Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

   The Workshop Theatre is proud to be Calgary’s longest running community theatre (since 1969). They are pleased to announce The War of the Worlds, which opens on October 29th. It’s the 75th anniversary of the Mercury Theatre broadcast.

   Shortly after 8p on Halloween Eve, 1938, the voice of a panicked radio announcer broke in with a news bulletin reporting strange explosions taking place on Mars; followed minutes later by a report Martians had landed in the tiny hamlet of Grovers Mill, New Jersey. Although most listeners understood the program was a radio drama, the next day’s headlines reported that thousands of others plunged into panic, convinced America was under a deadly Martian attack. It was an episode from the drama anthology series – Mercury Theatre on the Air. Aired over the CBS radio network, and directed and narrated by Orson Welles, it was adaptated from H.G. Wells’s novel, War of the Worlds (1898).

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) investigated the radio  show, but found no laws were broken. Networks agreed to be more cautious in their future programming. The actor feared the controversy generated by The War of the Worlds would ruin his career. However, the publicity helped land him a contract with a Hollywood studio. By 1941, Welles directed, produced, wrote, and starred in the iconic Citizen Kane. In 2003, the Mercury Theatre broadcast of The War of the Worlds was added to the National Recording Registry of Library of Congress.  ORSON WELLES

   The War of the Worlds is brought to life at the Pumphouse Theatres (10/29 – 11/02) in the Joyce Doolittle Theatre at 2140 Pumphouse Ave. SW. Shows start at 7:30 pm.

   Western Canada… Prepare to be frightened… ay!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Wicked has shown the heart, brains, and courage to reign as the highest-grossing show on Broadway for about a decade. The Wizard of Oz-related stage phenomenon continues to set records around the world. From its 1.1 million Facebook followers to its nearly 100 global awards, including three Tonys and a Grammy.

   Ironically, one of the beneficiaries of Wicked’s success is Universal Pictures. They decided not to pursue a related movie project, but did invest in the stage version. It’s the single most lucrative project the movie studio has been involved with. Considering they’ve produced E.T., Jaws, and Jurassic Park… that’s quite an accomplishment.

   The stage show has also become an international success, too. In Finland or Japan, by comparison, audiences don’t know the first thing about Dorothy and Cowardly Lion, let alone the witches, Elphaba and Glinda. Nevertheless, Wicked has been an equally incredible success in these and many other countries.

   Based on Gregory Maguire’s novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, there was a question whether this would succeed in New York. After ten record breaking years and nearly 7.5 million tickets sold at the Gershwin Theatre alone, it’s safe to say the question has been answered.

   The merry old land of Oz continues to reign supreme, which is good news for folks of all ages.

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   A stage adaptation based on An American in Paris with music by George and Ira Gershwin is  headed for Broadway in 2015 after a stop in — where else? — Paris next December. The 1951 movie won an Oscar for Best Picture, and starred Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, and Oscar Levant. It was inspired by a 1928 orchestral composition by the Gershwins.

                                             GENE KELLY                 LESLIE CARON

    The score includes the tunes I Got Rhythm, Our Love Is Here To Stay, But Not For Me, S’Wonderful, Stairway to Paradise, and They Can’t Take That Away. It will follow on the heels of other recent Gershwin stage hits, Nice Work If You Can Get It and Porgy and Bess.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   This weekend, I’ll be at a historic cemetery in Orange County, CA, for a major tour event and fundraiser that benefits the iconic Howe Waffle House in Santa Ana. Here are details of my appearance:

SANTA ANA HISTORY – 16th ANNUAL HISTORICAL CEMETERY TOUR

Creative Genius: Artists and Inventors in Orange County History

Fairhaven Memorial Park and Santa Ana Cemetery

1702 Fairhaven Ave., Santa Ana, CA

October 19th

Saturday 11p – 3p

   This guided historical tour of Fairhaven Memorial Park and Santa Ana Cemetery features costumed actors portraying historic figures who share stories from Orange County’s past. For example, Fender and Rickenbacker are household names to famous folks involved in modern music, and both grew up in Orange County. Performers playing electric guitar pioneers, F.C. Hall and Leo Fender (who was born in Anaheim),  will explain their influence on the music scene of the 1950s and 1960s,  such as the Beach Boys, the Byrds and the Beatles. O.C. has been home to the imaginative, the artistic, and the inspired.   LEO FENDER ——>

   Docents will guide visitors through scenes that played creative roles in the recent history of the county, culminating in a presentation in Fairhaven’s beautiful 1916 mausoleum. A lovely outdoor setting and close access to the actors make this an entertaining outing for the whole family. Comfortable shoes are recommended for the hour-and-a-half long walking tour.

