Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

   A great new site gives you a month of classic film screenings around the Hollywood area. It really offers an up-to-date schedule of upcoming classic cinema for the avid film buff. Here are the participating motion picture theaters:

KANSAS ANYMORE

YOUR LOS ANGELES GUIDE TO SCREENINGS OF CLASSIC MOVIES

Manny P. here…

   Bob Thomas was a film industry biographer and reporter who worked for the Associated Press since 1944. Acclaimed as the dean of all Hollywood reporters, Thomas has been writing about the movie business for the AP since the days when Hollywood was run by men who founded it: Harry Cohn, Jack Warner, Darryl F. Zanuck, and Louis B. Mayer.    BOB THOMAS —>

   During his long history, Thomas authored at least thirty books. Many in the motion picture industry credit his 1969 biography of producer Irving G. Thalberg as sparking their interest in pursuing a career behind the scenes. Other biographies include Joan Crawford, Marlon Brando, David O. Selznick, Walter Winchell, Bob Hope, Howard Hughes, Abbott & Costello, William Holden, Bing Crosby, and a children’s book, Walt Disney: Magician of the Movies. Several of his work were adapted into movies for television.

   Thomas worked well into his 80s, covering a record 66 consecutive Academy Awards shows. Bob interviewed most of the iconic screen actors of the 20th century; among them, James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, Kate Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Humphrey Bogart, Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, and Jack Nicholson.

   Helping out during the 1968 presidential election, the reporter had been assigned to cover Senator Robert F. Kennedy on the evening the New York Democrat won the California primary. Minutes after declaring victory, Kennedy was gunned down in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel. Bob then ran to a phone and delivered the bulletin to the Associated Press.

   For his contributions to cinema, Thomas was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In recognition of over sixty years of covering the entertainment business for the Associated Press, the Publicists Guild awarded him its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.

   Bob Thomas was 92.

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   A man who became known as the sailor kissing a woman in Times Square in a famous World War II-era photo taken by a Life Magazine photographer has died. The picture was taken August 14th, 1945 by Alfred Eisenstaedt. It became a cultural phenomenon, After garnering a copyright, Alfred carefully controlled the rights, allowing a limit on the number of reproductions, which determined how it could be printed.

   The service man was Glenn McDuffie. On August 3rd, 2008, he was recognized for his 81st birthday as the Kissing Sailor during the seventh-inning stretch of the Houston Astros and New York Mets game.

   McDuffie was 86.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Screen legend Doris Day is celebrating a landmark birthday with an auction to benefit her favorite cause: ANIMALS. The nonprofit Doris Day Animal Foundation will mark her 90th birthday in April with a bash in Carmel, CA.  She has devoted herself to animal welfare since stepping out of show business.

   A sold-out fundraising celebration at Day’s Cypress Inn and the Quail Lodge will include a doggie fashion show, adoption event, and an April 4th tribute dinner for fans and friends. Items autographed by Day and celebrity pals, including Paul McCartney and Tony Bennett, will be auctioned off online and at the dinner. All items are accompanied by a personalized thank you note, commemorating the birthday weekend, signed by Doris. Online bidding ends April 1st. Please click on the link below to make a bid:

http://bluetreemarketing.com/site/include/public/newnpo/npo_productlist.php?npoid=635&auctioneventid=288

   Day starred in more than three dozen films from the 1940s to the 1960s, such as Pillow Talk and Calamity Jane; and recorded dozens of hit songs. Her biggest sellers were Secret Love and Que Sera, Sera. She released the compilation album My Heart in 2011.

   In a statement, Doris says she doesn’t care much for celebrating birthdays with cards or gifts, inviting fans to help animals instead. Her devotion to this cause has lasted for decades.

   DDAF is a non-profit, grant-giving charity that identifies and funds worthy animal welfare organizations across the country. DDAF grants help rescue not just dogs and cats — but all animals! DDAF grantees provide veterinary care, including spay and neuter surgeries; feed and house rescued animals; promote and grow local adoption programs; provide pet food pantries; and very importantly, Doris believes, aid senior pets with both urgent and ongoing medical costs. Learn more and donate at www.DDAF.org.

