![]() Today marks a very special anniversary for me personally, so I'm delighted to announce a new star of the week at Hot Toasty Rag: Glenn Ford! When you're having a good day, any extra chance to celebrate is welcome. To start out on his page, you can watch a video clip from Affair in Trinidad and read reviews of two of my favorites, Dear Heart and The Doctor and the Girl. Come back every day for two new reviews, and enjoy! For Glenn Ford's television work, check out one season of Cade's County.
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Hands down, one of the best biographies I've ever read is Mrs. Ike, written with love and research by her granddaughter Susan Eisenhower. It's long, but I wasn't able to put it down. I'm filled with admiration for her strength, patriotism, and class - and I got to see the softer side of her husband, too! Read my full review here and find a copy.
Bette Davis's time has come to an end, and all 52 of her reviews are now posted to her page. Ready for your next clue?
Bette Davis had a lot of leading men, but only two were able to handle her twice at the same time! Next week’s star is one of those fellows. He lived to the ripe old age of 90, loved to garden, and he was one of my grandpa’s favorites! Leave your guesses in the comments section, and come back on Monday to find out if you're right! Hot Toasty Rag loves holidays - and holiday movies! Check out our full list here for ideas of patriotic flicks to watch tonight as you celebrate the 4th of July. I'll be watching something on the list; will you?
![]() A toast to Bette Davis, our new Star of the Week! And it's about time, isn't it? Did you know she is the only person to have competed against herself three times in the same category in the same year at the Hot Toasty Rag Awards? From 1939, you can read reviews for The Old Maid and The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, and watch a video clip from Dark Victory (but the video clip is the very end of the movie, so spoiler alert!). Come back every day to her page for new reviews, and enjoy! Later on in the season, I'll post book reviews for some real beach reads, but here are a few others to ease you into summer:
Dealing with Dragons and Searching for Dragons - kids books with a humorous take on damsels in distress The Young Wives Club - light Southern fare All We Ever Wanted Was Everything - dysfunctional family, anyone? Kindred Spirits - a solid women's fiction James Cagney's time as Star of the Week is done, and now it's time for a new Star. All 37 of his reviews are now posted to his page, if you want to catch up. And here's your clue:
Unfortunately, the movie next week’s star hated the comedy she made with James Cagney. I loved it, though. She gave the best one-word response to a kiss ever – and she’s also one of the top actresses from the silver screen. Leave your guesses below, and come back on Monday to find out who she is. ![]() This is going to be so much fun: James Cagney is our new Star of the Week! To start things off, you can watch an iconic scene from White Heat and read reviews of two of his Rag-nominated performances: Angels with Dirty Faces and Love Me or Leave Me. Enjoy, and come back directly to his page every day for new reviews! While a lot of us are enjoying the spring and summer weather, I know it isn't all sunshine and rainbows for everyone. If you've recently had a breakup, divorce, or loss, you don't feel like prancing about in a sundress. Stay inside for a while, curl up with some healing books, and take your time.
You Can Heal Your Heart: Finding Peace After a Breakup, Divorce, or Death by Louise Hay and David Kessler The Single Woman by Mandy Hale Olivia de Havilland's week has come to an end, and now all 31 of her reviews are posted to her page. Are you ready for the next Star? Here's your clue:
This classic gangster was Olivia de Havilland’s leading man in a sweet, against-type romance. He did not smash a grapefruit in her face or call her a “dirty rat”. This is an easy one if you know your silver screen stars. Come back on Wednesday to start his week! ![]() Olivia de Havilland is our Star of the Week! To start things off, you can watch her as Maid Marian in a video clip from The Adventures of Robin Hood. Come back to her page every day for two new reviews. Today you can read about her two Rag-winning performances in The Heiress and The Snake Pit! Rona Jaffe is such a fun author! Her characters are vivid, her stories melodramatic, and her writing thoughtful. I'm hooked and will read anything she's written (even though, ironically, I didn't like the first book of hers I picked up). Check out my reviews for her riveting Class Reunion and its sequel After the Reunion.
Montgomery Clift's week has come to an end, and all 15 reviews are now posted to his page. Ready for your next clue?
