Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

   Dick Van Dyke will receive the 2013 Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award at their next gala in January. The 86-year old actor can add this accolade to his multiple Emmys, Tonys, and a Grammy he has received.                              DICK VAN DYKE —>

   Dick Van Dyke is best remembered on the small screen for starring in Diagnosis Murder and The Dick Van Dyke Show. But, he’s had a rousing career in cinema and on Broadway. His credits in film include Bye Bye Birdie, What a Way to Go, Mary Poppins, Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N., Divorce American Style, Fitzwilly, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Comic, Cold Turkey, and Dick Tracy. He appeared on stage in Bye Bye Birdie, The Music Man, and Damn Yankees.

   His hometown is Danville, Illinois, which also produced Donald O’Connor, Gene Hackman and Bobby Short. His brother Jerry is also a well-known actor. Van Dyke delivered stirring eulogies of Stan Laurel and Buster Keaton, idols of his as a child. He began his entertainment career in radio during World War II, while serving in the United States Army Air Corps and Special Air Services. Van Dyke’s 2011 memoir My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business made the New York Times Best Sellers list.

   His good friend, Mary Tyler Moore, was award last year’s SAG Lifetime Achievement Award. The 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, January 27, 2013.

   Congratulations to the tireless Dick Van Dyke!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   My wife Laurie had a teriffic time over the weekend at the Global eBook Awards Gala in Santa Barbara. Held at the historic University Club, she met actress Marilu Henner and the Editor-in-Chief of the Midwest Book Review, James A. Cox.

            LAURIE PACHECO       JAMES A. COX               MARILU HENNER 

   The Midwest Book Review has given two 5-Star Reviews for my Forgotten Hollywood Book Series. I was additionally thrilled Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History was the eBook Finalist in the Entertaiment and Performing Arts category.

   Laurie took amazing photos!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   William Windom was an intelligent award-winning actor with the folksy attributes of a Will Rogers. His performances were quite understated in a way that Spencer Tracy and Paul Scofield crafted in their screen roles.

   Windom had a simple movie career with parts in To Kill a Mockingbird, For Love or Money, The Americanization of Emily, Hour of the Gun, The Gypsy Moths, Escape From Planet of the Apes, The Mephisto Waltz, and the remake of Miracle on 34th Street. He starred on the small screen, including in The Farmer’s Daughter and My World and Welcome To It. He was outstanding in episodes of The Twilight Zone, The Fugitive, Hawaii  Five-O, Columbo, Mission Impossible, Night Gallery, All in the Family, The Streets of San Francisco, and especially, in Star Trek. He was a regular on Murder She Wrote for over a decade.

   Like James Whitmore and Hal Holbrook, William Windom cemented his career legacy with one-man shows on stage, usually playing James Thurber. He was one of my favorite character actors who will be sorely missed.

   William Windom was 88.

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   Phyllis Diller was the zany comedian discovered by Groucho Marx on the You Bet Your Life game show. She was also a personal friend of Bob Hope. He invited her to perform with him in Vietnam in 1966 with his USO troupe during the height of the war. She also had a husband named Fang.

   Her film career included roles in Splendor in the Grass, Boy Did I Get the Wrong Number, and The Sunshine Boys. Our delight was  her live appearances on the variety show circuit, including What’s My Line, The Tonight Show, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, The Hollywood Squares, and The Gong Show. Merv Griffin and Mike Douglas also had her on as a frequent guest.

   With her signature laugh silenced, Phyllis Diller was 95.                         PHYLLIS DILLER

PHYLLIS DILLER  /  JOHNNY CARSON

Until next time>                                “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   GREAT NEWS!

   BARNES & NOBLE has placed Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History in many of their stores from coast-to-coast. The results are staggering…

   Here’s a preliminary list:

~ CALIFORNIA – Glendale / Huntington Beach / Long Beach (2) / Santa Monica Studio City / Orange / Thousand Oaks

~ NEW YORK – 5th Ave / Broadway / Downtown Manhattan (2) / Union Square

   Thirteen locations increases my overall total to 20!

