Grass Roots performance in With Six You Get Egg Roll.
WITH SIX YOU GET EGG ROLL. This was Doris Days final acting appearance in a feature film, since her TV show The Doris Day Show premiered one month later in September 1968. It is the acting debut of comedian George Carlin. Also a fun movie clip of the GRASS ROOTS performing.
Eunice Quedens, first performance was at age seven, when she won a WCTU medal for her recital of the poem "No Kicka My Dog." After graduating from high school, she became a actress on the California stock company circuit.
She played a seductress in the Columbia talkie, Song of Love (1929), where she plays the vamp who attempts to steal leading man Ralph Graves from Baker. This is not the typical Arden role.
Dancing Lady(1933). A story about the love triangle involving Clark Gable, Franchot Tone for Joan Crawford's hand. It is the first film where Fred Astaire, plays himself, singing and dancing. Eve Arden, plays a would-be actress faking a southern accent in a very short scene. It is also the first film where the three stooges were actually billed as "stooges." After her performance in Dancing Lady(1933), she wanted to change her name for professional reasons. Supposedly, she came up with the idea for her new name from a container of Elizabeth Arden cold cream.
Several performances in Ziegfeld Follies followed, and in 1937 Arden returned to films as a character actress. Stage Door(1937), The entire cast is excellent: Katharine Hepburn is the new girl who quickly meets the `regulars': Ginger Rogers, Lucille Ball, Eve Arden, Ann Miller, Gail Patrick and Andrea Leeds. From Stage Door(1937), Eve Arden, was typecast as the sarcastic "best friend" who seldom got the man but always had the best lines.
A couple of her best known film roles:
Cover Girl (1944). Is one of my favorite Rita Hayworth musicals. The story is about a dancer who wants to be a cover girl and makes it big in show business. She does it without the help of her talented dancer/director boyfriend (Gene Kelly). Kelly is given the chance to choreograph the spectacular musical numbers.
The Doughgirls (1944). Eve Arden, who made a career of playing second banana, is wonderful as a Russian soldier. Jame Wyman, though not a blonde, delivers one "dumb blonde" line after another. Jack Carson is his usual funny self. Charley Ruggles is a lecherous old man. Alan Mowbray is a broadcaster. "The Doughgirls" is really a female Marx Brothers circus.
She earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in Mildred Pierce (1945). Eve Arden, was wonderful as Mildred's best friend.
In July of 1948, she performed the popular radio comedy Our Miss Brooks. Our Miss Brooks was transferred to television in 1952, running five seasons.
Next was the less successful 1957 The Eve Arden Show. This failure was long forgotten by her stage performances as Auntie Mame and Hello, Dolly! and her well liked film performances:
Anatomy of a Murder(1959). A great story and a great cast, Otto Preminger as director, knew exactly how to put together a film..
Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1960). A look at the inner strength of these characters, as they struggle with money troubles and their love lives.
In 1967, she returned to TV to co-star with Kaye Ballard on The Mothers-in-Law which lasted two years.
And in 1978, she became known to a new generation with her performance as Principal McGee in the film version of Broadway's Grease. One of the best Broadway musicals ever adapted for the big screen, set at Rydell High circa 1950's with Travolta, in a leather jacket, with a heart-of-gold Danny Zuko remembering his "Summer Nights" with Olivia Newton-John, as goody-goody Sandy who learns a few things from "The Pink Ladies".
In 1985, Eve Arden came out with her autobiography, The Three Phases of Eve.
Stage Door (1937). Adapted from the play by the same name. Cast: Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Adolphe Menjou, Gail Patrick, Constance Collier, Andrea Leeds, Samuel S. Hinds, Lucille Ball, Eve Arden and Ann Miller.
When Terry Randall, an aspiring actress arrives at the Footlights Club, she is greeted by a group of actresses and chorus girls. Terry's uppity manner immediately alienates her from her roommates.
Terry Randall: I see that, in addition to your other charms, you have that insolence generated by an inferior upbringing.
Jean Maitland: Hmm! Fancy clothes, fancy language and everything!
Terry Randall: Unfortunately, I learned to speak English correctly.
Jean Maitland: That won't be of much use to you here. We all talk pig Latin.
Because of her relationship with producer Anthony Powell, known womanizer, Jean also dislikes room mate, Linda Shaw.
Loved by all is Kay Hamilton, a actress who had done very well so far and has since been unable to find work.
Jean is spotted during a dance rehearsal by Powell, who arranges an audition for her and her partner Annie at a nightclub.
