“L.A. RAW” film night
I cannot wait for this film night at the much-praised “RAW” exhibit at Pasadena Museum of California Art. Three documentary films concerning three of California’s important visual artists will be screened in tandem to the exhibit. Hans Burkhardt Hans Burkhardt: The Artist’s World 1987, 37 min Jack Rutberg Fine Arts, Estate Films, Inc.An intimate portrait ...
Remembering Marilyn
Feb
29
2012
A sad memorial looms this year, the 50th anniversary of the tragic death of Marilyn Monroe, who died of an overdose to barbiturates in August 1962. I recently enjoyed two well made documentaries about Monroe. The Legend of Marilyn Monroe 1966, 16 format, b/w, 53 min, dir Terry Sanders Cast: Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lee ...
A masterpiece of dance on film: Jack Cole’s “Happy Ending”
The dance sequence below, choreographed by the great Jack Cole (he dances in it as well) closes Twentieth Century Fox’s “On the Riviera” (1951). Every element of “Happy Ending” rings true. Not a single step is wrong or jarring; on the contrary, all is balanced and golden and smart and right. It’s evidence of Cole’s ...
Earl Carroll’s beautiful construction site
[click on photo for detail] Label reads: Earl Carroll’s theater-restaurant is famed not only for its “most beautiful girls in the world” but, also, for its unique construction. During the show, leggy ladies of the line paraded onto a huge circular, revolving stage. This photo shows Earl Carroll and some of his aides and chorus ...
Wherefore art thou, o Hollywood choreographer? 2
[mouse over images for captions] Say you are a film producer, and you have a project that gets a green-light. There’s a dance sequence in the script and you need to hire a choreographer. Using the prime professional database of the film and television industry, IMDB Pro, you will be hard pressed to find one. ...
Turner Classic Movies launches pre-festival: Road to Hollywood
The amazing, generous-spirited, movie-loving peeps at Turner Classic Movies are launching a fun nation-wide program of FREE screenings in ten cities across the country en route to the third annual TCM Fest in Los Angeles, April 12 – 15, 2012. There’s a centralized ticket reservation website and it is here.
Anthony Slide on Hollywood fanzine cover art @ Hollywood Heritage
Feb
10
2012
We enjoyed the book talk by Anthony Slide on the occasion of the publishing of his 70th Hollywood book, “Inside the Hollywood Fan Magazine: A History of Star Makers, Fabricators, and Gossip Mongers.” Slide, a veteran Hollywood-focused author, gave his presentation at the vastly historic Lasky-DeMille Barn, also known as the Hollywood Heritage Museum, as ...
Pauline Wagner’s fateful Santa Monica beach encounter with Marion Davies
Feb
10
2012
Photos show Pauline Wagner, 101, celebrating the birthday of Marion Davies. William R. Hearst constructed the faux-Georgian mansion, with rooms numbering 100, precipitously near to the ocean. This unnatural structure was mercifully demolished in 1969. Remaining is the estate’s refurbished colonial guest house, now operating as the Annenberg Beach House, a community arts center. § ...
Slurp spaghetti with “Lady and the Tramp”
Feb
7
2012
For February love that isn’t too syrupy, Hollywood’s legendary El Capitan Theatre presents Walt Disney’s animated classic, “Lady and the Tramp,” along with Disney’s all-new short, “Puppy Love” February 3-16, 2012. This special engagement is exclusively at the El Capitan Theatre, and features a live appearances by Mickey Mouse at every show. Speaking of ‘classic’ ...
Nick Nolte, beatific in “The Good Thief”
Feb
7
2012
We watched with pleasure “The Good Thief” — British director Neil Jordan‘s remake of Jean-Pierre Melville’s classic gangster film “Bob le flambeur” (1956). Nick Nolte forms the gravitational center of this whirling movie as Bob, the art-heisting junkie-gambler who rambles the Riviera plagued by bad luck and heroin. A really good flick in all elements: ...