Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

   On this Memorial Day, it’s only fitting we remember the memory of the man who created the G.I. Joe. Donald Levine, the Hasbro executive is credited as developing the world’s first action figure. The innovator, who served in the Army in Korea, said he got the idea for the moveable figure as a way to honor veterans.

   Levine shepherded the toy through design and its creation as Hasbro’s head of research development. His team came up with an 11½-inch articulated figure with 21 moving parts, and since company employees included many military veterans, it was decided to outfit the toy in official uniforms of the Army, Navy, Marines, and the Air Force, with such accessories as guns, helmets, and vehicles. G.I. Joe hit the toy shelves in time for the 1964 Christmas season, and soon became a big seller at $4 apiece.

   It remained popular until the late 1960s, as opposition to Vietnam intensified and parents shied away from military-related toys. Hasbro countered in 1970 by introducing Adventure Team G.I. Joe’s that played down the military connection. Into the 1970s, G.I. Joe’s featured lifelike hair, and were outfitted with scuba gear.

   Over the decades, G.I. Joe has spawned comic books, several cartoons, two movies starring Channing Tatum, a G.I. Joe Collector’s Club, and its annual convention — GIJoeCon — held in Dallas in April.

   Donald Levene was 86.

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   Herb Jeffries was a jazz singer, who starred as a singing cowboy in several all-black Western films, in which he sang his own compositions. In addition to starring in the film, he sang and performed his own stunts as cowboy Bob Blake. His popular solo hits When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano and Basin Street Blues were released after he’d served in World War II.

   He began working with Erskine Tate and his Vendome Orchestra when he moved to Chicago from Detroit at the urging of Louis Armstrong. His big break came during the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair — A Century of Progress Exposition singing with the Earl Hines Orchestra on national broadcasts live from the Grand Terrace Cafe. Jeffries then recorded with Duke Ellington from 1940 to 1942. His version of Flamingo with Ellington was a best seller in its day. He was replaced in the Ellington band by Al Hibbler.

   Jeffries was of Sicilian, Irish, and Ethiopian decent. As a singing cowboy in low-budget films, he became known as the Bronze Buckaroo by his fans. Race movies played in theaters catering to African-American audiences. He also starred with Angie Dickinson in Calypso Joe. Herb had guest roles in television programs, including Hawaii 5-0 and The Virginian. For his fine career in  cinema and the small screen, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame in 2004.

   Herb Jeffries (above) was 100.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The former secluded compound of Hollywood leading lady nonpareil Katharine Hepburn has fallen a long way from its June, 2011 ask of $28M. Even at a diminished relisted price of $14.8M, it would still set a record for the town of Old Saybrook, Conn. Or so the listing agent tells the Wall Street Journal. Current owner Frank Sciame decided to split up the initial acreage he had trouble selling, which he bought from Hepburn’s estate in 2004 for $6M. Initially, chez Hepburn was offered with two adjacent parcels of land totaling 3.6 acres.

   The 8,368-square-foot, six-bedroom home had been in Hepburn’s family for decades, and was her primary residence until her death in 2003. In 1938, a hurricane lifted the Hepburn’s previous home on the same location right off its foundation, with she and her family narrowly escaping. When the home was first hoisted onto the market, there was some concern over whether spending millions on such a low-lying, vulnerable property, despite the installed breakwaters. Hepburn seemed happy enough with it; according to the WSJ, in her 1996 memoir Me, she referred to its locale, in the Old Saybrook enclave of Fenwick, as a paradise.

   It sounds like it’ll soon have a new neighbor in the form of the 3,000-square-foot house Sciame plans to build on one of the other lots.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Thanks to Tim Keenan of Creative Media for information on a new Howard Hughes bio-pic, expected to be Warren Beatty’s final on-screen role. He is also expected to direct and produce the motion picture. Alec Baldwin became the latest star reported to have joined the cast, which includes Martin Sheen and Beatty’s wife, Annette Bening.

