Jan / Feb 2016

Classic Hollywood

C omedy is not the first

thing you think of when

you hear the name

James Cagney. At least I don’t.

Gangster films, definitely, but

comedy, nope. Which is what

makes his few stints in comedic

roles such gems! For the sake of

space, I’m focusing only on three,

although there’s a good chance

he performed in more comedy

roles than even I am aware.

A Midsummer Night’s

Dream (1935) is a

stunning cinematic

masterpiece, alive with

fairies and gnomes and

people who aren’t fully

aware that all of this

magic is happening

around them. And

then you have a man

named Bottom, in

the fairy woods only

by happenstance.

Bottom gets cursed

as a joke by the

mischievous fairy

Puck and ends up

wearing the face of a

donkey. Then he is

wooed by the equally

cursed fairy queen

(because she does have

better taste than

donkey man). Bottom

has never been so

brilliantly performed as

when James Cagney took on

BY CARISSA HORTON

3

addresses the fact that Cagney’s

character, McNamara, has been

cheating on his wife with various

secretaries for at least a decade and

she knows and lets him. McNamara

and his family reside in West Berlin

where he heads up the Coca-Cola

bottling plant. All is fine and dandy

until his boss from the southern US

decides to send his darling daughter

Scarlett Hazeltine (Pamela Tiffin)

on a visit. Reading between the

lines, she’s boy crazy and needs to

be separated from her current love

interest. McNamara never

anticipated she would meet and fall

in love with communist, Otto

Ludwig Piffl, perfectly portrayed by

the entertaining and adorable Horst

Buchholz. Now McNamara is

juggling his job, his family, his

secretary, men from East Berlin who

want to make a deal for Coca-Cola,

and the starry-eyed Scarlett who’s

determined to marry Otto. Oh, and

did I mention that her father’s

coming for a visit? This is one of the

fastest paced films I have ever seen.

You literally hold your breath from

start to finish, and despite the moral

ramifications, the occasional dose of

1960s innuendo, and McNamara’s

stupid decision making, it’s one of

my favorite comedies. Red Buttons,

a renowned comedian of distinction,

puts in a cameo appearance in a

truly guffaw-worthy bit.

While I enjoy Cagney in serious

roles, I treasure his comedies

because they’re just not something

you’d expect from him. He lets

loose, has the audience rolling in the

aisles (at least if my personal

reaction is any judge), and has fun.

If you want to see a different side to

him, each one of these delicious

films will fill that need! ♥

the role. Anyone remotely familiar with

Shakespeare’s play understands the

vital importance of comedic timing for

Bottom. Cagney takes the foolhardy

Bottom and owns the role, mind, body,

heart, and soul. Whether he’s wearing

the donkey’s head or his own, Cagney

achieves more chortles and snorts than

anyone else in this star-studded

spectacle of hilarity and humor.

The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941) is

another little gem costarring Cagney

and Bette Davis, only this time there

isn’t a fairy to be seen. Airplane pilot

Steve Collins (Cagney) is hired to track

down the female heir to the Winfield

fortune and kidnap her before she

marries a deadbeat band leader. Of

course, it helps that he’s been hired by

the girl’s father! Bette Davis’ character,

Joan Winfield, will have none of it.

Their plane crashes into the desert due

to her antics, and Collins is left trying

to keep a hold on a girl determined to

have her own way. Throw in a ghost

town, a race through an abandoned

mine, and Cagney hooting and

hollering with laughter as Bette Davis

tries to get a decrepit motor car to start,

and you’ve got a real winner. To be up-

front, Cagney does sling Bette over his

shoulder a time or two, slingshots a few

pebbles at her derriere through jail bars

where he’s been confined by the last

living resident of the ghost town, and

has to pluck cactus tines out of her. So

some of the film is slapstick and rough,

but hey, he’s not rubbing a grape fruit

in a girl’s face and Steve Collins ends

up falling head over heels in love with

Joan Winfield, so it’s a win-win!

One, Two, Three (1961) is proof of how

far cinema had traveled by the 1960s

and how much they could get away

with. While this film is a whooping,

hollering good time, it also never fully

3

IN THIS ISSUE:

© Charity’s Place 2016

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of the individual writers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Charity’s Place or Femnista; the stories and entertainment mentioned are not always appropriate viewing for all ages. Visit charitysplace.com

for future issues, information, movie reviews, and more.

James Cagney Page 2 The Philadelphia Story Page 4 Audrey Hepburn Page 6 Sherlock Holmes Page 8 Mae West Page 10 Sorry Wrong Number Page 12 John Wayne & Maureen O’Hara Page 14 The Honeymooners Page 16 Judy Garland Page 18 East of Eden Page 20 Norma Shearer Page 22 Authors Page 24

simply meant seizing on a

phenomenally written story and

preserving talented actors

performing that story at their

peak. The Philadelphia Story is

one example. Its writing is all the

proof a viewer needs of what a

classic film can be, given its

dialogue, humor, and themes of

class division.

easy to discern. By the decades

mentioned above, film medium

had existed long enough for the

storytelling of a movie to begin to

truly cohere technically and

creatively into an art form. Now

that filmmakers had a handle on

the mechanics of what a film was

they began to push forward with

what it could do. Sometimes, this

c lassic Hollywood in

general refers to the

period of the film

industry that encompasses the

1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s. During this

time, many films were released

that have become critically

adored. “Classic” in this context

signals both age and quality. The

reason why this is true is fairly

5

and Tracy suggests “Get

smallpox.” And of course, there

is the famous and passionate

encouragement Connor gives to

Tracy during a drunken

interlude: “You’ve got fires

banked down in you, hearth fires

and holocausts.” Writing like this

barely happens anymore. And I

haven’t even mentioned the

verbal sparring between Tracy

and Haven!

This film definitely qualifies as a

romantic comedy, with emphasis

on the comedy. Humor can be

found frequently in every scene,

not just in the sharp one-liners.

Physical gags pop up as well.

Early on, Tracy takes a horseback

ride with her fiancé and it is clear

he has never been on a horse

before. There is also a comical

punch, and Tracy’s Uncle Willie

is a booty-pinching womanizer.

Connor gets a hilarious drunk

scene as well, and it all makes the

modern moviegoer marvel that

such laughs can be achieved

without the use of any gross bits

or vulgar language. We aren’t

used to that and it is refreshing.

The effectiveness of the humor is

just as strong, and a lot of people

will probably prefer it. Honestly,

just try to get through Connor

asking Haven for a drink… from

his own bottle of champagne!...

without laughing.

Good writing has more than

dialogue and humor, though, and

The Philadelphia Story offers it.