   And, on April 6th, ME-TV will celebrate Doris Day’s birthday with programming featuring the actress, star references, and celebrity greetings.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Thank you to the fine folks at the Rotary Club of Simi Valley (among others), I’ve reached an extraordinary milestone in sales. Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History is now in the homes of 3000 readers. Allan C. Mann (below) of Troop Real Estate / Time Realty Property Management bought the magic copy.

   Obviously, it takes a village to sell as many copies as I have over the last couple of years. And, I want to personally want to offer my warmest appreciation to anyone who has a deep love of Hollywood’s Golden Age; and in particular, individuals who have found their way to my literary work.

   My next goals include 1000 in purchases of Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History; and ultimately, 4000 in combined sales of the Forgotten Hollywood Book Series. These milestones are assuredly expected later this year. Of course, I’ll keep you posted!

   Meanwhile, I’m basking in the afterglow of a wonderful moment in the Forgotten Hollywood journey over the last half-decade. My work is available on Amazon, selected Barnes & Noble bookstores, and independent book shops all over this country. Click on the Premium Stores link on the Navigation Bar on your left to make the Forgotten Hollywood series part of your collection.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   I LOVE LUCY LIVE ON STAGE is the new hit stage production adapted from the most beloved program in television history. America’s favorite foursome – Lucy, Ricky, Fred, and Ethel – is live on stage and in color. The Segerstrom Hall in Orange County, CA is the latest locale for this uproarious comedy.

   It’s 1952, and you’re a member of the studio audience awaiting the live taping of two hilarious and familiar I LOVE LUCY episodes. Step back into the past onto the Desilu Playhouse soundstage where a charming host entertains and enlightens you to the behind-the-scenes filming process, the 1950s hi-fidelity technology, and this new thing called television. The episodes begin, and you witness the side-splitting antics of that crazy red head in the Ricardo’s New York flat. Thrill to the Cuban strains of Ricky Ricardo’s Orchestra at the popular Tropicana Nightclub. In-between, the Crystaltone Singers perform live ad jingles of the show’s newest sponsors in perfect 1950s style harmony.

   As Orange County’s largest non-profit arts organization, Segerstrom Center for the Arts owns and operates the 3,000-seat Segerstrom Hall. Its name was changed from Orange County Performing Arts Center in recognition of unparalleled generosity from the Segerstrom family in 2011.

   I LOVE LUCY LIVE ON STAGE is scheduled from March 18th -23rd. To order tickets, click on the link below:

http://www.scfta.org/home/Events/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1420

   The truth is in the title – whether you’re young or old, everybody really does LOVE LUCY!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Svengoolie is a hosted movie show in the tradition of such faire as Vampira and Elvira. It’s a long-running local program in the Chicago area, and recently, expanded nationally, airing each Saturday night on Me-TV. The show airs low-budget science-fiction and horror movies with host Svengoolie, currently played by Rich Koz.

   Koz got his start in broadcasting at WMTH-FM, a high school radio station in Park Ridge, Illinois. While at Northwestern University, he sent the original Svengoolie, Jerry G. Bishop, material for the horror-movie program. Impressed by his sense of humor, Bishop invited Koz to the show. In 1979, he carried on the tradition of Svengoolie. Out of costume, Rich also presents the syndicated Three Stooges Stooge-a-Palooza program.

   Between 1979 and 1986, the Son of Svengoolie program won three Chicago Emmys. For its 25th anniversary, Svengoolie was given a Silver Circle Award by Chicago / Midwest Chapter of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for their outstanding contributions to Chicago television.

   Definitely an acquired taste (much like Harry Carey at Cub’s games), I prefer my classic movies presented uninterrupted and commercial free. Just sayin’…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

The actress best known as one of the many who played Alice Kramden on a later incarnation of The Honeymooners has died. Sheila MacRae also appeared in such films as Pretty Baby, Caged, and Sex and the Single Girl. She was born in London, but evacuated to Long Island, New York in 1939, shortly before the onset of World War II.

