The preview opening of the new exhibit Meet the Stars: 100 Years of MGM Studios and the Golden Age of Hollywood on Thursday night was a crowded, buzzing affair. Held at the Hollywood Heritage Museum in the historic Lasky DeMille Barn across from the Hollywood Bowl, the event showcased the items of over 20 movie collectors. Memorabilia hunters, dressed in fedoras and flirty ’40s dresses, gabbed about their latest finds with others who have a similar passion.
The highlight of the night was when the crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to former MGM child star Cora Sue Collins (who played a little Greta Garbo in 1933’s Queen Christina), the last surviving MGM contract player from the 1930s. Sitting at a tableau that recreated a party thrown for her by MGM in 1935, Collins elegantly thanked everyone for their well wishes. Actor George Chakiris was also in attendance, and he posed next to a costume...
The highlight of the night was when the crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to former MGM child star Cora Sue Collins (who played a little Greta Garbo in 1933’s Queen Christina), the last surviving MGM contract player from the 1930s. Sitting at a tableau that recreated a party thrown for her by MGM in 1935, Collins elegantly thanked everyone for their well wishes. Actor George Chakiris was also in attendance, and he posed next to a costume...
- 4/5/2024
- by Hadley Meares
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Some apotheosis of film culture has been reached with Freddy Got Fingered‘s addition to the Criterion Channel. Three years after we interviewed Tom Green about his consummate film maudit, it’s appearing on the service’s Razzie-centered program that also includes the now-admired likes of Cruising, Heaven’s Gate, Querelle, and Ishtar; the still-due likes of Under the Cherry Moon; and the more-contested Gigli, Swept Away, and Nicolas Cage-led Wicker Man. In all cases it’s an opportunity to reconsider one of the lamest, thin-gruel entities in modern culture.
A Jane Russell retro features von Sternberg’s Macao, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and Raoul Walsh’s The Tall Men and The Revolt of Mamie Stover; streaming premieres will be held for Yuen Woo-ping’s Dreadnaught, Claire Simon’s Our Body, Ellie Foumbi’s Our Father, the Devil, the recently restored Sepa: Our Lord of Miracles, and The Passion of Rememberance.
A Jane Russell retro features von Sternberg’s Macao, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and Raoul Walsh’s The Tall Men and The Revolt of Mamie Stover; streaming premieres will be held for Yuen Woo-ping’s Dreadnaught, Claire Simon’s Our Body, Ellie Foumbi’s Our Father, the Devil, the recently restored Sepa: Our Lord of Miracles, and The Passion of Rememberance.
- 2/14/2024
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Howard Hawks’ eye-catching comedy sees the actor at the height of her talents in a tale with more depth and intellect than even its director knew
Last year’s Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde broke up its parade of visceral suffering heaped upon the woman born Norma Jeane Mortenson with an acknowledgement of one injustice not of the physically invasive persuasion.
We learn that while working on Howard Hawks’ superlative Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (which turns 70 years old this weekend), she received a paltry rate of $500 a week, while her comparatively better-known co-45star Jane Russell raked in a sum-total fee in the amount of $200,000. On this point, director Andrew Dominik clearly conveys his thesis that the industry used and abused a woman ill-equipped to advocate for herself, and for once, he does it without joining in on that which he purports to critique by lavishing punishments upon star Ana de Armas.
Last year’s Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde broke up its parade of visceral suffering heaped upon the woman born Norma Jeane Mortenson with an acknowledgement of one injustice not of the physically invasive persuasion.
We learn that while working on Howard Hawks’ superlative Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (which turns 70 years old this weekend), she received a paltry rate of $500 a week, while her comparatively better-known co-45star Jane Russell raked in a sum-total fee in the amount of $200,000. On this point, director Andrew Dominik clearly conveys his thesis that the industry used and abused a woman ill-equipped to advocate for herself, and for once, he does it without joining in on that which he purports to critique by lavishing punishments upon star Ana de Armas.
- 7/1/2023
- by Charles Bramesco
- The Guardian - Film News
Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Barth Feldman in No Hard FeelingsPhoto: Macall Polay/Sony Pictures Entertainment
In No Hard Feelings, Jennifer Lawrence plays Maddie, a floundering 32-year-old so down on her luck she’s willing to make a deal with the parents of a sheltered 19-year-old to “date” him in exchange...
In No Hard Feelings, Jennifer Lawrence plays Maddie, a floundering 32-year-old so down on her luck she’s willing to make a deal with the parents of a sheltered 19-year-old to “date” him in exchange...
- 6/22/2023
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
It’s not every day that Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Thomas Anderson team up. But IndieWire has learned they will today: The three directors have scheduled an emergency call with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav about the layoffs of Turner Classic Movies’ top brass.
The network laid off much of its leadership yesterday, including executive VP and general manager Pola Changnon; senior VP of programming and content strategy, Charles Tabesh; VP of brand creative and marketing Dexter Fedor; VP of enterprises and strategic partnerships Genevieve McGillicuddy, who also served as the director of the annual TCM Film Festival; and VP of studio production Anne Wilson.
These people were responsible for everything from curating lineups, to shooting intros and outros, and for creating original shows, documentaries, and video essays that serve as major contributions to American cultural history.
Scorsese has often said he has Turner Classic Movies on...
The network laid off much of its leadership yesterday, including executive VP and general manager Pola Changnon; senior VP of programming and content strategy, Charles Tabesh; VP of brand creative and marketing Dexter Fedor; VP of enterprises and strategic partnerships Genevieve McGillicuddy, who also served as the director of the annual TCM Film Festival; and VP of studio production Anne Wilson.
These people were responsible for everything from curating lineups, to shooting intros and outros, and for creating original shows, documentaries, and video essays that serve as major contributions to American cultural history.
Scorsese has often said he has Turner Classic Movies on...
- 6/21/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
What do the 55th annual Academy Awards which took place April 11, 1983 have in common with the upcoming 95th Oscars?
Steven Spielberg and John Williams.
Back in 1983, Spielberg’s beloved “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” was nominated for nine Academy Awards including film, director and score. This year, the 76-year-old Spielberg and Williams, 91, are both nominated for “The Fabelmans.” The filmmaker’s semi-autobiographical drama is in contention for eight Academy Awards including film, director, screenplay and score.
The 55th Oscars made history with Ben Kingsley becoming the first actor of Indian descent to win the best actor Oscar for his extraordinary portrayal of “Gandhi” while Louis Gossett Jr. become the first black actor to win in the supporting category with his iconic turn as tough-nosed D.I. in “An Officer and a Gentleman.” This year, history could be made again in the best actress category. Malaysian Chinese performer Michelle Yeoh has the chance...
Steven Spielberg and John Williams.
Back in 1983, Spielberg’s beloved “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” was nominated for nine Academy Awards including film, director and score. This year, the 76-year-old Spielberg and Williams, 91, are both nominated for “The Fabelmans.” The filmmaker’s semi-autobiographical drama is in contention for eight Academy Awards including film, director, screenplay and score.
The 55th Oscars made history with Ben Kingsley becoming the first actor of Indian descent to win the best actor Oscar for his extraordinary portrayal of “Gandhi” while Louis Gossett Jr. become the first black actor to win in the supporting category with his iconic turn as tough-nosed D.I. in “An Officer and a Gentleman.” This year, history could be made again in the best actress category. Malaysian Chinese performer Michelle Yeoh has the chance...
- 3/1/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
"The picture that couldn't be stopped!" trumpeted the tagline for "The Outlaw," Howard Hughes' fictional tale of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, with Doc Holliday and a little of Jane Russell's cleavage thrown in for good measure. The latter made the film one of the most controversial pictures of its day, and it would take the Hollywood mogul five years to secure the movie a wide release.
Producer and director Hughes had no qualms about using Russell's sex appeal to sell his movie; when it came to picking a young starlet to play her part from a nationwide casting call, Hughes chose Russell because her bust was the most to his liking. Much of the publicity was focused on the 19-year-old making her screen debut, resulting in one of the most famous and controversial images of '40s Hollywood: Jane Russell reclining in a haystack with a gun in her hand,...
