Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

   Elmore Leonard was a novelist and screenwriter. His earliest published novels in the 1950s were Westerns, but Leonard went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thrillers, many of which have been adapted into motion pictures. He was the master of his genre; the Dickens of Detroit; the Chaucer of Crime. Influenced by the glamorization of criminals, such as Bonnie  and Clyde, Leonard would later become the chief proponent of the modern crime drama.

   ELMORE LEONARD

   Leonard had his first success in 1951 when Argosy published the short story Trail of the Apaches. When 20th Century Fox bought the rights for $10,000 in 1967, he quit the ad business to write full time. Among his many works that translated well into motion picture include 3:10 to Yuma, Hombre, Mr. Majestyk, 52 Pick-Up, and most notably, Get Shorty. Actors who excelled in interpreting his words: Glenn Ford, Van Heflin, Burt Lancaster, Charles Bronson, Paul Newman, and John Travolta.

   Every novel Elmore Leonard wrote from the mid-1980s on was a best-seller, and every fan of crime stories knew his name including George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino. Last fall, he was the first crime writer to receive an honorary National Book Award, a prize given in the past to Philip Roth, Norman Mailer and Arthur Miller. He helped achieve for crime writing what Stephen King did for horror and Ray Bradbury for science fiction… and it revived the genre, which had taken a siesta after the demise of film noir.

   Elmore Leonard was 87.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The Victoria & Albert Museum in London has acquired the archive of Gone With the Wind star Vivien Leigh, including personal diaries and letters to her husband, Laurence Olivier. The London museum  bought the archive from Leigh’s grandchildren for an undisclosed sum. The trove includes photographs, annotated film and theater scripts, and thousands of letters from Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, Noel Coward and others.    VIVIEN LEIGH ——————>

   There are more than 200 letters exchanged with Olivier, to whom Leigh was married for 20 years. The British-born star won Oscars for playing iron-willed Southern belle Scarlett O’Hara in the Civil War epic Gone With the Wind; and as Blanche DuBois in the Tennessee Williams classic, A Streetcar Named Desire. Other films she starred in include Waterloo Bridge and Ship of Fools. She died of tuberculosis in 1967.

   Some of the material will go on display at the museum this fall.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Spend an afternoon with Turner Classic Movies and On Location Tours on an exclusive sightseeing tour of the Big Apple. Set to launch on Thursday, August. 22nd, the TCM Classic Film Tour will run each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, beginning at 11:30 AM. The TCM Classic Film Tour features an experienced and knowledgeable tour guide, extensive trivia about each location and a special video introduction by TCM host Robert Osborne, a longtime resident of New York. The three-hour sightseeing bus tour will take movie fans to some of the city’s greatest filming locations and one of several initiatives TCM is launching as it prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary in April 2014.

   In addition to seeing the real locations, visitors will get to see clips of the sites from cinema. New York is the most filmed city in the world. They have selected the best movie sites around Manhattan to share with you – in person and in motion picture clips.

Tour Highlights Include:

• See the Empire State Building, featured in King Kong
• Shop at the market showcased in Manhattan and You’ve Got Mail
• Take pictures where Marilyn Monroe’s skirt flew up in The Seven Year Itch
• Go on location to Grand Central Terminal, seen in North by Northwest and Superman
• Match Central Park film locations to clips from Thomas Edison Shorts to Ghostbusters

Meeting Location

   Not only will you get a taste of New York film history, but you’ll receive a great sightseeing tour of Midtown and Uptown Manhattan aboard a private and comfortable bus.  Your guide will entertain, inform and quiz you with trivia questions as you as you visit over 60 locations!

   Book reservations for the TCM Classic Film Tour online at http://www.tcm.com/tours, or by calling 212-913-9780.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   An Italian film archive has announced the discovery of a long-lost Orson Welles flick, a silent movie he made just before going to Hollywood to direct Citizen Kane. A rep of the Italian film archive Cineteca del Friuli found the 1938 two reel comedy Too Much Johnson in a warehouse in the northeastern Italian city of Pordenone where it was stored for years before being identified. The motion picture  was originally thought lost in a fire at Welles’ home.

