Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

   The Eastman Kodak Co. will continue to make motion picture film in the age of digital filmmaking after reaching new supply agreements with the major Hollywood studios. The Rochester-based photography and film pioneer had been in talks with the studios, as well as several filmmakers, including Quentin Tarantino, Judd Apatow and Christopher Nolan, to keep movie film alive after seeing sales fall 96 % since 2006.

   The agreements announced late Wednesday call for Kodak to continue to supply motion picture film to Warner Bros. Entertainment, Walt Disney Co., 20th Century Fox, NBC Universal, Paramount Pictures, and Sony Pictures. Without the pacts, production of motion picture film, which Kodak began in 1896, was in danger of being halted.

   Three of this year’s eight Best-Picture Oscar nominees — Boyhood, The Imitation Game, and The Grand Budapest Hotel— were shot on Kodak film. Several movies due out this year, such as Mission: Impossible 5 and Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens, are being produced on film.

   Founded by George Eastman (above) in 1880, Kodak is credited with popularizing personal photography at the start of the 20th century. However, its revenues today are primarily from commercial imaging. Film now provides less than 10 % of company revenues.

————————————————–

   Thank you to Al Rivers of Newport Beach, CA, who has sent me a friendly note regarding my Forgotten Hollywood Book Series. He writes:

We met at the Havurah meeting, where I purchased both your books from you. I have already read both and I thoroughly enjoyed them. You are a truly brilliant and gifted writer with an amazing ability to weave the history of our country with the intricate lives and careers of those Hollywood characters. I was especially impressed with your discussion of the Monroe Doctrine and our Good Neighbor Policy. I have always been an ardent moviegoer. I am 86 years old and my first movie was King Kong which I saw when I was 4 years old in 1933. ( I have been afraid of very large gorillas ever since!).

Also, I decided to list every movie you printed in bold that I either saw or recognized. This was over a 90% yield with 380 titles. I am compulsive that way!

 Good luck in your endeavors!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Harper Lee (below) and her publisher announced Tuesday that this summer they’ll release the 88-year-old author’s second novel, Go Set the Watchmen, a kind of sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird,with publisher HarperCollins planning a first printing of two million copies. Completed first in the mid-1950s,  the original manuscript for Go Set a Watchman had been considered lost until the author’s lawyer Tonja Carter rediscovered it and persuaded Lee to have it published. The shockwaves were felt almost as much in Hollywood as they were in the book world.

   The movies love a sequel. And, the chance to follow up one of the finest American films half a century later would be most desired. If Lee agrees to sell the movie rights of her new work, it can be expected to be one of the most eagerly sought novels for optioning to the big screen. Particularly since Lee said Tuesday that Go Set the Watchman follows her young heroine, Scout, into adulthood, it’s sure to be feverishly pursued by producers. It’s likely to spark a bidding war well before it lands on book shelves on July 14th. Such an opportunity could draw in a host of high-profile producers. Oprah Winfrey, for one, has called To Kill a Mockingbird her favorite book.

   Starring Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, and featuring a young Robert Duvall as Boo Radley, To Kill a Mockingbird has regularly been ranked among the greatest American movies. It won three Oscars, including Best Actor for Peck and Best-Adapted Screenplay for Horton Foote. In 1995, it was added to the National Film Registry; and in 2003, the American Film Institute listed Peck’s Atticus Finch as the greatest movie hero of the twentieth century.

   Duvall expressed enthusiasm about the prospect of reading the sequel. He also showed his appreciation for the film as a pivotal point in his career. Mary Badham, who was received an Oscar nod at age ten for her performance as Scout, only acted in a handful of films after To Kill a Mockingbird. Almost forty years after her last film, she came out of retirement to appear in the 2005 Indie drama, Out Very Own. Badham didn’t respond to requests for comment over Lee’s announcement.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Nine weeks before his death by complications from AIDS on October 2nd, 1985, Rock Hudson was in France trying to get treatment not available in the United States. But, Nancy Reagan refused his request for the White House to help.

