Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

“`Manny Pacheco’s Forgotten Hollywood podcast on Spotify. One show streamed each week! And you can listen for FREE…

“`Episode Fifty is on the cloud. To honor this wonderful milestone, host Manny Pacheco profiles the iconic Warner Brothers studios.  This was the home to fine movie stars, such as Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, John Garfield, Jack Carson, Ann Sheridan, Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson.

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PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK to give this (and previous forty-nine episodes) a listen:

“`Joining me in each episode is journalist Gary Lycan, the former award-winning radio reporter from the Orange County Register. His reports were recorded before his passing. He leaves a wonderful legacy of storytelling that I am proud to share.

“`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:

https://manny-pachecos-forgotten-hollywood.castos.com/episodes/ep-50-warner-brothers-12523

Until next time>                               “never forget” 

Manny P. here…

“`Art Kirsch, John Coleman (of Celebrating Act 2) and I tackle the raging controversy of our times… Are motion pictures like Die Hard and The Apartment Christmas-themed movies?  Social media is abuzz over this issue.

“`Enjoy the discussion.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Gina Lollobrigida shot to fame in the 1950s as a Mediterranean sex symbol, and then became a photographer and sculptor after stepping away from cinema. She co-starred opposite  Humphrey Bogart, Rock Hudson, Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis and Frank Sinatra, becoming one of the most recognizable cinema icons of the 1950s and 1960s.

“`Born to a working class family in a poor mountainous area east of Rome,  Lollobrigida studied sculpture and got her break in the movie world after finishing third in the 1947 Miss Italia beauty contest. She was later sent to the Academy of Fine Arts in the capital to complete her education.

“`At the height of her fame,  Lollobrigida, known simply as La Lollo, became an internationally recognized epitome of Italian post-war cinema, rivaled only by Sophia Loren. In 1950, Howard Hughes signed Lollobrigida on a preliminary seven-year contract to make three pictures a year. Despite selling RKO Pictures in 1955, Hughes retained her contract. The result, she remained in Europe to make movies, including  Beat the Devil, Trapeze, Solomon and Sheba, Come September, Hotel Paradiso, Buona Sera Mrs. Campbell, and  The Private Navy of Sgt. O’Farrell.

“`Considered the World’s Most Beautiful Woman (forgive me fans of Gene Tierney and Hedy Lamarr), she would accompany Bob Hope on his USO tours of military camps. In the 1970s, Lollobrigida embarked on a successful second career as a photographic journalist. Her list of photos included Paul Newman, Salvador Dalí, Henry Kissinger, David Cassidy, Ella Fitzgerald, Audrey Hepburn and the German national football team. She obtained an exclusive interview with Fidel Castro, leader of Communist Cuba.

“`In 1999, Lollobrigida unsuccessfully ran for election to European Parliament as a candidate for The Democrats.  Later that year, she was a Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. In 2020, she endorsed Pope Francis’ view on LGBTQ rights.

“`Gina Lollobrigida (above right) was ninety-five.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Lisa Marie Presley,  the daughter of Elvis and former wife of Michael Jackson and Nicholas Cage, was considered Hollywood royalty. She was the sole owner of Graceland, Elvis’ estate in Memphis, Tennessee, despite having sold off Elvis Presley Enterprises in 2005.                                 LISA MARIE PRESLEY –>

“`After the divorce of her parents,  she lived with her mother and frequently visited her dad at his estate.  As a singer, a number of albums and virtual collaborations with her father kept her relevant as his legacy kept growing. On her twenty-fifth birthday, Lisa Marie claimed the entire estate, which had grown to an estimated $100 million. In 2012, she opened an exhibit: Elvis… Through His Daughter’s Eyes. This is now included in the Graceland VIP Tour and features two hundred items assembled by Presley and the Graceland Archives staff.