Next week’s star won both the Rag and Oscar awards when she played opposite Montgomery Clift. She was also the oldest actress of the silver screen. She retired to France and lived to 104! Leave your guesses below, and come back on Mondayto start her week. ![]() Montgomery Clift is our new Star of the Week! To start off, you can watch a scene from A Place in the Sun and read reviews of two of my favorites: Lonelyhearts and From Here to Eternity. Enjoy, and come back to his page every day for new reviews! Ironically, if I were to pick two classic actresses whom I would have liked to be friends with, I would pick Elizabeth Taylor and Shelley Winters. Wonder why? Because they both loved having fun, enjoyed their diva status, and knew the luck that took them to the top was fickle so they'd live it up while they could. They both loved life, food, men, and being famous.
To read Shelley Winters's entertaining and colorful memoirs, check out Shelley and Shelley II. I couldn't put them down! She doesn't hold back - get ready to learn stories about Burt Lancaster, William Holden, Marilyn Monroe, Charles Laughton, Anthony Franciosa, Marlon Brando, and more! Shelley Winters's time as Star of the Week has come to an end, and all 44 of her reviews are now posted to her page. Are you ready for your clue? Shelley starred with a lot of people, so it really could be anyone. I'll give you an easy clue to help you out:
Next week’s star used and abused Shelley in a movie, but since he did it all for love of Elizabeth Taylor, no one really blamed him. Come back on Sunday to start his week! ![]() Can you believe it's Hot Toasty Rag's 6th birthday? I can't. What a journey we've been on, with so many movies and books watched, read, and reviewed. Do you have any favorites? Anyone new you have discovered through our reviews? I've loved every day of these six years, and I hope you have too. Here's to another six! Happy Birthday Barbra Streisand! Those of you who have read her recently released memoir 'My Name is Barbra' know that today is her birthday. Those who haven't - go out and get a copy now! It's a wonderful read, and her passion for absolutely everything is inspiring. Read my full review here!
![]() Shelley Winters is our new Star of the Week! Reviews of her Rag-nominated performances in The Chapman Report and The Poseidon Adventure are posted to her page; new reviews will be posted every day. Enjoy! Shelley is one of my favorite personalities. I loved reading her memoirs (to be posted soon) and always thought her screen presence was fun and frisky. You can get a chuckle out of watching her famous scene from Alfie. I read a lot, as you know, and not all of them are great. That's just the way things are. There are lousy movies, books, songs - and even people! But that makes us appreciate the wonderful ones that much more. So here are some books that didn't hit the spot:
The Things We Wish Were True - a small town where everyone has secrets, and I didn't root for anyone! Sweet Tomorrows - a great cover, but it glamorizes two love stories that would be detrimental in real life. Some Boys - a teen novel that teaches girls bad things. Just stick with 'Speak' instead. Mom's - I mean, Susan Sarandon's - week has come to a close, and we can get ready to celebrate a new star. Get into your time machine for a quick jump. . .
The next star played Susan Sarandon's "cougar" role forty years earlier in a classic drama. She's most famous for playing loud, uncouth characters and won two Academy Awards for those roles! Do you have any guesses? Come back on Wednesday to find out who she is, and in the meantime you can revisit Mama's page to see all 49 of her reviews. ![]() Our new Star of the Week is. . . Mom! Just kidding. It's Susan Sarandon. But she holds a special place in my heart because everyone thinks she's my mom's Hollywood counterpart. To start things off on her page, read reviews of The Meddler and Stepmom, and watch a cute scene from Bull Durham. For her television work, check out 2 years of A World Apart and 1 season of Feud. Enjoy, and two new reviews will be posted every day directly to her page! As it is still his birthday month, I'm posting a review for David Niven's first novel, Once Over Lightly. I've already read his later three books, and I was very excited to get my hands on this one. Check it out, and happy birthday Niv!
Kirsten Dunst's week has come to an end, and all 32 of her reviews are now posted to her page. We're going to stay in the modern era for a while longer, so here is your clue:
In the movie she made with Kirsten Dunst, next week’s star was all buttoned up. Although she’s best known for her sexy roles, she won an Oscar for playing a nun. Do you have any guesses? Leave them below and come back on Saturday to see if you figured it out. How are you planning on celebrating the luck of the Irish? If your evening involves a festive flick, check out our list of St. Patrick's movies - enjoy!
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AuthorHi I'm Edie Nolan. Check out my sister website or drop me a line on the About page! Archives
July 2024
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