Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

“`Cinecon 58, presented by Hollywood Heritage, will take place in person at the Hollywood Legion Theatre  over Labor Day Weekend, beginning Thursday, September 1st. Cinecon is where archivists, authors, collectors and film fans join for five days of classic film screenings, special programs and celebrity guests.

“`This year’s highlights include:

• Mitzi Gaynor is making a rare public appearance to accept her Cinecon Legacy Award from friend and virtuoso performer, Michael Feinstein.
• Past Cinecon Honoree, Ruta Lee is presenting the Cinecon Legacy Award to George Chakiris, best known for his Oscar-winning performance as Bernardo in West Side Story.
• Jimmy Hunt will be there to receive the Cinecon Legacy Award from friend and co-star Janine Perreau, who appeared with him in the 1953 sci-fi classic Invaders from Mars, followed by a screening of the flick
• Patty McCormack will accept a Cinecon Legacy Award as well. She is best remembered for her starring role in The Bad Seed. It earned her Oscar and Golden Globe nods.
• The popular KINECON AT CINECON program returns this year with an all-new slate of rare television treasures.

“`I will be on hand to present a rare screening of The Mad Game,  starring Spencer Tracy and Claire Trevor.  This production was made while Tracy was contracted at Fox Studios. The screening will take place on Saturday at 5p. I will also be joined by the Celebrating Act 2 film crew documenting many of the events at Cinecon.

“`Full Passes give you access to all the amazing films they present and to the additional special programs at the Hollywood Heritage Museum.  You will also receive access to the Opening Night Gala on Thursday! A Day Pass offers you access to all films and events happening on one particular day. All tickets are handled through Eventbrite.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cinecon-58-classic-film-festival-september-1-to-september-5-2022-tickets-349106255207

“`The Hollywood Legion Theatre is located at 2035 Highland Ave. in Los Angeles. Here is a link for the complete film screenings and events schedule at Cinecon:

https://cinecon.org/schedule/

“`Please join us for five full days of fun at Cinecon 58 in Hollywood!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Directors have their favorite actors. Art Kirsch, John Coleman and I discuss the worthy collaborations throughout Hollywood history on Celebrating Act 2.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Celebrating Act 2 hosts, Art Kirsch and John Coleman, as me to assess the viability of documentaries in cinema. It is an engaging discussion.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`It is here! The Sons of the Desert 23rd International Convention happens this week in Albuquerque.  The event annually celebrates the creative filmaking of arguably the greatest cinematic pairing in Hollywood history… Laurel and Hardy!

“`The attendees include fans from every corner of the globe. Each local chapter is called a tent and each of the tents are named after L&H movies. At the event, there will be film screenings, an authors roundtable, dealer’s room, memorabilia auction, sight-seeing tours and a grand banquet. Another nice mess begins this Wednesday at the Hotel Albuquerque.

“`I arrive on Wednesday! I am part of the author’s roundtable on Thursday evening and I will spend lots of time at the dealer’s room autographing my Forgotten Hollywood book series and providing other goodies. I previously visited a Sons of the Desert International Convention when it took place in Hollywood. I also stopped by and spent treasured time at the Early to Bed tent in South Pasadena.

OLIVER HARDY         STAN LAUREL

“`How thrilling to put on my fez and go conventioneering! Hope to see you in Albuquerque!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P…

“`Last week, Vin Scully, my broadcasting inspiration, died. Today, my literary mentor has passed away. David McCullough was an author, narrator, historian and lecturer. He was a two-time winner of the  Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award and (like Scully) a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest civilian award. Personally, he is the singular reason I began writing the Forgotten Hollywood Book Series.

“`Born and raised in Pittsburgh, McCullough earned a degree in English literature from Yale University. His first book was The Johnstown Flood; and he has since written nine more on such topics as John Adams, Harry S. Truman, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Wright brothers. 

“`He had apprenticeships at Time, Life, the United States Information Agency and at American Heritage. McCullough also served an internship at Sports Illustrated. During his time in school, he often dined with mentor and friend, Thornton Wilder.

“`McCullough narrated numerous documentaries, such as The Civil War by Ken Burns, as well as the 2003 film Seabiscuit; and he hosted American Experience for twelve years. Truman and John Adams were adapted by HBO into a television movie and a miniseries, respectively. His approach to Adams was particularly poignant.  The story of a fine patriot in the shadow of Washington, Jefferson and Franklin influenced my eventual strategy of sharing Americana and Hollywood history by profiling the charactor actors of cinema as the subjects of my tales. The supporting players in movies had very special careers and their narratives were worth telling. This was an epiphany!

“`On a personal note, I met McCullough in 2013 at an event in Thousand Oaks, CA. I was invited to attend a backstage meet-and-greet. Most of the antendees had their copies of his books autographed. I decided to offer my Forgotten Hollywood books as a gift. He sincerely appreciated my gesture. The author read my work and then donated them to New York Public Library,  a favorite national repository of his. Previously, the noted ibrary had been reluctant to add my books to their shelves. His efforts went a tremendous distance in establishing my credentials as a writer. I am forever grateful.

“`He typed all of his noted works off an old-fashioned typewriter in a shed in the backyard of his home. The ever-dignified David McCullough (above) was eighty-nine.

