“Beverly Hills Cop” and its young exuberant star Eddie Murphy were dominant forces on the cultural landscape as soon as the action comedy opened Dec. 5, 1984 on 1,532 screens, earning over $15 million in its first five days of release. “Beverly Hills Cop” garnered nearly $235 million domestically and another $81.6 million internationally.
The comedy even earned an Oscar nomination for its screenplay while Murphy hit superstar status thanks to his dazzling comedic turn as Axel Foley, a freewheeling Detroit cop who is the ultimate fish out of water when a murder investigation leads him to the by-the-book Beverly Hills police department. And the soundtrack album featuring the film’s composer Harold Faltermeyer’s hit “Axel F,” as well as the Pointer Sisters‘ “Neutron Dance” and Glenn Frey’s “The Heat is On,” hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart.
Three years later, Murphy returned in “Beverly Hills Cop II,” which made close to $300 million worldwide...
The comedy even earned an Oscar nomination for its screenplay while Murphy hit superstar status thanks to his dazzling comedic turn as Axel Foley, a freewheeling Detroit cop who is the ultimate fish out of water when a murder investigation leads him to the by-the-book Beverly Hills police department. And the soundtrack album featuring the film’s composer Harold Faltermeyer’s hit “Axel F,” as well as the Pointer Sisters‘ “Neutron Dance” and Glenn Frey’s “The Heat is On,” hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart.
Three years later, Murphy returned in “Beverly Hills Cop II,” which made close to $300 million worldwide...
- 7/5/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
It was a surprise to many of her admiring fans that the legendary Carol Burnett was not already immortalized with her handprints in the iconic Hollywood cement. That fact finally changed on Thursday as she was surrounded by friends, co-stars and family at a brief ceremony outside of the Tcl Chinese Theater.
Before cementing herself for decades of tourists to visit, she said, “I grew up just a few blocks from here, Yucca and Wilcox. It was a block north of Hollywood Boulevard. And when I was a little girl, I can’t begin to count the times my grandmother and I would walk up her to Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Betty Grable was one of my favorites, and I remember bending down and putting my hands on her handprints, never dreaming that someday I’d be putting my hands here 80 years later.”
See‘Palm Royale’ scene stealer Carol Burnett...
Before cementing herself for decades of tourists to visit, she said, “I grew up just a few blocks from here, Yucca and Wilcox. It was a block north of Hollywood Boulevard. And when I was a little girl, I can’t begin to count the times my grandmother and I would walk up her to Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Betty Grable was one of my favorites, and I remember bending down and putting my hands on her handprints, never dreaming that someday I’d be putting my hands here 80 years later.”
See‘Palm Royale’ scene stealer Carol Burnett...
- 6/20/2024
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Receiving the IndieWire Honors Vanguard Award at Citizen News on June 6, Carol Burnett reflected on her years spent as a teenage reporter. The comedy legend further praised journalists as “essential” to the entertainment industry and described the evening as a “full circle” moment in her illustrious career. (Watch her interview on our red carpet above.)
“This actually happens to be the neighborhood I grew up in just a few blocks from here,” Burnett said in her speech. “At one point, I was editor of my Hollywood High School newspaper and one of my assignments was to interview the editor of the Hollywood Citizen News. That was in this building.”
Speaking to IndieWire in May, the actress said that in addition to interviewing Citizen News editor Lowell E. Redelings — who Innovation Award winner John Mulaney would later accuse of Communism during his predictably hilarious acceptance speech — she narrowly missed a chance to speak with Lana Turner.
“This actually happens to be the neighborhood I grew up in just a few blocks from here,” Burnett said in her speech. “At one point, I was editor of my Hollywood High School newspaper and one of my assignments was to interview the editor of the Hollywood Citizen News. That was in this building.”
Speaking to IndieWire in May, the actress said that in addition to interviewing Citizen News editor Lowell E. Redelings — who Innovation Award winner John Mulaney would later accuse of Communism during his predictably hilarious acceptance speech — she narrowly missed a chance to speak with Lana Turner.
- 6/14/2024
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
The legendary Judy Garland, one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century, would have turned 100 on June 10, 2022. To celebrate her career, tour our photo gallery looking back at her greatest film performances.