Producer and director Hughes had no qualms about using Russell's sex appeal to sell his movie; when it came to picking a young starlet to play her part from a nationwide casting call, Hughes chose Russell because her bust was the most to his liking. Much of the publicity was focused on the 19-year-old making her screen debut, resulting in one of the most famous and controversial images of '40s Hollywood: Jane Russell reclining in a haystack with a gun in her hand,...
- 12/18/2022
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
Christine McVie always came on like the grown-up in the room, which admittedly might not be hard to do when the room is Fleetwood Mac. But McVie was the emotional glue in a band that has spent the past 50 years breaking up over and over, the most stable, sensible, down-to-earth member of rock’s most unstable, senseless, lost-in-space circus. The universally beloved piano woman who wrote great song after great song, the one all the others got along with. Christine kept singing like the songbird who knew the score, and...
- 12/1/2022
- by Rob Sheffield
- Rollingstone.com
Howard Hughes's deliriously ahistorical "The Outlaw" is probably best known for star Jane Russell's brassiere, which the director painstakingly designed to accentuate her 38Dd bosom. Never mind that Russell claimed she wore it all of a few minutes, loathed the fit, and padded her own bra the old-fashioned way; the undergarment is still on display in a Hollywood museum -- the, er, stuff of showbiz legend.
The film itself is an agreeably campy Western. Doc Holliday (Walter Huston) rides into Lincoln, New Mexico looking to recover his stolen horses. He tells his friend Pat Garrett (Thomas Mitchell) that Billy the Kid (Jack Buetel) is the thief, which sets up a not-terribly-understated homoerotic love triangle. It's a goofy movie that should be a lot more fun than it is, but its script by Jules Furthman boasts some nifty flourishes, one of which finds the sharp-shooting Holliday trying to goad...
The film itself is an agreeably campy Western. Doc Holliday (Walter Huston) rides into Lincoln, New Mexico looking to recover his stolen horses. He tells his friend Pat Garrett (Thomas Mitchell) that Billy the Kid (Jack Buetel) is the thief, which sets up a not-terribly-understated homoerotic love triangle. It's a goofy movie that should be a lot more fun than it is, but its script by Jules Furthman boasts some nifty flourishes, one of which finds the sharp-shooting Holliday trying to goad...
- 10/5/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
According to “Blonde” director Andrew Dominik, Marilyn Monroe’s famed movie “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” is all about “whores.”
Dominik, who wrote and directed Netflix’s controversial Nc-17-rated portrait of Monroe, previously admitted to not being familiar with Monroe’s filmography prior to adapting Joyce Carol Oates’ novel on the late icon. Now, in a new interview with BFI’s Sight and Sound Magazine, Dominik said that Monroe starred in “a whole lot of movies that nobody really watches, right?”
Journalist Christina Newland, who was conducting the interview with Dominik, tweeted an “outtake” from her transcript with the “Assassination of Jesse James” director.
“Does anyone watch Marilyn Monroe movies?,” Dominik said, before going on to slam “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” as a movie about “well-dressed whores.” See below.
“I do want to make sure I’m doing my due diligence here,” Newland added on Twitter. “He did talk about & reference many of her films.
Dominik, who wrote and directed Netflix’s controversial Nc-17-rated portrait of Monroe, previously admitted to not being familiar with Monroe’s filmography prior to adapting Joyce Carol Oates’ novel on the late icon. Now, in a new interview with BFI’s Sight and Sound Magazine, Dominik said that Monroe starred in “a whole lot of movies that nobody really watches, right?”
Journalist Christina Newland, who was conducting the interview with Dominik, tweeted an “outtake” from her transcript with the “Assassination of Jesse James” director.
“Does anyone watch Marilyn Monroe movies?,” Dominik said, before going on to slam “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” as a movie about “well-dressed whores.” See below.
“I do want to make sure I’m doing my due diligence here,” Newland added on Twitter. “He did talk about & reference many of her films.
- 9/27/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
1953 was an important year for Marilyn Monroe. She'd been appearing in films since 1947, but '53 is when she became a star. That year, she appeared in three films for 20th Century Fox and one of them stands tall as defining her legendary screen persona: director Howard Hawks' "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes."
Monroe plays Lorelei Lee, the titular blonde and one of the film's two co-leads; the other is her brunette best friend Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell). Lorelei is a bit ditzy and not shy about her expensive tastes (in men and otherwise), but there's no more loyal friend around.
Earlier that year, Monroe starred in the technicolor thriller "Niagara" as the murderous Rose Loomis, who conspires with her lover (Richard Allen) to murder her husband (Joseph Cotton). Hawks' film, though, was a musical comedy. Since she was playing a totally different type of character, Monroe needed to show a different side of herself.
Monroe plays Lorelei Lee, the titular blonde and one of the film's two co-leads; the other is her brunette best friend Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell). Lorelei is a bit ditzy and not shy about her expensive tastes (in men and otherwise), but there's no more loyal friend around.
Earlier that year, Monroe starred in the technicolor thriller "Niagara" as the murderous Rose Loomis, who conspires with her lover (Richard Allen) to murder her husband (Joseph Cotton). Hawks' film, though, was a musical comedy. Since she was playing a totally different type of character, Monroe needed to show a different side of herself.
- 9/26/2022
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Many movie stars of the Hollywood Golden Age were "the strong, silent type" — Robert Mitchum was definitely one of them. That silence and piercing gaze meant Mitchum could play villains more convincingly than many of his contemporaries. He played not one but two serial killers — Harry Powell in "The Night of The Hunter" and Max Cady in "Cape Fear" — before the phrase even entered the popular lexicon. Even his heroic roles, such as Jeff Markham in the noir "Out of the Past," had as much edge as the Hays Code would permit.
Mitchum's stardom even survived brushes with the law. In 1949, he served two months in prison for marijuana possession. So, why was Mitchum in such demand? It wasn't just because audiences loved him.
Where The Demand Came From
A 1982 Village Voice profile explores why Mitchum was popular with both Hollywood money-men and movie-goers. For the former, it's because he...
Mitchum's stardom even survived brushes with the law. In 1949, he served two months in prison for marijuana possession. So, why was Mitchum in such demand? It wasn't just because audiences loved him.
Where The Demand Came From
A 1982 Village Voice profile explores why Mitchum was popular with both Hollywood money-men and movie-goers. For the former, it's because he...
- 8/13/2022
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
If you were raised in a house tuned to Am radio in the 1970s and early ‘80s, chances are that the crystalline vocals of Olivia Newton-John, who died Monday at age 73 at her Southern California ranch, were a big part of your childhood soundtrack.
This was especially true if you grew up in Australia, where we eagerly claimed her as our own, even if Onj was born in Britain and moved with her family to Melbourne when she was 5. I just have to think about her 1971 breakthrough hit, a wistful, soft-rock country love song by Bob Dylan called “If Not for You,” to start it playing in my head on a loop for days. “Let Me Be There,” from the same debut solo album has a similar lasting hold over me, as does “Banks of the Ohio,” a 19th-century down-home murder ballad rendered with sweet,...
If you were raised in a house tuned to Am radio in the 1970s and early ‘80s, chances are that the crystalline vocals of Olivia Newton-John, who died Monday at age 73 at her Southern California ranch, were a big part of your childhood soundtrack.
This was especially true if you grew up in Australia, where we eagerly claimed her as our own, even if Onj was born in Britain and moved with her family to Melbourne when she was 5. I just have to think about her 1971 breakthrough hit, a wistful, soft-rock country love song by Bob Dylan called “If Not for You,” to start it playing in my head on a loop for days. “Let Me Be There,” from the same debut solo album has a similar lasting hold over me, as does “Banks of the Ohio,” a 19th-century down-home murder ballad rendered with sweet,...
- 8/9/2022
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kim Kardashian just missed out on another Marilyn Monroe collectible.
After the “Kardashians” mogul donned two Monroe gowns for the 2022 Met Gala festivities, select costumes from Monroe’s film legacy were auctioned during a four-day “Hollywood Legends” event hosted by Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles.
A sheer white gown worn by Monroe in the 1954 musical comedy “There’s No Business Like Show Business” marked the highest purchase out of the 1,700 items, fetching a bid of 218,750. A sequin leotard worn by Monroe in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” sold for 102,400 alongside Jane Russell’s matching costume from the 1953 movie.
