A streetcar named desire

Posted on 19 March, 2014 by María López Linares

Year: 1951.

Director: Elia Kazan.

Stars:

Marlon Brando (Stanley).

Vivien Leigh (Blanche).

Kim Hunter (Stella).

Karl Malden (Mitch).

Marlon Brando’s debut couldn’t have been been better. The actor is colossal in his role of a lower-class brute and arrogant chauvinist. He also is challenging, disobedient and his only motivation is to be recognized by his strength and sexual appealing.

His strong personality has been marked by alcohol. To be honest, I started hating this man after a few minutes. His slight for his wife and sister in law’s fragility and vulnerability is totally merciless.

Marlon fights Vivien Leigh, an unstable, weak, fragile and liar woman. Her performance is shocking. She plays the role of a southern lady who lives in a happy past and looks around all the time in need of friendlinss, admiring the beauty of life. The fear in her eyes every time Marlon Brando walks near her seems to be so real that you’ll only feel an inmense pity for her all the movie long.

The battle between the two of them becomes in an interpretative duel covered in a non-comparable magnetism. This way Vivian Leigh is the perfect half for Brando. They both make an impressive couple.

A Streetcar Named Desire is hard, very hard… The two-hours film won’t let you remain indifferent.

It’s imposible to actually see it without feeling a lump in your throat.

Curiosities:

Vivien Leigh who suffered in real life from a bipolar disorder had problems trying to distinguish her real life of her character’s.
During the film Kowalski appartment is getting more and more tiny, just to enphasize Blanche’s claustrophobia.
Censorship removed 68 sentences and then the Legion of Christ will add some more cuts related to homosexuality and a rape.
Blanche’s role was first offered to Jessica Tandy and Olivia of Havilland.
The phrase “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers” is in the 75 position in the Top of best movie phrases. By the way, the movie is the 47th best one in the history.
Marlon Brando hated his character.
Vivien Leigh only was 36 years old.
The film was shot in just 36 working days.
William Wyler would’ve preferred to do the film with Bette Davis as main character.

Awards:

The movie won 4 Oscars:

Best Actress in a Leading Role (Vivien Leigh)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Karl Malden)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Kim Hunter)
Best Art Direction – Set Decoration, Black and White

It also won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress (Kim Hunter)

The film was nominated and actually won many others awards that you can check in Wikipedia.

Highlithted sequences:

Images:

http://cinedelamorgue.blogspot.com.es

http://peliculas.film-cine.com

http://unapizcadecmha.blogspot.com.es

http://clementinelagranpantalla.blogspot.com.es

http://popcorn-moloko.blogspot.com.es

http://elrincondeloseruditos.blogspot.com.es

http://elsimagico.wordpress.com

With “E”: for Enamel

Posted on 17 March, 2014 by María López Linares

“E” for “Enamel”

The vitreous enamel is a material made in powdered glass mixed with metalic oxides in order to give the piece an immense variety of colors and tones. All materials must fuse at a very high temperature, which gives it more longevity and an endless beauty.

There are many types of enamel, although I’ll focus in those more used by jewellers:
Champlevé:

With this technique what we’ll do is to carve, etch, die struck or cas tinto the surface of a metal objet, creating different forms and drawings. Then we’ll fill the holes with vitreous enamel. It’s crucial for the success that the area to fill is well prepared to let the enamel stick to it in a homogeneous way.

The enamel will stay then like “locked” within the metal. Then, like in the rest of the techniques, you’ll have to polish and glaze it.

Cloisone:

This technique works by soldering or adhering metal wires or thin strips placed on the edge of the piece. The holes in between will be filled with enamel in beautiful colors. Afterwards, it’s up to the artisan whether to sand deeply or just a little the piece, in order to equal the levels.

Plique-à-jour:

This is the most complicated technique, the most beautiful and delicate out of them though. The enamel here is applied in cells with no backing so light can shine through it. It has a stained-glass like appearance. Jewellers use this technique over the rest and the pieces get a spectaular beauty. It requires a high level of expertise though.