The Philadelphia Story was

adapted from a play of the same

name by Philip Barry, written in

1939. The film premiered in 1940

and starred Katharine Hepburn,

James Stewart, and Cary Grant

directed by George Cukor. The

story follows socialite Tracy Lord

(Hepburn) as she prepares to get

married for the second time. Her

ex-husband, C.K. Dexter Haven

(Grant), arrives a few days before

the wedding with two guests who

happen to be a reporter,

Macaulay Connor (Stewart), and

a photographer, Liz Imbrie (Ruth

Hussey). Though she hates it,

Tracy allows their presence for

her wedding to stop a magazine

exposé about her father.

Complications ensue when

Connor and Haven challenge

Tracy’s beliefs about herself and

her feelings for her fiancé.

The script was adapted from the

play by Donald Ogden Stewart,

and the dialogue is of course the

most conspicuous evidence it is a

superb screenplay. Whether it all

came from Barry’s play or

Stewart wrote it himself, the fact

remains that the spoken delights

here are plentiful. Page after

page could be filled with lines the

characters say that are witty or

even just well written. Haven

compliments Imbrie at one point

with “You’re a good number, Liz”

and she comes back with “I just

photograph well.” Tracy’s

adolescent sister Dinah asks how

she can postpone the wedding

The exploration of the theme of

class and divisions of wealth and

privilege is integrated into the

storytelling. The introduction of

Connor and Liz into the Lord

mansion cheerfully pokes at class

differences. Connor has to take

the time to explain to Tracy that

he and Liz have artistic talents

but must work for money.

During this conversation, Connor

comments about the scenery they

are walking through, and Tracy

casually says it’s “part of our

place.” Her complaisance to the

level of her family’s wealth shows

how she must grow by the end of

the story. There is also a lot of

talk about how a person’s money is no indication of their worth—

for either good or bad. The

audience will probably enjoy the

Portuguese proverb Connor

quotes: “with the rich and

mighty, always a little patience.”

The Philadelphia Story is proof

of what a classic film can be in

many aspects, but certainly in

the script, because it has humor,

dialogue, and themes that

thoroughly entertain. This story

was adapted into the musical

High Society in 1956 starring

Grace Kelly, Bing Crosy, and

Frank Sinatra. How many classic

films inspire another classic

film? The old Hollywood period

is called classic because when it

reached it’s highest quality, it

was one of the first times that

happened. The Philadelphia

Story is there at the top. ♥

BY RACHEL SEXTON

in Brussels, Belgium. Her father,

Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston

(1889-1980), was a British

subject born in Úžice, Bohemia.

Her mother, Baroness Ella van

Heemstra (1900-1984), was a

Dutch aristocrat and the

daughter of Baron Aarnoud van

Heemstra, who was mayor of

Arnhem from 1910 to 1920, and

served as Governor of Dutch

Suriname from 1921 to 1928.

Audrey spent her early childhood

travelling between England,

Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Then came war. It was a very

difficult time. The memory of

those years never left her. When

more than ten years later she was

offered a part in The Diary of

Anne Frank, she turned it down

because, as she explained, “I

couldn’t deal with it.”

Audrey’s greatest love was music.

She wanted to be a dancer. In

1948, Audrey and her mother

moved to London. She went to a

ballet school and worked hard.

She had no time for boyfriends.

One day the ballet school teacher

told her, “I’m sorry, but you’ll

never be a famous dancer. You’re

too tall.”

Audrey was sad, but then her life

changed forever: she got a small

part in a big musical. Three

thousand girls tried to get the

part, but the producers wanted

Audrey. She quickly found jobs

S he was a ballet

dancer, but never

danced in a ballet.

She never studied acting

yet became one of the

most famous actresses

in the world. The

public loves her.

People love her now,

years after her death.

They remember her

not only for her films,

but for her elegance,

grace and charm.

Audrey Kathleen van

Heemstra Hepburn was

born on 4 May 1929

BY MARIANNA KAPLUN

7

and My Fair Lady, 1964). But

the most remembered role in her

career is Breakfast At Tiffany’s

(1961). A young New York writer

sponsored by a wealthy woman

falls in love with a charming,

impulsive, eccentric call girl next

door, based on a story by

Truman Capote.

Her portrayal was nominated for

the 1961 Academy Award for Best

Actress and became an iconic

character in American cinema.

Considered her defining role,

Hepburn’s high fashion style and

sophistication as Holly Golightly

became synonymous with her.

She named the role “the jazziest

of my career” yet admitted: “I’m

an introvert. Playing the

extroverted girl was the hardest

thing I ever did.” The dress she

wears during the opening credits

is an icon of the 20th century

and perhaps the most famous

“little black dress” of all time.

Her next successful role was in

How to Steal a Million, a 1966

heist comedy directed by William

Wyler. The daughter (Audrey) of

a wealthy French art forger

learns her father is in danger of

being exposed as a crook. She

decides to steal the family’s

forged Cellini sculpture from a

museum before experts can

examine it and enlists a society

burglar (Peter O’Toole) to help.

The picture is set and was filmed

in France, though the characters

speak entirely in English.

Hepburn starred in about 30

films, but always made it clear

that family was more important

for her than work. She was

in other musicals. Everybody

liked the thin girl with a pretty

face and wide smile. “I was not a

great dancer,” Audrey said later.

“I threw up my arms and

smiled. That’s all.”

When Audrey was twenty, she

had small parts in several movies

and during filming she met a

famous novelist and screenwriter

who wanted to find a girl for the

Broadway musical of her book,

Gigi. When she saw Audrey, she

said. “She is Gigi! Half-woman,

half-boy.” The role won Hepburn

a Theatre World Award in 1952.

The same year a Hollywood

movie producer offered her the

part of a princess in a big new

movie, Roman Holiday. It was

nominated for ten Academy

Awards, and Audrey captured an

Oscar for her portrayal of a

modern-day princess rebelling

against her royal obligations who

explores Rome on her own.

Audrey went on to star in a series

of successful films, winning more

Best Actress Oscar nominations.

Not everyone considered her

pretty, but people agreed she had

charm and class. Her Roman

Holiday director said: “She is not

beautiful, but she gets to you.”

She created what became known

as “the Audrey Hepburn look.”

Her clothes in several films were

made by Hubert de Givenchy of

Paris. He became her friend for

life. “A woman does not wear a

dress,” he said. “She lives in it.”

Hepburn played serious roles

(War and Peace, 1956) and

musical leads (Funny Face, 1957

married twice and had two sons.

After her second son was born in

1970, she said: “I don’t want to

make any more movies. I’m

happy as a good wife and

mother.” However, her second marriage ended in divorce—just

like the first one.