   Thank you B&N…

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   Phyllis Thaxter was a pretty leading lady on Broadway and Hollywood. While at MGM, she appeared in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, The Sea of Grass, Bewitched, and Blood on the Moon. She moved to Warner Brothers, and co-starred in Jim Thorpe All American, and Fort Worth. She also had small roles in The World of Henry Orient and Superman (1978), playing Clark Kent’s ma.

   On television, she guest starred on Wagon Train, Rawhide, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and The Twilight Zone. She resembled Teresa Wright, and received the same type of parts  over her career.

   Her father was a member of the Maine Supreme Court. She worked steadily, despite an affliction with mild polio in the 1950s. Her friendship with Montgomery Clift was legendary.

   Phyllis Thaxter was 90, when she died on Tuesday.

Until next time>                              “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Helen Gurley Brown was a best-selling author and publisher. As the iconic editor-in-chief for Cosmopolitan Magazine for three decades, she spoke for woman’s issues, and captured the essence of the feminine mystique. Her husband produced top films, including Jaws, The Sting, Cocoon, and Driving Miss Daisy.

HELEN GURLEY BROWN

   Brown’s big break came when her book Sex and the Single Girl was published in 1962. The best-selling work made the scribe an international celebrity. The title was purchased by a top moviemaker, and the subsequent project became a vehicle for Natalie Wood, Tony Curtis, Henry Fonda, and Lauren Bacall. Her notable readers included Joan Crawford, Gypsy Rose Lee, and cast members of Sex and the City.

   Helen’s literary contributions and edited essays ushered in the sexual revolution of the 1960s, and influenced the concept of feminism. While at Cosmo, Burt Reynolds famously posed nude for the magazine.

   Together with her husband, she established the David and Helen Gurley Brown Institute for Media Innovation. Two campuses regard this project their home: Columbia University and Stanford. In September, 2008, she was named the 13th most powerful American over the age of 80 by Slate magazine.

   Helen Gurley Brown was 90.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   In the spirit of the Olympics, the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood was handed the baton from the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica to honor the late Ernest Borgnine. The weekend event takes place each night at 7:30p, August 16th – 19th.

    Here’s the schedule to make your plans:

~ THURSDAY – JOHNNY GUITAR / THE BANDLANDERS

~ FRIDAY – EMPEROR OF THE NORTH POLE / THE VIKINGS

~ SATURDAY – THE WILD BUNCH / THE DIRTY DOZEN

~ SUNDAY – MARTY / THE CATERED AFFAIR

  The Egyptian Theatre is located at 6712 Hollywood Blvd. The event is sponsored by American Cinematheque. According to their website:

The American Cinematheque is a non-profit, viewer-supported cultural organization dedicated exclusively to the public presentation of the Moving Picture in all its forms. The Cinematheque presents the best of film and video – ranging from the classics to the outer frontiers of the art form. Unlike an annual film festival, they screen year-round and are able to provide both the public and filmmakers with a permanent venue to enjoy and study film on the big screen.

 Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Kirk Douglas will be the very special guest on stage at a screening of Spartacus on August 13th at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Pete Hammond will serve as moderator for a discussion with the iconic 95-year old actor and producer.

   The event is sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, as part of The Last 70mm Film Festival. A special print of this 1960 classic is scheduled to run at 7:30p. The interview with the screen legend will begin at 7p. According The Academy website:

Tickets for Spartacus are now sold out. A standby line will form on the day of the event, and standby numbers will be assigned starting at approximately 5:30p. Any available tickets will be distributed shortly before the program begins. Ticket holders should plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of the event to ensure a seat in the theater. Doors open at 6:30p. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard.

The film won four Oscars,including Actor in a Supporting Role (Peter Ustinov), Color Art Direction (Alexander Golitzen, Eric Orbom; Set Decoration: Russell A. Gausman, Julia Heron), Color Cinematography (Russell Metty), and Color Costume Design (Valles, Bill Thomas). It also received nominations for Film Editing (Robert Lawrence) and Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Alex North).

   When the film was restored (two years after Laurence Olivier’s death) in 1991, the original dialogue recording of his bath scene was missing; it had to be re-dubbed. Tony Curtis was able to re-record his part, but the voice of Crassus was performed by Anthony Hopkins. A talented mimic, he’d been a protege of Olivier during his days as the National Theatre Artistic Director. Spartacus became the biggest moneymaker in Universal Studios history, an honor it held for a decade until it was surpassed by Airport (1970).

