Cash-ins, of course, are nothing new, and in 1945 Judy Garland was able to add another item to her resume. Well, sort of. In Judy Garland and the Hoodoo Costume, the former Dorothy Gale became an unwitting mystery sleuth. The author, Kathryn Heisenfelt, is more mysterious than her books and her books are all kinds of … Continue reading Judy Garland, Mystery Sleuth
Hollywood Goes To Ferndale
Say what anyone will about Jim Carrey, in his heyday he made some fine films, and one of my favorites is 2001's The Majestic. It's not just a straight-ahead, old-school feel-good movie, but a lot of it was filmed in Ferndale, California, an absolutely gorgeous town in Humboldt County. The movie opens at a concept meeting, … Continue reading Hollywood Goes To Ferndale
Judy Garland, Protagonist
It's Judy Garland's one-hundred second birthday today. This great artist has been extensively written about, speculated about, pitied, celebrated and misjudged for decades, both when she was alive and in the nearly sixty years that have passed since her death. She even starred in her own mystery novel in 1945, but that's another topic for … Continue reading Judy Garland, Protagonist
During World War Two: We’ll Have To Improvise
It's no secret that there were shortages during the war. Nylons were out for the time being and cotton and rayon stockings were in. Magazines of the time reported that skirts were to be only three feet in circumference and trimming was limited. Shoes were rationed. Naturally, none of this kept people from buying clothes. … Continue reading During World War Two: We’ll Have To Improvise
The Time My Dad Ate Chinese Food With Cary Grant
The stereotypes a lot of people have of Californians, even to this day, is that we all live next door to movie stars or that movie stars are everywhere we look, but the reality is that while our odds are definitely better in that regard, it's still a matter of being in the right place … Continue reading The Time My Dad Ate Chinese Food With Cary Grant
Judy and Sid vs. Warner Bros.
What's up, Doc? As the cliche says, "Money makes the mare go." That metaphorical mare is often a picky eater, especially when art and money meet, and not even one of the greatest purveyors of the art we call film, Warner Bros., is immune. Judy Garland's 1954 movie, A Star Is Born is at once one … Continue reading Judy and Sid vs. Warner Bros.
Have An Umbrella Handy
How to make a sequel? Let us count the ways. There's the Go Big Or Go Home method, where everything has to be bigger and better than the first movie or everyone will know the reason why. There's the Continuation method, where the story picks up where it leaves off and nothing really changes. There's … Continue reading Have An Umbrella Handy
Gowns By Adrian
Hollywood's Golden Era had no shortage of distinctive and wonderful costumers, such as Edith Head, Irene Sharaff, Kalloch, and Walter Plunkett, but for sheer prestige, we have to look to Gilbert Adrian, whose story is told in Rizzoli New York's Adrian: A Lifetime of Movie Glamour, Art, and High Fashion. The book covers the three … Continue reading Gowns By Adrian
Sold: The 1970 MGM Auction
*Insert lion's roar here* There's no such thing as being too big to fail. MGM was always one of the biggest and most successful studios in Hollywood, but when they fell, they fell hard. Not that it was a surprise to anyone in the post-Production Code, post block-book era, seeing as MGM's fortunes had been … Continue reading Sold: The 1970 MGM Auction
During World War Two: Serious Days
Well, folks, we're happy to be back with you again, and on behalf of the Johnson Wax people and our cast, may we say that we're not unconscious of the fact that these are serious days. --Jim Jordan of the Fibber McGee and Molly radio show, September 5, 1939. On September first, Britain declared war … Continue reading During World War Two: Serious Days
During World War Two: Beginnings
Et voilá, that new series I hinted at last month: We're going to be talking about Hollywood's response to the war and how the war affected movies and radio shows produced during that time. As those of you who have been around Taking Up Room for any length of time have no doubt seen, the nineteen-forties … Continue reading During World War Two: Beginnings
The Rest of the Movie
Happy Silent Movie Day! Anyone who's ever watched a documentary about film history, especially of MGM, has probably seen a shot of John Gilbert lunching with a group of his fellow stars. That clip comes from 1928's Show People, a fantastic Marion Davies vehicle that's beloved by film buffs and geek bait for historians. Peggy Pepper … Continue reading The Rest of the Movie
Reading Rarities: Silent Echoes
Southern California and LA in particular are notoriously cavalier about architectural history. Everything's got to be new and fresh. With all the movies that have been made there over the past hundred-plus years, not to mention the periodic earthquakes, it's amazing anything stands longer than a few decades. Still, remnants of old Hollywood manage to … Continue reading Reading Rarities: Silent Echoes
Origins: Mary Poppins Returns
Full disclosure: I was all set to announce that this would be the last installment in the Origins series, because there are only so many ways to say today's Hollywood mostly stinks. However, that was before I peeked at what's lined up for next year. Put it this way: 2019 may reveal whole new levels … Continue reading Origins: Mary Poppins Returns
Being Fay Bainter
Gotta watch those character actors... Only ten actors to date have been nominated for Best and Supporting Actor or Actress in the same year. Fay Bainter is the first one. Fay Bainter was biz-ee. She was an able supporting player, and her work spans radio, film, television, and stage. Mostly stage, though. Born in Los … Continue reading Being Fay Bainter
Beneath the Beauty
And here's Miss Hedy... When it comes to Hedy Lamarr, it's easy to zero in on her beauty and go no further. However, this woman had plenty more going for her than just a gorgeous face, and we in the twenty-first century wouldn't be where we are today without her. 2017's Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story ably … Continue reading Beneath the Beauty
Rita Hayworth and World War Two
Well, hello, Miss Rita... As we've talked about on this blog before, Hollywood threw itself into doing its part during the Second World War. All efforts were vastly appreciated, but some stood out more than others, and one of those was Rita Hayworth. In the early nineteen forties, Rita's star was on a rapid ascent, … Continue reading Rita Hayworth and World War Two
Taking Up Room 