Manny P. here…
“`It is appropriate that Art Kirsch, John Coleman and I profile one of the men who provided the soundtrack of the mid-twentieth century… The prolific Burt Bacharach. His collaborations with Hal David and Dionne Warwick remain legendary. Celebrating Act 2 reflects on a life well spent.
“`Enjoy!
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here… 
“`Turner Classic Movies pays tribute to one of the storied film studios as it celebrates its centennial. The cable channel honors Warner Brothers for the entire month of April. Every screening, including documentaries, trailers, archival interviews, shorts and Looney Tunes cartoons, will begin with the familiar WB logo.
“`The retrospective begins with the 1924 silent version of Beau Brummel and concludes with Going in Style, starring George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg, in his final film role. In between, Warner Brothers will round up the usual suspects such as Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, James Cagney, Errol Flynn, Edward G. Robinson, Ann Sheridan, Olivia de Havilland and John Garfield, among others, in legendary cinema.
“`The network will debut the restorations / remasters of ten iconic movies made at the studio, including East of Eden, The Strawberry Blonde and Rachel Rachel. TCM will additionally premiere Full Metal Jacket, Million Dollar Baby and Argo. The TCM Film Festival will put a spotlight on the legacy of Warner Brothers. The theme of the event: You Ain’t Heard Nothing Yet, the quote from the initial talkie, The Jazz Singer, and produced at the pioneering studio. The opening night screening will be the restored version of Rio Bravo and Angie Dickinson will introduce the iconic Western.
“`Founded by Albert, Sam, Harry and Jack Warner and incorporated on April 4, 1923, Warner Brothers is home to one of the most successful brands in the world and is at the forefront of every aspect of the movie entertainment industry, including motion pictures, television, streaming, videogames, consumer products and live experiences.
“`Warner Brothers owns TCM, so it is an accomodating collaborative effort!
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here…
“`The Columbus Moving Picture Show is a Memorial Day weekend tradition with four days of movies, cinephiles and items to be purchased in the spacious dealer room. As they say… A film fan’s paradise! The itinerary includes silent films with piano accompaniment, comedy two-reelers and flicks in fabulous Technicolor. I am making my initial appearance at this legendary motion picture festival. I am planning to host a Forgotten Hollywood seminar, conduct a book signing and spend treasured time at my table in the dealer room.
“`My first assignment was an engaging interview on their Columbus Moving Picture Show podcast. I joined host Samantha Glasser and interview correspondent Caroline Breder-Watts for an engaging chat about by Forgotten Hollywood franchise. Also featured is Mark Kratzner, the curator at the Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy in Vincennes, Indiana. Here is a link to the conversations:
“`The Renaissance Hotel in Downtown, Columbus from May 25th to May 28th. I will be in the dealer’s room all day on Friday and Saturday. My Forgotten Hollywood oral presentation takes place on Saturday at 10a, followed by a book-signing.
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here…
“`Art Kirsch, John Coleman and I circle the globe to visit famous landmarks used in cinema, such as the Eiffel Tower, Buckingham Palace, United Nations, Statue of Liberty, Golden Gate Bridge, Disneyland, and of course, Mount Rushmore. This Celebrating Act 2 discussion feels like vacation.
“`Enjoy!
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here…
“`Robert Blake was an actor known for his roles in the 1967 movie In Cold Blood and the 1970s television series Baretta. He began acting as a child in the Our Gang short film series from 1939 to 1944.
“`Blake’s parents began a song-and-dance act. Their three kids began performing with them as the Three Little Hillbillies. They moved to Los Angeles where the children performed as extras. In The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Blake played the Mexican boy who sells Humphrey Bogart a winning lottery ticket and gets a glass of water thrown in his face by Bogie in the process.
“`Blake entered Jeff Corey’s acting class and began working on improving his personal and professional life. He became a seasoned Hollywood actor in dramatic roles in movies and on television. In 1959, he turned down the role of Little Joe Cartwright, ultimately portrayed by Michael Landon in NBC’s western television series Bonanza.
“`On the big screen, Blake was memorable in Pork Chop Hill, Town without Pity, PT 109, Ensign Pulver, The Greatest Story Ever Told, This Property is Condemned, Tell Them Willie Boy is Here and Electra Glide in Blue. In 1967, Blake had a career breakout due to his work in the film In Cold Blood. He played real-life murderer Perry Smith. Richard Brooks received two Oscar nominations for the film: one for his direction, and one for his adaptation of Truman Capote’s book.
“`Blake enjoyed signature work in Baretta, part of the many cop dramas that were popular in the 1970s. He won an Emmy for playing a street-wise, plain clothes police detective. The show trademark was Baretta’s pet cockatoo Fred.
“`On May 4, 2001, Blake took his wife Bonnie Lee Bakley out to Vitello’s Italian Restaurant in Studio City, California. Bakley was fatally shot in the head while sitting in Blake’s vehicle as she waited for him to return from the restaurant. On April 22, 2002, he was charged with one count of murder with special circumstances, an offense which carried a possible death penalty. On March 16, 2005, Blake was found not guilty of murder. The incident haunted the rest of his life.
“`Robert Blake (above right) was eighty-nine.
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here…
“`Chaim Topol was an Israeli actor, singer and illustrator. He is best known as Tevye, the lead role in the stage musical Fiddler on the Roof and in the 1971 film adaptation. He performed the role more than 3,500 times from the late 1960s through 2009. He was hailed as Israel’s only internationally recognized entertainer from the 1960s through the 1980s.
“`Topol began acting during his Israeli army service in the Nahal entertainment troupe and later toured Israel with kibbutz and satirical theatre companies. He was a co-founder of the Haifa Theatre. His cinematic breakthrough part came in 1964 as the title character in Sallah Shabati. In 1966, Topol made his English-language film debut in Cast a Giant Shadow.
“`In casting the 1971 screen version of Fiddler on the Roof, director Norman Jewison and his production crew looked for a thespian other than Zero Mostel for the lead role. The decision was decidely controversial, as Zero had made the part famous in the long-running Broadway show and he campaigned to star in the film. Danny Kaye, Herschel Bernardi, Rod Steiger, Danny Thomas, Walter Matthau, Richard Burton and Frank Sinatra had also expressed interest in the part.
“`Topol initially played Tevye in the Israeli production in 1966. Harold Prince and Jerome Robbins created the London musical with Topol as their lead. Both were surprised that he was many years younger than expected. A few months after the opening, Topol was called up for reserve duty in the Six-Day War and he returned to Israel. He was assigned to an army entertainment troupe on the Golan Heights. Topol went on to appear in more than thirty films in Israel and United States, including Galileo, Flash Gordon and For Your Eyes Only.
“`Topol was the founder of Variety Israel, an organization serving children with special needs, and Jordan River Village, a year-round camp for Arab and Jewish children with life-threatening illnesses, for which he served as chairman of the board. In 2015, Topol was awarded the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement. The year before, the University of Haifa conferred upon Topol an honorary degree in recognition of his fifty years of activity in Israel’s cultural and public life.
“`A fine actor and a great humanitarian, Chaim Topol was eighty-seven.
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here…
“`I am proud to join Art Kirsch and John Coleman in profiling on Celebrating Act 2 one of the all-time greats, the gritty and immensely talented Barbara Stanwyck. She never delivered a bad performance. Her films were so much better because of her presence.
“`Enjoy!
Until next time> “never forget”
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