I love a good double act. And I especially love it if it’s unlikely. You know, when you don’t really think two actors will have that much chemistry, then it turns out, surprise, they’re actually amazing together. And when they’re funny together… boy, that’s special. I think Edward Everett Horton and John Barrymore would have ..read more

The Old Hollywood Garden was created in September 2015, which means that it’s 9 years old this month, if you can believe that! I certainly can’t. I remember thinking ‘I should give this blog idea a go!’ and here we are. This has been the wildest ride, and I’ve had the best time! I’ve met ..read more

Perhaps the most ambitious The Pairs That Never Were. Where Esther Williams and Dick Powell, from last month, were the happy-go-lucky mis-matched couple of a hot summer flick, Grace Kelly and Romy Schneider would have come in at the end of the summer with a different type of movie. Philadelphia-born Grace Kelly was one of ..read more

Hello everyone! Great news! I reached 1,000 followers on Medium this week and I’m very, very happy! As you may know, blogging is my main source of income and I currently run three blogs, one of which is Medium. I write about films, music, television, friendships, writing, etc, on Medium, and getting 1k followers is ..read more

I love a good summer movie. And I love the many types of summer movies there are. I like a good summer mystery, a beach musical, a European sun-soaked masterpiece, anything. Summer is a great backdrop for movies. And you know who was great in a summer blockbuster? Esther Williams. And you know who should ..read more

It’s Pride Month and we are celebrating it here at the Garden! And what better way to do that than with THE PAIRS THAT NEVER WERE and two of Classic Hollywood’s finest queer actors? If HBO or Discovery Plus did a programme called ‘Hollywood’s Most Troubled’, Montgomery Clift would probably be featured in the fourth episode, after Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland and Gail Russell. His life very nearly overshadowed his talent and legacy but not quite. His long list of moody and broody young men, in such films as Red River (1948), From Here To Eternity (1953), and Raintree County (1957) are embedded ..read more

Hey everyone! As some of you may know, I’m on Instagram and I have two separate pages. One is my personal page where I post silly photos and videos, the other is my pop culture page, where I keep my blog articles across my many platforms – WordPress, Substack and Medium. And I would really appreciate it if you could follow me on it, if you’re on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/carol_theblogger/ I’m trying to go viral here, kids! Love, Carol ..read more

It was Katharine Hepburn’s birthday yesterday but I was travelling all day, which means that for the first time ever, I didn’t post something on May 12th! Well, I’m about to rectify that now! Here we are. May’s THE PAIRS THAT NEVER WERE goes to Katharine Hepburn, as planned. And who better to pair her with than another great baddass woman, whom she was very good friends with all her life? The all-time record holder for the most Oscars for acting, it seems that Katharine Hepburn did it all. From her family-oriented upbringing in Connecticut, to her start on he legitimate stage, to her rocky fi ..read more

The bad boys of film noir are here! And they never made a movie together. Let’s dive in! Ohio-born Brian Donlevy started his career in New York, modelling for advertisements, before moving onto the theatre. Hollywood came calling in the 1920s and for the next three decades he was mainstay in film noir and dramas, in films such as Union Pacific (1939, dir. Cecil B. DeMille), Beau Geste (1939, dir. William A. Wellmann), for which he recieved an Oscar nomination for Supporting Actor, The Glass Key (1942, dir. Stuart Heisler) and The Big Combo (1955, dir. Joseph H. Lewis). His piercing eyes and d ..read more

It’s April, spring has finally sprung and I’ve been having some lovely writing sessions in the sun! I’m nearly finished with the seventh draft of my TV pilot and my Medium and Substack accounts are more popular than ever. My post about femme fatale Kathie Moffat from Out of the Past (1947) is the most read article ever on The Losers of Film Noir, by a long mile. I was extremey pleased with this, but I can’t say I’m super surprised. She continues to be one of the most popular, fascinating, enduring and enigmatic characters in film noir. Here’s the article. My Medium account has also seen a fai ..read more