It all started with It's A Wonderful Life. I had seen that movie countless times as a child and always loved it. Of course I had seen other classic films, such as The Wizard Of Oz and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but It's A Wonderful Life is the first film I can think of that really made an impact on me. Then a few years later I saw Rear Window (1954), which got me interested in Jimmy Stewart even more. I then started watching more of his movies, reading books, saving images on my computer, and that was really my introduction into the world of Classic Hollywood. Jimmy introduced me to such wonderful performers as Grace Kelly and Cary Grant and phenomenal directors such as Frank Capra and Alfred Hitchcock. But it wasn't until I saw Swing Time a few months later that my love and admiration for Ginger Rogers began. In my search for Jimmy Stewart films, I had wanted to see Vivacious Lady (1938), the only film he made with Ginger, for a very long time. Realizing that it was rare and hard to find, I sort of gave up and decided to wait until TCM showed it. But one day I turned on the TV and Swing Time was just coming on. I read the description and realized it was a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers picture. I had heard about their wonderful dancing and how they revolutionized musicals in the 1930s and remembered Ginger as being Jimmy's co-star in the movie I desperately wanted to see. So I watched Swing Time, and within the first few minutes I was a Fred Astaire fan. Then Ginger appeared and the "Pick Yourself Up" dance began. Ginger instantly became my favorite actress. I have never identified with anyone onscreen like I feel that I identify with Ginger. The next week I went to the library and got her autobiography. The more I read about her, the more I liked her. And since then I have started collecting Ginger's films and even memorabilia items.
So, there you have it! Maybe I should add that I've always been a history buff? That was probably a contributing factor as well. :)
I only became a Ginger Rogers fan fairly recently, as I relay here...
ReplyDeletehttp://hollywooddreamland.blogspot.com/2009/04/discovering-ginger-rogers.html
...but she does have a profound effect on me, that's for sure. I think that for those of us born long after her prime, we can see her appeal and accessibility. It's something that resonates on screen and people pick up on that. I think that Audrey Hepburn has this ability, too.
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Thank you for sharing that post! Ginger was an excellent actress. She certainly was versatile, and I think most of her work is just as fresh and modern today as if it were made last year. Especially in Stage Door, with quick wisecracks. I'm glad you became a Ginger fan. :)
ReplyDeleteThat same thing happened to me with Bette Davis. I didn't like her until just recently. I actually just made a post on this subject, too.
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