“Forgotten Hollywood”- Bob Hope Estate Auction…

September 10th, 2013

Manny P. here…

   On Friday, September 20th and Saturday, September 21st, 2013, Julien’s Auctions will host a landmark auction event with the sale of The Personal Property, Antiques and Memorabilia from the Estate of Bob and Dolores Hope. The auction contains items from Hope’s more than  sixty year career in entertainment, including Vaudeville, film, stage performances, television specials, and entertaining the troops for the USO. Memorabilia from Bob’s personal passion for golf, awards, and other artifacts from his many celebrity friends is also represented in this sale.

bob-hope-catalog-m   Bob and Dolores Hope shared a 69-year marriage during which they raised a family, and lived in their Toluca Lake and beautiful Palm Springs homes. Property from both homes will be auctioned, including the Hopes’ collection of antiques and artwork. Highlights of the sale include: a photo inscribed to Hope by President John Kennedy, Hope’s personal golf cart, a People’s Choice award, a Red Skelton clown painting, furniture, decorative arts, and other keepsakes from the careers and life of Bob and Dolores Hope.

The exhibition opened, yesterday, to the public at the Julien’s Beverly Hills Gallery until Friday, September 29th. Please join Julien’s as Bob Hope and Dolores continue to touch the lives of their fans.

——————————————————————–

   Cal Worthington, who built his fortune from a series of West Coast auto dealerships, and became a television fixture, thanks to his folksy car lot commercials urging patrons to Go see Cal, has died. At one point, Worthington owned more than 23 dealerships in five states.

   Born Nov. 27, 1920, Worthington joined the Army and became a B-17 bomber pilot, flying 29 missions over Germany, and earning the Distinguished Flying Cross, which was presented to him by Jimmy Doolittle, and other honors. After the war, Cal continued to fly a variety of aircraft, including a Lear 35, a twin-engine jet that he based at his sprawling ranch, which is a large producer of almonds and olives.

cal   The Oklahoma native founded his first dealership in the late 1940s in Southern California, and quickly took advantage of broadcast advertising. Early on, he entered the field of television advertising, buying time for a three-hour live country music show every Saturday and Sunday on KTLA, which eventually was entitled Cal’s Corral.

   As his business empire grew to other western states and Alaska, Worthington starred in a series of television and radio spots that featured him in his ever-present big white cowboy hat and his dog Spot — which would turn out to be animals ranging from tigers to elephants. He also wrestled a bear, rode a hippopotamus and a pig, handled a snake, and he almost had his hand bit by a lion. Viewers frequently saw him trying to stand on his head, including a stint atop the upper wing of a biplane. He also said  he would eat a bug to sell one of his vehicles. All of the nonsensical good fun was set to a banjo tune with the refrain, Go see Cal, go see Cal, go see Cal.   CAL WORTHINGTON

   According to the Television Bureau of Advertising, the car dealer was probably the best known pitchman in television history. The indefatigable Cal Worthington was 92.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Former Rat Pack Casino Gets Facelift

September 9th, 2013

Manny P. here…

rat pack   A Lake Tahoe resort once owned by Frank Sinatra, and frequented by his Rat Pack buddies, is about to undergo a major makeover. The Cal Neva hotel-casino straddling the California-Nevada border will close for more than a year beginning Monday to allow for the multi-million-dollar renovation project. The 219-room, 10-story hotel, and 6,000-square-foot casino will be upgraded in an effort to revitalize the property. A Napa Valley-based development company acquired the Cal Neva in April.

   During its heyday from 1960-1963, the resort was owned by Sinatra, and fellow Rat Pack clan members Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford often stayed at the locale. They made a number of movies together, including Oceans 11, Sergeants 3, 4 for Texas, and Robin and the 7 Hoods. Stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio, and Juliet Prowse also vacationed there. In fact, Monroe spent her final weekend at the Cal Neva before she died of a drug overdose in Los Angeles in August, 1962.   RAT PACK (w/ Lucy Ball & Danny Thomas)

    The Cal Neva is one of Nevada’s first legal casinos. The present resort was built in 1937, when a fire destroyed the original lodge that opened in 1926. Sinatra renovated the villa, adding the celebrity showroom and a helicopter pad on the roof. He used tunnels to shuffle mobsters and celebrities beneath the resort so they wouldn’t be seen by the general public. The tunnels were built in the late 1920s so liquor could be smuggled in during Prohibition. Sinatra’s gambling license was stripped in 1963 by Nevada gambling regulators after Chicago mobster Sam Giancana was spotted on the premises.

