—Who Always Got the Joke

♦ August 14, 2015 ♦ 34 Comments

“I’m not a stooge, I’m a straight lady—the best in Hollywood. There is an art to playing the straight role. You must build up your man but never top him, never steal the laughs.” — Margaret Dumont in 1937, discussing A Day at the Races, her fifth of seven films with the Marx Brothers. Take that, …

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As W.C. Fields’ Wife, Kathleen Howard Took Henpecking to Operatic Heights

♦ November 17, 2014 ♦ 16 Comments

Some movie-loving girls toss around lines by ladies like Lauren Bacall (“You just put your lips together and blow.“), Vivien Leigh (“I’ll think about it tomorrow…”) or Bette Davis (“Fasten your seats belts—it’s going to be a bumpy night!”) I grew up quoting Kathleen Howard. “Those were my mother’s feathers!” I’d roar to my Dad, out of nowhere, …

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