When older, she wanted to do

something more important with

her life. She remembered her

early years, at the end of the war,

when she was poor and decided

to help poor children. She

worked for the United Nations

and was officially appointed

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

She visited the poorest and most

dangerous countries in the

world. When at home, she talked

on television about her work. “I

do my best,” she said simply. “I

wish I could do more.”

Audrey starred opposite Sean

Connery in Robin and Marion

before retiring again in 1988. In

1989 she had a small part as an

angel in Steven Spielberg’s

Always. Audrey’s last words in

the movie are, “Do things for

others.” She died January 20,

1993 at the age of 64.

Her face still looks at us from

posters and fashion magazines.

Audrey was one of the few

actresses who became a symbol

of their time, whose look was

imitated by thousands of girls.

She became and stayed an ideal

of elegance, glamour, charm, and

grace. As one film critic said “In

this cruel and imperfect world

Audrey was living proof that God

could still create perfection.” ♥

period it alters certain details.

Even so, an allusion to Holmes’

drug habit slips in at the end,

with Holmes calling out, as he

strides from the room, “Watson…

the needle!” much to his friend’s

annoyance. It also delves into the

spiritualism that preoccupied

Doyle in the later years of his life,

with a séance that unnerves

everyone present. It has more

suspense than most of the other

fourteen films in the series.

Further cases range in interest

and strength, Holmes tackling

espionage for the government,

stepping in to halt an ominous

voice bringing terror to the

airwaves, and

rescuing

damsels in

distress.

Some films

end with

a

stirring

speech to

remind

viewers that England’s

greatest years are yet to

come, for when the

darkness breaks the light

shines all the stronger. It

is a sobering reminder

that while we watch these

films from the comforts of

our living room, the British

saw them in darkened

theaters during the Blitz.

afoot for Holmes. With glee, he

informs his henchman that he

intends to present Holmes with

two crimes, one so common as to

bore him, the other so unusual as

to draw his attention from the

first… wherein lies a crime so

clever it will shock the empire.

The script is dark and witty, with

a particularly memorable line by

Holmes: “You’ve a magnificent

brain, Moriarty. I admire it. I

admire it so much I’d like to

present it pickled in alcohol to

the London Medical Society.”

His preoccupation with the case,

beginning with a young woman

certain of a

death

sentence over

her brother’s

head, nearly

causes him to let

Moriarty get

away unscathed,

while humor

intrudes in

lesser moments. Holmes is so

bored one day he tries to find a

note to dispense with flies, but

Watson solves the problem by

simply swatting it.

This adaptation of Hound carries

over the themes from the book,

along with a few new ones, and is

faithful in many of its twists,

though to pass the censors of the

f ew literary figures are better

known or loved than

Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur

Conan Doyle’s consulting sleuth,

occupant of 221B Baker Street.

Since his first literary appearance

in 1889, he continues to capture

the devotion of millions through

short stories, novels, radio plays,

television series, and films. And

during WWII, he inspired people

by shedding his deerstalker to

enter the modern age and deliver

much needed hope worldwide.

Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce

film adaptations have a mixed

reception among Sherlockians;

some object to removing Holmes

from his natural setting and

placing him in the modern age.

However, the original Holmes is

a modern man for his time. He

conducts his affairs in Victorian

London… in the Victorian age,

written by a Victorian author. He

was a contemporary hero, so his

removal from that setting for a

modern one is within canon.

Not all the films are modern.

Two, Hound of the Baskervilles

and The Adventures of Sherlock

Holmes, are Victorian, with foggy

London streets, gaslight, hansom

cabs, and diabolical villains. The

latter pits Holmes against his

arch-nemesis Professor Moriarty

newly acquitted of murder, and

delighted at putting a new game

BY CHARITY BISHOP

The nose of the police dog, although

long and efficient, points in only one direction at a time.

—Sherlock Holmes

9

a passionate but dismissive man

of awkward kindness. He is a

loyal friend to Watson, despite

his frequent frustration at his

mental limitations (“Watson,” he

says sadly at one point, “I’m

afraid you’re an incorrigible

bungler,” but softens it with a

smile and the touch of a hand on

his shoulder). Tragically, Watson

is utilized for comedic relief

rather than given intelligence. It

is to highlight Holmes’ genius

but is unnecessary. That is the

greatest fault of this film series.

Holmes became, in their darkest

hour, not only a symbol of their

literary heritage, but a national

emblem of courage. He fought

and defeated the Nazis for them.

He was able to transcend his own

time to enter into the modern era

and inspire hope to a generation.

That is part of the timelessness

of Holmes… his enduring legacy

in how every few years he is born

anew for younger viewers.

Rathbone is a perfect Holmes in

terms of appearance and bearing,

This Watson is not blessed with

the brains God gave a mole rat,

though Nigel Bruce does have a

likability that transcends it.

Though only one of many pairs

of talented actors to portray

these legends, they are certainly

the longest big screen cinematic

film franchise duo where the

leads stay the same. James Bond

gets a new face every decade, but

Holmes and Watson, for many

years, and for many fans, were

always Rathbone and Bruce. ♥

W hen most people think of

Classic Hollywood

women, their minds drift

to Monroe, Hepburn, Taylor or Kelly.

Who they really should remember is

Mae West. She was a quadruple

threat, being an actor, singer,

playwright and screenwriter. She also

maintained a career spanning across

seven decades. Throughout her long

career, she encountered problems

with censorship, and is considered

one of the most controversial stars of

her day. This did not seem to bother

her though, as West famously stated

“I believe in censorship. I made a

fortune out of it.”

Mae West was born on 17th August

1893 in Brooklyn. The first crowd she

performed for was at a church social

when she was only five years old. By

the time she was seven, she was

performing in amateur shows. Her

first professional performances began

at fourteen when she entered the

incredibly popular vaudeville scene.

Like so many other famous stars, her

career did not pick up immediately,

one Broadway production she was in

folded after only eight performances.

But her luck soon picked up; when

she was eighteen she was singled out

in a review featured in the New York

Times. The journalist wrote the “girl

named Mae West, hitherto unknown,

pleased by her grotesquerie and

snappy way of singing and dancing.”

Although she would not gain such

exposure for another seven years,

BY SCARLETT GRANT

11

Angel (1933), which featured the

oft misquoted line “Why don’t

you come up sometime and see

me?” and Klondike Annie (1935).

However, after her 1937 film

Every Day’s A Holiday bombed

at the box office she was no

longer associated with the studio.

To add further insult to injury

she was dubbed “Box Office

Poison.” West later signed with

Universal Pictures and starred in

My Little Chickadee (1940)

which gave her a moderate

comeback. But, after the critical

and box office failure of The

Heat’s On (1943), West did not

make another film for 27 years.