WARREN BEATTY                   HOWARD HUGHES  

   The $27m romantic drama, which began filming in February and will be released next year, is a lifelong ambition to produce for the 77-year old actor. It focuses on the latter years of the eccentric billionaire, following Martin Scorsese’s 2004 portrayal of Howard Hughes’s early life in The Aviator. Beatty, who has long held a reputation for perfectionism, and one of the most difficult men to work with in Hollywood, is well known for moving at a glacial pace. He first began auditioning actors in 2007, seven years before production began. His new film is easily his longest planned project yet.

   Warren signed a contract with Warner Brothers in the mid-1970s to do his Hughes before Heaven Can Wait, the hugely successful 1978 comedy that garnered nine Oscar nods. He eventually reconsidered, and opted for Dick Tracy instead. And, Beatty first began working on Reds in the mid-1960s, before completing the film in 1981. His Academy Award-winning epic centered around US journalist John Reed and the Russian Revolution, which he produced, wrote, starred, and directed.

   If Warren Beatty strikes gold with his final effort, he might be favorably compared to his contemporaries, Clint Eastwood and Robert Redford, still acting and directing.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   This map of Hollywood Starland, which was advertised as a moviegraph, was sold to film-crazy fans in the late 1930s. During the Depression, people went to the movies at a amazingly high rate, as the industry adapted to prevailing financial conditions by offering all kinds of cheap rates, sweepstakes, and giveaways. Movie magazines like Photoplay let fans into the lives of the stars, and a map like this one was designed to cater to the desire to know all about where the stars live, work, and play.

Manny P. here…

   I’ve been invited to attend the 19th International Sons of the Desert Convention taking place on the week leading up to Independence Day. This world-wide tribute to Laurel and Hardy is annually the largest gathering of folks who are fans of Golden Age cinema generally, and of the comedy team in particular.

   I’ll be spending the 4th of July at the Dealer’s Room in the Mezzanine Level of the Loews Hollywood Hotel. This is the exact location I spend Labor Day Weekend for the CINECON Film Festival. Based on my previous association with folks who attend local Tents of the Sons of the Desert, this should be a fun event. The demographic makeup of the attendees are exactly the kind of people who will enjoy copies of my Forgotten Hollywood Book Series.

   I expect to spend all day (10a – 6p) at this exciting confab autographing my paperbacks! For more info about the 19th International Sons of the Desert Convention, click on the link below:

http://www.laurelandhardywood.com/

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   Sophia Loren is still as glamorous as ever. The 79-year-old actress wowed throngs of crowds with her beauty and sophistication this week at Cannes.

   She is the guest of honor at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and delivered a masterclass in addition to attending events. The actress wore a sparkling, champagne-colored gown to the Tuesday screening.

   Loren won an Oscar for her dramatic role in Two Women in 1961.        SOPHIA LOREN

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The Museum of London is turning its magnifying glass on the most famous detective who never lived — Sherlock Holmes. The museum announced an exhibition devoted to Arthur Conan Doyle’s Victorian sleuth, featuring everything from hand-written manuscripts to the overcoat worn by Benedict Cumberbatch in the BBC series Sherlock. It’s the first time the museum has built an exhibit around a fictional character. But, Holmes is one of those rare creations who long outlived his creator, and captured the public imagination for more than a century.

   The Free Library of Philadelphia has loaned pages from Edgar Allan Poe’s handwritten manuscript for the 1841 story The Murders in the Rue Morgue. It’s often considered the first modern detective yarn and was a childhood favorite of Conan Doyle. There is also an oil portrait of Conan Doyle, painted in 1897 by Sidney Paget, whose illustrations for the original stories in Strand Magazine, which created the lean, hawkish Holmes of popular imagination. Pat Hardy, the curator of paintings, prints, and drawings, notes the moustache-sporting Conan Doyle looked distinctly like Dr. Watson.