Known as the little girl (she was only 4’11) with the big voice, Garland was a rare true triple threat, holding her own with such great dancers as Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, twice receiving Oscar nominations in acting categories, as well as leaving behind a legacy of record-breaking concerts, a Grammy-winning gold album and recordings of iconic songs that no one else has ever been able to capture in quite the same way.
Born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids Minnesota, Garland was the youngest of three girls. They would eventually form the vaudeville act “The Gumm Sisters” when baby Frances was only two years old. After almost a decade of touring with her sisters,...
Known as the little girl (she was only 4’11) with the big voice, Garland was a rare true triple threat, holding her own with such great dancers as Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, twice receiving Oscar nominations in acting categories, as well as leaving behind a legacy of record-breaking concerts, a Grammy-winning gold album and recordings of iconic songs that no one else has ever been able to capture in quite the same way.
Born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids Minnesota, Garland was the youngest of three girls. They would eventually form the vaudeville act “The Gumm Sisters” when baby Frances was only two years old. After almost a decade of touring with her sisters,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Susan Pennington, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
MGM celebrated its centennial on April 17th. Marcus Lowe established the studio by merging Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures and Louis B. Mayer Pictures. Boasting it had “more stars than there are in heaven,” MGM may have been the biggest studio during the Golden Age of Hollywood, it has gone through many owners and regimes over the years but seems to on terra firma since Amazon acquired MGM in 2021. In fact, Amazon MGM Studios won best screenplay Oscar for “American Fiction.” And speaking of Academy Awards, MGM has earned numerous statuettes over the years. Here’s a look at five Best Picture winners produced between 1929-1958.
“The Broadway Melody”
The 1929 musical made Oscar history by being the first talkie to win the top prize. Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed wrote the songs which include “The Broadway Melody,” “You Were Meant for Me” and “The Wedding of the Painted Doll” but...
“The Broadway Melody”
The 1929 musical made Oscar history by being the first talkie to win the top prize. Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed wrote the songs which include “The Broadway Melody,” “You Were Meant for Me” and “The Wedding of the Painted Doll” but...
- 4/22/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
For readers of Alexandre Dumas’ novel, extravagant French adaptation “The Three Musketeers – Part II: Milady” packs its share of surprises: killing off important characters, sparing others and reimagining allegiances that have stood for nearly two centuries. For viewers of “Part I: D’Artagnan,” however, this swashbuckling sequel feels totally in keeping with what came before. Even the twists track, paying off what amounts to a nearly four-hour investment (not counting however many months audiences may have waited to see how the story ends).
Loyalty — to the crown, to one another, but not necessarily to the source material — remains the driving theme of director Martin Bourboulon’s blockbuster treatment, which tapped French megastars Vincent Cassel, Pio Marmaï and Romain Duris as titular trio Athos, Porthos and Aramis. The second film opens with fourth musketeer D’Artagnan (François Civil) in a coffin, though he’s not dead, merely captured by traitors who...
Loyalty — to the crown, to one another, but not necessarily to the source material — remains the driving theme of director Martin Bourboulon’s blockbuster treatment, which tapped French megastars Vincent Cassel, Pio Marmaï and Romain Duris as titular trio Athos, Porthos and Aramis. The second film opens with fourth musketeer D’Artagnan (François Civil) in a coffin, though he’s not dead, merely captured by traitors who...
- 4/19/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: After repping New York Times bestselling author Casey Sherman for publishing for many years, UTA has expanded the relationship, moving to rep him in all areas.
The author of 18 books, Sherman is best known for titles like The Finest Hours — Disney’s action thriller at sea, starring Chris Pine, Casey Affleck and Ben Foster — and Boston Strong, which was adapted into the film Patriots Day, starring Mark Wahlberg, by CBS Films.
A USA Today and Los Angeles Times bestseller, his latest book, A Murder in Hollywood, chronicles the deadly love affair between screen legend Lana Turner and her gangster boyfriend, Johnny Stompanato. As we were first to report, that title is now in development as a feature with a pair of Oscar nominees, screenwriter Terence Winter (Wolf of Wall Street) and producer Rachel Winter (Dallas Buyers Club).
Sherman’s bestseller 12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady’s Fight for Redemption,...
The author of 18 books, Sherman is best known for titles like The Finest Hours — Disney’s action thriller at sea, starring Chris Pine, Casey Affleck and Ben Foster — and Boston Strong, which was adapted into the film Patriots Day, starring Mark Wahlberg, by CBS Films.
