Produced by Mark Hellinger and directed by Peter Godfrey for Warner Brothers in 1947, The Two Mrs. Carrolls is a startling film noir starring Humphrey Bogart and Barbara Stanwyck.
Bogart plays Geoffrey Carroll, a tortured painter, who, while on vacation, meets a lovely, delicate woman named Sally (Stanwyck). Carroll quickly falls in love with Sally, but fails to mention one tiny little fact. He’s already married. When Carroll returns home, his wife suddenly takes ill. Carroll paints her portrait. It’s a disturbing portrait which depicts his wife as the Angel of Death. After his wife’s death, Sally marries Carroll and moves into his English estate where she strikes up a friendship with his young daughter, Beatrice (Ann Carter).
Soon, the couple is entertaining some possible patrons of Carroll’s work. Sally notices the chemistry between her husband and a wealthy young woman, Cecily (Alexis Smith). Before long, Carroll is painting Sally’s portrait and she begins to feel ill. When Beatrice is suddenly sent away to school, Sally knows that something sinister is afoot.
The film is attractively produced with interesting sets and fast-paced dialogue. In typical film noir fashion, it’s moody and dark, but that makes it all the more appealing. Though you have a pretty good idea what’s going to happen, it’s still quite suspenseful. Here’s a film which makes the perfect escape on a chilly Sunday afternoon. It also features the always delightful Nigel Bruce. How could you possibly go wrong with a film which stars Nigel Bruce?
Princes Ernest and Edward of
Leiningen, 1839
Sir William Ross
Watercolor on Ivory The Royal Collection
Queen Victoria’s step-nephews (the sons of Charles, Third Prince of Leiningen, Victoria’s half-brother) visited the Queen in 1839 and took great pleasure in tearing around the Royal residences. Queen Victoria wrote in her journal during their visit, “‘The two dear (though very naughty) boys came and stayed in my room till near 12, alas for the last time.”
Princes Ernest and Edward of Leiningen were quite taken with the Royal animals—particularly Victoria’s favorite Skye Terrier, Islay and a parrot known as The Great Macaw. The Queen commissioned artist Sir William Ross to paint a miniature on ivory of the two boys. They are forever captured in play with Islay and the macaw as Ernest offers the parrot a biscuit which seems to also be the object of Islay’s desire.
Though we don’t know exactly when the two boys sat for Ross, we do know that the miniature was completed by the end of 1839.
The Petrified Forest
Bette Davis, Leslie Howard, Humphrey Bogart
Warner Brothers Pictures, 1936
Each year, the crew at Warner Brothers would produce a reel of bloopers from their films.These rare clips show the greats of classic cinema at their not-so-greatest as they go-up on lines and stumble around the scenery.Here, we have “Breakdowns of 1936” showing the flubs of immortal stars such as Humphrey Bogart and Bette Davis.
Last week, Mr. Punch was broken-hearted to learn that Iolanthe Evangeline had murdered the Duchess of Fallbridge. Julian surfaced to bid farewell to his mother, pausing to ask Marjani to arrange the burial and to entreat his friends to look after Mr. Punch whom Julian knew was troubled by the strange turn of events.
Despite the tragedy all around them, Mr. Punch and his companions stuck to their plan and attended Edward Cage’s masquerade ball. Adrienne—dressed as Iolanthe Evangeline—waited with Cecil before making their entrance so that they could be sure that Iolanthe was present to witness it. At the ball, Mr. Punch realized that he/Julian had inherited his mother’s title and introduced himself as The Duke of Fallbridge. Edward Cage, always seeking publicity, made a spectacle of Punch/Julian by announcing to the crowd that an important person was among them.
Meanwhile, Ulrika Rittenhouse was incensed to learn that Nellie had not only failed in killing Julian, but also had managed to lose the Fallbridge Blue to Iolanthe. In her anger, she slashed Nellie’s face with a broken bottle. Arriving at the ball dressed as Marie-Antoinette, Ulrika quarreled with her family before meeting up with Arthur to make further arrangements to destroy Julian. Iolanthe Evangeline entered the ball, dressed as Joan of Arc, where she shared un-pleasantries with Ulrika who proposed that they form some sort of alliance.
Iolanthe taunted Punch/Julian and Robert, and was morbidly pleased when a bloodied Nellie entered the ballroom, demanding to see Ulrika. Iolanthe quietly had Nellie removed and taken back to her bawdy house, but her triumph quickly faded when she saw Adrienne and Cecil enter. Irate that someone dared to mock her, Iolanthe demanded to know what was going on.
This week in Punch’s Cousin, we’ll see the full extent of Iolanthe’s rage as Cecil and Robert’s plan gets underway. We’ll also see the depths of despair that Mr. Punch as reached as he struggled with his guilt and finds a surprising ally within himself. Ulrika’s desire to murder Julian reaches a new level and we’ll see her plans interrupted by an unlikely foe. As Edward Cage’s ball reaches its climax and the last hours of 1852 tick away, Mr. Punch and his companions find themselves in the middle of a battle which is far more dangerous than they could have imagined.
We’re already well into 2011. After the holidays, it seems, everything has been a mad rush to get back to “normal.” We’ve returned to our jobs and our routines. But, just because the holidays are over, you don’t have to stop rewarding yourself every once in awhile. Take some time today to do something special for yourself. Watch a favorite movie, exercise, change your hairstyle, buy yourself a small trinket, or eat a reasonable portion of something you really enjoy.
Depriving ourselves of what we enjoy is only going to make us crave what we’re missing all the more. You don’t need a holiday to be kind to yourself. It’s something you should do every day.
During the Edwardian era, women’s fashions became more streamlined. Gone were the crinolines and hoops, and so, a woman’s accessories also became smaller and more compact. Always a popular—and practical—accessory, combs were necessary ornaments. They served to hold a woman’s elaborate coiffure in place, and also added some elegant sparkle.
This Edwardian comb is crafted from deep blue celluloid. It’s compact design reflects the Edwardian trend in smaller combs, but it doesn’t lose any of the sparkle which had become prevalent during Queen Victoria’s reign. Glittering blue rhinestones delicately adorn the outline of the comb creating a shimmering effect which would have been quite alluring under the new electric light.
Glittering jewels, sumptuous sculptures, magnificent paintings, classic films and unusual objects are on the schedule for next week’s articles at Stalking the Belle Époque. We’ll continue our look at the finest museums in the world as well as Britain’s amazing Royal Collection as we examine some of the most interesting and unusual pieces of art ever created. We’ll also take a look at the work of one of the most talented portrait artists of the present day.
Our journey through the beauty of the present day will yield a look at the humanitarian work of one of cinema’s most talented and enduring actresses as well as a tribute to one of daytime television’s most generous stars. We’ll also visit one of America’s castles as we tour The Castle on the Hudson.
There’s much to look forward to in the coming week. I can’t wait to share it all with you.
The film is attractively produced with interesting sets and fast-paced dialogue. In typical film noir fashion, it’s moody and dark, but that makes it all the more appealing. Though you have a pretty good idea what’s going to happen, it’s still quite suspenseful. Here’s a film which makes the perfect escape on a chilly Sunday afternoon. It also features the always delightful Nigel Bruce. How could you possibly go wrong with a film which stars Nigel Bruce?
