Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

   An extensive archive from comedian Jerry Lewis’ career, including rarely seen films, long-lost television recordings, and home videos, will have a new home at the Library of Congress, curators announced on Monday. The collection also includes thousands of documents. He is donating some items, while others are being purchased by the library from his personal archive. Materials will be available to historians and researchers in Washington.

   The archive will chronicle his over 70 years in comedy. Conservators said the recordings will fill significant gaps in television history, including Lewis’ appearances with Dean Martin on NBC’s Colgate Comedy Hour and on The Tonight Show. Highlights from the collection include 35 mm prints of many of Lewis’ most popular cinema:  The Bellboy, The Errand Boy, and The Family Jewels. There is also test footage from films; a silent comedy filmed on the set of The Patsy, and rare footage of Martin and Lewis performing their nightclub act.

   Curators were particularly interested in Lewis’ archive because he was one of the most creative figures in American pop culture in the late 20th Century. The immense collection will give a more complete picture of the entertainer as a performer, director, producer, artist, educator, and philanthropist.

   The recordings and materials will join the library’s existing comedy collection documenting humorists, such as Bob Hope, Groucho Marx, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, and Johnny Carson.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

    Former Kansas Senator Bob Dole is planning an ambitious fundraising effort to build the long-debated Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial in Washington, and he will have help from Tom Hanks, Tom Brokaw, and others. Dole aims to raise $150 million in private funds, if necessary, to build the memorial after more than 15 years of planning.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER       ROBERT DOLE  

   The 92-year-old World War II veteran says it’s time to honor Ike, the 34th President and Supreme Allied Commander during World War II, and his longtime hero. Organizers hope to create I Still Like Ike clubs nationwide to support the memorial. Every Saturday, Dole visits the World War II Memorial in Washington to welcome veterans. He is gathering petitions signed by veterans to support the Eisenhower project and is looking for support from the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion.

   The Eisenhower project has won final approval for architect Frank Gehry’s design, and now must raise the funds to begin construction. Congress already appropriated $60 million for design and planning. Gehry designed a memorial park with statues of Eisenhower as a general, president, and a man from Kansas. A large metal tapestry will serve as a backdrop, depicting the Kansas landscape of Ike’s boyhood home. The park would be situated among federal agencies near the National Mall, facing the National Air and Space Museum.

   Dole pledges to work the phones and write fundraising letters. Next week, he’ll visit the Kansas State Fair and greet visitors at a booth promoting the memorial. Dole is also amassing a network of support, calling on former presidents, congressional leaders, and cabinet officials to join the effort. Brokaw, the NBC newsman, signed on this summer. Hanks is also joining the memorial’s advisory committee. The filmmaker and actor from Saving Private Ryan also worked with Dole to help lead the fundraising effort for the World War II Memorial.

TOM BROKAW             TOM HANKS

   Hollywood and Americana intersect in a metaphorical Hollywood-and-Vine moment.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Hollywood legend Stan Laurel told how he was lost after the death of Oliver Hardy in an amazing collection of letters which are about to go on sale in Britain. The type-written correspondence, written by Stan to his cousin in Cumbria are expected to generate huge interest when they are auctioned in Newcastle. In them, he writes of the terrible loss of his comedy partner, and life after Oliver’s death on August 7th, 1957.

                                      STAN LAUREL     OLIVER HARDY

   Laurel had confided that the illness of his comic partner had seen him lose 10 pounds in weight. It also left Stan with little work to do as he moved with his wife Eda to Malibu during the Summer of ‘57. A note from Oliver Hardy’s widow Lucille is also for sale. His widow tells of the star’s great suffering in the final months before he died.

   Stan Laurel was born in Ulverston in 1890, and died in America in 1965. He appeared in more than 100 short films, feature films, and cameos with Oliver Hardy. One of these letters was written only days before his own death. Other subjects included the death of George VI and succession of Elizabeth II, sailing on the Queen Mary at the same time as Winston Churchill, and personal family matters.