A USA Today and Los Angeles Times bestseller, his latest book, A Murder in Hollywood, chronicles the deadly love affair between screen legend Lana Turner and her gangster boyfriend, Johnny Stompanato. As we were first to report, that title is now in development as a feature with a pair of Oscar nominees, screenwriter Terence Winter (Wolf of Wall Street) and producer Rachel Winter (Dallas Buyers Club).
Sherman’s bestseller 12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady’s Fight for Redemption,...
- 3/28/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Sir Sean Connery is popularly known for being the first actor to portray the famous fictional British secret agent James Bond on-screen. He starred in a total of seven James Bond movies from 1962 to 1983, with Never Say Never Again being his last appearance as the 007 agent.
The Scottish actor was regarded as one of the finest actors in the industry and for his service to drama he was made a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in France and a Knight by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000. Not only was Sean Connery a brilliant actor, but he was also one of the brave ones who faced a real-life mobster with no hesitance on his face.
Sean Connery in Dr. No Jay Leno says Sir Sean Connery was a ‘tough guy’
Jay Leno appeared on The Pete and Sebastian Show, and during the conversation, the television host and comedian remembered...
The Scottish actor was regarded as one of the finest actors in the industry and for his service to drama he was made a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in France and a Knight by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000. Not only was Sean Connery a brilliant actor, but he was also one of the brave ones who faced a real-life mobster with no hesitance on his face.
Sean Connery in Dr. No Jay Leno says Sir Sean Connery was a ‘tough guy’
Jay Leno appeared on The Pete and Sebastian Show, and during the conversation, the television host and comedian remembered...
- 3/23/2024
- by Avneet Ahluwalia
- FandomWire
Former French Culture Minister Frédéric Mitterrand, who was a high-profile and sometimes controversial figure on France’s cultural scene, died on Thursday at the age of 76, his family announced.
Born in Paris in 1947 to a well-to-do family, Mitterrand was the nephew of President François Mitterrand.
His many activities across half a century included teacher, arthouse cinema owner, cinema and culture commentator, TV presenter, producer and documentary-maker.
He first gained notoriety on France’s cultural scene as the owner of the bohemian arthouse cinema L’Olympic in Paris’ then down-at-heel 14th arrondissement.
After a brief time as a geography and history teacher, he acquired the theater in 1971 at the age of 22 with the help of a loan from the father of one of his former pupils.
It took on a folkloric status for its mixed clientele of locals, cinephiles, neighborhood hoodlums, drag queens and the occasional film star and auteur director of the time.
Born in Paris in 1947 to a well-to-do family, Mitterrand was the nephew of President François Mitterrand.
His many activities across half a century included teacher, arthouse cinema owner, cinema and culture commentator, TV presenter, producer and documentary-maker.
He first gained notoriety on France’s cultural scene as the owner of the bohemian arthouse cinema L’Olympic in Paris’ then down-at-heel 14th arrondissement.
After a brief time as a geography and history teacher, he acquired the theater in 1971 at the age of 22 with the help of a loan from the father of one of his former pupils.
It took on a folkloric status for its mixed clientele of locals, cinephiles, neighborhood hoodlums, drag queens and the occasional film star and auteur director of the time.
- 3/22/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
If Jennifer Lawrence can do it, why can’t Sydney Sweeney? We’re talking about digging into the archives of luxury brands — many of which have Met Costume Institute-sized archives of looks from the past 70 years or so.
For Vanity Fair‘s 2024 post-Oscar party, Lawrence ditched the polka dot Dior couture she wore to the Academy Awards, changing to a 1996 cream Chantilly lace puff sleeve dress by Givenchy, a slightly more revealing Bridgerton-style gown. Recycling ’90s styles has been a hot trend for more than a moment, but now it’s reached fever pitch.
Jennifer Lawrence in vintage Givenchy at the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
Also for Vanity Fair‘s shindig, Sydney Sweeney dug deep into New York designer Marc Bouwer’s archives and plucked out the very same white satin gown that Angelina Jolie donned attending the 2004 Oscars.
Sweeney’s Bouwer dress is dripping with old-Hollywood chic — the white...