   A singer and a dancer, She was married to Oklahoma! and Carousel star Gordon MacRae for 26 years. They were on the Ed Sullivan Show when The Beatles made a splash in 1964. The couple appeared together in musicals, including Guys and Dolls, with Sheila taking her performance as Miss Adelaide to Broadway in 1965. Additionally, she was in a production of Bells are Ringing. They were the parents of two sons and two daughters (actresses Heather and the late Meredith MacRae).

   On television, MacRae played herself in an episode of I Love Lucy. She portrayed Madelyn Richmond on the daytime soap opera General Hospital; and was a host of the Sheila MacRae Show. After her divorce from Gordon, she married Ronald Wayne, who had produced Jackie Gleason’s show. They later divorced.

   She died Thursday at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, New Jersey. A devout Christian Scientist, Sheila MacRae (right) was 92.

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   The New York Times has printed a correction for misspelling the name of a black man who was sold into slavery over 160 years ago, and whose memoirs were turned into 12 Years a Slave. The epic movie won the Oscar for Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards program. It featured Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup (left). In the January 20th, 1853 article, the Times misspelled Solomon’s surname as Northrop and as Northrup in the article and in the headline.

   The newspaper corrected Northup’s name this week, after the errors were pointed out by someone looking through its archives. Spoiler alert… Northup was born in New York and was kidnapped and sold as a slave in 1841. He spent the next dozen years in Louisiana before regaining his freedom. Hence, the title of the film… And congrats to the New York Times for fixing this cold case error.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   I’ve been invited to be a Celebrity Bowler at the 5th Annual Hollywood Police Activities League (PAL) Celebrity Bowl. Hollywood PAL serves low-income youth (with at least 70% qualifying for the free school lunch program) ages 6-17 at risk for involvement in juvenile crime in the Los Angeles area, particularly Hollywood and its environs. PAL provides quality activities to over 400 children per year. The program not only benefits the student, but also indirectly benefits their families and the larger Hollywood community.

   This family-friendly, VIP event will take place in the heart of Hollywood at the famous Lucky Strike Lanes on March 30th, 2014, where attendees will bowl with celebrities and PAL kids, mingle with community partners, police officers and other pals of PAL. The Hollywood PAL Celebrity Bowl Fundraiser boasts that all proceeds go directly to support PAL programs. A silent auction and raffle will raise additional funds for the 450 kids that Hollywood PAL serves. I’ve donated copies of my Forgotten Hollywood Book Series for their raffle and auction.

   The sponsors include Hollywood Museum, Warner Brothers Studios, and Paramount Pictures. It will be fun to join other celebs on this very worthy cause. Hollywood PAL is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. This special event is hoping to raise 20% of their targeted goals for 2014. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. For more info on PAL, click on the link below:

http://hollywoodpal.org/

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 <— Geoff Edwards, the popular 1970s and 1980s game show host of Jackpot! and two incarnations of Treasure Hunt, has died. In 1986, he became the host of The Big Spin, the game show of the California Lottery, and would remain until his retirement from television in 1995. Geoff was also a radio broadcaster in Southern California.

   Like most daytime television hosts of his era, Edwards was also comfortable in situation comedies, including I Dream of Jeannie, That Girl, and Petticoat Junction. In the early 1970s, Edwards also appeared on The Bobby Darin Show as the straight man to the singer. Later in his career, he guest starred on Diff’rent Strokes and Small Wonder.

   As a news reporter, Edwards was present in the basement of the Dallas Police Department on November 24, 1963 when Jack Ruby shot suspected John Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Geoff was one of the witnesses interviewed by NBC television correspondent Tom Pettit on the scene.

   Geoff Edwards was 83.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Capitolfest is Central New York’s premier summer Cinephile film festival; a place to see rarely shown and newly-discovered films of the silent and early talkie era, held at the historic 1,788-seat movie palace, the Capitol Theatre, in Rome, New York, which opened in December, 1928 as a cinema house. Set in the small upstate New York city of Rome, it’s regarded by attendees from the US, Canada, and Europe as the movie lover’s dream vacation. The weekend fest starts late Friday morning, and ends early on Sunday evening in August.