   In 1938, RKO Pictures president George Schaefer offered Welles what generally is considered the greatest contract ever offered to an untried director: complete artistic control. RKO signed Welles in a two-picture deal; including script, cast, crew and most importantly, final cut, although Welles had a budget limit for his projects. With this contract in hand, Welles (and his Mercury Theatre troupe) moved to Hollywood.                                                                                    ORSON WELLES

   In 2002, Welles was voted the greatest film director of all time in two separate British Film Institute polls among directors and critics, and a wide survey of critical consensus, best-of lists, and historical retrospectives calls him the most acclaimed director of all time.

   The forgotten movie will debut in October at a silent film festival in Pordenone.

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   Karen Black was a Golden Globe-winning actress, who also received an Oscar nod for her gritty performance in Five Easy Pieces. Memorable roles in Easy Rider, Portnoy’s Complaint, The Great Gatsby, Airport ’75, Nashville, The Day of the Locust, and Family Plot (Hitchcock’s final film) followed. Black began her career working Off-Broadway, and on the small screen, with an appearance on Adam-12. She worked with Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson, Charlton Heston, Bette Davis, Robert Redford, Bruce Dern, among others.              KAREN BLACK —————–>

   Karen Black passed away today at the age of 74.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Plans are underway at the Ava Gardner Museum to host the annual Ava Gardner Festival, October 4th-6th in historic downtown Smithfield, North Carolina.  This year the museum board of directors has chosen to showcase the award-winning film, The Night of the Iguana. Many critics felt this film to be one of Ava’s best performances, and she was nominated for a Golden Globe.  Ava went on to win the Best Foreign Actress Film Award (BAFTA) and Best Actress at the San Sabastian Film Festival for her role as Maxine Faulk.

   The Night of the Iguana (1964) is an MGM film based on the 1961 play of the same name written by Tennessee Williams. Directed by John Huston and produced by Ray Stark, it featured Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr, and Sue Lyon.

   The theme of the festival will be Mad About Ava and the cast of Mad Men, the television show, are all being invited. Other invitees include Anjelica Huston, daughter of Iguana director John Huston, and Debbie Reynolds –both of whom have memoirs hitting the shelves this year.

   Here are the tentative plans:

Friday, October 4    Mad About Ava – Party

7pm-10pm     It’s a pub crawl and a gala event in the museum, including a 1960s costume contest and a raffle drawing for a trip to Puerto Vallarta and Mismaloya, where parts of the set are available to tour.  There will be specialty drinks at nearby wineries, breweries and restaurants, and visitors can show off their 60s costume. The museum will have live entertainment, new exhibits related to the film, specialty drinks and hors d’ oeuvres, concluding with cash prizes for best 60s costume, door prizes, and the grand prize drawing. 

Saturday, October 5   Festival Day Activities

9am-6pm     The museum will be open for tours of the new exhibits, heritage tours to Ava’s birthplace, the teacherage and other points of interest along the Ava Gardner Heritage Trail, and there will be FREE film screenings of The Night of the Iguana in the museum’s theatre.

Sunday, October 6     Festival Day Activities

1pm-6pm     The museum will have special hours on Sunday for tours of the new exhibits and a FREE film screening.

   The Ava Gardner Museum is at 325 Market St., Smithfield, North Carolina. For more info, click on the link below:

http://avagardnermuseum.mybigcommerce.com/categories/Ava-Gardner-Festival/

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Michael Ansara was an actor who played exotic roles in classic films and television. He was also married to Barbara Eden for a time.

