“Forgotten Hollywood”- Aba Daba…

January 31st, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`Carleton Carpenter Jr was a movie, television and stage actor. He gained fame when teamed in 1950 with Debbie Reynolds in Three Little Words and Two Weeks with Love. Their duet, Aba Daba Honeymoon,  was the initial soundtrack recording to become a top-of-the-chart gold record, reaching #3 on the Billboard charts.

 

“`Born in Vermont, Carpenter served as a Seabee during World War II. He helped build the airstrip from which the Enola Gay took off for a fateful flight to Hiroshima. After leaving the military, he began his performing career as a magician and an actor on Broadway.

“`Carpenter signed with MGM in 1950, where he made eight movies in three years including the popular Father of the Bride and Summer Stock. He composed Ev’ry Other Day, which he recorded for MGM Records and sang on screen in The Whistle at Eaton Falls. He wrote material for Reynolds, Kaye Ballard, Marlene Dietrich, and Hermione Gingold, and developed scripts for movies and television, as well.

“`The actor received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 from Cinecon and Reynolds was there to present him with the accolade.

“`Carleton Carpenter Jr. was ninety-five.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- My 2022 SAG Awards Ballot…

January 29th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`It is time to offer my SAG Awards Ballot, highlighting cinematic performances in 2021. This was a so-so year in movies. Here are my selections:

   

  OUTSTANDING MALE:  Andrew Garfield (Tick Tick… Boom!

“`Critics see this as a heavyweight match between Will Smith (King Richard)  and Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog), both with pitch-perfect performances. I vote for the dark horse Andrew Garfield for a tour de force presentation.  He captures the essence of the talented and tragic Jonathan Larson, the visionary behind Rent. Garfield was an easy choice. Denzel Washington in The Tragedy of MacBeth interprets The Bard to absolute perfection; Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz rounds out the field.  Overlooked, Bradley Cooper (Nightmare Alley), Leonardo DiCaprio (Don’t Look Up), and Peter Dinklage (Cyrano).

  OUTSTANDING FEMALE:  Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos)

“`Nicole Kidman did something I thought not possible.  She made me forget who was playing the iconic Lucille Ball. She earned my pick. Lady Gaga (House of Gucci) and Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) were wonderful this year. Olivia Coleman has found her niche in small edgy productions; Jennifer Hudson can sing Aretha for me anytime she wants, although Cynthia Erivo was better on television. Worthy contenders: Rachel Zegler (West Side Story), Penelope Cruz (Parallel Mothers), and Jennifer Lawrence (Don’t Look Up).

  OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING MALE:  Troy Kotsur  (CODA)

“`My actual first choice did not make the cut, Ciarán Hinds in Belfast. Troy Kotsur was just about as good, as was Jared Leto in House of Gucci. Between the two, I selected Kotsur in CODA. His castmate Eugenio Derbez was delightful. Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog) will take home the statuette for his performance. Ben Affleck (The Tender Bar) and Bradley Cooper (Licorice Pizza) only add star power. And snubbed in the category: Willem Dafoe (Nightmare Alley) and J. K. Simmons (Being the Ricardos).

  OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING FEMALE:  Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)

“`Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard) was unfortunately omitted by the voting committee.  Ariana DeBose may match Rita Moreno in sweeping the category for her performance as the sublime Anita. Cate Blanchett was a tidy femme fatale in Nightmare Alley. I loved the performances of Caitriona Balfe (Belfast) and Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog). A most competitive category! One glaring omission:  Frances McDormand in The Tragedy of MacBeth and The French Dispatch.

  OUTSTANDING CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE:  Belfast

“`The casts of Belfast, Don’t Luck Up and CODA were appropriate choices. Even though, I loved House of Gucci and King Richard a lot, The Power of the Dog, West Side Story, Nightmare Alley, or The French Dispatch should have been considered for a nomination. Belfast had a Roma-vibe with familiar homespun performances that meshed well. It caught my attention… and my vote!

~   ~   ~

~ 2021 My Top 10 Movies:  1. Tick, Tick… Boom!   2. The French Dispatch   3. CODA   4. Being the Ricardos 5. West Side Story 6. Belfast 7. Don’t Look Up  8. King Richard  9. Nightmare Alley  10. House of Gucci  

“’The SAG Awards airs on February 27th on TNT and TBS. Let us see how I do this year.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Salute to Social Media…

January 29th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`I join Art Kirsch and John Coleman on Celebrating Act 2 to chat about the busy social media sites that promote Hollywood history in 2022.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Author’s Day Interviews pt. 1

January 28th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`I conducted a series of interviews for Celebrating Act 2 at Hollywood Heritage Museum last December. It was during their Afternoon with the Authors event. Each Friday, I will chat with Hollywood historians, authors and cinematic luminaries. Richard Adkins is the curator at the museum and his comments are a great way to start this series.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- My Cousin the Congressman…

January 26th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`I sometimes mention that I had a cousin who was a former congressman. Esteban E. Torres was a politician who served as member of the United States House of Representatives for California’s 34th congressional district from 1983 to 1999. A Korean War veteran and longtime antipoverty activist,  his career on Capitol Hill put Torres in the vanguard of Latino influence in national politics.