   The goal of the Capitol Theatre film series is to re-create the experience of seeing movies as folks did during Hollywood’s Golden Age. All of the films at the Capitol are shown in 35 mm prints on the theatre’s carbon-arc, variable-speed projectors. Capitolfest prints are provided by the Library of Congress, George Eastman House, UCLA Film & Television Archive, Universal Pictures, Warner Brothers Pictures, and Sony Pictures, as well as rarer prints from private collections. The festival’s line-up focuses on obscure films that received critical praise in their time, but are now near-impossible to find.

   Capitolfest 12 promises to surpass its eleven previous installments, with three days of eclectic and critically-acclaimed programming. Each year, they choose a tribute star, and several related films are showcased throughout the weekend. The featured star is William Powell ——->  debonair leading man in talkies, and suave villain of the silent era. Some of his rare motion pictures scheduled include Ladies’ Man, Pointed Heels, and Shadow of the Law. Also on tap… the wonderful Roman Scandals, with Eddie Cantor.

   Capitolfest 12 is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. For more info, click on the link below:

http://www.romecapitol.com/capitolfest.html

   Other screenings planned in 2014 at the Capitol Theatre: The 1925 silent screen classic, The Lost World on April 12th; and 75th anniversary celebration of The Wizard of Oz on May 16th and 17th.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Interest in the Red Carpet gowns have grown exponentially since television has dictated Academy Award viewership. Pre-Oscar telecasts can be annoying, with questions like: What Are You Wearing? every three minutes. However, I came across what Best Actress winners have worn over the years. And, this is quite interesting and fun.

   Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Historian David McCullough (who I met in January) has described the New York Public Library as one of the five most important libraries in the US; the others being Library of Congress, Boston Public Library, and University libraries of Harvard and Yale. Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History is housed in two of these prestigious literary locales. The NYPL is the second largest public library in the nation, and third largest in the world.

   The specific branch that added my work is the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Center at the Lincoln Center, and just next to the Metropolitan Opera House. They hold one of the world’s most extensive circulating, reference, and rare archival collections in its field. The Library is also known particularly for its prodigious collections of non-book materials such as historic recordings, videotapes, sheet music, stage designs, press clippings, autograph manuscripts, correspondence, programs, posters, and photographs. The collections honor famous names in the field of performance… Jerome Robbins, Billy Rose, Rodgers and Hammerstein.

   NYPL has been the site for classic cinema, including 42nd Street, Portrait of Jennie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Wiz,  Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Escape from New York, Regarding Henry, Prizzi’s Honor, The Day After Tomorrow, and Ghostbusters.

   Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History is in the Theatre section of the Performing Arts Research Collections as a Reference Copy! This add makes me as proud as the previous acquisitions of the book series made by the Library of Congress, and my first paperback as a Reference Copy at the Richard Riordan Central Branch Library in LA.

   This is the 105th overall library that carries one of my works in the Forgotten Hollywood Book Series, and particularly for my latest, the 44th branch.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here..

    A massive statue of Marilyn Monroe that has turned heads for two years in Palm Springs is heading east. The 26-foot-tall, 34,000-pound work-of-art will be transported from California to Hamilton, New Jersey in April, where it will be part of an exhibit honoring its designer, Seward Johnson. A going-away party is planned for March 27th and the event is open to the public. Carol Channing is expected to attend.

   With much fanfare, the immense creation arrived in the desert resort city in 2012. The sculpture depicts the movie star pushing down her billowing skirt in her very memorable scene in The Seven Year Itch. Palm Springs officials say they eventually hope to lure Monroe back.

   Forever Marilyn, on loan from the Sculpture Foundation, was previously in Chicago.

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   Smashwords begins its annual Read an eBook Week promotion on March 2nd. You’ll be able to purchase a copy of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History at 50% off for your Sony, Apple, Kobo, etc. device. Use the code REW50 at checkout. Beginning Sunday, this is the best week to pick up an eBook copy of my book! Here’s the link to generate the discount:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/53041

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Jim Lange was known to television viewers as the host of game shows, including The Dating Game. He also worked in the San Francisco and Los Angeles radio markets, racking up over 45 years on the air.