   His movie career included epics, such as Kim (with Errol Flynn), The Robe, Julius Caesar, The Ten Commandments, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Comancheros, and Road to Bali. Ansara was also a mainstay on the small screen, appearing as Cochise in Broken Arrow, and starring in Law of the Plainsman. The latter show began as an episode of The Rifleman. He also had roles in a number of episodes of The Outer Limits, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Untouchables, and opposite his wife on I Dream of Jeannie. He’s one of seven actors to play the same character (Klingon commander Kang) on three different Star Trek televisionseries. In 1962, Ansara starred in a Broadway show with famous silent film actor Ramon Novarro.

 MICHAEL ANSARA                                               BARBARA  EDEN

   Ansara was nominated for an Academy of Science Fiction Award, and won a Western Heritage Award. His marriage to Barbara Eden lasted 16 years.

   The Syrian-born Michael Ansara was 91.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   All nine of Alfred Hitchcock’s surviving silent films, dating between 1925 and 1929, have been added to the UK’s section of the UNESCO Memory of the World Register to safeguard the documentary heritage of humanity. The early productions from one of the world’s best-known film-makers are taking their place alongside some of the greatest cultural artifacts in the United Kingdom.

   UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Its site explains the addition to their roster by describing the Hitchcock motion pictures as among the greatest achievements of British silent cinema and blueprints for the rest of his later work.

   The Hitchcock 9 was the largest restoration project the BFI has ever undertaken. The BFI holds some of the most important and earliest surviving copies of the silent Hitchcock films, including negatives; and materials also sourced from international archives. The restoration ensures that the works of one of Britain’s greatest artists can be appreciated on the big screen as they were meant to be seen. Excitingly, they have revealed the films looking crisper and fresher than ever. The restoration of Hitchcock’s silent films has enabled the discovery of extra material; and a deeper appreciation of the precocious genius at work.

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   The distinctive comedic character actress Eileen Brennan has died. She appeared in fine projects throughout her varied careed.

   They include performances in Divorce American Style, The Sting, The Last Picture Show, Daisy Miller, At Long Last Love, Murder by Death, Clue, and most notably, in Private Benjamin. She reprised the latter Oscar-nominated part on the small screen and won an Emmy and a Golden Globe. Brennan additionally received Emmy nominations for guest-starring appearances on Newhart, Taxi, Thirtysomething, and Will & Grace. Eileen had a recurring role on Blossom. She was a semi-regular on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, but stayed for only two months. Brennan was also in the original Broadway production of Hello Dolly! in 1964. She remained close personal friends with Goldie Hawn.      EILEEN BRENNAN

   Eileen Brennan was 80.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo, CA (the home of the mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ) will be presenting the 1925 version of The Wizard of Oz this upcoming weekend to kick off its August weekend lineup. Although the later 1939 version with Judy Garland is considered by most to be the definitive version, this silent feature film is truly fascinating to see — and has plenty more laughs!

   Popular silent movie star Larry Semon literally sold the ranch to secure motion picture rights to L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, and then ended up revising most of Baum’s story to favor his broad slapstick comedy antics. Dorothy is played by Dorothy Dwan – aka Mrs. Larry Semon. Also featured in this version is Oliver Hardy. The chance to see the origins of the young iconic comedian is alone a good enough reason to see this flick!

   Since 1968, Old Town Music Hall has been showing vintage silent and sound films. The Southern California landmark is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your generous support enables us to preserve the golden era of feature film and music.

   The screenings will air on Friday at 8:15p; Saturday at 2:30p and 8:15p; and Sunday at 2:30p. What a great opportunity to visit the Merry Old Land of Oz…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Shirley Jones is the 79-year old Oscar-winning star of great movie musicals, important films, and The Partridge Family on the small screen. And, she is a wonderful singer of Broadway standards, having appeared as the ingenue in Oklahoma, Carousel, and The Music Man. Her new tell-all story is spelled out in Shirley Jones, published by Simon and Schuster.