“`Educated at East Los Angeles College, Torres served in the United States Army from 1949 to 1953. He was appointed United States Ambassador to UNESCO from 1977 to 1979 and also served as a special assistant to President Jimmy Carter from 1979 to 1981.

“`Torres was unsuccessful in his initial attempt to win a seat in the House of Representatives in 1974, but was elected in 1982 as a Democrat. He served from 1983 until 1999. He did not run for reelection in 1998 and was succeeded by Democrat Grace Napolitano. He served as a member of the California Transportation Commission from 1997 to 2007.

ESTEBAN E. TORRES 

“`A school in East Los Angeles was re-named Esteban E. Torres High School,  It opened on September 13th, 2010 and I was proud to attend the ceremony with my father. The facility has a unique educational approach with five academies:  Performing Arts, Engineering and Technology, Humanities, Art, and Social Justice and Leadership.

“`My cousin, Estaban Torres, was ninety-one. Tomorrow was his birthday…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- A Night at the Drive-In…

January 25th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`I am walking down memory lane with John Coleman and Art Kirsch of Celebrating Act 2 as we reminisce about trips to the drive-in movie theatres.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- He Ain’t Heavy…

January 24th, 2022

Manny P…

“`Celebrating Act 2 takes a look at villains in motion picture history with hosts John Coleman and Art Kirsch, especially in Gangster films and Westerns

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- An Actor and a Patriot…

January 22nd, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`Hardy Krüger was a fine German actor who spent his youth learning to hate political extremism. He is well remembered for his roles in  Hatari! and The Flight of the Phoenix.

“`Krüger’s folks were fanatical Nazis and he was forced to attend an elite Adolf Hitler School at the Ordensburg Sonthofen.  In March 1945, Krüger was assigned to the 38th SS Division Nibelungen and ended up in heavy combat. The teen was ordered to fire at Allied soldiers. After he refused, Krüger was sentenced to die for cowardice. It was countermanded by an officer. Krüger described this moment as his break with Nazism. He later served as a messenger for the SS. Krüger eventually deserted and went into hiding until the end of the war.

“`He established himself as a German film star during the 1950s. Fluent in German, English and French, he first came to the attention of English language audiences in the 1957 British film The One That Got Away.  In 1960, Krüger bought Ngorongoro, a farm in what is now part of Tanzania, which he owned for over a decade.  This timely purchase led to him being cast in Hatari!, directed by Howard Hawks. After the success of the flick, his ranch was re-named The Hatari Lodge.

HARDY KRUGER      JAMES STEWART

“`In The Flight of the Phoenix, he was the standout among the talented ensemble, cast in the production. He co-starred with James Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Ian Bannen, Ernest Borgnine, Peter Finch, and Dan Duryea. Other notable movies included The Secret of Santa Vittoria, Barry Lyndon, A Bridge Too Far, The Wild Geese and the television mini-series War and Remembrance.

“`Hardy Krüger was ninety-three.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Goodbye to Yvette…

January 19th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`Yvette Mimieux  was a popular film and television actress best known for her breakout role as Weena in The Time Machine. She was nominated for three Golden Globes during her acting career.         YVETTE MIMIEUX –>

“`Mimieux’s first screen appearance was in episodes of the television show, One Step Beyond in 1959. During the 1960s, she was under contract with MGM. She co-starred in Where the Boys Are, The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, Diamond Head, Toys in the Attic, and The Delta Factor. Later, she appeared in The Neptune Factor and The Black Hole. On television, she guest-starred in Mr. Lucky, Dr. Kildare, and The Love Boat.

“`An entrepeneur, Mimieux was a writer for magazines and wrote short stories. This talent led to her submission of teleplays to producers Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg.  For a time, she had a business selling Haitian products.

“`Yvette Mimieux was eighty.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Special Delivery…

January 17th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`From a 1929 Photoplay Magazine’s Hollywood advertisement. Check out the names…

“`Here is where to write to your favorite stars. If you request a photograph, you would have to enclose .25 cents in stamps or in silver coins (all wrapped carefully).