The auction was hosted in collaboration with Turner Classic Movies on June 1, which would have been Monroe’s 96th birthday. Monroe’s ensembles were among more than 100 items used by or belonging to the screen icon that were sold at auction. The “Some Like It Hot” actress died at age 36 in 1962 under unknown circumstances.
After the “Kardashians” mogul donned two Monroe gowns for the 2022 Met Gala festivities, select costumes from Monroe’s film legacy were auctioned during a four-day “Hollywood Legends” event hosted by Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles.
A sheer white gown worn by Monroe in the 1954 musical comedy “There’s No Business Like Show Business” marked the highest purchase out of the 1,700 items, fetching a bid of 218,750. A sequin leotard worn by Monroe in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” sold for 102,400 alongside Jane Russell’s matching costume from the 1953 movie.
The auction was hosted in collaboration with Turner Classic Movies on June 1, which would have been Monroe’s 96th birthday. Monroe’s ensembles were among more than 100 items used by or belonging to the screen icon that were sold at auction. The “Some Like It Hot” actress died at age 36 in 1962 under unknown circumstances.
- 7/18/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Angus MacLane, animation veteran and director of the new Pixar adventure Lightyear, discusses his favorite movies with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Taking Off (1971)
Reign of Terror (1949)
Kiss Me Deadly (1955) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s review
Lightyear (2022)
Toy Story (1995)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary, Dennis Cozzalio’s Beyond Furious series, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Innerspace (1987) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Mars Attacks! (1996)
The ’Burbs (1989) – Ti West’s trailer commentary, ’Burbs Mania at Tfh
Alive (1993)
Star Wars (1977)
Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937)
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
The Matrix (1999)
Alien (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
Aliens (1986) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Tron (1982)
The Blues Brothers (1980) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary
Howard The Duck (1986) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s review
Wall-e (2008)
Predator 2 (1990)
Alien vs. Predator...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Taking Off (1971)
Reign of Terror (1949)
Kiss Me Deadly (1955) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s review
Lightyear (2022)
Toy Story (1995)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary, Dennis Cozzalio’s Beyond Furious series, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Innerspace (1987) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Mars Attacks! (1996)
The ’Burbs (1989) – Ti West’s trailer commentary, ’Burbs Mania at Tfh
Alive (1993)
Star Wars (1977)
Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937)
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
The Matrix (1999)
Alien (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
Aliens (1986) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Tron (1982)
The Blues Brothers (1980) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary
Howard The Duck (1986) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s review
Wall-e (2008)
Predator 2 (1990)
Alien vs. Predator...
- 6/7/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Despite the increase in pop-culture amnesia, there are actually a lot of great rom-coms that predate the Reagan era
For many pop-culture websites, which we will not name here, the history of cinema apparently begins somewhere around the release of “Star Wars” (1977), with almost everything that preceded it to the big screen being sloughed off as quaint, forgettable and irrelevant.
It’s the sort of thing that people who love movies and movie history can often ignore with the roll of an eye, but when one site recently trumpeted its list of the 50 Best Rom-Coms of All Time — which featured exactly one movie made before 1980 and zero prior to 1970 — we could sit by no longer.
Here is an alphabetical list of 50 classic romantic comedies that merely scratches the surface of great movies made during ye olden times of 1979 and earlier:
“The Awful Truth” (1937): Cary Grant and Irene Dunne star...
For many pop-culture websites, which we will not name here, the history of cinema apparently begins somewhere around the release of “Star Wars” (1977), with almost everything that preceded it to the big screen being sloughed off as quaint, forgettable and irrelevant.
It’s the sort of thing that people who love movies and movie history can often ignore with the roll of an eye, but when one site recently trumpeted its list of the 50 Best Rom-Coms of All Time — which featured exactly one movie made before 1980 and zero prior to 1970 — we could sit by no longer.
Here is an alphabetical list of 50 classic romantic comedies that merely scratches the surface of great movies made during ye olden times of 1979 and earlier:
“The Awful Truth” (1937): Cary Grant and Irene Dunne star...
- 4/18/2022
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Joe Wright’s “brutal” vision for the psychological thriller “The Woman in the Window” was shattered thanks to a drawn-out production, dismaying test screenings, multiple reshoots and re-edits, and an overall “long, protracted, frustrating experience.”
Wright opened up to Vulture about the adaptation of A.J. Finn’s novel of the same name, which premiered on Netflix in May 2021. Amy Adams stars as Dr. Anna Fox, an alcoholic, pill-guzzling recluse who witnesses the supposed murder of her neighbor, Jane Russell (Julianne Moore), only for Jane’s husband (Gary Oldman) to introduce Anna to another Jane Russell (Jennifer Jason Leigh).
What should’ve been awards-season fodder with Oscar nominee Wright at the helm was deemed a dud by most, and arguably marked the end of that version of the Hollywood studio system with the film rights changing hands over the course of production. The film eventually landed on Netflix, which bought the...
Wright opened up to Vulture about the adaptation of A.J. Finn’s novel of the same name, which premiered on Netflix in May 2021. Amy Adams stars as Dr. Anna Fox, an alcoholic, pill-guzzling recluse who witnesses the supposed murder of her neighbor, Jane Russell (Julianne Moore), only for Jane’s husband (Gary Oldman) to introduce Anna to another Jane Russell (Jennifer Jason Leigh).
What should’ve been awards-season fodder with Oscar nominee Wright at the helm was deemed a dud by most, and arguably marked the end of that version of the Hollywood studio system with the film rights changing hands over the course of production. The film eventually landed on Netflix, which bought the...
- 3/16/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Johnny Brown, the actor, comedian and singer best known for his role as superintendent Nathan Bookman on the popular 70s sitcom “Good Times,” died Wednesday. He was 84 years old.
Brown’s death was confirmed by his daughter, Broadway actress Sharon Catherine Brown, through a post shared on her Instagram. No further details on Brown’s death are available at this time.
“He was literally snatched out of our lives. It’s not real for us yet,” Sharon Catherine Brown wrote. “So there will be more to say but not now. Dad was the absolute best. We love him so very much.”
Prior to his sitcom stardom, Brown was a seasoned entertainment veteran, regularly performing in nightclub acts with his future wife, June Russell. Early in his career he dabbled in recording music, releasing the single “Walkin’, Talkin’, Kissin’ Doll” for Columbia Records in 1961 and “You’re Too Much in Love...
Brown’s death was confirmed by his daughter, Broadway actress Sharon Catherine Brown, through a post shared on her Instagram. No further details on Brown’s death are available at this time.
“He was literally snatched out of our lives. It’s not real for us yet,” Sharon Catherine Brown wrote. “So there will be more to say but not now. Dad was the absolute best. We love him so very much.”
Prior to his sitcom stardom, Brown was a seasoned entertainment veteran, regularly performing in nightclub acts with his future wife, June Russell. Early in his career he dabbled in recording music, releasing the single “Walkin’, Talkin’, Kissin’ Doll” for Columbia Records in 1961 and “You’re Too Much in Love...
- 3/5/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
Chosen as the protagonist of the Rotterdam Film Festival’s Focus section, Amanda Kramer will show eight films to the festival audience, ranging from her 2016 short “Bark” to “Give Me Pity!” and this year’s opener “Please Baby Please,” both set to celebrate their world premieres at the festival.
“It’s a funny thing, to be a relatively obscure artist given this very pronounced focus on your work,” Kramer tells Variety. “When Rotterdam was so keen to show it, I was just elated. It felt like I had done something right.”
In “Please Baby Please,” starring Andrea Riseborough and Harry Melling as a couple suddenly faced with their long-dormant fantasies, as well as a violent greaser gang, Kramer turns her attention to the 1950s.
“When people talk about that time, they usually go for this cinched waist, poodle skirt, preppy aesthetic. What I am drawn to is the sleazier, more...
“It’s a funny thing, to be a relatively obscure artist given this very pronounced focus on your work,” Kramer tells Variety. “When Rotterdam was so keen to show it, I was just elated. It felt like I had done something right.”
In “Please Baby Please,” starring Andrea Riseborough and Harry Melling as a couple suddenly faced with their long-dormant fantasies, as well as a violent greaser gang, Kramer turns her attention to the 1950s.