   When Hudson collapsed on July 21, 1985, shortly after arriving in Paris, he was admitted to the American Hospital. He wanted to see Dr. Dominique Dormant, the French army doctor who had been working on experimental AIDS treatment HPA-23, and who had secretly treated the actor months after his diagnosis. Dormant, however, couldn’t get Hudson transferred to the military hospital. So, over the next 10 days—as the public first became aware that Hudson was gay and had AIDS—his team made a number of desperate attempts to get help, including sending a telegram to the White House.

          ROCK HUDSON   NANCY REAGAN   PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN 

   Hudson was friendly with then-president Ronald Reagan from their acting days. The July 24th telegram pleaded with the White House to request that the commanding officer reconsider admitting the star to the military hospital. The Reagan staffer who received the telegram spoke with Nancy Reagan. However, he recommended she refer the issue to the US Embassy in France because the Reagans were very conscious of not making exceptions for people just because they were friends of theirs, or celebrities. She agreed, and though her husband called Hudson to wish him well, the official response was that Nancy Reagan did not feel this was something the White House should get into. Dormant was eventually able to treat Hudson, but his condition was too advanced.

   Today, the former First Lady simply does not recall the incident in question. It’s generally regarded that the publicity generated by Rock Hudson and Magic Johnson’s illness has led to medical advancements in the battle against HIV/AIDS.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Just in time for Black History Month! Beginning Wednesday at the Library of Congress, researchers and the public will have full access to Rosa Parks’ archive of letters, writings, personal notes, and photographs for the first time. The collection will provide what experts call a more complex view of a woman long recalled in history for one iconic image — that of a nonviolent seamstress who inspired others to act at the dawning of the Civil Rights era. Philanthropist Howard Buffett bought the collection and placed it on long-term loan at the national library.

   Parks, who died in 2005 at 92, is beloved in American history for her civil disobedience on a Montgomery, Alabama bus. That defining moment in 1955 triggered a yearlong bus boycott that eventually helped dismantle a system of segregation.

   After her arrest, Parks lost her job as a tailor at Montgomery’s largest department store because of her activism. Her husband also struggled for employment, and the couple sank into deep poverty. They moved to Detroit but continued to struggle.

   Parks traveled with the NAACP, pressing for civil rights, and then, landed a job at the Hampton Institute in Virginia earning $3,700 a year — enough to send some money home to her husband and mother. It wasn’t until 1965 when she was hired at the district office of Michigan Representative John Conyers that she finally earned a steady, living wage.

   The collection may surprise people by revealing that Parks had an aggressive edge, and supported more radical actions seeking equality over the years, archivists said. She used her new-found status to support Malcolm X, Black Panther gatherings, and the Wilmington 10 in North Carolina.

   The library now holds about 7,500 manuscript items and 2,500 photos from Rosa, including a Bible she always kept, letters from admirers, and her cherished Presidential Medal of Freedom. A small exhibit is planned for March. All items will be digitized and posted online. They are in talks with Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, under construction on the National Mall, to house more of her items.                                                   ROSA PARKS

   What a heck of a bus ride for the iconic Rosa Parks!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here …

   Thanks to some progressive urban policies coming out of the governor’s office, Los Angeles is reimagining itself as a more traditional, walkable city with a vibrant downtown business district. And, iconic Latino / Irish actor Anthony Quinn will metaphorically witness its ongoing transformation.

   A giant likeness of the trailblazing star, who passed away in 2001, will be standing tall and proud on the wall of the Victor Clothing Co. building at 241 S. Broadway as the surrounding Downtown area springs back to life under current Mayor Garcetti. The portrait has undertaken a restoration of Quinn’s faded likeness in collaboration with its original muralist Eloy Torrez as a part of an collaborative effort to reinvigorate the city’s struggling downtown.