Later, Kay faints in Powell's office when she learns that the producer has refused to see her. Angry, Terry bursts into Powell's office and gives him what for, for his callous behavior. Powell dismisses Terry, but when he is later approached by a potential backer who has made casting Terry a part of his offer, agrees to star her in his next play, Enchanted April.
Powell then invites Jean to dine with him and to spite Linda, Jean accepts. Powell shows Jean, pictures of his young son and estranged wife and plays a "poor little me" routine to win her over. When Jean becomes drunk, Powell sends her home, where Terry helps her to bed.
Later, Powell tells Terry that he wants her to star in Enchanted April. Kay is stunned to learn that Terry has been cast in the role and wishes her room mate's good luck. In spite of Terry's bad performance during rehearsal, Powell keeps her in the show. What will it take to turn Terry's out look on life?
A wonderful film, with great dialogue. The real treat for viewers in this film, is the chance to see several popular young actresses early in their careers.
Fun Facts:
Ann Miller was only 14 years old when she performed in this film. She had lied about her age and produced a fake birth certificate. Miller was tall and beautiful at age 14 that she pulled it off. It is quite impressive to see her holding her own while dancing with Ginger Rogers, by then the dance partner of Fred Astaire.
This week showing on Noir and Chick Flicks, at the movies:(Located on sidebar). NIGHT LIFE IN RENO (1931). Director: Raymond Cannon. Cast: Virginia Valli (pictured above), Jameson Thomas and Dorothy Christy.
THIS WEEKS TCM SPOTLIGHT:
STAGE DOOR (1937). Sat. Feb. 27th. Tells the story of several would-be actresses who live together in a boarding house at 158 West 58th Street in New York City. The film stars Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Adolphe Menjou, Gail Patrick, Constance Collier, Andrea Leeds, Samuel S. Hinds and Lucille Ball. Eve Arden and Ann Miller, who became notable in later films, play minor characters. Check locals listings for times..
PENNIES FROM HEAVEN (1936). Cast: Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong. A musical comedy film released in 1936, based on the novel The Peacock Feather by Katherine Leslie Moore. Sun. Feb. 28th. Check local listings for times.
HEAVENS GATE(1981). Wed. March 3rd. Wyoming sheriff (Kris Kristofferson) tries to protect immigrant farmers from ruthless ranchers in Heaven's Gate. Check local listings for times. Recommended by Paul.
Merle Oberon, Indian-born British actress. Was known as "Queenie Thompson" up until 1939 when her husband Alexander Korda convinced her to change her name. She began her film career in the British film The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933) and The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934). She traveled to the United States to make films for Samuel Goldwyn. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Dark Angel(1935). In a terrible car accident she received facial injuries that might have ended her career, but she soon performed in one of her most successful films, Wuthering Heights (1939). Oberon came up with a made up story of her family history in which she said that she had been born in Tasmania, Australia. To hide the fact that she was of mixed-race Indian background, as she believed the truth would have ended her acting career.
Please check Chick Flicks Western page for The Cowboy and the Lady (1938) movie review.
FUN FACT:
The mini series Queenie (1987) (TV) starring Mia Sara is based on a book by Merle's nephew, loosely based on her life.
List of Merle Oberon films:
Affair in Monte Carlo (1952)
Dans la vie tout s'arrange (1952)
Pardon My French (1951)Berlin Express (1948)
Night Song (1947)
Temptation (1946)
Night in Paradise (1946)
This Love of Ours(1945)
A Song to Remember (1945)
Dark Waters (1944)
The Lodger (1944)
First Comes Courage (1943)
Forever and a Day (1943)
Lydia (1941)
Affectionately Yours (1941)
That Uncertain Feeling (1941)
'Til We Meet Again (1940) The Lion Has Wings (1939)
Over the Moon (1939)
Wuthering Heights (1939)
The Cowboy and the Lady (1938)THE COWBOY AND THE LADY MOVIE. Click to watch.
The Divorce of Lady X(1938)
I, Claudius (1937)
Beloved Enemy (1936)
These Three (1936)
The Dark Angel (1935)
Folies Bergère de Paris (1935)
The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934)
Vagabond Violinist (1934)
The Private Life of Don Juan (1934)
Thunder in the East (1934)
The Private Life of Henry VIII. (1933)
Mary Pickford Clip.
Gene Kelly and Producer Walter Mirisch presenting an Honorary Oscar® to Mary Pickford in recognition of her unique contributions to the film industry.
