Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

   Yesterday was Veterans Day. Today, we honor our men and women who have served our country so admirably in combat, and in times of peace. My good friend, Eve Rojas (who is a literary critic), posted this wonderful flyer. She asked her friends to pass this along:

   Veterans Day coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day, marking the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice ending World War I. (Major hostilities were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with Germans signing the Armistice)

   President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on June 4, 1926, requesting that President Calvin Coolidge issue a proclamation to observe November 11th with appropriate ceremonies. A Congressional Act was approved May 13, 1938 that the 11th of November in each year should become a legal holiday. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill into law the expansion to honor ALL vets on May 26, 1954.

   I’m happy to oblige and list the restaurants. It’s the least I can do to say THANK YOU for the previous service of our veterans.

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   Early this morning, I received a gracious phone call from Bill Airey, CEO of MOOSE Charities, to thank me for my recent donation to MOOSEHEART. His message was warm and heartfelt, and Bill expressed that in this economy, donations of $2400 are few and far between. I thanked him for his daily work, and I also mentioned the conspired efforts of Buena Park MOOSE #1945 to help make this happen.                                                 BILL AIREY ——>

   MOOSE Charities Inc. is a registered nonprofit, Illinois-based 501 (c)3 charity, with the primary goal of providing the necessary resources for the continued support and maintenance of MOOSEHEART  Child City & School and MOOSEHAVEN Retirement Community.

   It was a great way to start my day!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   My unions have a special message to impart, helping certain victims of Superstorm Sandy:

PLEASE DONATE TODAY

 The SAG Foundation, SAG Motion Picture Players Welfare Fund, and the AFTRA Foundation have come together to provide immediate support to active SAG-AFTRA members affected by Superstorm Sandy. Each has made a significant contribution to this fund; and with additional donations from members, a much greater impact can be made, and more members served.

   I’m thrilled to pass this plea for assistance along. I hope it helps my brethren in need.

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   Henry Colman was a television executive and producer, whose production credits include The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, Peyton Place, The Many Lives of Dobie Gillis, Dr. Kildare, Hawaii 5-0, The Odd Couple, Mannix, Love American Style, Hotel, and notably, The Love Boat.

   In the 1950s, he started as an assistant to the director for Kraft Television Theatre, and later worked on Robert Montgomery Presents and the Colgate Comedy Hour. His early success led to his becoming an executive producer with CBS Television. In 1970, Henry was promoted to vice president of television programs at Paramount Studios.

   After Colman retired from network television, he began  conducting a series of video interviews for the Television Academy Foundation’s Archive of American Television. He spoke with such luminaries as Ernest Borgnine, George Carlin, and Aaron Spelling.                    HENRY COLMAN –>

   Henry Colman was 89.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The Los Angeles Press Club has just announced the 2012 Finalists for the National Entertainment Journalism Awards. The event will take place on November 18th at the Millennium Bilmore Hotel in the Crystal Ballroom. It’s the 5th Annual gala.

   As I previously alluded to, the LA Press Club will honor two-time Oscar-winner Jane Fonda with its inaugural Visionary Award. Legendary actor / director Robert Redford will introduce Ms. Fonda. Jeff Daniels is also scheduled to make an appearance.

The Visionary Award pays homage to an individual within the Entertainment Industry who uses their high-profile status to make the world a better place and to spread information about issues of freedom and social importance.

          JANE FONDA           ROBERT REDFORD     JAMES FRANCO    KATHY GRIFFIN  

   Expected A-List attendees include Kathy Griffin, presenting a career achievement award to Janice Min, Executive Editor at the Hollywood Reporter; and James Franco, former co-host of the Academy Awards, and Oscar-nominee (Best Actor). Jane Fonda’s ex-husband Ted Turner, Michael Douglas, and Dolly Parton have expressed their desire to attend.

   The Forgotten Hollywood franchise is well represented. Here are the gracious announced accolades for my literary and journalistic work:

~ Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten Forgotten History is nominated for Best Book /  Orange County Register radio columnist Gary Lycan is also being recognized for writing the Introduction to my latest paperback (Best Book is a new category designation)

~ Forgotten Hollywood is a Finalist for Online Entertainment Blog by an Individual / I’m thrilled and in awe one of the nominees is James Franco, who writes a blog for the Huffington Post (the second time this year my website has been recognized by LA Press Club)

                         MANNY PACHECO                            GARY LYCAN 

   In addition:

~ Gary Lycan, Orange County Register, received a nod in the TOP competitive category: Entertainment Journalist of the Year – All Platforms (final award of the evening)

~ Gary Lycan is additionally a Finalist for Print – Newspapers or Magazines Columnist /Kathy Griffin also received a nomination, writing a column for the Hollywood Reporter 

   Congrats to my dear friend, and my talented Forgotten Hollywood radio show co-host, for this deserved recognition from NEJ…

   Here’s a link with the complete list of 2012 Finalists:

http://lapressclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Finalists_NEJ_2012.pdf

   Kudos to all the 2012 nominees for this prestigious award. Bulletins as they break!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Theatre-going audiences in the Pacific Northwest will have the unique opportunity to enjoy a thoughtfully planned double bill on November 14th. Part of the year-round Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) program, virtually join the Master of Suspense, and his seminal film back on the big screen. Ticket holders to Psycho receive priority seating for a special screening of Hitchcock from Fox Searchlight Pictures.

