“Oscar and I have something in common. Oscar first came to the Hollywood scene in 1928. So did I. We’re both a little weather-beaten, but we’re still here and plan to be around for a whole lot longer.”
— John Wayne
Continuing an Oscars tradition – albeit a much newer one than either the legendary awards or Mr. Wayne’s impressive career – Kellee (@IrishJayHawk66) of Outspoken and Freckled, Aurora (@CitizenScreen) of Once Upon a Screen, and myself, @Paula_Guthat of this blog, are back our Third Annual 31 Days of Oscar Blogathon. Update: Scroll on down to the end of the post to see the list of 2015 participants so far.
We started this event to coincide with Turner Classic Movies’ 31 Days of Oscar marathon, during which the network shines the spotlight on the storied history of the Academy Awards. This February promises to be another stellar month for TCM, filled with many of the stories, players and films we love. The network is kicking things off this year in spectacular style on February 1st with a prime time lineup dedicated to The History of the Oscars, including the 2014 documentary And The Oscar Goes To…
In other words, if you can’t take the entire month of February off from work, or send your kids to your relatives, be sure to clear your DVRs!
AND don’t forget to join the blogathon. We hope you’ll share your favorite stories about the films and players in Oscar’s distinguished history. Tell us about which films, actors or directors deserved an Oscar nod and were ignored, about your personal all-time Best Picture, or about which films inspire you with their music, costumes, or lighting. We are not limiting this event to classic film fare either — we want to see and hear it all from the golden man’s more than eighty-five year history – including information and commentaries on this year’s nominees.
Just as we did last year, we will be focusing on a different Oscars topic each week, which proved a big success, — note that you can join us at any time during the month!
February 2-3 THE ACTORS!
February 9-10 OSCAR SNUBS!
February 16-17 THE CRAFTS! (Music, Costumes, Cinematography, Writing, etc.)
February 23-24 PICTURES AND DIRECTORS!
Join us!
We are taking turns hosting, but you can submit topics by leaving me a comment below, via Twitter or by email. We ask that you please include the following:
- Title and link to your blog
- Topic
- Social media profiles (Twitter, Facebook, tumblr)
Please also include any of the banners included in this post on your blog to help us promote the event. All submissions should link to at least one of the host sites and include one of the banners as well. Edit: I, Paula, designed the banners.
SO – write to your heart’s desire! Write one post or several on each topic.
In the meantime…here’s to Oscar, to TCM, and to YOU. Happy blogging!
List of Participating Blogs by Week/Topic
February 2-3 THE ACTORS!
Smitten Kitten Vintage – Bette Davis
Citizen Screenings – F. Murray Abraham in AMADEUS
Classic Movie Hub – Olivia de Havilland in THE HEIRESS
CineMaven’s Essays from the Couch – NETWORK
E Street Film Society – Ellen Burstyn in ALICE DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE
Caftan Woman – Paul Lucas’ Oscar Win for WATCH ON THE RHINE
Moon in Gemini – Child Actors with nominations/wins
Danny Reviews – Daniel Day Lewis
Critica Retro – Emil Jannings
The Movie Rat – Non-competitive, non-lifetime wins
Wolffian Classic Movie Digest – Fredric March
In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood – Katharine Hepburn in THE AFRICAN QUEEN
The Wonderful World of Cinema – Helen Hayes in AIRPORT
Cinephiled – Paul Newman
Classic Film & TV Cafe – Glenda Jackson
Movie Critical – In Their Shoes: Oscar-Winning Performances of Historical Figures
Flickin’ Out – William Holden
The Movie Gourmet – Eleanor Parker & Hope Emerson
February 9-10 OSCAR SNUBS!
Prowler Needs A Jump – SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS
Smitten Kitten Vintage – Marilyn Monroe
Smitten Kitten Vintage – Alfred Hitchcock
Kirkham A Movie A Day – Two Best Supporting Actor performances from 1975
Wide Screen World – Edward G. Robinson
I See a Dark Theater – Irene Dunne
M. Allen for Classic Movie Hub – Angela Lansbury
Moon in Gemini – Preston Sturges
Danny Reviews – Richard Attenborough
Barry Bradford – Speaking for a Change – FAIL-SAFE
Once Upon a Screen – Snubs in Black and White
Cary Grant Won’t Eat You – John Goodman
The Movie Rat – Defunct Categories
Blog of the Darned – Genre Snubs, details TBD
Wolffian Classic Movie Digest – History
Shadows and Satin – Top 10 Noirs That Were Never Nominated for an Oscar
The Vintage Cameo – Women who directed Best Picture nominees but weren’t nominated for Best Director
The Wonderful World of Cinema – Leonardo DiCaprio
Movies Silently – 1929 Snubs
Movie Movie Blog Blog – Comic actors who won an Oscar but for the wrong reasons
Hollywood Revue – GRAND HOTEL Art Direction
One Gal’s Musings – Bruce Willis
In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood – Katharine Hepburn in THE AFRICAN QUEEN
February 16-17 THE CRAFTS! (Music, Costumes, Cinematography, Writing, etc.)
GlamAmor – Costumes – SABRINA
Outspoken & Freckled – Screenwriting in ROMAN HOLIDAY
Outspoken & Freckled – Oscar oddities
Silver Screenings – MY MAN GODFREY screenplay
Movie Star Makeover – Edith Head’s Oscar wins and legacy
Danny Reviews – Top 5 Cinematography Wins
Rachel the Cinephile – Costumes
Girls Do Film – THE GREAT GATSBY / Theoni V. Aldredge
Sister Celluloid – Harold Rosson’s Oscar for cinematography for THE GARDEN OF ALLAH
The Movie Rat – Cinematographers in Black & White and Color
Wolffian Classic Movie Digest – History of Winners
Cinephiled – Technicolor by Natalie Kalmus
The Wonderful World of Cinema – MY FAIR LADY costumes by Cecil Beaton
Moon in Gemini – Emma Thompson’s SENSE AND SENSIBILITY screenplay
Bunnybun’s Classic Movie Blog – James Wong Howe’s Cinematography
February 23-24 PICTURES AND DIRECTORS!
