Legendary Broadway actor John Barrymore also enjoyed an impressive, rewarding and enduring - yet vastly undervalued - movie career in the 1920s and 1930s.
Melvyn Douglas. Melvyn Douglas: From suave leading man to Hollywood’s top female stars to first-rate dramatic actor Unlike Tyrone Power, Errol Flynn, or Gary Cooper, Melvyn Douglas couldn’t exactly be…
How to be a Latin Lover: Ricardo Cortez, formerly known as Jacob Krantz from a working-class family of Austrian/Hungarian immigrants that had settled in New York City, succeeded in restyling…
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…
The Doll with Ossi Oswalda and Hermann Thimig. Early Ernst Lubitsch satirical fantasy starring “the German Mary Pickford” has similar premise to that of the 1925 Buster Keaton comedy Seven…
Olivia de Havilland in ‘The Heiress.’ Olivia de Havilland vs. Warner Bros. (See previous post: “Olivia de Havilland Turns 99: Warner Bros. Legal Fight Changed U.S. Labor Law.”) In 1942,…
Ernst Lubitsch movies: Subtle, sophisticated ‘Touch’ all but gone from contemporary filmmaking. Ernst Lubitsch movies: The forgotten, passé ‘Touch’ Ernst Lubitsch and William Cameron Menzies were Turner Classic Movies’ “stars”…
Greta Garbo movies: The Kiss was her final silent film. Greta Garbo movies: Rare silent era star on TCM Greta Garbo, a rarity among silent era movie stars, is Turner…
Virginia Bruce: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer actress ca. 1935. Virginia Bruce movies on TCM: Actress was the cherry on ‘The Great Ziegfeld’ wedding cake Unfortunately, Turner Classic Movies has chosen not to feature…
Vivien Leigh ca. late 1940s. Vivien Leigh movies: now controversial ‘Gone with the Wind,’ little-seen ’21 Days Together’ on TCM Vivien Leigh is Turner Classic Movies’ star today, Aug. 18,…
Robert Mitchum ca. late 1940s. Robert Mitchum movies ‘The Yakuza’ & ‘Ryan’s Daughter’ on TCM On Aug. 12, Turner Classic Movies’ “Summer Under the Stars” series is highlighting the career…
Rex Ingram in The Thief of Bagdad 1940 with tiny Sabu. An Alexander Korda production. Actor Rex Ingram movies: Early black Hollywood performer It’s somewhat unusual for two well-known film…
African-American film ‘Bert Williams: Lime Kiln Club Field Day’ with Williams (in blackface) and Odessa Warren Grey: Early 20th century rarity.* Rare, early 20th-century African-American film among San Francisco Silent…
To Each His Own with Olivia de Havilland and John Lund. ‘To Each His Own’ movie review: Best Actress Oscar winner Olivia de Havilland stars in Mother Love tearjerker Olivia…
Marc Allégret: André Gide lover, all-around starmaker and the initial driving force behind the film career of Simone Simon. Marc Allégret: From André Gide lover to Simone Simon mentor (See…
Autumn Crocus movie adaptation with Ivor Novello and Fay Compton: Summertime precursor. Ivor Novello last movie: ‘Autumn Crocus’ Can a naive, plain-looking, spinster school teacher ever find real love in…
Lifetime Achievement Award: Doris Day & long-running Honorary Oscar “snub.” Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award: Doris Day & Danielle Darrieux among Honorary Oscar non-recipients (See previous post: “Honorary Oscars Bypass Women:…
Honorary Oscar recipient Angela Lansbury and Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient Angelina Jolie at the 2013 Governors Awards. September 2014 Introduction: This three-part article on the Academy of Motion Picture…
Claudette Colbert and Maurice Chevalier in The Smiling Lieutenant. Claudette Colbert movies: From ‘The Smiling Lieutenant’ to ‘Skylark’ Claudette Colbert, the studio era’s perky, independent-minded – and French-born – “all-American”…
Tatiana Samoilova in The Cranes Are Flying: The Russian Audrey Hepburn. Tatiana Samoilova dead at 80: ‘The Russian Audrey Hepburn’ best remembered for Cannes winner ‘The Cranes Are Flying’ Russian film…
Wallace Beery in Min and Bill, with Marie Dressler. Wallace Beery movies: TCM offers a glimpse into actor’s extensive filmography According to the IMDb, the Wallace Beery Filmography features nearly…
Mickey Rooney movies on TCM: Music and murder (image: Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland ca. 1940) Mickey Rooney is Turner Classic Movies’ “Summer Under the Stars” star today, August 13,…
Eleanor Parker movies. Eleanor Parker movies on TCM Palms Springs area resident Eleanor Parker, who turns 91 next June 26, was one of the best actresses of Hollywood’s studio era.…
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…
Luise Rainer: Oldest living Oscar winner. Luise Rainer: Oldest Living Oscar winner turns 103 today Luise Rainer, the recipient of two back-to-back Best Actress Oscars in the mid-1930s, is the…
(See previous post: “Gay Pride Movie Series Comes to a Close: From Heterosexual Angst to Indonesian Coup.”) Ken Russell’s Valentino (1977) is notable for starring ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev as…
Charles Brackett ca. 1945: Billy Wilder screenwriting partner (1936–1949), producer (1945–1949) and Hollywood diarist. Q&A with ‘Charles Brackett Diaries’ editor Anthony Slide: Billy Wilder’s screenwriter-producer partner in his own words…
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.: Although never as big a name as his father, Jr. did succeed in attaining Hollywood stardom. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was never as popular as his father, silent…
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…
Best Documentary Short Film: White Earth is a potential Oscar contender. Best Documentary Short Films Oscar: Illness & death are top subjects Eight films – most of them featuring illness and/or…
Drew Barrymore sister Jessica Barrymore. Drew Barrymore half-sister Jessica Barrymore found dead near San Diego Drew Barrymore’s half-sister Jessica Barrymore was found dead in her car early Tuesday, July 29,…
Ramon Novarro ca. 1925. Ramon Novarro: Mexican-born actor was first Latin American Hollywood superstar Mexican-born actor Ramon Novarro, the original Ben-Hur and one of MGM’s biggest stars of the late…