Manny P. here…
“`John Coleman, Art Kirsch and I spend treasured time dispelling myths about the Western movie on Celebrating Act 2. This is a guaranteed rollicking good time!
“`Enjoy!
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here…
“`To honor the birthday of a legendary makeup man of cinema, I will be visiting Palos Verdes to chat about the wonderful career of Jack Pierce. The Friday event is part of the very popular Lectures with Lianne series at Fred Hesse Community Park. The presentation begins at 4p.
“`Jack Pierce enjoyed most of his career at Universal and created just about every monster made famous at the studio. Max Factor defined beauty; Pierce sensationalized the macabre! His 135th birthday was on May 5th.
“`I will also have copies of my Forgotten Hollywood Book Series to autograph! Please start the weekend right and stop on by!
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here…
“`John Coleman, Art Kirsch and I break down the analysis on the best Dracula in cinematic history. It all happens on Celebrating Act 2!
“`Enjoy!
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here…
“`Celebrating Act 2 is the place to find out new platforms sharing classic cinema. Art Kirsch, John Coleman and I go scavenger hunting for on-line sources that satisfy our urge to watch forgotten movies!
“`Enjoy!
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here… 
“`So thrilled to be returning to the Way Out West Tent of the Laurel and Hardy International Appreciation Society. The event is on Tuesday, with door’s opening at 6:30p. I will be introducing a screening of Robert Youngson’s Days of Thrills and Laughter.
“`I will also have copies of my Forgotten Hollywood book series for you to purchase. The meeting will be at the Mayflower Club, 11110 Victory Blvd. in North Hollywood.
“`See you there!
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here… 
“`Two legends in the film and television industry have passed away. They were very familiar on screen.
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“`Barbara Rush was an actress, who began appearing in two science fiction classics. She had a six-decade career. BARBARA RUSH–>
“`Rush was discovered at the Pasadena Playhouse and signed to a contract at Paramount Pictures in 1950. She found her early niche in sci-fi, appearing in When Worlds Collide and It Came From Outer Space. The latter part garnered her a Golden Globe as Most Promising Newcomer of the Year – Female.
“`Other movie roles followed, including Magnificent Obsession, The Young Lions, Come Blow Your Horn, The Young Philadelphians, Robin and the Seven Hoods and Hombre. She co-starred in small screen productions of Peyton Place, Flamingo Road, 7th Heaven and the soap opera, All My Children. She also had recurring roles in Dr. Kildare, Batman, Mannix, Medical Center, Ironside, Marcus Welby M. D., Fantasy Island and The Love Boat.
“`Barbara Rush was ninety-seven.
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“`Louis Gossett Jr. was a powerful figure on screen, with a performance in An Officer and A Gentleman that garnered him an Oscar; and a role in Roots that won him an Emmy. He stayed busy in movies and on television in a career that continued up until his death. LOUIS GOSSETT JR. –>
“`Standing over six feet tall, he was offered the opportunity to play for the New York Knicks; he turned down the offer to accept a role in A Raisin in the Sun. Gossett had his cinematic debut with the film adaptation in the role he performed on Broadway. He spent the rest of the decade on stage.
“`Returning to film, he appeared in Travels with My Aunt, The Deep, Toy Soldiers, The Laughing Policeman, and this year in the musical version of The Color Purple. Over the years, he has also been recognized for humanitarian activities.
“`Louis Gossett Jr. was eighty-seven.
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here…
“`Join Art Kirsch, John Coleman and I as we chat about Alfred Hitchcock and his MacGuffins in movies. This is the usual fun on Celebrating Act 2.
“`Enjoy!
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here…
“`I am thrilled to be a guest on the celebrated podcast: Saturday Night at the Movies. Host Steve Rubin has me on his program for an hour as we chat about the iconic character actors in my Forgotten Hollywood Book Series. The supporting actors we focus on includes Walter Brennan, Peter Lorre, Lionel Barrymore, Van Heflin, Arthur Lake, Frank Morgan and Sydney Greenstreet.
“`Enjoy!
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here…
“`Art Kirsch, John Coleman and I talk about those wonderful singers and bands of the 1950s and 1960s who also appeared in cinema. What a wonderful collaboration of music and film!
“`Enjoy!
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here…
“`Today I will quiz John Coleman and Art Kirsch on the great last lines of iconic cinema. It will be fun and the viewing audience is invited to play along while watching Celebrating Act 2.
“`Enjoy!
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here…
“`I am pleased to be on Celebrating Act 2 with Art Kirsch and John Coleman to discuss the best movies of 2023 and my choices for the SAG Awards scheduled for later this month.
“`Enjoy!
