The 16th of May is National Classic Movie Day, and what better way to celebrate this than to write a post on one’s five favourite classic movie stars. The rules of this blogathon hosted by the Classic Film and TV Cafe is that people list their five favourite classic movie stars and then say why they love them. So, without further ado and in no particular order:     

I. Vivien Leigh (1913 – 1967)

“My birth sign is Scorpio and they eat themselves up and burn themselves out. I swing between happiness and misery. I am part prude and part nonconformist. I say what I think and I don’t pretend, and I am prepared to accept the consequences of my actions.” (Vivien Leigh)

I will talk about three November-born ladies, and my first one is Vivien Leigh, who had a rich life story. She was born in British India, but when her parents left for England, found herself at a British boarding school. From there, she was determined to succeed as an actress, and even set aside her married life with a lawyer to pursue theatre work. She later married no other than Laurence Olivier, with the two sharing a passionate love and mutual professional admiration. Her breakthrough came when she was cast as Scarlett O’Hara in the famous adaptation of Margaret Mitchell novel of the same name Gone with the Wind (1939) alongside Clark Gable, for which she won her first Oscar. There, she proved to be a great actress indeed: controlled, magnetic, capable of showing every possible façade of a personality, from cunning aloofness to extreme passion. Vivien Leigh really was Scarlett O’Hara, strong-willed, determined, intelligent, passionate, magnetic and beautiful. She was a femme fatale, both on screen and in life, but without any negative connotations, admired for her irresistible charm and acting skill. She was later also cast in such films as A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) alongside Marlon Brando, for which she won her second Oscar, That Hamilton Woman (1941), Caesar and Cleopatra (1945) and Anna Karenina (1948).

II. Grace Kelly (1929 – 1982) 

“I would like to be remembered as someone who accomplished useful deeds, and who was a kind and loving person. I would like to leave the memory of a human being with a correct attitude and who did her best to help others.” (Grace Kelly)

My other November-born lady is Grace Kelly. Born in Philadelphia, US, Grace decided on a career as an actress early on. She started to rocket to stardom when she landed roles in High Noon (1952) and in Mogambo (1953), and later gain immense popularity for Alfred Hitchcock’s films Rear Window (1954), alongside James Stewart, Dial M for Murder (1954), opposite Ray Milland and To Catch a Thief (1955), co-starring Cary Grant. She won her Oscar for her role of Georgie Elgin in The Country Girl (1954), cementing herself as one of the leading actresses of her generation, and also appeared alongside Frank Sinatra in High Society (1956). Always exquisitely beautiful, elegant, posed, honest and true to herself, Grace was lovely as a person and on screen, capturing the attention in every film she was in. She was one of the few actresses who can convey a sense of mischief, mystery and excitement on screen, while always remaining confident and classy. Later in life, she gained even more popularity after marrying Prince Rainier of Monaco, putting her acting career to one side, and tragically died in a car accident at the age of 52. She will always be remembered for her loveliness, kindness and great films, being a truly an unparalleled icon of pure beauty, elegance and grace. 

III. Gregory Peck (1916 – 2003)

“Everything that is truly worthwhile – I think passion is involved in your approach to it. No matter what it is.” (Jack Lemmon)

Famously born in an elevator in Massachusetts, US, Jack Lemmon had a very long and dedicated career on screen. He could handle both dramatic roles and comedy, and was known for his versatility on screen. He is probably best known for his role of C.C. Baxter in the film The Apartment (1960), as well as for the role of Jerry/Daphne in Some Like It Hot (1959). In these films, Jack demonstrated such an uncanny ability to “re-invent” his characters and improvise, it is simply amazing. In Some Like It Hot, he went from portraying a musician Jerry to playing a temperamental “lady” Daphne, and the comic effect is hilarious; and in The Apartment, he is back to portraying an average lonely Joe, but this atmosphere of “lightness” or humour is still about him. He was nominated for an Oscar for both of these films, with the total of eight nominations by the Academy in his career and two wins (for Mister Roberts (1955) and for Save the Tiger (1973)). The older generation may also still remember him from How to Murder Your Wife (1965) and Days of Wine and Roses (1962) (see my entry to The Jack Lemmon Blogathon), while the younger generation may recall him from Missing (1982) and Glengarry Glen Ross (1992). He can be either fun or sad to watch on screen, but when he is funny, he is so entertaining he can reduce the audience to laughter in seconds, and where he is sad, he is always heart-wrenching to contemplate. Few can compare to that skill, and that is why Jack Lemmon is probably, still, one of the most revered actors in Hollywood.