   The artifacts will be set alongside paintings, prints and photographs of late 19th-century London, including the evocative, but little-known, illustrations of American artist Joseph Pennell, on loan from the Library of Congress. The images — like the stories — evoke a vast, polluted metropolis of foggy streets and horse-drawn hansom cabs.

   The exhibition — which opens October 17th and runs to April 12th — examines the character’s origins, in stories by doctor-turned-writer Conan Doyle, and his evolution through a myriad of stage and screen adaptations, including top-notch performances by BASIL RATHBONE -> The character actor has his own chapter in Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History. His role as the sleuth kept his image alive through Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Gordon Willis was the director of photography that defined the cinematic look of the 1970s. His work was groundbreaking in its use of low-light photography and underexposed film. He was best known for his work on Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather series, as well as Woody Allen’s Annie Hall. International Cinematographers Guild conducted a survey in 2003, placing Willis among the ten most influential cinematographers in history.        GORDON WILLIS ——>

   Nicknamed the Prince of Darkness, Willis captured America’s urban paranoia in his three films with Alan J. Pakula: Klute, The Parallax View, and All the President’s Men. His Deep-Throat shots in the latter movie added to the tense atmosphere of the scenes. Willis created the trope of warm ambers to denote a nostalgic past. This strategy could define the frailties of a movie character or a city’s gritty persona. Motion pictures, such as The Verdict and The Conversation, adapted his filming style of capturing the magic hour before twilight, when the sun is low, creating a golden glow.

   Gordon Willis worked with Hal Ashby on The Landlord, James Bridges on The Paper Chase, and Herbert Ross on Pennies From Heaven. His most frequent collaborator was Woody Allen. Other productions he photographed include Manhattan, A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Interiors, Stardust Memories, and Broadway Danny Rose.

   During a remarkable run from 1971 to 1977, films he worked on won 19 Oscars and were nominated for 39 Academy Awards, winning 19 times, including three awards for Best Picture. The fact that Willis didn’t receive a single nomination from this period has been ascribed that his work was ahead of its time. Willis was later nominated twice, once for his inventive recreation of 1920s photography in Woody Allen’s Zelig, and for The Godfather Part III. In 2009, at the inaugural Governors Awards, they chose Willis as the recipient of the Academy Honorary Award for his life’s work.

   A native of New York City, he was the son of a Warner Brothers makeup man. He served in the Air Force during the Korean War, making training films.

   Gordon Willis was 82.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

Triumph over Disability — Lionel Barrymore’s Pioneering Story

We present the seldom-shared story of Lionel Barrymore, and his desire to carry on with his career, despite being diagnosed in 1937 with advanced degenerative arthritis. His decision influenced the strategy in our government’s pioneering fight to eradicate polio through the March of Dimes Campaign. Barrymore also inspired President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Helen Keller to continue their personal and professional battles against disability and disease. Their paths shaped our national agenda of how we accept folks with crippling handicaps; and it positively altered Hollywood’s uniform perception of the disabled.

 A compelling tale from the award-winning Forgotten Hollywood Book Series

 Before Daniel Day Lewis starred in My Left Foot and Cliff Robertson in Charly; prior to Helen Keller’s chronicled life in The Miracle Worker, and Jane Wyman’s performance in Johnny Belinda; and a decade before double amputee Harold Russell was memorably cast as a disabled World War II serviceman returning home in The Best Years of Our Lives… there was Lionel Barrymore. A member of Hollywood royalty, Mr. Barrymore spent his final seventeen years at MGM on crutches, or in a wheelchair. His affliction was rarely referenced in screenplays, and the public accepted each fine performance. What emerged is a dignified litany of celluloid roles in You Can’t Take it with You, A Guy Named Joe, Duel in the Sun, Test Pilot, Key Largo, It’s a Wonderful Life, and the Dr. Kildare series of films.

At the same moment in time, President Roosevelt was hiding his own handicap from the electorate due to polio (infantile paralysis) for fear of losing confidence of the nation. Society eventually addressed the subject of disability; beginning with the FDR’s implementation of the March of Dimes campaign. His inspired decision of reaching out to Hollywood has roots in the cinematic resolve of Lionel Barrymore.