Let me show you a few images with samples of the different types of enamel.

Which one do you like the most?

Royal Wedding

Posted on 12 March, 2014 by María López Linares

Year: 1951.

Director: Stanley Donen.

Stars:

Fred Astaire (Tom Bowen).

Jane Powell (Ellen Bowen).

Peter Lawford (Lord John Brindale).

Sarah Churchill (Anne Ashmond).

Awards:

Nominated for one Oscar in 1952: Best Music, Original Song.

Curiosities:

The scene where Fred Astair dances in a room it was shot by placing the camera and operator in a 10 metres long rotatory container.

According to an interview, Fred Astair tried to dance with more than 30 coat stands before the Productor made one just for him, at a cost of around 4000 dollars (nowadays). The coat stand disappeared not long after the release day.

Both Fred Astair and Jane Powell sing together the longest song title in a Hollywood film: How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Love You When You Know I’ve Been a Liar All My Life

June Allyson and Judy Garland were candidates to play the main role.

In England the title was changed to Wedding Bells just to avoid a confusion with the recent Royal Wedding of Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II)

The store Harridge´s is a mix between Harrod’s and Claridge’s, both very well-known shopping mall and 5-star Hotel in London, respectively.

The scene dancing over the roof seems to have been taken in just one shot. However if you pay closer attention there are three, maybe up to four very sutile cuts.

The plot reminds a bit what really happend to Fred Astaire’s sister Adele, who got married to Lord Charles Cavendish, son of the Duke of Devonshire.

In my opinion it’s a classic music with an impressive production.

It’s probably the movie that pushed Fred Astaire up in fame worldwide. He was claimed as the best dancer ever in Hollywood. Actually there was people who even believed he was able to fly.

The scene I’m referring to it’s the mitic momento when Fred Astaire, who starts dancing down in the floor ends walking through the ceiling like a magician. The whole scene was perfectly developed and edited, specially taking into account the moment it was shot, when visual effects were not easy at all.

Fred Astaire convinced everyone that cinema from the mid 20th century is the kind of spectacle everyone wants to enjoy in a film. He also shows again he has a special skill for dancing with an exquisite elegance. He did so not only in the famouse scene we’ve been talking about but in the boat addressing England. Or, why not? That scene where Fred Astaire dances with the famous coat stand, almost as famous as the rotating room.

If you like musicals and dance, those three scenes are really worth it so is the movie itself.

In this video I’ve found for you it’s easier to understand the way they shot the scene in the rotating room.

Images:

Cineclasic.com

Wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Astaire

The Killers

Posted on 5 March, 2014 by María López Linares

Year: 1946

Director: Robert Siodmack

Stars:

Burt Lancaster (Ole ‘Swede’ Andreson)

Ava Gardner (Kitty Collins)

Edmon O´Brien (Jim Riordan)

Albert Decker (Big Jim Colfax)

Awards:

Nominated to 4 Oscars in 1947 for Best Director, Best Writing, Best Film Editing and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture. The film didn’t get any of these awards.

It did win the Edgar Allan Poe Award to Best Motion Picture in 1947

In 1946 won the Prize of the National Board of Review in the USA to the Top Ten Films.

The film also won the award from the National Film Preservation Board in the US.

Curiosities:

It was the first movie of a very young Burt Lancaster who had been an acrobat for a circus until then.

Burt Lancaster had to train for two months with a Boxing Champion to act in the scenes with boxing. Those scenes were shot with a real boxer joining Burt Lancaster. He happened to do it really well.

The film is a Hemingway’s short novel adaptation.

The high quality film work is unquestionable, that’s probably why It’s considered by many like the best film within the “black movies” of all times. The 10 first minutes of the tape, when the plot is told are specially good.

The Director uses flashbacks to take us from the past to the present showing us the thread of the story. I love how the movie is directed. I like suspense and crime films and The Killers is one of the best I’ve ever seen.

