Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

   Anita Ekberg was a Swedish actress, model, and sex symbol. She is best known for her role in the Federico Fellini film La Dolce Vita. In her teens, she worked as a fashion model. In 1950, Ekberg entered the Miss Malmö competition at her mother’s urging, leading to the Miss Sweden contest, which she won. Though she did not win Miss Universe, as one of six finalists, she earned a star contract with Universal Studios.

   Her Hollywood career includes roles in Abbott and Costello Go to Mars, 4 For Texas, Blood Alley, Artists and Models, Call Me Bwana, Hollywood or Bust, and memorably, in War and Peace. She guest-starred in the short-lived television series Casablanca. She was publicized as Paramount’s Marilyn Monroe.

   The outspoken Anita Ekberg was 83.                                                ANITA EKBERG

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   Part of cinematic royalty, Samuel Goldwyn Jr. was a film producer. The son of a pioneer motion picture mogul, he became a theatrical producer in London and for Edward R. Murrow at CBS in New York. He then followed in his father’s footsteps and founded the motion picture production companies Formosa Productions, The Samuel Goldwyn Company, and Samuel Goldwyn Films. His first film was the Robert Mitchum-Western, Man With the Gun.

SAMUEL GOLDWYN JR.

   Some of the motion pictures he financed include the 1960 version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, A Prayer for the Dying, Mystic Pizza (which gave Julia Roberts her big break, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, The Preacher’s Wife, and most recently, the 2013 update of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, a remake of one of his father’s films. His son is Tony Goldwyn, who co-starred in Ghost, and currently stars in the ABC television drama, Scandal.

   Samuel Goldwyn Jr. was 88.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   For the sixth straight year, here’s my ballot for this year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards. I thought 2014 was an exceptional year of cinema. And, several folks and movies in most of the categories should be considered for the specific awards. Let me explain:

   OUTSTANDING MALE:  Michael Keaton (Birdman)

Four of the five nominees are solid. Jake Gyllenhaal is a very close second choice for a fine job in Nightcrawler. Eddie Redmayne and Benedict Cumberbatch provide outstanding work in The Theory of Everything and The Imitation Game. One thing… David Oyelowo (Selma), Bradley Cooper (American Sniper), or Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel) should have been nominated instead of Steve Carell (Foxcatcher). As for Keaton, it’s a career role!

   OUTSTANDING FEMALE:  Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)

The buzz is for Julianne Moore in Still Alice. I completely disagree! Alzheimer’s Disease is familiar to me, because members of my extended family have suffered from Dementia. I have yet to see a film that captures this insidious affliction with any accuracy. Reese Witherspoon  in Wild and Felicity Jones in The Theory of Everything are worthy nominees. However, the sure ferocity of Rosamund Pike’s performance should be rewarded. It’s scary good!

   OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING MALE:  J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)

Manny P. here…

   Prospect House Entertainment, in partnership with Glendale Arts, and in association with the Tony Nicholas family, presents The Nicholas Brothers Tribute. This fabulous event is Sunday, January 25th at 7:30p.

   Hollywood’s greatest tap-dance team will be honored in a star-studded gala at the historic 1400-seat Alex Theatre in Glendale, California. They’ll chronicle Fayard and Harold Nicholas rise to fame,  from their humble beginnings in Philadelphia to pioneering and redefining the tap genre. They became bona-fide stars of the jazz circuit during the heyday of the Harlem Renaissance.

NICHOLAS BROTHERS

   By 1932, they were featured act at the Cotton Club, working with the orchestras of Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, and Jimmy Lunceford. The brothers made their Broadway debut in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1936, and also appeared in Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart’s legendary musical Babes in Arms in 1937. Producer Samuel Goldwyn invited them to be a part of Kid Millions,  which was their first role in a Hollywood film. Other movie appearances include routines in The Big Broadcast of 1936, Tin Pan Alley, Down Argentine Way, Sun Valley Serenade, Orchestra Wives, Stormy Weather, and The Pirate. Archival footage was also featured in That’s Entertainment and That’s Dancing.

   This one-night only, special evening will feature Nicholas family members, celebrity friends, and co-stars, rare and never-before-seen home movie footage, movie trailers, clips from their dazzling feature film performances, dramatic on-stage reenactments from landmark moments in their lives, and amazing tap numbers performed by the very best dancers in the country, choreographed by the peerless Cathie Nicholas, Fayard’s granddaughter. Special Q&A guests include Gloria Hendry, best known for co-starring with Roger Moore in the James Bond film, Live and Let Die.

