Vintage Movie Resources

Hollywood is accustomed to storms. They bob up at the slightest provocation, or with none at all, and range from tempests in teapots to knock-em-down and drag-em-out affairs involving fisticuffs and front-page publicity.

For over 2,000 years Cleopatra has had a reputation she doesn’t deserve. Movie director Cecil B. DeMille sets the record straight for her.

Rebellion against repeated roles won Maurice Chevalier a chance to portray Prince Danilo in The Merry Widow.

Mae West's — blonde, bold, bad and buxom — first bit part in a movie set the theme for her future career:

The scene showed her checking in at a swanky night club. The check girl admired her jewels.

“Goodness,” she exclaimed, “what beautiful diamonds!”

“Goodness,” retorted Mae West, “had nothing to do with them, dearie.”

Hugh Herbert was a stalwart of 1930s movies, providing comic relief in hundreds of movies. Here is one of the rare articles that focused on him.

Note: The Joe Lim episode towards the end of the article is quite representative on how stereotypically Asians were portrayed in the media in the 1930s.