Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

   Yogi Berra (right) was the Baseball Hall of Fame catcher renowned as much for his malapropisms as his record ten World Series championships with the New York Yankees. He helped the team reach it 14 times  during his 18 seasons in the Bronx, playing in more Fall Classic games than any other major leaguer; and was a three-time American League Most Valuable Player. But, his famous name appears almost as often in Bartlett’s Famous Quotations as it does in baseball’s record book.

   In 1943, his first professional season with the Yankees’ farm team in Norfolk, Va., was interrupted by World War II. He joined the Navy, and later served on a gunboat supporting the D-Day invasion.

    Berra played for the Yankees from 1949-65. His teammates included fellow Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Whitey Ford. In 1956, he caught the only perfect game in World Series history and after the last out, he leaped into pitcher Don Larsen’s arms. The moment was captured in photographs, published in newspapers around the world. Berra, who played in 15 straight All-Star Games, never earned more than $65,000 a season.

   After he retired, Berra coached or managed the Yankees, New York Mets, and Houston Astros. He led both the Yankees and the Mets to pennants. In 1985, his firing as manager by the Yankees 16 games into the season sparked a feud with George Steinbrenner. Berra vowed never to return to Yankee Stadium as long as Steinbrenner owned the team. He eventually changed his mind, throwing out the ceremonial first pitch of the Yankees’ season-opening game in 1999.

   Berra published three books: his autobiography in 1961, It Ain’t Over… in 1989, and The Yogi Book: I Really Didn’t Say Everything I Said in 1998. The last made the New York Times’ Best Seller list. In 1996, Berra was awarded an honorary doctorate from the state university in Montclair, N.J., where he and his family lived. The university also named its baseball stadium for Berra. The adjoining Yogi Berra Museum opened two years later. The museum houses Berra memorabilia, including what he said was his most prized possession, the mitt he used to catch Larsen’s perfect game.

    He was a fan favorite, especially with kids, and the cartoon character Yogi Bear was named after him. He recently delighted television viewers by bringing his malapropisms to a commercial with the AFLAC duck.

Yogi Berra was an American original. He was 90.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Clint Eastwood has reportedly lured Hollywood’s 91-year-old Doris Day out of retirement for a silver screen swan song. The two friends are neighbors in Carmel Valley, California, and on a recent visit Eastwood reportedly presented Day with a script. The actress was delighted with the role, and is working out the final details of her first film role in almost half a century. Two conditions by the star:  They film around Carmel; and a cut of the profits goes to her animal fund charity.

   Day began her career as a singer in 1945, but shot to worldwide fame in the 1950s as the star of musicals, such as Love Me or Leave Me, the Hitchcock thriller The Man Who Knew Too Much, and a series of comedies (Move Over Darling; Pillow Talk) with Rock Hudson, James Garner, Tony Randall, and Rod Taylor. Jack Carson first suggested she was perfect for cinema. Since retiring, she has lived out of the spotlight, and has totally dedicated herself to the Doris Day Animal Foundation.

   A fear of flying meant she has refused both an honorary Oscar and the Kennedy Center Honors. She also declined to pick up a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2008. However, if anyone can convince her to return to the screen it may be Eastwood, who presented her with a Golden Globe in 1989, her last listed public appearance.

CLINT EASTWOOD        DORIS DAY

   On Day’s own website, there’s no mention of the cinematic project. Technically,  her current final movie credit  is from 1968: With Six You Get Eggroll.

    Doris Day may return. Perhaps… Perhaps… Perhaps… For the record, she says the rumors are not true.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Jack Larson was an  actor, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for his portrayal of photographer/cub reporter Jimmy Olsen on the television series Adventures of Superman.

   During the fall of 1945, he starred in Charley’s Aunt, and in the spring of 1946, he starred in Fantasy in Wonderland, a musical he wrote. In 1951, at the age of 18, Larson felt that he well was on his way, setting his goals on Broadway. But, his agent came to him suggesting that he audition for the role of Jimmy Olsen in The Adventures of Superman. Initially Larson balked at the idea, because he was intent on becoming a serious actor, however, the casting director persuaded him.