   This is going to be rousing fun!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The controversy surrounding LBJ’s role over Civil Rights as depicted in Selma is just the latest flap regarding artistic license; an argument that goes back to Hollywood’s Golden Age. The more celebrated recent furor involves Lincoln (Connecticut lawmakers were in a major uproar for incorrectly depicting state’s representatives voting against the 13th Amendment); Zero Dark Thirty (suggesting intelligence gathered through torture helped lead to Osama bin Laden’s capture led to a public outcry that was spearheaded by Senators Diane Feinstein and John McCain; and JFK (many still take as fact conspiracy theories floated by Oliver Stone).

PRESIDENT LYNDON JOHNSON w/ MARTIN LUTHER KING

   I write in my Forgotten Hollywood Book Series that this often occurs by screenwriters not bound to the truth. It’s the job of historians and critics to point out the corrections when movie moguls get the facts wrong in a production. The argument of a filmmaker remains that they are simply trying to entertain. A character in the movie, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, succinctly sums up how history was portrayed in the Old West by real newspaper reporters: When legend becomes fact, print the legend! The John Ford-Western boldly pokes fun at the tall tales created, and the historical implications from the narrative.

   The most celebrated legend by Hollywood was created by the script from the 1939 drama, Drums Along the Mohawk. As I surmise in my chapter on Ward Bond:

Bond plays Adam Helmer, a Revolutionary War hero. Helmer, a frontiersman, is actually credited in warning the people of German Flatts, New York of an impending raid by Indians and Tories (British sympathizers). Due to his efforts, only two men were killed in the attack. Unfortunately, the true depiction in the novel and the subsequent film version differs; giving credit to Gil Martin, a settler in the Mohawk Valley. This inaccurate discrepancy is the highlight in the movie. The heroic assignment was made by Darryl F. Zanuck to showcase the star of the film, Henry Fonda.

   My Book Series is quick to point out these kinds of areas of issue because that is my literary job as a film and American historian. I don’t agree with those folks who claim a movie is less great because it gets the facts wrong.

   The bottom line… as a Screen Actors Guild member, my awards ballot will be based on acting style, production qualities, and effective use of narrative storytelling; not on whether the facts behind the motion picture are correct. My suggestion to a theatre-going audience:  Visit the snack counter, buy a tub of popcorn and soft drink, and then, enjoy the legend!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Rod Taylor was a likeable actor from Down Under, who appeared in many movies and television programs. He’s best remembered for his roles in The Time Machine, The V.I.Ps, The Glass Bottom Boat, The Birds, Sunday in New York, and Hotel.      ROD TAYLOR —->

     Rod acquired extensive radio and stage experience in Australia. He made his feature film debut in the Aussie film King of the Coral Sea, playing an American. He was later cast in a Hollywood-financed film shot in Sydney, Long John Silver, an unofficial sequel to Treasure Island. His first big motion picture was Giant. This led to work at MGM in a series of films, including Raintree County, The Catered Affair, and Separate Tables. He also was the voice of Pongo (a dog) in Disney’s animated feature 101 Dalmatians.

   The actor was quite busy on the small screen, as well. He was a regular on anthology shows, such as Studio One, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Lux Video Theatre, Playhouse 90, Zane Grey Theatre, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, DuPont Show of the Week, The Twilight Zone, Goodyear Theatre, and Tales of the Unexpected. He also guest-starred in Cheyenne, Walker Texas Ranger, Falcon Crest, and Murder She Wrote.

   Taylor was a pioneer of the Australian-New Zealand invasion of Hollywood that would come to include actors Mel Gibson, Judy Davis, Nicole Kidman (born in Hawaii to Australian parents), Geoffrey Rush, and Russell Crowe; and directors Bruce Berenson, Peter Weir, Bruce Beresford, Baz Luhrman, Rob Marshall, and Peter Jackson.

   In 1993, Rod hosted a documentary Time Machine: The Journey Back. At the end of the special came a mini-sequel, written by David Duncan, the screenwriter of the George Pal film. Taylor recreated his role of George, and reunited with co-star Alan Young.

   The affable hellion, Rod Taylor was 84.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   With the current selection by the Baseball Writers Association of America of four retired Major League ballplayers to its Hall of Fame, let’s look back at the last time this happened — 1955. Randy Johnson, Craig Biggio, John Smoltz, and Pedro Martinez in July will join fabulous company.

