Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

   Almost six decades after it first aired, Associated Press reports an I Love Lucy Christmas Special was last week’s most-watched holiday program, according to ratings released on Tuesday. There was a gimmick: The episode of the 1950s sitcom was colorized.

   It was thought to be lost and wasn’t part of the syndicate package until it was discovered in 1989. CBS ran it twice after Lucille Ball’s passing in 1989; once in its original black-and-white version, and once in color.

ETHEL   LUCY   RICKY   FRED

   The I Love Lucy special on CBS drew 8.7 million viewers to rank as Friday evening’s favorite program and #16 for last week overall, according to Nielsen figures. The Holiday runner-up — A Charlie Brown Christmas — settled for 6.4 million the previous night on ABC.

   I Love Lucy aired from October 15th, 1951 to May 6th, 1957. The weekly show was voted the best television program of all time in a 2012 viewer poll that was conducted by ABC News and People Magazine.

   Everyone still loves Lucy!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Betfair Hollywood Park in Inglewood closed after 75 years in operation. The race track is best known for the legendary Seabiscuit winning 1938’s inaugural running of Hollywood Gold Cup. Dick Van Patten, the 85-year-old actor who starred in Eight is Enough, was a longtime regular. He walked away a winner on Sunday when his horse Tanquerray won the $50,000 third race.

   The track was opened in 1938 by the Hollywood Turf Club. The 600 original shareholders included many stars, directors, and producers of the film world, such as Al Jolson and Raoul Walsh (two of the original directors of the board), Joan Blondell, Ronald Colman, Walt Disney, Bing Crosby, Sam Goldwyn, Darryl Zanuck, George Jessel, Ralph Bellamy, Wallace Beery, Irene Dunne, Hal Wallis, and Mervyn LeRoy (director of Hollywood Park from 1941 until his death in 1986). Liz Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau were frequent visitors, among others.

   Hollywood Park was used as a storage facility from 1942-44 in association with the war effort, opening only for a brief War Charities meeting in November, 1944. Other highlights:

• In 1951, Citation became the first million-dollar-winning horse by winning his final start, the Hollywood Gold Cup
• On July 3rd, 1977, Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew finished fourth in the Swaps Stakes, a major upset
• On December 10th, 1999, Laffit Pincay Jr. surpassed Bill Shoemaker’s all-time record for race wins by a jockey

   The Hollywood Park Racing Association and the Los Angeles based subsidiary of Betfair Group that also owns Television Games Network completed a historic agreement on March 13, 2012, intended to transform the customer experience for fans at the venue, as well as, online and on cable. Hollywood Park’s 18 weeks of racing dates will be divided among Santa Anita, Los Alamitos and Del Mar. Over 1,900 horses, 470 full time employees, and 600 workers who reside in the track’s stable area must move on.

   Betfair Hollywood Park is the second major California race track to close since 2008, when Bay Meadows near San Francisco was closed after 74 years for development.

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   Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History has been added to its 43rd literary branch. It is now housed at Tidewater Community College – Virginia Beach Branch Library. TCC has five campuses throughout the Tidewater area in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This is the 104th overall library that carries one of my works in the Forgotten Hollywood Book Series. It’s also the 4th worldwide college / university repository with one of my paperbacks, including UCLA and the University of Michigan.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The Library of Congress has made its 2013 National Film Registry additions. Spanning the period 1919-2002, the choices named to the registry include Hollywood classics, silent films, documentaries, independent, and experimental motion pictures. This year’s selections bring the number to 625, a small part of the Library’s vast moving-image collection of 1.2 million items.

   Under the terms of the National Film Preservation Act, each year the Librarian of Congress selects 25 productions culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. The films must be at least 10 years old. The Librarian makes the annual registry selections after reviewing hundreds of titles nominated by the public and conferring with Library film curators and the distinguished members of the National Film Preservation Board (NFPB).

   Here are the highlights:

~ Mary Poppins (1964) – Alleged to be Walt Disney’s personal fav, it’s based upon a book by P.L. Travers. With an original tale as its framework, aided by the Sherman Brothers, a cinematic musical was fashioned about a most unusual nanny. Weaving together a witty script, an inventive visual style, and a slate of classic tunes (such as A Spoonful of Sugar and Chim Chim Cher-ee), Mary Poppins has enchanted generations. Seamless integration of animation with live action, its pitch-perfect cast includes Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Jane Darwell, and Ed Wynn. A Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious achievement.