   Larson has always been willing to sit down for interviews about the Superman series and his connection to it, and in recent years, has had a number of cameos that pay subtle tribute to his character and the series, including a 1991 episode of Superboy, alongside Noel Neill, who played Lois Lane, and an episode of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman as an aged Jimmy Olsen. He and Neill provided commentary on several Adventures of Superman episodes for the January 2006 DVD release of the 1953 season.                           JACK LARSON —–>

   After his run on Superman, Larson focused on behind-the-scenes work such as writing and production. He appeared in motion pictures, such as Fighter Squadron, a post-World War II film directed by Raoul Walsh,  featuring newcomer Rock Hudson; Battle Zone, co-starring with Martin Milner, who also recently died; and the last film made by Ethel Barrymore, called Johnny Trouble. On the small screen, Larson guest-starred on Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He co-produced with his longtime companion James Bridges, The Paper Chase, and Urban Cowboy with John Travolta.

   Larson owned and resided in the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed George Sturges House in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles.

   The ever-youthful Jack Larson was 87.

Until next time>                               “never forget“

Manny P. here…

   Jackie Collins was a successful novelist and younger sister to actress Joan Collins. She wrote 32 novels, all of which appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers List. In total, her books have sold over 500 million copies and have been translated into 40 languages. Eight of her novels have been adapted for the screen, either as films or as a television mini-series. She held dual citizenship: British (by birth) and US (by naturalization)

   Like her sister, Collins began appearing in acting roles in a series of British films in the 1950s. She also made appearances in The Saint and other television programs before giving up an acting career. Since then, she played herself in a few television series.

   Her most successful novel was Hollywood Wives. It was made into a hugely successful television miniseries, produced by Aaron Spelling and starring Candice Bergen, Stefanie Powers, Angie Dickinson, Anthony Hopkins, Suzanne Somers, and Rod Steiger. In 2001, she published Hollywood Wives: The New Generation, which was later turned into a television movie in 2003 starring Farrah Fawcett, Melissa Gilbert, and Robin Givens. Collins’ tales of sex, glamour, power… and even more sex were a forerunner to the pop culture of Desperate Housewives reality television.

   In 1998, Collins made a foray into talk-show television with the series Jackie Collins’ Hollywood, but this was unsuccessful.

   The salacious Jackie Collins was 77.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   I personally invite you to the TherapyCable Channel – Circle of Insight program with host Carlos Vazquez, as he tackles The Perils of Pornography. I co-host this insightful program, as we discuss the history of porn, the entrenchment of the adult film industry in California, and how we can encourage family-friendly programming in television and cinema. I will offer a brief history of the Hays Code that encouraged quality motion picture production during Hollywood’s Golden Age.

   Here is the link (click or copy-and-paste) to watch this scintillating half hour of conversation:

http://therapycable.com/sex-sexuality-videos/the-perils-of-pornography.html

   TherapyCable is also home to my Forgotten Hollywood web-based television program. Let me personally offer my thanks to Dr. Vazquez for giving me the opportunity to co-host his fine Circle of Insight show.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   An extensive archive from comedian Jerry Lewis’ career, including rarely seen films, long-lost television recordings, and home videos, will have a new home at the Library of Congress, curators announced on Monday. The collection also includes thousands of documents. He is donating some items, while others are being purchased by the library from his personal archive. Materials will be available to historians and researchers in Washington.

   The archive will chronicle his over 70 years in comedy. Conservators said the recordings will fill significant gaps in television history, including Lewis’ appearances with Dean Martin on NBC’s Colgate Comedy Hour and on The Tonight Show. Highlights from the collection include 35 mm prints of many of Lewis’ most popular cinema:  The Bellboy, The Errand Boy, and The Family Jewels. There is also test footage from films; a silent comedy filmed on the set of The Patsy, and rare footage of Martin and Lewis performing their nightclub act.

   Curators were particularly interested in Lewis’ archive because he was one of the most creative figures in American pop culture in the late 20th Century. The immense collection will give a more complete picture of the entertainer as a performer, director, producer, artist, educator, and philanthropist.