Virginia Valli, acting career started in the silent film era and lasted until the beginning of the sound film era of the 1930s. Born Virginia McSweeney in Chicago, Illinois, she got her acting start in Milwaukee with a stock company. She also did some film work with Essanay Studios in her hometown of Chicago, starting in 1916.
Valli would continue to appear in films throughout the 1920s. She also would be an established star at the Universal studio by the mid-1920s. Most of her films would be between 1924 and 1927. In 1925 Valli performed in The Man Who Found Himself, Paid To Love (1927) and Evening Clothes (1927). Her first sound picture was The Isle of Lost Ships in 1929. she retired after making her 58th film, Night Life in Reno(1931). That same year she married handsome leading man Charles Farrell and became the "first lady" of Palm Springs, CA.
FUN FACTS:
For over three decades she ran "The Raquet Club," in Palm Springs, which opened on Christmas Day in 1934.
Studied dancing in her early years.
Husband Charles Farrell served as mayor of Palm Springs from 1948 until 1954.
"Wild Oranges" (1924) is a silent romantic drama starring Frank Mayo, Virginia Valli, and Ford Sterling. Directed by King Vidor and adapted from the novel by Joseph Hergesheimer, this film captures the bittersweet theme of love and loss. The story begins with John Woolfolk, played by Frank Mayo, marrying and losing his young bride on the same day in a horse and carriage accident. John takes to the sea in his small sailing boat with his first mate, Paul Harvard, played by Ford Sterling, to forget the untimely death of his wife and also avoid ever falling in love again. After spending three years traveling at sea on the small sailing boat, John and Paul come across a beautiful island off the coast of Georgia. They decide to stay there for a while, but they have no idea that the island is inhabited by the lovely Millie Stope, played by Virginia Valli, and her grandfather, Litchfield Stope. Millie and Litchfield live in a dilapidated mansion and suffer from an extreme case of fear.
The third inhabitant of the island is Iscah Nicholas, a homicidal maniac who is described as "half man and half animal." Iscah stalks Millie and constantly threatens her. He even promises to kill her grandfather if she doesn't give him a kiss. When John meets Millie, it is love at first sight for these two, eventhough he is in denial and tries his hardest to resist falling in love with her. However, John soon entrusts his heart to Millie and wants to take her and her grandfather away from the island, but Iscah has other plans for them. When John shows up in Millie's house to take her and her grandfather out of the island, he discovers that Iscah has killed the old man and is trying to force himself on Millie who is tied up to her bed. Will John be able to rescue Millie before it is too late? "Wild Oranges" is a largely forgotten silent gem superbly directed by a young King Vidor at Goldwyn before they merged with Metro to form Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Vidor, whose career began in 1913 with "Hurricane Galveston," went on to make such classics as "The Big Parade" (1925), "The Crowd" (1928), "Show People" (1928), "Hallelujah!" (1929), "Duel in the Sun" (1946), and "The Fountainhead" (1949). When he finally retired in 1980, Vidor entered the record books as the longest working director in film history. Although "Wild Oranges" is not a masterpiece of the silent cinema, it is certainly an entertaining film. Vidor always studied reality to make everything believable about a scene and to make the audience feel it. He was really ahead of his time, and his direction is what actually makes the film so realistic. There are many suspenseful scenes such as the one in which Iscah threatens to feed Millie to some crocodiles if she doesn't kiss him. The crocodiles appear to be real and the scene is very well done. The film's viewing experience is greatly enhanced by its breathtaking photography. It is a beautiful print tinted in a variety of tones including sepia, blue, pink, and orange shades. The film's landscape is rather impressive with its omnipresent orange trees and orange blossoms. It almost seems one can smell their aroma. Perhaps what I enjoyed most about the film are the tender and moving love scenes between Millie and John. I found it rather amusing that Millie wasn't afraid of John despite her fear of strangers. One of the most romantic scenes is when Millie first meets John and lovingly touches and rubs his shirt. Dialogue is definitely not necessary to understand tender moments like these. In "Wild Oranges," largely forgotten actor, Frank Mayo, is excellent as the widower who is scared of falling in love again. Virginia Valli, who was an established star at Universal by the mid 1920's, gives the best performance of all the cast members as the sweet and lovely Millie who captures his heart. Definitely worth watching, King Vidor's "Wild Oranges" is a steamy melodrama where fear and desires run deep.