   Other films in her remarkable career include her Academy Award-performance in Elmer Gantry, The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, and The Cheyenne Social Club. Her co-stars, such as Gordon MacRae, Robert Preston, Burt Lancaster, Marlon Brando, Henry Fonda, Glenn Ford, James Stewart, and Richard Widmark, referred to her consummate professionalism. Her fans remained loyal, despite her playing against type as a lady of the evening, and earning her an Oscar in 1960.

   Jones was married to Hollywood personality Jack Cassidy. After his tragic passing in a fire, she later met comedian Marty Ingels. They have been wed since 1977. Her children have also dabbled in show business. David Cassidy co-starred with his mom in The Partridge Family. Shaun was a teen heart throb. In the summer 2012, Jones played the role of Mrs. Paroo, along with her son Patrick Cassidy playing Harold Hill, in the California Musical Theatre production of The Music Man.

   Her latest literary endeavor is very PG, and it chronicles her personal life; from the passion she had for Widmark, to her shocking sexual exploits with Cassidy, her first mate. Sounds like a fascinating read!

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   I’m very saddened to learn about the passing of Dennis Farina, the fine character actor of motion pictures and television. His screen credits include Midnight Run, Get Shorty, and Saving Private Ryan. His small screen roles included recurring roles in Crime Story and Law & Order. He also co-starred in the 2012 HBO horse-race gambling cable series Luck, with Dustin Hoffman. Prior to becoming an actor, Farina served almost two decades in the Chicago Police Department’s burglary division, from 1967 to 1985.

   Dennis Farina was 69.                                                               DENNIS FARINA

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Helen Thomas was the pugnacious news service reporter, member of the White House press corps, and opinion columnist. She worked for the United Press and post-1958 United Press International (UPI) for 57 years, first as a correspondent, and later as White House bureau manager. She was a columnist for Hearst Newspapers from 2000 to 2010, writing on national affairs and the White House. She covered the administrations of ten US presidents — final years of the Eisenhower administration to the second year of President Obama’s first term.          HELEN THOMAS —–>

   Helen Amelia Thomas was born the daughter of Lebanese immigrants in Winchester, Kentucky on August 4, 1920. After college, Thomas became a copy girl at the Washington Daily News and was quickly promoted to reporter. In 1943, she joined the United Press (UP) and began covering local news and stories about women. In the early 1950s, Thomas began covering Washington celebrities and government agencies.

   In 1960, Thomas began covering  president-elect John F. Kennedy and White House daily press briefings and press conferences. In 1962, she convinced President Kennedy to suggest that women be allowed to attend annual dinners for White House correspondents. In 1970, Thomas continue to blaze the trail for women journalists when she was named UPI’s chief White House correspondent, the initial gal to achieve that position. Thomas was the only female print journalist to accompany President Nixon during his historic trip to China in 1972.

   Thomas continued to break down barriers for female journalists. In 1974, she became the first woman to head UPI’s White House Bureau. In 1975, she was the first woman to be admitted to the Gridiron Club, the historic Washington press group, which later named her its president. And, Helen Thomas became the first female president of the White House Correspondents Association from 1975-1976.

   Thomas wed Douglas Cornell, a White House reporter for the Associated Press, in 1971, and they were married until his death in 1982. In addition to her reporting, Thomas wrote three books including Front Row at the White House: My Life and Times (1999), Thank You for the Memories, Mr. President: Wit and Wisdom from the Front Row at the White House (2002), and Watchdogs of Democracy? The Waning Washington Press Corps and How It Has Failed the Public (2006).

   Often called the First Lady of the Press, Thomas’ career ended in controversy in 2010 when a YouTube video surfaced in which she said that Israelis should get the hell out of Palestine and return home to Poland, Germany, and America and everywhere else. Thomas retired a week later; but in July 2011, she returned to writing a column for the Falls Church News-Press. In April 2012, Palestinian activist and scholar Hanan Ashrawi gave Thomas a medal for defending the Palestine cause.