On-screen interviews include Oscar-winning child star Margaret O’Brien —->  who appeared in Meet Me in St. Louis and Little Women; and Scott Essman, a Universal Studios publicist of classic monster films, and an author and educator in the field of cinematic history, mass media, and filmmaking.

 If you would like to invest in the FORGOTTEN HOLLYWOOD DOCUMENTARY PILOT: contact executive producer Manny Pacheco at raideoman1@earthlink.net

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   A collection of original baseball art created by celebrated sports artist LeRoy Neiman has sold for nearly $500,000 at auction. Heritage Auctions says the top-selling ball depicted artwork of Marilyn Monroe and was signed by Joe DiMaggio, her second husband. What makes it rare is that DiMaggio, who was briefly married to the actress, famously refused to sign anything related to her. It sold for $95,600.

   Among the other highlights was an autographed 1995 work of Mickey Mantle swinging a bat. A baseball illustrating Bobby Thomson’s shot heard round the world sold for $26,680. Thomson’s homer off Ralph Branca of the Brooklyn Dodgers clinched the 1951 National League pennant for the New York Giants.

   Neiman was the official painter of five separate Olympiads, and one of the contributing artists at Playboy Magazine for many years. LeRoy used colored magic markers for many of the balls, drawing some at games. Altogether, the online sale that ended early Saturday fetched a total of $491,748.

   Leroy Neiman died in 2012.

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   Jerry Vale (right), the beloved crooner known for his high-tenor voice and romantic songs in the 1950s and early 1960s, has died. His rendition of Volare, Innamorata, and Al Di La became classic Italian-American songs. He also appeared in GoodFellas, Casino and the cable series The Sopranos. Vale was a friend of fellow Italian-American crooner Frank Sinatra, and he was an honorary pallbearer at Sinatra’s funeral on May 20th, 1998.

   Jerry Vale was 83.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Hundreds of the British Library’s most valuable literary resources, from the Bronte sisters’ earliest writings, to an early draft of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, have been posted online. The library’s new site, features digital versions of 1,200 handwritten manuscripts, diaries, letters, and fascinating artifacts from Romantic and Victorian scribes, including William Wordsworth, Charles Dickens, and Jane Austen.

   Among the highlights is a miniature book containing an 1826 short story illustrated by Charlotte Bronte. The book is Charlotte’s earliest known effort at writing. Other items include a lock of Percy Shelley’s hair; and notes belonging to Austen detailing other folk’s opinions of her writing, such as one peer describing Pride and Prejudice as downright nonsense.

   The collection also features original documents from the time the authors lived in — such as newspaper clippings and an 1838 theater playbill for Oliver Twist — to bring the period to life for readers.

   All said, this fascinating collection is jolly good!

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   Pauline Wagner was a contract actress with MGM in the 1930s and 1940s. She made her debut in King of Jazz in 1930. Other film roles included Mr. Deeds Goes to Town and Lady Killers. Her biggest role was actually as Fay Wray’s understudy in King Kong. She can be seen on the ledge of the Empire State Building at the end of the motion picture. Pauline danced with Fred Astaire, flirted with James Cagney, blew a date with Cary Grant, and learned how to knit from Joan Crawford. Her career ended in 1941.

   Pauline Wagner (right) was 103.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   NBC says it’s planning to air a live production of The Music Man. The network has acquired rights for a television version of the 1957 Meredith Willson musical.

   The network had success with a live production of The Sound of Music starring Carrie Underwood, and is following that with a live version of Peter Pan in December. Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the producers for the most recent versions of The Sound of Music and Peter Pan, did the 2003 small screen version of The Music Man with Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth. NBC has not commented if they will produce the latest version of the production. And, there is no word on a future air date.