   The recordings and materials will join the library’s existing comedy collection documenting humorists, such as Bob Hope, Groucho Marx, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, and Johnny Carson.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

    Former Kansas Senator Bob Dole is planning an ambitious fundraising effort to build the long-debated Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial in Washington, and he will have help from Tom Hanks, Tom Brokaw, and others. Dole aims to raise $150 million in private funds, if necessary, to build the memorial after more than 15 years of planning.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER       ROBERT DOLE  

   The 92-year-old World War II veteran says it’s time to honor Ike, the 34th President and Supreme Allied Commander during World War II, and his longtime hero. Organizers hope to create I Still Like Ike clubs nationwide to support the memorial. Every Saturday, Dole visits the World War II Memorial in Washington to welcome veterans. He is gathering petitions signed by veterans to support the Eisenhower project and is looking for support from the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion.

   The Eisenhower project has won final approval for architect Frank Gehry’s design, and now must raise the funds to begin construction. Congress already appropriated $60 million for design and planning. Gehry designed a memorial park with statues of Eisenhower as a general, president, and a man from Kansas. A large metal tapestry will serve as a backdrop, depicting the Kansas landscape of Ike’s boyhood home. The park would be situated among federal agencies near the National Mall, facing the National Air and Space Museum.

   Dole pledges to work the phones and write fundraising letters. Next week, he’ll visit the Kansas State Fair and greet visitors at a booth promoting the memorial. Dole is also amassing a network of support, calling on former presidents, congressional leaders, and cabinet officials to join the effort. Brokaw, the NBC newsman, signed on this summer. Hanks is also joining the memorial’s advisory committee. The filmmaker and actor from Saving Private Ryan also worked with Dole to help lead the fundraising effort for the World War II Memorial.

TOM BROKAW             TOM HANKS

   Hollywood and Americana intersect in a metaphorical Hollywood-and-Vine moment.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Hollywood legend Stan Laurel told how he was lost after the death of Oliver Hardy in an amazing collection of letters which are about to go on sale in Britain. The type-written correspondence, written by Stan to his cousin in Cumbria are expected to generate huge interest when they are auctioned in Newcastle. In them, he writes of the terrible loss of his comedy partner, and life after Oliver’s death on August 7th, 1957.

                                      STAN LAUREL     OLIVER HARDY

   Laurel had confided that the illness of his comic partner had seen him lose 10 pounds in weight. It also left Stan with little work to do as he moved with his wife Eda to Malibu during the Summer of ‘57. A note from Oliver Hardy’s widow Lucille is also for sale. His widow tells of the star’s great suffering in the final months before he died.

   Stan Laurel was born in Ulverston in 1890, and died in America in 1965. He appeared in more than 100 short films, feature films, and cameos with Oliver Hardy. One of these letters was written only days before his own death. Other subjects included the death of George VI and succession of Elizabeth II, sailing on the Queen Mary at the same time as Winston Churchill, and personal family matters.

    A total of 41 letters sent to his cousin in Ulverston – Stan’s birthplace – between May 1947 and January 1965 are going under the hammer. The collection will be sold at Anderson & Garland in Newcastle on September 15th-17th.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Dickie Moore was a popular child actor. He was one of the last surviving actors to appear in silent films. He’s also famous for giving Shirley Temple her second on-screen smooch in Miss Annie Rooney.

   Besides appearing in major feature films, he was featured as a regular in the Our Gang series in 1932. In addition, Moore is best known for his portrayal of the title character in the 1933 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist and Marlene Dietrich’s son in Blonde Venus.

   Dickie had roles in Madame X, The Squaw Man, Disorderly Conduct, Million Dollar Legs, Man’s Castle, The Story of Louis Pasteur, The Life of Emile Zola, Sergeant York, Heaven Can Wait, The Song of Bernadette, and Out of the Past. Moore later performed on Broadway and on television.

    He went on to teach and write books about acting, edit Equity News, and produce an Oscar-nominated short film, The Boy and the Eagle. He owned a public relations firm for 44 years, and since 1988, he was married to the actress Jane Powell. In March 2013, Powell reported that her husband had arthritis and bouts of dementia.

