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I’m happy to announce my first blogathon for 2016, the Backstage Blogathon. Janet of Sister Celluloid is joining me once again as my co-hostess.
What’s this blogathon about? Well, the film industry has always loved to make movies about itself and we are going to be taking a look at those pictures.
This won’t be limited to just movies about movies. You can write about films that cover behind-the-scenes of any performing art: ballet, stage, puppetry, opera… Use your imagination!
The film must feature performing arts as a significant part of its plot. So it’s not enough for a character to simply be a dancer (e.g. Greta Garbo in Grand Hotel), their profession must play a central part in the story and there should ideally be scenes of them on the job.
To join up, all you have to do is tell either Janet or me your film choice. All films must have been released in 1970 or before and there are no duplicates allowed. Animated films are welcome, as are foreign movies. This is a huge topic and we are confident that there will be something for everyone. If you’re not sure what to cover, take a look at the wishlist or claimed films for inspiration.
Once you sign up, you can take a banner from the bottom of this post and place it in your blog’s sidebar. We’re ecstatic to have you aboard! (We understand that life happens. If you find that you cannot make the event after all, please let us know as soon as you can so that we can free up your topic for another blogger to claim. Thanks!)
I have great behind-the-scenes stories of a famous film. Can I write about those?
No. The purpose of this event is to see how movies portray the entertainment industry. Of course, if you have some juicy anecdotes about the backstage film you are covering, feel free to include them.
What about biopics or documentaries of showbiz people?
Biopics are very welcome but no documentaries. Remember, this event is focused on how fiction films portray the performing arts.
Can I write about authors and painters?
This event centers around the performing arts. Other forms of art can be featured but the movie must feature behind-the-scenes of performances (acting, singing, dancing, etc.) as its main theme. Obviously, stories of directors, choreographers and other essential personnel will be welcome as well.
Roster
| Movies Silently | Kean (1924) and No Way to Treat a Lady (1968) |
| Sister Celluloid | Souls for Sale |
| The Last Drive In | Legend of Lyla Claire and Jeanne Eagles |
| Citizen Screen | Daffy Duck in Hollywood |
| The Motion Pictures | Annabel Takes a Tour |
| Silver Screenings | Footlight Parade |
| Now Voyaging | Show People |
| Speakeasy | The Lost Squadron |
| BNoir Detour | A Double Life |
| Christy Z | To Be or Not to Be |
| Criterion Blues | The Red Shoes |
| A Shroud of Thoughts | 42nd Street |
| Carole & Co. | Twentieth Century |
| Defiant Success | Yankee Doodle Dandy |
| Loveletters to Old Hollywood | There’s No Business Like Show Business |
| Stardust | Singin’ in the Rain |
| Nitrateglow | The Unknown |
| Movie Movie Blog Blog | You Ought to be in Pictures |
| Mildred’s Fatburgers | Kiss Me Kate |
| Immortal Ephemera | What Price Hollywood? |
| Cinematic Scribblings | 8 1/2′ |
| Make Mine Criterion | Hellzapoppin’ |
| Caftan Woman | Charlie Chan at the Opera |
| wolffian classic movie digest | The Bad and the Beautiful |
| Cinema Cities | The Barkleys of Broadway |
| Moon in Gemini | Unfaithfully Yours |
| Smitten Kitten Vintage | Easter Parade |
| Cinephiliaque | Contempt |
| The Movie Rat | Our Gang Follies of 1936 |
| Tam May, Author | Stage Door |
| Critica Retro | The Phantom of the Opera (1925 & 1943) |
| The Joy and Agony of Movies | All About Eve |
| David Bruce Appreciation Society | Alice in Movieland |
| Cinema Shame | A Night at the Opera |
| Second Sight Cinema | The Gang’s All Here |
| Girls Do Film | Contempt |
| CInema Gadfly | Variety Lights |
| Wonderful World of Cinema | Lady Be Good |
| Scribblings | Upstream |
| LA Explorer | Babes in Arms and Babes on Broadway |
| Welcome to my Magick Theater | Abbott and Costello in Hollywood |
| Phyllis Loves Classic Movies | What a Great Feeling and Funny Girl |
| Old Hollywood Films | Summer Stock |
| Pop Culture Pundit | Sunset Boulevard |
| Crimson Kimono | They Shoot Horses Don’t They |
| Tossing it Out | Idiot’s Delight |
| Wrote by Rote | Give My Regards to Broadway |
| The Love Pirate | Producers (1967) |
| BB Creations | Band wagon |
| Laini Giles | Ziegfeld Girl |
Alphabetical List of Claimed Films
When an event gets big, it’s sometimes hard to tell which films are claimed and which are still open. I hope this alphabetized list helps. Remember, all the films on this list are spoken for.
