Allan Ellenberger Articles

An early photo of Miriam Hopkins. Photos in this article: courtesy of Allan Ellenberger Miriam Hopkins, one of the most underrated performers of the studio era, will have her "Summer Under the Stars" day on Thursday, Aug. 20. Turner Classic Movies will present fourteen Miriam Hopkins films, including one TCM premiere — the Samuel Goldwyn production of Barbary Coast — and three of Hopkins’ saucy [...]

In his blog, Allan Ellenberger speaks with Marsha Hunt about Anthony Dexter, who played Rudolph Valentino in the 1951 biopic Valentino (right), and with whom Hunt co-starred in a stage production of The King and I. Here are a couple of quotes: "Of course I remember Valentino. By the age of eight I had already seen The Sheik and his films with Vilma Banky. Valentino [...]

Australian author Kate Morton’s bestselling novel The Shifting Fog (The House at Riverton in the US and the UK — see comment below) chronicles the emotional and romantic travails of two beautiful sisters from a declining aristocratic British family during the early 20th century. The reason I’m posting a mention of The Shifting Fog has nothing to do with the plot or with author Morton [...]

Miriam Hopkins III: BECKY SHARP Miriam Hopkins blacklisted during the post-war anti-Red hysteria? Why? And how come that fact — to the best of my knowledge — has never been discussed anywhere? During the late ’30s and throughout the ’40s, Hopkins was involved with several political and social groups that were considered fronts for the Communist Party. These groups included the Motion Picture Democratic Committee [...]