* It is interesting to note that Virginia Valli was married to popular leading man of silents and early talkies, Charles Farrell, from 1931 until her death in 1968.
Norma Shearer is best known as the first American film actress to make it chic and acceptable to be single and not a virgin on screen. In March 2008, two of her most famous pre-code films, The Divorcee and A Free Sole.
In 1920 her mother took Norma and her sister to New York to addtion for Ziegfeld. They worked as extras in several movies. Irving Thalberg had seen her when he joined Louis B. Mayer and gave her a five year contract. Although, he wanted her retire after their marriage.
Her first talkie was in The Trial of Mary Dugan(1929), four movies later, she won an Oscar in The Divorcee (1930). She cut down film exposure during the 1930s, relying on roles in Thalberg's projects: The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934) and Romeo and Juliet (1936) (her fifth Oscar nomination). Thalberg died of a heart attack at age 37. Norma wanted to retire, but MGM forced her into a six-picture contract. David O. Selznick offered her the part of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939), but because of her cross-eyed stare she did not get the part. She performed in The Women (1939), turned down the role in Mrs. Miniver (1942), and retired in 1942. Later, she was offered the role of Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd. (1950), but she turned it down. Gloria Swanson, who went on to receive a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her performance, was cast instead.
The Divorcee (1930). Drama. Based on the novel Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott. Director: Robert Z. Leonard. Cast: Chester Morris, Norma Shearer, Robert Montgomery, Conrad Nagel, and Florence Eldridge. Other movies with the same title were released in 1917, 1919 and 1969.
Shearer was not first choice for the lead role in The Divorcee, because it was believed that she didn't have enough sex appeal. It was only after Shearer arranged a photo session with George Hurrell and her husband saw the result, that he gave her the role. The original choice was Joan Crawford, who never forgave Shearer for winning the role.
Norma Shearer's character is very strong willed and is the one to propose marriage to her boyfriend at the beginning of the film. On their third wedding anniversary, Jerry learns that Ted has been having an affair with another woman. Brokenhearted, she turns to Don, her husband's best friend, for comfort. Ted refuses to accept her affairs with other men, so they divorce. After several affairs, Jerry meets Paul and goes on vacation with him on his yacht. When she realizes she does not love him, she returns to Paris, on New Year's Eve. Will she find Ted and will they get back together?
Video:
I really enjoyed watching The Divorcee which takes a look at the double standard. So far, This is one of my personal favorite films of the Pre-Code Era because it's exactly the kind of film that the Code was against.
Florence Eldridge (September 5, 1901-August 1, 1988), she was married to fellow performer Fredric March from 1927 until his death in 1975, and often appeared alongside him on stage and in films.
She died of a heart attack aged 86. She was buried alongside her husband at the March Estate in New Milford, Connecticut.
The Divorcee, is part of the Forbidden Hollywood Collection Volume Two. The other films included in the box set:
Female
The Divorcee
A Free Soul
Night Nurse
Another great film from that golden year of 1939 that got overshadowed by the big guns of Gone with the Wind, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, The Wizard of Oz and others. But this little taut thriller is really good and deserves to be on that list of 1939's best films. Twelve people are aboard Coast Air Line's flagship the Silver Queen enroute to South America when the airplane encounters a storm and is blown off course. The people include Lucille Ball as Peggy, a woman with a past. C. Aubrey Smith as Professor Spengler with his wife Martha (Played by Elizabeth Risdon). Also on board is Wendy Barrie as Alice, a secretary secretly eloping with her boss/fiancee Judson Ellis (played by Patric Knowles). Then there is the always reliable Allen Jenkins as racketeer Pete who is escorting Tommy, the son of his boss back to America. Also on board is John Carradine as Crimp, who is escorting the criminal Vasquez (played by Joseph Calleia) to stand trial for his crimes. And finally the pilots Bill (Chester Morris) and Joe (Kent Taylor).
The pilots are able to land the plane into a remote jungle, but it is populated with headhunters. The pilots have to repair the plane before they can try to take off and it's a race against time. As the headhunters drums signal they are preparing to attack. Days turns into weeks and most everybody pull their own weight except for Crimp and Ellis who become full on alcoholics. Everyone else remains strong and vigilant. The top performances are by Calleia who actually turns out to be a fair and actually likable man. He is at ease with the current situation because he knows once the plane if fixed, he is that much closer to being hanged for his crimes. Lucille Ball is very good in a rare dramatic role that makes her tarnished lady trying her best to be a better person, despite the resistance from others. Wendy Barrie is also very good as the lovestruck secretary who manages to put her alcoholic fiancee in check. Allen Jenkins is tops as Pete, who believes in honor, despite being on the wrong side of the law. Morris and Taylor are very good in their roles as the pilots. And C. Aubrey Smith is excellent as the Professor who is very knowledgeable about the current situtation. The final twist at the end is a shocker and makes one take value of life and choices. There are a few deaths before then but when the climax comes you will be completely enthralled.