    A total of 41 letters sent to his cousin in Ulverston – Stan’s birthplace – between May 1947 and January 1965 are going under the hammer. The collection will be sold at Anderson & Garland in Newcastle on September 15th-17th.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Dickie Moore was a popular child actor. He was one of the last surviving actors to appear in silent films. He’s also famous for giving Shirley Temple her second on-screen smooch in Miss Annie Rooney.

   Besides appearing in major feature films, he was featured as a regular in the Our Gang series in 1932. In addition, Moore is best known for his portrayal of the title character in the 1933 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist and Marlene Dietrich’s son in Blonde Venus.

   Dickie had roles in Madame X, The Squaw Man, Disorderly Conduct, Million Dollar Legs, Man’s Castle, The Story of Louis Pasteur, The Life of Emile Zola, Sergeant York, Heaven Can Wait, The Song of Bernadette, and Out of the Past. Moore later performed on Broadway and on television.

    He went on to teach and write books about acting, edit Equity News, and produce an Oscar-nominated short film, The Boy and the Eagle. He owned a public relations firm for 44 years, and since 1988, he was married to the actress Jane Powell. In March 2013, Powell reported that her husband had arthritis and bouts of dementia.

   Dickie Moore was two days shy of his 90th birthday.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   President Barack Obama honored 21 individuals and organizations on Thursday for works that he says have helped Americans connect and understand each other a little better through the arts and humanities. The honorees included actress Sally Field and author Stephen King.

STEPHEN KING                SALLY FIELD

   Sally Field received the 2014 National Medal of Arts for expressing dignity, empathy, and fearlessness in award-winning performances that have touched audiences worldwide, as well as for showing those same qualities in her off-screen advocacy for women, LGBT rights, and public health. King also received an arts medal for combining storytelling with analysis of human nature.

    Obama said he loves to celebrate the brilliance of artists, innovators, and thinkers. The National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities were created by Congress in 1965 to provide grants to support artistic excellence and creativity, and to advance the understanding and appreciation of history, literature, philosophy, and language. Both agencies are celebrating their 50th anniversaries this year.

   Sally Field currently co-hosts with Robert Osborne The Essentials on Turner Classic Movies every weekend.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Queen Elizabeth II has reached a major milestone by becoming the longest-reigning monarch in Britain’s history. She passes Queen Victoria, her great-great-grandmother, who was on the throne for 63 years and seven months. Prime Minister David Cameron said Wednesday that millions of Brits would celebrate the queen’s historic moment.

   Elizabeth came to the throne in 1952 upon the death of her father, King George VI. She was touring a remote part of Kenya when news of his passing arrived. Her coronation came the following year, and was one of the first major public events televised in Britain.           QUEEN ELIZABETH II —>

   Buckingham Palace marked the event by releasing an official photograph of the queen taken by Mary McCartney, a photographer who is the daughter of former Beatle Paul McCartney.

   The 89-year-old monarch has cut back on her international travel and has lightened her work load somewhat, but she still carries out many royal duties. She does not intend to abdicate, though the proportion of the sovereign’s duties performed by Prince Charles is expected to continue to increase as Elizabeth, who will celebrate her ninetieth birthday in 2016, reduces her commitments.

   God save the Queen!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Judy Carne was the British actress best known for the catch-phrase Sock it to me! on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. She also had a role in the Julie Andrews vehicle, The Americanization of Emily.

   Prior to being a regular on the variety program, Carne co-starred in a few situation comedies, including Love on a Rooftop. She also guest-starred on television programs, such as Bonanza, Gidget, 12 O’Clock High, I Dream of Jeannie, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Big Valley, Gunsmoke, and Love American Style.

   Her autobiography, Laughing on the Outside, Crying on the Inside: The Bittersweet Saga of the Sock-It-To-Me Girl  in 1985, chronicled her problems with drugs, a failed marriage to Burt Reynolds, and bisexuality. She also dated Steve McQueen and Warren Beatty. By her account, she didn’t enjoy doing Laugh-In.  JUDY CARNE —->

   Judy Carne was 76.