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“`Olivia Newton John was a singer and actress best remembered for her role in Grease. She also starred in Xanadu with Gene Kelly. Her hits included  Have You Never Been Mellow, Let Me Be There, Please Mr. Please, Physical, I Honestly Love You, Magic,  A Little More Love, Hopelessly Devoted with You, and with John Travolta, You’re the One That I Want and Summer Nights. A duet with Cliff Richard, Suddenly and her hit with Electric Light Orchestra, Xanadu, charted, as well.

“`Olivia Newton John (right) was seventy-three.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Clu Gulager was a television and movie actor, who thrived in the 1960s in mostly westerns. He had a seven-decade career. He was a first-cousin (once removed) to Will Rogers.

“`His Cherokee nickname was given to him by his father for the clu-clu birds hat were nesting at the Gulager home at the time of his birth. He won a one-year scholarship to study abroad in Paris, where he worked under Jean Louis Barrault, a French actor and director.

“`Gulager’s career began on television with roles in Wagon Train, The Untouchables, The Virginian,  Have Gun Will Travel, Dr. Kildare,  Ironside, The F. B. I., The Mod Squad, Medical Center, Hawaii 5-0, Barnaby Jones, McCloud,  The Streets of San Francisco, Falcon Crest, CHiPs, The Fall Guy, Magnum P. I. and Murder She Wrote.  During three seasons, Gulager played Billy the Kid in The Tall Man opposite Barry Sullivan as Pat Garrett.

“`In movies, Clu was memorable in  The Killers, The Last Picture Show, McQ, The Other Side of Midnight and most recently, in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Gulager directed the short film A Day with the Boys,  which was nominated for the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival. He is one of several Oklahoma Walk of Fame members represented on medallions in front of Tulsa’s Circle Cinema.

“`Clu Gulager (above right) was ninety-three.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Celebrating Act 2 celebrates www.forgottenhollywood.com. John Coleman and Art Kirsch take a moment to allow me to promote my blog site. I hope you take a moment to visit my page…

“`In the meantime… Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`The amazin’ Vin Scully was a sports broadcaster with no equal. He was best known for his sixty-seven seasons calling games for Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles (and Brooklyn) Dodgers, beginning in 1950 and ending in 2016. His time remains the longest tenure of any broadcaster with a single team in professional sports history and he is second only to Tommy Lasorda (by two years) in the number of years associated with the Dodgers organization in any capacity.  He was known for his distinctive voice, a descriptive style and signature introduction to Dodgers games:

It’s time for Dodger baseball! Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good (afternoon/evening) to you, wherever you may be.

“`Scully discovered baseball at age eight when he saw the results of the second game of the 1936 World Series at a laundromat and felt empathy for the defeated New York Giants. Since he lived near the Polo Grounds and as a member of the Catholic Youth Organization, he was able to attend games for free and became a very big Giants fan.

“`Scully began his career as a student broadcaster and journalist at Fordham University. Red Barber, the sports director of the CBS Radio Network, recruited Scully for their college football coverage.

“`In 1950, Scully joined Barber and Connie Desmond in the Brooklyn Dodgers’ radio and television booths, replacing Ernie Harwell after the latter departed to the crosstown Giants. When Barber got into a salary dispute with World Series sponsor Gillette prior to the 1953 Series, Scully took Barber’s spot in the NBC television booth,  becoming the youngest person to broadcast a World Series. After Barber subsequently left the Dodgers to work for the New York Yankees beginning in 1954, Scully became the team’s principal announcer.

“`He called so many iconic baseball moments, it would be impossible to mention them all. Highlights include:

• The shot heard round the world that sent the Giants to the World Series in a third playoff game in 1951 after being 13 1/2 games down to the Dodgers in late August
• Brooklyn finally claiming a World Series in 1955
• Yankees pitcher Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series
• All of Sandy Koufax’ no-hitters and his perfect game
• Hank Aaron’s record-breaking home run against the Dodgers
• The arrival of Fernando-mania
• Kurt Gibson’s tater in the first game of the 1988 World Series against the Oakland A’s

“`Scully had football credentials even as his baseball career blossomed. For seven years, he announced National Football League telecasts for CBS Sports. Vin also contributed to the network’s tennis and PGA Tour golf coverage in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

“`He was voted a Ford Frick Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Emmy for sportscasting, and was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1995. Upon retirement, Scully received many Los Angeles accolades, including a key to the city. In 2016, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor given by our country.

“`On a personal note, I am one of many who contemplated a career in broadcasting simply by listening to Scully call a baseball game. He was effortless and efficient. I met him once while broadcasting a live remote for 1110 AM KRLA at Angels Stadium during the pre-season. It was the annual Freeway Series against the crosstown Dodgers.  We exchanged pleasantries and he opined on how our Boys of Summer could beat the hated St. Louis Cardinals to get to the Fall Classic. Vin was the biggest Dodger’s fan on the planet and it was apparent during our conversation. This broadcaster remains blessed for the memory.      VIN SCULLY –>

“`Today, the gates of heaven opened up as Vinny joins Barber, Lasorda, Walter Alston, Jerry Doggett and Don Drysdale. I expect they will have many yarns to share.

“`Vin Scully was ninety-four.

Until next time>                               “never forget”