~The Quiet Man (1952) – Director John Ford used The Quiet Man to pay tribute to his Irish heritage. With her red hair ablaze against the lush green landscapes, Maureen O’Hara embodies the mystique of Ireland. John Wayne personifies the indefatigable American searching for his ancestral roots, with Victor Young’s jovial score punctuating their escapades. The movie and the locale are populated with characters bordering on caricature. Sly, whiskey-loving matchmaker Michaleen O’Flynn (Barry Fitzgerald), burly town bully Will Danaher (Victor McLaglen), and put-upon but patient Widow Tillane (Mildred Natwick) are the most vivid.

~ Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) – Judgment at Nuremberg broadened its scope beyond the condemnation of Nazi perpetrators to interrogate the broad concept of justice within any modern society. Conceived by screenwriter Abby Mann during McCarthyism, the film argues passionately that those responsible for administering justice also have the duty to ensure human-rights are preserved even if they conflict with national imperatives. Originally produced as a Playhouse 90 teleplay, Mann and actor Maximilian Schell received Oscars, and it boasted fine performances from its all-star cast, including Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Judy Garland, Montgomery Clift, Marlene Dietrich, and William Shatner.

~ The Magnificent Seven (1960) – The popularity of this Western, based on Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (1954), has continued to grow since its release, due in part to its role as a springboard for several young actors on the verge of successful careers: Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, James Coburn, and Horst Buchholz. Yul Brynner bought the rights to Kurosawa’s original story, and hand-picked John Sturges as its director. He had earned a reputation for Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957). Contributing to the film’s popular appeal through the decades is Elmer Bernstein’s vibrant score.

~ Gilda (1946) – The end of World War II came a dark edge in the American psyche and a change in the cinema it produced. Film noir defined the 1940s and Gilda defined the genre—long on sex appeal, but short on substance. Director Charles Vidor capitalized on the voyeuristic angles of film noir. Glenn Ford, Rita Hayworth, and George Macready round out a tempestuous triangle.

~ Forbidden Planet (1956) – MGM Studio’s Forbidden Planet is one of the seminal science-fiction films of the 1950s, a genre that found itself revitalized within America’s new post-nuclear age. Based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Forbidden Planet is both sci-fi saga and allegory, and proved an inspiration to future visionaries, such as Gene Roddenberry. Walter Pidgeon, Leslie Nielsen, Anne Francis, and in his debut, Robbie the Robot, make up the cast.

~ Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) – Edward Albee’s 1962 stage triumph made a successful transfer to the screen in this adaption written by Ernest Lehman. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton—who were both Oscar nominees for their work (with Taylor winning) in their respective roles as Martha and George, an older couple who share an explosive evening opposite a younger husband and wife, portrayed by George Segal and Sandy Dennis. Mike Nichols began his auspicious screen directing career with this film; already examining the absurdities and brutality of modern life, themes that became two of his career hallmarks.

   The public is urged to make nominations for next year’s registry at the NFPB website:

www.loc.gov/film

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Winter 2013 is turning into something really special! On Oprah Winfrey’s “O“ website, a Forgotten Hollywood visual retrospective has been created, recounting my own personal journey, which includes my Book Series, Blog, weekly Radio Program, and Documentary in Production. They say a picture paints a 1000 words… Here’s proof:

   And, congrats to Oprah on today’s SAG Awards Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role in Lee Daniels’ The Butler.

http://www.oprah.com/odbimage/db_208223264_1 

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The last 48-hours has been devastating for audiences of classic cinema. On the heels of the passing of Peter O’Toole, we have additionally lost Oscar-winning star Joan Fontaine (below). She was also the sister of Olivia de Havilland. In fact, they are the only siblings to have won lead acting Academy Awards. In Hollywood circles, Fontaine was a favorite of many directors — Alfred Hitchcock, George Cukor, Billy Wilder, Nicholas Ray, and Fritz Lang.

   In 1940, she earned an Oscar nod for her performance in Rebecca. The next year, Fontaine won the Best Actress Academy Award for Suspicion, making Joan the singular actress to ever win the statuette in a movie directed by Hitchcock. For the filmmaker, she became a prototype of cool blondes played by Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief and Rear Window; Kim Novak in Vertigo; Tippi Hedren in Marnie and The Birds; Eva Marie Saint in North by Northwest;and Janet Leigh in Psycho. Joan’s career included roles in Gunga Din, The Women, Jane Eyre, The Constant Nymph, Ivanhoe, and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.   

