Musicals

Technicolor siren Virginia Mayo was most impressive as callous black-and-white women in films like The Best Years of Our Lives + White Heat.

As an RKO and MGM star, sassy blonde Ann Sothern had an unconventional professional trajectory: A and B movies in a decades-long film career that had no less than 2 peaks.

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 height of career as a result of sleeper blockbuster that helped to revive his Hollywood standing after three consecutive MGM musical flops.

MGM musicals box office struggle: Howard Keel Hollywood woes included 2 prestigious star vehicles that *should* have succeeded. Could his career be saved?

Howard Keel musicals: Box office ups and downs emblematic of genre’s erratic appeal in 1950s Hollywood as a result of dramatic socio-economic changes.

Roy Rogers Under Western Stars: Subversive Singing Cowboy Western still relevant in this age of special interests in government and climate change threat.

Fred Astaire Movies: Dancing in the Dark, dancing on the Ceiling and with Ginger Rogers in several RKO and MGM classic musicals.

Ron Moody: Fagin in Oliver! Went From Charles Dickens to Walt Disney (and Mel Brooks) – But Strangely no star cameo in Harry Potter movies.

Martha Stewart Not Dead? Despite reports to the contrary, the actress-singer (In a Lonely Place) is still alive. UPDATE: She died in February 2021.

Jersey Boys (movie 2014) review: Clint Eastwood prosaically tracks the humdrum rise and fall of Frankie Valli (John Lloyd Young) and the Four Seasons.

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…

Inside Llewyn Davis (movie 2013) review: Oscar Isaac is a memorable human dud in Joel and Ethan Coen’s impressive music world drama. Carey Mulligan costars.

One Direction members Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson One Direction: This Is Us movie weekend box office: One of steepest Friday-to-Saturday drops ever The…

Ann Blyth today on TCM Ann Blyth today: Light songs and heavy drama on TCM Ann Blyth, a 1940s Universal leading lady best remembered for her Oscar-nominated performance as Joan…

Esther Williams. Esther Williams: Swimwear-garbed star of MGM Technicolor musicals dead at 91 Esther Williams, known for her swimming skills and ability to smile and keep her make-up and coiffure…

Channing Tatum in Magic Mike. ‘Guys and Dolls’ remake supposedly to star Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt Guys and Dolls will be brought back to the big screen by way of…

Deanna Durbin in I’ll Be Yours. Deanna Durbin dies at 91: One of the top stars of Hollywood’s studio era According to Hollywood lore, teen star Deanna Durbin saved Universal…

Tony Martin movies Actor-singer Tony Martin, once married to 20th Century Fox singing star Alice Faye and the widower of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer dancer-actress Cyd Charisse, died of “natural causes” at his…

Les Misérables trailer is out. (Please scroll down.) You can hear Anne Hathaway’s miserable Fantine singing “I dreamed that love would never die … I had a dream my life…

Donna Summer dead at 63: Sang Best Original Song Oscar winner ‘Last Dance’ Singer Donna Summer, who died of cancer at age 63 earlier today, was featured in only one…

Porgy and Bess film: Costly and controversial + hard-to-find black musical version of Gershwin Broadway hit is most notable LoC National Registry entry.

Carl Reiner, John Hubley, Hope Lange, Oscar 1959 John Hubley, considered one of animation’s most innovative and influential designer-directors, will have his life and art celebrated by the Academy of…

Howard Keel, best remembered for MGM musicals such as Show Boat, Kiss Me Kate, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, is Turner Classic Movies’ next-to-last “Summer Under the Stars” star.…