“Forgotten Hollywood”- Author’s Day Interviews pt. 9…

March 31st, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`My Author’s Day series at Hollywood Heritage continues. A chat with Barb Hall and Rocky Lang as they discuss their work Letters From Hollywood on Celebrating Act 2.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- A Snub By Any Other Name…

March 29th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`Art Kirsch and John Coleman of Celebrating Act 2 invite me to discuss the biggest Oscars snubs in Academy Awards history. The list is formidable.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Tinseltown is Not Dead…

March 26th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“` There has been plenty of social media outrage recently from cinematic purists and fans of Hollywood that suggest the Academy Awards and Hollywood (in general) is dead. The truth is, any problems awards-shows are having is quite fixable. And Tinseltown has always had its detractors.

“`With regards to the Oscars ceremony. Narrow-focused complaints provides little context for the solution over less viewership. The truth is… network television is markedly in decline. The nightly news shows, weekly dramas and sitcoms, and sporting events have all taken a hit due to cable, streaming and other platforms that younger audiences are starting to embrace. The Super Bowl viewership is down as well.

“`I see a genuine solution. Start airing events programming across multiple platforms. There is zero reason the Oscars ceremony should not be on ABC, HULU, DISNEY +, several of the Fox channels, all owned by the same parent company. Hell, throw the event on YouTube and TikTok (if they can overcome licensing issues)  and their will be increased viewership from a combined effort. Golf is already doing this with their cross-promotion on CBS, NBC, and the Golf Channel with measurable success.  There is no need to drop awards categories from a telecast and then add presenters from outside the film industry. Gimmicks are quite artificial and the tactic only enflames the ire of the movie community and its audience.

“`As for the argument that actors have become too political. NEWSFLASH… the actors have always been too political. It was too political practices that led to the creation of the Screen Actors Guild and production of Citizen Kane.  They were too political during The McCarthy Era, the Vietnam War, and Watergate. Charlie Chaplin, John Wayne, Hedda Hopper, Ronald Reagan, Jane Fonda, and others, have always been outspoken about social issues. Today’s detractors simply disagree with the views of some actors. Believe me, if they agreed, they would not be arguing about the political nature of the film community.

“`Finally, bad movie-making exists. And today’s critics find that too many flicks are made from shrill content (such as comic books) and little attention is paid to fine screen-writing.  I cannot disagree with that argument. However, there remains a willing audience in a post-COVID world for Spiderman. The truth is: Mature audiences have historically complained. They all lamented as talkies emerged from the silent era; they were rankled by the influence of dark post- World War II movies influenced by European filmmakers; they were overwhelmed by the epics of the 1950s, made as a response to television; they were disgusted by the increase in foul language after the demise of the Hays Code;  and they were distracted with CGI in motion pictures that lead to more fantasy films and a younger audience.

“`Hollywood is nowhere near dead. The chat about movie-making is robust; the innovations in technology is advancing by leaps-and-bounds; streaming is the new normal in viewership; and marketing of cinema-related items is healthy and growing.  The powers-that-be will figure out how to re-brand the Oscars ceremony across multiple platforms and everything will be well. In the meantime… RELAX!!!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Author’s Day Interviews pt. 8…

March 24th, 2022

Manny Pacheco here…

“`Author’s Day interviews at the Hollywood Heritage Museum continues on Celebrating Act 2. This time, I shared treasured family moments with Julie Anderson, who compiled photographs of movie stars during Hollywood’s Golden Age taken by her father,  a well-regarded superfan, Joe Ackerman.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Hollywood Forever a Landmark…

March 22nd, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`The Los Angeles City Council  gave their approval for the unanimous recommendation from the city’s  Cultural Heritage Commission to designate the Hollywood Forever Cemetery a historic-cultural monument. Developed as a cemetery at the advent of the twentieth century,  this property has laid to rest such luminaries as Rudolph Valentino, Cecil B. DeMille, Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, and Tyrone Power.

“`Los Angeles City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell initiated the drive to include the cemetery on a city’s list of historic-cultural monuments. It was previously named in the National Register of Historic Places in 1999, the cemetery’s one-hundredth anniversary.