If I should take out a scene, I’d choose the Burt Lancaster’s face the moment he sees the celestial and beautiful Ava Gardner. She is a Venus. This was the movie where she started building the character of a “femme fatale” that always was her most famous cinema feature.

Burt Lancaster is superb in his role as a boxer and a “white glove thief”. By the way, he was even more handsome than I could remember.

It’s not fair we only can admire the beauty in women in classic cinema… Sometimes actors are better in attraction!

If you like black movies, based on crime novels this film will be one of you favourite. I’m pretty sure!

Trailer:

IMAGES:

http://elcollardehampstead.blogspot.com.es.

http://www.filmoteca.cat.

http://uraniaenberlin.com.

http://johannes-esculpiendoeltiempo.blogspot.com.es.

With D: for Diadem

Posted on 27 February, 2014 by María López Linares

According to the legend, the Greek Dionysus was who first invented the head decoration called nowadays band. Actually the word diadem (as a band synonym) comes from “diadein” (old Greek) meaning “to bind around”.

Before the metallurgy evolution a few old civilizations like the Etruscans and the Scythians used to make wreaths out of flowers and leaves to adorn their heads.

Over the years their skills and techniques evolved to change their temporary flower wreaths for other bands more crafted and long-lasting. Nowadays flowers on diadems remind the ancestral meaning of diadems.

We nowadays distinguish between tiara and diadem, its origins are the same though. A diadem is an open ring stuck to the head used mostly to keep the hair out of the face. The tiara instead goes upper and depending on the size, dess up better in the front side of the head.

Although it’s said that during special events some men used to wear gold diadems in the old times, this kind o jewel is more usual among women.

Today we can find diadems made in plastic rimmed, metal, gold or silver. The first group are usually worn as a head-dress decorated with feathers, felt or even laces in different colours. On the other hand tiaras, usually made in gold, silver or precious and semi-precious gems are worn in very unique moments and weddings.

The diadems I’m using to illustrate this post have been made in silver and zircons, with glaze and freshwater pearls.

Adam’s Rib

Posted on 26 February, 2014 by María López Linares

Year: 1949

Director: George Cukor

Stars:

Spencer Tracy (Adam Bonner)

Katharine Hepburn (Amanda Bonner)

Judy Halliday (Doris Attinger)

Tom Ewell (Warren Attinger)

David Wayne (Kip Lurie)

Awards:

Nominated for the Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Oscar in 1951.

Nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe in 1951.

It won the award of the National Film Preservation Board in 1992.

Nominated for the Best Written American Comedy award by the Writers Guild of America, USA in 1950 and 1951.

Curiosities:

One of the first scenes with Judy Halliday talking to Katharine Hepburn she seems to be shaking. She was not acting that moment. Since she was inexperienced at acting she was very nervous of performing close to Hepburn.

Back in 2008 the American Film Institute described the film as one of the 10 greatest romantic comedies of all times.

One of the most famous quotes of the movie was: “It’s the hilarious answer to who wears pants”

It’s based on a true story of the divorce of two cinema actors: Raymond Massey and Adrianne Allen.

Spencer Tracy always insisted to appear within the end credits close to Katharine Hepburn. The scriptwriter Garson Kanin told him once: “She is a lady, you are a gentleman… Should ladies go first?” Tracy answered: “This is a movie you fool, not a lifeboat”.

The script was entirely written thinking of the main couple of actors.

The film was shot in New York and like in the rest of the movies where Tracy and Hepburn appeared together, both slept in separate buildings to avoid rumours.

I couldn’t wait to watch it again!

You’ll have the feeling of floating after watching this film. The taste in your mouth will be so good that you won’t want it to finish. At least, that is what happens to me each time I see this couple acting together. In this film they are sublime!

They are funny, ironic, racy and over all clever.

The comedy is a sparkling approach to the eternal battle of genres. Maybe no other movie in the history has represented so well the women fight to achieve a position into society the same way men always had.