The running time is only about 75 minutes long but it is a taut, tension filled 75 minutes. It's to the director's skill and credit that we actually never see the headhunters but we know they're coming thanks to those constantly banging drums. Five Came Back is a top notch thriller that deserves more attention now since it didn't receive it back then. A pleasing little B thriller from yesteryear. B+ MOVIE CLIP FIVE WHO CAME BACK.
Eva Marie Saint's television carrer began as an NBC page. In the late 1940s, she began working in radio and television before winning the Drama Critics Award for her Broadway stage role in The Trip to Bountiful (1953), in which she co-starred with Lillian Gish and Jo Van Fleet. In 1955, she was nominated for her first Emmy for "Best Actress In A Single Performance" on The Philco Television Playhouse in Middle of the Night . She won another Emmy nomination for the 1955 television musical classic play Our Town with co-stars Paul Newman (in his only musical) and Frank Sinatra. Saint also became known as "the Helen Hayes of television."
Alfred Hitchcock surprised everyone by choosing Saint over dozens of other candidates for the femme fatale role in North by Northwest (1959) with Cary Grant and James Mason. Hitchcock's decision to cut Saint's waist-length blonde hair for the first time in her career made head lines. Hitchcock beleived that short hair gave her a more exotic look, in keeping with her role of the glamorous woman. The director also worked with Saint to make her voice lower and huskier and even chose costumes for her.
North by Northwest (1959). Suspense. Director: Alfred Hitchcock. Cast: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason. Screenplay: Ernest Lehman, who wanted to write "the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures". North by Northwest is a tale of mistaken identity, with an innocent man chased across the United States by agents who want to stop his interference in their plans to smuggle out microfilm holding government secrets. Hitchcock, used this technique in many of his films. This is one of several Hitchcock movies with a music score by Bernard Herrmann and features amazing opening sequence by graphic designer Saul Bass.
One of my favorite scenes:
There are so many wonderful blogs written about the movie North by Northwest, instead of a review. I will write about what I thought was interesting about the film.
Hitchcock worked on the movie script North by Northwest for nine years. He wanted a change of pace after directing Vertigo. Hitchcock said that he wanted to do something fun, light-hearted, and free of symbolism.
There are similarities between this movie and Hitchcock's film Saboteur (1942), whose final scene on top the Statue of Liberty foreshadows the Mount Rushmore scene in the film. In fact, North by Northwest can be seen as the last in a long line of "wrong man" films that Hitchcock made according to the pattern he started in The 39 Steps (1935).
North by Northwest has been referred to as "the first James Bond film" because of its similarities with amazing settings and secret agents. Hitchcock was considered to direct the first Bond film. Hitchcock read the script Thunderball and was interested in directing it. Xanadu Productions had doubts about the amount of control over the picture they would have. Hitchcock passed on the Bond film to direct Psycho.
MGM wanted Alfred Hitchcock to cast Cyd Charisse for the part of Eve Kendall, but Hitchcock insisted upon Eva Marie Saint.
One of my favorite things in a Hitchcock film is: (spoiler alert) the Director Cameo: Hitchcock arrives at a bus stop (during the opening credits) but gets there too late and the door is closed in his face. He misses the bus.
Every couple of weeks, I enjoy spotlighting others blogs that have caught my interest.. This week.. I would like to spotlight: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. Kim the founder, specializes in French history. She loves French films and directors. like Truffaut, Demy, Chabrol, Renoir, Resnais, Malle, and sometimes Godard. Kim's favorite actress are Catherine Deneuve and her all-time favorite film is The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Her other favorite Deneuve films are: Belle de Jour, The Young Girls of Rochefort, and The Last Metro.
Kim, also loves American films and actors. Such as: Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck, and Greta Garbo. Her favorite classic films are The Lady Eve, Camille, Now, Voyager, and The Wizard of Oz. Her favorite modern film is Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley. She gets her blog ideas from the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book. 1001 Movies.
Awesome Blog, Kim!!