———————————————————

<—JEAN DARLING was a regular in the Our Gang short subjects series from 1927-29, co-starring in 46 silents and six talkies. During her adult career, she’s best remembered for her role  in the original production of Carousel in 1945, appearing in about 850 consecutive performances.

   Darling continued to appear in cinema after leaving Hal Roach Productions, including an appearance in Laurel & Hardy’s adaptation of Babes in Toyland and as the young Jane in Jane Eyre, both  in 1934. She turned down an offer to appear alongside Mickey Rooney in one of the MGM Andy Hardy movies, and went on Broadway.

   Prior to her death, she was one of four surviving cast members from the Silent era cast of Our Gang. At the time of her death in 2015, Darling was, along with Baby Peggy, one of the last surviving actors who worked in the silent film era.

   Jean Darling was 93.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

<—MARTIN MILNER (with George Maharis) is best known for starring in two popular television series: Route 66, which aired on CBS from 1960 to 1964, and Adam-12, which aired on NBC from 1968 to 1975.

   Milner had his first screen test and began his career with his debut in Life with Father, in the role of John, the second oldest son of Clarence Day played by William Powell. Two weeks after production ended in 1946, Milner contracted polio. He recovered within a year.

   He landed a small role in Sands of Iwo Jima starring John Wayne. It was the first of several war films in which he would have both minor and major roles in the 1950s, including another Wayne picture called Operation Pacific in 1951, and Mister Roberts with Henry Fonda, James Cagney, Bill Powell (again), and Jack Lemmon. Other notable performances were in Sweet Smell of Success, Pete Kelly’s Blues, Dial M for Murder, The Long Gray Line, Gunfight at the OK Corral, Francis in the Navy, Desk Set, Too Much Too Soon, Valley of the Dolls, and 13 Ghosts.

   It was on the set of Halls of Montezuma in 1950 that he met actor Jack Webb. In 1952, Milner began a two-year stint in the United States Army. He was assigned to Fort Ord on California’s Monterey Bay peninsula, where he directed training films. Milner was encouraged by fellow soldier Clint Eastwood to pursue an acting career when his time in the military ended. While serving, Milner began working for Webb, playing Officer Bill Lockwood (briefly  as the partner of Sgt. Friday) and other characters on the Dragnet radio series. He also appeared on six episodes of Webb’s Dragnet television series between 1952 and 1955.

   He guest-starred on television programs, including a recurring part in The Life of Riley, The Twilight Zone, and Rawhide. Milner won the role of Tod Stiles in the CBS television series, Route 66. His ongoing relationship with Jack Webb led to his eventual signature performance as Pete Malloy in Adam-12. Milner appeared in three episodes of Emergency! between 1972-1976, during and after Adam-12′s run on NBC. Milner also has the distinction of having portrayed the victim in the premiere episode of Columbo.

   After retiring from acting, Milner co-hosted a radio show about fishing called Let’s Talk Hook-Up on XTRA 690.

   Martin Milner was 83.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Dean Jones was best known for his light-hearted leading roles in several Walt Disney movies between 1965 and 1977, most notably The Love Bug. Jones also originated the role of Bobby in Stephen Sondheim’s Company.               DEAN JONES —->

   After appearing in minor film and television roles, Jones made his Broadway debut (along with Jane Fonda) in the 1960 play There Was a Little Girl. In 1960 he also played Dave Manning in the stage comedy Under the Yum-Yum Tree, a role which he reprised in the 1963 movie version starring Jack Lemmon.

   Jones started his film career by signing a contract at MGM, beginning with a small role as a soldier in Somebody Up There Likes Me, and he played a disc jockey in the 1957 Elvis Presley film Jailhouse Rock. Jones subsequently starred in the NBC television sitcom Ensign O’Toole from 1962–1963. It also happened to be the lead-in program to Walt Disney’s The Wonderful World of Color. The producer ordered prints of Jones’ cinema catalog to analyze.