Over 50 years have already past and the film is still fresh like back then. It’s possible that in the moment it was shot didn’t get as many prizes as deserved precisely because of that, because of how delicate was the matter.

The quality of the script and the extreme importance of the subject still today make it a movie that you’ll never be fed up of.

The main couple, maybe the most solid and convincing one in the history of cinema will lead you from one scene to another very comfortably. Then you’ll be looking forward seeing them acting together again. You’ll wish being part of the complicity between them once again.

Because the most remarkable thing about this film is, with no doubt, the final fight, where no one loses but all win.

A magnificent comedy….

Official Trailer:

Unforgettable scenes:

http://youtu.be/Jl1dBYC2oQs

Images:

Doctor Macro, Movie Classics, Emelab.

The Swan

Posted on 19 February, 2014 by María López Linares

Year: 1956

Director: Charles Vidor.

Stars:

Grace Kelly (Princess Alexandra).

Alec Guinness (Prince Albert).

Louis Jourdan (Dr. Nicholas Agi).

Agnes Moorehead (Queen Maria Dominika).

Jessie Royce Landis (Princess Beatrix)

No awards or nominations.

Curiosities:

In the movie, princess Alejaxandra is seduced by the prince Albert. After not too long, her first son for real was called Albert… Was it a coincidence?
Jessie Roy Landis has the role of the Grace Kelly’s mother. Exactly the same role as in To Catch a Thief.
Other names were suggested for the role of Prince Albert, like Rex Harrison or Joseph Cotten.
The film was released the same day that Grace Kelly got married with prince Rainier III.
It was the first American movie for Alec Guinness.
It also was the second-to-last Grace Kelly’s film before her Royal wedding. The last one actually was High Society.
Grace Kelly learnt fencing and she refused to be replaced by a double.
Helen Rose did the whole custome design. The next year she also designed Grace Kelly’s bridal gown.

Exactly. The movie was released just two days after the royal wedding in Monaco. The purpose was to get the most out of the ceremony to make the film successful in theatres.

Like in a fairy tale, the film producer MGM predicted the royal position that the future princess of Monaco would actually be performing a year later.

The movie introduces Grace Kelly to the world as the princess of America. She had just won an Oscar and the producer was very proud of her. That’s why she was extremely pampered by MGM.

With the tone of a romantic comedy, the movie is about the many attempts of the Queen Maria Dominika in order to get her beautiful daughter (Grace Kelly) married with the future King Albert (Alec Guinnes)

I have to admit I laughed out of load while watching it, specially during the first half of the movie thanks to the enjoyable character Princess Beatrix. Her role of an adorable but also distracted unmarried uncle is really lovable and funny at once.

No need to say Grace Kelly makes a wonderful performance in her role of the future princess… A cheerful, well-mannered, sweet and refined princess-to-be. Although her character is over all smart and distinguish.

I’ve included below the funniest scenes of the movie along with a picture taken by the photograph Charles Vidor who, at least to me, perfectly achieved to show Grace Kelly’s elegance to the world.

Unforgettable scenes:

http://youtu.be/WDerPpX51QQ

http://youtu.be/b2DiKva4plo

Images:

El Criticon.es, Con Algo de estilo, Renato Felix.com

Vila Bakery

Posted on 13 February, 2014 by María López Linares

The “Forn de la Vila” (Vila Bakery) of Forcall. A bread oven dating back to the Eighteenth Century.

The second surprise that my morning stroll around Forcall brought to me was the discovery of the oldest functioning bread oven in Europe.

In a narrow alleyway, very close to the square, I saw a facade on which shone an informative plaque, it was the first thing that I photographed: “Forn de la Vila” (Vila Bakery). This bakery has been baking its artisanal bread and pastries since 1246… something that struck me as rather admirable and surprising.