   Dickie Moore was two days shy of his 90th birthday.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   President Barack Obama honored 21 individuals and organizations on Thursday for works that he says have helped Americans connect and understand each other a little better through the arts and humanities. The honorees included actress Sally Field and author Stephen King.

STEPHEN KING                SALLY FIELD

   Sally Field received the 2014 National Medal of Arts for expressing dignity, empathy, and fearlessness in award-winning performances that have touched audiences worldwide, as well as for showing those same qualities in her off-screen advocacy for women, LGBT rights, and public health. King also received an arts medal for combining storytelling with analysis of human nature.

    Obama said he loves to celebrate the brilliance of artists, innovators, and thinkers. The National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities were created by Congress in 1965 to provide grants to support artistic excellence and creativity, and to advance the understanding and appreciation of history, literature, philosophy, and language. Both agencies are celebrating their 50th anniversaries this year.

   Sally Field currently co-hosts with Robert Osborne The Essentials on Turner Classic Movies every weekend.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Queen Elizabeth II has reached a major milestone by becoming the longest-reigning monarch in Britain’s history. She passes Queen Victoria, her great-great-grandmother, who was on the throne for 63 years and seven months. Prime Minister David Cameron said Wednesday that millions of Brits would celebrate the queen’s historic moment.

   Elizabeth came to the throne in 1952 upon the death of her father, King George VI. She was touring a remote part of Kenya when news of his passing arrived. Her coronation came the following year, and was one of the first major public events televised in Britain.           QUEEN ELIZABETH II —>

   Buckingham Palace marked the event by releasing an official photograph of the queen taken by Mary McCartney, a photographer who is the daughter of former Beatle Paul McCartney.

   The 89-year-old monarch has cut back on her international travel and has lightened her work load somewhat, but she still carries out many royal duties. She does not intend to abdicate, though the proportion of the sovereign’s duties performed by Prince Charles is expected to continue to increase as Elizabeth, who will celebrate her ninetieth birthday in 2016, reduces her commitments.

   God save the Queen!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Judy Carne was the British actress best known for the catch-phrase Sock it to me! on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. She also had a role in the Julie Andrews vehicle, The Americanization of Emily.

   Prior to being a regular on the variety program, Carne co-starred in a few situation comedies, including Love on a Rooftop. She also guest-starred on television programs, such as Bonanza, Gidget, 12 O’Clock High, I Dream of Jeannie, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Big Valley, Gunsmoke, and Love American Style.

   Her autobiography, Laughing on the Outside, Crying on the Inside: The Bittersweet Saga of the Sock-It-To-Me Girl  in 1985, chronicled her problems with drugs, a failed marriage to Burt Reynolds, and bisexuality. She also dated Steve McQueen and Warren Beatty. By her account, she didn’t enjoy doing Laugh-In.  JUDY CARNE —->

   Judy Carne was 76.

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<—JEAN DARLING was a regular in the Our Gang short subjects series from 1927-29, co-starring in 46 silents and six talkies. During her adult career, she’s best remembered for her role  in the original production of Carousel in 1945, appearing in about 850 consecutive performances.

   Darling continued to appear in cinema after leaving Hal Roach Productions, including an appearance in Laurel & Hardy’s adaptation of Babes in Toyland and as the young Jane in Jane Eyre, both  in 1934. She turned down an offer to appear alongside Mickey Rooney in one of the MGM Andy Hardy movies, and went on Broadway.

   Prior to her death, she was one of four surviving cast members from the Silent era cast of Our Gang. At the time of her death in 2015, Darling was, along with Baby Peggy, one of the last surviving actors who worked in the silent film era.

   Jean Darling was 93.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

<—MARTIN MILNER (with George Maharis) is best known for starring in two popular television series: Route 66, which aired on CBS from 1960 to 1964, and Adam-12, which aired on NBC from 1968 to 1975.

   Milner had his first screen test and began his career with his debut in Life with Father, in the role of John, the second oldest son of Clarence Day played by William Powell. Two weeks after production ended in 1946, Milner contracted polio. He recovered within a year.

