Manny P. here…
“`Art Kirsch, John Coleman and I on Celebrating Act 2 spends an entire day watch classic Christmas movies. And we have a great time in the viewing room…
“`Enjoy!
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here…
“`It is that time of the year again! The 2023 selections of the Library of Congress National Film Registry have just been announced. This year’s selections are more modern and diverse, including Fame (1980), Home Alone (1990), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Apollo 13 (1995) and 12 Years a Slave (2013). Unfortunately, our campaign to get Robert Youngson’s documentaries, Golden Age of Comedy and When Comedy was King, proved unsuccessful this year. The effort continues…
“`Let us look at the Golden Age of Hollywood selections:
~ DINNER AT EIGHT (1933) – Director George Cukor’s pre-Code film features a sumptuous cast assembled by MGM mogul Irving Thalberg, including Jean Harlow, Billie Burke, Lee Tracy, John Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Marie Dressler and Lionel Barrymore. Herman J. Mankiewicz and Frances Marion adapted the George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber play for the screen. This is a movie selection that I have proudly voted for through the public nominations process over the last five years!
~ LADY AND THE TRAMP (1955) – Walt Disney released it in wide screen CinemaScope to keep people going to theaters following the advent of television. One of the studio’s beloved animated works, this unlikely love story is made memorable by endearing songs, excellent voice talents (which included Larry Roberts, Verna Felton, Peggy Lee and Stan Freberg) and iconic moments including a kiss involving spaghetti.
“`The Library of Congress National Film Registry annually inducts twenty-five movies that are considered culturally, historically or aesthetically significant. These films must be at least ten years old.
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here…
“`Who claims the mantle of King of Warner Brothers in the 1930s? James Cagney, Errol Flynn, Edward G. Robinson? Art Kirsch, John Coleman and I break it down on Celebrating Act 2.
“`Enjoy!
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here… 
“`Ryan O’Neal was a familiar actor, who began his career on television’s Peyton Place, and became a bankable star in popular movies, such as Paper Moon, What’s Up Doc and Love Story. His relationships would include marriages to Joanna Moore and Leigh Taylor-Young and a live-in situation with Farrah Fawcett. One of his kids was Oscar-winning actress Tatum O’Neal.
“`Originally, O’Neal trained to fight as a Golden Gloves boxer. He also earned steady work as an extra, a stuntman and finally, an actor on television. He guest-starred in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Bachelor Father, The Untouchables, Leave It to Beaver, Wagon Train, My Three Sons, The Virginian and Perry Mason. His performance on Peyton Place earned attention from film producers. In addition to his most successful projects mentioned above, he also starred in Barry Lyndon, A Bridge Too Far and The Main Event.
“`O’Neal remained a fav in the tabloids, He was linked in romances with Bianca Jagger, Anouk Aimée, Jacqueline Bisset, Ursula Andress, Barbra Streisand, Joan Collins, Diana Ross, Melanie Griffith and Anjelica Huston. In February 2021, O’Neal and Ali MacGraw were bestowed stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, nearly fifty years after the release of Love Story.
“`The tumultuous life of Ryan O’Neal (above right) ended this week. He was eighty-two.
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here… 
“`A transformational shift in sitcoms occurred due to the efforts of M*A*S*H, Mary Tyler Moore and especially Norman Lear. It was Lear who considered topical political and social themes that had been previously recognized as taboo in television. Lear also introduced us to Archie Bunker, Fred Sanford and Maude, among others.
“`The moment which had inspired a lifetime of cultural advocacy was when he first came across anti-Semitic Catholic radio priest Father Charles Coughlin while tinkering with his crystal radio set. Norman became an outspoken supporter of First Amendment and liberal causes.
“`A comedy writer and film director (he wrote and produced the 1967 film Divorce American Style and directed the 1971 film Cold Turkey, both starring Dick Van Dyke), Lear tried to sell a concept for a sitcom about a blue-collar American family. After a third pilot was taped, CBS picked up the show, known as All in the Family. An instant success, it spawned a number of spin-offs, including Maude, Good Times, The Jefferson’s, One Day at a Time and Archie Bunker’s Place. Another big hit, Sanford and Son, was based on a British sitcom, Steptoe and Son. Lear also developed the cult favorite, Mary Hartman Mary Hartman. Among the films he eventually produced: The Princess Bride, Fried Green Tomatoes and Start The Revolution Without Me.
“`Lear received many awards, including six Primetime Emmys, two Peabody’s, National Medal of Arts, Kennedy Center Honors, and Golden Globe Carol Burnett Award. He was a member of the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
“`On a personal note, I had the pleasure to enjoy a live episode of All in the Family while in the studio audience in the 1970s. About a decade ago, I actually met Norman Lear backstage at an event honoring Michael Feinstein. He was lucid and self-deprecating in his humor.
“`Norman Lear (above right) was 101.
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here…
“`Manny Pacheco’s Forgotten Hollywood podcast on Spotify. This show is streamed each week! And you can listen for FREE…
“`Episode ninety-four is on the cloud. Our final original episode is the presentation of a radio drama, It’s a Wonderful Life. First presented in 2020 by the Carlisle Theatre in Carlisle, Pennsylvania under the direction of Artistic Director Ashley Byerts. The performance features the Carlisle acting troupe, Player’s On High, and voice actors from around the country.
I was honored to be a featured talent in this production and I play Clarence, the Angel. This performance has been artificially aged to give it a feel that you are listening to a 1940s radio drama. I believe this is a fitting way to bid adieu to Manny Pacheco’s Forgotten Hollywood!
Now, sit back as we travel to Bedford Falls for the presentation of It’s a Wonderful Life.
~ ~ ~
PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK to also listen to the previous ninety-three episodes.
“`If you do not subscribe to Spotify, you can still listen to Forgotten Hollywood on Castos. And no membership is necessary. PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK:
Until next time> “never forget”
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