For Vanity Fair‘s 2024 post-Oscar party, Lawrence ditched the polka dot Dior couture she wore to the Academy Awards, changing to a 1996 cream Chantilly lace puff sleeve dress by Givenchy, a slightly more revealing Bridgerton-style gown. Recycling ’90s styles has been a hot trend for more than a moment, but now it’s reached fever pitch.
Jennifer Lawrence in vintage Givenchy at the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
Also for Vanity Fair‘s shindig, Sydney Sweeney dug deep into New York designer Marc Bouwer’s archives and plucked out the very same white satin gown that Angelina Jolie donned attending the 2004 Oscars.
Sweeney’s Bouwer dress is dripping with old-Hollywood chic — the white...
- 3/11/2024
- by Merle Ginsberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Henry Willson’s behavior was protected by other powerful players in the entertainment industry who depended on him for a steady stream of fresh, young talent.
In episode 3 of “Variety Confidential,” host Tracy Pattin and co-host Matt Donnelly, Variety’s senior entertainment and media writer, unearth the story of Willson, an aggressive, midcentury Hollywood talent agent and manager who succeeded in both spotting and taking advantage of young actors within whom he saw potential for fame.
Willson, a closeted gay man, would lure dozens of handsome young men, or “beefcakes” as they would come to be known, to his Los Angeles home after wining and dining them and promising fame. “He seems to have insinuated himself into their lives,” Pattin explains. “He became their friend, the parent, the protector, and in many cases, their lover.”
Willson prioritized on-screen sex appeal over acting ability, which was key to landing roles for...
In episode 3 of “Variety Confidential,” host Tracy Pattin and co-host Matt Donnelly, Variety’s senior entertainment and media writer, unearth the story of Willson, an aggressive, midcentury Hollywood talent agent and manager who succeeded in both spotting and taking advantage of young actors within whom he saw potential for fame.
Willson, a closeted gay man, would lure dozens of handsome young men, or “beefcakes” as they would come to be known, to his Los Angeles home after wining and dining them and promising fame. “He seems to have insinuated himself into their lives,” Pattin explains. “He became their friend, the parent, the protector, and in many cases, their lover.”
Willson prioritized on-screen sex appeal over acting ability, which was key to landing roles for...
- 1/3/2024
- by Lauren Ames
- Variety Film + TV
Ryan O’Neal, the boyish leading man who kicked off an extraordinary 1970s run in Hollywood with his Oscar-nominated turn as the Harvard preppie Oliver in the legendary romantic tearjerker Love Story, has died. He was 82.
O’Neal died Friday, his son Patrick O’Neal, a sportscaster with Bally Sports West in Los Angeles, reported on Instagram. He had been diagnosed with chronic leukemia in 2001 and with prostate cancer in 2012.
“As a human being, my father was as generous as they come,” Patrick wrote. “And the funniest person in any room. And the most handsome clearly, but also the most charming. Lethal combo. He loved to make people laugh. It’s pretty much his goal. Didn’t matter the situation, if there was a joke to be found, he nailed it. He really wanted us laughing. And we did all laugh. Every time. We had fun. Fun in the sun.”
On the...
O’Neal died Friday, his son Patrick O’Neal, a sportscaster with Bally Sports West in Los Angeles, reported on Instagram. He had been diagnosed with chronic leukemia in 2001 and with prostate cancer in 2012.
“As a human being, my father was as generous as they come,” Patrick wrote. “And the funniest person in any room. And the most handsome clearly, but also the most charming. Lethal combo. He loved to make people laugh. It’s pretty much his goal. Didn’t matter the situation, if there was a joke to be found, he nailed it. He really wanted us laughing. And we did all laugh. Every time. We had fun. Fun in the sun.”
On the...
- 12/8/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Marisa Pavan, the Italian actress who received an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actress for the 1955 drama The Rose Tattoo, died Wednesday at her home in Gassin, France. She was 91 and no cause was given. Her death was announced on her official social media site.
Pavan, the sister of actress Pier Angeli, appeared in such films as Diane (1956), starring Lana Turner, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956) with Gregory Peck, and in the film noir The Midnight Story (1957) with Tony Curtis.
In The Rose Tattoo, Pavan played Rosa, who grieves the death of her husband until meeting a truck driver played by Burt Lancaster.
Pavan lost in her Oscar category to Jo Van Fleet, who also appeared in The Rose Tattoo, but won the Oscar for East of Eden.
Other films Pavan starred in during the ’50s include John Paul Jones, a historical adventure film starring Robert Stack.
