Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

   And then there were none… The last film star from Hollywood’s Silent Era has died. Barbara Kent had a substantial career before Jolson uttered his first words on screen in 1927. She also dabbled in movies during the advent of the Studio Era before retiring in 1935.

   Barbara Kent was a Canadian-born student, who won the Miss Hollywood Pageant in 1925, the same year she graduated from  Hollywood High School. Universal Studios contracted the teen later that year. Her major film debut was impressive portraying a femme fetale opposite John Gilbert and Greta Garbo in Flesh and the Devil. She excelled in comedies playing opposite Harold Lloyd, Reginald Denny, Oliver Hardy, and Rex – the Wonder Horse!         BARBARA KENT

   Her transition to talkies was seamless appearing in Feet First (again with Harold Lloyd), and the first sound version of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist in 1933. Ironically, she lost interest in continuing to act in motion pictures after she got married to a talent agent.

   Barbara Kent was 103.

Until next time>                              “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Before Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable, their was Jean Harlow ->  Nicknamed The Platinum Blonde, she’s considered one of the greatest actresses who ever lived, despite a career barely lasting a decade. MGM often cited that her films were the biggest box office draws for any particular year in the early-to-mid 1930s. Her premature death in 1937 due to complications from renal failure  added to her legend.

   Harlow clearly rivaled other actors of the day for popularity, such as Marie Dressler, Wallace Beery, Clark Gable, William Powell, and Spencer Tracy at her studio; and Marlene Dietrich, Mae West, Gary Cooper, and Cary Grant on other lots. Her immense talent was overshadowed by her celebrity status as a beautiful woman.

   The Jean Harlow: 100th Anniversary Collection is expected to be released on November 7th, and available through Movies Unlimited, the WB Online Store, and other locations. It contains remastered versions of some of her popular pictures and lost classics, including Bombshell, Personal Property Riffraff, and her last film, Saratoga.

   This particular collection has never been available on DVD, and is the perfect holiday gift for any lover of classic cinema. Special features: a portfolio of seven MGM studio portraits and newly discovered trailers.

   Jean Harlow, born in 1911, would have been 100 on March 3rd of this year.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Former CBS News legend Robert Pierpoint has died. In his first big assignment, he provided live reports during the Korean War. He later became a White House correspondent, covering every president from Eisenhower through Carter. Pierpoint is also remembered for playing himself on the radio during the final episode of M*A*S*H. He’s the voice you hear announcing the end of the Korean conflict. During his career, he received two Emmys for his work.  ROBERT PIERPOINT

   A close friend to radio legend Edward R. Murrow, Pierpoint appeared on the first edition of See It Now in 1951. He was also a frequent contributor on Charles Kuralt’s Sunday Morning broadcasts, reporting from the State Department until his retirement. Bob covered breaking news on monumental events in American history, including the Cold War, President Kennedy’s assassination, and President Nixon’s resignation. He became chief diplomatic correspondent in 1980.

   During his time as a correspondent, Pierpoint became a close friend of eventual President George H. W. Bush, often spending time with him on tennis courts. As doubles partners, they won several CBS tennis competitions together.

   In his 1981 memoirs, At the White House: Assignment to Six Presidents, he cited that one mistake he made over his years was failing to mention about the stains on Jackie Kennedy’s pink outfit after she left her husband’s side at Parkland Hospital in Dallas on November 22, 1963. “I didn’t describe the blood, and I should have”, he wrote, “I was in shock.”

   Robert Pierpoint was 86.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Danforth Book Distribution has completely reworked their website, and it now includes an online store to buy literary product including Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History. Credit cards and Pay Pal are cheerfully accepted.

   According to their press release:

   Check out the photos below taken at the recent 2011 Northwest BookFest in Kirkland, WA while I was conducting a book signing at the Danforth Book Distribution booth.

   Please follow the following links below for all your purchase needs or information:

http://danforthbooks.myshopify.com/products/forgotten-hollywood-forgotten-history-by-manny-pacheco

http://www.danforthbooks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Danforth-Book-Distribution/174735999251501

   Congratulations to Laura Danforth and her team for her company’s  expansion!

