What Ever Happened To The Great On-Screen Couples?

An absurd question? I think not! Back when the old MGM studios were in charged, they had their favorite onscreen duos. The same couple might appear in a dozen movies together, but thanks to sizzling on-screen chemistry, it never got old. Lauren Becall and Humphry Bogart. Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant.

Why do I bring this up? Well, we all have a favorite, but I absolutely love (nay, j'adore-- yes, it requires French) Olivia de Haviland and Errol Flynn. They’re absolutely amazing in the eight movies they were in together. From 1935’s Captain Blood to 1941’s They Died with Their Boots On, the exceptional acting and sizzling chemistry between the two lit up the silver screen.

"Hello dahling, I'm a cad" -- actual Errol quote

I first fell in love with this couple as a kid watching the original 1938 The Adventures of Robin Hood. I love the story of Robin Hood to begin with- hell I purchased Robin Hood Prince of Thieves with my own money (there were tots American dudes running around crusade-era England! And MORGAN FREEMAN!).

Errol is the quintessential Robin-- brave, vigorous, and rockin' a pair of technicolor green tights. And Olivia, though clearly acting in a time prior to the woman's lib version of Marian, infuses an admirable spirit to her portrayal. She's gorgeous, gentle, but beneath you can see her rebellious side.

But what I really fell in love with was their chemistry. They just had it. Something that was missing from all the modern day movies I watched.

"Hello there Studly McTights!!"

Of course, once I realized they'd made ore than one movie together, I made it my own personal goal to view every Olivia-Errol movie. Haven't completed that goal yet. But another personal favorite in the collection is the Western, Dodge City. A bleak outpost town, full of crime. Errol is a Texas cattleheard who, after the death of a small child, agrees to become the sheriff and clean up the town. Olivia is the school teacher who (due to events on the wagon trail bringing her to Dodge City) despises, and later comes to love, Errol. The romantic tension in this movie is palpable, leading the viewer to wonder if they ever really did have an affair (You can read De Havilland's response to that question here). But dang, if I don't get chills every time I watch that movie.

Plus it contains a pretty epic bar brawl scene. Complete with singing bar skanks.

Cowboys and Indians? Sign me up, bitches!

I've also watched They Died With Their Boots On and The Charge of the Light Brigade. If your looking for lighter fare, that's definitely not what you want to watch. Both are historically based, with rather sad endings. But the acting is impeccable, and as always, the chemistry between the two actors amazing.

Which brings me to my big question: what ever happened to the great on-screen couples?

Sure we have, in the bigger franchises, classic "couples." But don't tell me fifty years from now people are going to look back at Kristin Stewart and Robert Pattinson and say "There was a couple with a spark." More like onscreen snoozefest of teenage angst. I don't want my grandchildren thinking Megan Fox and Shia Lebouf are the epitome of on-screen romance, when Fox was paid to wear little and scream a lot.

Who's left out there that have scored in multiple, unrelated movies together? The best I can come up with are Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, and my personal favorite (and one I hope to see in many more movies together because they actually do have chemistry), Leonardo DeCaprio and Kate Winslet.

As for me, I'll stick with Errol and Olivia. Gentleman, you have a lot to live up to. Especially when it comes to rocking a pair of green tights.

All that, and a winning smile...