   Owners plan to make the hotel a 4-star resort by upgrading rooms with modern amenities, larger bathrooms, and bigger windows offering Lake Tahoe views. Plans call for the redesigned casino to include blackjack and other table games. Public tours of the cabins and tunnels will resume after the project is completed. They hope to reopen the Cal Neva on December 12th, 2014, which would have been Frank Sinatra’s 99th birthday.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Tinsel Town-Themed Events…

September 8th, 2013

Manny P. here…

   Are you ready for your close up? Hollywood is coming to LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Toronto. Walk the red carpet dressed as your favourite classic Hollywood star for our photo contest! Test your movie knowledge by finding all of their mini-movie scenes taking place all over MINILAND. There will be costume contests, building contests, and more!

 ldc-centre-logo   hollywood

   The adults-only event is scheduled on September 25th from 6p-9p. The cost for this family-friendly event is $15 plus tax online, and $19 plus tax at the door. The LEGOLAND Discovery Centre is located at 1 Bass Pro Mills Dr., Vaughan, Ontario.

   What a great way to experience Hollywood’s Golden Age with toys from your childhood.

————————————————————————

   The Wine Cellar French Bistro, located at 19712 1 Norman Blvd., Suite #110, Cornelius, North Carolina, is presenting an opportunity for local residents to recreate the life of their favorite classic film star. Come get your photo taken by Kevin Cole-Old Hollywood Style. Feel free to dress up in a 1930-1950′s attire to stick to the theme. For only $10, Kevin will take your photo and email you a retouched image.

Eiffel1Web1   FBcover-OldHollywood21-e1376443658258

   The unique experience, which includes a chance to have a delightful dinner, takes place on September 20th, beginning at 7p. And, if you purchase a bottle of any sparkling / champagne, you get to pick any dessert you’d like for FREE!

   Bon appetit…!!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Death Takes a Holiday…

September 5th, 2013

Manny P. here… decologo_walter_version

   The Art Deco Society of Los Angeles will be taking its 30th Annual Hollywood Forever Cemetery Walking Tour on October 5th. Join them as they visit the graves of Hollywood pioneers, stars and movie moguls; folks who created Hollywood, and ones who put the town on the map. Postmortem stargazing will include Cecil B. DeMille, as well as glittering stars of the silver screen: Rudolph Valentino, Fay Wray, Tyrone Power, Marion Davies, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., and more.

   Guided walking tours will depart from the fountain inside the main gate of 6000 Santa Monica Blvd. every 20 minutes, between 10 a.m. until 12 noon. It’s a 2½ hour tour, so sensible walking shoes, water, and sunscreen are recommended. Tickets are $20 per person for non-members, free to members, in advance (or at the cemetery on the day of the tour).

   This annual tour is the best way to get a true feel of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

—————————————————————————-frostdavid

   Sir David Frost was a renowned journalist, writer, comedian, and media personality. He attended Cambridge University, where he became the editor of the campus newspaper, Varsity, and a literary magazine called Granta. Graduating from Cambridge, Frost worked for Anglia Television where he honed his television and journalistic skills.             SIR DAVID FROST——————>

   In 1962, Frost was selected as host of a satirical comedy show on the BBC. The program was called That Was the Week that Was, and it aired for two seasons. Frost carried the show in a very irreverent fashion, which lampooned politics, society, and the television industry. John Cleese and Graham Chapman, founding members of Monthy Python’s Flying Circus, wrote for the show.

   David Frost may be best known for his 1977 interview of disgraced President Nixon. An interviewer, producer, and author, Frost made small-screen history by conducting the only televised interview in which Richard Nixon discussed Watergate, and the former president acknowledged he had disappointed the American people. Syndicated on a barter basis, the interviews were broadcast in seventy countries. Peter Morgan (The Last King of Scotland, The Queen) created the Tony-winning play, Frost/Nixon, based on his interviews. Morgan also penned the adaptation for the 2008 movie. Ron Howard directed the Oscar-nominated motion picture.

   In 1970, Frost was made an officer in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. He was  subsequently knighted in 1993 by Queen Elizabeth II.