   Enjoy!

Until next time>                                “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   One of the most prolific composers for the stage and cinema has died. Marvin Hamlisch joins Richard Rodgers as the only one in music history to ever win an Oscar, Emmy, Tony, Grammy, and a Pulitzer Prize. You can also add two Golden Globes accomplishments.

   He wrote scores for two early Woody Allen films: Take the Money and Run and Bananas. He additionally created the musical soundtrack for Save the Tiger; The April Fools; The Spy Who Loved Me;  Same Time Next Year; Kotch; Sophie’s Choice; Ordinary People; Three Men and a Baby; and of course, The Way We Were; Ice Castles; and the Scott Joplin-adapted score for The Sting. His Broadway music score from A Chorus Line was also transferred to the screen.   MARVIN HAMLISCH (by Shel Secunda)

   Though known for his movie scores, Hamlisch was influenced by Broadway musicals, including My Fair Lady, Gypsy, West Side Story, and Bye Bye Birdie. Early in his career, he wrote songs performed by teen-idol Lesley Gore — Sunshines Lollipops and Rainbows and California Nights; the latter by the singer on the television series Batman. He began a writing collaboration with Carole Bayer Sager, which led to his first marriage.

   Marvin Hamlisch also took his show on the road, as the musical director for tours by Linda Ronstadt and Barbra Streisand. And for a time, he held the position of Principal Pops Conductor for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Pasadena Symphony and Pops. He was due to lead the New York Philharmonic during the upcoming 2013 New Year’s Eve concert.

   Marvin was working on a new musical, Gotta Dance; and he was scheduled to complete the score for a new Stephen Soderbergh bio-pic on Liberace, Behind the Candelabra, starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon.

   Marvin Hamlisch was 68.

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   Judith Crist was a scathing film critic who worked for the Today show on NBC; TV Guide; the New York Magazine; the New York Herald Tribune, and the New York Post. Along with Pauline Kael, Andrew Sarris, and Gene Shalit, Crist developed a nationwide following from their roots in The Big Apple.

    Crist’s early influence stemmed from a love of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Favorite classics include Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush, Gone With the Wind, The Grapes of Wrath, and everything produced by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Judith later helped further the careers of Robert Altman and Martin Scorsese. But, it was negative words that made Crist popular with her readers. Among her noted targets: Some Like It Hot; Spencer’s Mountain; Hurry Sundown; Cleopatra; and the rise in popularity of Italian cinema. Her friends were A-list Hollywood types… Bette Davis, Woody Allen, and director Joseph Mankiewicz. She played herself in a cameo in Stardust Memories.             JUDITH CRIST

   In 1963, Crist was awarded an Alumni Award by the Journalism School Alumni Association from Columbia University. She was a member of their Executive Committee, and served three terms as President of the Alumni Association during the 1960s.

   Judith Crist was 90.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Here’s an official report from fifty years ago:

8% milligram of chloral hydrate and 4.5% milligram of Nembutal were found in Marilyn Monroe’s system, and Dr. Thomas Noguchi of the Los Angeles County Coroners office recorded cause of death as acute barbiturate poisoning, resulting from a probable suicide.

   Truth be told, her death is still an official mystery. In many ways, unfortunately, it remains her most enduring legacy…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

Until next time>                                “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   With the 2012 Summer Olympics chugging along in London, the British Film Institute has made their choices for the greatest films of all time. These selections are compiled and updated every decade, and printed in their official magazine, Sight and Sound. There were 846 critics, programmers, academics and distributors who participated in this international survey.

   Vertigo narrowly trumped Citizen Kane as cinema’s finest contribution. This marks a first time that Alfred Hitchcock has bested Orson Welles in this kind of classic film analysis. Other  provincial entries in the Top 10 include 1927’s Sunrise, 2001:  A Space Odyssey and The Searchers. Contributions abroad by Jean Renoir and Federico Fellini were also mentioned.