   The event is hosted by the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society. Tix: adults $20; seniors and members $16; and students $14. Children 9 and under are free. If you live in the Southern California area, I’ll be signing copies of my Forgotten Hollywood Book  Series, great gifts for the Holiday season.

   I hope to see you out there.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Henry Bushkin was the longtime barrister and advocate of the late-night king of television. His new book, Johnny Carson, is a juicy peek inside the noted celebrity’s life. Bushkin’s memoir is a well-written corporate tale that reveals the tough business of staying America’s favorite host for four decades; full of stories about money, sex, skullduggery, and plenty of laughs.

   Bushkin began handling Carson’s affairs in 1970. Johnny eventually let him go after nearly two decades of service. In between, an engrossing story emerged. Few books like Johnny Carson have been more telling.

   For example, the television personality had multiple issues with his many wives, including a lack of fidelity that led to a sad confrontation with his second spouse and sportscaster Frank Gifford; and a poor decision to dissolve a pre-nuptual agreement, costing Johnny $35 million after a messy divorce with his third wife. While single, his skirt-chasing earned a beating from a gangster’s entourage, and a mob contract. Bushkin says some high-level discussions allowed Carson to walk the streets of New York again without fear of being killed for hitting on the wrong guy’s gal.

   Bushkin’s memoir adds shading to a portrait already established. The master of the talk-show medium was often uncomfortable with individuals. He could be generous, witty, and a joy to be around — but in a flash, turn cruel and cold. Television’s controversial Midwesterner was also a roving husband, unpredictable when drunk, a four-pack-a-day smoker, and prone to obscenity-laden rants. When he drove his vehicle, he usually carried a handgun for protection, according to the legal scribe. In Bushkin’s telling, Carson was too trusting of financial advisers, making him an easy victim of bad deals (including a dubious relationship with a lawyer that is capitalizing on his fame after his passing).

   Johnny Carson is a must-read for all of its insights and details. The literary work is published through Eamon Dolan/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

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   Ed Lauter often played menacing folks in cinema. The veteran actor was instantly recognizable in scores of movies and television programs during a busy career stretching across five decades.   ED LAUTER —>

   Ed appeared in the final motion picture directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Family Plot. Other film roles included The Longest Yard, King Kong,  Cujo, Breakheart Pass, Death Wish 3, Born on the Fourth of July, The Rocketeer, and The Artist. Lauter had small screen appearances in The A-Team, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The X-Files, Kojak, ER, Murder She Wrote, The Rockford Files, and The Office.

   The versatile Ed Lauter was 74.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Local literary works can be a surprising source of home state pride, no matter where you’re from. Here’s a compiled list of the generally-regarded most famous book set in each state (or commonwealth).

   Many of these works have translated well into cinema. How many have you read?

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   In December, Screen Plays presents Parfumerie, directed by Meredith Carroll. Patrons of all ages will enjoy an immersive experience with a broad audience appeal. The stage production is conveniently timed for families to enjoy at Christmas time. You’ll adore the costumes and sets.

   Parfumerie is a delightful comedy set in the 1930s, which immerses its audience through the tangled lives and emotional ties of the employees and the owner of a Budapest cosmetics shop. Only the truth can lead to a happy resolution in this old-fashioned holiday tale.

   This romantic play has been adapted by E. P. Dowdall from the Hungarian work Illatszertar by Miklos Laszlo. The original production inspired several iconic cinematic pictures: The Shop Around the Corner (featuring James Stewart, Margaret Sullavan, Joseph Schildkraut, Frank Morgan, and directed by the legendary Ernst Lubitsch; In the Good Old Summertime (with Van Johnson, Judy Garland, and S.Z. Sakall); and more recently, You’ve Got Mail (starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan).

   It’s Hollywood’s Golden Age on stage brought to you by the Big Apple’s Screen Plays!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   To coincide with the anniversary of MGM’s  classic motion picture, The Wizard of Oz, the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine opened the exhibition The Wonderful World of Oz over the weekend. The exhibit, drawn from the world’s most comprehensive collection of Oz materials, will run through March 2014 in the Crosman Gallery.

