Actress Carol Lynley in The Shape of Things to Come. The 1970s were a problematic decade for Hollywood film actresses; still, it’s hard to understand why Carol Lynley’s post-The Poseidon Adventure movies consisted almost invariably of low-to-micro-budget, largely ignored fare. Examples include the H.G. Wells-inspired…
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Ann Sothern: Actress in Maisie movie series enjoyed two Hollywood career peaks. Ann Sothern, an actress in Hollywood and, somewhat briefly, on Broadway since the late 1920s, became a star in 1939, courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s Edwin L. Marin-directed low-budget comedy Maisie. That led to the…
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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 actor-singer Howard Keel, previously a “guest star” on the show, was hired as a regular…
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Jimmy Edwards. Best known for his radio and television work – Take It from Here in the former medium; Whack-O! in the latter – British comedian Jimmy Edwards was seen, mostly in small parts, in about a dozen features from the late 1940s to the…
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Blake Edwards: Director of the Pink Panther movies – and Julie Andrews’ husband for more than four decades – was at his best handling polished comedies and a couple of dead serious dramas. Blake Edwards movies: Best known for slapstick fare, but at his best…
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Christian movies: Starring Nicolas Cage, the widely panned 2014 apocalyptic thriller Left Behind was a box office bomb – unlike (relatively) recent popular “faith movies” such as Heaven Is for Real, Son of God, and War Room. A thought on the New Christian American Cinema:…
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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, Olivia de Havilland reportedly turned down the colorless leading lady role in Raoul Walsh’s Gentleman…
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Abe Vigoda dead or alive? The Godfather actor became a pop celebrity in the U.S. following greatly exaggerated reports of his death. ‘The Godfather’ actor Abe Vigoda dead at 94: Early 1980s death notices were greatly exaggerated Actor Abe Vigoda, little-known internationally despite a supporting…
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‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’: Critics’ Choice Awards Best Picture nomination controversy. Critics’ Choice Awards: Everybody is a nominee Your U.S.-based awards group, all-encompassingly named the Critics’ Choice Awards, wants to compete with the Golden Globes to become the second-rank Academy Awards – itself a…
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Marjorie Lord actress ca. early 1950s: Mother of Oscar-nominated performer. Actress Marjorie Lord: Best remembered for long-running hit TV series ‘Make Room for Daddy’ Stage, film, and television actress Marjorie Lord, best remembered as Danny Thomas’ second wife in the TV sitcom Make Room for…
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Jackie Collins’ sex novel The Bitch became a sex movie starring sexy sister Joan Collins. Author Jackie Collins dead at 77: Surprisingly few film & TV adaptations of her bestselling novels Jackie Collins, best known for a series of bestsellers about the dysfunctional sex lives…
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“Eye of the Tiger” band Survivor: Lawsuit against a couple of radical Christians. ‘Eye of the Tiger’ band Survivor sues radical Christian county clerk & far-right U.S. presidential candidate The band Survivor, whose song “Eye of the Tiger” underlined the critical dud (but box office…
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Lucille Ball in Easy to Wed. Cate Blanchett to play Lucille Ball: Actress won Oscar for incarnating Ball’s fellow RKO contract player Katharine Hepburn Two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett is reportedly slated to star in a biopic of former RKO and MGM actress and big-time…
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Yvonne Craig: Batgirl a.k.a. Barbara Gordon in cult TV series. Batgirl Yvonne Craig dead at 78: Also featured in ‘Star Trek’ episode & Elvis Presley movies Yvonne Craig, best known as Batgirl in the 1960s television series Batman, died of complications from breast cancer on…
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The Man From U.N.C.L.E. with Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer. ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ box office: Bigger domestic flop than expected? Before I address the box office debacle of Warner Bros.’ The Man from U.N.C.L.E., I’d like to remark on the fact that 2015 has…
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Jerry Weintraub produced The Karate Kid 1984 with Ralph Macchio. Jerry Weintraub: ‘The Karate Kid’ & ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ producer dead at 77 Former talent agent turned film and television producer Jerry Weintraub, who died of cardiac arrest at age 77 on July 6 in Santa…