Noir City: 14th annual film noir festival opens soon @ Egyptian Theatre

Film
Fourteen years ago, the American Cinematheque launched its inaugural festival of film noir. Back in 1999 it was called “Side Streets and Back Alleys: A Festival of Film Noir,” and it featured dozens of forgotten films, retrieved from critical exile, that have since been recognized as unjustly neglected genre gems, with many returned to circulation ...

arts•meme’s formidable flock of female facebook friends

Dance · Film · Ideas & Opinion
Yes, arts•meme has a Facebook “fan” page. We now have 372 fans on Facebook. That’s fantastic. Lately, however, we attracted a very cool line-up of new “likes” — all wonderful women working in the arts. It is noteworthy. Rose Eichenbaum Dance photographer, author, lecturer Melissa Silverstein Publisher, “Women & Hollywood” blog Shea New Producer, “Dance ...

Doris Day shares career memories on TCM 1

Film
TCM does such a wonderful job … no one does it better. The best bits come when Day recounts memories of working with James Cagney, Ginger Rogers, and Jack Lemmon. [Apologies for commercial first.]

Bill Cunningham, milliner, photographer

Fashion · Film
So enjoyed seeing Bill Cunningham New York, the 2011 documentary about the legendary New York Times fashion photog who tools around Manhattan on a Schwinn capturing the look of society, high and low — an inspiring film. Cunningham began his fashion career as a hat maker. A wonderful, colorful movie. Recommended. Thank you Camera Lucida ...

Vintage Hollywood photos of Bison Archives move to Academy 1

Film · Visual arts
Since we launched arts·meme nearly four years ago, we have enjoyed the privilege of sharing with our readers several photos of early Hollywood from the collection of film historian, Marc Wanamaker. Marc has shared unstintingly from his Bison Archives collection, letting us eyeball wonderful images of: Anna Pavlova‘s first and only foray as a Universal ...

Jean-Paul Gaultier “Snow White’ costumes recycle Cher’s 1989 thong 3

Dance · Fashion · Film
And now for something completely not different. We were distracted, at ‘Dance at the Music Center,’ by an unflattering costume created for the lead dancer in Ballet Preljocaj’s “Snow White.”   Baby-diaper by front, bird-tail by back, and bared flesh in between, it was fabricated by haute couturier Jean-Paul Gaultier. It sent the viewer’s eye ...

Julie Andrews granted “Gypsy” award by Professional Dancers Society 2

Dance · Film · Music
An amazing line up of talent on view at the Professional Dancers Society 25th anniversary gala luncheon honoring Julie Andrews on March 18, 2012. Previous PDS honorees Carl Reiner, Dick Van Dyke, Marge Champion, Mitzi Gaynor, Carol Burnett, Joni Berry (Chairman of PDS), Rita Moreno and Florence Henderson, join Julie Andrews on stage as she ...

Faded Los Angeles beauty to get a facelift: Lasky-DeMille Barn 1

Film
In keeping with the celebration of its 100th anniversary, Paramount Pictures is putting some loving care into the bricks and morter where their company was born – the Lasky-DeMille barn. Col. Robert Northam built the Hollywood structure  as horse stable, in 1901. The next owner, Jacob Stern was the owner when it became a film ...

A horse is a good clean animal, says Betty Grable 2

Dance · Film · Music
Check out Betty Grable in “Meet Me After the Show” (1951): Dancing in silhouette, on the platform: Jack Cole, who staged the number. Paired with Cole for a dance-y horse race is the choreographer’s muse and assistant Gwen Verdon. This we learn from the horse’s mouth … er… from Academy of Dance on Film founder ...

“L.A. RAW” film night

Film · Visual arts
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 ...