Another eBay find

I recently won this great photo of Natalie on eBay, the photographer is Elmer Fryer and it’s from First National Studios, but I can’t make out what it’s from or the year. It’s very hard to read the handwriting on the back and it looks as if the piece of paper that is usually on the back of these photos is gone, a small piece remains, and the only word on it is “Here”. So that means it could be from the movie “Spring is Here” from 1930, which was made by First National.

Sadly I haven’t been able to update more often, I just haven’t had the time, I’ve got a lot of reviews still to do, and still working on research, but it’s hard to come by, and I just don’t have the time right now, but I’m not giving up. If anyone has anything to add please feel free to contact me, any information would be great.

EBay find

I recently purchased this photo from eBay, it’s a photo from Natalie’s biggest movie, 1934’s “The Thin Man”. Natalie didn’t have a big part, but it was important, she dies early, but her death starts off the hole mess. If you haven’t seen The Thin Man your missing out on one of the best movies ever! They ended up making I think 5 more Thin Man movies, but none are as good as the first. First off to me this movie is the ultimate “Art Deco” movie, not just the scenery but the people themselves. Natalie is the perfect example of art deco, look at those art deco drawings of the men in top hats and the chic women, all the women look like Natalie, down to the clothes and perfect hair. William Powell and Myrna Loy are the perfect couple, even they look streamlined, the elegant clothes, they were perfect together, and don’t forget about that fantastic tight black gown that Minna Gombell wears towards the beginning, art deco at it’s finest. The whole look of this movie just blows me away, I know it’s Hollywood, but that’s the world I want to live in, cool clothes and gorgeous women, Natalie, Myrna Loy, Minna Gombell and don’t forget the heavenly Maureen O’Sullivan. The fact that this movie was kind of a throwaway, a rush job that no one thought would be a hit, makes this movie even more amazing, great story and great acting, sadly the sequels just don’t come close. Now don’t get me wrong, I love all the Thin Man movies, but as William Powell and Myrna Loy age they begin to look less streamlined, and as we move into the 40’s the clothes change and it just doesn’t look right, these characters are art deco, and when they leave that world behind it’s just not right. Plus the scripts started to get lame, they basically just keep repeating the same jokes over and over again, if it worked in the first movie, why change it, but after a while they became too predictable.

Future projects?

Although I’m still searching for more info on Ms Moorhead, there are plenty others I’m interested in, those whose career came and went, some were big stars, some just bit parts, but all very important and mysterious. I’ve already talked about the great Marjorie Gateson, who seems just as mysterious as Natalie, my first search for info on her came up with very little, although TCM recently showed “Kings Vacation” with George Arliss, in which Marjorie had a big part. The idea of writing a book about Natalie Moorhead would be great, but as of now impossible, without finding someone who knew her personally or access to her personal papers, but what about a book dedicated to those who time has sadly forgot. Even the novice movie fans know Charlie Chaplin, Humphrey Bogart, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Clark Gable, and Greta Garbo, but who knows Aileen Pringle, Betty Compson, Toby Wing, Dorothy Mackaill, Kay Johnson, and Helen Vinson? Although I still plan to keep this blog Natalie Moorhead centered, you may start seeing reviews and info on the following actress that I find fascinating and sadly forgotten.

Betty Compson 1897-1974
Absolutely beautiful and a cute voice, an awesome combination, Betty was a big star in the silent’s and early talkies, but soon dropped to bit parts, then low budget movies, then gone. Although she went on to have a solid career after the movies making ash trays for clubs and restaurants with her ex boxer husband in the 60’s to 70’s. But why did she drop when she had such talent and unbelievable beauty?

Dorothy Mackaill 1903-1990
Another big late silent and early talkie star, whose career sadly fell apart, although she stayed in Hollywood and was a part of the scene. I’ve read she quit pictures to take care of her sick mother, but why didn’t she come back, she had the talent and was one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen.

Kay Johnson 1904-1975
If you haven’t seen “Madam Satan” your missing out on a fun movie, a bit strange, but fun. Kay Johnson seemed to be very big for about a year or two in the early 30‘s, two big Cecil B Demille movies, and a few other big movies, then gone. I about went crazy when I saw her in “Mr. Lucky” in 1943, a very small part, but she looked a good as ever. Like Natalie she had a unique look and voice, how can you not love her?

Toby Wing 1915-2001
Easily one of the sexiest women of all time, Marilyn Monroe is nowhere close, she’s sexy and cute, a dangerous combination. Now can she act, not really, she a had few movies with bigger parts, but she mostly had bit parts, just walking around in her underwear or chorus in musicals, but who cares about acting with Toby. Toby was just plain fun, but a quickly as she appeared she was gone, why? I’ve read she became a teacher, wow, can you imagine having a former movie star as your teacher?

