Farewell 2010: Via Margutta 51's Ten Top 10 lists

As everybody knows, 2010 sucked generally speaking. Just here in Chile we had catastrophes like the earthquake and tsunami, then the poor miners trapped like 2 months which showed the conditions that the hard working class has to endure to support their families; then 20 people died in a bus accident; and then 88 men were burn to death in jail. Also in 2010, many classic actors and people related with the movies passed away.

Personally speaking, it wasn't that bad. After 5 years of non-stop study, I finished my career; plus decided to start posting about "Life and Old Movies" here in Via Margutta. I've 'met' wonderful people and learned a lot from them. I saw lots and lots of movies and read lots and lots of blogs. Here are ten Top 10 lists I made trying to sum up 2010 (it was very difficult to order the items, so I just randomly added them):

I. Movies I liked the most (and reviewed): 

• Witness for the prosecution (1957; Billy Wilder; Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton, Tyrone Power)
• City Streets (1931; Rouben Mamoulian; Gary Cooper, Sylvia Sidney)
• Johny Belinda (1948; Jean Negulesco; Jane Wyman, Lew Ayres, Agnes Moorehead) 
• Les demoiselles de Rochefort (1967, Jacques Demy; Catherine Deneuve, Françoise Dorléac, Gene Kelly)
• Arise, my love (1940; Mitchell Leisen; Claudette Colbert, Ray Milland)
• Merrily we go to hell (1932; Dorothy Arzner; Fredrich March, Sylvia Sidney...Cary Grant) 
• Not so dumb (1930; King Vidor; Marion Davies) 
• So proudly we hail! (1943; Mark Sandrich; Claudette Colbert, Paulette Godard, Veronica Lake)
• Topper (1937; Norman Z. McLeod; Cary Grant , Constance Bennett, Roland Young)  
• Letter from a unknown woman (1948, Max Ophüls; Joan Fontaine, Luis Jourdan) 

II. Movies I loved but didn't review 

• The night of the hunter (1955)
• Notorious (1946)
• The Lady Vanishes (1938)
• Captain Blood (1935)  
• Sudden Fear (1952) 
• The miracle worker (1962) 
• Make way for tomorrow (1937)
• Three Comrades (1938) 
• Annie Oakley (1935) 
• I Remember Mama (1948) 

III. Movies I didn't like (and reviewed)

• Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942; Leo McCarey; Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers) 
• I wanted wings (1941; Mitchell Leisen; William Holden, Ray Milland, Veronica Lake)
• Kiss and Make-Up (1935; Harlan Thompson; Cary Grant, Helen Mack, Genevieve Tobin) 
• Lady in the dark (1944; Mitchell Leisen; Ginger Rogers, Ray Milland) 
• Man of the World (1931; Richard Wallace; William Powell, Carole Lombard) 
• Man-Proof (1938; Richard Thorpe; Myrna Loy, Rosalind Russell, Walter Pidgeon) 
• Paris Blues (1961; Martin Ritt; Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Sidney Poitier, Louis Armstrong) 
• Tender Comrade (1945; Edward Dmytryk; Ginger Rogers, Robert Ryan, Kim Hunter) 
• The proud and the profane (1956; George Seaton; William Holden, Deborah Kerr, Thelma Ritter) 
• Dance, Girl, Dance (1940; Dorothy Arzner; Maureen O'Hara, Lucille Ball, Ralph Bellamy)

Bonus: The one film I utterly DETESTED and wish it never had been made or they burn all the existing copies:  

• Bloodline (1979; Terence Young; Audrey Hepburn, Omar Sharif, James Mason)

 

IV. Movie blogs I enjoyed the most:      

This list includes blogs that I followed through almost the entire year, that's why I didn't add recently discovered blogs like My Love of Old Hollywood. Oh, a very special mention to Audrey Obsession which I didn't include because it's not active anymore (hope she continues writing in 2011).  

• Java's Journey
• Carole & Co.
• Classic Movies
• Classic Forever
• A noodle in a haystack 
• Waitin' on a Sunny Sunday
• Flying down to Hollywood
• True Classics: The ABCs of Classic Film
• Silents and Talkies 
• Put Yourself Up 

Spanish Bonus Track:

• Con el cine en los talones 
• El apartamento en París 
• Bisutería y un poco de cine clásico

  

V. Blogs about everything but movies I enjoyed the most:

• Urban Sketchers
• Hark! A Vagrant  
• Emma's Music 
• La Petite Gallery
• The best hearts are crunchy
• Pandas and Such
• From the mixed-up files of Jennifer Bertman
• Flapper Doodle 
• Letters of note
• Italian for beginners 

VI. Editor's picks or the narcissist list: top 10 posts I'm proud of    
I didn't want to use the blog stats to pick my "popular posts", since some of them had tons of visits just because of the pictures. Instead, I added the posts I enjoyed the most while writing.

