Norby Walters, a music agent who worked with Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Marvin Gaye, Kool & the Gang and Public Enemy before gaining renown in Hollywood for his annual “Night of 100 Stars” Oscar party and weekly poker game, has died. He was 91.
Walters died Dec. 10 of natural causes at an assisted living facility in Burbank, his son, producer Gary Michael Walters (Whiplash), told The Hollywood Reporter.
Walters hosted his first Oscar night gala in 1990 and the last in 2017, most often inside the Beverly Hilton’s Crystal Ballroom. Among those who attended were Shirley Jones, Robert Forster, Charles Bronson, Patricia Neal, Richard Dreyfuss, Eva Marie Saint, Martin Landau, Louis Gossett Jr., J.K. Simmons, Cliff Robertson, Red Buttons, Jon Voight and Allison Janney.
Walters for years also presided over a weekly poker game at his West Hollywood high-rise condo. The low-stakes $2 game was, his son said, “designed to be a place where actors could kibbutz,...
Walters died Dec. 10 of natural causes at an assisted living facility in Burbank, his son, producer Gary Michael Walters (Whiplash), told The Hollywood Reporter.
Walters hosted his first Oscar night gala in 1990 and the last in 2017, most often inside the Beverly Hilton’s Crystal Ballroom. Among those who attended were Shirley Jones, Robert Forster, Charles Bronson, Patricia Neal, Richard Dreyfuss, Eva Marie Saint, Martin Landau, Louis Gossett Jr., J.K. Simmons, Cliff Robertson, Red Buttons, Jon Voight and Allison Janney.
Walters for years also presided over a weekly poker game at his West Hollywood high-rise condo. The low-stakes $2 game was, his son said, “designed to be a place where actors could kibbutz,...
- 12/21/2023
- by Mike Barnes and Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Herbert J. Siegel, the billionaire entertainment-industry mogul whose blockbuster deals included the sale of 10 TV stations to Rupert Murdoch and the merger of Warner Communications and Time Inc., died Saturday at his home in Manhattan, The New York Times reported. He was 95.
A Philadelphia native, Siegel was the son of an immigrant garment manufacturer who turned his inheritance and boyhood fascination with the film industry into a fortune through investments in Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox.
He started his career while still in college, with a failed attempt to purchase a stake in the Philadelphia Eagles football team. When that bid was unsuccessful, he bought an interest in Official Films, a company that packaged television programs and had connections to the CBS network.
A consummate deal-maker, Siegel invested in a range of industries but always kept his hand in entertainment. In 1962, he bought General Artists Corporation, a talent agency...
A Philadelphia native, Siegel was the son of an immigrant garment manufacturer who turned his inheritance and boyhood fascination with the film industry into a fortune through investments in Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox.
He started his career while still in college, with a failed attempt to purchase a stake in the Philadelphia Eagles football team. When that bid was unsuccessful, he bought an interest in Official Films, a company that packaged television programs and had connections to the CBS network.
A consummate deal-maker, Siegel invested in a range of industries but always kept his hand in entertainment. In 1962, he bought General Artists Corporation, a talent agency...
- 8/11/2023
- by Eileen AJ Connelly
- The Wrap
Robbie Robertson found his faith and purpose on the radio. Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, this child of jewelry-plating factory workers discovered rock-and-roll via the Am airwaves of Wkbw out of Buffalo, New York, and fell hard for the blues in the wee hours when Wlac deejay John R. blasted the 12-bar gospel into his bedroom from the far-off music mecca of Nashville, Tennessee. His path was set, and it brought him to rowdy rockabilly artist Ronnie Hawkins, who was impressed enough with a teenage Robertson's guitar acumen to bring him on as a member of his backing band The Hawks. In the early 1960s, Robertson formed a bond with singer/bassist Rick Danko, singer/pianist Richard Manuel, multi-instrumentalist Garth Hudson, and singer-drummer Levon Helm.
It's here that these five, brilliantly talented rock-blues aficionados formed The Band.
Robertson, who passed away today at the age of 80 after a long illness,...
It's here that these five, brilliantly talented rock-blues aficionados formed The Band.
Robertson, who passed away today at the age of 80 after a long illness,...
- 8/9/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Pat Cooper, the brash Italian-American stand-up from Brooklyn whose anger real and imagined provided fuel for a long career in comedy, has died. He was 93.