Jean Parker 1915-2005
I’ve talked about beauties, but none compare to Jean Parker, just stunning, and that voice, what a goddess, I fell in love with her the first time I saw her. She started in smaller parts became a big star in B movies, then disappeared, why? She wasn’t so great in the dramas but in comedies she was fantastic, they made over 6 Maisie movies with Ann Southern, and about 7 Torchy Blane movies with Glenda Farrell, now I love Glenda and Ann but come on those Kitty D’Day movies with Jean are perfect, why only did they only make 2?

Mary Brian 1906-2002
She got her start as Wendy in the silent Peter Pan, became a big star in the early talkies, but again was just about gone in the 40’s, with those looks and voice, how can you not love her. She had a brief fling on TV on “Meet Corliss Archer”, then retired and became a painter.

Silver Screen magazine 1931

I know it’s been a long time since I last posted, but I’ve been very busy with other projects, and haven’t had time to do much research or watch movies. But I did finally find the Sept 1931 issue of Silver Screen magazine, the only magazine that I know of that had a feature on Natalie Moorhead. I’ve been searching for years, the problem was I knew of the article, the magazine, and the year, but not which month, finally I stumble upon it and probably spent more than I should have, but I had to have it. The story is fun, but nothing I didn’t already know, still sounds like a Hollywood made up story, which doesn’t help when trying to find some real information. I really need to find someone alive who knew Natalie, so many questions, and no way of finding the answers. Although the story wasn’t anything new, the issue did have some other great stuff like a feature on Ruth Chatterton, one of my favorites, plus a story on the great Clara Bow, oh and I can’t forget the Natalie Moorhead Maybelline ad. Hopefully soon I can start adding some more reviews and information, I’m currently looking into Natalie’s three (or is it 4) husbands, stay tuned.

Another great find!!!

I picked up this awesome book at a local used book store for $20, that’s a deal! It’s “Stars of the Photoplay” kind of a Hollywood yearbook put out by Photoplay magazine from the year 1930. I love movies from the 20’s to the 40’s, but the early 30’s is my favorite time, most of my favorite actors/actresses are from that period, I love the pre code stuff, I just thank those actors had a more interesting life, those who had to go from silent to talkies. And of course Natalie is in it, she was on the way to bigger things at this point, but the thing that gets me is that is says she was married to Raymond Phillips, strange I have fond no evidence of this marriage anywhere, it only lasted 7 months, but it’s very strange that no story I have ever seen mentions this person, only Imdb has mentioned it. Some of my other favorites who are in this include: Jean Arthur, Mary Astor, Clara Bow, Evelyn Brent, Mary Brian, Nancy Carroll, Ruth Chatterton, Maurice Chevalier, Ina Claire, Claudette Colbert, Betty Compson, Ronald Colman, Gary Cooper, Ricadro Cortez, Marion Davies, Sally Eilers, Kay Johnson, Helen Kane, Lila Lee, Harold Lloyd, Dorothy Mackaill, Frederic March, Colleen Moore, May Pickford, William Powell, Aileen Pringle, Charlie Ruggles, Gloria Swanson, and many others!

Cross Examination (1932)

Again sorry for the poor quality photos, computer issues keep me from using screen shots, just my trusty old camera. This was a good little movie, a bit predictable, yet a different take on the typical courtroom drama. Unlike most courtroom movies that end in the courtroom, this movie takes place from start to finish in court. The story comes through as flashbacks, so really no one is the star, they all have smaller parts. Natalie is billed third but she has a smaller part than some of the others, she does fine in her little part, again as the other woman, the wife who is cheating with a young man. Over all the acting was fine, not bad for a lower budget picture.

Discarded Lovers (1932)

A classic example of Natalie Moorhead being surrounded by poor acting. Even worse Natalie gets top billing yet is killed off after only 25 minutes. Her lines flow smoothly, the way she walks and moves, she looks very natural and real, while some of her costars are very stiff and sometimes have little pauses between lines. Like always she looked fantastic and acted perfectly, her usual role as a user of men, a somewhat villain and victim. She plays an actress who left her first husband for an actor, then ruined him, while she ruined a few other men, in all about 5 people want her dead, and when she dies of course they all seem guilty. I figured it out very quickly, a lot of these lower budget mysteries fail in this aspect, the suspects seem to obvious, the person who looks most innocent ends up being the killer, been there done that. J. Farrell MacDonald played the police sergeant and he was fine, I’ve always liked him, but the others were pretty rough. It was great to see Natalie in a starring role even if it was only in half the film, she looked great, she’s a goddess, her clothes looked great for a lower budget picture. I really loved the sets, again for a lower budget movie the Art Deco sets where great, very impressive, Natalie’s house was an Art Deco lovers dream, then again Natalie herself is an Art Deco dream, if you don’t know what I mean by that, I’ll explain it in a future post.