“`A humanitarian spirit was part of Lisa Marie’s DNA. She oversaw the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation, which concentrated on housing and educational projects. She worked with Oprah Winfrey and her Angel Network,  which was active in the relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina. Lisa Marie became a patron of the Dream Factory, which helped grant wishes to terminally ill children.  And she visited orphanages around the world at various stops of a Michael Jackson concert date, while they were married. She partnered with the Grammy Foundation to mentor up-and-coming musical artists.

“`Lisa Marie’s final appearance was on Tuesday, as she joined Priscilla (her mom) to celebrate Austin Butler’s Golden Globe win for his performance in Elvis. During his acceptance speech, he gave a special shout-out to the family, and to Lisa Marie, in particular.

ELVIS PRESLEY    LISA MARIE PRESLEY

“`A true humanitarian and philanthropist, Lisa Marie Presley was fifty-four.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Art Kirsch and Jon Coleman of Celebrating Act 2 have pinned me down to chat about things you might not have known about with regards to the great Humphrey Bogart. A couple of his movies not as often seen are included in the discussion.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Owen Roizman was a cinematographer who earned five Oscar nods for his impressive work on The French Connection, The Exorcist, Network, Tootsie and Wyatt Earp.  His flicks set the style for many of his future productions, with gritty street photography and available light.

“`Roizman had a tryout with the New York Yankees but contracted polio as a teenager. His father, Sol, was a cameraman for Movietone News. He began working during summer breaks at a camera store in Manhattan, and later, as assistant to cinematographer Gerald Hirschfeld at MPO Videotronics. He collaborated with film directors William Friedkin, Sydney Pollack and Lawrence Kasdan.

OWEN ROIZMAN

“`After working on a few commercials, he became a cinematographer. His second movie, The French Connection, earned him early accolades. This led to a string of popular assignments, including Play It Again Sam, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, The Rose, Absence of Malice, The Stepford Wives, The Heartbreak Kid, Three Days of the Condor, Grand Canyon, The Electric Horseman, and French Kiss (his final effort).

“`For a time, Roizman served on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and became president of the American Society of Cinematographers. He received an honorary Academy Award at the 9th Governors Awards ceremony in 2017.

“`Owen Roizman was eighty-six.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Barbara Walters was a trailblazing news veteran.  Known for her dogged interviewing ability, she appeared as a host of numerous television programs. Walters was a working journalist in a male-dominated industry from 1951 until her retirement in 2015.

“`During her childhood, her father managed the Latin Quarter nightclub in Boston. In 1942, her father opened the New York version of the Latin Quarter. He also worked as a Broadway producer where he produced the Ziegfeld Follies of 1943. He was the Entertainment Director for the Tropicana Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he imported the Folies Bergère stage show from Paris to the resort’s main showroom.

“`Walters began working at the NBC affiliate in New York City, WNBT-TV (now WNBC), doing publicity and writing press releases. She began producing a fifteen-minute children’s program, Ask the Camera, directed by Roone Arledge in 1953.

“`Walters began her network career on Today as a writer and segment producer of women’s interest stories. Florence Henderson, Helen O’Connell, Estelle Parsons and Lee Meriwether all had previously held her position.  Walter’s popularity with viewers resulted in receiving more airtime. In 1974, she became co-host of the program, the first woman to hold such a title on an American news program. Two years later, she was hired as the first female co-anchor of a network evening news program alongside Harry Reasoner on the ABC Evening News. By all accounts, it was a contentious union. But it broke a longstanding glass ceiling.

“`In November 1977, she conducted a historic joint interview with Egypt’s president, Anwar Al Sadat, and Israel’s Prime Minister, Menachem Begin. From 1979 to 2004, Walters worked as a producer and co-host on the ABC news magazine 20/20. She also hosted the annual special, Barbara Walters’ 10 Most Fascinating People. It usually aired after the Oscars ceremony. Among the notables who were her guests…  Katharine Hepburn, Fidel Castro and every sitting United States president and first lady from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama.