After a few seconds I found myself chatting to Margarita, who, with a large smile on her face told me how healthcare had recently come and made it compulsory for them to separate the oven from the bread delivery area. Both had been sharing one space for centuries, thus a decision was made in that moment to place a large glass window that would allow the visitor to continue enjoying the view of the old ovens, the bread making surfaces, and the trays filled with pastries and bread ready to be baked.

On the other side of the glass was the small sales area laden with traditional and exquisite pastries typical to the area of which I had never even heard.

The “Almendrados” (derived from Almonds) are small pinkish colored pastries made from meringue, sugar and almonds. Only a few minutes later I had taken photographs of Margarita putting one of her full trays of these sweets in the old oven. She recommended that I return later to try them once they had cooled, however, between one thing and another when I finally wanted to return to Margarita, she had already closed and I was left still wanting to try them.

As soon as you entered, Margarita displayed her various sweet pastries in a large display case. These included: the “Coquetas” (meaning the “Coquettish”), she makes them out of pumpkin preserve; the “Rolletes” (the “Rolls”) were small doughnuts with a little bit of spirit that gave them a special taste; the “Carquiñolis” (Almond biscuits) were small portions of very well toasted almond bread. Margarita told me that this was a pastry that could keep very well for a rather long time. Behind these were her variety of traditional breads: white bread made from wheat flour, hearth-baked bread and the typical bread rolls of the area that are made with 1 kg of oil and dough.

I left there wildly energized by so many sweets and happy for having discovered this small baking paradise of the Maestrazgo region, which had been making artisanal products since 1246… At least eight centuries.

Margarita was very friendly, not only did she allow me to take some photos of inside the oven, but she also happily posed for me with an enormous smile.

The photographs are not of the best quality, as the oven did not have much light and I did not want to use flash. I did the best I could within my knowledge and resources available at the time.

If you ever pass by the Maestrazgo region do not hesitate to pop in to Forcall and visit Margarita and her bread and pastry shop. It’s worth it. It is like a little bread museum with a treasure of a bread-making oven, unaltered since the Eighteenth Century. This place was one of the biggest surprises of this trip.

Forn de la Vila

C/El Forn, 4

Forcall (Castelló)

964171020

Notorious

Posted on 12 February, 2014 by María López Linares

NOTORIOUS

Year: 1946

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Stars:

Ingrid Bergmam (Alicia Huberman)

Cary Grant (Devlin)

Claude Rains (Alexander Sebastian)

Louise Calhern (Paul Prescott)

Leopoldine Konstantine (MneSebastian)

Awards:

Nominated back in 1947 to the Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Claude Rains) and Best Writing, Original Screenplay.

Bambi Awards in 1952 to Ingrid Bergman as the Best Actress – International.

Nominated in 1946 to the Grand Prize of the Cannes Film Festival (Alfred Hitchcock).

National Film Registry in 2006 at the National Film Preservation Board, USA.

Curiosities:

The scenes where Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman play to “kissing without kissing” were designed that way in order to avoid the Hayes code (a kiss shouldn’t last over 3 seconds).

Hitchcock said once he was watched for 3 months after the release date since the movie showed uranium commerce.

The actress who performed the role as Claude Rains’ mother only was 3 years older than the French actor.

The scene over the balcony with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman was almost entirely improvised.

The original screenplay showed Alicia (Ingrid Bergman) as a prostitute.

David O. Selznick (producer) actually preferred Vivien Leigh in the role of Alicia (to be honest, it would have been great!).

Alfred Hitchcock asked to the Nobel Prize in Physics how to make an atomic bomb. However, the winner didn’t want to answer. Although he did tell Hitchcock it could be kept in a bottle.

Claude Rains did many shots over a box in order to look like as tall as Cary Grant. That fact was far from reality though. Claude Rains actually was 1,69 cm tall while Cary Grant was 1,87 and Ingrid Bergman was 1,75 cm tall.

This one was the only performance in an American movie by Leopoldine Konstantine (Mme. Sebastian).

You’ll find Hitchcock himself (who usually appears in all his movies) in a party celebrated in the house, holding a glass of champaign.