| 42nd Street |
| 8 1/2′ |
| Abbott and Costello in Hollywood |
| Alice in Movieland |
| All About Eve |
| Annabel Takes a Tour |
| Babes in Arms |
| Babes on Broadway |
| Bad and the Beautiful, The |
| Band wagon |
| Barkleys of Broadway, The |
| Charlie Chan at the Opera |
| Contempt |
| Daffy Duck in Hollywood |
| Double Life, A |
| Easter Parade |
| Footlight Parade |
| Funny Girl |
| Give My Regards to Broadway |
| Hellzapoppin’ |
| Idiot’s Delight |
| Jeanne Eagles |
| Kean |
| Kiss Me Kate |
| Lady Be Good |
| Legend of Lyla Claire |
| Lost Squadron, The |
| Night at the Opera, A |
| No Way to Treat a Lady |
| Our Gang Follies of 1936 |
| Phantom of the Opera (1925 & 1943) |
| Producers (1967) |
| Red Shoes, The |
| Singin’ in the Rain |
| Souls for Sale |
| Stage Door |
| Summer Stock |
| Sunset Boulevard |
| There’s No Business Like Show Business |
| They Shoot Horses Don’t They |
| To Be or Not to Be |
| Twentieth Century |
| Unfaithfully Yours |
| Unknown, The |
| Upstream |
| Variety Lights |
| What a Great Feeling |
| What Price Hollywood? |
| Yankee Doodle Dandy |
| You Ought to be in Pictures |
| Ziegfeld Girl |
Banners
Twentieth Century, of course.
Thanks
I’d like to write about Yankee Doodle Dandy. My blog is Defiant Success (http://movienut14.blogspot.com).
Great!
There’s No Business Like Show Business for Love Letters to Old Hollywood, please!
Lovely!
I love that you have a “Show People” banner. Awesome!
So looking forward to this. Great idea!
Thanks so much! Yes, Show People was a must. 🙂
I’d love to sign up! Could I focus on Singin’ In the Rain (1952)?
Great! Welcome aboard
Thank you! x
The Unknown with Lon Chaney!
It’s yours!
I would love to cover THE UNKNOWN! May I?
D’oh! Emily ninja’d you by 8 minutes! Can I interest you in The Phantom of the Opera, Laugh Clown Laugh or He Who Gets Slapped?
Why, I oughtta… The clown movies scare me too much. How about KISS ME KATE?
Hee hee! I understand completely. Kiss Me Kate is yours. 🙂
Thank you!
I was ready to jump on NIGHT AT THE OPERA before noticing that you included it on your Backstage essentials. Count me in for the Marx Brothers classic.
Great! Welcome aboard!
Can i review bad and the beautiful
Yes you can
If SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN – why not THE BANDWAGON & BARKLEYS OF BROADWAY? Or have they been done to death in other blogathons
The roster is just what people have chosen, not what is allowed for entry. Let me know if you want to cover either of these films.
Ah! This is great, I actually have a whole bunch of films on the topic collected. The timing comes as I am on holiday, though, so is it okay if I confirm closer to the time? I would probably be writing about something relatively obscure so a duplicate is unlikely 🙂
Sounds great to me. Looking forward to it. 🙂
Had I known it would be on your wish list I would have saved my post on Ella Cinders!
No worries! I’m glad you enjoyed. 🙂
If no one has claimed it yet, please put me down for Unfaithfully Yours.
Great choice! Classical music must be represented.
I would like to write about “Easter Parade” please! I hope this one qualifies. If not, my back up choice is “Top Hat”. I am excited for this one!!!