West still remained active. She

went back to what she did best,

being a stage performer. One of

the first performances she

starred in was the successful

Catherine Was Great (1944), a

spoof of the Russian empress

Catherine the Great. During the

1950s, West performed in her

own Las Vegas show, with

bodybuilders surrounding her as

she sang. Her autobiography

Goodness Had Nothing To Do

With It was released in 1959. As

expected, the book was a best-

seller.

In 1970, West made her return to

cinema in Myra Breckinridge.

The deliberately camp comedy

was both a commercial and

critical failure, but later achieved

an audience within cult film

circles. The final film West

appeared in was Sextette (1978).

Although she was determined,

many noticed how she would

West continued to persevere

through the support her mother

gave her, who honestly believed

she could do anything.

While still performing in theatre,

West began writing plays under

the name “Jane Mast.” Due to

much of the content being

deemed as immoral by the

standards of the time, many

plays were shut down before they

opened. In some cases it involved

the cast, including West, being

arrested. Although sentenced for

ten days imprisonment, she only

served eight due to good

behavior. It was reported that

she had dined with the warden

and his wife during her prison

stint. Furthermore, the media

attention surrounding these

incidents resulted in many of her

performances being completely

sold out. The peak of her

Broadway career was her 1928

play Diamond Lil, about a racy

woman in the 1890s, which was a

hit. Its popularity continued

throughout West’s career and

she revived it multiple times.

Although approaching forty (and

even now considered an unusual

age to begin a film career), West

was offered a contract with

Paramount Pictures. She had

brought back her Diamond Lil

character to the 1933 film She

Done Him Wrong. It was a hit

and nominated for an Oscar for

Best Picture. Also, it is believed

this film saved Paramount from

bankruptcy. West later starred in

five other films for Paramount,

including the iconic I’m No

sometimes become disoriented

and forgetful. In addition, her

poor eyesight made navigating

the set rather difficult. Shortly

after the film’s release, she

suffered two strokes, which left

her paralyzed and she developed

pneumonia. She died on 22nd

November 1980 at 87 years old.

The long and persistent career of

Mae West has left a mark upon

popular culture. This includes

fellow stage writers and

performers such as Cole Porter

who referenced her in his classic

musical Anything Goes (1934),

as well as legendary surrealist

artist Salvador Dali. He was so

fascinated by her that he made

an artwork in the shape of her

lips, called Mae West Lips Sofa

(1937). If you look carefully, you

can also spot Mae West on the

cover of the iconic 1967 Beatles

album Sgt. Peppers Lonely

Hearts Club Band (she’s on the

top row).

Her life displayed a dogged

persistence. From her years

fighting to the top on Broadway,

to the rise and decline of her film

career and even in her later years

she did not allow her star to fade.

Her determination also prevailed

in that she would write and

perform in her own productions,

back in an era where women

were often belittled into doing

nothing. Finally, her famous

controversies pushed the moral

boundaries of the time making

her a true trailblazer. This is all

why Mae West is a true Classic

Hollywood icon. ♥

have each failed her in his own

way: her father, afraid he will

lose his daughter as he lost his

wife, fears her panic attacks and

gives her everything she wants,

never teaching her self-denial or

to fight fairly for what she wants.

Her husband, afraid of Leona’s

father and hating that he cannot

have a life of his own, plots her

murder. Even her doctor shows

her no compassion as he delivers

the news that her problems are

in her head.

The shining star in this movie,

though is Leona. At the start,

she’s a self-possessed woman.

Not a hair is out of place, her

night-gown is lovely, and her

room is immaculate. But as the

movie progresses and Leona’s

unease becomes fear, we see the

transformation on the outside as

well. Her hair tumbles around

her face, a glass of water is

knocked to the floor, and she

grows more haggard. She realizes

Henry hasn’t been happy for

some time and feels guilt. Near

the end, she tries to reconcile

with Henry, but it’s too late. His

plan has already been set in

motion and he is powerless to

stop it. The movie builds

relentlessly toward the end and

the final phrase of the movie,

“Sorry, wrong number” is the

perfect ending. ♥

mother died during childbirth

and her father has always given

her everything she wanted. When

Leona doesn’t get her way, she

has panic attacks, and they grow

worse over the years. She is now

confined to her bed.

As the night wears on, she grows

frantic. She learns unsavory facts

about Henry and the things he’s

been involved in, until finally she

learns that she is the target for

the murder. Henry wants out of

the family business and will do

whatever it takes to escape.

The atmosphere builds slowly.

Leona changes gradually from a

woman who knows what she

wants (and expects to get it) to a

woman afraid, lonely, lost. The

actress, Barbara Stanwyck, had

some gray hairs before assuming

the role, and after production,

had a head full of white hair. The

movie is told primarily through

flashbacks: Leona as a young

woman; when she falls in love

with her husband, a poor man

her father hates; the frustrations

she and Henry face as he tries to

better himself only to be stopped

multiple times by Leona’s father;

the insecurity Leona faces as a

rich woman married to a poor

man—does he really love her, or

is it just the money he craves?

The men surrounding Leona

G rowing up, I watched a lot

of films with my mom.

Shirley Temple, Indiana

Jones, Knotts Landing, Titanic,

The Quiet Man, John Wayne,

Star Wars: we had eclectic taste.

I liked sitting on her bed on the

pillow next to her and falling in

love with the things she enjoyed.

I look back on some of the things

we watched together, and while I

may not choose to watch them

anymore, they still hold a special

place in my heart.

One such film is Sorry, Wrong

Number. The spoiled, rich Leona

Stevenson is impatiently waiting

for Henry, her husband, to come

home. She’s called his office

numerous times, with no answer

on the other end. Again, she calls

but this time overhears two men

plotting to kill a woman at 11:15,

right when the train whistle

blows. She immediately calls the

phone switchboard to find the

source of the line she was

patched into, but the women

there are no help. Neither are the

police; without specific details,

there’s nothing they can do to

help her.

Impatient at not being taken

seriously, she calls her father and

explains the situation to him. He

calms her down, but doesn’t

really listen to her. Through

flashbacks, we learn Leona’s

BY CAROL STARKEY

13

c lassic Hollywood boasted

quite a few actor-actress

duos that had such good

chemistry, studio execs paired

them again and again. Errol

Flynn and Olivia de Havilland,

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers,

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren

Bacall, Rock Hudson and Doris

Day come to mind. But of all the

classic on-screen matches, my

favorite remains John Wayne

and Maureen O’Hara. Now, this

might have something to do with

the fact that John Wayne is my

favorite actor, and Maureen

O’Hara is my favorite actress. So

having them together

onscreen would be a

special treat for me

even if they didn’t

display both great

chemistry and a

wonderful

camaraderie.