“`This was too amazing not to share!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Celebrating Sondheim…

January 16th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`What an absolute joy to chat about Stephen Sondheim with Art Kirsch and John Coleman on Celebrating Act 2. I share forgotten nuggets about the noted lyricist.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Hayley Mills Finds Oscar Gold…

January 12th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`Hayley Mills received an Oscar on Sunday, to replace the mini statuette version that went missing from her home in the late 1980s. She received her accolade in 1960 for her performance in Pollyanna. Hayley Mills ->

“`Hayley,  who is the daughter of the late veteran actor John Mills, first was noticed while alongside her father in Tiger Bay before becoming a box-office smash for Disney in the 1960s. She starred in flicks such as In Search of the Castaways, The Parent Trap and That Darn Cat!.

“`She was the last actor to receive a Juvenile Oscar, which had been given out sporadically since 1934. Previous winners included Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple and Judy Garland.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- A Splendid Day in the South Bay…

January 10th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`Please join me this Friday at 4p for my first book-signing event in 2022. This is part of the Lianne and Friends series of lectures at Fred Hesse Community Park, 29301 Hawthorne Blvd., in Rancho Palos Verdes.

“`Stop on by and pick up autographed copies of my Forgotten Hollywood Book Series (3).  Consider this my personal invitation if you live in Southern California!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Passing Parade Claims a Pair…

January 9th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`2022 is a vulture and it has just claimed two more notables…

============================

“`Dwayne Hickman rose to fame opposite Bob Denver in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. Part of acting royalty, his brother Daryl Hickman was a noted big screen child star.  Dwayne was an extra in The Grapes of Wrath, Men of Boys Town, and The Hoodlum Saint. He also played different small roles in Columbia Pictures’ eight-film Rusty series, about a boy and his valiant German Shepherd. He also co-starred in Rally ‘Round the Flag Boys!.

“`Prior to his breakthrough on Dobie Gillis, Hickman appeared on The Bob Cummings Show and he guest-starred on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.  After his successful run on his sitcom, he had roles in several of the American International Beach Party movies and in Cat Ballou. He was successful on the small screen with walk-ons in Combat!, Ironside, The Flying NunWalt Disney’s Wonderful World of ColorPerry MasonThe Mod Squad, Love American Style and Murder She Wrote.

“`Dwayne Hickman was eighty-seven.

     

                                     DWAYNE HICKMAN             BOB SAGET

“`Bob Saget was a stand-up comedian, actor, and television host. His acting roles included the ABC sitcom Full House and its Netflix sequel Fuller House. Saget was the voice of narrator Ted Mosby on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother. From 1989 to 1997, he was the host of the ABC series America’s Funniest Home Videos. He guest-starred on Bosom Buddies, The Greatest American Hero, Quantum Leap, It’s a Living, and Entourage.

“`Bob Saget was sixty-five.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Keep the Music Playing…

January 8th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`Marilyn Bergman was the Oscar-winning lyricist who collaborated with husband Alan Bergman on How Do You Keep the Music Playing, The Way We Were and many other compositions.  They teamed with some of the top contemporary composers such as Marvin Hamlisch, Cy Coleman and Michel Legrand, and were covered by the world’s best singers, including Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson.

“`The Bergmans, who wed in 1958, were among the most enduring and productive songwriting partnerships, specializing in introspective ballads for film, television, and the stage that combined the romance of Tin Pan Alley with a polish of contemporary pop. Their style defined music of the 1960s and 1970s.

“`The collaborative process began when they penned the title tracks for Dean Martin’s album Sleep Warm and Frank Sinatra’s album Nice ‘n’ Easy. Their songs included the Streisand-Neil Diamond duet You Don’t Bring Me Flowers. They also helped develop the uptempo themes to the 1970s sitcoms Alice, Maude and Good Times.

“`But they were best known for their contributions to movies. Among the highlights: Stephen Bishop’s It Might Be You from Tootsie; Noel Harrison’s The Windmills of Your Mind from The Thomas Crown Affair; and they wrote they lyrics for In the Heat of the Night with music by Quincy Jones for the 1967 film. Their work with Legrand on Yentl won them the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score, with the songs Papa Can You Hear Me? and The Way He Makes Me Feel from the film also being nominated for Best Original Song.

“`Marilyn served as president and chairman of American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) for fifteen years from 1994 to 2009. She also was the president of the National Recording Preservation Board.

“`Marilyn Bergman was ninety-three.

Until next time>                               “never forget”