   He landed a small role in Sands of Iwo Jima starring John Wayne. It was the first of several war films in which he would have both minor and major roles in the 1950s, including another Wayne picture called Operation Pacific in 1951, and Mister Roberts with Henry Fonda, James Cagney, Bill Powell (again), and Jack Lemmon. Other notable performances were in Sweet Smell of Success, Pete Kelly’s Blues, Dial M for Murder, The Long Gray Line, Gunfight at the OK Corral, Francis in the Navy, Desk Set, Too Much Too Soon, Valley of the Dolls, and 13 Ghosts.

   It was on the set of Halls of Montezuma in 1950 that he met actor Jack Webb. In 1952, Milner began a two-year stint in the United States Army. He was assigned to Fort Ord on California’s Monterey Bay peninsula, where he directed training films. Milner was encouraged by fellow soldier Clint Eastwood to pursue an acting career when his time in the military ended. While serving, Milner began working for Webb, playing Officer Bill Lockwood (briefly  as the partner of Sgt. Friday) and other characters on the Dragnet radio series. He also appeared on six episodes of Webb’s Dragnet television series between 1952 and 1955.

   He guest-starred on television programs, including a recurring part in The Life of Riley, The Twilight Zone, and Rawhide. Milner won the role of Tod Stiles in the CBS television series, Route 66. His ongoing relationship with Jack Webb led to his eventual signature performance as Pete Malloy in Adam-12. Milner appeared in three episodes of Emergency! between 1972-1976, during and after Adam-12′s run on NBC. Milner also has the distinction of having portrayed the victim in the premiere episode of Columbo.

   After retiring from acting, Milner co-hosted a radio show about fishing called Let’s Talk Hook-Up on XTRA 690.

   Martin Milner was 83.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Dean Jones was best known for his light-hearted leading roles in several Walt Disney movies between 1965 and 1977, most notably The Love Bug. Jones also originated the role of Bobby in Stephen Sondheim’s Company.               DEAN JONES —->

   After appearing in minor film and television roles, Jones made his Broadway debut (along with Jane Fonda) in the 1960 play There Was a Little Girl. In 1960 he also played Dave Manning in the stage comedy Under the Yum-Yum Tree, a role which he reprised in the 1963 movie version starring Jack Lemmon.

   Jones started his film career by signing a contract at MGM, beginning with a small role as a soldier in Somebody Up There Likes Me, and he played a disc jockey in the 1957 Elvis Presley film Jailhouse Rock. Jones subsequently starred in the NBC television sitcom Ensign O’Toole from 1962–1963. It also happened to be the lead-in program to Walt Disney’s The Wonderful World of Color. The producer ordered prints of Jones’ cinema catalog to analyze.

   Walt signed Jones on for a string of Disney films in the 1960s and 1970s, beginning with That Darn Cat! (actress Hayley Mills’ last film at Disney). His performance was so well-received that Disney assigned him starring roles in The Ugly Dachshund, Blackbeard’s Ghost, The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit, The Million Dollar Duck, The Shaggy D.A., and Snowball Express. What followed was The Love Bug series of flicks. He later had a small part in Clear and Present Danger.

   Jones became a devout born-again Christian in 1973. He founded the Christian Rescue Committee (CRC) in 1998, an organization that helps provide a way of escape to Jews, Christians, and others persecuted for their faith. The actor was inducted into the Disney Legends Hall of Fame in 1995.

   The very likeable Dean Jones was 84.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Wes Craven, whose A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream movies made him one of the most recognizable names in the horror films, has died. His specialty was the Slasher genre of cinema.

    Craven left the academic world for a lucrative role as pornographic film director. In a recent documentary, Craven admitted he made many hard core X-rated films under pseudonyms. While his role in Deep Throat is undisclosed, most of his early known work involved writing, film editing, or both.

   A prolific director and editor, Craven was credited with reinventing the teen horror genre with the 1984 release of A Nightmare on Elm Street starring a then-unknown Johnny Depp. The movie led to several sequels featuring the Freddy Krueger character.                          WES CRAVEN –>

   Besides his work in horror films, Craven also directed the drama Music of the Heart, which earned Meryl Streep one of her many Oscar nominations. He also directed a segment in The Twilight Zone movie.

   Wes Craven was 76.

Until next time>                               “never forget”