John Wayne and

Maureen O’Hara both

excelled at playing strong

-willed, strong-minded

characters who did not

back down from a fight,

who had to be definitively

won, not simply wooed.

In real life, they were

good friends, which I find

endearing. I suppose it’s

that real-life friendship

that made them appear so

natural together onscreen.

Jo

hn

Wa

yn

e a

nd

Ma

ure

en

O’H

ara

’s M

ovie

s T

og

eth

er

BY RACHEL KOVACINY

15

he’s not a real man after all and

leaves him because she doesn’t

know about the secrets he’d fled

from back in America.

The Wings of Eagles (1957) tells

the true story of Navy pilot Frank

‘Spig’ Wead, who puts aviation

above his marriage to Min,

causing his personal life to

decline until an accident

paralyzes him, and he has to

learn to live without the things

he thought defined him.

McLintock! (1963) is a loose

adaptation of The Taming of the

Shrew. Cattle baron G.W.

McLintock has his hands full

trying to deal with a headstrong

daughter, his estranged wife,

farmers, Indians, and dishonest

government officials. He tries to

keep everyone happy and

peaceful, with comic results.

And in Big Jake (1971), Jacob

McCandles returns home after

many years at the request of his

estranged wife, who needs him to

help find their kidnapped

grandson.

I’ve seen both Wayne and O’Hara

in many, many movies, opposite

many different stars. And while

they could convincingly play love

stories with others, their five

movies together possess a special

zing the others lack. I think it

goes back to them finally having

truly worth opponents, someone

who forces them to be at their

best in conversation, romance,

argument, and everything else.

The actors probably enjoyed

acting opposite someone who

would go toe-to-toe with them in

In a 1974 speech, John Wayne

joked, “I’ve been in more battles

than Napoleon and more wars

than Germany. I’ve captured

Bataan, Corregidor, Fort

Apache, and Maureen O’Hara.” 1

That’s part of what fascinates

me—their characters were always

almost military opponents as

much as lovers. There’s a sense

that their characters are excited

to have found a worthy opponent

at last, and it’s that worthiness

that attracts them to each other,

even though they spend more

time battling than romancing.

Wayne and O’Hara played

opposite each other five times in

just over twenty years, and I’d

like to recap each of those films

for you here.

In Rio Grande (1950), hard-

nosed Cavalry officer Kirby

Yorke is tasked with training a

bunch of raw recruits, including

his son, whom he hasn’t seen in

many years. Yorke’s estranged

wife Kathleen arrives to take

their son away again because she

thinks Yorke is being too hard on

him. Kirby and Kathleen bicker

and fight and slowly fall in love

again despite an Indian uprising,

a court-martial, and their own

proud and stubborn natures.

In The Quiet Man (1952), ex-

prize fighter Sean Thornton

returns to his ancestral

homeland of Ireland to retire in

peace. He soon falls in love with

Mary Kate Danaher and marries

her, despite the objections of her

boorish brother. But when Sean

refuses to fight her brother over

an insult, Mary Kate declares

any scene, the competition

forcing them to utilize all their

talents instead of falling into

predictable or routine acting.

The question, then, is why am I

so entranced by this pair of stars

playing generally cross lovers? I

think a lot of it is because I am

stubborn and strong-willed, so I

enjoy seeing characters similar to

myself find someone who can

challenge them and who enjoys

matching wits and wills with

them. Also, their real-life

friendship shines through in

these performances, making

their characters’ affection for

each other feel warm and

genuine even when they’re

disagreeing.

Of the five films John Wayne and

Maureen O’Hara co-starred in,

my favorite is definitely The

Quiet Man. It has the happiest

ending for their characters as a

couple, and the finest scenes

between them overall as well. I

can wholeheartedly recommend

it to anyone who enjoys an

unusual love story in a charming

setting. ♥ 1: p. 139, Duke in His Own Words, by Editors of the Official John Wayne Magazine. Media Lab Books: NY, 2015.

Norton. The character is a

complete simpleton, but

extremely loyal. He’s the guy who

can’t seem to take a hint, and

takes everything too literally.

He’s clumsy and goofy, all gangly

arms and legs. For me as a child,

the whole point of the show was

seeing what funny things Norton

would do. In one episode, he’s

utterly failing to reassure Ralph,

who fears he has only six months

to live. (Ed: “Doctors don’t know

everything. I had a friend whose

doctor told him he only had 6

months to live. Boy did he sure

make a monkey out of that

doctor!” Ralph: “Why… what

happened?” Norton: “He lived 8

months!”) In another episode,

Norton tries to help Ralph learn

golf from a book. (In a small

apartment. Using a pincushion

for a golf ball.) The book

instructs the reader to “address

the ball.” Neither of the two men

know quite what is meant. (I had

no idea, myself, when I first

heard it.) But after a moment,

Norton has an idea. He borrows

the golf club, steps up before the

ball, looks down and calls out,

“Hello, ball!” (Well - even having

no idea, I knew it couldn’t be

THAT!) Norton has so many of

the memorable laugh lines. He is

a sidekick who illustrates the

saying, “With friends like these,

who needs enemies?”

than half an hour. (How would

we know?) Yet, it’s a cast of

characters that is so successful

together that they even outlived

their own show: The Flintstones’

Fred and Wilma are modeled on

Ralph and Alice! Their neighbors

Barney and Betty Rubble are

based off Norton and Trixie, too.

The series was popular around

the same time as the well-known

I Love Lucy; Honeymooners ran

from 1952 to ‘56. There are lots

of parallels between the shows:

zany schemes, unreasonable

expectations, outrageous

slapstick. And what would I Love

Lucy be like without Fred and

Ethel as next-door neighbors to

Desi and Lucy? In the same way,

The Honeymooners has Norton

and Trixie as the “holler-out-the-

window-to-talk-to-them”

upstairs neighbors to Ralph and

Alice. And where would Lucy be

without best friend Ethel for her

co-conspirator, madly wrapping

candies in a chocolate factory, or

trying to spy on movie stars at a

famous restaurant? In the same

way, Ralph has his buddy Norton

at his side: to shoot pool with,

solve problems with, and, of

course, to give terrible advice to.

Of course, when doing those last

two things, you might think

Ralph would do better without

W hat is this?” I wondered, as

I heard canned applause

and laughter coming from

the living room. At least, that’s

how I remember the first time I

wandered over to join my dad in

watching an episode of The

Honeymooners. Thus the

comedy of Jackie Gleason (as

Ralph Kramden), Audrey

Meadows (as his wife Alice), Art

Carney (as his neighbor, Ed

Norton), and Joyce Randolph (as

Ed’s wife Trixie) entered my life.