   She received wonderful reviews in 1954 on Broadway in Tea and Sympathy, opposite Anthony Perkins. She also appeared in numerous radio shows during the 1940s for the Lux Radio Theater. Her small screen appearances were notable: The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Wagon Train, Cannon, The Love Boat, and a recurring part on the daytime soap opera, Ryan’s Hope. She earned an Emmy nomination for the latter effort.

   After Joan’s Oscar triumph, a legendary feud with her sister lasted for the rest of their lives since one of the other nominees that year was de Havilland. Olivia finally garnered a coveted statuette in 1946 for her performance in To Each His Own. In reality, they were never very close, which was one reason the actress took the last name on screen… Fontaine. Joan wrote bitterly about her sister in the memoir No Bed of Roses. She also famously didn’t get along with Rebecca co-star Laurence Olivier because he preferred that his wife Vivien Leigh get the role. British critics and audiences weren’t receptive either. But, Fontaine became a top star in Hollywood for over two decades.

   The actress eventually left Tinsel Town when she was asked to play Elvis Presley’s mother. She settled at her Villa Fontana estate about five miles south of Carmel.

   Turner Classic Movies will celebrate her life with seven motion pictures to air on December 29th. The cable network will follow with three Peter O’Toole films, plus an extended interview of the actor by Robert Osborne that was conducted at the 2011 TCM Film Festival, a few years back.

   Joan Fontaine, the demure beauty, was 96.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Peter O’Toole was the British (or possibly Irish) star of stage and screen. He was the finest actor never to win a competitive Oscar in the history of cinema; nominated a record eight times. He won four Golden Globes, a BAFTA, and an Emmy, and was the recipient of an Honorary Academy Award in 2003.

   His roles of note, and he had many, include Lawrence of Arabia, Becket, The Lion in Winter, Goodbye Mr. Chips, The Ruling Class, The Stunt Man, My Favorite Year, and Venus. These award-worthy turns lost to Gregory Peck, Rex Harrison, John Wayne, Marlon Brando, Cliff Robertson, Robert De Niro, Ben Kingsley, and Forest Whitaker. He first appeared on film in a 1959 bit-part in The Day They Robbed the Bank of England. Other movies throughout his illustrious career: Lord Jim, What’s New Pussycat, How to Steal a Million, The Sandpiper, Casino Royale, Murphy’s War, Man of La Mancha, and The Last Emperor. More recently, Peter was hired for the Pixar film Ratatouille.  PETER O’TOOLE  —->

   The actor played Hamlet under Laurence Olivier’s direction in the premiere production of the Royal National Theatre in 1963. His London stage roles were many, mostly at the Old Vic and with the Royal Shakespeare Company… King Lear, Othello, Pygmalion, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice, and Caligula.

   Severe illness almost ended his life in the late 1970s. His stomach cancer was misdiagnosed as resulting from his alcoholic excess. O’Toole underwent surgery in 1976 to have his pancreas and a large portion of his stomach removed, which resulted in insulin-dependent diabetes. In 1978, he nearly died from a blood disorder.

   Peter O’Toole was offered a knighthood in 1987, but turned it down for personal and political reasons. He was a noted fan of Rugby Union, and attended Five Nations matches with friends and fellow rugby fans Richard Harris, Peter Finch, and Richard Burton. Other pals in his circle: Omar Sharif and Albert Finney. On July 10th, 2012, he retired from acting.

   The always controversial… the amazingly talented… Peter O’Toole was 81.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Denzel Washington is hosting a Screen Actors Guild screening of note. He’ll be joined by surviving members and children of the original Freedom Riders at a showing of Lee Daniels’ The Butler on Tuesday. This Hollywood-and-Vine moment (where Tinsel Town and Americana intersect) will be held at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre and is sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This important event will include a conversation after the screening with the makers of the motion picture production, including Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr., Director Lee Daniels, among others in the cast with the Freedom Riders.

   In 1961, the Freedom Riders set out for the Deep South to defy Jim Crow laws and call for change. They were met by hatred and violence — and local police often refused to intervene. But, their efforts transformed the Civil Rights movement. They traveled on Greyhounds and other buses through Montgomery, Alabama and Jackson, Mississippi in mixed racial groups to challenge local laws or customs that enforced segregation in seating.