This week showing on Noir and Chick Flicks, at the movies:(Located on sidebar). COWBOY AND THE LADY(1938). Western comedy/romance. Cast: Gary Cooper and Merle Oberon (PICTURED ABOVE). Director: H.C. Potter. It won an Academy Award for Sound, Recording (Thomas Moulton) and was nominated for two others, Original Score (Alfred Newman) and Original Song ("The Cowboy and the Lady", Lionel Newman and Arthur Quenzer).
THIS WEEKS TCM SPOTLIGHT:
NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959). Sunday Feb. 21st. Suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Cast: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason, and featuring Leo G. Carroll and Martin Landau. Check local listings for times.
THE DIVORCEE (1930). Monday Feb. 22nd. The double standard destroys a liberal couple's marriage. Cast: Norma Shearer, Chester Morris, Robert Montgomery. Check local listings for times.
AMERICAN IN PARIS(1951). Tue. Feb.23 rd. An American artist finds love in Paris. Cast: Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron. Check local listings for times. Please check Noir and Chick Flicks: Musical page for review. :)
Meet John Doe (1941). Comedy/ drama. Director: Frank Capra. Cast: Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. And a couple of my favorite charactor actors: Spring Byington and Walter Brennan. The film, about a political campaign, created by a newspaper columnist and pursued by a wealthy businessman, became a box office hit and was nominated for an Academy Award for best original story (for Richard Connell and Robert Presnell Sr.).
There are so many wonderful reviews about MEET JOHN DOE. I will just share a couple of my thoughts. Stanwyck is absolutely wonderful in this film, as her character realizes she has found a man just like her father. Also Cooper, is wonderful as the average everyday guy. A couple of my favorite scenes are when Cooper needs Stanwycks mother's help to ask her daughter to marry him and the baseball scene in a hotel room, when they play pretend ball, is very charming.. FULL MOVIE: MEET JOHN DOE.
FUN FACTS:
Frank Capra only wanted Cary Cooper to play John Doe. Cooper agreed to play the part (without reading a script) for two reasons: he had enjoyed working with Capra on Mr. Deeds Goes to Town(1936) and he wanted to work with Barbara Stanwyck.
The song 'Sweet potatoes' that Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan play, in addition to "Hi Diddle Dee Dee (An Actor's Life For Me)", from "Pinocchio": Brennan alone plays this on an ocarina (sweet potato), but Cooper plays a small harmonica. The tune they play as a duet, while Barbara Stanwyck is interviewing them, is The "William Tell Overture, Finale" by Rossini (The Lone Ranger Theme). Cooper explains the reason Brennan likes him is that they both play 'Doohickeys'.
Kathryn Grayson, was an American actress and operatic soprano singer. Trained as an opera singer from the age of twelve, Grayson was contracted to MGM and established a career in films from the early 1940s. Most of her films were musicals and after several supporting roles, she was given lead roles in such films as Show Boat (1951) and Kiss Me Kate (1953). She was paired with Howard Keel and Mario Lanza in some of her films.
Fun Fact: Telegraph (news paper.)
Legend has it that, as a child, she wandered on stage after the show at the St Louis Municipal Opera House and sang just for the janitor. In the empty auditorium, a torrent of one-man applause greeted the performance. Only when it was time to say goodbye did she realise that he was stone deaf and hadn't heard a note. KATHRYN GRAYSON TRIBUTE.
My favorite Kathryn Grayson performance was in the films: Anchors Aweigh (1945), Lovely to Look At(1952) and Till the Clouds Roll By (1946). She will be greatly missed.
The Crowd (1928) Silent Film. Cast: James Murray and Eleanor Boardman. Director: King Vidor.
John Sims always believed that he would some day become important. Unfortunately, John's father, died young, changing John's future and his plans. By twenty one, John is working as a clerk for the Atlas Insurance Co. One of Bert's friends, sets him up on a blind date with a girl named Mary. After spending the evening with Mary, John asks her to marry him. She agrees and they honeymoon at Niagara Falls. John promises Mary an beautiful home "when his ship comes in,". On Christmas Eve, Mary's deaf mother and her two well to do brothers , who do not think very highly of John, visit them for dinner. When John leaves to pick up some liquor, he comes home drunk, long after everyone has gone home. Mary forgives him, but by April they are arguing about everything.