The Honeymooners, which grew

out of sketches performed on The

Jackie Gleason Show, revolves

around the friendship of two

neighbors, Ralph and Norton,

and their relationships to their

wives. (Alice and Trixie are best

friends in their own right!) These

are blue collar couples: Ralph

drives a bus, and Norton is a

sewer worker. (“Sub-supervisor

in the sub-division of the

department of subterranean

sanitation, I just keep things

moving along,” as he describes

himself.) They live in tiny New

York City apartments, back when

people had iceboxes rather than

refrigerators.

Their marriages are not

idealized: Ralph and Alice can

hardly go a day without fighting loudly—possibly not even more

17

is an expert on Ralph’s moods,

how long they last, and how to

cajole him. She is no role model,

though. With her arms crossed

or with her hands on her hips,

she stands against him in fight

after fight, regularly lashing out

with an acerbic comment. “A

man may work from sun to sun,

but woman’s work is never done”

was a saying written for her use.

Another time, mid-fight, Ralph

insists what must happen, and

she replies, “Over my dead

body!” (Ralph, of course, retorts,

“Don’t tempt me.”) This is a TV

couple famous for their fights.

The Honeymooners is definitely

Of course, a fellow like Ralph

may not have the pick of the lot

when it comes to friends. He

often speaks with great

confidence about things that he’s

utterly wrong about. Like the

time he advised Norton to deal

with his wife interrupting their

nights out by simply not coming

home until later. If challenged,

Norton was to inform her, “I’m

the king of the castle, and you’re

nothin’!” Ralph assures Norton

that he did this with Alice, and it

worked. Uncertainly, Norton

queries, “So you say that to

Alice... and then what happens?”

Ralph’s response: “Never-mind;

we’re talking about you, not me.”

In addition to being a consistent

provider of bad advice, Ralph is a

nervous man with an incredibly

short fuse. He’s almost a

caricature: constantly roaring at

his wife or his friends to get his

way. On the plus side, when he

knows he’s in the wrong (and

when he’s caught) he is instantly

sheepish and subdued.

And when is he more sheepish

and subdued then when Alice is

about to figure out that one of his

schemes failed, or that he is

guilty of something foolish?

(provoking a fight at the Nortons

for example with his “king of the

castle” suggestion.) Alice prides

herself on her competence... she

not a place to turn to for life advice—for marriage, or giving

advice to friends, or about how

exciting would it be if you

thought a get-rich-quick scheme

would actually work.

But enjoy the comedy as over-the

-top slapstick, because human

nature is crazy and humans are

foolish. Especially enjoy

Norton’s zaniness, and make

sure to repeat “Hello, ball!” at

least a hundred times to the

friend or family member you

watch that episode with, and

make them burst out laughing.

(Actually, that last one’s just if

you’re like me and my sister.) ♥

BY VICTORIA WILLIAMS

BY VERONICA LEIGH

—Judy Garland

“ Always be a first-rate version of yourself, rather than a second-rate version of somebody else!

“

19

In Old Hollywood, actors and

actresses were under contract to

studios. Judy was no different. At

the tender age of twelve she

signed herself over and became

the property of MGM. Stardom

didn’t come quickly, in fact, it

came rather slow for her. Often

cast as the little ugly duckling in

whatever movie MGM had in

mind for her, she felt out of

place. You had to be Shirley

Temple or Greta Garbo… there

was no in between. To try and

alter her appearance, the studio

doctors prescribed diet and pep

pills to boost her metabolism,

which began a battle with drugs

that would last a lifetime.

Judy’s chance of a lifetime came

when she was offered the role of

Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of

Oz. That was a stepping-stone

into the public eye and she

became America’s sweetheart.

What followed was a successful

sixteen year cache of movies,

public appearances, promotional

acts and radio spots that took its

toll on her. Between that and the

pills, by her late twenties it was

causing her troubles. Not only

did it affect her work, it affected

her personal life and her

relationships. By 1950, she was

emotionally and physically

unable to work, and her contract

with MGM was terminated.

Hollywood considered her

unreliable and wouldn’t hire her.

In the typical Judy fashion, she

pulled herself up by her

bootstraps and made her return

W e all have an idea of

who Judy Garland

was. For some, she is

the girl wearing a blue gingham

dress who skipped her way down

the Yellow Brick Road in ruby

slippers. For others, she is the

queen of the musicals in old

Hollywood. Still more remember

her as the one who brought back

vaudeville in the 1950’s and had

one-woman shows that became

her bread and butter. Alas, it is

her problems with substance

abuse, multiple marriages and

erratic behavior that most

remember her by. We tend to

forget Judy the person, who

wanted nothing more than to

love and be loved.

Born Frances Ethel Gumm to

vaudevillian parents, nicknamed

Baby, she was almost destined

from the start to become great.

Her parents ran a theater and

formed an act starring their two

elder daughters. At age two, Baby

made her stage debut on a

Christmas Eve program singing

Jingle Bells. The love affair

between young entertainer and

audience bloomed. From then

on, the three Gumm sisters

performed kiddie acts in and

around Minnesota. The family

left the Midwest for Hollywood,

to perhaps try to usher their girls

into showbiz. There were parties

and radio spots, even name

changes from Gumm to Garland,

from Baby to Judy, but not until

one fateful audition at Metro-

Goldwyn-Mayer did things begin

to turn around for Judy.

to the stage. She had shows at

the London Pallidium and

Carnegie Hall; she would make

and break records. At forty-

seven, having worked her whole

life, she died of an overdose…

however her spirit refused to die.

Somewhere along the line, there

is a disconnect between Judy the

person and Judy the legend. We

have forgotten that she loved to

write poetry and published short

stories when she was young. She

could play the piano but never

did so in public because it was

her own private pleasure. Judy

was one of the first actresses to

perform for the USO and visit the

military during WWII. Her

children were her life; nothing

made her happier than to be a

mother to Liza, Lorna and Joe.

Although initially dissuading her

children from the entertainment

industry due to her struggles,

when Liza chose that as her

profession, Judy was her biggest

supporter. Her two younger

children would perform on

occasion with her in her shows.

Judy was an avid storyteller and

liked nothing better than to

laugh and make people laugh.

It’s been said that Judy Garland

had lived more in her 47 years

than most 100 year olds do. Her

indomitable spirit continues to

live on to this day, in her

children, her films and songs,

and in the hearts of her fans. ♥

D irector Elia Kazen had the magic

touch in 1950s Hollywood, even with

the “red scare” of communism that

threatened to knock him out of play. So many

brilliant, award-winning films were brought to

life at his hand: On the Waterfront, Baby

Doll, Splendor in the Grass, A Streetcar

Named Desire, and, of course, East of Eden.