   Born Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca in Chihuahua in 1915, Quinn was raised in El Paso, TX and Echo Park, CA. He scored some secondary roles as gangsters and Indians in a number of Hollywood productions throughout the 1930s. It was his role opposite Marlon Brando in Elia Kazan’s Viva Zapata! where he earned the first of two Oscars, and secured his place in the Hollywood pantheon. He became the second Latino actor to pick up a statuette; the first being Jose Ferrer. To this day, he is considered one of the great actors of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

   The mural itself, capturing Anthony dancing in a moment of joyous abandon, recalls an iconic scene from Zorba the Greek in which Quinn’s eponymous character dances quite exuberantly. His performance garnered yet another Academy Awards nomination.

   Now, Anthony Quinn’s legacy will stand tall in the middle of Downtown, Los Angeles.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Natalie Wood was screaming for help as she drowned, according to a witness whose account has never been disclosed. Retired stockbroker Marilyn Wayne has provided credible eyewitness testimony that the star was shouting desperate cries for aid, but was ignored.

   Relatedly, the Los Angeles police last week said that substantial new evidence has led them to reopen their investigation into the Wood’s drowning off Catalina Island, thirty years ago this week. Her death was ruled accidental at the time. Now, a police source has described Robert Wagner, now 81, as a person of interest in the updated case.

ROBERT WAGNER   NATALIE WOOD

   They were on-board their yacht Splendour, with her alleged love interest, Oscar-winner Christopher Walken on that fateful evening, and Wagner has always maintained Wood accidently slipped and drowned as she drunkenly tried to tie up a dinghy against the boat. Natalie’s sister has claimed that the actress was so scared of water, she never would have ventured off alone to Avalon late into the evening.

   With this new witness coming forward, the questions homicide detectives are exploring — Did Wagner  or Walken hear the cries of distress and Did they attempt to save Wood from drowning after she fell into the ocean… Investigators plan to hold a news conference, and are asking for individuals to come forward with information about the case, and to contact sheriff’s officials or an anonymous tip that has been set up.

———————————————————

   Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History, has reached its next impressive  milestone. On the heels of my second paperback, the sales for my first book has surpassed 3200. My most recent purchases have come from tourists who have visited Larry Edmunds Bookshop and  LA LA Land souvenir megastore along Hollywood Blvd., and the fine membership of the local chapter of Rotary International in Burbank, CA.

   The book series is now found in the combined hands of 4400 readers. Onward and upward!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Ernie Banks, the baseball player known as Mr. Cub, has died. He played nineteen seasons at Wrigley Field in Chicago, and was voted to the All-Star Game 14 times. Banks is most famous for cheerfully coining the phrase: It’s a beautiful day for a ballgame… Let’s play two, due to his love for double-headers.

   Ernie was born and raised in Dallas. He joined the Negro Leagues in 1950, and played for the Kansas City Monarchs. He served in the military for two years, and then returned to the Monarchs before beginning his Major League career in September 1953. Banks had his best seasons in 1958 and 1959, when he received back-to-back National League Most Valuable Player awards. He was the first player from a losing team to win the NL MVP. Banks finished his career with 512 home runs, and his 277 home runs as a shortstop were a career record at the time of his retirement. Banks holds the Major League record for the most games played (2,528) without a postseason appearance.

   Banks was active in the Chicago community during and after his tenure with the Cubs. He founded many charitable organizations, and became the first black Ford Motor Company dealer in the United States. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977, and later named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. The Cubs retired Banks’s uniform number 14 in 1982 the first player in the team’s history. No other numbers were retired by the team for another five years, when Billy Williams received the honor. In 2013, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contribution to sports. A statue of Banks sits outside Wrigley Field.