   The 1962 film adaptation starred Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Paul Ford, Buddy Hackett, and Ronnie Howard. The score included Till There was You, Ya Got Trouble, Lida Rose, 76 Trombones, and Goodnight My Someone.

   By the way, I’m available to play Professor Harold Hill… just sayin’!

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   Herve Chigioni and his graphic designer Gilles Frappier have based the poster design for the 67th Festival de Cannes on a photogram from Fedirico Fellini’s 8 1/2, which was presented in their Official Selection in 1963. In Marcello Mastroianni and Fellini, they celebrate a cinema that is free and open to the world, acknowledging once again the artistic importance of Italian and European cinema through their most stellar collaborations. The actor encapsulate everything that was most innovative, nonconformist, and poetic about cinema.

   The Festival de Cannes thanks Gaumont, which owns the rights to the movie. The 2014 Festival poster was designed by Lagency / Taste, Paris.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The Summer KCET Cinema Series begins on June 3rd and runs through July 29th at the historic Aero Theatre in Santa Monica and is sponsored by the James and Paula Coburn Foundation.  Eight evenings of independent and Hollywood motion pictures shown prior to their theatrical release in Los Angeles theatres, plus a classic James Coburn film night.

   After working in television, Coburn made his cinematic debut in Ride Lonesome, which launched his appearance in a number of well-known movies, including The Magnificent Seven, Charade, The Great Escape, The Americanization of Emily, The President’s Analyst, and the spy spoof, Our Man Flint. Coburn also starred as Pat Garrett in director Sam Peckinpah’s Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. In 1998, he took home an Academy Award for his supporting role in Affliction.  JAMES COBURN –>

   Each movie is followed by a lively Q&A with the talent or filmmaker moderated by series’ host Pete Hammond. He’s a Deadline Awards columnist. Hammond also writes and speaks on Oscars, Emmys, and film festivals; and hosts KCET and UCLA screenings

   Films screen on Tuesday evenings at 7p. To purchases series passes, call 747.201.5800… or go to www.kcet.org.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   PBS is raising funds with a party that celebrates the elegance of classic Hollywood. Here are the details:

An evening hosted by Antiques Roadshow’s Mark L. Walberg celebrating Southern California’s largest Stage for the Arts. Honoring leaders from the Arts and Entertainment industry in Southern California, including music industry icon Peter Asher and the GRAMMY Museum with a special recognition of the PBS SoCaL’s 2013 Community Champions. Partake in an evening of Old Hollywood glamour with a craft cocktail reception, an elegant dinner, and live entertainment compliments of JT & Friends. Opportunities to support PBS SoCaL’s mission throughout the evening include a live auction for priceless experiences with PBS’ iconic figures and an exciting Fund-The-Need drive.

Join us on Saturday, May 17, 2014 at the Hangar Building at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa dressed in Hollywood glamour or cocktail attire. Reception: 5:30p – Dinner: 6p.

   For registration and sponsorship tickets, click on the link below:

https://pbssocal.ejoinme.org/?tabid=515078

   For information on Live Auction items:

https://pbssocal.ejoinme.org/?tabid=515082

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   Nancy Malone (right) was an actress, principally guest roles from the 1950s – 1970s, who moved into producing and directing in the 1980s and 1990s. She’s best remembered for her recurring roles on the television series Naked City from 1960 to 1963, and daytime drama, Guiding Light. She also appeared in The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and The Andy Griffith Show. Malone directed episodes of The Fugitive, Melrose Place, Star Trek: Voyager, Knots Landing, Touched by an Angel, Beverly Hills 90210, Diagnosis: Murder, Hotel, Dynasty, and The Bionic Woman.

   In 1976, she became the first female vice-president of television at 20th Century Fox. In 1977, she was awarded one of the first Crystal Awards by Women in Film “for outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry.” She won an Emmy for producing Bob Hope: The First 90 Years. Malone received Emmy nods for directing episodes of Sisters, and The Trials of Rosie O’Neill.