Silver Screenings – Norman Taurog for BOYS TOWN
Danny Reviews – 1986 Best Director Nominees
Girls Do Film – Kathryn Bigelow / THE HURT LOCKER
The Movie Rat – Won as Directors Not as Actors
Wolffian Classic Movie Digest – History of winners
Jack Deth – The 49th Academy Awards
Cinephiled – GENTLEMAN’S AGREEMENT
The Wonderful World of Cinema – Three-time winner William Wyler
Second Sight Cinema – Leo McCarey
Moon in Gemini – Defending SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE
Movie Fan Fare – MARTY
Topic TBD
Christy’s Inkwells
Paula’s Cinema Club
Paula's Cinema Club 
whoever made your graphics did a great job!
I did, me, Paula! Thank you, Joel 🙂
Reblogged this on Scribblings from the Bluegrass and commented:
A chance to join the Oscar party with your own post about great old movies, actors, directors…
Thanks for reblogging, Leigh! Though I know you are busy, I hope you will write something 🙂
Woo hoo! One of my fave blogathons!
I’d like to do the nominated screenplay for “My Man Godfrey” (CRAFTS) and the nominated Norman Taurog for “Boys Town” (DIRECTORS).
Will provide links when the time comes. Whee! Can’t wait!
You got it, I will add those to the list. Thanks, so happy to hear this 🙂
Yea for My Man Godfrey!
My Man Godfrey is one movie I will watch every time I come across it 🙂
My client, Larry McQueen, he commissioned me to make the brooch from the film, sent me a colorized version of The film. It’s not bad, I enjoyed it. Check it out sometime.
I made this comment on Kellee’s blog, but I thought I would do it here as well.
This is going to be super fun. This is the first time I am doing one of these so I am super excited. I would like to talk about Bette Davis and her Oscar wins and nominations (Actors) and I don’t know if this is considered an Oscar snub, but despite her popularity and great performances, Marilyn Monroe was never nominated for an Oscar and neither was Alfred Hitchcock, so I would like write about them as well.
My blog is Smitten Kitten Vintage http://smittenkittenvintage.wordpress.com/
My email is _______@outlook.com
I look forward to this!! 🙂
Hi Rhonda,
I think both Monroe and Hitchcock can definitely be considered snubs. I love Bette Davis so am looking forward to that too. I will add these to the list. Thanks!
Paula
Awesome! Looking forward to it 🙂
Me too, Fernando…of course let me know if you want to write anything 🙂
I’ll definitely will if I do 🙂
Wonderful graphics, Paula!!! Sign me up please for Edith Head at the Oscars! I want to examine her wins and chat re: her Oscar legacy. Also posted this in Aurora’s and Kellee’s walls, too. Hugs all around! Kay of Movie Star Makeover.
Thanks Kay! I will add this to the list. A very worthy topic, if I may say so.
Happy New Year, Paula!! I would love to participate in this blogathon!! Can I do Harold Rosson’s Oscar for cinematography on The Garden of Allah (1936)?
Thanks Janet, HNY to you as well. You absolutely can do that, I will add it to the list 🙂
Hi Paula! I’d love to do an Oscar snubs essay on Sweet Smell of Success. I’m not sure if I’d do Tony Curtis’ performance or the film as a whole. Would that work?
Kerry
Of course, you can post it during Snubs week. A worthy choice 🙂
Hi, Paula:
Happy New Year!
Nice selection of choices and possibilities. 🙂
I’d like to take a crack at the 49th Academy Awards, And the premise of ‘The Blockbuster vs. Solid Story Telling”. Broken down as I’d done earlier into Best Film, Actor, Actress, Supporting same. Maybe branch off into Cinematography, Screenplays and Sound track.
Let me know what you think.
Thanks so much, Jack. That sounds awesome. 1977 was an interesting year for sure. Just send me your stuff whenever you want 🙂
Ooops. Actually, you would be writing about 1976 films 😉 Also a very interesting year
Paula, Here are the links to my entries in the Blogathon. I have a main site and a doppelganger site to reach audiences on two different platforms.
https://kirkhamamovieaday.wordpress.com/2015/02/07/oscar-blogathon-neglected-supporting-actor-performances-of-1975/
http://kirkhamclass.blogspot.com/2015/02/oscar-blogathon-neglected-supporting.html
Great, thanks so much Richard!
I would like to write about my not so favorite oscar winner films for the Pictures and Directors section. Is it okay to provide you the link later? Because…i haven’t written it, haha. The title of my upcoming post is “Those easily-earned Oscars”.
Anyway, here are the links to my blog and twitter: crazygirlatcinema.blogspot.com
twitter.com/keziarhh
Ciao!
This is great, i will add it to the list 🙂
And yes, it’s absolutely fine to send me the link later 🙂
Reblogged this on Wonderfreakland and commented:
Celebrate the Oscar season with 31 Days of Oscr Blogathon!
Paula, my post on Harold Rosson’s cinematography is up!! Thank you for letting me participate!!
http://sistercelluloid.com/2015/02/16/the-garden-of-allah-lovely-to-look-at-delightful-to-behold/
Got it, thanks Janet!