Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

   Mickey Mouse, Bart Simpson, and Scooby-Doo will share the limelight in a television special paying tribute to cartoon characters. Fox has announced it will air a two-hour program honoring 40 animated stars that have touched fans with humor and even proved influential.

   TV’s Funniest Animated Stars: A Paley Center for Media Special, is from the nonprofit center that focuses on media and society. The program includes interviews with Tony Anselmo, who has voiced Donald Duck; Nancy Cartwright, who provides Bart’s voice on The Simpsons; Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants; and other actors.

   This must-see special will air December 7th on Fox.

Until next time>                              “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Marty Ingels was a raspy-voiced comedian, actor, and talent agent who was married to singer and actress Shirley Jones for nearly 40 years. The actress is said to be distraught over his passing.

   Beginning in the 1960s, Ingels appeared in some films and a number of television programs, including The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Ann Southern Show, The Love Boat, and Bewitched. He co-starred for one season with John Astin in the 1962 comedy I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster. Ingels also did voice work for hundreds of cartoons, commercials, and video games. He later ran a talent agency that booked movie stars such as John Wayne, Orson Welles, and Cary Grant for television commercials.       MARTY INGELS —->

    In 1974, Ingels met Shirley Jones, co-star of the hit sitcom The Partridge Family, at a party at actor Michael Landon’s home. They married in 1977. Their book, Shirley & Marty: An Unlikely Love Story, was published in 1990. Three years later, Ingels sued actress June Allyson for his agency commission. Allyson denied wrongdoing and countersued. He pled no contest to making annoying phone calls to Allyson.

   Marty Ingels was 79.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here… 

   The Chicago Cubs are one game away from ruining a day important to the legions of fans of Back to the Future. In the second flick in the series, the prediction was the Cubbies would break their long World Series championship losing streak in 2015.

   On the other hand… the former wife of the automaker whose famous car traveled through time in the 1985 movie and its sequels has just settled a lawsuit over the use of his name. Last year, the widow of automaker John DeLorean sued a Texas company she said has been illegally using the DeLorean name for years. The DMC-12, known simply as the DeLorean, was driven by Michael J. Fox in the movie, and has since gained a cult following. Sally DeLorean, who lives in New Jersey with her daughter, sued the Texas-based DeLorean Motor Company, claiming it’s been using the DeLorean name without permission to sell hats, pens, notebooks, key chains, and other items, and wrongfully licensed the name and images to other companies, including Nike, Urban Outfitters, and Apple.

   Last month, the parties agreed to a settlement that will pay Sally an undisclosed sum, while allowing the company to retain the rights to use the DeLorean Motor Company name, trademarks, and logo. The estate will retain rights to John DeLorean’s name, aspects of his personal life, and depictions of his likeness that aren’t public property or purchased from legitimate rights holders.

   John DeLorean began his career at General Motors before forming his own company in the 1970s. Only about 9,000 DeLorean cars were produced before the company went bankrupt in the early 1980s, but the car’s sleek, angular look and gull-wing doors helped land it a role in the Back to the Future films. DeLorean died in New Jersey in 2005 at age 80. By the way, his former estate in the rolling hills about 40 miles west of New York City was converted into a golf course by Donald Trump (of all people) in 2004.

   With this lawsuit settled, I’m rooting for a Chicago Cubs four-game winning streak that will land them in the Fall Classic. And today, several theaters are offering back-to-back screenings of the Back to the Future trilogy; plus, the town of Reston, Virginia will temporarily change its name to Hill Valley to commemorate the iconic series during its annual film festival. An appearance by the original cast is scheduled at a Lincoln Center screening in New York, and a tour of the Hill Valley town square is planned on the Universal Studios lot. Meanwhile, the trilogy is exclusively streaming on Amazon Prime, and Universal is releasing a special edition trilogy box set in light-up packaging.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   This is a continuation of the story that keeps on giving.

   Yesterday, Syracuse.com unveiled plans to permanently replace Scary Lucy with a new statue. The pressure is now on Carolyn Palmer, a local artist who has been closely studying footage of Lucille Ball and episodes of I Love Lucy to properly capture the comedienne’s essence. Though if her charming bust of Pope Francis is any indication, the task is in good hands. Palmer has also created sculptures of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.