A film awash with dark intensity and silent,

desperate passions, East of Eden is one of

Kazan’s finest cinematic triumphs. The

story of Cal Trask (James Dean)

resonates even today. Brimming

with confused emotions, Cal is a

dreamer no one understands, not

even the father, Adam

(Raymond Massey), that he so

desperately seeks to please. Cal

and Adam are as different

from night and day. Cal’s

emotional outbursts and his

angry, brooding silences only

serve to confound Adam,

driving the wedge farther

between them.

Cal is desperate for someone

to understand him, to love

him. That’s all he really wants—the love of his father

who has always favored his

brother Aron (Richard

Davalos). The entirety of Cal’s

existence is caught up in earning

his father’s love, the father who is

never able to fully give it despite

being such a generous, kind man.

BY CARISSA HORTON

21

switch places in terms of

emotionalism and detachment.

The carefree Aron grows morose

and angry while the melancholy

Cal discovers a modicum of joy

and self-worth. In the end, the

one more loyal to the other is not

Aron, the choir boy of goodness,

but Cal, the black sheep. It is the

truly good people in the world

who can hurt us the most if they

try. And it is Cal who survives the

horrible truth of his origin where

Aron falls apart when ugly truth

confronts his perfect life.

Stories like East of Eden cannot

end happily, but they aren’t

mean to end that way. They’re

meant to make us pause and

consider the lessons learned. Cal

felt he couldn’t be himself. He

couldn’t understand why he

wasn’t as unswervingly good as

Aron. It’s called sin nature, and

Aron has it too, as does Adam,

and Abra. She is courageous in

her admission of, “I guess I don’t

know what is good and what’s

bad. I mean, Aron is so good…

and I’m not. Not good enough for

Aron anyway. Because

sometimes when I’m with him,

well Aron likes to talk about our

being in love and think about it,

and that’s all right... well, maybe

I don’t know what love is exactly.

I know love is good the way Aron

says, but it’s more than that, it’s

got to be.” Like Abra, I don’t even

know fully what’s good or bad

because I know myself and the

struggles that roil around inside

of me sometimes.

No one in this story can fit into

the cookie cutter version of

goodness presented in East of

Cal is left drifting, frustrated at

how bad he is compared to Aron,

the perfect son and brother. Only

after Cal meets the mother he

assumed had died, does he

realize where his badness comes

from, as if being bad is

something you can inherit.

Restlessness has nothing to do

with being bad or good, but Cal

can’t realize that because no one

in his life realizes it.

There is something so lost about

people like Cal. People who ache

to be loved, so much that it eats

them up from the inside. They

will stop at nothing to garner the

affection they desperately crave.

For Cal, love is more important

to him than food, air, or anything

else we can imagine or desire.

Cal is cold, full of repressed fury

and angst.

Then the girl his brother loves,

Abra (Julie Harris), extends

compassion and friendship to

him, even though he scares her.

Cal’s loneliness holds greater

sway over Abra than her fear, so

she reaches out to him because

she must. She’s always looked

sideways at him, slightly afraid

yet compelled towards him. Is it

the agonized glint in his eye? The

carefree laugh he can give when

he isn’t feeling pressure to fake

being something he isn’t?

Whatever the reason, Abra’s

gentle spirit cannot stand by and

watch someone suffer, even

though she knows it might end

her relationship with Aron.

The closer Cal comes to release

and fulfillment, the more

reserved Aron becomes. They

Eden. It’s impossible to be that

kind of good because it stems out

of our own attempts instead of a

spiritual, heart change. Being

good is not a lack of darkness but

an overwhelming abundance of

light. Cal will always feel a pull of

darkness inside him, but he can

push back if he has something to

push back with. That’s what is

lacking in his life, a real, genuine

reason to be good. Not to please

his father or to Abra, but

something beyond them.

Though fulfillment in East of

Eden is finally brought about by

Cal reconciling with his father, in

real life, that hole inside can only

be filled with one thing: God. A

burdensome, brewing emptiness

inside consumes not only the

person who carries it, but also

everyone else. And no amount of

human love can ever fill that type

of hole. I know because I’ve been

there. The very real struggle to

plug that hole is what draws me

to stories like East of Eden

because it reminds me how very

desperately we all need Christ,

whether we admit it or not. Once

you have Him, it’s okay if you

falter and misstep and are good

one day and bad the next because

Christ is there to pick you up and

put you back on your narrow

road, offering unrelenting

forgiveness.

To this day, East of Eden

remains one of my favorite films

because it handles so many

different struggles and fears, all

in one setting, with a stellar cast

headed by James Dean whose

life was snuffed out too early. ♥

BY JAIME LILA DONOVAN

Eventually she landed modeling

jobs and a few small acting roles.

Shearer first started appearing in

movies in the early Roaring

Twenties. It was an exciting time

to be alive, especially because

there were many cultural, social,

and artistic events and changes

around the world. Art deco and

jazz music were popular,

patriotism was encouraged, and

flappers challenged the roles of

women in society.

Society became industrialized as

people left farms for cities,

women won the right to vote,

and there was a widespread of

technology among the masses

such as telephones, movies, air

conditioning, refrigerators, cars,

etc. Norma was even in a movie

that paid homage to the changing

times, she was cast uncredited in

The Flapper, and eventually after

a few years in New York City, she

was invited to come to

Hollywood to do a screen test.

She had to retake it, since the

first one was a disaster. She

blamed the strong lights on

making her cross-eyed. Even

after the retake, it still took some

time to find a leading role.

Norma was able to secure a

contract at Metro-Goldwyn-

Mayer (MGM).

Her brother Douglas visited

them and decided to remain in

Hollywood. He was also able to

N orma Shearer (August 10,

1902-June 12, 1983) was

born to a wealthy family

in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Around World War I her family

lost their fortune. Certain

sources say she was born in 1900

and others claim she was born in

1904. Many actresses in

Hollywood’s Golden Age lied

about their age and backgrounds

so they could get a foot in the

door in Hollywood.

Shearer’s mother decided to take

her and her sister Athole to New

York City for a new start, leaving

her husband and son behind.

Shearer was a child model and

won a beauty contest when she

was 14. Her mother had high

hopes that she could restore their

family fortune.

In New York City, Shearer was

rejected by Ziegfeld’s Follies by

Ziegfeld himself for having

“stubby” legs and looking cross

eyed. She was turned down by

D.W. Griffith for similar reasons.