However, they make up when Mary tells John that she is expecting a baby. In October, when a baby boy is born, John tells Mary that this is what he needed to make him try harder to become "somebody." Five years pass and a baby girl is born to the family. so far, John has received a small raise in pay and it is clear that he may never full fill his dreams. Mary tells him that she does not believe that his "ship" is ever going to come in. Will John ever get the break he needs to find a brighter future?
Even though I found the movie very sad. I could not help rooting for John even though he gets into one mess after another. Girlfriend/wife played by Eleanor Boardman stands by her man, I thought her performance was amazing. One of my favorite scenes is John's office, showing hundreds of desks in rows. You really get the feeling of being just another face in 'the crowd'.
Another thing that caught my eye was the background scenery. It is fascinating to see how people lived in the 1920's. Men wore suits and hats, ladies wore dresses. It was a different time. A time where manners were still important..
FUN FACTS:
King Vidor filmed many scenes in New York City streets using real crowds instead of extras, real buses and trains, and even real traffic cops. In one scene, a police officer is looking toward the camera, telling someone to "move along". In fact, he was actually telling Vidor and his film crew to move along.
King Vidor shot nine different endings before settling on the one used in the film, because MGM did not like films without a happy ending.
Eleanor Boardman, was named by Goldwyn Pictures as their "New Face of 1922,". After several wonderful supporting roles, she played the lead in Souls for Sale (1923). She appeared in less than forty films during her career, best known for her performance in Vidor's The Crowd(1928). Video interview of KING VIDOR making the movie THE CROWD (1929.)
Pauline Starke, made her acting debut performing as a dance extra in D.W. Griffith's film Intolerance (1916). She continued to play bit parts until director Frank Borzage started casting her in leading roles, beginning in 1917. Pauline Starke performed in a number of films from 1916 to 1935. She had been introduced into the film industry by a friend. She played several lead roles in films, establishing her place as a silent-film actress during the 1920s. Pauline Starke has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for her contributions to Motion Pictures.
"Captain Salvation" (1927) is a silent romantic drama starring Lars Hanson, Pauline Starke, Marceline Day, and Ernest Torrence. Directed by John S. Robertson and adapted from the novel by Frederick William Wallace, this film is the tale of a minister who is ostracized when he shows compassion to a prostitute. The story begins in the spring of 1840, in Maple Harbor, a small waterfront town of New England. A seafaring lover, Anson Campbell, played by Lars Hanson, returns from theology school. He is expected to wed Mary Phillips, played by Marceline Day, one of the girls from town, and become a minister in the local church. Campbell's plans are crushed when a prostitute, Bess Morgan, played by Pauline Starke, arrives in Maple Harbor via a shipwreck and none of the townspeople want to help her. In fact, most of them would rather have seen her drown or locked in the town jail. Campbell, appalled at his fellow church members, takes Bess into his home and nurses her back to health. At this point, the townspeople begin gossipping and insinuating that Campbell and Bess are living in sin. They even threaten to take the pulpit away from Campbell. The young minister, furious with his fellow church members and distraught that his fiancee doesn't believe him, books passage for Bess and himself on a ship, The Panther. However, Campbell soon discovers the ship's cargoes are prisoners who are mistreated by the wicked crew and the captain, played by Ernest Torrence, is a lecherous man. The young minister falls into despair until the captain threatens Bess. Will Campbell be able to rescue Bess before it is too late?
"Captain Salvation" is a major MGM studio obscurity largely because its leading stars, Lars Hanson and Pauline Starke, are forgotten today. Lars Hanson began his career as a stage actor in his native Sweden. He made his film debut in "Dolken" (1915), which was directed by Mauritz Stiller. Hanson gained international acclaim for his role as the title character in the Stiller film, "Gosta Berlings saga" (1924), which featured a young Stiller protege named Greta Garbo. Hanson arrived in Hollywood to star opposite Lillian Gish in the "Scarlet Letter" (1926). He starred in a total of six American silent films from 1926 to 1928. Seeing that his thick Swedish accent might be a liability in American films, Hanson returned to Europe during the advent of sound. Pauline Starke was initially an extra in D.W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation" (1915) and "Intolerance" (1916). Starke had the look of a country girl, unspoiled, natural, and unfamiliar with makeup. She was featured in a number of films produced by the Fine Arts Company, which Griffith was the supervising producer. In 1925, MGM signed Starke to a contract, and her first starring role there was as a rugged, outdoor type in "Sun-Up" (1925). However, MGM quickly changed her image to that of a glamorous Hollywood-style star. Nowhere is this change more apparent than in the two-color Technicolor extravaganza, "The Viking" (1928), which was Starke's last MGM release. Starke starred in a couple of talkies for Universal and one for Columbia before she retired from the screen in 1935. In "Captain Salvation," Lars Hanson is excellent as the tormented minister, but he does overact in crucial dramatic scenes. Pauline Starke gives the best performance of all the cast members as the scarlet woman who vows to reform. The film is visually beautiful with its breathtaking ocean views and the settings of a small New England harbor town. The shipwreck scene was superbly done. Perhaps what is most impressive about the film is its criticism of strict religious judgment, discrimination, and gossip without being so preachy. Instead, the film advocates kindness, mercy, and sympathy for others. "Captain Salvation" is a silent gem that is definitely worth discovering.