“When people talk about that time, they usually go for this cinched waist, poodle skirt, preppy aesthetic. What I am drawn to is the sleazier, more...
- 1/25/2022
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
As the face (sometimes) and voice (always) of an amuse-bouche of TV shows, film criticism (in his column for Sight and Sound), and documentaries over the last thirty years, the Belfast-born, Edinburgh-based filmmaker Mark Cousins has occupied a unique place in the film landscape while seldom being, it’s fair to say, to everybody’s tastes. “People think I’m a bit daft” Cousins frankly admits to himself, and to us, in his new docu-essay The Story of Looking, a deeply personal film that might just hit enough right notes to enamor even his fiercest detractors.
Whether hosting “Moviedrone” in the late ‘90s (a gig he took over from the great Alex Cox) or his excellent “Scene By Scene” interview series for the BBC, Cousins’ early forays into television remain the most widely liked work of his career. His magnum opus The Story of Film, a 15-hour series from 2011 that...
Whether hosting “Moviedrone” in the late ‘90s (a gig he took over from the great Alex Cox) or his excellent “Scene By Scene” interview series for the BBC, Cousins’ early forays into television remain the most widely liked work of his career. His magnum opus The Story of Film, a 15-hour series from 2011 that...
- 11/18/2021
- by Rory O'Connor
- The Film Stage
A dark desert highway isn’t just something in an Eagles song — it’s what some Angelenos will be taking to Palm Springs this weekend to experience the particular shade of nightfall that is film noir. The Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival is resuming at the Palm Springs Cultural Center after a pandemic-mandated time-out last year, offering a slate of a dozen familiar or obscure picks over the course of one concentrated weekend, some of them unspooling in rare 35mm prints.
Alan K. Rode, a familiar presence to L.A. repertory filmgoers, not to mention noir fans around the country, is returning as producer and host, joined as a presenter by cohort Eddie Muller, the host of TCM’s “Noir Alley.” TCM is signing onto the Palm Springs event as a presenting sponsor for the first time.
Films range from one of the quintessential noirs, “The Big Sleep,” on the...
Alan K. Rode, a familiar presence to L.A. repertory filmgoers, not to mention noir fans around the country, is returning as producer and host, joined as a presenter by cohort Eddie Muller, the host of TCM’s “Noir Alley.” TCM is signing onto the Palm Springs event as a presenting sponsor for the first time.
Films range from one of the quintessential noirs, “The Big Sleep,” on the...
- 10/19/2021
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Richard Fleischer’s thriller achieves classic noir status thanks to Earl Felton’s Oscar nominated script—the dialog is so hard boiled it sizzles. The terrific Charles McGraw plays a cop protecting a gangster’s girlfriend train-bound for the grand jury—assorted assassins and gangsters have other ideas. As the unmanageable mobster’s moll, the great Marie Windsor is one of the most duplicitous dames in noir history. Rko boss Howard Hughes liked this quickie so much that he kept it on the shelf for two years while pondering whether to to remake it with Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell. Luckily he decided against it.
The post The Narrow Margin appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
The post The Narrow Margin appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 9/13/2021
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Joyce MacKenzie, who portrayed Jane opposite Lex Barker in the 1953 film Tarzan and the She-Devil, has died. She was 95.
MacKenzie died June 10 at a health care facility in Hollywood, her son Norman Leimert told The Hollywood Reporter.
MacKenzie also played the wife of Robert Mitchum’s character in The Racket (1951) and a newspaper publisher’s daughter opposite Humphrey Bogart in Deadline — U.S.A. (1952), and in the 3D musical The French Line (1953), her model character exchanged identities with Jane Russell’s.
A onetime contract player at Fox, MacKenzie appeared with Barker in his fifth (and last) stint ...
MacKenzie died June 10 at a health care facility in Hollywood, her son Norman Leimert told The Hollywood Reporter.
MacKenzie also played the wife of Robert Mitchum’s character in The Racket (1951) and a newspaper publisher’s daughter opposite Humphrey Bogart in Deadline — U.S.A. (1952), and in the 3D musical The French Line (1953), her model character exchanged identities with Jane Russell’s.
A onetime contract player at Fox, MacKenzie appeared with Barker in his fifth (and last) stint ...
- 7/15/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Joyce MacKenzie, who portrayed Jane opposite Lex Barker in the 1953 film Tarzan and the She-Devil, has died. She was 95.
MacKenzie died June 10 at a health care facility in Hollywood, her son Norman Leimert told The Hollywood Reporter.
MacKenzie also played the wife of Robert Mitchum’s character in The Racket (1951) and a newspaper publisher’s daughter opposite Humphrey Bogart in Deadline — U.S.A. (1952), and in the 3D musical The French Line (1953), her model character exchanged identities with Jane Russell’s.
A onetime contract player at Fox, MacKenzie appeared with Barker in his fifth (and last) stint ...
MacKenzie died June 10 at a health care facility in Hollywood, her son Norman Leimert told The Hollywood Reporter.
MacKenzie also played the wife of Robert Mitchum’s character in The Racket (1951) and a newspaper publisher’s daughter opposite Humphrey Bogart in Deadline — U.S.A. (1952), and in the 3D musical The French Line (1953), her model character exchanged identities with Jane Russell’s.
A onetime contract player at Fox, MacKenzie appeared with Barker in his fifth (and last) stint ...
- 7/15/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Whether it be conveying humor, heartbreak, heavy drama or a lofty song, Marilyn Monroe’s talent went far beyond her beauty.
The Asphalt Jungle
In her first important role, Monroe plays a young mistress who supplies her sugar daddy a fake alibi in this John Huston-directed film noir. TV director Michael Lehmann later went on to say, “Mm playing a bimbo so much better than anybody can these days.”
All About Eve
Monroe was a relative un-known when her agent went to get her the role in this classic Bette Davis film. Film critic Roger Ebert wrote of Monroe’s performance, “It has been observed that no matter how a scene was lighted, Monroe had the quality of drawing all the light to herself. In her brief scenes here, surrounded by actors much more experienced, she is all we can look at.”
Don’t Bother to Knock
This psychological...
The Asphalt Jungle
In her first important role, Monroe plays a young mistress who supplies her sugar daddy a fake alibi in this John Huston-directed film noir. TV director Michael Lehmann later went on to say, “Mm playing a bimbo so much better than anybody can these days.”
All About Eve
Monroe was a relative un-known when her agent went to get her the role in this classic Bette Davis film. Film critic Roger Ebert wrote of Monroe’s performance, “It has been observed that no matter how a scene was lighted, Monroe had the quality of drawing all the light to herself. In her brief scenes here, surrounded by actors much more experienced, she is all we can look at.”
Don’t Bother to Knock
This psychological...
- 6/1/2021
- by Rosemary Rossi
- The Wrap
The Criterion Channel has unveiled their lineup for next month and it’s another strong slate, featuring retrospectives of Carole Lombard, John Waters, Robert Downey Sr., Luis García Berlanga, Jane Russell, and Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman. Also in the lineup is new additions to their Queersighted series, notably Todd Haynes’ early film Poison (Safe is also premiering in a separate presentation), William Friedkin’s Cruising, and Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Teorama.
The new restorations of Manoel de Oliveira’s stunning Francisca and Francesco Rosi’s Christ Stopped at Eboli will join the channel, alongside Agnieszka Holland’s Spoor, Bong Joon Ho’s early short film Incoherence, and Luc Dardenne & Jean-Pierre Dardenne’s Rosetta.
See the lineup below and explore more on criterionchannel.com.
#Blackmendream, Shikeith, 2014
12 Angry Men, Sidney Lumet, 1957
About Tap, George T. Nierenberg, 1985
The AIDS Show, Peter Adair and Rob Epstein, 1986
The Assignation, Curtis Harrington, 1953
Aya of Yop City,...
The new restorations of Manoel de Oliveira’s stunning Francisca and Francesco Rosi’s Christ Stopped at Eboli will join the channel, alongside Agnieszka Holland’s Spoor, Bong Joon Ho’s early short film Incoherence, and Luc Dardenne & Jean-Pierre Dardenne’s Rosetta.
See the lineup below and explore more on criterionchannel.com.
