“Forgotten Hollywood”- Just in Time for Easter…

February 6th, 2017

Manny P. here…

“`Playboy Bunnies, with rabbit tails, corsets, and ears, will soon be back in business in New York City. Three decades after the original Playboy Club closed in Manhattan, a victim of changing American tastes and views on women, a new venue will debut later this year, blocks from Times Square.

“`The club on West 42nd St. will be one of the chic spots in the world. It will have a lounge, restaurant, game room, and of course.. Bunnies  with new outfits. Other Playboy clubs are already operating in London, the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi,  and several locations in India.  Plus, another is set to open in Shanghai. It will be in the Cachet Boutique New York Hotel, replacing a gay-themed Out Hotel that closed last year.

“`Playboy founder Hugh Hefner (left)  opened the first club in Chicago in 1960. He quickly expanded the operation to 30 clubs around the world. A chance to leer at Bunnies was not the only attraction. Clubs also featured musicians and other entertainers. New York’s venue opened on E 59th St., between 5th and Madison Ave. in 1962. The following year, feminist Gloria Steinem worked as an undercover Bunny, and wrote an expose for Show Magazine entitled A Bunny’s Tale. Among her revelations: Pay was lousy, male customers propositioned the female staff, and she was told to get a gynecological exam, and take a test for venereal disease, before she was hired.

“`The original clubs remained popular and lucrative for decades, before faltering in the 1980s. Bunnies Go From Risque to Passe, read a Los Angeles Times headline in 1986, the year the SoCal club closed, as did the New York locale. The original clubs were all defunct by 1991.

“`Changing mores have altered Playboy Magazine, too, lately. The magazine, still sold in 23 nations, no longer allows full nudity in the United States edition; favoring instead, articles and related images. Cooper Hefner, 25-year-old son of 90-year-old Hugh, is now its chief officer.

“`Some industry experts say there may also be marketing appeal among millennials, and fans of Mad Men, the television show set in the Manhattan.  The new luxury hotel will provide 107 rooms. This is a partnership between Playboy Enterprises, Cachet Hospitality Group, and Merchants Hospitality.

“` If the club opens as scheduled, it will be in a city that began the year with thousands of women taking to the streets to protest the presidency of Donald Trump; partly, because of remarks he made that were perceived as chauvinistic. It’s expected to open later this year.

“`Hold that thought…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- The Crown Remains in Steady Hands..

February 5th, 2017

Manny P. here… 

“`Queen Elizabeth II is poised for a historic milestone, an unprecedented 65 years on the throne. But, Buckingham Palace says Britain’s longest-serving monarch plans on spending Monday’s ceremonies away from the spotlight, in somber contemplation of her late father.

“`Official commemorations of Elizabeth’s Sapphire Jubilee are expected to feature ceremonial cannon fusillades at a central London park, and at the Tower of London; plus a cavalry parade of military horses pulling World War I-era artillery pieces.                            QUEEN ELIZABETH II —>

“`The ninety-year-old monarch is staying 110 miles to the north, at their Sandringham House estate in Norfolk where her father, King George VI, died of lung cancer at age fifty-six in 1952, after a fifteen-year reign. His death is chronicled in the acclaimed Netflix series, The Crown. Recently,  The King’s Speech was the Oscar-winning movie that featured his ascent to the throne.

“`Elizabeth surpassed Queen Victoria as Britain’s longest-serving monarch in 2015.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Val Kilmer as Mark Twain…

February 3rd, 2017

Manny P. here…

“`Val Kilmer will appear in person to introduce the screening of his one-man play about Mark Twain Citizen Twain, playing to sold-out houses at several performing arts venues in Los Angeles. And now, the writer, actor, and director is on hand to present special film screenings of the play.

“`A master of reinvention, Kilmer transforms himself in a comedic and moving performance that is both contemporary and reflective. This piece is based on the life of Samuel Clemens, and of course, his writings as Mark Twain. From thoughts on politics (including his infamous disdain for the United States Congress),  to his family, and his faith, Twain spins a series of yarns with his timeless satire and incomparable wit.

“`Val’s breakout screen performance was in Top Gun with Tom Cruise. Other roles included as Doc Holliday in TombstoneSimon Templar in The Saint; the title character in Batman Forever; Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s The Doors; and Michael Mann’s Heat, featuring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.

“`Mr. Kilmer will introduce the 90-minute movie, and conduct a question and answer period with the audience, following the screening. VIP ticket holders will have the chance to meet, chat, and take photos with Val after the Q&A.

“`Upcoming screenings are scheduled at Landmark Regent in Los Angeles on February 9th; Oxnard Levity Live on February 13th; Pasadena’s Laemmle Playhouse on February 16th; and Long Beach City College / Liberal Arts Auditorium (Bldg J) on February 24th and 25th.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- TCM 31 Days of Oscar A to Z…

February 1st, 2017

Manny P. here…

“`31 Days of Oscar is a programming franchise airing each Oscar season on Turner Classic Movies cable networks during the month of each Academy Awards. The criteria for cinema  screening on TCM  during the fest is that a motion picture be either a previous Oscar winner or nominee. Films that screen are ones TCM holds the broadcast rights. However, most come from the classic MGM or Warner Bros. vaults.

“`This year, the cable network is presenting celluloid in alphabetical order; from A to Z. It is a fascinating schedule that provides the kind of programming the TCM audience is salivating for.

“`Just on Day 1 (today),  I am enjoying such guilty pleasures as Annie Hall, All About Eve,  The Adventures of Robin Hood, Around the World in 80 Days, An American in Paris, and The Asphalt Jungle. What a lineup!

“`For the complete schedule, cut-and-paste the link below:

http://31days.tcm.com/

Until next time>                               “never forget”