Forgotten Hollywood

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”

Manny P. here…

   Julien’s Auctions announces the sale of property from the estate of Luise Rainer. The items in the collection feature an array of fine European antiques, Old Master and Contemporary fine art, career memorabilia, furniture, and personal effects from the actress and her longtime home in London’s trendy Eaton Square. They will be offered in an  anticipated Fall auction.

   Aside from her acting talents, Rainer had a very discerning eye for traditional European antiques and built a massive collection of 17th and 18th century Continental case pieces over the many decades. This auction also features memorabilia and photographs from Rainer’s storied career, including a solid 14K gold 1936 Motion Picture Critics of America medal, sterling monogrammed dresser sets, personal effects such as clothing and shoes, a George Hurrell black-and-white photograph portrait, and a series of black-and-white photographs of Rainer with her good friend Albert Einstein.

   All of the property in the auction is featured in a full color limited edition catalogue available for purchase at www.juliensauctions.com.

EXCLUSIVE PRESS PREVIEW
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PDT
Julien’s Auctions Beverly Hills Gallery
9665 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills
(across from Saks Fifth Avenue)
Parking garage on-site

BEVERLY HILLS PUBLIC EXHIBITION
Wednesday, September 23rd –
Wednesday, September 30th, 2015
Daily 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PDT
Free to the Public — Closed Saturday and Sunday

LIVE AND ONLINE AUCTION
Wednesday, September 30th, 2015
STREET ART AUCTION
Session I: 7:00 p.m. PDT

Thursday, October 1st, 2015
STREET ART AND FINE ART
Session II: 10:00 a.m. PDT
PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF LUISE RAINER
Session III: 2:00 p.m. PDT

 Julien’s Auctions Beverly Hills
9665 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 150
Beverly Hills, California 90210

For inquiries, please email info@juliensauctions.com or call 310-836-1818.

`

   Luise Rainer was the first actress to win back-to-back Academy Awards, the first in 1936 for her performance as Anna Held in The Great Ziegfeld; and the second in 1937 for her performance as O-Lan in The Good Earth. After an increasingly rocky relationship with Hollywood, this American/Viennese star spent her time between Switzerland and England and finally settled in England in the 1990s. She lived for over a century.

   This is a rare opportunity to own items from a true classic Hollywood legend.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Spike Lee, Gena Rowlands and Debbie Reynolds are the season’s first Oscar winners. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced  on Thursday that the filmmaker and the two actresses will receive honorary Academy Awards on November 14th at its annual Governors Awards ceremony in Hollywood.

   Lee and Rowlands will receive honorary Oscars for their career achievements. Each has two previous nominations. Lee’s came for his original screenplay for 1989’s Do the Right Thing and for his 1997 documentary feature, 4 Little Girls. Rowlands’ nods were for lead actress in 1974’s A Woman Under the Influence and in 1980’s Gloria.

DEBBIE REYNOLDS

   Reynolds, a Best Actress nominee for 1964’s The Unsinkable Molly Brown, will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her more than fifty years of work promoting awareness and treatment of mental health issues.

   Congratulations to these longtime filmmakers!

Until next time>                               “never forget“

Manny P. here…

   The house used as the home of psychotic killer Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs is up for sale. The owners are asking $300,000 for the home, which also features an in-ground pool and a vintage caboose as a pool house.

   A production crew took six weeks to turn the three-story house into the squalid home of the killer played by Ted Levine. The crew spent three days shooting in the foyer and dining room of the home near Perryopolis, about 30 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

   The Silence of the Lambs won five Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Anthony Hopkins played Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a crazed, cannibalistic psychiatrist whose macabre clues help Clarice Starling, the rookie FBI agent played by Jodie Foster, track down and kill Buffalo Bill in his home. By the way, the basement dungeon where the serial fiend kept one would-be victim, and where he eventually met his demise, doesn’t exist. Those scenes were shot on a sound stage

   The real estate agent is hopeful the 1910 home’s spooky pedigree will attract rather than repel buyers. You can celebrate your purchase of this lovely four-bedroom Victorian with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.  OUCH!

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   Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History has surpassed 3300 books sold; a milestone. My initial paperback  exceeds all projected sales, and purchases keep climbing. The La La Land souvenir shop along Hollywood Blvd., and across the street from the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, is the exact reason for my latest accomplishment.

