Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

   I have outstanding news!

   SMASHWORDS signed an eBook distribution deal with ScrollMotion to help distribute virtual eProduct through a variety of Apps including Apple, Android, HP Web OS, and Windows Phone7. This opportunity will be great for eBooks in the SMASHWORDS Premium Library including Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History.

According to the news release:

Shipments to ScrollMotion will commence on Friday, and titles will begin appearing in the Apps marketplaces later this month. All Premium Catalog books are automatically opted in for ScrollMotion distribution. The conversion of our eBooks into an App is completely free. In the past, authors would often have to pay thousands of dollars to have their books converted into apps.

Here’s the link for the complete press release:

http://blog.smashwords.com/2011/05/smashwords-partners-with-scrollmotion.html

   I guess my work became an eBook at the perfect moment in time in the literary world of virtual readership!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here..

   One of the first great child actors when talkies emerged has died. Jackie Cooper’s career spanned seven decades, but he’s best remembered for his incredibly gifted performances during the earliest years of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

   Cooper big break came from Hal Roach Studios when he was selected to become one of the members of the Our Gang comedy series. Acclaimed director Leo McCarey suggested the young actor be part of the troupe, and he was their first real star (before Spanky and Alfalfa).

   In 1931, he was loaned to Paramount to appear in Skippy. His cinematic performance was so riveting, at 9-years of age, he became the youngest nominee for a Best Actor in Oscar history. Roach promptly sold the tot’s contract to MGM, where he made a series of memorable movies including The Champ, The Bowery, and Treasure Island.

   Cast in small film roles after he served in the military during World War II, Cooper also starred in early television. He later turned to directing episodes of iconic shows as M*A*S*H and The White Shadow. He found a whole new audience when chosen as a replacement to an ailing Keenan Wynn as Perry White in the Superman movies that starred Christopher Reeve.

   Cooper announced his retirement in 1989, although he still directed installments of the syndicated cable series Superboy.  He occasionally engaged in first-hand stories on documentaries, and in retrospectives about Hollywood’s Studio Era.

   Jackie Cooper was 88.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   I’ve discovered more folks who have discovered Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History and they are sharing my paperback with the world wide web! Here are the details…

~ LITTLE FILM STORE – A great site to buy books about Hollywood including  my work. Here’s the link to this gem:

http://littlefilmstore.com/history_4495_1935359169_Forgotten-Hollywood-Forgotten-History.html

~ HOUSE OF KINDNESS – Barbara Kindness is a public relations guru who promotes authors, speakers, and entertainers. She’s a resident of Edmonds, Washington in the Pacific Northwest. Here’s the link to her new blog site:

http://www.houseofkindness.net/forgotten-hollywood-page/

Studio Backlots and Ranches

~ STUDIO BACKLOTS AND RANCHES – This is a blog page devoted to lost and memorable cinema backlots where motion pictures were filmed during the Silent Era and Hollywood’s Golden Age. These photographs are from the extensive historical collection of Bison Archives. Here’s  the link to this really informational site:

http://www.retroweb.com/studiobacklots.html

~ PAPERBACK SWAP – It’s an innovative website devoted to promoting literacy by literally exchanging books by readers and fans of this idea. I admit, this virtual Book Club is not a money-maker for me. However, I’m a good sport about this. According to their mission statement:

• It’s easy: List books you’d like to swap with other club members
• Once a book is requested, mail it to the club member
• In return, you may choose from 5,064,519 available books
• Books you request are mailed to you for free / No late fees / No hidden charges

   Here’s their site link:

http://www.paperbackswap.com/Forgotten-Hollywood-History-Manny-Pacheco/book/1935359169/

Until next time>                              “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The Legends of Hollywood commemorative stamp series has recently included Katharine Hepburn, Gary Cooper, John Wayne, and Cary Grant. Add Gregory Peck to this impressive list. The star of motion pictures as Gentleman’s Agreement, The Yearling, Duel in the Sun, and Roman Holiday has been lionized by the U.S. Postal Service for his starring role from To Kill a Mockingbird (for which he received an Oscar for Best Actor in 1962). In 2003, the American Film Institute ranked Atticus Finch the #1 movie hero in American cinema. Harper Lee’s first and only novel turns 50 this year.

