Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Free DVD giveaway!

While I work on my post for the Film Preservation blog-a-thon, I decided to give all my readers a chance to win a free DVD of the 1933 Warner Brothers feature "Footlight Parade". This film stars James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Guy Kibbee, Hugh Herbert, Frank McHugh, and............well do I really need to go on?? Maybe just to add the splendid choreography of Busby Berkeley!

All you have to do to enter the contest is write a brief note in the comments section at the end of this post about why you LOVE or HATE our blog-god, El Brendel. It's that simple. Entries will be taken from now until Saturday, February 20th, 12:00PM EST, at which time all names will be put into a hat and the winner will be drawn. ANYONE can enter (and it's open to people world wide!!!) so tell all your friends to come over and visit and if you want to post this giveaway on your own blog or website, just go right ahead!!

11 comments:

The Vicar of VHS said...

I love "Give me the good old days!" because I have always had a fascination for golden age Hollywood and the national culture in which it flourished, and your posts take me back to that time and beyond. I also have a thing for flappers and old-style bathing suits, so Sexy Time Saturdays is both the bee's knees and the cat's pajamas. :)

Mick said...

I love it, because of the variety of things you post! And this Film-a-thon is just icing on the cake!

Amy R. said...

I don't need the DVD ;), but I love El Brendel and this thankful blog so much I'm getting El's most famous quote permanently tattooed on me. If that's not love I don't know what is.

Stacia said...

There are so many reasons to love The El. I'm a big fan of movie stars who were huge back in the day but are largely forgotten nowadays, which is how I got interested in El in the first place. The more I saw of El, the more I realized he wasn't just a personality, he had actual acting talent. Seriously, he's in one of the last episodes of "Racket Squad" and he's the best actor on screen. Plus, some of the funniest things I've ever seen on film are in "Just Imagine."

I promise not to kick anyone in the shins if they say the hate The El, but I can't promise not to daydream about it.

Also also plus, I have "Footlight Parade" already, so you don't need to enter me in the contest! But I can't pass up a chance to give love to El Brendel.

tayania said...

Honestly it's my first time so i cant tell. At first i was looking for "Footlight Parade" picture to share the movie with my son...This movie is so precious to me and when a saw that i can win it... WAAAHHHH!!! I must have this "trésor" :D Thank you!

Stacia said...

Off-topic, but I've always loved that the stylized artwork on this DVD cover (from a contemporary poster, I assume) give Dick Powell's face to Ruby Keeler! And I love their sexy long legs.

Unknown said...

I remember Mr. Brendel from She Creature, as well as performing with Shirley Temple in a movie I can't remember the name of. I'm SURE I've seen him in other movies as well, as I was fascinated with movies from the 40's through 60's as a kid! Yup... El was a real class act. Oh.. and that banner at the top of the page... makes me smile every time I see it!
Cheers!!

crumit said...

Yumpin' Yiminy! There are lots of reasons to be a fan of El Brendel. I first heard him on an old 78 rpm record of "Yumpin' Yiminy" and the first time I heard it I actually thought I would bust a gut laughing.
After that, I started noticing El everywhere--in good films and bad--usually playing a character named Ole. (Or, in Just Imagine, Single O.) He spent his whole career playing a stereotype, but he never disappointed. And like many of the great old character actors who rarely got to flex their acting muscles--actors such as Franklin Pangborn, Edward Everett Horton, Butterfly McQueen, Joyce Compton and many, many others--to a real movie lover, he is like an old friend. When I see him in the credits of a movie I've never seen, I know there will be something good to look forward to, even if the film as a whole is a clinker.
I see the old character actors now as the fabric of those great films. The lack of people like El Brendel is what makes films seem so barren nowadays. The characters have been replaced by explosions. It hasn't been a fair trade.

Louie said...

Wow, you're the first person I knwo of who's ever heard the "Yumpin' Yimminy" 78, do you have a copy??

crumit said...

No, I no longer have the record. I did burn it to CD.
I love your website! I had never seen that picture of Clara Bow before.

Louie said...

Could you contact me about getting a copy of the songs. I would love to hear and post about it.