#Blackmendream, Shikeith, 2014
12 Angry Men, Sidney Lumet, 1957
About Tap, George T. Nierenberg, 1985
The AIDS Show, Peter Adair and Rob Epstein, 1986
The Assignation, Curtis Harrington, 1953
Aya of Yop City,...
- 5/24/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
This article contains The Woman in the Window spoilers.
Joe Wright’s The Woman in the Window is not shy about its Hitchcockian influence. It’s there in both subtle and overt ways from the very first scene. During one of the film’s opening shots, the camera pans around Amy Adams’ ridiculously spacious New York City brownstone and passes a television screen that is inexplicably playing the ending to Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1954) in slow-motion, with Jimmy Stewart wrestling against the grip of an out-of-frame Raymond Burr.
With a very similar premise to Rear Window—a slightly deranged New Yorker pries into the hidden lives of her neighbors—The Woman in the Window freely owns up to its influences and aspirations. Sadly, Rear Window, this is not. Which may explain why 20th Century Studios (back when it was called 20th Century Fox) delayed the movie for reshoots, and...
Joe Wright’s The Woman in the Window is not shy about its Hitchcockian influence. It’s there in both subtle and overt ways from the very first scene. During one of the film’s opening shots, the camera pans around Amy Adams’ ridiculously spacious New York City brownstone and passes a television screen that is inexplicably playing the ending to Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1954) in slow-motion, with Jimmy Stewart wrestling against the grip of an out-of-frame Raymond Burr.
With a very similar premise to Rear Window—a slightly deranged New Yorker pries into the hidden lives of her neighbors—The Woman in the Window freely owns up to its influences and aspirations. Sadly, Rear Window, this is not. Which may explain why 20th Century Studios (back when it was called 20th Century Fox) delayed the movie for reshoots, and...
- 5/18/2021
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
This article contains The Woman in the Window spoilers.
Twisty-turny thriller The Woman in the Window has arrived on Netflix with some distinct Hitchcockian vibes. It’s based on the bestselling novel by A. J. Finn and directed by Joe Wright, with Amy Adams as the titular woman.
This is classic high-concept crime drama in the style of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train while the premise is reminiscent of Rear Window. Adams plays Anna Fox, an agoraphobic woman who believes she has witnessed one of her neighbors being murdered in her own home, which she views from out her window. But something odd is going on here. The murdered woman – if she even exists, is not who Anna thinks she is. Is her tenant to blame? What’s going on with the 15-year-old who lives across the street? And why is his dad so aggressive?
These are...
Twisty-turny thriller The Woman in the Window has arrived on Netflix with some distinct Hitchcockian vibes. It’s based on the bestselling novel by A. J. Finn and directed by Joe Wright, with Amy Adams as the titular woman.
This is classic high-concept crime drama in the style of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train while the premise is reminiscent of Rear Window. Adams plays Anna Fox, an agoraphobic woman who believes she has witnessed one of her neighbors being murdered in her own home, which she views from out her window. But something odd is going on here. The murdered woman – if she even exists, is not who Anna thinks she is. Is her tenant to blame? What’s going on with the 15-year-old who lives across the street? And why is his dad so aggressive?
These are...
- 5/14/2021
- by Rosie Fletcher
- Den of Geek
With the level of talent on display in front of and behind the camera of this high-concept thriller based on the best selling ‘grip-lit’ novel by A. J. Finn, it’s no wonder there was huge buzz when the film version of The Woman in the Window was first announced. But after an initial postponement for rewrites and reshoots, and a second due to Covid, The Woman in the Window arrives with slightly less fanfare than anticipated. The timing hasn’t helped the film, but that’s not the only problem with this twisty crime story that totally loses the plot by the end.
Amy Adams plays Anna Fox, a woman with agoraphobia who lives in a big house, with a tenant (Wyatt Russell) in the basement who helps with groceries and errands. Anna has attempted suicide in the past, we learn—the reasons why will unravel before the runtime...
Amy Adams plays Anna Fox, a woman with agoraphobia who lives in a big house, with a tenant (Wyatt Russell) in the basement who helps with groceries and errands. Anna has attempted suicide in the past, we learn—the reasons why will unravel before the runtime...
- 5/13/2021
- by Rosie Fletcher
- Den of Geek
Amy Adams attempts to solve a brutal crime she witnessed at her neighbor’s house in The Woman in the Window, based on the novel of the same name by A.J. Finn. The first official trailer was released on Thursday, with the film scheduled to premiere May 14th on Netflix.
Adams portrays Dr. Anna Fox, an agoraphobic child psychologist who is kept inside her New York brownstone by her condition. One day, a woman who identifies herself as Anna’s neighbor Jane Russell (played by Julianne Moore) stops by the house,...
Adams portrays Dr. Anna Fox, an agoraphobic child psychologist who is kept inside her New York brownstone by her condition. One day, a woman who identifies herself as Anna’s neighbor Jane Russell (played by Julianne Moore) stops by the house,...
- 4/8/2021
- by Claire Shaffer
- Rollingstone.com
Pat Kiely, the former managing director of Virgin Media Television, Ireland, has launched entertainment media venture BiggerStage.
The Dublin-headquartered company is set up with a three-pillared approach. It will develop original content for the global market and position Ireland as a hub for international television production. It will represent established talent in broadcasting and entertainment as well as offering a development program for future stars.
BiggerStage also aims to partner with industry stakeholders, including advertisers, to develop new ways to fund and scale the audio-visual sector in addition to leveraging market benefits and incentives in Ireland.
Joining Kiely at launch are three industry specialists. Sean O’Riordan, who specializes in unscripted and factual entertainment, with previous experience in production and development at All3Media’s Betty, Chalkboard TV and the BBC, will be creative director. Jamie Macken, previously the co-managing director of leading Irish marketing communications and advertising agency Core, will oversee funding and partnerships,...
The Dublin-headquartered company is set up with a three-pillared approach. It will develop original content for the global market and position Ireland as a hub for international television production. It will represent established talent in broadcasting and entertainment as well as offering a development program for future stars.
BiggerStage also aims to partner with industry stakeholders, including advertisers, to develop new ways to fund and scale the audio-visual sector in addition to leveraging market benefits and incentives in Ireland.
Joining Kiely at launch are three industry specialists. Sean O’Riordan, who specializes in unscripted and factual entertainment, with previous experience in production and development at All3Media’s Betty, Chalkboard TV and the BBC, will be creative director. Jamie Macken, previously the co-managing director of leading Irish marketing communications and advertising agency Core, will oversee funding and partnerships,...
- 3/1/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
To celebrate Variety’s 115th anniversary, we went to the archives to see how some of Hollywood’s biggest stars first landed in the pages of our magazine. Read more from the archives here.
On July 5, 1950, Variety reviewed the floor show at Ciro’s London, mentioning “a nice dance routine by Diana Monks and Audrey Hepburn.” When you think of nightclub dancers, Hepburn is not the image that comes to mind. But three years before “Roman Holiday,” she was a struggling performer, after having studied ballet in the Netherlands and London.
The Ciro’s revue was called “Summer Nights,” and came with a $1.50 cover charge ($15 in today’s economy). Variety said it was “one of the most ambitious floor shows in town. Production is costing around $1,500 a week, which is considerably above average for a show of 28 minutes.” The lineup also included a French singer, a comic impressionist, a duo offering a Spanish dance and,...
On July 5, 1950, Variety reviewed the floor show at Ciro’s London, mentioning “a nice dance routine by Diana Monks and Audrey Hepburn.” When you think of nightclub dancers, Hepburn is not the image that comes to mind. But three years before “Roman Holiday,” she was a struggling performer, after having studied ballet in the Netherlands and London.
The Ciro’s revue was called “Summer Nights,” and came with a $1.50 cover charge ($15 in today’s economy). Variety said it was “one of the most ambitious floor shows in town. Production is costing around $1,500 a week, which is considerably above average for a show of 28 minutes.” The lineup also included a French singer, a comic impressionist, a duo offering a Spanish dance and,...