Cooper died Tuesday night at his home in Las Vegas, his wife, Emily Conner, announced.
A mainstay in nightclubs from Atlantic City to Las Vegas, Cooper opened for Ginger Rogers at the Desert Inn and Frank Sinatra at the Sands. He said he once refused to take out a joke about an upside-down St. Anthony statue that Sinatra wanted excised and never worked with the singer again.
Also known for his nonstop, rapid-fire delivery, Cooper appeared as himself on the 1996 Seinfeld episode “The Friars Club” — he participated in many a roast at that famed comedic establishment in midtown Manhattan — and made regular appearances on late-night talk shows, for Ed Sullivan and, starting in the 1980s, on Howard Stern’s radio program.
The bespectacled comic played...
Cooper died Tuesday night at his home in Las Vegas, his wife, Emily Conner, announced.
A mainstay in nightclubs from Atlantic City to Las Vegas, Cooper opened for Ginger Rogers at the Desert Inn and Frank Sinatra at the Sands. He said he once refused to take out a joke about an upside-down St. Anthony statue that Sinatra wanted excised and never worked with the singer again.
Also known for his nonstop, rapid-fire delivery, Cooper appeared as himself on the 1996 Seinfeld episode “The Friars Club” — he participated in many a roast at that famed comedic establishment in midtown Manhattan — and made regular appearances on late-night talk shows, for Ed Sullivan and, starting in the 1980s, on Howard Stern’s radio program.
The bespectacled comic played...
- 6/7/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Celebrating the release of his new memoir, multi-hyphenate Steven Van Zandt joins hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante to discuss a few of his favorite movies.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Elevator To The Gallows (1958) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Breathless (1960) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Angels With Dirty Faces (1938)
The Fisher King (1991)
Tony Rome (1967)
Lady In Cement (1968)
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
The Killer (1989)
True Romance (1993)
True Lies (1994)
Get Shorty (1995) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Point Blank (1967) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Catch Us If You Can a.k.a. Sweet Memories (1965)
Double Trouble (1967)
Performance (1970) – Mark Goldblatt’s trailer commentary
The Driver (1978)
A Hard Day’s Night (1964) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary, Tfh’s Don’t Knock The Rock piece
Help! (1965) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s review
Blue Collar (1978) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Elevator To The Gallows (1958) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Breathless (1960) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Angels With Dirty Faces (1938)
The Fisher King (1991)
Tony Rome (1967)
Lady In Cement (1968)
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
The Killer (1989)
True Romance (1993)
True Lies (1994)
Get Shorty (1995) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Point Blank (1967) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Catch Us If You Can a.k.a. Sweet Memories (1965)
Double Trouble (1967)
Performance (1970) – Mark Goldblatt’s trailer commentary
The Driver (1978)
A Hard Day’s Night (1964) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary, Tfh’s Don’t Knock The Rock piece
Help! (1965) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s review
Blue Collar (1978) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s...
- 9/28/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
“I Heard You Paint Houses”
By Raymond Benson
It was a long time in gestation. The Irishman, also known as I Heard You Paint Houses (the original title and also the name of the book by Charles Brandt upon which it is based), is Martin Scorsese’s career-defining epic of a gangster film that is, more or less, a “best of” anthology of everything that gave the filmmaker’s crime pictures their buzz. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t unique and full of surprises.
At approximately 3-1/2 hours with no intermission, The Irishman is not only the longest picture Scorsese ever made, but also the most expensive. The key attraction to audiences is the combination of its powerhouse stars—Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. Throw in Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Stephen Graham, and even Steven Van Zandt (as crooner Jerry Vale!
“I Heard You Paint Houses”
By Raymond Benson
It was a long time in gestation. The Irishman, also known as I Heard You Paint Houses (the original title and also the name of the book by Charles Brandt upon which it is based), is Martin Scorsese’s career-defining epic of a gangster film that is, more or less, a “best of” anthology of everything that gave the filmmaker’s crime pictures their buzz. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t unique and full of surprises.
At approximately 3-1/2 hours with no intermission, The Irishman is not only the longest picture Scorsese ever made, but also the most expensive. The key attraction to audiences is the combination of its powerhouse stars—Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. Throw in Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Stephen Graham, and even Steven Van Zandt (as crooner Jerry Vale!