Manny P. here…

   Turner Classic Movies is partnering with NCM Fathom to celebrate the 50th anniversary premiere of West Side Story. A nationwide one-night screening will take place Wednesday, November 9th at 7p.

   This 1961 cinematic event was adapted from the 1957 Broadway show, and loosely based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The film holds the distinction of being the screen musical  awarded the most Oscar wins (10), including Best Picture. The cast includes Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Rita Moreno, Russ Tamblyn, and George Chakiris. The movie was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress in 1997.

According to the TCM website:

 In honor of its 50th Anniversary, NCM Fathom and Turner Classic Movies are bringing West Side Story back to the big screen for a one night event in movie theaters nationwide! This extraordinary event includes an exciting new Turner Classic Movies original production followed by MGM’s 50th Anniversary restoration of West Side Story—the most acclaimed musical of all time.  Tickets are on sale for the general public.

   Where ever you reside, you don’t want to miss this special event! Here’s a link to the NCM Fathom purchase site:

http://www.fathomevents.com/classics/event/westsidestory.aspx?utm_source=TCM&utm_medium=PromotionalCampaign&utm_campaign=WSS_FathomEventPage

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Norman Corwin, who has died, was a giant during Radio’s Golden Age. His contributions spanned seventy years, and he worked with many of the greats of news and Hollywood.

   Norman Corwin joined CBS in 1938 at the height of the radio network’s glory, and he worked with such pioneers as Edward R. Murrow and Howard K. Smith. He focused on writing, producing, and directing when not working behind the microphone.

   In 1941, Corwin wrote We Hold These Truths, a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Bill of Rights which featured the voices of Lionel Barrymore, Walter Brennan and Orson Welles. This patriotic exercise was aired on all four radio networks just days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. His nightly chronicles of life during World War II kept America focused on our collective effort to combat Axis aggression. He composed On a Note of Triumph, broadcast nationwide on May 8, 1945 (V-E Day), at the moment of our Allied victory in Europe.

   Corwin received numerous awards in media and the humanities, including two Peabody medals. During his career, he earned Emmy and Golden Globe awards. He also received an Oscar nod for his screenplay, Lust for Life, the biography of Vincent Van Gogh that starred Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn. In 1993, he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fameand  the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters Diamond Circle a year later. We Hold These Truths was added in 2005 to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.

   He would inspire a wide range of scribes and actors including Rod Serling, Norman Lear, Gene Roddenberry, J. Michael Straczynski, and William Shatner.

   Norman Corwin was 101.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

These past few weeks have really been extraordinary in terms of book sales. Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History has now encouraged cash registers to ring over 2200 times! Some of the highlights include:

* Danforth Distribution just reported a September disbursement of almost 50 copies

* The Duarte Festival of Authors and the Niguel Shores Women’s Club guests were more than willing to buy two dozen paperbacks during my recent visits

* Orders were authorized by the Hollywood Mega store chain and Bev’s Boutique at the  Beverly Garland Holiday Inn for an additional two dozen books.

* Several copies have been individually purchased as an eBook on the Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook sites

   We are entering another holiday season prepared to sell out the first run of the book. This means a second edition printing of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History is inevitable. And, the upcoming sequel of my special series of books is currently being designed for mass distribution.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The Clark County Library in Las Vegas is offering an early Halloween celebration by screening two classic films. This cinematic series is called: Tuesday Afternoon at the Bijou: Universal’s Horror Classics. These FREE events are a great way to introduce your family to cinema from Hollywood’s Studio Era.

* THE MUMMY (October 18th, 1p) – The motion picture was directed by Karl Freund and features Boris Karloff as a revived Egyptian priest. After the success of Dracula and Frankenstein, Carl Laemmle Jr. was inspired by the 1922 opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb to offer another memorable character from his studio’s stable of ghouls. The screenplay was adapted from a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle entitled The Ring of Thoth.