   Sir David Frost died suddenly of a heart attack while on the cruise ship MS Queen Elizabeth, and engaged as a guest speaker during a planned working holiday. The genial talent was 74.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Award Winning Labor Day Weekend…

September 2nd, 2013

Manny P. here…

   Labor Day Weekend ’13 has been memorable in the Forgotten Hollywood journey for a number of reasons. In addition to having another stint at CINECON, in which I sold scores of paperbacks from my book series, I set up a Holiday booksigning on December 7th at the Hollywood Heritage Museum.

     cinecon title card    HollywoodHeritage

marilyn knowlden   I also met a child star from Hollywood’s Golden Age, Marilyn Knowlden, who is a devout supporter of my literary work. Knowlden had a ten-year movie career in which she played the cinematic daughter of iconic stars such as Claudette Colbert, Katharine Hepburn, and Norma Shearer. Marilyn captured roles in The Cisco Kid, David Copperfield, Anthony Adverse, Marie Antoinette, Little Women, Les Miserables, and Angels with Dirty Faces. MARILYN KNOWLDEN ——>

gold-shiny-web   The total capper came by way of an e-mail. Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History is to receive a Gold Medal from the Readers’ Favorite Award Contest. I shall accept the accolade in a ceremony taking place on November 23rd at the Airport Regency Hotel in Miami. The festivities are in conjunction with the Miami Book Fair International. My award-winning book will be on dislpay at the annual fest at the Readers’ Favorite table.

Miami bookfair-175_tcm7-66576   mdc_wolfson_black-horiz_tcm7-19957

email-header

   Based on the judges critiques, I received top scores (5) across the board in the areas of:

FINALfrontcover-sonofforgottenholCover, Construction, Chapter Headings, Illustrations, Table of Contents

Concept, Characters, Originality

Description, Dialogue, Creativity, Organization, Length, Fluidity, Coherence

Editing, Proofreading, Layout

Theme, Subject Matter, Size of Target Audience

Overall Starred Rating

   The sun will be shining brightly on Forgotten Hollywood when I visit Miami in November.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Labor Day Weekend at Cinecon 49!

August 26th, 2013

Manny P. here…

   This year, I have expanded my stay at the Memorabilia Show at Cinecon 49. I’ll be spending Labor Day Weekend (Saturday and Sunday) autographing copies of my Forgotten Hollywood Book Series for interested patrons. The fun and festivities between screenings of rare motion pictures takes place at the Loews Hollywood Hotel at 1755 N. Highland Ave. I expect to arrive each day by 11a.

cinecon title card   cinecon49_titlecard2

   The historic Egyptian Theatre is the site for five days of the annual Film Fest, a tradition for nearly 50 years. For a complete schedule of silent faire and movies from Hollywood’s Golden Age, click on the link below:

http://www.cinecon.org/cinecon_schedule.html

————————————————————– 250px-Julie_Harris_1973

   Julie Harris was the Grand Dame of Broadway, collecting five Tonys for performances spanding six decades. She was a member of the American Theatre Hall of Fame, and received the Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 2002.

   For many actors, Broadway has beem a starting point to a career in films. However, Harris dabbled in movies in between roles on the stage. Her fine performances include a Oscar nominated turn in The Member of the Wedding in 1952. She also appeared in East of Eden with James Dean, The Haunting, Requiem for a Heavyweight, Reflections in a Golden Eye, Harper, and Voyage of the Damned. And a three-time Emmy winner, she was a regular cast member on Knots Landing. She also appeared in episodes of The Big Valley, Bonanza, Rawhide, The Virginian, Columbo, and The Love Boat.   JULIE HARRIS —>

   Julie Harris joins Audra McDonald and Angela Lansbury as the actress with the most Tony wins (5). In 1994, Harris was awarded the National Medal of Arts. In 2005, she was named a Kennedy Center Honoree. The talented actress even earned a Grammy for work originating on Broadway.

   The immensely talented Julie Harris was 87.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Remembering Martin Luther King Jr…

August 24th, 2013

Manny P. here… Martin_Luther_King_-_March_on_Washington

   NBC will rebroadcast a 1963 Meet the Press interview with Martin Luther King Jr. in honor of the March on Washington’s 50th anniversary, next week. King appeared on the news show three days before his landmark I Have a Dream speech at the August 28th, 1963, Civil Rights March.

   I Have a Dream is regarded as one of the finest speeches in the history of American oratory. The march on Washington, and especially King’s speech, helped put civil rights at the top of the liberal political agenda in the US, and facilitated passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. —>

   On the day of the anniversary, President Obama will speak from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. He will be joined by former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. Churches and groups have been asked to ring bells at 3 p.m. Wednesday, marking the exact time King spoke. This moment is captured on a new postage stamp, unveiled Friday, to commemorate the civil rights movement. Earlier this year, the Postal Service issued stamps paying tribute to the Emancipation Proclamation and civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks.