   The first Freedom Ride left Washington, D.C., on May 4th, 1961, and was scheduled to arrive in New Orleans on May 17th. The Birmingham Police Commissioner, Bull Connor, together with Police Sergeant Tom Cook (an avid Ku Klux Klan supporter), organized violence against the Freedom Riders with local Ku Klux Klan chapters. The pair made plans to bring the Ride to an end in Alabama. Connor and Alabama Governor George Wallace became the faces of racial segregation. The president federally enforce protection of the Civil Rights’ activists.                                           BULL CONNOR —>

   Television, radio, and newspaper coverage provided accounts of the daily confrontations, which evoked increased participation by Northern Blacks, students, and those sympathetic to the cause. The Kennedy Administration  and other Democrats joined in the struggle, and the movement eventually led to President Johnson defiantly signing into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

    Lee Daniels’ The Butler captures this historic moment in time in a momumental story that stars Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey. Both are nominated for SAG Awards for their roles in the film.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Gene Kelly’s gray wool suit worn during the most memorable sequence in Singin’ in the Rain has just been sold to Planet Hollywood International. Gerald Sola, a retired postal worker, had kept it in a closet at his Northern California home for decades. He bought the suit at an MGM lot sale of props and wardrobe items following the purchase of the studio to financier Kirk Kerkorian in 1970. The former letter carrier bought it for just $10.

   Sola sorted through the racks when he ran across the article of clothing and had a feeling it was the one from the famous scene. The jacket’s inside breast pocket has an MGM label with Kelly’s name and the production number. The actor wore the item for the featured dance in the 1952 film musical. GENE KELLY ->

   Kelly’s clothes were purchased by the theme restaurant for more than $106,000. Heritage Auctions officials said that Planet Hollywood intends to display the wardrobe piece at one of its properties, but hasn’t decided which one.

   Cue the music…

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   One of MGM’s bad girls has died. Audrey Totter –> began her career in radio in 1937, and was signed to a seven-year film contract with the studio. She made her film debut in Main Street After Dark in 1945, and established herself as a popular female lead of the 1940s. Although she appeared in various genres, she became most widely known to cinematic audiences in film noir productions.

   Her movies of note include The Postman Always Rings Twice, Lady in the Lake, The Unsuspected, and Any Number Can Play. She offered reliable support to Robert Montgomery, Robert Taylor, John Garfield, Susan Hayward, Lana Turner, Clark Gable, Claude Rains, Cesar Romero, and Ray Milland. On television, Totter had a co-starring role on Medical Center. She also appeared in Perry Mason and Murder She Wrote.

   The femme fatale was 95.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   One of the highlights on the recent trip to receive my Gold Medal at Readers’ Favorite was a chance to appear on C-SPAN 2 BOOK TV at the Miami Book Fair International. I asked a question to the esteemed panel of Doris Kearns Goodwin and A. Scott Berg.

   Goodwin is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author best known for her work, Team of Rivals, which was adapted by Steven Spielberg in what became last year’s sensation, Lincoln; the motion picture that earned an Oscar for the formidable role of the 16th President played by Daniel Day-Lewis. Goodwin’s latest book is entitled The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism. Spielberg is ready to also adapt this literary masterpiece for the big screen.

   Here’s a link to my cameo Q&A that took place in front of live audience in an auditorium at Miami Dade College:

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/clip/4476639

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Eleanor Parker was an actress who appeared in over 80 motion pictures for three decades. An actor of notable versatility, she was known as Woman of a Thousand Faces, the title of her biography by Doug McClelland. Like Bill Holden, Robert Preston, Dustin Hoffman, among others, Parker was discovered at the Pasadena Playhouse.                      ELEANOR PARKER ——>

   After high school, she signed with Warner Brothers in 1941. She was cast that year in the film, They Died with Their Boots On, but her scenes were cut. Her actual film debut was as Nurse Ryan in Soldiers in White in 1942. Her breakthrough starring role was in the 1946 remake of Of Human Bondage.

   Other cinematic appearances include Pride of the Marines with John Garfield, Hollywood Canteen, Escape Me Never featuring Errol Flynn, It’s a Great Feeling, Chain Lightning starring Humphrey Bogart, The Man with the Golden Arm opposite Frank Sinatra, and The King and Four Queens with Clark Gable. And, Eleanor received three Academy Award nominations: for Caged in 1950, The Detective Story the following year, and Interrupted Melody in 1955. The latter motion picture dealt with the subject of an opera star contracting polio. In the 1960s, she garnered supporting roles in The Sound of Music and The Oscar.