   He was one of Chicago’s greatest city ambassadors. Never losing his boundless enthusiasm, the ever-sunny Ernie Banks  was 83.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Turner Broadcasting is revealing that two-time Oscar winning actress Sally Field will be joining Robert Osborne on the set to discuss classic films shown in conjunction with the popular Saturday night series, The Essentials. A formal press release from TCM concerning the new Essentials co-host has yet to be announced.                           SALLY FIELD ——->

   Sally Field first appeared on television in 1965 as Gidget, and later, as The Flying Nun. She then began a fabulous career as a cinematic actress with such popular movies as Sybil,  Mrs. Doubtfire, Smokey and The Bandit, and Forrest Gump. She received Academy Awards for Norma Rae and Places in the Heart. Field most recently garnered Oscar buzz in 2012 with her role as Mary Todd Lincoln with Daniel Day-Lewis in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln.

   As a TCM guest programmer in July of 2008, Field selected films that concern given situations gals deal with in their lives, often in funny ways. She chose The Awful Truth, The Miracle of Morgan Creek, Love With the Proper Stranger, and All About Eve.

————————————————————–

   Steady sales keep on pouring in… Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History has reached 1200 literary purchases. Many thanks to the folks from Southern California chapters of Rotary International in Arcadia, Oceanside, and Carson for unyielding recent support. 2015 has begun in a most robust way, and this latest milestone is a positive indicator of a great year. My initial paperback in the Forgotten Hollywood franchise is about to go into its third printing. And, my next book in the series is almost ready to go to print. GREAT NEWS!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The late actor Edward Herrmann’s (right) final project before  succumbing to brain cancer last month was narrating an upcoming documentary on the disease. The six-hour project will air over three evenings on PBS in March, and is based on Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies; a book by Siddhartha Mukherjee.

   Herrmann collapsed because of a seizure on the first day he came to work, and had to explain to filmmaker Barak Goodman that it was due to his terminal disease. Still, Herrmann was committed to do the work and complete this intensely personal production.

   The talented narrator is best remembered for his on-screen performances and narrations on various projects on PBS and the History Channel. He often portrayed Franklin D. Roosevelt. His voice is quite familiar to generations of television viewers.

   I suggest you honor Edward Herrmann’s legacy by watching this  informative program.

Until next time>                               “never forget“

Manny P. here…

   Highclere Castle, the English country estate where Downton Abbey is filmed, will be opening an on-site hotel called London Lodge. (Despite the name, the castle and its hotel are in Newbury, West Berkshire… not in London.) The estate, built in 1793, is home to the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon and has already been open to tourists for some time. There are organized Downton-themed tours that take tourists to see the building and grounds. But, this will mark the first time visitors can stay overnight there. You will enjoy the look and feel of Edwardian England.

   London Lodge is a smaller property near Highclere Castle on the estate. The process of opening the lodge took two and a half years. Like many of the old structures, Highclere suffered from some wear and tear over the years and needed some repairs, including a much-needed new roof. And while the period charm is intact, there are modern amenities in the hotel rooms, including television, Wi-Fi, mini-fridges, and electric kettles perfect for making that cuppa.

   Rooms at London Lodge begin at £350 ($540) per night. Season Five of Downton Abbey currently airs in the United States.

   Someone better warn Mr. Carson and Mrs. Patmore of the impending arrival of guests…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Anita Ekberg was a Swedish actress, model, and sex symbol. She is best known for her role in the Federico Fellini film La Dolce Vita. In her teens, she worked as a fashion model. In 1950, Ekberg entered the Miss Malmö competition at her mother’s urging, leading to the Miss Sweden contest, which she won. Though she did not win Miss Universe, as one of six finalists, she earned a star contract with Universal Studios.

   Her Hollywood career includes roles in Abbott and Costello Go to Mars, 4 For Texas, Blood Alley, Artists and Models, Call Me Bwana, Hollywood or Bust, and memorably, in War and Peace. She guest-starred in the short-lived television series Casablanca. She was publicized as Paramount’s Marilyn Monroe.