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here…
“`It is time to submit my SAG Awards ballot, highlighting celluloid performances in 2023. This was an outstanding year in cinema, with celebrated productions. Here are my selections:
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OUTSTANDING MALE: Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers)
“`It is such a competitive category! Cillian Murphy delivered a strong, worthy performance in Oppenheimer; it would have been so easy to select him. Colman Domingo was so energetic and inspirational in Rustin. Paul Giamatti’s relationship with director Alexander Payne offers such nuanced acting opportunities, as they did in Sideways and this year in The Holdovers. Giamatti gets my support. Bradley Cooper (Maestro) and Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction) are respected actors that round out the category. Leonardo DiCaprio (Killers of the Flower Moon), Barry Keoghan (Saltburn), and Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers) were clearly snubbed.
OUTSTANDING FEMALE: Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon)
“`A brutally tough call. I LOVED Emma Stone (Poor Things), Carey Mulligan (Maestro) and Sandra Huller (Anatomy of a Fall). Lily Gladstone’s measured performance was bittersweet and transformative. She wins by a nose. No one worked harder than Annette Bening in prep for her role in Nyad. Margot Robbie is a popular public pick and was snubbed by the Oscars. Performances by Huller and Greta Lee (Past Lives) were also ignored by SAG.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING MALE: Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer)
“`Robert Downey Jr. is a clear choice. Clearly, he should have won for his work on Chaplin. Other worthy nominees include Robert DeNiro (Killers of the Flower Moon), Willem Dafoe (Poor Things) and especially, Sterling K. Brown for a fine delivery in American Fiction. I would have rather seen Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things) than Ryan Gosling (Barbie) in the fifth spot.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING FEMALE: Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers)
“`The one clear winner in this category is Da’Vine Joy Randolph, winning every competitive accolade in this year’s award’s season. Her competition is formidable, including Jodie Foster (Nyad) and Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple). Emily Blunt’s role in Oppenheimer gets lost in the crowd of strong performances, in my opinion. And Rosamund Pike (Saltburn) or Sandra Huller (The Zone of Interest) instead of Penelope Cruz (Ferrari) in the category.
OUTSTANDING CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE: Oppenheimer
“`It comes down to Oppenheimer and Killers of the Flower Moon, since The Holdovers, Saltburn and Anatomy of a Fall were left out of the category. A magnificent cast, visionary direction and cinematography, and a compelling story describes my two favorites. The Color Purple offers a vibrant cast as well. Barbie and American Fiction strength lies in its witty writing and a serviceable cast (with a couple of standouts).
~ ~ ~
~ 2023 TOP TEN: 1. Oppenheimer 2. Killers of the Flower Moon 3. The Holdovers 4. Saltburn 5. Past Lives 6. Anatomy of a Fall 7. The Boys in the Boat 8. Rustin 9. Poor Things 10. A Haunting in Venice
“`The SAG Awards airs on February 24th on Netflix. Let us see how I do this year.
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here…
“`The Oscars nominations will be announced this week. To honor this event, John Coleman, Art Kirsch and I will look at some International films up for consideration. Past and present, foreign films are in focus on Celebrating Act 2.
“`Enjoy!
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here…
“`Art Kirsch, John Coleman and I offer a compelling retrospective on Celebrating Act 2 on the life and times of Gary Cooper. He was clearly one of the Kings of Hollywood!
“`Enjoy!
Until next time> “never forget”
Manny P. here… 
“`I will be the emcee at Saturday’s event by RetroFormat Silent Films at the Woman’s Club of Hollywood. Highlighting the evening will be a screening of Rudolph Valentino’s Blood and Sand.
“`The event begins at 6:30p with Rosanne Welch, editor of When Women Wrote Hollywood: Essays on Female Screenwriters in the Early Film Industry. She will autograph copies of the book. A story in the work traces the pioneering career of Blood and Sand screenwriter June Mathis. I will be on hand to sign copies of my Forgotten Hollywood book series, as well.
“`Do not miss an opportunity to experience Blood and Sand on the big screen, with live piano by Retroformat Musical Director Cliff Retallick. The Woman’s Club of Hollywood is at 1741 N. La Brea Ave. Go to the Event’s page on Facebook for ticket information at:
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“`Sad to announce the passing of the ever-delightful Glynis Johns. An award-winning actress, Johns earned an Oscar nod for the 1960 film, The Sundowners. She received a Tony for her role in A Little Night Music and Johns was the first performer to perform a rendition of the iconic Send in the Clowns. Johns may be best known as Mrs. Banks in Mary Poppins but I enjoyed her performance in No Highway in the Sky, co-starring with James Stewart. She was memorable in a cameo bit opposite Hermione Gingold in Around the World in Eighty Days.
“`Glynis Johns (right) was one-hundred.
Until next time> “never forget”
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