   His network television career began in San Francisco with The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show in 1962, where Lange was announcer and sidekick. Three years later, he signed on to host The Dating Game. His other daytime game show included Hollywood Connection, $100,000 Name That Tune, and The New Newlywed Game. During December 2002, he appeared on Hollywood Squares for their Game Show Week.

   As a genial host of The Dating Game, he introduced many celebrity guests. Sally Field, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steve Martin, Tom Selleck, Andy Kaufman, Farah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Lee Majors, John Ritter,  Ron Howard, Paul Lynde, Richard Dawson, Jay North, Suzanne Somers,  Burt Reynolds, Barry Williams, Steve Martin, Maureen McCormick, and Phil Hartman. His closing trademark was to blow a kiss to viewers (alongside winning contestants), while strains of a tune resembling something written by Herb Alpert playing at the end of each program.                         JIM LANGE —–>

   Jim became so popular that he appeared as himself on Bewitched, Laverne & Shirley, and Moesha. He also had a cinematic cameo in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.

   Jim Lange was 81.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   I’m thrilled my 2014 Forgotten Hollywood Book Tour will continue at several Rotary Clubs throughout Southern California in March. It will be an opportunity to engage in weekly fellowship with Rotarians, and a chance to share engaging stories about Holywood’s Golden Age. Here’s the complete schedule to these member-only functions:

 PARAMOUNT ROTARY

Progress Park

15500 Downey Ave., Paramount, CA

March 4th 

Tuesday 12p – 1:30p

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 ROTARY CLUB OF SIMI VALLEY

 Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center

3050 Los Angeles St., Simi Valley, CA 

March 11th

Tuesday 12p – 1:30p

 ~ ~ ~

  ROTARY CLUB OF HOLLYWOOD

 Trastevere Restaurant

6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA

March 25th

Tuesday 12:15p – 1:30p

~ ~ ~

ROTARY CLUB OF REDONDO BEACH

 Bluewater Grill Seafood Restaurant and Oyster Bar

 665 North Harbor Drive, Redondo Beach, CA

March 26th

Wednesday 12:15p – 1:30p

 ~ ~ ~

 Until next time>                              “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Without the able direction and savvy scripts co-created by Harold Ramis… John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, John Candy, among others would have had to break a real sweat to find film-going audiences. Ramis has been compared to Bud Abbott’s ability to play a straight-man on screen; and Desi Arnaz’s creation of Lucille Ball’s television image. The real genius behind Harold Ramis -> was his lack of ego in letting others achieve superstar status that he had no interest in attaining. Harold also allowed his actors to improvise from really funny scripts, which made the collaborative effort so rich. His movies defined cinematic humor to the Baby-Boomer generation… and beyond.

   Ramis was one of three screenwriters for National Lampoon’s Animal House, which set his career on the fast track. A Chicago native, and early member of the improvisational comedy troupe Second City, he wrote and directed Groundhog Day, and Analyze This; and penned Meatballs, and the Ghostbusters series of films. His forte was pushing against traditional institutions: a dean in Animal House, country club members in Caddyshack, and a drill sergeant of Stripes (my personal favorite). Other behind-the-scene screen credits include Back to School, National Lampoon’s Vacation, and Bedazzled. Harold also had a role in As Good As It Gets as Helen Hunt’s son’s doctor. A third Ghostbusters had been rumored. Ramis frequently collaborated with producer Ivan Reitman.

   Adam Sandler, Peter and Bobby Farrelly have cited Ramis’ motion pictures as amongst their favorites. His filmography are some of the most beloved, and widely quoted comedy classics of the last thirty years. Early in life, he briefly worked in a mental institution, and often said the experience helped prepare him for working with actors… seriously!

   Harold Ramis, a creator of unforgettable celluloid that made the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man a really scary villain, was 69.

Until next time>                               “never forget”