* THE INVISIBLE MAN (October 25th, 1p) – Claude Rains had a most intriguing American screen debut by an actor (he had a small role in a British silent picture in 1920). For the most part, you only hear his voice throughout the movie. This classic was directed by James Whale, best known for his work on Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. It’s loosely based on the H.G. Wells science fiction novel. Produced in 1933, The Invisible Man was recently selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

   The screenings will take place at the 399-seat Main Theatre. The Clark County Library is located at 1401 E. Flamingo Rd. For more information visit the website below:

http://www.lvccld.org/events/event.cfm?nID=38390

   Treat yourself to chills and macabre black humor that were a staple at Universal Studios.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   I appreciate the nice mention I received at Examiner.com. Reporter Jordan Young writes for the LA / OC Artssection of the news site. Last week, Mr. Young offered a review of a number of Hollywood / Entertainment-related books, CD’s, and films on DVD now out for your enjoyment including Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History. He writes:

Manny Pacheco’s “Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History” (in paperback from Book Publishers Network) is as much about American history as it is the movies. The character actors of Hollywood’s storied past (Claude Rains, John Carradine, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson) provide the springboard. Lionel Barrymore’s wheelchair-bound performances are contrasted with FDR’s hidden disabilities. Pacheco makes a case for Ward Bond as a patriot for his role in championing the ‘50s blacklist; I disagree with his argument, but that’s what makes the horse race.

   Actually, I completely agree with the reviewer’s last viewpoint. In my chapter about Ward Bond, I wrote that the actor was used by the government as a pawn during the McCarthy Era. Bond believed he acted as a patriot by naming names; Hollywood individuals he surmised were Communists. Because of his over-zealous behavior that destroyed careers, Bond was villified by his peers until the day he died in 1960. Since John Wayne and Ronald Reagan would later be universally lionized for stern assessment about the Soviet Union and Communism, shouldn’t we forgive Bond for misguided actions (though I do not condone his real-life personal decisions). It might be charitable to remember Ward Bond’s gallant roles during Hollywood’s Golden Age.

   If you would like to read Jordan Young’s complete article, click on the link below:

http://www.examiner.com/arts-in-los-angeles/book-celebrates-dick-van-dyke-sitcom-anything-goes-on-dvd

Jordan R. Young is a journalist, playwright and lifelong theatre buff whose work has appeared in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times; his plays have been produced and read throughout Southern California.

Until next time>                              “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Bookstores in Southern California have indicated they will carry Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History. This wonderful news compliments today’s visit to the Niguel Shores Women’s Club event. 

 NIGUEL SHORES WOMEN’S CLUB LUNCHEON

33654 Niguel Shores Drive, Monarch Beach

October 13th  12p – 2p

   The additions include…

* Along with being housed at the UCLA Arts Library, my alma mater has actually carried my paperback for some time at the UCLA Store Bookzone. They are about to re-order more copies. Here’s a link to their site:

http://www.uclastore.ucla.edu/newbookzone/index.asp

* PAGES: A BOOKSTORE is located at 904 Manhattan Ave. in the heart of Manhattan Beach. The Southern California area is known as South Bay. The owners have indicated their interest in selling my work. Here’s a link to their website:

http://www.pagesabookstore.com/

   I urge you to support these fine stores.

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   I’d like to personally thank writer Thelma T. Reyna for mentioning me in her blog as part of a renaissance of current Latin American authors who are making a dent in literature throughout the United States. The list of scribes Reyna has compiled is quite impressive. American Latina(o) Writers Today share her story.

   Here’s the Blogspot website:

http://latinowriterstoday.blogspot.com/2011/10/part-ii-evolution-of-american-latinao.html

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Now that BORDERS Stores have permanently closed, KOBO, their former eReader partner, has turned to the Internationally successful FNAC and FNAC.com intheir journey towards a productive online literary future. According to a KOBO press release:

KOBO is excited to announce its global eReading expansion into France partnering with FNAC in over 81 stores throughout France and online with FNAC.com.

KOBO’s European stores offer customers a rich assortment of local content, merchandised to the tastes and preferences of readers across Europe, KOBO has partnered with European publishers to offer a wide range of titles.

With this launch, FNAC will deliver a large content catalogue, making it the largest eBookstore in France – the new store will feature the latest releases and bestsellers from popular French authors.

   I’m proud Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History is currently available through KOBO as an eBook (through SMASHWORDS); in FNAC stores, and FNAC.com.  C’est magnifique…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Stephen Sondheim is the most prolific Broadway composer in our lifetime. His credits include West Side Story and Gypsy (as lyricist); and creating A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Follies, A Little Night Music, Into the Woods and Sweeney Todd. In cinema, he contributed tunes for Reds and Dick Tracy.

