https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JzIhWg2R2chttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2mvN9x_Egc The concept of a ‘lost film’–in other words a film that there is proof of having been made but no known print extant–is a terribly sad one. But the concept of a fragment of a lost film surviving is downright ghostly. Oftentimes these scraps of otherwise vanished films are
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTLnUXDKgBs Having missed my usual Saturday Three Stooges posting (what can I say–the dog ate my homework) I’m posting this excellent short doc (18 minutes) about the great Jerome ‘Curly’ Howard. Titled ‘A Victim Of Circumstance”, it was compiled edited and narrated by Joe Ramoni whose other YouTube mini-docs I’m
Here’s a six minute reel of outtakes from ‘The Disorderly Orderly’, a 1964 Jerry Lewis vehicle written and directed by Frank Tashlin. Some of them–most of them?–are self-imposed goofs, things Jerry does on purpose to make the crew and other cast members laugh. Why would he waste time doing this?
Yes, I did it. For no good reason except that today is Wednesday, and thus ‘anything can happen day’, I buckled down and watched some Mickey Mouse Club videos. An underage Annette Funicello, this weeks omni-focus, appears in the roll call in–get this–a 1920s vamp outfit, make-up and all. It’s
Poor Annette. Rarely (if ever) has such a sweet, winsome and charming personality been saddled with so much drecky material. If yesterday’s ‘Rock-A-Cha’ wasn’t bad enough, try today’s ‘Rock-A-Charleston’ (AKA ‘Flapper Flip’), a beyond-embarrassing novelty number combining the worst of the 1920s with the worst of the late 50s/early 60s
My research project this week in all about Annette Funicello. Since I’m loathe to rewatch any of ‘The Mickey Mouse Club’ shows I’m beginning with post-MMC Annette, though pre-Frankie Avalon. This is right between the two Annette’s–1961 is a couple of years prior to ‘Beach Party’–and she’s still the wholesome
‘Pardon My Scotch’ (1935) was the 9th short comedy made by The Three Stooges for Columbia Pictures. It was photographed from Thursday, April 11th through Monday, April 15th 1935 and released on Thursday, August 1st of that year. Prohibition, which had been repealed sixteen months prior to the film being
I’ve mentioned a few times this week my new favorite podcast ‘The Marx Brothers Council Podcast’ and the episode I listened to this morning, which focused exclusively on Chico Marx, is one of the best and most touching so far. Leonard Marx remained an enigma to most people who knew
Here’s a lovely short silent film showing Groucho Marx and family on a typical day in 1933 outside their home at 701 N. Hillcrest Drive in Beverly Hills. These are not ‘home movies’ per se–this was clearly staged, shot and edited so as to make a film in the style
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tTMQYdBIYQ Most of what we know about Lillian Roth we know from Susan Hayward’s robust but depressing portrait of her in ‘I’ll Cry Tomorrow’, the screen bio of Roth’s tragic life based on her memoir. One of the first searingly honest portraits of an alcoholic’s descent, Roth’s book completely overshadowed