   Parker guest-starred on the small screen with parts in The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Vega$, Bracken’s World (earning her a Golden Globe Award nod), Hawaii 5-0, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Hotel, and Murder She Wrote. Eleanor headlined in a number of theatrical productions, including Applause, which was originated by Lauren Bacall. She played Maxine in an Ahmanson Theater revival of The Night of the Iguana. She left a revival of Pal Joey during previews.

   Turner Classic Movies is altering their schedule on December 17th with a 14-hour motion picture tribute. This is the kind of programming that TCM is great at doing for their audience.

   The versatile Eleanor Parker was 91.

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   http://readtuesday.com/

   Read Tuesday will be a huge day like Black Friday for buying and gifting books at amazing sale prices. It will also be a great way to help improve literacy. Encourage a person to read! Here are the Amazon links promoting my books:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1935359169/?tag=forgothollyw-20

http://www.amazon.com/Son-Forgotten-Hollywood-History/dp/1937454142/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326436846&sr=1-1

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The Fall-Winter Book Tour, which began in Miami, is rolling along. Thanks to holiday orders of both books in the series, Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History is complimenting its recent Gold Medal accolade from Readers’ Favorite to surpassing 900 in actual sales. Add to this fact, the Forgotten Hollywood Book Series is approaching 4000 paperbacks sold. Believe me, I’ll have a celebratory blog about this milestone at a later date.

   I appreciate Souvenirs of Hollywood and Hollywood Heritage Museum stocking their shelves with my books this week. And, the latter location had a successfully brisk Afternoon with the Authors day of business on Saturday. Holiday shoppers were treated to nostalgic copies of autographed literary faire, sure to become stocking stuffers for lucky friends and family.

   Our next stop is on Tuesday at the Granada Pavilion in Granada Hills for my third visit with the Tugnet Computer Group for their annual Holiday get-together. I’ll provide an update about the Forgotten Hollywood franchise. Of course, I’ll also be autographing copies of both of my books to their membership. The Granada Pavilion has been on the ground floor in support of my literary and documentary venture. Here’s a link to find out more about Tugnet:

http://www.tugnet.org/

   Another busy week is on tap as we roll through the Holidays for 2013!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Over the next few weeks, lots of ink will be written about the legacy of Nelson Mandela, the South African anti-apartheid revolutionary who was imprisoned and then became a politician and philanthropist. He served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the first black South African to hold the office, and the first elected in a fully representative, multiracial election. His government focused on dismantling the everyday nature of apartheid through tackling institutionalized racism, poverty, and inequality, and fostering racial reconciliation. Across the world, Mandela came to be seen as a moral authority with a great concern for truth.

   His larger-than-life persona has been depicted in cinema numerous times. Danny Glover offered an impassioned performance in the 1987 television piece Mandela, while he was still imprisoned. The small screen film Mandela and de Klerk starred Sidney Poitier; and Dennis Haysbert played him in Goodbye Bafana in 2007. In the BBC television film Mrs. Mandela, Nelson was portrayed by David Harewood, In 2009, Morgan Freeman earned an Oscar nod for his role in Invictus. The actor yesterday reflected by saying: As we remember his triumphs, let us, in his memory, not just ponder on how far we’ve come, but, on how far we have to go. Terrence Howard co-starred as the iconic leader in the recently released Winnie Mandela. Stevie Wonder dedicated his 1985 Academy Award for I Just Called to Say I Love You to Mandela, resulting in the songwriter’s music being banned by the South African Broadcasting Corporation.

   The figure known as Madiba or Tata is currently portrayed by Idris Elba in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. This current production is sure to receive upcoming attention from the acting guilds. It premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7th, and it went into limited release in this country on November 29th. President Barack Obama recently screened the motion picture at the White House. Prince William and his wife Kate were attending the London premiere of the movie when the former leader’s death was announced. Mandela was supposed to see the cinematic production, but passed on before he could. The theatrical release has turned from a living tribute to a big-screen eulogy.

   His funeral is expected to take place after lying-in-state at the Union Buildings, and before burial at his native village – Qunu. The majestic Nelson Mandela was 95.