   Walt signed Jones on for a string of Disney films in the 1960s and 1970s, beginning with That Darn Cat! (actress Hayley Mills’ last film at Disney). His performance was so well-received that Disney assigned him starring roles in The Ugly Dachshund, Blackbeard’s Ghost, The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit, The Million Dollar Duck, The Shaggy D.A., and Snowball Express. What followed was The Love Bug series of flicks. He later had a small part in Clear and Present Danger.

   Jones became a devout born-again Christian in 1973. He founded the Christian Rescue Committee (CRC) in 1998, an organization that helps provide a way of escape to Jews, Christians, and others persecuted for their faith. The actor was inducted into the Disney Legends Hall of Fame in 1995.

   The very likeable Dean Jones was 84.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Wes Craven, whose A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream movies made him one of the most recognizable names in the horror films, has died. His specialty was the Slasher genre of cinema.

    Craven left the academic world for a lucrative role as pornographic film director. In a recent documentary, Craven admitted he made many hard core X-rated films under pseudonyms. While his role in Deep Throat is undisclosed, most of his early known work involved writing, film editing, or both.

   A prolific director and editor, Craven was credited with reinventing the teen horror genre with the 1984 release of A Nightmare on Elm Street starring a then-unknown Johnny Depp. The movie led to several sequels featuring the Freddy Krueger character.                          WES CRAVEN –>

   Besides his work in horror films, Craven also directed the drama Music of the Heart, which earned Meryl Streep one of her many Oscar nominations. He also directed a segment in The Twilight Zone movie.

   Wes Craven was 76.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Julien’s Auctions announces the sale of property from the estate of Luise Rainer. The items in the collection feature an array of fine European antiques, Old Master and Contemporary fine art, career memorabilia, furniture, and personal effects from the actress and her longtime home in London’s trendy Eaton Square. They will be offered in an  anticipated Fall auction.

   Aside from her acting talents, Rainer had a very discerning eye for traditional European antiques and built a massive collection of 17th and 18th century Continental case pieces over the many decades. This auction also features memorabilia and photographs from Rainer’s storied career, including a solid 14K gold 1936 Motion Picture Critics of America medal, sterling monogrammed dresser sets, personal effects such as clothing and shoes, a George Hurrell black-and-white photograph portrait, and a series of black-and-white photographs of Rainer with her good friend Albert Einstein.

   All of the property in the auction is featured in a full color limited edition catalogue available for purchase at www.juliensauctions.com.

EXCLUSIVE PRESS PREVIEW
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PDT
Julien’s Auctions Beverly Hills Gallery
9665 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills
(across from Saks Fifth Avenue)
Parking garage on-site

BEVERLY HILLS PUBLIC EXHIBITION
Wednesday, September 23rd –
Wednesday, September 30th, 2015
Daily 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PDT
Free to the Public — Closed Saturday and Sunday

LIVE AND ONLINE AUCTION
Wednesday, September 30th, 2015
STREET ART AUCTION
Session I: 7:00 p.m. PDT

Thursday, October 1st, 2015
STREET ART AND FINE ART
Session II: 10:00 a.m. PDT
PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF LUISE RAINER
Session III: 2:00 p.m. PDT

 Julien’s Auctions Beverly Hills
9665 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 150
Beverly Hills, California 90210

For inquiries, please email info@juliensauctions.com or call 310-836-1818.

`

   Luise Rainer was the first actress to win back-to-back Academy Awards, the first in 1936 for her performance as Anna Held in The Great Ziegfeld; and the second in 1937 for her performance as O-Lan in The Good Earth. After an increasingly rocky relationship with Hollywood, this American/Viennese star spent her time between Switzerland and England and finally settled in England in the 1990s. She lived for over a century.

   This is a rare opportunity to own items from a true classic Hollywood legend.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Spike Lee, Gena Rowlands and Debbie Reynolds are the season’s first Oscar winners. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced  on Thursday that the filmmaker and the two actresses will receive honorary Academy Awards on November 14th at its annual Governors Awards ceremony in Hollywood.

   Lee and Rowlands will receive honorary Oscars for their career achievements. Each has two previous nominations. Lee’s came for his original screenplay for 1989’s Do the Right Thing and for his 1997 documentary feature, 4 Little Girls. Rowlands’ nods were for lead actress in 1974’s A Woman Under the Influence and in 1980’s Gloria.