   The fiesty Helen Thomas was 92.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The annual Silent Film Festival begins today at San Francisco’s landmark movie palace, the Castro Theatre. Built in 1922, the theater was designed by Timothy L. Pflueger (1894-1946), a celebrated figure in Bay Area architecture, whose career originated with the commission for the Castro. Appreciate the power and beauty of a silent film by seeing it as it was meant to be seen: on the big screen with live musical accompaniment. They have hand selected the finest 35mm prints, engaged leading musicians to compose and perform live era-authentic musical scores, and invited filmmakers, authors, stars, archivists, and scholars to provide context and commentary for each screening.

   The highlight of the festival is the Sunday presentation of Safety Last, the 1923 classic starring Harold Lloyd. A bespectacled man hanging off the hands of a collapsing clock on the side of a skyscraper, high above teeming city streets, is one of the most indelible images of cinema.

   The San Francisco Silent Film Festival is committed to exploring the broad spectrum of this fine genre. Their programming is a lively and thought-provoking mix of education and entertainment, which combines established American classics, lesser-known gems, rare, and recently restored films, and important international work, including motion pictures from China, India, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, France, and Russia. Over the last 17 years, the festival has presented more than 150 rare and classic silent movies, all with live music performed by the most accomplished composers and musicians in the field; and using the Castro Theatre’s world-famous Mighty Wurlitzer organ to lead the way.

   The place to be this weekend is on the City by the Bay… Here’s a link for more info on this weekend’s lineup:

http://www.silentfilm.org/festival/festival-2013-programs

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History can NOW be found in the shelves of 800 readers. Brisk sales of my 2012 work is good news indeed. I anticipate more purchases reported of both of my paperbacks, when I receive my monthly report from Danforth Distribution, tomorrow.

   Yesterday, our Documentary team surpassed over 86% of our funding goals with late contributions coming in. Despite the conclusion of our campaign to raise monies through Indiegogo ending last month, folks still want to contribute to the cause. Over 100 compaines and individuals are committed to seeing me succeed in my on-screen venture, which is indeed a blessing.

   The Forgotten Hollywood Pilot production will showcase the story of Lionel Barrymore, and his stubborn wish to continue working, despite being diagnosed with a degenerative disability in 1937. His efforts led to our nation’s government teaming with Hollywood to fight disease, and the way our country looks at those with a physical and / or mental handicap.

   This is a feel-good story that need to be shared!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

<- Milton H. Greene was a fashion and celebrity photographer for over four decades. He’s best known for the photo shoots he did with Marilyn Monroe. Greene first encountered the iconic actress when on assignment for Look Magazine. They quickly became close friends, and ultimately they formed their own film production company, which produced Bus Stop and The Prince and the Showgirl. Prior her marriage to famed novelist, Arthur Miller, Marilyn lived with Greene’s family in their Connecticut farmhouse. During this period, he captured some of her most famous photos, including the famous Black Sitting.

   3,700 unpublished black-and-white and color negatives and transparencies of Greene’s Monroe archive are going on the auction block — with copyright. They are a fraction of 75,000 celebrity negatives and slides he shot in the 1950s and 1960s going on sale on July 27th at Profiles in History in Los Angeles and online. The archive also includes hundreds of stills of Faye Dunaway during the filming of Bonnie & Clyde; Cary Grant and Doris Day starring in That Touch of Mink; and Ava Gardner, Sid Caesar, Jane Fonda, Audrey Hepburn, Catherine Deneuve, and Marlene Dietrich.

   The range of Milton H. Greene’s subjects include such people as Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly, Marlene Dietrich, Sammy Davis, Jr., Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, Groucho Marx, Andy Warhol, Judy Garland, Lauren Hutton, Alfred Hitchcock, Romy Schneider, Laurence Olivier, Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Claudia Cardinale, Lauren Bacall, Dizzy Gillespie, and Norman Mailer, as well as many others. His photography won him many honors, medals and awards; among them the American Institute of Graphic Arts and the Art Director’s Club of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Detroit. One of his last awards was from the Art Director’s Club of New York for his work in Harper’s Bazaar.