  1955 Induction Class

   One of the larger classes was inducted on July 25, 1955, as the Hall of Fame welcomed BBWAA inductees — Joe DiMaggio, Gabby Hartnett, Ted Lyons, and Dazzy Vance; and Veterans Committee picks — Frank Home Run Baker and Ray Schalk. The biggest induction ceremony since 1939, the crowd fav was easily DiMaggio, according to the New York Times.

           JOE DIMAGGIO                      DAZZY VANCE                        TED LYONS 

   Hollywood’s connection to one of these inductees is quite obvious. DiMaggio was briefly married to Marilyn Monroe. Considered one the all-time great ballplayers, the Yankee Clipper had a half-dozen red roses delivered three times a week to her crypt for 20 years. In the 1970s, DiMaggio became a spokesman for Mr. Coffee, and would be the face of the electric coffee maker for over two decades. DiMaggio also became a spokesman for The Bowery Savings Bank. DiMaggio regularly made commercials for the financial institution until 1992.

   When there is an influx of qualified candidates, like there were for many years after the Hall was opened, voters tend to spread their votes out. DiMaggio’s 88.8% is not an aberration of the time, and a player of his caliber would probably receive over 95% if voted on in today’s era (Cal Ripken Jr., Tony Gwynn, Rickey Henderson, etc.).

   Not making the cut that year… Hank Greenberg (who was inducted in 1956), Joe Cronin, Hack Wilson, Red Ruffing, Max Carey, and Zack Wheat. All of these gentlemen were eventually selected to represent these hallowed grounds.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Signing up a Hollywood actress as the face of a beauty brand is a common practice. But, Max Factor has taken the step of appointing a star who died in 1962. Marilyn Monroe has been unveiled as the company’s official Global Glamour Ambassador for its 2015 advertising campaigns. They will highlight the role make-up played in transforming Norma Jean into the blonde bombshell of Some Like It Hot and The Seven Year Itch.

Manny P. here…

   Edward Herrmann brought Franklin D. Roosevelt to life in movies and documentaries, won a Tony Award, and charmed audiences as the stuffy dad on television’s Gilmore Girls. He was also a ubiquitous narrator for historical programs on The History Channel, and in such PBS productions as Nova.

<– Edward Herrmann began his career in theatre. But, his legacy remains in the many films and small screen performances that made his voice instantly recognizable. His motion pictures include The Day of the Dolphin, The Paper Chase, The Great Gatsby, Reds, Annie, The Great Waldo Pepper, The Purple Rose of Cairo, The Lost Boys, The Man with One Red Shoe, Overboard, Big Business, the remake of Born Yesterday, Nixon, The Aviator, The Emperor’s Club, and The Wolf of Wall Street. On the small screen, he excelled in Eleanor and Franklin, M*A*S*H, St. Elsewhere, Law & Order, Grey’s Anatomy, 30 Rock, How I Met Your Mother, The Good Wife, and regularly, on Gilmore Girls. He narrated The American Revolution miniseries, and most recently, reprised the voice of FDR in Ken Burns acclaimed, The Roosevelts.

   Herrmann returned to Broadway in 1976 in the revival of Mrs. Warren’s Profession. For his performance, he won a Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Play. He earned an Emmy in 1999 for his guest appearances on The Practice.

   In my home, his quaint voice was as familiar to me as a relative chatting at the dinner table. Edward Herrmann was 71.

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   From Television’s Golden Age, Donna Douglas (below) was part of the Clampett family on the very popular The Beverly Hillbillies. She was known for her role as Elly May, the pretty tomboy who loved wild animals and could beat up her cousin Jethro, played by Max Baer Jr.

   She was featured as the Letters Girl on The Perry Como Show and as the Billboard Girl on The Steve Allen Show. These and other television appearances led New York photographers and newspaper reporters to award her the Miss By-line crown, which she wore on The Ed Sullivan Show. She guest-starred on weekly programs, such as Bachelor Father, Thriller,  The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Adam-12, and Route 66. She was also cast in four 1961 episodes of the detective series, Checkmate. Prior to co-starring in The Beverly Hillbillies, Douglas was best remembered for The Twilight Zone episode, Eye of the Beholder.

   Her big screen films include Career, Lil Abner, Lover Come Back, Frankie and Johnny with Elvis Presley, and later, in The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies, a reunion of sorts. In 2010, Mattel released a new collection of three Barbies called the Classic TV Collection. These dolls were Samantha Stephens (from Bewitched, played by Elizabeth Montgomery), Jeannie (from I Dream of Jeannie, played by Barbara Eden) and Elly May Clampett.

   Donna Douglas was 81.

Until next time>                               “never forget”