In the late 1950s, Ed Sullivan took to doing on-set/on-location interviews as part of his television program’s offerings. Long ago I posted a visit he made to the ‘Fire Down Below’ set, featuring Robert Mitchum, Rita Hayworth and Jack Lemmon. Today we see Sullivan in Naples (or is it Capri?)
Yesterday I posted the history of the lyric of Irving Berlin’s immortal ‘Putting On The Ritz’. Written in 1929, the original lyric had strong racist overtones which were removed when Berlin rewrote the song for the Fred Astaire vehicle ‘Blue Skies’ (1946). Before that, though, Clark Gable performed the song
‘Three Little Pigskins’ (1934) was the fourth short comedy made by The Three Stooges for Columbia Pictures. It was photographed from Saturday, October 20th through Thursday, October 25th, 1934 and released on Saturday, December 8th of that year (the 342nd day of the Gregorian calendar). Obviously my timing for the
The above ‘test’ footage of Greta Garbo isn’t a screen test per se (don’t be ridiculous!) but a series of hair and lighting tests shot for a movie that wasn’t fated to be made. Garbo signed a contract in 1948 with producer Walter Wanger, who had produced Queen Christina, to shoot an
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46ybS7cebuUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3mQA-DXg1o ‘Gimme a whisky, ginger ale on the side.” (Pause) ‘And don’ be stinchy baby.’ So went the first lines Greta Garbo ever uttered in a sound film, ‘Anna Christie’ from 1930. Above I’ve posted two versions of the opening whisky scene–one of them with ‘restored sound’. For my money
‘Broadway Highlights’–subtitled ‘Intimate News Of The Gay White Way’–was a series of several short subjects produced by Paramount Pictures in 1935 and 1936. They purported to tell the viewer, newsreel-style, what was happening on the Gay White Way (as the street was dubbed in the lyric of ‘Broadway Melody’). Much
Let’s close the week with the spectacular Fred Astaire & Eleanor Powell ‘Begin The Beguine’ dance routine from ‘Broadway Melody of 1940’. You need to sit through a minute of silly singing until the dancing begins (or you can fast-forward through it) but it’s well worth the wait. The whole
Today I am my own subject. Last week I appeared on a podcast called ‘Round 14’ discussing my work, anecdoting a bit on the movie business and talking at some length about my dear friend, the late great Burt Young. The hosts, Tony C. and Ricky B., (their real names)
Here’s a wonderful, atmospheric clip from a 1932 pre-code movie called ‘Hot Saturday’ . The film was drected by William Seiter and starred Cary Grant, Nancy Carroll and Randolph Scott (possibly making this the first time Grant met Scott which lead to them becoming mysterious ‘housemates’–you’ve seen those photos in
Here’s a great appearance by Mel Brooks on Jimmy Kimmel done a few years ago (ten maybe?)to promote the HBO special of his one man show at the Geffen Theater in Westwood. This is a man who knows how to work an audience and is fearlessly, ferociously engaging. I interviewed