    Last week, the stamp was unveiled at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Since Peck was a member of the Academy and served as its president, the organization chose to host this prestigious program. The Postal Service set up a counter in the lobby so the general public could purchase first-day issues of this stamp. 

   Among the folk in attendance:  his widow Veronique, his children, Christopher Dodd (the President of the Motion Picture Association of America {MPAA} and former Connecticut senator), director Martin Scorsese, and actors Sidney Poitier, Morgan Freeman, Laura Dern, and Sharon Stone, who emceed the ceremony. Also on hand was Mary Badham, who played Finch’s daughter Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird.  The event concluded with a nostalgic documentary on Peck.

Legends of Hollywood Stamp Series 

1. Marilyn Monroe issued June 1, 1995
2. James Dean issued June 24, 1996
3. Humphrey Bogart issued July 31, 1997
4. Alfred Hitchcock issued August 3, 1998
5. James Cagney issued July 22, 1999
6. Edward G. Robinson issued October 24, 2000
7. Lucille Ball issued August 6, 2001
8. Cary Grant issued October 15, 2002
9. Audrey Hepburn issued June 11, 2003
10. John Wayne issued September 9, 2004
11. Henry Fonda issued May 20, 2005
12. Judy Garland issued June 10, 2006
13. Jimmy Stewart issued August 17, 2007
14. Bette Davis issued September 18, 2008
15. Gary Cooper issued September 10, 2009
16. Katharine Hepburn issued May 12, 2010

   It’s great to see the Postal Service help us remember Gregory Peck in the most visible of ways.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   BETTER WORLD BOOKS is a site that carries Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History. Currently, 22 copies are kept in their Indiana warehouse. Much like POWELL BOOKS, this is a multi-pronged national literary center that aggressively engages in the sales of books.

   Here’s a direct link:

 http://www.betterworldbooks.com/forgotten-hollywood-forgotten-history-id-1935359169.aspx

   What makes this organization special is their huge commitment to literacy. According to their website:

BETTER WORLD BOOKS collects and sells books online to fund literacy initiatives worldwide. With more than 8 million new and used titles in stock, we’re a self-sustaining company that creates social, economic and environmental value for all our stakeholders.

We were founded in 2002 by three friends from the University of Notre Dame who started selling textbooks online to earn some money, and ended up forming a pioneering social enterprise — a business with a mission to promote literacy. Thus far, we’ve donated 3.3 million books to programs around the world. Our five primary literacy partners are Books for Africa, Room to Read, Worldfund, Invisible Children, and the National Center for Family Literacy.

   I encourage you to purchase my paperback with a company dedicated to helping those less fortunate.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Legendary actress Debbie Reynolds will be our guest on the Forgotten Hollywood Radio Show  on The Spa next Saturday at 3pm. My co-host, Gary Lycan, will personally chat with the iconic star, and discuss a variety of topics, such as her storied career in cinema, her work as a dynamic songstress, and she will also share her thoughts about the many actors she’s appeared with during Hollywood’s Golden Age. Debbie will also select  some of her favorite Standards for us to play in this fine hour of radio.

   Fresh from her appearance at the TCM 2011 Film Festival, our special guest will also be promoting a memorabilia auction for the many MGM artifacts she has acquired over the years. Miss Reynolds will attend the auction at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills on June 18th. Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History can also be purchased at their gift shop while you’re there.

   Debbie Reynolds has appeared in top-notch motion pictures including Singin’ In The Rain, The Affairs of Dobie Gillis, The Tender Trap, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, How the West was Won, Tammy and the Bachelor, The Singing Nun, and naturally,  That’s Entertainment.

   Reynolds won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Catered Affair in 1956. She’s also received nominations for an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and several Emmy awards in a career that has spanned seven-decades. In 1996, Debbie received a Lifetime Acheivement accolade from American Comedy Awards. Tammy was her biggest selling single, and she received a Gold Record in 1957.

   She was married at one time to Eddie Fisher, and her daughter Carrie is a noted actress who  appeared in Star Wars.

   If you’re outside the Southern California broadcast area, Forgotten Hollywood can be heard by clicking on the KSPA link below:

http://tuner1.dc1.sonixtream.com/playlists/am1510kspa/am1510kspaKSPAAM.asx

   We’re proud to present to you a true living legend on AM 1450 and AM 1510 The Spa…  Miss Debbie Reynolds!

Until next time>                              “never forget”