   To recap… the small town of Celoron, New York, the childhood home of Lucille Ball (below), erected a statue of the comedy icon in Lucille Ball Memorial Park. The sculpture, the work of artist Dave Poulin , has since been compared to a zombie. It’s hard not to feel a little sorry for Poulin, who earlier this year publicly apologized for the work and offered to fix it for $10,000. In some ways, Poulin’s monsterpiece has become a pop art icon. Not to mention, Scary Lucy has become an ironic tourist attraction. Needless to say, Celoron Mayor Scott Schrecengost has said thanks, but no thanks to Poulin’s offer.

   Palmer’s statue is set to be unveiled in August, 2016. The entire internet will be watching. Bulletins as they break!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Henry McCarty, known in Wild West lore as Billy the Kid, lived a brief and violent life, before his death in a gunfight aged 21. He lived with a gun in his hand – and it seems, a croquet mallet. An original Billy the Kid photo would be the holy grail of Western Americana.

HENRY McCARTY / BILLY THE KID (left)

   In a surprising historical moment, a second photo of McCarty ever to be authenticated shows him and his posse, The Regulators, playing croquet in New Mexico in 1878. The faded image was among a pile of photos inside a cardboard box at a junk shop in Fresno, California, unearthed by a collector in 2010. Randy Guijarro paid $2 (for the image, which is now estimated to be worth millions of dollars). The only other confirmed photo of Billy the Kid, from 1880, sold for $2.3m in 2011.

   The photo was authenticated by a San Francisco-based Americana company, Kagin’s, which identified Billy the Kid along with several members of his gang, as well as friends and family. It was taken after a wedding in the Summer of 1878, just a month after they  took part in the brutal Lincoln County war. Kagin spent a year investigating the photo, and even found the location where it was taken in Chaves County, New Mexico. There they unearthed the remains of the building in the photo. A National Geographic Channel documentary on the find is scheduled for broadcast this week.

   Liz Larsson, from the UK’s Croquet Association, said the series of photos from the scene left little doubt what game was being played. The first croquet club in England was founded in 1865, the same year the game was immortalized in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Thom Ross, a United States artist specialising in historic scenes, has previously painted Native Americans and cowboys playing croquet. All types of Americans played, including famous folks as General George Custer.

   I never imagined that I would be blogging about Billy the Kid, General Custer, and croquet in the same story.  And, so it goes…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   NEW FORGOTTEN HOLLYWOOD SHOW ON THERAPYCABLE

   Episode #9 of FORGOTTEN HOLLYWOOD on THERAPYCABLE features guest Ethan Morse, who shares the inner workings of the Old Guard detail that have been assigned to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. As executive producer, his effort to bring The Unknowns to the screen by way of a documentary is a stirring testament of patriotism, freedom, and good old-fashioned Hollywood story-telling. You can watch my interview with Ethan that includes snippets from the footage, photographs, and insightful stories.

   Buried at the tomb at Arlington Cemetery are such Hollywood luminaries as Lee Marvin and Audie Murphy, who was also the most decorated serviceman of World War II. Morse worked with Robert Duvall and Jeff Daniels in the production of Gods and Generals.

   To watch and enjoy this interview on THERAPYCABLE, click or (cut-and-paste) to view my latest program:

http://therapycable.com/social-issues-videos/the-unknowns.html

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Joan Leslie was a durable actress, who did her best work at Warner Brothers. She was quite memorable in some of the most iconic motion pictures, including High Sierra, Sergeant York, and Yankee Doodle Dandy. She worked opposite Oscar-worthy actors as Gary Cooper and James Cagney, while witnessing the ascent of Humphrey Bogart to A-List status.                      JOAN LESLIE —>

   In 1936, Leslie caught the attention of a talent scout from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Just 11 years-of-age, she attended MGM’s Little Red Schoolhouse with other child actors like Mickey Rooney and Freddie Bartholomew. Her first film role was in Camille, a romantic drama starring Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor. Constantly on loan to other studios, Joan had small parts in Love Affair and Foreign Correspondent.