   The outspoken Anita Ekberg was 83.                                                ANITA EKBERG

———————————————————–

   Part of cinematic royalty, Samuel Goldwyn Jr. was a film producer. The son of a pioneer motion picture mogul, he became a theatrical producer in London and for Edward R. Murrow at CBS in New York. He then followed in his father’s footsteps and founded the motion picture production companies Formosa Productions, The Samuel Goldwyn Company, and Samuel Goldwyn Films. His first film was the Robert Mitchum-Western, Man With the Gun.

SAMUEL GOLDWYN JR.

   Some of the motion pictures he financed include the 1960 version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, A Prayer for the Dying, Mystic Pizza (which gave Julia Roberts her big break, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, The Preacher’s Wife, and most recently, the 2013 update of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, a remake of one of his father’s films. His son is Tony Goldwyn, who co-starred in Ghost, and currently stars in the ABC television drama, Scandal.

   Samuel Goldwyn Jr. was 88.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   For the sixth straight year, here’s my ballot for this year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards. I thought 2014 was an exceptional year of cinema. And, several folks and movies in most of the categories should be considered for the specific awards. Let me explain:

   OUTSTANDING MALE:  Michael Keaton (Birdman)

Four of the five nominees are solid. Jake Gyllenhaal is a very close second choice for a fine job in Nightcrawler. Eddie Redmayne and Benedict Cumberbatch provide outstanding work in The Theory of Everything and The Imitation Game. One thing… David Oyelowo (Selma), Bradley Cooper (American Sniper), or Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel) should have been nominated instead of Steve Carell (Foxcatcher). As for Keaton, it’s a career role!

   OUTSTANDING FEMALE:  Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)

The buzz is for Julianne Moore in Still Alice. I completely disagree! Alzheimer’s Disease is familiar to me, because members of my extended family have suffered from Dementia. I have yet to see a film that captures this insidious affliction with any accuracy. Reese Witherspoon  in Wild and Felicity Jones in The Theory of Everything are worthy nominees. However, the sure ferocity of Rosamund Pike’s performance should be rewarded. It’s scary good!

   OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING MALE:  J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)

Manny P. here…

   Prospect House Entertainment, in partnership with Glendale Arts, and in association with the Tony Nicholas family, presents The Nicholas Brothers Tribute. This fabulous event is Sunday, January 25th at 7:30p.

   Hollywood’s greatest tap-dance team will be honored in a star-studded gala at the historic 1400-seat Alex Theatre in Glendale, California. They’ll chronicle Fayard and Harold Nicholas rise to fame,  from their humble beginnings in Philadelphia to pioneering and redefining the tap genre. They became bona-fide stars of the jazz circuit during the heyday of the Harlem Renaissance.

NICHOLAS BROTHERS

   By 1932, they were featured act at the Cotton Club, working with the orchestras of Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, and Jimmy Lunceford. The brothers made their Broadway debut in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1936, and also appeared in Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart’s legendary musical Babes in Arms in 1937. Producer Samuel Goldwyn invited them to be a part of Kid Millions,  which was their first role in a Hollywood film. Other movie appearances include routines in The Big Broadcast of 1936, Tin Pan Alley, Down Argentine Way, Sun Valley Serenade, Orchestra Wives, Stormy Weather, and The Pirate. Archival footage was also featured in That’s Entertainment and That’s Dancing.

   This one-night only, special evening will feature Nicholas family members, celebrity friends, and co-stars, rare and never-before-seen home movie footage, movie trailers, clips from their dazzling feature film performances, dramatic on-stage reenactments from landmark moments in their lives, and amazing tap numbers performed by the very best dancers in the country, choreographed by the peerless Cathie Nicholas, Fayard’s granddaughter. Special Q&A guests include Gloria Hendry, best known for co-starring with Roger Moore in the James Bond film, Live and Let Die.