- 12/16/2020
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
Yeardley Smith (iconic voice of Lisa Simpson and host of the podcast Small Town Dicks) joins Josh & Joe to discuss her favorite musical numbers from women.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Maximum Overdrive (1986)
The Legend of Billie Jean (1985)
Gilda (1946)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Pitch Perfect (2012)
Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)
Pitch Perfect 3 (2017)
Dreamgirls (2006)
Respect (2021)
Chicago (2002)
The Dot And The Line (1965)
West Side Story (1961)
On The Waterfront (1954)
Funny Girl (1968)
A Star Is Born (1954)
Gypsy (1993)
Divine Madness (1980)
8 ½ (1963)
Nine (2009)
Other Notable Items
Stephen King
Dino De Laurentiis
The Simpsons TV series (1989- ), quite possibly the greatest show of all time
Gunsmoke TV series (1955-1975)
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet TV series (1952-1966)
Lisa Simpson
Harlan Ellison
Yeardley’s podcast Small Town Dicks
Yeardley’s production company Paperclip, Ltd
J.K. Simmons
Zoom TV series (1972)
Rita Hayworth
“Put The Blame On Mame” performance from Gilda
Jane Russell...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Maximum Overdrive (1986)
The Legend of Billie Jean (1985)
Gilda (1946)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Pitch Perfect (2012)
Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)
Pitch Perfect 3 (2017)
Dreamgirls (2006)
Respect (2021)
Chicago (2002)
The Dot And The Line (1965)
West Side Story (1961)
On The Waterfront (1954)
Funny Girl (1968)
A Star Is Born (1954)
Gypsy (1993)
Divine Madness (1980)
8 ½ (1963)
Nine (2009)
Other Notable Items
Stephen King
Dino De Laurentiis
The Simpsons TV series (1989- ), quite possibly the greatest show of all time
Gunsmoke TV series (1955-1975)
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet TV series (1952-1966)
Lisa Simpson
Harlan Ellison
Yeardley’s podcast Small Town Dicks
Yeardley’s production company Paperclip, Ltd
J.K. Simmons
Zoom TV series (1972)
Rita Hayworth
“Put The Blame On Mame” performance from Gilda
Jane Russell...
- 9/22/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
The Paleface
Blu ray
Kino Lorber
1948 / 91 min.
Starring Bob Hope, Jane Russell
Cinematography by Ray Rennahan
Directed by Norman Z. McLeod
In 1934 Al Christie directed Going Spanish, a 19 minute farce billed as “An Educational Musical Comedy.” The movie is notable only for the film debut of Bob Hope whose wisecracks about the movie’s incompetence provoked Christie to cancel the comedian’s contract. Another filmmaker made his mark with the irascible producer too—Norman Z. McLeod got his feet wet working as title cartoonist for a series of silent films known as Christie’s Comedies. Pretty soon McLeod would be dealing with funny men in the flesh; W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, Danny Kaye and Hope himself. He would direct—and with those particular artists, “manage” might be a more appropriate term—some of the greatest comedies to emerge from the studio system.
McLeod’s technique, a hands-off approach that was the opposite of showy,...
Blu ray
Kino Lorber
1948 / 91 min.
Starring Bob Hope, Jane Russell
Cinematography by Ray Rennahan
Directed by Norman Z. McLeod
In 1934 Al Christie directed Going Spanish, a 19 minute farce billed as “An Educational Musical Comedy.” The movie is notable only for the film debut of Bob Hope whose wisecracks about the movie’s incompetence provoked Christie to cancel the comedian’s contract. Another filmmaker made his mark with the irascible producer too—Norman Z. McLeod got his feet wet working as title cartoonist for a series of silent films known as Christie’s Comedies. Pretty soon McLeod would be dealing with funny men in the flesh; W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, Danny Kaye and Hope himself. He would direct—and with those particular artists, “manage” might be a more appropriate term—some of the greatest comedies to emerge from the studio system.
McLeod’s technique, a hands-off approach that was the opposite of showy,...
- 9/5/2020
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Drive-in movies are back, and it took the deadly Covid-19 virus to resurrect them. With cinemas closed and large public gatherings not a good idea no matter what some bikers, party-types and comb-over presidents might think, some adventurous souls have met with success in recent months by rejuvenating the largely dead-and-buried American pastime of drive-in moviegoing.
Adapting to strictures designed to maintain safety guidelines for social distancing and non-physical contact transactions, a few entrepreneurs and drive-in operators have made a go of it this summer with a variety of programming approaches. It’s an open question whether or not this will trigger a long-term resurrection of an institution that reached its peak in the late 1950s, when more than 4,000 drive-ins dotted the United States map. I should think not, for a variety of reasons.
But for the moment, the newly resurrected drive-ins are providing a good excuse to get out...
Adapting to strictures designed to maintain safety guidelines for social distancing and non-physical contact transactions, a few entrepreneurs and drive-in operators have made a go of it this summer with a variety of programming approaches. It’s an open question whether or not this will trigger a long-term resurrection of an institution that reached its peak in the late 1950s, when more than 4,000 drive-ins dotted the United States map. I should think not, for a variety of reasons.
But for the moment, the newly resurrected drive-ins are providing a good excuse to get out...
- 8/25/2020
- by Todd McCarthy
- Deadline Film + TV
Lori Nelson, the 1950s starlet who was kidnapped by an amphibious monster in Revenge of the Creature and portrayed Barbara Stanwyck’s younger daughter in Douglas Sirk’s All I Desire, has died. She was 87.
Nelson had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for several years and died Sunday at her home in the Porter Ranch section of Los Angeles, her daughter Jennifer Mann said.
In Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair (1952) and Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki (1955), Nelson played Rosie Kettle, one of the daughters of the characters played by Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride in the Universal series of films.
Nelson also made her mark in I Died a Thousand Times (1955), a remake of the Humphrey Bogart classic High Sierra in which she portrayed the club-footed love interest of Jack Palance’s crook; Pardners (1956), working opposite Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in their penultimate film together...
Nelson had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for several years and died Sunday at her home in the Porter Ranch section of Los Angeles, her daughter Jennifer Mann said.
In Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair (1952) and Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki (1955), Nelson played Rosie Kettle, one of the daughters of the characters played by Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride in the Universal series of films.
Nelson also made her mark in I Died a Thousand Times (1955), a remake of the Humphrey Bogart classic High Sierra in which she portrayed the club-footed love interest of Jack Palance’s crook; Pardners (1956), working opposite Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in their penultimate film together...
- 8/24/2020
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
“Bob Hope’S 10 Gallon Hats”
By Raymond Benson
Sometimes a little Bob Hope goes a long way. There’s no denying that Hope was one of the more popular comic stars of the 1940s and 50s. His star began to wane in the 60s, and then most of the Baby Boomer generation knew him as perhaps the greatest host that the Academy Awards ceremony ever had.
During Hope’s most active years, he made many solo pictures that were truly funny. He was also established as Bing Crosby’s partner in the massively successful “Road to…” movies, which arguably launched Hope’s career as a leading or co-leading man in 1940. When the scripts and direction were good, then Hope’s solo films were superb. That was not always the case.
The Paleface (1948) was co-written by Frank Tashlin (with Edmund Hartmann), who would also...
“Bob Hope’S 10 Gallon Hats”
By Raymond Benson
Sometimes a little Bob Hope goes a long way. There’s no denying that Hope was one of the more popular comic stars of the 1940s and 50s. His star began to wane in the 60s, and then most of the Baby Boomer generation knew him as perhaps the greatest host that the Academy Awards ceremony ever had.
During Hope’s most active years, he made many solo pictures that were truly funny. He was also established as Bing Crosby’s partner in the massively successful “Road to…” movies, which arguably launched Hope’s career as a leading or co-leading man in 1940. When the scripts and direction were good, then Hope’s solo films were superb. That was not always the case.
The Paleface (1948) was co-written by Frank Tashlin (with Edmund Hartmann), who would also...
- 8/15/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Watching television today offers you near-unlimited choices when it comes to movies, whether that’s through a streaming service or a specific premium channel. But in this era of peak content one unique feature still stands out: the pre-movie host. Whether it’s TCM’s Alicia Malone chatting about the history of Jane Russell or Joe Bob Brigg’s Southern drawl introducing “Halloween” on Shudder, hosts hold on and help to bridge the gap between movies and the history that created them.
Where hosts were once a matter of necessity, introducing a series and then expanding out to fill in for commercial breaks, or, as premium cable and streaming started, the absence of them, they remain a serious branding technique. You could identify a network by its hosts, whether that is the litany of horror hosts that peppered the airwaves of various local networks throughout the country, to AMC’s...
