John Barrymore: At first a reluctant actor, this member of the renowned Drew and Barrymore families made his stage debut at age 18 in an early 20th-century play starring his…
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…
(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…
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”…
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…
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,…
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…
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…