   Meet the Press’ Special Edition: Remembering the Dream will air Sunday on NBC owned stations and affiliates, and on New England Cable News. Most stations will air this immediately before, or after, the regularly scheduled episode of Meet the Press (check local listings).

   The half-hour interview with King and NAACP leader Roy Wilkins is scheduled a half-century to the day after its original showing. It will be available online afterward.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Life and Times of Elmore Leonard…

August 20th, 2013

Manny P. here…

   Elmore Leonard was a novelist and screenwriter. His earliest published novels in the 1950s were Westerns, but Leonard went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thrillers, many of which have been adapted into motion pictures. He was the master of his genre; the Dickens of Detroit; the Chaucer of Crime. Influenced by the glamorization of criminals, such as Bonnie  and Clyde, Leonard would later become the chief proponent of the modern crime drama.

800px-Elmore_Leonard

   ELMORE LEONARD

   Leonard had his first success in 1951 when Argosy published the short story Trail of the Apaches. When 20th Century Fox bought the rights for $10,000 in 1967, he quit the ad business to write full time. Among his many works that translated well into motion picture include 3:10 to Yuma, Hombre, Mr. Majestyk, 52 Pick-Up, and most notably, Get Shorty. Actors who excelled in interpreting his words: Glenn Ford, Van Heflin, Burt Lancaster, Charles Bronson, Paul Newman, and John Travolta.

   Every novel Elmore Leonard wrote from the mid-1980s on was a best-seller, and every fan of crime stories knew his name including George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino. Last fall, he was the first crime writer to receive an honorary National Book Award, a prize given in the past to Philip Roth, Norman Mailer and Arthur Miller. He helped achieve for crime writing what Stephen King did for horror and Ray Bradbury for science fiction… and it revived the genre, which had taken a siesta after the demise of film noir.

   Elmore Leonard was 87.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Vivien Leigh on Display in London…

August 14th, 2013

Manny P. here… Vivien Leigh - by Laszlo Willinger

   The Victoria & Albert Museum in London has acquired the archive of Gone With the Wind star Vivien Leigh, including personal diaries and letters to her husband, Laurence Olivier. The London museum  bought the archive from Leigh’s grandchildren for an undisclosed sum. The trove includes photographs, annotated film and theater scripts, and thousands of letters from Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, Noel Coward and others.    VIVIEN LEIGH ——————>

   There are more than 200 letters exchanged with Olivier, to whom Leigh was married for 20 years. The British-born star won Oscars for playing iron-willed Southern belle Scarlett O’Hara in the Civil War epic Gone With the Wind; and as Blanche DuBois in the Tennessee Williams classic, A Streetcar Named Desire. Other films she starred in include Waterloo Bridge and Ship of Fools. She died of tuberculosis in 1967.

   Some of the material will go on display at the museum this fall.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- TCM Takes a Tour of the Big Apple…

August 10th, 2013

Manny P. here…

   Spend an afternoon with Turner Classic Movies and On Location Tours on an exclusive sightseeing tour of the Big Apple. Set to launch on Thursday, August. 22nd, the TCM Classic Film Tour will run each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, beginning at 11:30 AM. The TCM Classic Film Tour features an experienced and knowledgeable tour guide, extensive trivia about each location and a special video introduction by TCM host Robert Osborne, a longtime resident of New York. The three-hour sightseeing bus tour will take movie fans to some of the city’s greatest filming locations and one of several initiatives TCM is launching as it prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary in April 2014.

Turner Classic Tour Logo   TCM-tour

   In addition to seeing the real locations, visitors will get to see clips of the sites from cinema. New York is the most filmed city in the world. They have selected the best movie sites around Manhattan to share with you – in person and in motion picture clips.

Tour Highlights Include:

  • See the Empire State Building, featured in King Kong
  • Shop at the market showcased in Manhattan and You’ve Got Mail
  • Take pictures where Marilyn Monroe’s skirt flew up in The Seven Year Itch
  • Go on location to Grand Central Terminal, seen in North by Northwest and Superman
  • Match Central Park film locations to clips from Thomas Edison Shorts to Ghostbusters

Meeting Location

51st St & Broadway, near Times Square
(Exact meeting location details will be provided immediately upon purchase of tickets)

   Not only will you get a taste of New York film history, but you’ll receive a great sightseeing tour of Midtown and Uptown Manhattan aboard a private and comfortable bus.  Your guide will entertain, inform and quiz you with trivia questions as you as you visit over 60 locations!