   This is going to be rousing fun!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The controversy surrounding LBJ’s role over Civil Rights as depicted in Selma is just the latest flap regarding artistic license; an argument that goes back to Hollywood’s Golden Age. The more celebrated recent furor involves Lincoln (Connecticut lawmakers were in a major uproar for incorrectly depicting state’s representatives voting against the 13th Amendment); Zero Dark Thirty (suggesting intelligence gathered through torture helped lead to Osama bin Laden’s capture led to a public outcry that was spearheaded by Senators Diane Feinstein and John McCain; and JFK (many still take as fact conspiracy theories floated by Oliver Stone).

PRESIDENT LYNDON JOHNSON w/ MARTIN LUTHER KING

   I write in my Forgotten Hollywood Book Series that this often occurs by screenwriters not bound to the truth. It’s the job of historians and critics to point out the corrections when movie moguls get the facts wrong in a production. The argument of a filmmaker remains that they are simply trying to entertain. A character in the movie, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, succinctly sums up how history was portrayed in the Old West by real newspaper reporters: When legend becomes fact, print the legend! The John Ford-Western boldly pokes fun at the tall tales created, and the historical implications from the narrative.

   The most celebrated legend by Hollywood was created by the script from the 1939 drama, Drums Along the Mohawk. As I surmise in my chapter on Ward Bond:

Bond plays Adam Helmer, a Revolutionary War hero. Helmer, a frontiersman, is actually credited in warning the people of German Flatts, New York of an impending raid by Indians and Tories (British sympathizers). Due to his efforts, only two men were killed in the attack. Unfortunately, the true depiction in the novel and the subsequent film version differs; giving credit to Gil Martin, a settler in the Mohawk Valley. This inaccurate discrepancy is the highlight in the movie. The heroic assignment was made by Darryl F. Zanuck to showcase the star of the film, Henry Fonda.

   My Book Series is quick to point out these kinds of areas of issue because that is my literary job as a film and American historian. I don’t agree with those folks who claim a movie is less great because it gets the facts wrong.

   The bottom line… as a Screen Actors Guild member, my awards ballot will be based on acting style, production qualities, and effective use of narrative storytelling; not on whether the facts behind the motion picture are correct. My suggestion to a theatre-going audience:  Visit the snack counter, buy a tub of popcorn and soft drink, and then, enjoy the legend!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Rod Taylor was a likeable actor from Down Under, who appeared in many movies and television programs. He’s best remembered for his roles in The Time Machine, The V.I.Ps, The Glass Bottom Boat, The Birds, Sunday in New York, and Hotel.      ROD TAYLOR —->

     Rod acquired extensive radio and stage experience in Australia. He made his feature film debut in the Aussie film King of the Coral Sea, playing an American. He was later cast in a Hollywood-financed film shot in Sydney, Long John Silver, an unofficial sequel to Treasure Island. His first big motion picture was Giant. This led to work at MGM in a series of films, including Raintree County, The Catered Affair, and Separate Tables. He also was the voice of Pongo (a dog) in Disney’s animated feature 101 Dalmatians.

   The actor was quite busy on the small screen, as well. He was a regular on anthology shows, such as Studio One, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Lux Video Theatre, Playhouse 90, Zane Grey Theatre, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, DuPont Show of the Week, The Twilight Zone, Goodyear Theatre, and Tales of the Unexpected. He also guest-starred in Cheyenne, Walker Texas Ranger, Falcon Crest, and Murder She Wrote.

   Taylor was a pioneer of the Australian-New Zealand invasion of Hollywood that would come to include actors Mel Gibson, Judy Davis, Nicole Kidman (born in Hawaii to Australian parents), Geoffrey Rush, and Russell Crowe; and directors Bruce Berenson, Peter Weir, Bruce Beresford, Baz Luhrman, Rob Marshall, and Peter Jackson.

   In 1993, Rod hosted a documentary Time Machine: The Journey Back. At the end of the special came a mini-sequel, written by David Duncan, the screenwriter of the George Pal film. Taylor recreated his role of George, and reunited with co-star Alan Young.

   The affable hellion, Rod Taylor was 84.

Until next time>                               “never forget”