Virginia Mayo: The honey-blonde – at times red-haired – heroine of Technicolor fare like Wonder Man, The Flame and the Arrow, and Painting the Clouds with Sunshine, Virginia Mayo was…
Ann Sothern: Although never a superstar, throughout her unusual and unusually long Hollywood career – after a long apprenticeship, she enjoyed two career peaks – Ann Sothern was billed above…
Lena Horne. Lena Horne movies: Velvety-voiced singer generally relegated to specialty numbers during heyday of the Hollywood musical Had things been different, it’s anybody’s guess whether or not three-time Grammy…
Howard Keel in Dallas with Donna Reed: late 20th-century mainstream resurgence of two former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer stars. On Season 8 (1984–1985) of CBS’s hit TV soap Dallas (1978–1991), 1950s MGM contract…
Howard Keel at the height of his career in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, with Jane Powell. In his autobiography, Only Make Believe: My Life in Show Business, Howard Keel…
Howard Keel MGM musicals: Texas Carnival publicity shot with Esther Williams. In his MGM musicals of the 1950s, Howard Keel was almost always paired with small, girl-like leading ladies –…
Howard Keel musicals at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer: Box office roller-coaster ride. Brought to Hollywood in 1948 to star in MGM’s then popular musicals, stage performer Howard Keel seemed poised to reach major…
Howard Keel publicity shot ca. 1950. A prominent name in Hollywood musicals in the first half of the 1950s, Howard Keel was seen – and heard – as baritone-voiced, larger-than-life…
Roy Rogers, Singing Cowboy of 1940s and 1950s Hollywood. Known for his affable characterizations and, both on and off screen, “traditional values” stance, the King of the Cowboys – step…
Fred Astaire. Fred Astaire movies: Dancing in the dark & on the ceiling on TCM Aug. 5 is Fred Astaire Day on Turner Classic Movies, as TCM continues with its…
Ron Moody Oliver Twist characterization: As Fagin in Carol Reed’s 1968 musical Oliver!, based on Charles Dickens’ classic novel. Ron Moody ‘Oliver Twist’ effort: Fagin in 1968 box office and…
Ron Moody: ‘Oliver!’ actor played Fagin in 1968 movie. Ron Moody: ‘Oliver!’ actor nominated for an Oscar dead at 91 Two well-regarded, nonagenarian British performers have died in the last…
Martha Stewart in Doll Face, with Perry Como. Martha Stewart: Actress-Singer in Fox movies not dead despite two-year-old reports to the contrary February 2021 update: Martha Stewart died at age…
Jersey Boys with John Lloyd Young as Frankie Valli of The Four Seasons. ‘Jersey Boys’ movie review: Great music fails to save Clint Eastwood-directed film version of the 2005 Broadway…
Mickey Rooney ca. 1940 Mickey Rooney dead at 93: Four-time Oscar nominee & frequent Judy Garland co-star may have had the longest film career ever Mickey Rooney, four-time Academy Award…