Ricardo Cortez biography The Magnificent Heel: The Life and Films of Ricardo Cortez. Dan Van Neste’s book covers the life and career of Paramount’s “Latin Lover” threat to a recalcitrant Rudolph Valentino; one who would later portray a sly, seductive Sam Spade in the original…
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Sunset Blvd. with Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond: Final Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder collaboration. Publication of Charles Brackett diaries quashes gay rumors and reveals screenwriter-producer’s troubled relationship with his more famous partner, Billy Wilder. The Charles Brackett Diaries: Gay rumors quashed & troubled Billy…
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Adolphe Menjou: Actor’s “debonair” style on screen, boorish right-wing politics off-screen. Adolphe Menjou movies today: Actor was known for ‘suave’ characterizations on-screen and boorish right-wing politics off-screen Despite countless stories to the contrary, numerous silent film performers managed to survive the coming of sound. Yet…
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Honorary Award non-recipient Marlene Dietrich. Honorary Award: Academy ‘snubbed’ Gloria Swanson & Rita Hayworth + Marlene Dietrich & dozens of other women (See previous post: “Honorary Oscars: Doris Day & Danielle Darrieux ‘Snubbed.’”) A sizable chunk of part three of this three-part article about the…
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William Gargan, Miriam Hopkins, Jack La Rue in Stephen Roberts’ The Story of Temple Drake Cinefest 2011, a four-day festival of rare American films, kicked off earlier today in Syracuse, NY. According to organizers, Cinefest features “great films … from the vaults of the world’s…
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Oscar comebacks: Adrien Brody in Roman Polanski’s The Pianist. Generally speaking, most actors, actresses, and directors either get that once-in-a-lifetime Academy Award nomination, or, if they’re lucky, a couple or a handful of nods within a period of two to fifteen years. There are a…
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Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn in George Cukor’s Adam’s Rib. Home movies of scary folk such as Alfred Hitchcock and Richard Nixon (and of some non-scary celebrities and non-celebrities as well), in addition to film classics and/or rarities starring Marilyn Monroe, Thelma Todd, Ken Maynard, Spencer…
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The Trespasser movie: Gloria Swanson stars in mother love melodrama with Purnell Pratt and Robert Ames, who would die two years after this film was made. Author Cari Beauchamp will talk about the convoluted personal and professional relationship between actress Gloria Swanson and producer Joseph P.…
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Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino in Beyond the Rocks: “Lost movie” will be screened in Los Angeles area. Gloria Swanson & Rudolph Valentino: Found ‘Lost’ film ‘Beyond the Rocks’ screening Starring Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino, the long thought lost 1922 movie Beyond the Rocks…