“`Sondheim has won multiple Tony and Grammy awards, an Oscar, and a Pulitzer Prize. To honor his 80th birthday, the Henry Miller’s Theatre was renamed the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in 2010.

“`On November 1st, New York will bestow the city’s highest honor to the composer for career achievement in the Arts. He receives the Handel Medallion at Alice Tully Hall in Manhattan.

Congratulations to a living legend… Stephen Sondheim (above)!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Shirley MacLaine has been selected by the American Film Institute to receive a 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award, four years after her younger brother, Warren Beatty, was recognized. She will be their 40th recipient.

   The Oscar-winning actress is known for iconic performances in The Trouble with Harry, Around the World in Eighty Days, Some Came Running, The Apartment, The Children’s Hour, What a Way to Go, Irma La Douce, Sweet Charity, Two Mules for Sister Sara, Being There, The Turning Point, and Steel Magnolias. MacLaine won her coveted statuette in 1984 for her role in Terms of Endearment. She has attained a total of six Academy Awards nominations for her work.

   Early in her career, she was also known to pal around with the infamous Rat Pack, whose membership included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Joey Bishop. She had a cameo role in the original Ocean’s Eleven.

   A June 7th, 2012 Gala is planned in her honor. The ceremony is set to air on TV Land later that month.

   On a related note, Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History is proudly housed in the Louis B. Mayer Library of the American Film Institute in Hollywood.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Famed pianist Roger Williams died on Saturday. He’s arguably the most successful artist in his craft over the last sixty years. His hits included Autumn Leaves (the only piano instrumental to ever reach #1), Born Free, The Impossible Dream, Somewhere in Time, and Lara’s Theme from Dr. Zhivago.

   In his teens, he met Ronald Reagan at a radio station in Iowa and they became lifelong pals. Other notables who called him their friend were former President Jimmy Carter and Utah Senator Orrin Hatch. Eventually, Roger Williams performed at the White House for every  chief executive from Harry Truman to George W. Bush.

   Two early television pioneers who guided Roger Williams into a successful career would be Arthur Godfrey on his Talent Scouts program; and Dennis James, who hosted Chance of a Lifetime.

   According to his official website:

The first pianist to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Roger Williams has twenty-one Gold and Platinum albums to his credit. He is a Steinway Artist, and he is the first and (so far) only artist to receive the Steinway Lifetime Achievement Award. Williams was featured at Carnegie Hall for Steinway’s 150^th Anniversary.

   In 2010, Roger Williams was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. At the time of his passing, he was 87 (having celebrated his birthday just last week).

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Laurie (my wife) recently purchased a special collector’s gift set edition of Barbie and Ken designed in the style of Doris Day and Rock Hudson in Pillow Talk, the Oscar-winning 1959 film. Russell Rouse took home a statuette for his Story and Screenplay written directly for the Screen.

(Rock Hudson™ is a trademark of the Estate of Rock Hudson. Ms. Doris Day has approved the depiction of her likeness and name on this product)

   What I discovered is that a Barbie collector’s website exists for you to find a variety of designs modified for the iconic doll, which offers a unique tribute to Hollywood’s Golden Age. By the way, keeping Barbie in her original box also adds value to the collection.

   Barbie’s favorite actress may be Grace Kelly. Three designer wardrobes compliment the former Princess of Monaco. My favorite is a dress resembling an outfit Grace wore in To Catch a Thief. Accessories include a clutch purse and scarf.

(Use of the name and likeness of Grace Kelly by permission of the Princess Grace Foundation-USA, a non-profit organization that continues Princess Grace of Monaco’s commitment to supporting emerging artists)

   Other wardrobe tributes include Sinatra and Elvis. Here is the link to a website promoting the Barbie collector series:

http://www.barbiecollector.com/

   (Pillow Talk © Universal Studios. Licensed by Universal Studios  Licensing LLC. All rights reserved). To Catch a Thief © 2011 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved)

   I smell holiday present here…

© 2011 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Until next time>                                “never forget”