   It’s all happening at the SIFF Cinema Uptown, located at 511 Queen Anne Ave. North. Tickets are $15, but SIFF members will be given a discount and only have to pay $10. The double-bill screening begins promptly at 7p.

   SIFF’s mission is to create experiences bringing people together to discover extraordinary films from around the world. It’s through the art of cinema that they foster a community more informed, aware, and alive. Hitchcock opens in nationally in select theaters on November 23rd. It stars Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, and Toni Colette.

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   Ann Arbor’s non-profit center for fine film and the performing arts, the Michigan Theatre is hosting a FREE Holiday Classic Film series. Their schedule includes: Meet Me in St. Louis on Saturday, December 1st; the original Miracle on 34th Street on Sunday, December 16th; and It’s a Wonderful Life on Sunday December 23rd. All screenings begin at 1:30p.

   The Michigan Theatre is west of State St., in downtown Ann Arbor at 603 E. Liberty St. These timeless classics will put any Midwest family in the mood for the Holidays!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   It’s only fitting on the eve of Election Day, the Forgotten Hollywood Book Series will NOW be officially housed in a combined 100 libraries. And, these latest shelves are found at the  Motion Picture and Television Fund in Woodland Hills, CA. Overall, Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History is in 85 branches, and Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History rests in 39 libraries.

   The Motion Picture and Television Fund is celebrating 90 years in existence. Right from the start, their mission statement has been We Take Care of Our Own.

   The organization has its origins from cinematic luminaries as Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D.W. Griffith, who realized the need for reaching out to those in the  movie industry who fell upon hard times. The original Board of Trustees included many of the big names in Hollywood such as Harold Lloyd, William S. Hart, Jesse Lasky, Douglas Fairbanks, Cecil B. DeMille, Donald Crisp (an actor in my book series), Hal Roach, and Irving Thalberg. It was known then as the Motion Picture Relief Fund (MPRF).

   In 1932, Mary Pickford spearheaded the Payroll Pledge Program, a monetary deduction plan for those earning over $200 a week. Studio workers were encouraged to pledge one-half of one percent of their earnings to MPRF. In 1938, MPRF increased participation in the Payroll Pledge Program by including talent, unions, and producer representatives. SAG improved this effort by ruling for compulsory contributions by its Class A members.

   SAG Prez Jean Hersholt searched for an opportunity to supplement income produced by the Payroll Pledge. Jules Stein came up with the idea to have major movie stars appear on a new radio program, The Screen Guild Show, whereby they would donate their normal salaries to MPRF. Members of the Directors Guild and Writers Guild also contributed their services.

   Sponsored by Gulf Oil, The Screen Guild Show  made its premiere on over 61 CBS stations in 1939. The first program featured the iconic Jack Benny, Judy Garland and Joan Crawford. The Screen Guild Show quickly became one of the most popular programs on network radio, raising $5.3 million for MPRF during its 13-year run. Most major actor participated a number of times: Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, Gary Cooper, Bing Crosby, Natalie Wood, Carole Lombard, Bob Hope, Betty Grable, Clark Gable, Tyrone Power, and the list goes on.

   The Motion Picture Relief Fund broke ground on the existing facility in Woodland Hills in 1948 under the supervision of Jean Hersholt. The Motion Picture & Television Fund mission remains the same: preserve the health and quality of life of those who devote so much of their lives to a career in the entertainment industry. Donations are vital to MPTF’s ability to provide services to its retired industry members.

   Donations including literary books that share untold stories about Hollywood’s Golden Age… wink!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Two-time Oscar-winner Jodie Foster has been tapped to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes ceremony in January, recognizing her 40-year career as an actress, director, and movie producer. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has selected her to become the recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award.                                      JODIE FOSTER——————->

   After a successful career on the small screen, Foster made the successful jump to feature films, including Taxi Driver, Freaky Friday, Bugsy Malone, The Hotel New Hampshire, Little Man Tate, Maverick, and Nell. She received her Academy Awards for performances in The Accused and Silence of the Lambs.