Easter Parade works just fine. 🙂
Hi Fritzi. This sounds like fun. I am sorry to say that January will not be good month for me because of work and family obligations. I look forward to reading the posts.
Thanks so much for supporting!
Woohoo!! I’ll take The Red Shoes. It’s a P&P Party!
I have you down for it so we are good to go. 🙂
I’ll gladly knock the Our Gang Follies off your wishlist.
Great!
If opera is OK, can I have both the 1925 and 1943 Phantoms of the Opera? I’d like to compare the two.
Kisses!
Le
Sounds great to me!
Does ALL ABOUT EVE qualify for something like this? If so, I’ll take that one.
That would be perfect
I’d like to cover the 1940 Warner Brothers short Alice in Movieland on behalf of the David Bruce Appreciation Society.
Lovely! Welcome aboard
I’d love to cover Medium Cool if that’s acceptable!
Hi there! Medium Cool is more about reporters and documentary making rather than performance art. Do you have a second choice? Feel free to email me if you have any questions!
Hmm… how about Variety Lights?
Perfect!
Hi Fritzi, I’d like to do one of these (in order of preference): The Bandwagon; Stormy Weather; Dance, Girl, Dance; Gypsy; The Hard Way (1943); Black Widow (1954); Lili (1953); Les Girls. Fabulous topic, such fun!
Actually, on reflection, strike the previous comment and please Fritzi could I do The Gang’s All Here? That would be great!
Thank you!
Gotcha!
Does Jean-Luc Godard’s Le Mépris (Contempt) work?
I’ve been wanting to write about it for ages!
Sounds good to me
Hi may I wrote about Lady Be Good? 🙂
Blog: The Wonderful World of Cinema https://thewonderfulworldofcinema.wordpress.com
Sounds great!
Thanks! 🙂
Can I do John Ford’s Upstream, please? Can I? Can I?
You can! You can!
Thank you!
I’d like to write about Babes in Arms/Babes in Broadway for LA Explorer (www.la-explorer.com).
Sounds great!
Could I do Abbott and Costello in Hollywood for my blog, Welcome to My Magick Theatre?
You can!
This is right up my alley. Let me consider this and I’ll get back to you. Great idea for a blog event!
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Just let me know what you decide to cover and I will be sure to add you. Thanks! 🙂
I’ve recently discovered a film that seemed like a good candidate for this topic. Can you put me down for Idiot’s Delight from 1939?
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
It’s yours
I would like to do “It’s a Great Feeling” (1949), if that’s ok. My blog is http://phyllislovesclassicmovies.blogspot.com/
Thanks!
Lovely to have you!
Just remembered another one! Could I also do “Funny Girl” (1968)?
Sure thing!
Hi, I’d like to nab Summer Stock if it’s available, Amanda from Old Hollywood Films.
Great! Welcome.
Love this idea! Is Sunset Boulevard still available?
Yes, it is!
I’d like to cover THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON’T THEY? Depressing but no turkey. Dan from crimsonkimono.com
Sounds good 🙂
This event is ideal for my memoir blog. I’d like to enter that one using the 1948 film Give My Regards to Broadway starring Dan Dailey. My link is below.
Arlee Bird
Wrote By Rote
Great!
I wish I’d seen this sooner, as my favorite (Sunset Boulevard) is taken! I clearly need to pay more attention. My next choice is far too new (Noises Off), so put me down for The Producers! The 1967 version, of course!
Great pick!
Thanks!
Since I just wrote about a Ziegfeld Girl, how’s about puttin’ me down for Ziegfeld Girl?
🙂
Sounds fab to me, welcome!
Hi Fritzi, would love to do the Artist!
Hi there! Alas, The Artist is outside our date range but let me know if you have a second choice.
Oh right of course – missed the date range, but will get back to you if I think of something 🙂
Great! Let me know if you find anything you like and I will be sure to add you.
Hi Fritzi, Checking back about They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? I don’t see it on the list.
crimsonkimono.com
Hi there! Yes, I have your choice noted and am going to be updating the roster soon. (I’ve been sick for the past few weeks) Thanks for participating
Get well soon and happy holidays!
Thanks!