“`Walters created, produced and co-hosted the ABC daytime talk show The View, which she appeared from 1997 until her retirement in 2014. She continued to host a number of special reports for 20/20 as well as documentary series for Investigation Discovery. BARBARA WALTERS ->

“`Walters was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1989. On June 15, 2007, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Saturday Night Live often lampooned her in skits.  She was close friends with Tom Brokaw, Woody Allen and Joan Rivers.  A longtime confidante was Fox News head Roger Ailes until his death in 2017. Oprah Winfrey sites Walters as her childhood role model (along with Sidney Poitier).

“`A cultural icon, Barbara Walters was ninety-three.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Celebrating Act 2, with Art Kirsch and John Coleman, re-visits forgotten musical classics from Christmas films. Why not reveal rarely heard sounds of the season!

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`My good friend Dave Greim joins me on Celebrating Act 2 to chat about the sites and sounds of Cinecon 58. He has seen a lot over the years!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Prior to this year’s selections for the 2022  Library of Congress National Film Registry, I had a conversation with Art Kirsch and John Coleman of Celebrating Act 2. I gave the boys a complete rundown on how the process works and notable omissions of great cinema. By the way, anyone can vote and it’s free to participate.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Celebrating Act 2 returns to Cinecon 58 to recap the screening of The Mad Game, a film that starred Spencer Tracy and Claire Trevor.  I join Art Kirsch and John Coleman as we put Tracy’s time at Fox Studios in the appropriate perspective.

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`It is that time of the year again! The 2022 selections of the Library of Congress National Film Registry have just been announced. This year’s selections are more modern and diverse, including Hairspray (1988),  The Little Mermaid (1989),  When Harry Met Sally (1989), Iron Man (2008), and curiously, home movies from Cab Calloway, taken between 1948 and 1951.

“`Let us look at the Golden Age selections:

~ CYRANO DE BERGERAC (1950) –  Produced by Stanley Kramer and directed by Michael Gordon, this was the first U. S. film version of Edmond Rostand’s 1897 French play. Despite Cyrano’s low budget and it appearing too much like a stage production,  José Ferrer’s star-making performance received much acclaim. For his performance, Ferrer won the Oscar for Best Actor, becoming the initial Hispanic actor to win the statuette.  Preserved from the 35 mm nitrate original camera negative and a 35 mm acetate fine grain master in cooperation with Paramount Pictures.

~ CHARADE (1963) – Dubbed the greatest Alfred Hitchcock motion picture NOT made by the iconic director. Instead, Charade was directed by Stanley Donan. It was the only opportunity to enjoy the onscreen chemistry of Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, two of Hollywood’s most sophisticated actors. It also boasts support from three actors who would go on to win Oscars: Walter Matthau, George Kennedy and James Coburn. The elegant score was created by Henry Mancini.

~ SUPERFLY (1972) – The film is a classic of the escapist Blaxploitation wave of  the 1970s. The Harlem community backed the flick financially, and a number of black businesses helped with production costs. Curtis Mayfield’s soulful score received lots of acclaim for the dynamic sound and for challenging the drug culture in its lyrics.  Superfly and Freddie’s Dead became pop chart hits.

~ CARRIE (1976) – This remains a magical year of cinema, with Network, Rocky and All the President’s Men already in the National Film Registry. Brian De Palma burst onto the national spotlight with Carrie. Adapted from the Stephen King novel, De Palma mixes up a stylish cauldron of horrific scenes coupled with unforgettable performances by Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie. It was a film that helped define the slasher genre of movies. King’s works would be revisited after the success of Carrie.

“`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…

“`Among cinephiles and fans alike, we all agree… The Big Sleep, with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, is really hard to follow. Bogie plays Phillip Marlowe, a literary character created by author Raymond Chandler.

“`Researchers put together a character relationship chart that might help you while watching the flick. I find it fascinating. Spoiler alert: It does tell you who lives and dies.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`What is it like to be a board member of Cinecon? We get an inside look with Michael Schlesinger and he shares the information with our Celebrating Act 2 audience…

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Celebrating Act 2 hosts, John Coleman and Art Kirsch, pin me down to reflect on the not-so-celebrated dancers during Hollywood’s Golden Age. The names are familiar…

“`Enjoy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”