   Book reservations for the TCM Classic Film Tour online at http://www.tcm.com/tours, or by calling 212-913-9780.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Lost Orson Welles Early Film Found…

August 8th, 2013

Manny P. here… 220px-Orson_Welles_1937

   An Italian film archive has announced the discovery of a long-lost Orson Welles flick, a silent movie he made just before going to Hollywood to direct Citizen Kane. A rep of the Italian film archive Cineteca del Friuli found the 1938 two reel comedy Too Much Johnson in a warehouse in the northeastern Italian city of Pordenone where it was stored for years before being identified. The motion picture  was originally thought lost in a fire at Welles’ home.

   In 1938, RKO Pictures president George Schaefer offered Welles what generally is considered the greatest contract ever offered to an untried director: complete artistic control. RKO signed Welles in a two-picture deal; including script, cast, crew and most importantly, final cut, although Welles had a budget limit for his projects. With this contract in hand, Welles (and his Mercury Theatre troupe) moved to Hollywood.                                                                                    ORSON WELLES

   In 2002, Welles was voted the greatest film director of all time in two separate British Film Institute polls among directors and critics, and a wide survey of critical consensus, best-of lists, and historical retrospectives calls him the most acclaimed director of all time.

   The forgotten movie will debut in October at a silent film festival in Pordenone.

———————————————————————– karen-black2

   Karen Black was a Golden Globe-winning actress, who also received an Oscar nod for her gritty performance in Five Easy Pieces. Memorable roles in Easy Rider, Portnoy’s Complaint, The Great Gatsby, Airport ’75, Nashville, The Day of the Locust, and Family Plot (Hitchcock’s final film) followed. Black began her career working Off-Broadway, and on the small screen, with an appearance on Adam-12. She worked with Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson, Charlton Heston, Bette Davis, Robert Redford, Bruce Dern, among others.              KAREN BLACK —————–>

   Karen Black passed away today at the age of 74.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Mad About Ava Gardner Film Fest…

August 7th, 2013

Manny P. here…

   Plans are underway at the Ava Gardner Museum to host the annual Ava Gardner Festival, October 4th-6th in historic downtown Smithfield, North Carolina.  This year the museum board of directors has chosen to showcase the award-winning film, The Night of the Iguana. Many critics felt this film to be one of Ava’s best performances, and she was nominated for a Golden Globe.  Ava went on to win the Best Foreign Actress Film Award (BAFTA) and Best Actress at the San Sabastian Film Festival for her role as Maxine Faulk.

   The Night of the Iguana (1964) is an MGM film based on the 1961 play of the same name written by Tennessee Williams. Directed by John Huston and produced by Ray Stark, it featured Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr, and Sue Lyon.

   The theme of the festival will be Mad About Ava and the cast of Mad Men, the television show, are all being invited. Other invitees include Anjelica Huston, daughter of Iguana director John Huston, and Debbie Reynolds –both of whom have memoirs hitting the shelves this year.

ava gardner festival logo

   Here are the tentative plans: mad_about_ava-1

Friday, October 4    Mad About Ava – Party

7pm-10pm     It’s a pub crawl and a gala event in the museum, including a 1960s costume contest and a raffle drawing for a trip to Puerto Vallarta and Mismaloya, where parts of the set are available to tour.  There will be specialty drinks at nearby wineries, breweries and restaurants, and visitors can show off their 60s costume. The museum will have live entertainment, new exhibits related to the film, specialty drinks and hors d’ oeuvres, concluding with cash prizes for best 60s costume, door prizes, and the grand prize drawing. 

Saturday, October 5   Festival Day Activities

9am-6pm     The museum will be open for tours of the new exhibits, heritage tours to Ava’s birthplace, the teacherage and other points of interest along the Ava Gardner Heritage Trail, and there will be FREE film screenings of The Night of the Iguana in the museum’s theatre.

Sunday, October 6     Festival Day Activities

1pm-6pm     The museum will have special hours on Sunday for tours of the new exhibits and a FREE film screening.