She eventually decided to get

help from Dr. William Bates,

who had some controversial

theories on treating unaligned

eyes and bad vision. Even to this

day many doctors don’t agree

with his methods. He gave

Norma a series of eye exercises

that she believed helped her in

her acting career.

secure a job at MGM in the

sound department. Douglas

helped Norma transition from

silent to “talkie” films. When

talkies became popular many

famous A-list actors and

actresses didn’t have the voices

to make a successful transition,

so Douglas prepared his sister so

she would sound good when she

spoke into a microphone.

In 1925 her career took off and

once she married MGM studio

head Irving Thalberg in 1927, he

gave her a pick of roles, co-stars,

directors, and helped her avoid

being typecast. He guided her

career. She was nicknamed “The

First Lady of MGM” and was one

of the top actresses along with

Jean Harlow, Greta Garbo and

Joan Crawford.

Up until 1934, Norma made a lot

of films; some like The Divorcee

were considered risqué. It deals

with infidelity on both parties,

scheming, and finally divorce.

These movies are Pre-Code.

Many Roman Catholics and

Protestants found the Pre-Code

films offensive and organized

boycotts. Sometimes the boycotts

didn’t work as they made people

want to see the films even more.

In 1934 there was an

enforcement for films to have

morals called the Motion Picture

Production Code. This was

supposed to take out sexual

23

However, Raft’s wife wouldn’t

allow a divorce and Norma was

pressured by a studio head to

end the affair and move on.

She eventually did move on and

found a former ski instructor,

Martin Arrougé; she was married

to him until her death. Today,

Norma is remembered for Marie

Antoinette (1938) and The

Women (1939). She’s also

remembered for Pre-Code films

like The Divorcee and Smilin’

innuendo, profanity, violence,

promiscuity, infidelity, and

anything else considered

degenerate out of films.

I do understand why many

Americans were upset with Pre-

Code films because when you see

infidelities, divorce, and drug use

consistently in movies and TV

shows, it seems like Hollywood

studios want to normalize it.

Some of the Pre-Code movies

showed characters profiting from

their evil. At the same time when

Hollywood wanted to address

social issues on screen and not

normalize them, they sometimes

couldn’t due to the censorship of

the production code. The

production code had both good

and bad consequences.

Norma enjoyed a thriving film

career throughout the twenties

and thirties. She had two

children with Thalberg. In 1936,

he passed away and even though

she was financially comfortable

Norma decided to continue

acting. She turned down

leads for Gone with the

Wind and Mrs.

Miniver. She decided

to make Marie

Antoinette (1938)

and The Women

(1939). In 1942 her

film Her Cardboard

Lover flopped.

Norma never made

any statements about

retiring but she

decided to take an early

retirement. After

Thalberg, Norma dated

and even had an affair with

a married George Raft.

Through. Not all of Norma’s pre-

code films were scandalous,

Smilin’ Through (1932) deals

with ex-lovers reunited after the

war. It’s a bittersweet drama.

Toward the end of her life,

Shearer retreated from the

Hollywood social scene and led a

more private life. Shearer has

both a Canadian and Hollywood

Walk of Fame and has enjoyed a

revival to new generations on

Turner Classic Movies. ♥

Carissa Horton spends her working hours at Compassion International whose tagline reads “Releasing Children from poverty in Jesus’ name.” She is an avid crafter, a prolific blogger on Musings of an Introvert about all things literary and film-based, and dreams of getting her stories published. Carol Starkley has a husband, three daughters, three cats, five fish, and a hamster. She’s also a Christian Blogger. Charity Bishop is fanatical about history and loves to bore her friends with it. Her free time is spent writing novels & movie reviews, blogging, and personality typing fictional characters on tumblr. Jaime Donovan is a Christian and a university student. She loves to read, draw, write, and has a blog. Marianna Kaplun was born in Moscow. She is a philologist specializing in Ancient Russian drama and theatre. She’s also a film and television critic by calling and librarian by profession. You can find her essays on her Facebook page and on Lumiere. She also blogs in English and Russian. Rachel Sexton is from Ohio. She loves her parents and her dog Lily. She has to have acting, film, reading, and dance in her life. She is described as quiet

and her biggest vice is cupcakes. Her hobby is editing fan videos. Rachel Kovaciny passes the time by writing, reading, baking, watching movies, crocheting, blogging, and homeschooling her three children. Her least favorite activities are house-cleaning and wearing shoes, and she’s been known to go to great lengths to avoid both. She blogs about books, and also has a personal blog that talks about movies and other important things. Scarlett Grant is going to be graduating university this year, she is half scared and excited to be entering the real world. In addition to being an amateur history buff she is also interested in music, film and writing.

Veronica Leigh is an aspiring novelist, who lives in Indiana with her family and six furbabies. Her obsessions range from Jane Austen to the Holocaust to Once Upon a Time. She has published two short autobiographical pieces and hopes to see more in print. She also lurks on her blog. Victoria Williams is a Christian woman who loves reading, teaching math, and watching people grow. Her obsessions include the Gospel, loving the weak, peacemaking, cross-cultural ministry, storytelling, nerdy conversations with friends, and coffee. She also blogs.

25

Young people gifted with supernatural abilities for a divine purpose encounter all manner of conflict and spiritual awakening in this terrific new book series by Femnista editor Charity Bishop.

A haunted assassin’s academy, a would-be-nun, an army of ghosts, and Napoleon Bonaparte feature in Ravenswolde

Purchase at Amazon

A family curse, a band of Romani, the famous Dr. Joseph Bell, and Jack the Ripper feature in The Giftsnatcher

Purchase at Amazon

A cleric with a closet full of weapons, a mysterious aunt she has never heard of, a villainous neighbor, and a cunning cat feature in Thornewicke

Purchase at Amazon

A diabolical past, a possessed house, a secret organization, and the RMS Titanic feature in The Secret in Belfast

Purchase at Amazon

Due to intense themes and violence, the series is recommended for ages 13+.

WANT TO CONTRIBUTE? Claim your topic before someone else

does! femnista@charitysplace.com

“Keeping the Faith” Bible Stories, Martyrs, Christianity

Promised: Joan of Arc, Perpetua, Moses, Lydia, Augustine, One Night With the King, Peter & Paul.

May/June: When Worlds Collide

Need a suggestion? The Women of the Bible History of Biblical Events Saints Martyrs The Church Spiritual Growth Film/TV: AD Barabbas Ben-Hur The Bible David Exodus The Final Inquiry Noah The Nativity The Passion of the Christ The Prince of Egypt

Coming April 1st!

Relationships forged across social boundaries

(romances between two separate classes, marriages beneath one’s station, and situations in which racial divides are breached).