“`The Valentino Crypt and Douglas Fairbanks Monument are two of the unique structures that draws tens of thousands fans each year. Prior to the pandemic, Hollywood Forever would host summer and holiday family-friendly outdoor screenings of classic motion pictures. Karie Bible, an advisory board member and tour guide,  has worked tirelessly through a number of digital and media platforms to keep the cemetery relevent. She has even made a star of a local feral cat, naming it Closeup for its territorial claim of the resting site of DeMille. Bible’s efforts have paid off in a big way.

“`Hooray for Hollywood Forever Cemetery!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Celebrating Dynasties in Film…

March 21st, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`The family dynasty in cinema was special during Hollywood’s Golden Age. Celebrating Act 2, with John Coleman and Art Kirsch, examines the DNA of talent.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Coming Mother…

March 19th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`Henry Aldrich was a popular radio and television character for over a decade. Paramount Pictures envisioned a movie series that would rival Andy Hardy. From 1941 to 1944, Jimmy Lydon starred as the screechy-voice adolescent in eleven flicks. The most memorable moment in each production was mom calling out at the opening: Henry! Henry Aldrich! He would always respond: Coming mother…

“`The creation of playwright Clifford Goldsmith, Henry Aldrich began on Broadway as a minor character in What a Life.  Produced and directed by George Abbott, it ran for 538 performances. The cast included Eddie Bracken, Betty Field and Butterfly McQueen. The actor playing Henry on stage was twenty-year-old Ezra Stone.

“`Lydon began his career as a teen on Broadway after fabricating roles he had previously played. In 1939, he moved with his family to Hollywood to seek film roles. One of his first starring roles was the title character in  Tom Brown’s School Days, also starring Cedric Hardwicke and Freddie Bartholomew. Later films included Joan of ArcLife with FatherThe Time of Your Life, The Magnificent Yankee, and Island in the Sky.

“`On television, Lydon guest-starred in The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Wagon Train, The Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, Lou Grant, Simon and Simon and St. Elsewhere. Jimmy turned to production and helped to create the detective series 77 Sunset Strip, as well as the sitcom M*A*S*H.

“`Jimmy Lydon was ninety-eight

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Author’s Day Interviews pt. 7…

March 18th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`My Celebrating Act 2 series of interviews during Author’s Day at the Hollywood Heritage Museum are very popular. This week, I have a conversation with Mary Mallory, a member of Hollywood Heritage and committed to the preservation of architecture in Southern California. Her books inform and entertain!

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- An Amazon Purchase…

March 17th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`Amazon’s $8.5 billion deal to purchase MGM is a reality. Both companies announced that the legendary studio is now a part of Prime Video and Amazon Studios.  This purchase of the movie lot behind iconic films such as The Wizard of Oz, Ben Hur, Singing in the Rain  and the Thin Man series is just the latest in big-name media and streaming-service mergers.

 

“`Last year,  AT&T announced the merger of WarnerMedia with Discovery, encompassing major networks like HBO, CNN and HGTV. Disney bought LucasFilm and Marvel Studios, giving the company the ability to develop exclusive content for Disney+ using storylines and beloved characters from Star Wars and the Marvel franchise. Amazon wants to do the same thing with MGM product. This is the second-largest acquisition for Amazon after purchasing Whole Foods.

“`No word when Amazon Prime subscribers will be able to watch the full MGM catalog, which includes more than four thousand film titles and seventeen thousand television episodes. What is known is streaming services are now the clear big dogs in town.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- The Big Hurt…

March 13th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`William Hurt was a consummate baby-boomer actor who helped define the post Cold-War generation;  characters combining a protest mentality with the subsequent excesses of the 1980s. Hurt is well remembered for his celebrated roles in  Kiss of the Spider Woman, Broadcast News, and Children of a Lesser God. He was also terrific in The Big Chill.

“`A product of the Juilliard School of acting, Hurt began his career on the stage. From 1977 to 1989, he was a member of the acting group at Circle Repertory Company. He garnered an Obie and several Theater World Awards. Hurt remained an active stage actor in the 1980s.