   Jodie Foster began her career at age three as a Coppertone Girl in a commercial, and debuted on a television weekly series in a 1968 episode of Mayberry R.F.D.  She also had guest-starring roles in The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, Adam 12, Gunsmoke, My Three Sons, Bonanza, and The Partridge Family.

   Life imitated art when John Hinckley Jr. became obsessed with Foster after watching Taxi Driver, and stalked the actress while she was attending Yale. His assassination attempt on President Reagan in 1981, forced her to hold a press conference, and write an essay article (Why Me?) for Esquire Magazine . She’s been known to walk out of interviews if Hinckley is even mentioned. I refer to this as a Hollywood-and-Vine moment; Americana intersecting with Tinsel Town.

   Jodie Foster will be presented with the award at the Golden Globes ceremony in Beverly Hills on January 13th. The star is the first female to receive the accolade since Barbra Streisand in 1999. She’s also the fourth youngest selection in the history of the presentation; her 50th birthday is in a couple of weeks.

   Other actor-recipients include Bette Davis, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Gregory Peck, Joan Crawford, James Stewart, John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Gene Kelly; and more recently, Dustin Hoffman, Elizabeth Taylor, Jack Lemmon, Gene Hackman, Lauren Bacall, Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum, Jack Nicholson, and last year, Morgan Freeman. Her co-star in Silence of the Lambs, Anthony Hopkins, was given the award. Producers and directors as Cecil B. DeMille (of course) Samuel Goldwyn, Walt Disney, Daryl F. Zanuck, Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg also accepted the statuette in previous years

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   OUR GANG at Forgotten Hollywood reminds you on November 6th to exercise America’s greatest gift:  V-O-T-E !! 

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The oldest living Oscar-winning Best Actor has received a unique honor. Prime Minister Perry Christie officially renamed the Paradise Island Bridge: the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge as part of next month’s 40th anniversary celebration of Bahamian Independence. Hundreds of spectators cheered as the 88-year old actor and Prime Minister arrived for the rechristening.

   Though Sidney Poitier was born in Miami, he spent his childhood on Cat Island, a sparsely populated island in the central Bahamas; then a British colony. At age 10, his family moved to Nassau.

   Sidney Poitier became the first male black actor nominated for a competitive Academy Award for The Defiant Ones in 1958. He actually took home the Oscar for Lilies of the Field in 1963. His breakout part was when he played a member of an incorrigible high school gang in the 1955 classic Blackboard Jungle. The African American actor actively sought non-stereotypical roles throughout most of his career, and he’s credited in altering the landscape in cinema for all minorities.

   Sharing dual-citizenship, in April 1997, Sidney was first appointed Ambassador of the Bahamas to Japan, a position he currently holds. He’s also the Bahamian Ambassador to UNESCO. On August, 2009, Sidney Poitier was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian honor, by President Barack Obama.

   The former Paradise Island Bridge is the largest in the Bahamas. It connects the capital to the Atlantis resort, one of the region’s main tourist destinations.

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   A quick reminder to Fall Back an hour on Saturday evening…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The Walt Disney Family Museum is pleased to announce the exhibition, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Creation of a Classic, celebrating the 75th anniversary of Walt Disney’s first feature-length animated motion picture. On public display from November 15th to April 14th, this exhibit celebrates:

Walt Disney’s vision and the artistry of his dedicated staff, illustrating how they shaped and defined an entirely new American art form through their creation of this groundbreaking film.

   Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Creation of a Classic features more than 200 works of art, including concept illustrations, early character studies, detailed story sketches, and animation drawings. The Walt Disney Family Museum will also host a series of public programs, events, and activities related to this special tribute. Highlights include:

~ Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will screen throughout November and December.

~  From Page to Screen: The Evolution of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – Lella Smith, creative director of the Walt Disney Animation Research Library and exhibition curator, and J.B. Kaufman, Disney author and historian, will retrace the remarkable chain of adaptations,  leading to its historic premiere. This panel discussionis taking place on Saturday, November 17th at 3p. After the presentation, J.B. will sign copies of his latest work.

~ Animate Your Night: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Opening Celebration –  An after-hours party is set for Friday, November 30th at 7p. A highlight of the evening will be so-called Poison Apple Cider!

~ Animate Your Night: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Old Hollywood Red Carpet Premiere – On Friday, December 21st at 7p, a 1930s, 75th anniversary party for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

   Walt Disney Studios released Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at Hollywood’s Carthay Circle Theater, December 21st, 1937. Disney’s groundbreaking animation drew worldwide acclaim, winning awards from the New York Film Critics Circle, and Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences. The movie also received an honorary statuette at the Oscar ceremony in 1938.

   The Walt Disney Family Museum is located at 104 Montgomery St. in San Francisco. For more info about this magical ongoing exhibit:

http://www.waltdisney.org/snow-white

Until next time>                               “never forget”