   Personally, I’m astounded by the selection of #1. After recently watching Citizen Kane, I was again mesmerized by its intelligent craftsmanship. The cinematography is stunning. Vertigo is a faux Euro experience. The camera work is over-the-top and in-your-face, getting in the way of a convoluted plot line. The British film maker was better suited in delivering nonstop action in North By Northwest; riveting drama in Rear Window; and sheer terror in Psycho, considered by many theatre-goers, Hitchcock’s masterpiece of movie-making.

   Leave it to the British to get me to ardently be conflicted with their findings!

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   And, speaking of The Searchers… TCM began their month-long Summer Under the Stars with the legendary John Wayne. Each day, in the month of August, a different actor is featured in a 24-hour tribute. In honor of current Olympians, Johnny Weissmuller, who won five gold medals at the 1924 Summer Olympics, is featured on Friday in the fine Tarzan series.

   On Saturday, Turner Classic Movies will remember the passing of Marilyn Monroe, who died exactly 50 years ago. And, I’m looking forward to this Sunday’s homage to Claude Rains. I’d like to think my efforts in presenting the gifted actor in my Forgotten Hollywood Book Series had something to do with this day-long retrospective. Other actors from my work include Van Heflin, Lionel Barrymore, and Freddie Bartholomew.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Gore Vidal was an accomplished author, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and a political activist. His swath of friendship transcended American presidents, Oscar-winning actors,  scribes who earned a Pulitzer Prize, and other iconic 20th century figures. He was briefly engaged to Joanne Woodward, before she met Paul Newman; and Vidal was a distant relative to President Jimmy Carter and Vice President Al Gore. He was also a World War II veteran.

GORE VIDAL

   Vidal’s lineage included a grandfather who was Democratic Senator from Oklahoma; and his father was an athlete at in the 1920 and 1924 Summer Olympics; and he co-founded three American airlines, one with his great love, Amelia Earhart. His mother appeared on Broadway. Gore claimed she had a longtime affair with Clark Gable. She was also an alternate delegate to the 1940 Democratic National Convention.

   Gore Vidal’s body of work was so immense, he was often compared to Oscar Wilde; and his contemporaries — Norman Mailer and Truman Capote. His Hollywood connection was obvious. In 1956, Vidal was hired by MGM as a contract screenwriter. Director William Wyler had him work on a re-write of Ben-Hur, though didn’t receive title credit. He adapted his own stage  production of The Best Man to the screen in 1964. Gore was the cinematic author of The Catered Affair, I Accuse, Suddenly Last Summer, Is Paris Burning, and Caligula. Myra Breckinridge was developed into a creative film, but it received scathing negative movie reviews.

   As a political activist in 1960, Gore Vidal was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for Congress, losing an election in New York’s 29th Congressional District. Among his supporters were Eleanor Roosevelt, and ironically, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. He campaigned against incumbent Governor Jerry Brown for the California Democratic primary election to the United States Senate in 1982. Vidal lost to Brown in the primary. His political adversaries on television and in print included Mailer and William F. Buckley Jr.

   Among his literary accolades:  Newsweek once called Gore Vidal — the best all-around American man of letters since Edmund Wilson. The critic John Keats praised him as — the twentieth century’s finest essayist. Vidal won the National Book Award for Nonfiction in 1993 for his collection United States: Essays 1952–1992. In 2009, he won the annual Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from National Book Foundation, which called him — a prominent social critic on politics, history, literature, and culture. For over six decades, Vidal applied himself to a variety of socio-political, historical and literary themes.

   Gore Vidal — an ardent observer of post-war American modernism… and a self-proclaimed, unabashed national treasure — was 86.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History clearly examines the topic of Disability in Film. The catalyst of this most special of chapters is Lionel Barrymore, who pioneered non-disability roles  in cinema after 1938, while obviously confined to crutches or a wheelchair.

LIONEL BARRYMORE           PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH  

   To coincide with the 22nd anniversary of the signing of the American with Disabilities Act, in a ceremony conducted by President George Bush in 1990, Turner Classic Movies presents The Projected Image: A History of Disability in Film every Tuesday in October. According to the TCM website:

TCM’s exploration of disability in cinema provides many Oscar-winning and nominated films, including An Affair to Remember (1957); A Patch of Blue (1965); Butterflies Are Free (1972); Johnny Belinda (1948); The Miracle Worker (1962); Charly (1968); One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975); and most notably, The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). The Projected Image: A History of Disability in Film also features several lesser-known classics ripe for rediscovery, including the atmospheric Val Lewton chiller Bedlam (1946).