   Copyrights will be included with all the material, which is spread over 268 lots; meaning a potential buyer can print images from the negatives and transparencies, sell them, and license the material. Most of the lots are expected to fetch between $1,000 and $15,000, depending on the number of negatives in each lot, and the featured celebrity. The seller is an unidentified American photography collector who purchased the archive about 10 years ago. The limited edition prints are all signed, stamped, and authenticated by the estate of Milton Greene. His son Joshua plans to attend the auction event.

   Milton H. Greene’s died in 1985. He was 63.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

    A working scholar at an Indiana college has found movie footage showing President Franklin Roosevelt being pushed in his wheelchair, a secret hidden from the public until after his passing. Ray Begovich, a journalism professor at Franklin College, south of Indianapolis, said Tuesday that he found the brief clip while doing unrelated research in the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. The National Archives and the FDR Presidential Museum and Library couldn’t say  for certain if other comparable footage exists, but both feel it’s at least rare. Photo use by permission of FDR Library

The clip shows Roosevelt visiting the USS Baltimore at Pearl Harbor in July 1944. Eight seconds of the film show the chief executive exiting a doorway on the ship, and being escorted down a likely ramp. The use of the wheelchair is not clearly visible because the view of the president is partially blocked by a row of sailors.

   Although Roosevelt’s disability was virtually a state secret during his presidency, which spanned the Great Depression and most of World War II, it has become an inspiration to advocates who successfully pushed for a statue of him in his wheelchair to be added to the Roosevelt Memorial in Washington D.C. During his four terms, he often used a wheelchair in private, but not for public appearances. News photo journalists cooperated in concealing his disability. Those who did not found their camera views blocked by Secret Service agents, according to the FDR Library website.

   Roosevelt’s longstanding clandestine intentions regarding his affliction will be profiled in our Lionel Barrymore documentary. I plan on contacting the National Archives to use the film clip. I believe this footage is an essential piece that should be part of our upcoming screen story.

   Bulletins as they break!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History has been given its 5th straight accolade. Reader’s Favorite Book Reviews and Award Contest has just released the Finalists for their 2013 submissions.

   My 2012 work is nominated in the Non Fiction – Music / Entertainment category. As many as six literary works were named as finalists in each division. On September 1st, I’m hoping to be chosen as a GOLD MEDAL  WINNER, since I’m the only author to receive a mention in my category. This would top the number of First Place (4) awards I was given for my initial paperback (by one).

   According to their press release:

We are proud to announce the finalists in our 2013 Readers’ Favorite annual International Award Contest! Our judges picked 6 finalists from each category, with a few categories having slightly more or less. This was no easy task as dozens of categories had more than 100 entries each. This was our largest contest ever, and competition was fierce. Often finalists were selected by extremely narrow margins and many great books could not be chosen.

If you were chosen as a finalist… then CONGRATULATIONS! It was an extremely competitive year, and your selection was hard earned. You are now authorized to let others know you’re a Readers’ Favorite award finalist, and you can use our finalist seal on your website, Facebook page, or on any other website or media you see fit.

                   HENRY WINKLER                 MARY McDONOUGH     ERIQ LA SALLE

This year’s contest features a record number of contestants from all over the world, ranging from talented self-publshed authors to renowned authors from large publishing companies, as well as celebrity contestants like Henry Winkler from Happy Days, Eriq La Salle from ER, and actress Mary McDonough from programs like The Waltons and The West Wing.

   The 2013 Readers’ Favorite Awards Ceremony is in Miami, Florida on November 23, 2013. My wife Laurie and I are planning on attending.

Until next time>                               “never forget”