“`His resume of cinematic performances is prolific, appearing in Altered States, Body Heat, Gorky Park, The Accidental Tourist, A. I. Artificial Intelligence, A History of Violence, Syriana, Mr. Brooks, The Good Shepherd, Into the Wild and recently, Black Widow. He was a regular on the mini-series Damages and he guest-starred on Kojak and  The King of Queens.

“`Hurt had relationships with co-stars Mary Beth Hurt and Marlee Matlin. Fluent in French, he maintained a home outside of Paris.

“`William Hurt (above right) was seventy-one.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- A Tour of the Barn…

March 10th, 2022

“`Celebrating Act 2 takes a tour of the famed Lasky-De Mille Barn, home of the Hollywood Heritage Museum. The Barn was initially used in the 1914 production of The Squaw Man. Your tour guide is Manager Brian Judd!

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “ever forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Actors Still With Us…

March 8th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`Not to jinx anyone, Art Kirsch, John Coleman and I cherish the memories of living actors on Celebrating Act 2. You will be surprised of the people on this list.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Passing Parade Claims a Bunch…

March 5th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`We have lost a number of actors, familiar by the roles they played, if not by name.

*** Tim Considine was a popular young actor best remembered for his role as the eldest son during the first few seasons of My Three Sons. He yearned to appear on the big screen and landed roles in Executive Suite, Sunrise at Campabello, The Shaggy Dog, and Patton. His father John W. Considine Jr. was an Oscar-nominated producer for the film, Boys Town. Tim Considine was eighty-one.

*** Johnny Brown was a jovial actor, best known for his recurring part on Good Times. He was also a regular on Laugh-In and he guest-starred on The Jeffersons, The Flip Wilson Show, Family Matters, and Martin. He had a small role in The Out-of-Towners. Prior to acting, he gained attention as a r&b singer. Johnny Brown was eighty-four.

   

TIM CONSIDINE              JOHNNY BROWN               MITCHELL RYAN

*** Mitchell Ryan had a six-decade career, with noted performances on Dark Shadows  (as Burke Devlin) and on Dharma and Greg.  He also guest-starred on L. A. Law, The Golden Girls and on the soap opera Santa Barbara. His cinematic resume includes Thunder Road, Monte Walsh, High Plains DrifterThe Friends of Eddie CoyleElectra Glide in Blue, Magnum Force, Midway, Two Minute Warning, and notably, in Lethal Weapon. Mitchell Ryan was eighty-eight.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Author’s Day Interviews pt. 6…

March 4th, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`My series on Hollywood Golden Age authors on Celebrating Act 2 continues with my dear friend, William Wellman Jr., as he shares great stories about his iconic father from his book, Wild Bill Wellman, Hollywood Rebel. The conversation takes place at the famed Hollywood Heritage Museum.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- The James Earl Jones Theatre…

March 3rd, 2022

Manny P. here…

“`The Shubert Organization just announced that Broadway’s Cort Theatre will be renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre to honor the actor. The theater has been under renovations since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Renovations are expected to be done by the summer. The Cort Theatre initially opened its doors in 1912 and is now America’s oldest professional theatre company.

JAMES EARL JONES

“`The beloved actor’s career spans seven decades. Jones has received much recognition for his vast contributions to both stage and screen over the years. In 1985, Jones was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame and went on to receive the National Medal of Arts in 1992. He was recently honored as a Disney Legend for his contributions to the Walt Disney Company through his various Disney roles over the years.

“`Jones has appeared in fourteen productions at Shubert theatres, which include two roles at Cort Theatre. His most recent performance was in the revival of Donald L. Coburn’s The Gin Game; the production taking place at the John Golden Theatre.

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

“`I am thrilled to present Manny Pacheco’s Forgotten Hollywood, a new podcast on SPOTIFY. It will be presented in over ninety episodes with one program offered each week!

“`Episode Three is on the cloud. This week, I share tales about famous femme characters in film. The softer creations of screenwriters inspire musical compositions and and continue to capture our collective imaginations. PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK to give it a listen:

Until next time>                               “never forget”