Lawrence Carter-Long of the National Council on Disability will offer fascinating, historical background and thought-provoking insight on how cinematic portrayals of disability have evolved over time. The series features more than 20 films ranging from the 1920s to the 1980s. Each night’s collection will explore particular aspects, themes, or types of disability, such as blindness, deafness, and psychiatric or intellectual disabilities. In addition, one evening of programming will focus on newly disabled veterans returning home from war.

   On a personal note, I’m thrilled my literary work provides additional inspiration and historical perspective on this most important of issues. For complete information, visit the TCM website:

http://www.tcm.com/this-month/movie-news.html?id=501352&name=The-Projected-Image-A-History-of-Disability-in-Film-in-October

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Tony Martin was a contemporary of Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, and he appeared in dozens of motion pictures during Hollywood’s studio era. He also wed Alice Faye, and the crooner had a lasting partnership with Cyd Charisse. Martin was also popular during radio’s heyday.

   After being cast in a bit part in an Astaire-and-Rogers vehicle, Follow That Fleet, Martin was signed by 20th Century Fox in 1936. MGM later bought out his contract. His cinematic career includes Pigskin Parade; Ali Baba Goes to Town; Ziegfeld Girl; Sally, Irene and Mary; and he was particularly memorable in The Big Store with the Marx Brothers; and Til the Clouds Roll By.  TONY MARTIN

   For a number of years, Tony Martin recorded with Decca Records, and he had hits such as South of the Border, Fools Rush In, Begin the Beguine, and To Each His Own. After leaving the label, he signed with Mercury Records, and later, with RCA Victor. His songs continued to sell, including his versions of It’s Magic, La Vie en Rose, I Apologize, and Stranger in Paradise. During World War II, he was assigned to Capt. Glenn Miller’s band as a corporal in the United States Air Force.

   He was a featured vocalist on the George Burns and Gracie Allen radio program. The Tony Martin Show, a 15-minute television variety program, aired on NBC from 1954 to 1956 prior to the evening newscast.

   The tall baritone worked with Judy Garland, The Ritz Brothers, Eddie Cantor, James Stewart, Lana Turner, Barbara Stanwyck, Joel McCrea, and Esther Williams. His long marriage to Cyd Charisse lasted sixty years, until her death in 2008. Tony was into his 90s when he retired from nightclub performances.

   Tony Martin was 98.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   My Summer Book Tour is set to keep me busy through Labor Day. With stops at Knotts Berry Farm, UCLA, and CINECON, Southern California folks will be able to enjoy the chance to purchase the Forgotten Hollywood Book Series. Here’s my busy August schedule:

~ August 1st / BUENA PARK ROTARY CLUB – Network meets at Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant in Buena Park at 12 noon.

~ August 9th / WESTWOOD VILLAGE ROTARY CLUB – Network meets at the Faculty Center on the campus of UCLA at 12 noon.

~ August 11th / CALIFORNIA WRITERS CLUB OF LONG BEACH – Monthly meeting at the Los Altos Branch Library at 2:30p. The meeting is FREE! All aspiring scribes in the area are welcome to attend.

~ August 14th / ROTARY CLUB SANTA FE SPRINGS – Network meets at Candlewood Country Club in Whittier at 12 noon.

~ August 23rd / RIO HONDO – VERNON ROTARY CLUB – Network meets at Steven’s Steakhouse in Commerce at 12 noon.

~ August 31st / CINECON 48 – Memorabilia Show takes place at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood. All silent movie and classic film buffs are invited to attend.

   How fitting that I close out my Summer Book Tour in Hollywood! My Fall Book Tour will begin on September 11th. Highlights include visits to Granada Hills, Laguna Woods, Manhattan Beach, Duarte, Dominguez Hills, Woodland Hills, and at the BUENA PARK MOOSE for the presentation of monies raised from my official MOOSEHEART charity campaign. Details to follow!

Until next time>                               “never forget”