University action fails to address racism of ‘The Birth of a Nation’
Jul
8
2019
Bette Davis and Lillian Gish in The Whales Of August (1987) Ed note: The following is an excerpt from a long interview with film marketing strategist/producer-director Mike Kaplan, a friend of artsmeme, concerning the removal of the name of Lillian and Dorothy Gish from a screening auditorium at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. The ...
REVIEW: ‘Mayerling”s tornado at the Chandler
Kiss of Death: Natalia Osipova as Mary Vetsera, Ryoichi Hirano as Rudolf in Mayerling at the Royal Opera House. Photograph: Helen Maybanks Last night, at 8:20 pm, most of Los Angeles experienced a 7.1-magnitude earthquake. But those viewing Kenneth McMillan‘s sprawling historic dance-drama, Mayerling, performed by the Royal Ballet at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of ...
From the politically toxic Lillian Gish
Jul
1
2019
Friend-of-artsmeme Mike Kaplan shares an image of a movie poster personally autographed by Lillian Gish. Kaplan produced THE WHALES OF AUGUST (1987), which starred the then-elderly but still luminous Gish, in marvelous scenes that convey her screen magic with Bette Davis, who also stars in the film. Featured here is a Gish movie from another ...
Time to reassess Lewitzky? 1
Jul
1
2019
photo: frances chee That was my takeaway after viewing Luminario Ballet‘s wonderful performance, Sunday June 23 at the Skirball Cultural Center, of two absorbing works by choreographer Bella Lewitzky. Pictured are excerpts from “Inscape” (1976). The work is driven by its marvelous costumes — stretch “duotards” designed by Rudi Gernreich, who, prior to his vigorous ...