From the good to the mad to the lonely. And why shouldn't our hero be lonely? He's the last man in a world full of zombies. At least, that's what he thinks... The sixties and seventies were a funny time in Hollywood. The studios were in transition, and since they were no longer allowed to … Continue reading All By Himself
Monster Mashup
We've seen the good, and now we get to see the mad. The very, very mad. Universal got a lot of mileage out of their monster movie franchises. The granddaddy of the talkie era was, of course, Dracula, originally played to great effect in 1930 by Bela Lugosi and Carlos Villareas (in the Spanish language version). … Continue reading Monster Mashup
I’m From the Government, and I’m Here To Help
It's the Movie Scientist Blogathon! Great Scott! We're looking at good scientists today, and what's better than saving all of mankind from a mysterious bacteria? Remember how the Apollo 11 astronauts were put in a mobile quarantine facility to make sure they didn't bring anything infectious back from the moon? Who hasn't seen the pictures … Continue reading I’m From the Government, and I’m Here To Help
The One Who Loves People
Nu kör vi... (That's "Here we go..." in Swedish--thank you, Google Translate. 🙂 ) Gladys Aylward was born in London in 1902. She felt strongly called by God to be a missionary in China, but unlike most women who went to China at that time, she wasn't highly educated or trained in a useful vocation such … Continue reading The One Who Loves People
Once Upon A Time
Cinderella, like Treasure Island, has been done over and over and over again. Only instead of the adaptations all drawing on a single original source, every culture has its own version, the earliest-known being found in ancient Greece. Some versions have one royal ball, some have three, some have a fairy godmother and one has a … Continue reading Once Upon A Time
Lionel On the Air
Lionel Barrymore was a towering actor, but unfortunately he had to deal with severe physical pain after the mid-nineteen-thirties, which limited his prospects somewhat. The possible causes range from rheumatoid arthritis to a drawing room table falling on him in 1936, to breaking a kneecap, to hip injuries. No one knows for sure. Some think … Continue reading Lionel On the Air
It’s Good To Be King
Entertainment's Great Family has arrived. Turbulence seems to run in the Barrymore clan. Drew Barrymore's grandfather, John, was an incredibly respected actor (even his profile was highly renowned). He also suffered from alcoholism, to the point that he began to forget lines and gain weight. His relationship with his wife, Delores Costello disintegrated--she finally called … Continue reading It’s Good To Be King
Do You See What I See?
Good evening... (Well, it may not be evening when you read this, but you know how Hitchcock always said it on his TV show) Anyone who's familiar with the apartment life dynamic knows what happens when lots of people are literally living on top of each other: stories will accumulate. Lots of stories. Many of them can be … Continue reading Do You See What I See?
Show Me Some Attitude
Disclaimer: Save the Last Dance is not exactly a family-friendly film. It's not Showgirls or anything, but it's not G-rated either. IMDb has a Parents' Guide if anyone feels cautious. There's something visceral about performing because there's so much emotion involved--it becomes part of a person's identity, and it's definitely a release. If that outlet is cut off for whatever … Continue reading Show Me Some Attitude
La Vie Gershwin
Curtain... Confession time: I have a teeny bit of dance training. For two years I studied tap, ballet, and jazz with the late, great Betty Gentry. I also got a crash course in hip-hop and swing dancing before my tour with the Continental Singers. Four to six hours of just choreography a day, in addition … Continue reading La Vie Gershwin
Why I Like the First “Pirates” Best
Have you seen the latest Pirates of the Caribbean yet? What did you think? If Leonard Maltin's review is any indicator, things aren't looking so good. Granted, the public is by no means tired of watching the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow, and as long as a franchise makes money, new installments will keep coming. Personally, I lost interest … Continue reading Why I Like the First “Pirates” Best
X Marks the Spot
Swish, swish, swish... 🙂 There have been adaptations a-plenty of Robert Louis Stevenson's most famous work, Treasure Island. The entertainment world has produced over fifty for film and TV, over twenty-four major stage productions, six radio versions, five computer games, five musical scores, three audio books and two retellings. And a partridge in a pear … Continue reading X Marks the Spot
That Other Hamilton Woman
And now to discuss one of the great ladies of the screen... Gone With the Wind is a notorious tale. Margaret Mitchell's 1936 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about the Civil War South was a massive success, and the 1939 movie is still the top box office earner of all time. Even those who haven't seen it … Continue reading That Other Hamilton Woman
Judy Garland Lived Here
Judy's life was an odyssey and like most of us, her place of residence changed frequently. I thought it would be interesting to post current-day photos of as many of her former homes as possible, preferably using Google Maps. There was only one slight hitch (and being a Californian I should have remembered this): Mansions … Continue reading Judy Garland Lived Here
Mick and Jootes
One of Old Hollywood's sweetest stories is the long-enduring relationship between Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. They knew each other almost all their lives, and while romance never entered the picture, there was always more than friendship there. Both started in vaudeville at very young ages (Mickey was eighteen months old, while Judy was two-and-a-half), … Continue reading Mick and Jootes
Accentuate the Positive
Here we go--time to talk about Miss Show Business! I've said it before and I'll say it again: When people think of Judy Garland, they most often go right to the sordid parts of her life. This is a huge shame, because to the people who knew her, Judy had such a gift for bringing … Continue reading Accentuate the Positive
On One Hand: My Five Favorite Classic Stars
It's National Classic Movie Day again, and Rick has another question for us bloggers: Which five stars are your favorite? Eeeep. That's even tougher than last year's challenge. Anyone who's an old film lover knows there's so much to like about the Golden Age. Me, I always enjoy watching the repartee between Katharine Hepburn and … Continue reading On One Hand: My Five Favorite Classic Stars
Taking Up Room 