This week was time for Notorious, a Hitchcock’s film. I have to admit I couldn’t wait to see Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant together once again. I love them acting!

I can say it’s with no doubt one of the best Hitchcock’s movies. The “cursed director” never won an Oscar, even though he was considered the best director of thrillers in the history of cinema.

Within this story, you’ll enjoy the mix of love and intrigue, with Cary Grant performing an amazing role as an American spy. The actor knows exactly how to stop his feelings towards Ingrid Bergman, almost a prostitute who accepts being blackmailed in order to unmask the German spy (casted by Claude Rains).

Grant is smart and elegant along the entire movie. I loved those shots the director took of the actor’s back. His elegance invades the whole screen. I could say it’s the only film out of all I’ve already seen and share in our Film of the Week where the main actor rules most of the scenes, instead of the actress. He almost eclipses Bergman in some scenes!

Ingrid Bergman was fascinating over the second half of the film. Her performance as an obedient wife as well as spy is just sensational.

The Master of Thrillers shows once again how to keep watchers stuck to their seats. He succeeded with me at least! He got my close attention all the time looking forward to the ending. I didn’t move! I even got nervous in a few scenes.

I totally recommend it to you!

See the whole movie on YouTube:

Images:

http://www.canaltcm.com

http://www.filmaffinity.com

http://arandinosblog.wordpress.com

http://telondecine.blogspot.com.es

http://notodoeskippel.blogspot.com.es/

With C: for Coral

Posted on 11 February, 2014 by María López Linares

My Vintage Dictionary:

Coral: According to the Dictionary, “corals are formed by small animals, the polyps of the phylum Cnidaria. They are marines, either on continental shelves or round oceanic islands. They live in colonies divided by red or rosy limestone.

However, today I would like to focus on the Corallium Nobile coral which is the specimen that master jewellers have been using over the History, the most exclusive and precious coral out of the kind. The development of these sorts of colonies is extremely slow; it grows an average of 2 – 5 millimetres a year. If you take also into account that the collection is nowadays restricted you’ll understand why this material is so expensive.

This precious coral is gathered manually and only the bigger sticks will be used for jewellery purposes, although still they’ll have to let them grow even more. In order to fish it, professionals must go down as deep as 150 metres in some cases.

Nobile Coral is usually red with shades in dark red. It rarely appears in a pale pink. The one called Angel Skin Coral is the most precious amongst them and also, very special. The word “coral” is used as well to name this entire colour range.

Coral jewels have been found in ancient Egyptian and prehistoric burials. Plinio left written that the Gallic population already used it to adorn their weapons. Also romans loved to wear their kids with a collar made with coral to preserve them from any danger. They thought it had curative attributes against snake or scorpion bites. The belief of coral as an amulet actually went on through the entire Middle Age up to the beginning of the 20^th Century. Nowadays Italians keep using it against the bad luck or evil eye. Women also wear it to beat the infertility.

It’s precisely there, in Italy where you’ll find the cradle of the coral craftsmanship, exactly in Torre del Greco, a little town that still today keeps the same tradition over the centuries, even after nine Vesuvius eruptions.

Due to its softness and opacity, coral is either cut in cabochon or used to make beads.

How to care for coral:

The only way to clean it at home is to rub it very gently with a cotton cloth either dry or a bit wet. In order to make it more shining you can use neutral soaps and wash it up straight away. Also dry it carefully.
In case the coral missed its bright you only will be able to take it to professionals to make it shine as usual.

Let me finish with a collection of photos about jewels made with nobilis coral: earrings, rings, cufflinks and combs. As you can see this precious material can be used to make a huge variety of jewellery work… Don’t miss how many sublime tones Nature gives us.

Vintage by López Linares

Pure vintage Blog

Tag Archives: vintage

A streetcar named desire

With “E”: for Enamel

Royal Wedding

The Killers

With D: for Diadem

Adam’s Rib

The Swan

Vila Bakery

Notorious

With C: for Coral