- 11/25/2020
- by [email protected] (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Tony Sokol Nov 29, 2019
Martin Scorsese's The Irishman contains a who's who of union racketeering gangsters. Here's who's who.
The Irishman, directed by Martin Scorsese, tells the story of a dedicated union man who bent some rules and broke some shoes. The film stars Robert De Niro as Frank Sheeran, the loyal teamster who did wet work on the side and executions for a price. Al Pacino plays Jimmy Hoffa, one of the jobs Sheeran confessed to doing. Joe Pesci plays Russell Bufalino, an influential Philadelphia mob boss. These are all historic figures who have made appearances on newsreels or televised witness testimonials.
The Irishman is loaded with real mob history and any gangster film aficionado will love it, but you may need a brush up on some of the players. We've already discussed some of the hits and misses Sheeran took in his career, but here are the guys who populated his neighborhood.
Martin Scorsese's The Irishman contains a who's who of union racketeering gangsters. Here's who's who.
The Irishman, directed by Martin Scorsese, tells the story of a dedicated union man who bent some rules and broke some shoes. The film stars Robert De Niro as Frank Sheeran, the loyal teamster who did wet work on the side and executions for a price. Al Pacino plays Jimmy Hoffa, one of the jobs Sheeran confessed to doing. Joe Pesci plays Russell Bufalino, an influential Philadelphia mob boss. These are all historic figures who have made appearances on newsreels or televised witness testimonials.
The Irishman is loaded with real mob history and any gangster film aficionado will love it, but you may need a brush up on some of the players. We've already discussed some of the hits and misses Sheeran took in his career, but here are the guys who populated his neighborhood.
- 11/14/2019
- Den of Geek
A new song from Robbie Robertson will sit alongside classics by Fats Domino, Jackie Gleason and Marty Robbins on the soundtrack for Martin Scorsese’s next film, The Irishman. The film opens in theaters today, November 1st, before hitting Netflix November 27th, while the soundtrack will arrive November 8th.
Robertson wrote the score for The Irishman, although only his theme song for the film will appear on the soundtrack. The track has a captivating aura that’s somewhat reminiscent of a Spaghetti Western song, with Robertson lacing an ominous acoustic...
Robertson wrote the score for The Irishman, although only his theme song for the film will appear on the soundtrack. The track has a captivating aura that’s somewhat reminiscent of a Spaghetti Western song, with Robertson lacing an ominous acoustic...
- 11/1/2019
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Jo-An Anderson Fox, the Nashville-based talent, marketing and television development executive whose client list included Bobby Vinton, Perry Como, Jerry Vale, Engelbert Humperdink, Marty Raybon, Perry Danos and Johnny Mathis, died of heart failure Monday in her home. Her daughter, Jill Anderson McIntosh, confirmed the death.
Fox’s career stretched from Connecticut and Broadway to Nashville. Born Jo-An Burns in Schenectady, NY to Joseph and Ann Burns, she attended Niskayuna High School before earning her B.A. degree in Theater at Suny Plattsburgh. She went on to earn a Masters in Theater Management at Suny Albany.
For several years, she served as a marketing executive at the Oakdale Musical Theatre before forming The Anderson Group in 1985. In 1998, she relocated to Nashville, where she became VP of A&r, Marketing and Artist Development at Grand Vista Music.
In recent years, she devoted her time to scouting and developing young talent under the umbrella of her company,...
Fox’s career stretched from Connecticut and Broadway to Nashville. Born Jo-An Burns in Schenectady, NY to Joseph and Ann Burns, she attended Niskayuna High School before earning her B.A. degree in Theater at Suny Plattsburgh. She went on to earn a Masters in Theater Management at Suny Albany.
For several years, she served as a marketing executive at the Oakdale Musical Theatre before forming The Anderson Group in 1985. In 1998, she relocated to Nashville, where she became VP of A&r, Marketing and Artist Development at Grand Vista Music.
In recent years, she devoted her time to scouting and developing young talent under the umbrella of her company,...
- 9/25/2019
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Florence Henderson was known for her iconic role as everyone’s favorite TV mom, Carol Brady, on The Brady Bunch — but the star, who died Thursday at the age of 82, didn’t initially want to audition for the part.
Prior to scoring the leading role that would propel her to international stardom on the 1969 sitcom, Henderson had a successful career on the Broadway stage — appearing in Wish You Were Here (1952), Fanny (1954), The Girl Who Came to Supper (1963) and South Pacific (1967).