   My first book will soon go into its Third Print edition, which is another reason to celebrate.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Several television icons have died. Here are the sad details…

~ Yvonne Craig (right) was best known at Batgirl on the very cool Batman for one season. Another memorable role, from an episode of the original Star Trek: the green Orion Slave Girl who wanted to kill Captain Kirk. She began her career as a dancer, the youngest member of The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, with which she toured for three years.

   Her films include Gidget, The Gene Krupa Story, It Happened at the State Fair, Kissin’ Cousins, One of Our Spies is Missing, and In Like Flint. She guest-starred on the small screen in Mr. Lucky, Death Valley Days, My Three Sons, Dr. Kildare, Perry Mason, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., McHale’s Navy, The Big Valley, The Wild Wild West, Land of the Giants, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Love American Style, It Takes a Thief, The Mod Squad, Kojak, and The Six Million Dollar Man.

   Yvonne Craig was 78.

~ Bud Yorkin (right) was the savvy creator of All in the Family. Early in his career, he produced The Tony Martin Show and The Ford Show that showcased the talents of Tennessee Ernie Ford. Other early television ventures included The Colgate Comedy Hour, The Dinah Shore Show, The George Gobel Show.

   In 1958, Yorkin joined writer/producer Norman Lear to form Tandem Productions, which produced several motion pictures and television specials in the 1960s to 1971 with such major studios like United Artists and Warner Brothers. They collaborated on Good Times, Maude, The Jeffersons, and Sanford and Son. After splitting with Lear, he developed What’s Happening and Carter Country. As a director, he made The Thief Who Came to Dinner, Divorce American Style, and Inspector Clouseau.

   In 2002, Yorkin was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. He was 89.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Uggie, the Jack Russell terrier who became a canine star for his scene-stealing role in the Oscar-winning movie The Artist, has died. The beloved pooch was euthanized after a bout with prostate cancer.

   In The Artist, Uggie played the canine companion to Jean Dujardin’s fading silent-film star. The movie won Academy Awards for Best Picture, actor and director in 2011. His other screen credits included Water for Elephants and Mr. Fix It. He retired in 2012 in a ceremony at the famous Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, where he became the first dog to leave his paw prints in concrete alongside the prints of human stars.

   Uggie was a rescue dog, a cause that his owner championed. His owner made it a point to keep the dog in shape and feeling young with exercise, including using a treadmill.

   Uggie was 13.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Coleen Gray was an actress that appeared in fine cinema. Her list includes Red River, Nightmare Alley, and The Killing. She  won a 20th Century Fox contract in 1944.

   After appearing in State Fair in 1945, she became pregnant and briefly retired from acting. Upon her return, she had roles in Kiss of Death, Apache Drums, Kansas City Confidential, and Father is a Bachelor. She was a mainstay on television, guest-starring in Perry Mason (four times), Maverick, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Mr. Ed, Rawhide, 77 Sunset Strip, Bonanza, Have Gun Will Travel, Family Affair, Ironside, The Name of the Game, and Branded. Gray was a regular on the daytime drama Days of Our Lives.    COLEEN GRAY –>

   She was active with the non-profit organization, Prison Fellowship, founded in 1976 by Chuck Colson, a convicted felon in the Watergate scandal. Prison Fellowship assists the church in ministering to prisoners and their families and victims. In 1964, along with actors Victor Jory, Gray testified before the United States Congress as part of Project Prayer, arguing in favor of a constitutional amendment allowing school prayer.

   Coleen Gray was 92.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   In conjunction with the website, Classic Movie Hub, I am giving away 6 paperbacks in the Forgotten Hollywood Book Series in their Summer Giveaway Twitter / Facebook online contest. The winners are from all over the country. Here’s the list:

* MIGUEL ALCALA / SAN DIEGO, CA

*ANDRES GARCIA / TULSA, OK

* CARL SCOTT / AJO, AZ

* VICKIE GLEASON / OWATONNA, MN

* JUDY ELIOT / CARSON CITY, NV

* SARA STEWART / SPOKANE, WA

   CONGRATULATIONS to these fine enthusiasts of classic cinema.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Downton Abbey, the PBS show, is getting its own float in the Rose Parade, two days before the premiere of its sixth and final season on January 3rd. PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger made the announcement Saturday at a bi-annual panel for television critics.