   Signing a contract at Warner Brothers in 1941, Leslie hit her stride. Her sweet innocent persona kept the star constantly working. Her string of fine performances continued in The Male Animal, The Wagons Roll Out at Night (again with Bogie), The Hard Way (again with Ida Lupino), This is the Army, Thank Your Lucky Stars, Hollywood Canteen (as herself), Rhapsody in Blue, and Cinderella Jones. During World War II, Leslie was a regular volunteer at the actual Hollywood Canteen, where she danced with servicemen and granted hundreds of autographs. On radio, she reprised her role from Yankee Doodle Dandy in 1942.

   By 1946, she took Warner Brothers to court in order to get released from her contract. As a result of this, Jack Warner used his influence to blacklist her from other major studios. Joan spent the rest of her career making movies at lots along Poverty Row, primarily co-starring in Westerns. She settled into television, appearing as a guest star in Branded, Police Story, Charlie’s Angels, The Incredible Hulk, Simon & Simon, and Murder She Wrote. She retired from acting in 1991.

   In 1999, she was one of the 250 actresses nominated for the American Film Institute’s selection of the 25 greatest female screen legends to have debuted before 1950. She also received a Star along Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. She was involved with charity work for the St. Anne’s Maternity Home for more than 50 years.

   With a career that spanned over six decades, Joan Leslie was 90.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   There are a lot of channels on YouTube that claim to offer full movies for free. The catch, usually, is that these channels are not endorsed by film studios, and as a result, they rarely last very long before getting struck down by copyright claims.

   The Paramount Pictures vault, however, is different. It’s now a YouTube channel that offers full movies for free, and unlike the other channels, it is actually run by its titular studio. You’ll find more than 100 classic movies from the Paramount back catalog, all available for free.

   The Paramount Vault has been around since the beginning of 2015, but it has only recently started to receive attention from media outlets. However, according to the fine print, it’s only available in the United States.

    Paramount has reached decades back to pull out rarities that span all genres. Sure, the selection isn’t tremendously exciting, but these films would otherwise spend their time collecting dust. This is like enjoying Cinecon from the comfort of your own residence. Beyond these full films, the Paramount Vault also offers individual clips from the studio’s more famous productions, and this is where the channel’s strategy starts to take shape. A famous clip from Sunset Boulevard, for example, is preceded by a still image that repurposes the film’s most famous line: I’m ready for my selfie.

   Viewers might well find themselves wandering around in the Paramount Vault for hours or days, unaware of how much time they’ve been spending there. Indeed!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Playboy Magazine has decided it will no longer compete with internet photos and videos of naked women. Once considered racy, even obscene — Playboy is now viewed as benign. The 62-year-old periodical is undergoing a major revision, and will dispense with nude photographs when it re-launches in March. The change apparently has the approval of 89-year-old founder and editor-in-chief, Hugh Hefner. He’s widely considered an icon for the sexual revolution. Hef began his career as a journalist for Esquire.

   Marilyn Monroe (right) was an early participant in a conceptual development of Playboy, which legitimized the mag from the start. Others baring all (or most) on the pages of Playboy have included Bettie Page, Jayne Mansfield, Ursula Andress, Raquel Welch, Barbi Benton, Cindy Crawford, and Pamela Anderson. The mag will still feature racy photos of women. Execs have yet to decide if it should continue to showcase a centerfold.

    The Playboy company currently makes most of its cash from licensing its brand, and the magazine loses around $3 million a year in the United States. The Playboy website got rid of nudes last year, which execs say caused traffic to quadruple to 16 million users a month. The age of the average user dropped from 47 to 30. The target demographic of the revamped Playboy will be young, urban men. Its print circulation, measuring at 5.6 million in 1975, is now about 800,000. The shift from nudity will be accompanied by other changes in the magazine, including a slightly larger size, and a heavier, higher quality of paper meant to give the magazine a more collectible feel. And analysts conclude that the removal of nudes will be a huge boost for its articles, including mainstream journalism and serious interviews.

   I can think of one longstanding source of humor that will become instantly obsolete. Hence, the title of this story…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The Forgotten Hollywood Blog Site is not one to engage in idle gossip. But, the following story is lurid, and ultimately intriguing, considering the cinematic royalty involved.