 Until next time>                              “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   As you may know, each Saturday at 3p (PST), I host the Forgotten Hollywood Radio Show. Each hour-long program on the Financial News and Talk Network features Standards from the Great American Songbook, movie music, vocal snipits from cinematic classics, and occasionally, memorable interviews. Previously, we’ve chatted with Debbie Reynolds and Art Laboe, among others. Joe Lyons provides an On the Backlot segment, with current news and notes regarding Hollywood’s golden past.

   On December 28th, we’ve secured a conversation with Jackie Goldberg, The Pink Lady. Her immense vitality belies the fact that she is 81-years young. As I reported in a previous blog, Goldberg is the energy behind Senior Star Power, an official 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charity organization committed to providing a year-round theatrical arts complex in the Hollywood area that will feature performers who are at least 60 years of age. As Jackie puts it:

It’s our goal to offer active Seniors performance opportunities, and enhanced by workshops, mentoring programs, and master classes. Your tax deductible donations, contributions, and sponsorship can make the dream of a theatrical performing arts complex that will engage the entire Southern California senior community into becoming a reality!

Visit our website for more informationon how to contribute: www.seniorstarpower.org/donate

*  *  *  *  *

   I invite you to listen to a most entertaining hour of radio with our very special guest… The Pink Lady. Her journey resembles the Forgotten Hollywood franchise trek (including a Book Series, Blog, weekly Radio Show, and Documentary currently in Production).

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The Penn Museum, an archaeology and anthropology center, proudly offers touch tours for the blind and the visually impaired. The institution, part of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, began offering the tours last year in an effort to make their extensive collections more accessible.

   Most major US metro areas have at least one museum that offers some type of hands-on experience, from touching objects with bare hands or gloves to feeling replicas, according to Art Beyond Sight, a group that makes visual culture accessible to the blind and visually impaired. Such accommodations began well before the Americans with Disabilities Act. Museums that don’t offer tactile tours often have personal or audio guides for the blind.

   The free tours include a classroom lesson on how Egyptians prepared a body for burial. Students jiggle a gelatin mold of the brain — which is removed during the mummification process — and handle facsimiles of relics found in tombs. They also feel ancient linen, smell scented oils, and touch a reproduction of a mummy. Educators are already planning next season’s curriculum on ancient Rome.

   The Penn Museum has held hands-on tours twice each Monday — when the building is otherwise closed — for the past two Fall seasons. Overall, it’s engaged nearly 250 blind or visually impaired people, up about 32 percent from last year.

   I’m encouraged by this wonderfully sensible approach to education…

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   My wife Laurie will be spending this Saturday at the Howe-Waffle House, located at 120 Civic Center Dr. in Santa Ana, CA. Laurie will carry personally autographed copies of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History and Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History, unique literary gifts for family and friends. She also will be offering her quilted wares, handbags and blankets…  Great shopping ideas in time for the Holidays!    LAURIE PACHECO –>

  Holiday Open House and Boutique

Howe-Waffle House and Medical Museum

Saturday, December 7th, from 11 am to 4 pm

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Throughout the silent era, sheet music for cinematic-inspired tunes brought together the public’s fascination with the silver screen, and their love of popular music. Written by Tin Pan Alley songwriter Charles McCarron in 1915, Those Keystone Comedy Cops capitalized on the popularity of bumbling policemen who had been introduced by Mack Sennett just a few years earlier, but had already become audience favorites.

   Illustrated by Hungarian-born artist André De Takacs, this beautiful sheet music cover makes subtle reference to the world of moving pictures. The focal point includes a photo from the film In the Clutches of the Gang, featuring Ford Sterling and Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle. This tinted image mimics a movie screen, while the Keystone company logo glows behind dramatic silhouettes of stylized policemen. The silhouettes are also depicted on the two oversized billy clubs adorned with tassels that frame the image like theater curtains, evoking the elegant movie palaces of the era.

   This item is one of hundreds of pieces of silent-era sheet music donated to the Margaret Herrick Library by Robert Cushman, and archived in Special Collections. Other examples of silent-era sheet music may be viewed in the library’s Digital Collections. The library is also home to the Mack Sennett papers featuring scenarios, production materials, and photographs relating to the career of this prolific producer. While In the Clutches of the Gang is believed lost, the Academy Film Archive preserved a fragment of the production, recently discovered at the New Zealand Film Archive, as part of the New Zealand Project.

   This iconic music score is one the treasured artifacts to be featured in the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, scheduled to open in 2017.

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   Give the Holiday gift of a classic film Musical… and one of my favorites!  Just sayin…

Until next time>                               “never forget”