I heard this story recently and in my experience, sets a record for holding a grudge against a business.
22 years ago along with her two toddlers, a steady customer went into her local upper east side pizza shop, to buy a slice.
She gave the pizzaman cashier a twenty dollar bill.
The change received was for a ten. Continue reading
New York City has a lot of beggars with children. It always has.
If you look up from your phone you’ll see them weaving through subway cars or standing or sitting mid-block or on corners with children close by. Continue reading
If classic film fans are familiar with Constance Bennett (1904-1965) , it is usually through two films, Topper (1937) and What Price Hollywood? (1932).
The production still above from the 1938 romance comedy film Service de Luxe is one of many that Bennett made and is now forgotten.
What Price Hollywood? is the first version Continue reading
Here are four photographs of a Hollywood contract player, several years before she became a well known MGM feature player in many films during the 1930s, 40s and 50s.
She was born on February 24, 1890 as Mary Tomlinson in Acton, Indiana.
Dressed to the nines – circa 1918
Photo via the New York Public Library. c. 1920s
Photo: Apeda studio possibly from the 1918 play “Yes Or No”
The next photo should give it away.
With actor Billy Bevan in The Wrong Road (1937)
Do you have it yet?
Yes, it’s the star of a dozen Ma and Pa Kettle movies, Marjorie Main.
Usually thought of as plain and matronly, Marjorie was attractive enough Continue reading
The two illustrations seen here are excerpts from a full page ad. This advertisement comes from the April 27, 1919 New York Sun daily newspaper. Shown is an array of intimates of the late teens that a fashionable woman would wear beneath their clothes.
The uptown location of James McCreery & Co. at Fifth Avenue and 34th Street Continue reading
Will Remain In Britain For The Duration
Vivien Leigh, who won swift fame as Scarlett of “Gone With The Wind,” plans to return to the American movies, but not until the war is over. Miss Leigh, pictured here in London, and her husband, Laurence Olivier,returned to Britain in January, 1941, during the height of the air blitz. He joined the fleet air arm and she signed for the leading feminine role in “The Doctor’s Dilemma,” by George Bernard Shaw. “Both my husband and I felt that we should return to England,” she said “and we both feel that we should remain here until the war is over.” photo Wide World 3/23/1943
Eight years earlier in May 1935 Leigh debuted in the play The Mask of Virtue at London’s West End. The 21-year-old beauty became famous virtually overnight. Six film companies, three British, three American offered her a film contract. Leigh signed with Alexander Korda for ten pictures in five years for £50,000. Continue reading
Though Yvonne De Carlo (1922-2007) had a long and successful film career, many people may not be aware of that fact.
The news slug on the photo says: Continue reading
River Phoenix and his date Marlee Matlin at Ed Debevic’s Restaurant in Beverly Hills for their first birthday party and a sixth anniversary bash in honor of The Starlight Foundation. September 22, 1988. Photo: John Paschal Celebrity Photo
A few weeks ago when my daughter and her college age friends were searching for a movie to watch I asked if they had ever seen Stand By Me (1986)? The answer was a resounding no. And when describing the film I asked a silly question: if they had ever heard of River Phoenix? Continue reading
Bogy, Baby & Boy
Humphrey Bogart’s wife, Lauren Bacall, known to the public as “Baby”, and their son Stevie, pay Bogart a visit on the set at 20th Century-Fox where he is starring in the newspaper story, “Deadline U.S.A.” Little Stevie takes an active interest in movie production, since he plans to be a movie star like his daddy when he grows up. credit: 20th Century-Fox December 27, 1951
When Humphrey Bogart made Deadline U.S.A. for 20th Century-Fox he was on loan from Warner Bros. to Fox. Maybe that is why the Fox publicity department did not care if they spelled Bogart’s nickname, “Bogey” correctly or not. In September of 1953 Bogart finally ended his long association with Warner Bros. having previously formed his own production company, Santana Productions to make independent productions including six films with Columbia Pictures between 1949 – 1951.
Steohen Humphrey Bogart (born January 6, 1949) did not follow in his father’s footsteps. Continue reading
Charlie Chaplin photo: United Artists
This 1919 portrait of Charlie Chaplin taken at the height of his success shows that behind the make-up and little mustache was a handsome man.
Chaplin, as one of the co-founders of United Artists in 1919 with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith, had many official publicity photographs taken like the one above and below to promote the founding of the company.
The historic moment taken when the papers of incorporation were signed creating United Artists Corporation on April 17, 1919. Left to right in the foreground are the founders. D.W. Griffith, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.. In the background are their attorneys, Albert Banzhaf and Dennis O’Brien. photo: United Artists