   She said that PBS has been accused at times of not having a sense of humor and whimsy, but the float plan will have those qualities. As for the specifics: It will have a lot of flowers on it, and it will contain a Downton Abbey theme. One of the show’s stars, Michelle Dockery, said she had never heard of the Rose Parade; but joked, there would be a lookalike of her riding the float.

   Funding for the float will come from the PBS marketing budget, unless a sponsor can be found. The Rose Parade is held every year on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, California.

   I hope they will toss free samples from their kitchen. Mrs. Patmore puts out a delightful spread…

~  ~  ~

   With Downton Abbey coming to an end, its executive producer is offering hope that a follow-up big-screen movie is at least a possibility. By ending the television drama several years shy of the 1929 Stock Market Crash, producer Gareth Neame said rich territory is left to be mined if a film is made. He told critics Saturday that it’s been discussed, but there’s no script or a firm plan.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

    A white-bearded Florida man has won the Papa Hemingway Look-Alike Contest on his 15th attempt. Retired air traffic controller Charlie Boice of Palm Beach Gardens prevailed this weekend at Sloppy Joe’s Bar, a hangout of Ernest Hemingway during his Key West residency in the 1930s.

   A panel of former contest winners chose Boice, who said he shares Hemingway’s passion for marlin fishing. Celebrity cook Paula Deen’s husband, Michael Groover of Savannah, Georgia, finished in the top five. The contest attracted 122 entrants. It’s a highlight of the annual Hemingway Days festival honoring the author’s literary legacy.

   During his Key West years, Hemingway wrote the novel To Have and Have Not. Howard Hawks adapted the book into a screenplay that starred Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Walter Brennan. Other works by Hemingway translated to the screen include For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Old Man and the Sea, and A Farewell to Arms.

   Ever been stung by a dead bee?  If you have seen To Have and Have Not, you understand the reference.  ERNEST HEMINGWAY ->

   And so it goes…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

NEW FORGOTTEN HOLLYWOOD SHOW ON THERAPYCABLE

   Episode #8 of FORGOTTEN HOLLYWOOD on THERAPYCABLE features guest Dean Ghaffari, who portrays Sal Mineo, an openly bisexual actor. His story resonates today because of the recent decision by The Supreme Court on marriage equality.

   Sal Mineo’s roles in Rebel Without a Cause, Giant, Exodus, The Longest Day, and other films put an unwelcome spotlight on his private life. By the early 1960s, he was becoming too old to play the type of role that made him famous, and his public announcement of bisexuality led to him being not considered appropriate for leading roles. Sal was stabbed to death in the alley behind his apartment near the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood in 1976. The assailant never offered a reason for the attack. Mineo was 37.

   Ghaffari was in a recent live stage production that also featured an actor portraying Edgar Allan Poe (left). The writer’s life was filled with his own demons, and often wrote his best work while staying alone in cheap hotel rooms. Known as the Father of Detective Fiction,  his poetry and stories told in the gothic mystery genre thrilled readers; but his fame infringed on his personal life in an unwelcome manner. At age 40, Poe died; the cause of his death remains unknown, and has been variously attributed to alcohol, brain congestion, cholera, drugs, heart disease, rabies, suicide, tuberculosis, and/or other agents. Prior to his demise, he was found on the streets of Baltimore, delirious, in great distress, and in need of immediate assistance.

   By the way, (E)dgar (L)awrence Doctorow, the author who wrote Ragtime, was named after Poe. Doctorow died on Tuesday. He was among the most honored authors of the past 40 years. The film versions of his Ragtime and Billy Bathgate were disappointments. Doctorow was 83.                      E. L. DOCTOROW  ——–>

   Two iconic artists who seemingly have little in common. Yet, Mineo and Poe intertwine in a fabulous presentation.

    To enjoy the interview on THERAPYCABLE CHANNEL, click (or cut-and-paste) to view our latest program:

http://therapycable.com/sex-sexuality-videos/sal-mineo-and-edgar-allan-poe.html

Until next time>                               “never forget”