DEBBIE REYNOLDS

   Reynolds, a Best Actress nominee for 1964’s The Unsinkable Molly Brown, will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her more than fifty years of work promoting awareness and treatment of mental health issues.

   Congratulations to these longtime filmmakers!

Until next time>                               “never forget“

Manny P. here…

   The house used as the home of psychotic killer Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs is up for sale. The owners are asking $300,000 for the home, which also features an in-ground pool and a vintage caboose as a pool house.

   A production crew took six weeks to turn the three-story house into the squalid home of the killer played by Ted Levine. The crew spent three days shooting in the foyer and dining room of the home near Perryopolis, about 30 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

   The Silence of the Lambs won five Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Anthony Hopkins played Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a crazed, cannibalistic psychiatrist whose macabre clues help Clarice Starling, the rookie FBI agent played by Jodie Foster, track down and kill Buffalo Bill in his home. By the way, the basement dungeon where the serial fiend kept one would-be victim, and where he eventually met his demise, doesn’t exist. Those scenes were shot on a sound stage

   The real estate agent is hopeful the 1910 home’s spooky pedigree will attract rather than repel buyers. You can celebrate your purchase of this lovely four-bedroom Victorian with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.  OUCH!

———————————————–

   Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History has surpassed 3300 books sold; a milestone. My initial paperback  exceeds all projected sales, and purchases keep climbing. The La La Land souvenir shop along Hollywood Blvd., and across the street from the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, is the exact reason for my latest accomplishment.

   My first book will soon go into its Third Print edition, which is another reason to celebrate.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Several television icons have died. Here are the sad details…

~ Yvonne Craig (right) was best known at Batgirl on the very cool Batman for one season. Another memorable role, from an episode of the original Star Trek: the green Orion Slave Girl who wanted to kill Captain Kirk. She began her career as a dancer, the youngest member of The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, with which she toured for three years.

   Her films include Gidget, The Gene Krupa Story, It Happened at the State Fair, Kissin’ Cousins, One of Our Spies is Missing, and In Like Flint. She guest-starred on the small screen in Mr. Lucky, Death Valley Days, My Three Sons, Dr. Kildare, Perry Mason, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., McHale’s Navy, The Big Valley, The Wild Wild West, Land of the Giants, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Love American Style, It Takes a Thief, The Mod Squad, Kojak, and The Six Million Dollar Man.

   Yvonne Craig was 78.

~ Bud Yorkin (right) was the savvy creator of All in the Family. Early in his career, he produced The Tony Martin Show and The Ford Show that showcased the talents of Tennessee Ernie Ford. Other early television ventures included The Colgate Comedy Hour, The Dinah Shore Show, The George Gobel Show.

   In 1958, Yorkin joined writer/producer Norman Lear to form Tandem Productions, which produced several motion pictures and television specials in the 1960s to 1971 with such major studios like United Artists and Warner Brothers. They collaborated on Good Times, Maude, The Jeffersons, and Sanford and Son. After splitting with Lear, he developed What’s Happening and Carter Country. As a director, he made The Thief Who Came to Dinner, Divorce American Style, and Inspector Clouseau.

   In 2002, Yorkin was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. He was 89.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Uggie, the Jack Russell terrier who became a canine star for his scene-stealing role in the Oscar-winning movie The Artist, has died. The beloved pooch was euthanized after a bout with prostate cancer.

   In The Artist, Uggie played the canine companion to Jean Dujardin’s fading silent-film star. The movie won Academy Awards for Best Picture, actor and director in 2011. His other screen credits included Water for Elephants and Mr. Fix It. He retired in 2012 in a ceremony at the famous Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, where he became the first dog to leave his paw prints in concrete alongside the prints of human stars.

   Uggie was a rescue dog, a cause that his owner championed. His owner made it a point to keep the dog in shape and feeling young with exercise, including using a treadmill.

   Uggie was 13.

Until next time>                               “never forget”