   The Ava Gardner Museum is at 325 Market St., Smithfield, North Carolina. For more info, click on the link below:

http://avagardnermuseum.mybigcommerce.com/categories/Ava-Gardner-Festival/

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- The Passing of an Exotic Actor…

August 3rd, 2013

Manny P. here…

   Michael Ansara was an actor who played exotic roles in classic films and television. He was also married to Barbara Eden for a time.

   His movie career included epics, such as Kim (with Errol Flynn), The Robe, Julius Caesar, The Ten Commandments, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Comancheros, and Road to Bali. Ansara was also a mainstay on the small screen, appearing as Cochise in Broken Arrow, and starring in Law of the Plainsman. The latter show began as an episode of The Rifleman. He also had roles in a number of episodes of The Outer Limits, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Untouchables, and opposite his wife on I Dream of Jeannie. He’s one of seven actors to play the same character (Klingon commander Kang) on three different Star Trek televisionseries. In 1962, Ansara starred in a Broadway show with famous silent film actor Ramon Novarro.

471px-Michael_Ansara_1959   453px-I_dream_of_jeannie

 MICHAEL ANSARA                                               BARBARA  EDEN

   Ansara was nominated for an Academy of Science Fiction Award, and won a Western Heritage Award. His marriage to Barbara Eden lasted 16 years.

   The Syrian-born Michael Ansara was 91.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Hitch Nine Preserved for Posterity!

July 30th, 2013

Manny P. here…Hitchcock(small)

   All nine of Alfred Hitchcock’s surviving silent films, dating between 1925 and 1929, have been added to the UK’s section of the UNESCO Memory of the World Register to safeguard the documentary heritage of humanity. The early productions from one of the world’s best-known film-makers are taking their place alongside some of the greatest cultural artifacts in the United Kingdom.

logo_en mow_logo_20th_anniversary_en

   UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Its site explains the addition to their roster by describing the Hitchcock motion pictures as among the greatest achievements of British silent cinema and blueprints for the rest of his later work.

   The Hitchcock 9 was the largest restoration project the BFI has ever undertaken. The BFI holds some of the most important and earliest surviving copies of the silent Hitchcock films, including negatives; and materials also sourced from international archives. The restoration ensures that the works of one of Britain’s greatest artists can be appreciated on the big screen as they were meant to be seen. Excitingly, they have revealed the films looking crisper and fresher than ever. The restoration of Hitchcock’s silent films has enabled the discovery of extra material; and a deeper appreciation of the precocious genius at work.

—————————————————–

   The distinctive comedic character actress Eileen Brennan has died. She appeared in fine projects throughout her varied careed.

brennan   They include performances in Divorce American Style, The Sting, The Last Picture Show, Daisy Miller, At Long Last Love, Murder by Death, Clue, and most notably, in Private Benjamin. She reprised the latter Oscar-nominated part on the small screen and won an Emmy and a Golden Globe. Brennan additionally received Emmy nominations for guest-starring appearances on Newhart, Taxi, Thirtysomething, and Will & Grace. Eileen had a recurring role on Blossom. She was a semi-regular on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, but stayed for only two monthsBrennan was also in the original Broadway production of Hello Dolly! in 1964. She remained close personal friends with Goldie Hawn.      EILEEN BRENNAN

   Eileen Brennan was 80.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

“Forgotten Hollywood”- Silent Version of Wizard of Oz in LA…

July 29th, 2013

Manny P. here…

   The Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo, CA (the home of the mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ) will be presenting the 1925 version of The Wizard of Oz this upcoming weekend to kick off its August weekend lineup. Although the later 1939 version with Judy Garland is considered by most to be the definitive version, this silent feature film is truly fascinating to see — and has plenty more laughs!

wizard of oz   wiz

   Popular silent movie star Larry Semon literally sold the ranch to secure motion picture rights to L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, and then ended up revising most of Baum’s story to favor his broad slapstick comedy antics. Dorothy is played by Dorothy Dwan – aka Mrs. Larry Semon. Also featured in this version is Oliver Hardy. The chance to see the origins of the young iconic comedian is alone a good enough reason to see this flick!

otmh_logo

   Since 1968, Old Town Music Hall has been showing vintage silent and sound films. The Southern California landmark is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your generous support enables us to preserve the golden era of feature film and music.

   The screenings will air on Friday at 8:15p; Saturday at 2:30p and 8:15p; and Sunday at 2:30p. What a great opportunity to visit the Merry Old Land of Oz

Until next time>                               “never forget”