   Nancy was a board member for the Alliance Of Women Directors, female directors who are alumnae of AFI Directing Workshop for Women. She was also a lifetime member of the Actors Studio.

   Nancy Malone was 79.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Memories of Charlie Chaplin will be remembered above the shores of Lake Geneva, where generations of film lovers will get a chance to be introduced to one of the silver screen’s greatest comic geniuses. Now, after 14 years of planning, Chaplin’s family, investors, and supporters are ready to convert the run-down Manoir de Ban and its property into a museum complex. Three of his children — Michael, Eugene and Victoria — and their business partners in the nearly $69 million project are on track to open the museum early in 2016.

   Chaplin spent his last 25 years on his 35-acre estate along the Swiss Riviera, where he could surround himself with his family (below right), and walk into town, or drive in the countryside, without drawing unwanted attention. He died at the 18th-century Swiss mansion on Christmas Day in 1977. Chaplin and his last wife, Oona Chaplin, the daughter of playwright Eugene O’Neill, lived most of their married life at the Swiss mansion. She also died there, at age 66, in 1991. Eugene Chaplin, who was born at the mansion, lived there until 2008.

   The mansion (above), with its verdant lawn and serene view of the lake and the Alps, is stripped bare, and will be refurbished as it was when Chaplin lived there. It has gardens, service buildings, and a pool, and plans call for a large new building with recreated sets from Chaplin’s movies. Nearby Montreux has a huge archive of Chaplin photographs, manuscripts, and other documents from the Victorian-era London of his youth, and from pre-World War II Hollywood, where he found success with his Tramp character.

   A Luxembourg investment firm, Genii Capital, purchased the property in 2008 with the aim of creating the Chaplin museum. The Swiss state of Vaud offered a ten million-franc loan for the repository, which is being developed with corporate help, including French ski resort developer Compagnie des Alpes and Vevey-based food giant Nestle.

   Chaplin came to Switzerland when he was in his 60s, fleeing accusations of being a communist sympathizer during the McCarthy-era witch hunt in the US. In his peaceful new setting, he raised eight children from his last marriage, wrote an autobiography, made films, composed music, and entertained other artists and celebrities.

   This pastoral setting will provide a peaceful legacy for the screen giant.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Jackie Lynn Taylor, who played one of the Little Rascals in five Our Gang comedic shorts that were released in 1934, died in the Sacramento suburb of Citrus Heights. She debuted as Jane, the girlfriend of Wally, in Hi-Neighbor. When she grew too tall, she was famously replaced by Darla Hood.

   The group of suburban youngsters was an idea of producer Hal Roach to appear in the two-reelers, which began in the 1920s and continued into the 1940s. The enduring series has been acclaimed by critics for child actors who behaved naturally on screen. In an era of racial and gender prejudice, the flicks also gave equal status among blacks and whites; and boys and girls. I chronicle this story in Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History.                                         Our Gang (JACKIE LYNN TAYLOR in center)

   Born in Compton, CA, Taylor also appeared in Laurel & Hardy films, The Devil’s Brother and Babes in Toyland. As an adult, she interviewed big names in politics and entertainment for KTTV in Los Angeles as one of the first female television news hosts in Southern California. The San Francisco Examiner named her TV Woman of the Year in 1955. Three years later, NBC tried to hire her after a one-week appearance as a guest host on Today, but the station where she was working refused to let her out of her contract. Taylor spent the remainder of her career in San Diego, Salinas, and Sacramento. She was inducted into National Academy of TV Arts and Sciences Silver Circle, and was honored by the San Diego Press Club for her pioneering work in broadcasting.

   She wrote a book about the Little Rascals, and began hosting the Little Rascals Family Theater in San Diego and Los Angeles with her husband. Her final years were spent as a minister in the nondenominational Unity Church, counseled girls in  local juvenile halls, and acted as a chaplain in retirement communities.

   A victim of Alzheimer’s disease, Jackie Lynn Taylor Fries was 88.

Until next time>                               “never forget”