Where hosts were once a matter of necessity, introducing a series and then expanding out to fill in for commercial breaks, or, as premium cable and streaming started, the absence of them, they remain a serious branding technique. You could identify a network by its hosts, whether that is the litany of horror hosts that peppered the airwaves of various local networks throughout the country, to AMC’s...
- 5/11/2020
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
Image Source: Amazon
A.J. Finn's 2018 hit murder mystery The Woman in the Window is getting the big-screen treatment with an Oscar-pedigreed cast - Amy Adams is set to star as the protagonist, Anna Fox, with Gary Oldman as a neighbor who arouses Anna's suspicions. The addictive 2018 page-turner pays homage to Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window and a host of other noirish films - and fittingly so, since Anna is a fan of the old movies and also finds herself tangled in a dark tale worthy of Hitchcock himself.
If you're wondering what exactly it is the woman in the window sees before you see the movie, then keep on reading. Otherwise, turn back, because a whole lot of spoilers are coming at you.
Anna Fox is a child psychologist in her late 30s, living alone in her Harlem brownstone. She is separated from her husband, Ed, who lives away from her with their daughter,...
A.J. Finn's 2018 hit murder mystery The Woman in the Window is getting the big-screen treatment with an Oscar-pedigreed cast - Amy Adams is set to star as the protagonist, Anna Fox, with Gary Oldman as a neighbor who arouses Anna's suspicions. The addictive 2018 page-turner pays homage to Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window and a host of other noirish films - and fittingly so, since Anna is a fan of the old movies and also finds herself tangled in a dark tale worthy of Hitchcock himself.
If you're wondering what exactly it is the woman in the window sees before you see the movie, then keep on reading. Otherwise, turn back, because a whole lot of spoilers are coming at you.
Anna Fox is a child psychologist in her late 30s, living alone in her Harlem brownstone. She is separated from her husband, Ed, who lives away from her with their daughter,...
- 3/10/2020
- by Shannon Vestal Robson
- Popsugar.com
Jane Russell in Underwater! is now available on Blu-ray From Warner Archives. Order info can be found Here
Master director John Sturges lends his talents as the helmsman of “Men’s Adventure” movies to this Howard Hughes production starring Hughes’s favorite muse, Jane Russell. While diving off the coast of Cuba, Dominic Quesada (Gilbert Roland) discovers a long-lost fortune but needs help to raise his find from the depths bringing Johnny (Richard Egan) and Theresa Gray (Russell) into his scheme. Now, as the trio fights to lift the decaying hull from its precarious resting spot on the brink of a bottomless undersea chasm, they are attacked by sharks and modern-day pirates (Joseph Calleia). Roland and Egan may bring the beefcake, while Russell and Lori Nelson provide the cheesecake, but the real meal is Sturges’ sweeping undersea spectacle. 16×9 Letterbox . New 2020 1080p HD Master From 4K Scan of the Original Camera...
Master director John Sturges lends his talents as the helmsman of “Men’s Adventure” movies to this Howard Hughes production starring Hughes’s favorite muse, Jane Russell. While diving off the coast of Cuba, Dominic Quesada (Gilbert Roland) discovers a long-lost fortune but needs help to raise his find from the depths bringing Johnny (Richard Egan) and Theresa Gray (Russell) into his scheme. Now, as the trio fights to lift the decaying hull from its precarious resting spot on the brink of a bottomless undersea chasm, they are attacked by sharks and modern-day pirates (Joseph Calleia). Roland and Egan may bring the beefcake, while Russell and Lori Nelson provide the cheesecake, but the real meal is Sturges’ sweeping undersea spectacle. 16×9 Letterbox . New 2020 1080p HD Master From 4K Scan of the Original Camera...
- 1/28/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
No, this isn’t a documentary about the sorry situation faced by too many American homeowners. Howard Hughes takes Rko into SuperScope and color for this attractive, somewhat tame sunken treasure adventure starring his captive glamour star Jane Russell. No off-color advertising slogans this time around, but the show shapes up as a swimsuit catalog for Jane as well as her handsome co-stars Richard Egan and Gilbert Roland. Plus, the Latin rhythms of the incomparable Pérez Prado!
Underwater!
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1955 / Color / 2:1 widescreen (SuperScope) / 99 min. / Street Date January 29, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Jane Russell, Richard Egan, Gilbert Roland, Lori Nelson, Robert Keith, Joseph Calleia, Eugene Iglesias, Ric Roman, Dámaso Pérez Prado, Max Wagner.
Cinematography: Harry J. Wild
Film Editors: Stuart Gilmore, Frederic Knudtson
Original Music: Roy Webb
Second Unit Director: William Dorfman
Underwater photography: Lamar Boren
Written by Walter Newman story by Hugh King, Robert B. Bailey
Produced by Harry Tatelman,...
Underwater!
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1955 / Color / 2:1 widescreen (SuperScope) / 99 min. / Street Date January 29, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Jane Russell, Richard Egan, Gilbert Roland, Lori Nelson, Robert Keith, Joseph Calleia, Eugene Iglesias, Ric Roman, Dámaso Pérez Prado, Max Wagner.
Cinematography: Harry J. Wild
Film Editors: Stuart Gilmore, Frederic Knudtson
Original Music: Roy Webb
Second Unit Director: William Dorfman
Underwater photography: Lamar Boren
Written by Walter Newman story by Hugh King, Robert B. Bailey
Produced by Harry Tatelman,...
- 1/28/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Don’t Fuck This Up
Kevin Hart knows what it’s like to face the court of public opinion. Netflix’s new six-part docu-series takes us back to 2018, when homophobic tweets from Hart’s past resurfaced and caused him to step down from hosting the Oscars. When an interviewer asks him if he wishes he’d done something differently, he interrupts: “Let’s just stop it right here,” later continuing, “there’s a lot that you don’t know.” From there on out, the clip gives behind-the-scenes access to Hart’s life,...
Kevin Hart knows what it’s like to face the court of public opinion. Netflix’s new six-part docu-series takes us back to 2018, when homophobic tweets from Hart’s past resurfaced and caused him to step down from hosting the Oscars. When an interviewer asks him if he wishes he’d done something differently, he interrupts: “Let’s just stop it right here,” later continuing, “there’s a lot that you don’t know.” From there on out, the clip gives behind-the-scenes access to Hart’s life,...
- 12/21/2019
- by Natalli Amato
- Rollingstone.com
Amy Adams investigates her friend's disappearance in the trailer for Twentieth Century Fox's psychological thriller The Woman in the Window.
The film follows agoraphobic child psychologist Dr. Anna Fox (Adams), who befriends Jane Russell (Julianne Moore), who lives across the street. Anna's life turns upside down when the woman disappears and she suspects foul play.
Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie, Fred Hechinger, Wyatt Russell, Brian Tyree Henry and Jennifer Jason Leigh round out the cast. The Joe Wright-directed film is based on the A.J. Finn novel of the same name, while the screenplay was written by Tracy ...
The film follows agoraphobic child psychologist Dr. Anna Fox (Adams), who befriends Jane Russell (Julianne Moore), who lives across the street. Anna's life turns upside down when the woman disappears and she suspects foul play.
Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie, Fred Hechinger, Wyatt Russell, Brian Tyree Henry and Jennifer Jason Leigh round out the cast. The Joe Wright-directed film is based on the A.J. Finn novel of the same name, while the screenplay was written by Tracy ...
- 12/19/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Amy Adams investigates her friend's disappearance in the trailer for Twentieth Century Fox's psychological thriller The Woman in the Window.
The film follows agoraphobic child psychologist Dr. Anna Fox (Adams), who befriends Jane Russell (Julianne Moore), who lives across the street. Anna's life turns upside down when the woman disappears and she suspects foul play.
Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie, Fred Hechinger, Wyatt Russell, Brian Tyree Henry and Jennifer Jason Leigh round out the cast. The Joe Wright-directed film is based on the A.J. Finn novel of the same name, while the screenplay was written by Tracy ...
The film follows agoraphobic child psychologist Dr. Anna Fox (Adams), who befriends Jane Russell (Julianne Moore), who lives across the street. Anna's life turns upside down when the woman disappears and she suspects foul play.
Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie, Fred Hechinger, Wyatt Russell, Brian Tyree Henry and Jennifer Jason Leigh round out the cast. The Joe Wright-directed film is based on the A.J. Finn novel of the same name, while the screenplay was written by Tracy ...
- 12/19/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In her latest movie role, Amy Adams is easily alarmed by most things. But, at the center of a murder mystery, her suspicions may prove valid — as long as someone believes her.
On Thursday, 20th Century Fox released the first trailer for The Woman in the Window, a thriller based on the 2018 bestselling novel of the same name by A.J. Finn. With plenty of intense twists and reveals, the first glimpse at the movie promises Gone Girl–level suspense.
As Anna Fox, Adams, 45, steps into a complex role of a reclusive shut-in, struggling with her agoraphobia as she dreads ever...
On Thursday, 20th Century Fox released the first trailer for The Woman in the Window, a thriller based on the 2018 bestselling novel of the same name by A.J. Finn. With plenty of intense twists and reveals, the first glimpse at the movie promises Gone Girl–level suspense.
As Anna Fox, Adams, 45, steps into a complex role of a reclusive shut-in, struggling with her agoraphobia as she dreads ever...
- 12/19/2019
- by Benjamin VanHoose
- PEOPLE.com
The legendary director Raoul Walsh hits The Big Trail one more time for a CinemaScope & stereophonic ‘big star’ cattle drive movie, dodging most cliches but taking a few squarely between the eyes. Star chemistry is what keeps them dogies movin’, with Clark Gable making it look all too easy. Frisky Jane Russell fares well, but not our favorite Robert Ryan: despite the high-profile billing, he pulls S.O.B. duty yet again. There’s no doubt about it, pilgrim … I see a whole lotta cows in this one.
The Tall Men
Blu-ray
Twilight Time
1955 / Color / 2:55 widescreen / 122 min. / Street Date September 17, 2019 / Available from Twilight Time Movies / 29.95
Starring: Clark Gable, Jane Russell, Robert Ryan, Cameron Mitchell, Juan García, Harry Shannon, Emile Meyer, Argentina Brunetti, Chuck Roberson, Will Wright.
Cinematography: Leo Tover
Editing: Louis R. Loeffler
Original Music: Victor Young
Written by Sydney Boehm, Frank Nugent from the novel by Clay...
The Tall Men
Blu-ray
Twilight Time
1955 / Color / 2:55 widescreen / 122 min. / Street Date September 17, 2019 / Available from Twilight Time Movies / 29.95
Starring: Clark Gable, Jane Russell, Robert Ryan, Cameron Mitchell, Juan García, Harry Shannon, Emile Meyer, Argentina Brunetti, Chuck Roberson, Will Wright.
Cinematography: Leo Tover
Editing: Louis R. Loeffler
Original Music: Victor Young
Written by Sydney Boehm, Frank Nugent from the novel by Clay...
- 9/24/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
This post contains spoilers for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which is now in theaters.
Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, the latest epic from Quentin Tarantino, is not, as you may already know, a historically accurate depiction of the Manson Family murders. Given the director’s work, it’s not all that surprising; as evidenced by Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained, revisiting historical atrocities and making sure the good guys win (and in as badass, comically violent a fashion as possible) is kind of his thing. In this vein,...
Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, the latest epic from Quentin Tarantino, is not, as you may already know, a historically accurate depiction of the Manson Family murders. Given the director’s work, it’s not all that surprising; as evidenced by Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained, revisiting historical atrocities and making sure the good guys win (and in as badass, comically violent a fashion as possible) is kind of his thing. In this vein,...
- 8/7/2019
- by EJ Dickson
- Rollingstone.com
Tony Sokol Jul 30, 2019
Western movies, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, wouldn't have been the same without the infamous ranch owned by George Spahn.
Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood attempts to take back stolen potential via the kind of fantasy fulfillment that's made only possible on celluloid. As with the Beatles' song "Helter Skelter," Sharon Tate, and the peace and love generation as a whole, the icons of hope in the 1960s were all tainted by mere association with Charles Manson. None of these needed to be linked to the murderous narcissist. Tate, magnificently captured Margot Robbie in the film, would have continued the rising trajectory of her film and modeling career; "Helter Skelter" would be remembered as the song that invented heavy metal, when it was just Paul McCartney trying to make as much noise on vinyl as possible; peace and Love would...
Western movies, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, wouldn't have been the same without the infamous ranch owned by George Spahn.
Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood attempts to take back stolen potential via the kind of fantasy fulfillment that's made only possible on celluloid. As with the Beatles' song "Helter Skelter," Sharon Tate, and the peace and love generation as a whole, the icons of hope in the 1960s were all tainted by mere association with Charles Manson. None of these needed to be linked to the murderous narcissist. Tate, magnificently captured Margot Robbie in the film, would have continued the rising trajectory of her film and modeling career; "Helter Skelter" would be remembered as the song that invented heavy metal, when it was just Paul McCartney trying to make as much noise on vinyl as possible; peace and Love would...
- 7/30/2019
- Den of Geek
John Wayne! Janet Leigh! Nifty jet-age flying sequences! Goofy, bad-taste sex jokes! Hans Conreid as a chortling Russian army officer! Howard Hughes’ personal fun project took seven years to make while he played games with the aerial footage. It’s a highly-polished absurd joke, but it’s certainly entertaining. See Hughes try to do for Janet Leigh what he did for Jane Russell — I assume Ms. Leigh was too shrewd to sign any long-term contracts! This German disc has excellent widescreen image and audio.
Jet Pilot
Blu-ray
Explosive Media GmbH
1957 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 113 min. / Düsenjäger / Street Date June 14 2018, 2019 / 12.99 euros
Starring: John Wayne, Janet Leigh, Jay C. Flippen, Paul Fix, Richard Rober, Roland Winters, Hans Conried, Ivan Triesault, Hall Bartlett, Gregg Barton, Gene Evans, Paul Frees, Harry Lauter, Nelson Leigh, Denver Pyle, Gene Roth, Kenneth Tobey, Mamie Van Doren, Carleton Young.
Cinematography: Winton C. Hoch
Aerial Stunts: Chuck Yeager
Original Music:...
Jet Pilot
Blu-ray
Explosive Media GmbH
1957 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 113 min. / Düsenjäger / Street Date June 14 2018, 2019 / 12.99 euros
Starring: John Wayne, Janet Leigh, Jay C. Flippen, Paul Fix, Richard Rober, Roland Winters, Hans Conried, Ivan Triesault, Hall Bartlett, Gregg Barton, Gene Evans, Paul Frees, Harry Lauter, Nelson Leigh, Denver Pyle, Gene Roth, Kenneth Tobey, Mamie Van Doren, Carleton Young.
Cinematography: Winton C. Hoch
Aerial Stunts: Chuck Yeager
Original Music:...
- 7/16/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Arte Johnson, who won an Emmy for his memorable work on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In and worked in TV and film for nearly half a century, died early Wednesday at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, his family said announced. He was 90 and had battled bladder and prostate cancer for the past three years.
Johnson earned three consecutive Emmy noms for Laugh-In from 1969-71, winning the first year. He was part of the politically tinged NBC sketch series’ main cast from its launch in January 1968 until 1971, playing myriad characters in the show that launched the careers of such stars as Lily Tomlin, Goldie Hawn, Eileen Brennan, Henry Gibson, Jo Anne Worley and many others.
Among his most popular characters was Wolfgang, a cigarette-smoking German soldier who believed that World War II was still ongoing, as he scouted the show while hidden behind bushes. He would then invariably comment on the preceding sketch...
Johnson earned three consecutive Emmy noms for Laugh-In from 1969-71, winning the first year. He was part of the politically tinged NBC sketch series’ main cast from its launch in January 1968 until 1971, playing myriad characters in the show that launched the careers of such stars as Lily Tomlin, Goldie Hawn, Eileen Brennan, Henry Gibson, Jo Anne Worley and many others.
Among his most popular characters was Wolfgang, a cigarette-smoking German soldier who believed that World War II was still ongoing, as he scouted the show while hidden behind bushes. He would then invariably comment on the preceding sketch...
- 7/3/2019
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
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