                            ELIZABETH TAYLOR                MICKEY ROONEY

   Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor had a carnal encounter with Mickey Rooney when she was just 14 years old, claims a new book. The Life and Times of Mickey Rooney by authors Richard A. Lertzman and William J. Birnes. They interviewed the actor just before his death, and reveals the pair met when she was only 12 when they starred in the National Velvet. The book claims that two years after their work, the actors were caught engaging in a sex act by 24-year-old Rooney’s second wife – Betty Jane. She was a backup singer for the likes of Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and Sam Cooke. She and Rooney divorced in 1949. Her friend Pam McClenathan describes the incident in the book, which occurred in 1944.

   Elizabeth’s sex life has been well documented over the years. According to reports, she was just 12 when she had her first encounter with a man; with future movie actor/director John Derek, who was six years her elder. At the age of 15, she was reportedly involved with future president Ronald Reagan – who was married to actress Jane Wyman at the time. Her next political sexual encounter was with future chief executive John F Kennedy.

   Rooney – who died last year – married eight times in total, but this is the first time he has been linked to Elizabeth, who eventually wed seven men. Mickey bragged that he managed to get women into bed with his sense of humor – his conquests included Lana Turner and Judy Garland. One of his wives was Ava Gardner.

   The Life and Times of Mickey Rooney is due out on October 20th.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

    An update on the demolition of Dick and Jerry Van Dyke’s childhood home…

   Actor Dick Van Dyke is taking steps to save his  former residence in central Illinois, which was slated for demolition. News stories about the threat to the two-story home in Danville, condemned because of its tumbledown condition, reached the 89-year-old actor during the summer. He announced over the weekend that the house will be restored as headquarters for a new foundation to provide scholarships to accomplished young performers.

JERRY VAN DYKE                   DICK VAN DYKE

   Organizers of the Dick Van Dyke Foundation hope to establish a museum in the home where Van Dyke and brother Jerry lived during high school after the family relocated from Missouri. After learning of the house’s dilapidated state, the star of Mary Poppins, Bye Bye Birdie, and The Dick Van Dyke Show recalled the happy memories in a tweet to his tens of thousands of followers.

    When the city condemned the home in December, officials didn’t know the Van Dyke connection, Danville Mayor Scott Eisenhauer said in July. The property’s last owner died in 2011. Lance Kirkland, Dick Van Dyke Foundation board president, said in a news release that the organization is working with Todd Regan, executive director of the Walt Disney Birthplace, to launch the new foundation, which will seek nonprofit status.

   Good things happen to people who want fair results…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   According to an article written by the agency’s senior in-house historian, the CIA purposely held back information from the Warren Commission, Politico reports. John McCone, at the time the agency’s director, apparently failed to tell the commission about agency plots to murder Fidel Castro (including ones involving the Mafia). So, the commission never knew to ask whether Oswald had Cuban comrades that were set on assassinating President John F. Kennedy in Dallas. The commission notoriously concluded that Oswald acted alone, spawning many decades of conspiracy theories involving Castro, the Mafia, the CIA, the Soviets, and even President Lyndon B. Johnson.

   It seems the White House nudged McCone along: He shared the administration’s interest in avoiding disclosures about covert actions that would circumstantially implicate [the] CIA in conspiracy theories, and possibly lead to calls for a tough US response against the perpetrators of the assassination, reads the article, which was published in a CIA internal magazine in 2013, and declassified (with 15 redactions) last fall. McCone also apparently didn’t say that the CIA may have been communicating with Oswald before the killing, and was illegally reading his mail after he tried defecting to the Soviets in 1959.

   The article, by CIA historian David Robarge, calls McCone’s actions benign; but says, the cover-up played a big role in undermining the credibility of the commission.

   This is a story that definitely has legs in the eyes of conspiracy theorists.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that it has received a gift valued at more than $5 million from the late Oscar-winning Hollywood actress and United States Ambassador Shirley Temple Black and her family. This gift includes a substantial monetary contribution to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ capital campaign, as well as key artifacts from Shirley Temple Black’s indelible early career. To recognize this gift and honor the star’s legendary childhood contribution to entertainment, the Academy Museum’s education center will be named The Shirley Temple Education Studio.