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts graduate was living in New York City when the audition for The Brady Bunch...
Prior to scoring the leading role that would propel her to international stardom on the 1969 sitcom, Henderson had a successful career on the Broadway stage — appearing in Wish You Were Here (1952), Fanny (1954), The Girl Who Came to Supper (1963) and South Pacific (1967).
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts graduate was living in New York City when the audition for The Brady Bunch...
- 11/25/2016
- by Dave Quinn
- PEOPLE.com
Jerry Vale, the beloved crooner known for his high-tenor voice and romantic songs in the 1950s and early 1960s, has died. He was 83. Vale, who had been in declining health, died Sunday at his Palm Desert home surrounded by family and friends, family attorney Harold J. Levy said in a statement. He is survived by Rita, his wife of 55 years; a son, Robert; and a daughter, Pamela. Born Genaro Louis Vitaliano, Vale started performing in New York supper clubs as a teenager and went on to record more than 50 albums. His rendition of "Volare," ''Innamorata" and "Al Di La" became classic Italian-American songs.
- 5/19/2014
- by Associated Press
- PEOPLE.com
Jerry Vale, a popular 1950s singing star, has died at his California home. He was 83. Vale died Sunday morning at his home in Palm Desert, his family's attorney told the Associated Press. Born Genaro Louis Vitaliano, Vale got his start in New York supper clubs as a teen. He was discovered by Paul Insetta, who got him to change his name and led him to Columbia Records, and Vale went on to record more than 50 albums. See photos: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2014 (Photos) His signature tune was “Al Di La,” and he was known for his high tenor voice and romantic songs.
- 5/19/2014
- by Todd Cunningham
- The Wrap
Jerry Vale, the popular Italian-American velvet-voiced crooner of the 1950s and '60s, died Sunday in the Palm Springs area, Kesq-tv reported. He was 83. A tenor with a smooth, polished delivery, Vale was a longtime fixture at Columbia Records who recorded more than 50 albums and hundreds of songs. He first hit the charts in 1953 with “You Can Never Give Me Back My Heart” (arranged by Percy Faith and his orchestra). His other enchanting hits included "Volare," "Al Di La," “Two Purple Shadows,” a cover of Eddy Arnold's “You Don’t Know Me,” “I
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- 5/19/2014
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The first part of Bob Dylan's autobiography, "Chronicles: Volume One" spent a long time on the New York Times non-fiction best seller list in 2004 and fans have since been waiting for more. EW reports that Bob Dylan is returning to writing again, and rumored to have signed a six book deal with Simon & Schuster, his publisher for "Chronicles."
Dylan has yet to confirm the report himself, and he'd have to stop touring for the love of God, but the deal is rumored to include two more volumes of his Chronicles memoirs, and a book based on his Xm satellite radio show, "Theme Time Radio Hour." The subjects of the three remaining books are unknown.
Read this masterful excerpt from "Chronicles: Volume One," courtesy of NPR from a piece that included an interview with Dylan from the time of it's release in '04.
Lou introduced me to Jack Dempsey, the great boxer.
Dylan has yet to confirm the report himself, and he'd have to stop touring for the love of God, but the deal is rumored to include two more volumes of his Chronicles memoirs, and a book based on his Xm satellite radio show, "Theme Time Radio Hour." The subjects of the three remaining books are unknown.
Read this masterful excerpt from "Chronicles: Volume One," courtesy of NPR from a piece that included an interview with Dylan from the time of it's release in '04.
Lou introduced me to Jack Dempsey, the great boxer.
- 1/19/2011
- by Brandon Kim
- ifc.com
Sopranos Rapped By Italian-Americans
An Italian-American group has given the producer of the hit mob series The Sopranos its Pasta-tute Aaward for selling out Italian culture. The Italian-American One Voice Committee said Sopranos producer David Chase was chosen by nearly a two-to-one margin over the closest challenger. Committee chairman Manny Alfano says, "He has created a fiction and brought it right into real neighbourhoods, horribly degrading our image. He has used existing prejudice as a foundation to support his fiction." Chris Donlay, a spokesman for HBO, who make the show, declined comment on the "Pasta-tute" award or the group's criticisms. The group said Chase was selected over singer Jerry Vale, who drew the group's ire for his compact disc entitled Mob Hits.
- 6/14/2000
- WENN
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