Manny P. here…

   The company that owns the West Hollywood movie studio known as The Lot has revised its controversial development plans for the historic property. CIM Group, which began demolition in April 2012 before plans stalled, says it’s proposing a more favorable preservation plan for the property at the southwest corner of Santa Monica Blvd. and Formosa Ave. They’ve decided to demolish and rebuild some of the movie studio buildings. Before halting demolition, CIM razed the Pickford Building despite protests from preservationists.

   The 10-acre movie studio and backlot was built in 1919. A few years later, silent-era stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks purchased the property, calling it Pickford-Fairbanks Studio, and also known as Pickfair Studios; and later, the United Artists Studio, Samuel Goldwyn Studio, and Warner Hollywood Studio. Many classic movies such as Some Like it Hot, The Apartment, West Side Story, and The Manchurian Candidate were filmed there. The studio was awarded with the Oscar for Best Sound in 1968 for In the Heat of the Night. Across the street is the Formosa Cafe, a legendary Hollywood hangout.

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   Scott Carpenter was the second American to orbit the Earth, and the fourth in space, following Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom, and John Glenn. He was one of the original seven astronauts selected for NASA’s Project Mercury in 1959, and chronicled in The Right Stuff.

   Chosen for Project Mercury, Carpenter served as backup pilot for Glenn, who flew the first US orbital mission on the Friendship 7 in February of 1962. After Deke Slayton withdrew on medical grounds from thesecond manned orbital flight, Carpenter was assigned to replace him. He flew into space on May 24th, aboard the Mercury-Atlas 7 rocket for a three-orbit science mission that lasted nearly five hours.   SCOTT CARPENTER –>

   Carpenter was also the first American astronaut to eat solid food in space. Due to a major splashdown controversy, the authentic hero never flew another mission in space. He returned to work at NASA as Executive Assistant to the Director of the Manned Spacecraft Center. He retired from the Navy in 1969, after which he founded Sea Sciences, Inc., a corporation for developing programs for utilizing ocean resources and improving environmental health.

   After Scott Carpenter’s passing on Thursday, John Glenn became the last living member of the Mercury Seven. He was 88.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Southern California is celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of Tinsel Town’s most iconic  film landmarks: The Cinerama Dome, a geodesic structure boasting a screen of 32 x 86 with a 146 degree curve. Opened on November 7th, 1963, the Dome was designed to show movies in the Cinerama process, known for its ultra-realistic projection, and is currently one of only three theaters of the kind left in the world.

   For this extended event, the locale is screening modern classics in The Dome featuring Q&As with such industry luminaries as Oliver tone, Michael York, Mickey Rooney, Marvin Kaplan, and Barrie Chase, and Steven Spielberg with more to come. 3D fine art prints with proceeds going to AFI will be available. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime celebration.

Screenings include:

~ 10/22 – RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK @6p

~ 10/25 – AMERICAN BEAUTY @ 7:30p

~ 10/27 – IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD @ 5p

~ 10/29 – LOGAN’S RUN @ 7:30p

   This is a must-stop for visitors of Hollywood…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Disney’s paper stock certificates with images of Walt Disney surrounded by Mickey Mouse, Dumbo, Donald Duck, Bambi, Winnie the Pooh, Pinocchio, and Tinker Bell on them, have long been collector’s items, and a fixture in many children’s bedrooms. They remain a popular gift among parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts who want to teach children about the stock market.

   But, The Walt Disney Co. said Tuesday it will stop issuing the paper stock certificates to shareholders on October 16th. It’s sad news for collectors who covet everything Disney. It’s not shocking to those that watch the stock market. US companies have been switching to electronic stocks from paper for years in order to cut costs. Bank of America Corp. stopped offering paper stocks in August to cut costs. There are few child-friendly paper stocks left that parents can still buy. Paper stock of DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., the animation studio, has a drawing of Shrek.

    GiveAShare sells the stock in a black frame for $146. A Disney share on the New York Stock Exchange was worth nearly $64 on Wednesday. Disney announced instead of the stock certificate, they are offering shareholders certificates of acquisition. But, they’ll hold no value. After Disney stock vanishes, they are expected to become collectibles.