*It is interesting to note that the Pre-Code elements in the film such as rape, prostitution, and suicide would have been eliminated less than a decade later.
Ball of Fire (1941). Comedy. Cast: Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. Supporting cast: Oskar Homolka, Henry Travers, Richard Haydn, Dana Andrews, Dan Duryea and Elisha Cook J. The story was turned into a musical film, A Song Is Born(1948). Cast: Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo. Director: Howard Hawks. Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck make a wonderful on screen couple in this comedy.
I finally had the opportunity to see the film BALL OF FIRE. I thought the story of Bertram Potts, a linguistics professor and his group of quirky colleagues writing a encyclopedia, was Hilarious.
Loved watching the faces of the people that Bertram was eavesdropping on, while writing what they had to say in his little notebook.
My favorite scene is when Sugarpuss is teaching the conga to the other professors.
I also loved when the story takes a wild turn and the professor and his colleagues take on Sugarpuss's mobster boyfriend and his henchmen and wonderful scene in the nightclub.
FUN FACTS:
The roles of the seven professors (besides Gary Cooper) were inspired by Disney's Seven Dwarfs. There is even a photograph showing the actors sitting in front of a Disney poster: S.Z. Sakall - Dopey; Leonid Kinskey - Sneezy; 'Richard Haydn' - Bashful; Henry Travers - Sleepy; Aubrey Mather - Happy; Tully Marshall - Grumpy, and Oskar Homolka - Doc. BALL OF FIRE (FULL MOVIE)
Kathleen Howard (July 27, 1884 - April 15, 1956) was a Canadian-born opera singer (mezzo-soprano), magazine editor and US film character actress from the mid-1930's through the 1940's.
She was also best known as the nagging, shrewish wife of W.C. Fields in a film, It's a Gift (1934). She performed in two other films of W.C. Fields: You're Telling Me! (1934) and Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935).
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John and lovingly touches and rubs his shirt. Dialogue is definitely not necessary to understand tender moments like these. In "Wild Oranges," largely forgotten actor, Frank Mayo, is excellent as the widower who is scared of falling in love again. Virginia Valli, who was an established star at Universal by the mid 1920's, gives the best performance of all the cast members as the sweet and lovely Millie who captures his heart. Definitely worth watching, King Vidor's "Wild Oranges" is a steamy melodrama where fear and desires run deep. 
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"Captain Salvation" is a major MGM studio obscurity largely because its leading stars, Lars Hanson and Pauline Starke, are forgotten today. Lars Hanson began his career as a stage actor in his native Sweden. He made his film debut in "Dolken" (1915), which was directed by Mauritz Stiller. Hanson gained international acclaim for his role as the title character in the Stiller film, "Gosta Berlings saga" (1924), which featured a young Stiller protege named Greta Garbo. Hanson arrived in Hollywood to star opposite Lillian Gish in the "Scarlet Letter" (1926). He starred in a total of six American silent films from 1926 to 1928. Seeing that his thick Swedish accent might be a liability in American films, Hanson returned to Europe during the advent of sound. Pauline Starke was initially an extra in D.W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation" (1915) and "Intolerance" (1916). Starke had the look of a country girl, unspoiled, natural, and unfamiliar with makeup. She was featured in a number of films produced by the Fine Arts Company, which Griffith was the supervising producer. In 1925, MGM signed Starke to a contract, and her first starring role there was as a rugged, outdoor type in "Sun-Up" (1925). However, MGM quickly changed her image to that of a glamorous Hollywood-style star. Nowhere is this change more apparent than in the two-color Technicolor extravaganza, "The Viking" (1928), which was Starke's last MGM release. Starke starred in a couple of talkies for Universal a
nd one for Columbia before she retired from the screen in 1935.
