The Great One, 1954
Jackie Gleason, known as The Great One, was the star of one of the funniest television shows ever, The Honeymooners.
Classic Hollywood #5 – Jackie Gleason
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Tag Archives: Entertainment
Judas Priest Founder K.K. Downing Retires
The Band Will Make Its Final World Tour Without K.K. – What Really Happened?
In late April 2011 when Judas Priest announced that Ken “K.K.” Downing was “retiring” from the band just before kicking off their final world tour, it came as a huge shock to most heavy metal fans. The reasons given for the retirement in the official Judas Priest announcement are somewhat vague. Downing clarified his position in two statements through his own web site. Downing said in his first statement on April 21 2011:
“Dear friends,
It is with much regret that I will not be with you this summer. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your concerns about my health. Please rest assured that I am O.K.
There has been an ongoing breakdown in working relationship between myself, elements of the band, and the band’s management for some time.
Therefore I have decided to step down rather than to tour with negative sentiments as I feel that this would be a deception to you, our cherished fans.
However I would urge you to please support the Priest as I have no doubt that it will be a show not to be missed.”
Downing the lead guitarist, who developed the band with the lone remaining founder, bassist Ian Hill, must have Continue reading
Marilyn Monroe’s 85th birthday
Marilyn Monroe would have been 85 on June 1, 2011
An 85-year-old Marilyn would be difficult to imagine. She died at age 36 under mysterious circumstances during the evening of August 4 or early morning August 5, 1962, depending upon what version of her death you are apt to believe.
If she were alive today, I think she might look somewhat like her mother Gladys did at a similar age. Gladys died at the age of 81 in 1984.
The New York Post reported on May 31 that unseen Marilyn photos found at a garage sale in 1980 may soon be put up for sale. If they are, they will fetch a lot of money.
Marilyn was one of the most photographed people of all-time so there are always going to be “new’ photos of her popping up.
Random trivia: Andy Griffith was also born June 1, 1926.
For Marilyn’s birthday here are some photo’s that have not been seen as much as the standard shots you are used to. Forever young.
Classic Hollywood #4 – Theda Bara
The Vamp in a Classic Role
“The Vampire,” Theodosia Goodman otherwise known to the world as Theda Bara in her 1918 starring role The Forbidden Path with (I believe) Hugh Thompson, her co-star.
Theda Bara was one of the first sex symbols of the screen. Her name was supposedly an anagram of “Arab Death.” (that is completely fabricated along with many other “facts” of her life.) Bara became a star in 1915 as a “vampire” (not the blood sucking kind – a notorious woman who drives men wild with desire using her wiles and charm and wreaks havoc in their lives) in A Fool There Was. She cemented immortality in 1917 with her portrayal of the title role in Cleopatra. Bara was pretty much typecast as the vampire (later shortened to “vamp”) and her film career stalled by the end of 1919. She appeared in only three films in the 1920’s and never made any sound films, retiring in 1926. She died in Los Angeles in 1955 at the age of 69.
While some today would not necessarily consider Bara a beauty, there is definitely something very appealing about her. A naturalness that comes through. In a lot of ways she represents more real women of that age and much more than her modern Hollywood contemporaries of Angelina Jolie or Scarlett Johansson representing today’s woman.
Bara’s heavier legs and abdomen are shown in her movies and photos. Would modern lead actresses be permitted to display extra poundage in our hyper-perfect-looks media without being skewered a la Oprah or Kirstie Alley?
Some photos of Bara when she was at the height of her career:
Classic Hollywood #3 – Ronald Reagan & Mary Maguire
Ronald Reagan and Mary Maguire 1938
Sergeant Murphy starring a young Ronald Reagan and the pretty Mary Maguire. It was Ronald Reagan’s third film. Maguire retired from films in 1942 and passed away in 1974 at the young age of 55. Continue reading
Classic Hollywood #2
At The Beverly Wilshire Hotel
Howard Hughes and Marian Marsh December 12, 1934 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel for the “Mayfair Ball” (click photo to enlarge)
The Mayfair Ball was the largest social gathering in Los Angeles in the 1930’s. The dashing Howard Hughes was a Hollywood producer at the time. Marian Marsh had appeared Continue reading
Jackie Cooper, Movie Star For Over 60 Years Is Dead
Jackie Cooper Dies At 88
Jackie Cooper passed away last week at the age of 88. Cooper who rose to prominence in the Hal Roach produced Our Gang (a.k.a. the Little Rascals) movie shorts, was one of the last remaining movie stars who worked during Hollywood’s golden era of the 1930’s.
Jackie Cooper (left) Love Business 1931
The Our Gang / Little Rascals remaining cast is now down to under a dozen stars. The other living supporting players made brief appearances, many in the later films of the late 1930’s and early 1940’s after creator Hal Roach had sold the franchise to MGM. The most notable living star of those later Our Gang comedies is Robert Blake. I grew up watching Cooper star in Our Gang and his passing is sad, as he was a gifted actor and it is a reminder of how few of the early Hollywood stars remain. Unlike his more popular and well known successors as leads in Our Gang, George “Spanky” McFarland and Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer, Cooper was cast in several big budget Hollywood productions and was almost always very good in whatever he was in.
Jackie Cooper was a rarity, in that very few Continue reading
Classic Hollywood #1
Jayne Mansfield Has A Press Conference 1957
Rome – November 8, 1957
Jayne Mansfield certainly knew how to get the media’s attention.
Movie Review – Atlas Shrugged: Part I
Attempting to Turn Ayn Rand’s Love Letter to Capitalism and The Battle of the Individual vs. The Collective into a Three Part Movie
This is probably obvious; if you are a fan of Atlas Shrugged you will want to like the movie Atlas Shrugged: Part I. If you are unfamiliar with the book or not a fan you will watch and make your decision about the movie on the most important components; story, acting, cinematography, sets, and music.
So does it work? How can you turn a 1,171 page book into the first part of a serialized one hour and forty minute epic?
The answer is, it is Continue reading
Groucho Marx’s Son Dies at 89
Arthur Marx, Son of Groucho Passes Away – April 14, 2011
Arthur Marx’s passing is being announced quite expectedly as “Groucho Marx’s son dies.”
Arthur was very talented in his own right and did carve out a successful career for himself as a champion tennis player and author.
Arthur was the author of a dozen books and wrote about his famous father in four books, most recently the picture collection Arthur Marx’s Groucho: A Photographic Journey 2001 (Phoenix Marketing Service). Arthur first wrote about his father in Life With Groucho A Son’s Eye View 1954 (Simon and Schuster) and the much more candid autobiographical Son of Groucho 1972 (David McKay). The last book is especially revealing in discussing the difficulty Arthur encountered in finding his own career path and being the son of one of the most famous entertainers in the world. By Arthur’s account Groucho had a difficult time showing affection and drove all three of his wives away through one form of mental cruelty or another.
Arthur told one story where the only time he had ever seen his father cry was at the funeral of Groucho’s brother Harpo. Arthur was named after Harpo (whose real name was Adolph, and then Americanized to Arthur during World War I.) All of the Marx Brothers named their daughters after their mother Minnie; each of their names begins with the letter “M”.
Arthur’s career as a writer for television, movies and the stage was quite varied but mostly within the comedy field. He had written for such shows as Alice, My Three Son’s and McHale’s Navy. He was much more than the “son of Groucho.”