   The certificates have stamps and engravings on them to prevent fraud, and the paper is thicker. That can get expensive. Fixing a typo or transferring ownership of the stock also adds to costs.When the Pixar animation studio was bought by Disney in 2006, collectors rushed to buy Pixar’s printed stock certificate. It had drawings of its famous characters on it, including Woody and Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story franchise of movies. Today, Scripophily.com is selling a Pixar stock certificate for nearly $600. (Pixar shares were trading near $60 before Disney bought it.) The certificate has gotten more valuable because it has the signature of Pixar’s CEO at the time, Apple Inc. founder Steve Jobs, who died in 2011.

   By next week, Disney’s stock on paper will become, shall we say, Grim Grinning Ghosts!  And, so it goes.

ASSCOCIATED PRESS CONTRIBUTED TO THE STORY

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Rudyard Kipling was one of the popular English writers, in both prose and verse, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He’s chiefly remembered for his fictionalized accounts of exploits by British soldiers in India and popular tales for children. His literary reputation, based on the long-standing right-of-passage that grew during the Victorian Age, has tarnished since Great Britain would lose esteem as a global power after World War II.

   In honor of his connections to Vermont, a group of scholars known as the Kipling Society is holding its symposium outside the United Kingdom for the first time. They’ll be touring a home the author built in the shape of a ship, high on a hill overlooking the Connecticut River. The scribe named the house Naulakha. It still stands on Kipling Road, three miles north of Brattleboro. And, during the four years he lived there, one of the greatest chroniclers of 19th-century British imperialism snowshoed in winter, went to barn dances, and made friends with his neighbors. This was a wonderful time in his life, with the birth of his first child Josephine; the joyous retirement of his father; and visitors from such notables as Arthur Conan Doyle. Kipling even took up golf. RUDYARD KIPLING (in NAULAKHA)–>

   His seclusion in Vermont kept Rudyard both inventive and prolific. He lived in Dummerston from 1892 to 1896 when he first wrote the children’s classic Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. He also wrote iconic stories, including The Jungle Book  and Captains Courageous. His fine collection of Barrack-Room Ballads was issued in March 1892, first published individually in 1890, and containing his poetic masterpieces of imagination, Mandalay and Gunga Din. Kipling’s work translated well to cinema, especially during Hollywood’s Studio Era.

   Part of the draw for the 60 scholars visiting this week from the United Kingdom and the US will be today’s tour of Naulakha. They are also viewing some of the Kipling holdings, such as the contents of a safe deposit box discovered untouched in the early 1990s after almost a century in a bank in Brattleboro. Among the items in it were a copy of his marriage license, a will, and other personal documents. Organizers hope the meeting will serve to revive Kipling’s reputation.

   The noted symposium ends later today at Vermont’s Marlboro College.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Readers’ Favorite has announced the results of their literary competition through a premium press release which will be placed into RSS feeds with more than 250,000 subscribers including bloggers, journalists, and consumers. The release will also be sent to more than 35,000 opt-in journalists, including the Associated Press, and top US newspapers like USA Today, as well as, search engines like Yahoo and Google, and popular social media sites like Facebook and Twitter (1.1 million followers strong)! Results through a professional, high distribution press release is articulated in the visual diagram (below):

   In addition to the external press release dispersed today, Readers’ Favorite is also sending an internal mailing to their membership base, which contains thousands of authors, agents, and publishers who use the website services. As a result, Readers’ Favorite should see a dramatic rise in traffic over the next 30-60 days, both to the contest winner’s pages, and to the review pages of all authors.

   Over 250 scribes are planning to attend the 2013 Awards Ceremony from as far away as Pakistan, Singapore, Australia, United Kingdom, and India! Your friendly blogger from Cypress, California will be at this star-studded  afternoon of fun. The event will run in conjunction with the Miami Book Fair International. The Readers’ Favorite participation at the festival’s Street Faire takes place on November 22nd-24th. My honored paperback,  Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History, the recent Gold Medal recipient, will proudly be displayed at their booth.

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<——– A.C. Lyles was a movie producer for Paramount Pictures, who’s best known for producing a variety of low budget Westerns in the 1950s and 1960s. His formidable fingerprints can be found in Golden Age cinematic faire, including The Mountain (starring Spencer Tracy and Robert Wagner); Short Cut to Hell (directed by James Cagney); and the epic Korean War film, The Young and the Brave.