• 10 types of annoying people to watch a movie with  (Because I really meant it) 
• My top 10 films directed by Mitchell Leisen  (Because I spent a lot of time 'researching')
• Audrey   (Because it was honest)
• Sense of time, passage of time, nostalgia & movies  (Helped me order my thoughts)
• Marion Davies x2: "Show People" & "The Patsy"  (Because readers introduced her genius to me)
• Rear Window's Guide to Properly Spying on your Neighbors (Had fun doing it)
• So proudly we hail! (1943) or one of the best movies I've seen this year (I really liked that film)
• Crazy Survey  (The first survey I answered and it was created by Millie & Kate)
• Download Grace Kelly's handwriting font  (Because I think her handwriting is lovely and it was fun waiting for my readers to guess the answer)
• Cape Fear (1962): Robert Mitchum you're scary!  (Because I didn't think it over for hours like I usually do and ended up being easily readable)

Bonus Track:   I also loved making the series Photo[graphs] + Music and Happy Old Songs.  
   

VII. Favorite stuff from Youtube discovered this year:

• Rita & Fred 
• Lucille Ball - Happy 99th Birthday 
• Irene Dunne sings You couldn't be cuter (thanks Rena!)  
• Ginger Rogers - Charleston Scene from Roxie Hart
• Bette Davis Bloopers  
• Roz Rusell on What's my line 
• Screwball comedy - Let's misbehave 
• Carol Burnett's parody of Gone With The Wind 
• Barbara Stanwyck Accepts The AFI Life Achievement Award  
• Ginger Roger's Alice in Wonderland 
  
  Narcissist Bonus Track:  
   Dance, dance, Classic Hollywood! 

VIII. Old songs that stuck in my head this year:
This year I listened to a lot of old music. But Peggy Lee and Julie London stand out. I also listened to recent covers of old songs by The Puppini Sisters, Emma Wallace and...Ben Barnes.

• Peggy Lee - Nice work if you can get it 
• Brigitte Bardot - Moi Je Joue
• Peggy Lee – Where or when
• Julie London - September in the rain
• Frank Sinatra - The lady is a tramp
• The Andrews Sisters - Rum and Coca - Cola
• Peggy Lee - Is that all there is
• The Puppini Sisters - Mr. Sandman  
  Ben Barnes – A Room with a View 
  
   Bonus Tracks (sorry can't help it)  
• Nat King Cole - That Sunday, That Summer   
• Peggy Lee – Mañana (Is Soon Enough for Me)  
• Eileen Barton - If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake  
• Artie Shaw and His Orchestra – Nightmare 
• Glenn Miller – Moonlight Serenade   
• Emma Wallace – Blue Skies  
• Peggy Lee - Why Don't you do right (remix by Gramophonedzie)
• Emma Wallace – Pennies from heaven  
  
  

IX. Most mentioned names:  

• Cary Grant   
• Audrey Hepburn  
• Carole Lombard  
• Ginger Rogers  
• Clark Gable  
• Barbara Stanwyck  
• Claudette Colbert  
• Gary Cooper  
• Errol Flynn 
• Robert Mitchum

 

X. Favorite pics I reblogged in Tumblr:    

Via: theillumiletty

Via: bacalls

Via: iseeadarkstranger

Via: fab-ingrid

Via: carolefreakinglombard

Via: valentinovamp

Via: frivoulouswhim

Via: dreampalace

Via: charethecutestory

Via: factoseintolerant

Bonus picture not related with movies:

Via: thisisnthappiness

 ...plus this one I made...

BONUS LIST. Top 10 Commentators:  THANKS!  

• Renata (special mention because she was one of the first commentators) 
• Desiree 
• Page 
• Emm 
• VP81955 
• La Petite Gallery 
• Tom  (special mention because he was one of the first commentators, even I wrote in Spanish by the time) 
• abril en paris 
• KC 
• lola (special mention because she was one of the first commentators) 
• Meredith

 HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!