   It will be the center of the Museum’s dynamic education program, which will draw upon the expertise of Academy members, artists, and scholars in a range of disciplines to explore cinema history and the collaborative process of filmmaking. The program will provide hands-on workshops in moviemaking techniques, as well as inspire creativity and critical thinking. A core feature will be its teen initiative, serving students from diverse backgrounds in the greater Los Angeles area.

   In addition to financial support, this generous gift includes unique objects such as: the miniature Oscar presented to Shirley Temple at the 1934 Academy Awards in recognition of her screen work that year; the tap shoes, and portable wooden practice-steps given to her by legendary dancer Bill Bojangles Robinson for their famed stair dance routine in 1934s The Little Colonel; the star’s first set-chair from Fox Studios; and the ornate Los Angeles public-school system desk she used for her daily lessons on the lot.

    The Academy is raising $388 million to support the building, exhibitions, and programs of the Academy Museum. The capital campaign was launched in 2012, and is chaired by Bob Iger and co-chaired by Annette Bening and Tom Hanks. The Academy has already secured more than $250 million in pledges from more than 1,300 individual donors globally.

   Shirley Temple’s ship has made port, and it’s definitely the Good Ship Lollipop!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   For the first time in AFI history, America’s highest honor for a career in film will be bestowed upon a composer. John Williams will receive the 44th AFI Life Achievement Award in 2016.

JOHN WILLIAMS

   Perhaps best known for his enduring collaboration with director Steven Spielberg, his scores are among the most iconic and recognizable in film history, from the edge-of-your-seat Jaws motif, to the emotional swell of E.T. The Extraterrestrial, and the haunting elegies of Schindler’s List. Always epic in scale, his music has helped define over half a century of the motion picture medium. Three of Williams’ scores landed on AFI’s 100 Years of Film Scores — a list of the 25 greatest American film scores of all time — including the unforgettable Star Wars soundtrack, at #1. Other films include Saving Private Ryan, Seven Years in Tibet, Amistad, The Lost World, Rosewood, Sleepers, Sabrina, Jurassic Park, Home Alone, Nixon, Far and Away, JFK, Hook, Always, Born on the Fourth of July, Superman, The Accidental Tourist, Empire of the Sun, The Witches of Eastwick, Presumed Innocent, the Indiana Jones trilogy, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

   With five Academy Award wins and 49 nominations in total, Williams holds the record for the most Oscar nominations of any living person. His storied career as the composer behind many of the greatest American films and television series of all time boasts over 150 credits across seven decades.

   Williams will be honored at the gala Tribute on June 9th, 2016. The AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute television special will air on TNT later that same month, followed by an encore presentation on Turner Classic Movies.

   Kudos to the magnificent John Williams!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   I personally invite you to the TherapyCable Channel – Circle of Insight program with host Carlos Vazquez, as he interviews the lovely and talented Ginger Pauley, a song-stylist and expert on everything vintage. I co-host this insightful program.

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

http://therapycable.com/personal-stories-videos/personal-look-at-ginger-pauley.html

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

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   Thank you to MY Edmonds News for writing such a rich review of my initial paperback – Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History. The author is Wendy Kendall, a writer, project manager, and volunteer at the Edmonds Library. She writes:

Manny Pacheco’s fascinating book shares incredible stories of the character actors and supporting players who brought American history to life on the screen during the days of old Hollywood. The author brings his additional insight, analyzing these actors’ body of work to show how they have also created history themselves… Enhancing his story about these actors and their historical works are some delightful pictures of them, their films, and also the real historical people and events…

Manny Pacheco is steeped in the world of Hollywood. He’s been a broadcaster in Los Angeles and Southern California for over three decades, and he’s a 30-year member of the Screen Actors Guild. A student of history and a movie fan, he’s blended his two passions in this book. He keeps very busy with an engaging website that also includes interviews, events, and articles. He also has other books, including Son of Forgotten Hollywood Book 2 published in 2012.

   Again, thanks Wendy for making my book a Recommended Read! Here are links to the complete review:

http://myedmondsnews.com/2015/10/recommended-reads-book-explores-forgotten-hollywood-stories/

http://myedmondsnews.com/category/columns/recommended-reads/

http://www.recommendreads.blogspot.com/

Until next time>                               “never forget”