   A.C. became the studio’s longest-serving Paramount employee during a tenure that lasted more than three-quarters of a century. The outgoing Lyles became friendly with most of the major stars of the era, including Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, Ronald Reagan, and William Holden. He persuaded friends such as Joel McCrea, Randolph Scott, Jane Russell, Pat O’Brien and Dana Andrews to appear in his films. Lyles was a consulting and associate producer for such small screen efforts as Rawhide, and most recently, the HBO series – Deadwood.

   As Paramount’s ambassador of goodwill, Lyles appeared regularly in his later years at film festivals, colleges, and nostalgia conventions to talk about the studio’s legacy and its current product. He also welcomed visiting notables to the studio, and conducted tours of the studio lot, which he knew intimately. He served on the White House Advisory Council on Private Sector Initiatives when Reagan was president. According to a passage written by Gary Lycan, the late Orange County Register radio columnist, who wrote the wonderful Introduction to Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History:

“Lyles was the go-to person for any great stories about Hollywood history”

   A.C. Lyles was 95.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   If your television is set to Turner Classic Movies, here’s a contest for you with some nifty prizes at stake. The cable network is about to celebrate its 20th year as the leading small-screen authority in classic films, and to honor this anniversary, its launching TCM’s Ultimate Fan Contest.

 

Manny P. here…

   Tom Clancy was an author best known for his technically detailed espionage and his military science storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War. His modern thrillers were seen through the eyes of a character he developed named Jack Ryan.  TOM CLANCY ———>

   Clancy’s literary career began with The Hunt for Red October in 1985, which he sold for publishing to the Naval Institute Press for $5,000. After publication, the book received praise from President Reagan, which boosted sales of the book. Critics praised the work for its technical accuracy. His extreme attention to technical detail earned him respect inside the intelligence community and beyond, and helped to make Clancy a widely read and influential military novelist of his time; one who seemed to capture a shift in the country’s mood away from the CIA misdeeds that came out in the 1970s.

   Several of his novels, including The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, and The Sum of All Fears, were later made into blockbuster motion pictures, with another, Jack Ryan, set for release on Christmas. Alec Baldwin, Ben Affleck, and Harrison Ford were among the actors who played CIA analyst Jack Ryan on screen. The upcoming movie stars Chris Pine, with Kenneth Branagh directing. Keira Knightly will play his wife, and Kevin Costner, his mentor at the CIA.

   He also ventured into video games, including the best-selling Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, ‘Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction, and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Double Agent. A native of Maryland, he was Vice Chairman of Community Activities and Public Affairs, as well as a part-owner, of the Baltimore Orioles.

   Tom Clancy was 66.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The James A. Michener Art Museum in Pennsylvania is having a grand opening of From Philadelphia to Monaco: Grace Kelly Beyond the Icon. The exhibition will run from October 28th – January 26th, 2014.

   This exhibit traces the unique path of the iconic actress took, inviting viewers to discover the life of Grace Kelly (1929-1982) beyond the fairy tale. It brings us up close to the stage and screen legend, fashion icon, princess, United Nations advocate for children, and international spokesperson for arts and culture. Muse of director Alfred Hitchcock and winner of an Oscar for Best Actress in The Country Girl, Kelly left Hollywood to become Grace of Monaco upon her marriage to Prince Rainier III on April 18th, 1956.

   For those interested in Grace Kelly’s life before she became an actress and want to explore beyond the Michener Art Museum’s upcoming exhibit, your first stop should really be in East Falls. There you can see the Kelly family home, Grace’s former school, the site of her first theatrical performance, and the family church. While many of these sites are spread out over the East Falls neighborhood, area visitors can look to the East Falls Historical Society for guidance.

   Drawing from Grace Kelly’s personal objects housed in the archives of the Palace of Monaco, the display illustrates her life through letters, photographs, awards, couture fashion, and other personal artifacts, as well as film clips, playbills, home movies, and souvenirs from her acting career. The exhibition is produced by the Grimaldi Forum Monaco and McCord Museum, based on a display at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

   http://www.michenerartmuseum.org/visit/ticketing-Grace-Kelly.php

   Generous support is provided by Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, and the Princess Grace Foundation. Added support is provided by the Consulate General in New York / Monaco Government Tourist Office. The James A. Michener Art Museum is located at138 S. Pine St., Doylestown, PA.

Until next time>                               “never forget”