In...
Pavan, the sister of actress Pier Angeli, appeared in such films as Diane (1956), starring Lana Turner, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956) with Gregory Peck, and in the film noir The Midnight Story (1957) with Tony Curtis.
In The Rose Tattoo, Pavan played Rosa, who grieves the death of her husband until meeting a truck driver played by Burt Lancaster.
Pavan lost in her Oscar category to Jo Van Fleet, who also appeared in The Rose Tattoo, but won the Oscar for East of Eden.
Other films Pavan starred in during the ’50s include John Paul Jones, a historical adventure film starring Robert Stack.
In...
- 12/7/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Marisa Pavan, the Italian actress and twin sister of Pier Angeli who received an Oscar nomination for her performance as the daughter of Anna Magnani’s seamstress in the 1955 drama The Rose Tattoo, has died. She was 91.
Pavan died Wednesday in her sleep at her home in Gassin, France, near Saint-Tropez, Margaux Soumoy, who wrote Pavan’s 2021 biography, Drop the Baby; Put a Veil on the Broad!, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Pavan also portrayed the French queen Catherine de’ Medici in Diane (1956), starring Lana Turner; an Italian girl who had an affair years ago with a corporate exec (Gregory Peck) in The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956); and the love interest of a former cop (Tony Curtis) investigating the murder of a priest in the film noir The Midnight Story (1957).
In Paramount’s The Rose Tattoo (1955), an adaptation of the Tennessee Williams play that won four Tony Awards, including best play,...
Pavan died Wednesday in her sleep at her home in Gassin, France, near Saint-Tropez, Margaux Soumoy, who wrote Pavan’s 2021 biography, Drop the Baby; Put a Veil on the Broad!, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Pavan also portrayed the French queen Catherine de’ Medici in Diane (1956), starring Lana Turner; an Italian girl who had an affair years ago with a corporate exec (Gregory Peck) in The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956); and the love interest of a former cop (Tony Curtis) investigating the murder of a priest in the film noir The Midnight Story (1957).
In Paramount’s The Rose Tattoo (1955), an adaptation of the Tennessee Williams play that won four Tony Awards, including best play,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Tarnished Angels: Haynes Curates a New Dazzling Cult Classic
Had Brian De Palma been keen on rehashing Douglas Sirk instead of Hitchcock, he might have made something along the lines of May December, the latest from Todd Haynes, returning to the sexually provocative roots which defined his early works. Reuniting for a fifth time with Julianne Moore, their latest collaboration is heavy on Bergman’s Persona (1966) motifs as well in this hothouse of blurred lines set in one strangely steamy Savannah summer in 2015. Much like Woody Allen revisited the Lana Turner-Johnny Stompanato scandal in his 1987 September, this script from Samy Burch and Alex Mechanic deviously revamps the Mary Kay Letourneau furor for a deliriously kitschy identity play between two women who each display a multitude of behavioral and emotional issues.…...
Had Brian De Palma been keen on rehashing Douglas Sirk instead of Hitchcock, he might have made something along the lines of May December, the latest from Todd Haynes, returning to the sexually provocative roots which defined his early works. Reuniting for a fifth time with Julianne Moore, their latest collaboration is heavy on Bergman’s Persona (1966) motifs as well in this hothouse of blurred lines set in one strangely steamy Savannah summer in 2015. Much like Woody Allen revisited the Lana Turner-Johnny Stompanato scandal in his 1987 September, this script from Samy Burch and Alex Mechanic deviously revamps the Mary Kay Letourneau furor for a deliriously kitschy identity play between two women who each display a multitude of behavioral and emotional issues.…...
- 11/17/2023
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Studiocanal launches short story adaptation ‘Cat Person’.
Thriller Five Nights At Freddy’s heads the new titles at this weekend’s UK-Ireland box office, as one of a selection of genre choices available to audiences on the pre-Halloween weekend.
Opening in 609 cinemas through Universal, Five Nights At Freddy’s is adapted from Scott Cawthon’s videogame franchise of the same name. The film stars Hunger Games actor Josh Hutcherson as a security guard at an abandoned entertainment venue, who discovers that its animatronic mascots move and kill anyone still there after midnight.
Directed by Emma Tammi, the film is produced by horror...
Thriller Five Nights At Freddy’s heads the new titles at this weekend’s UK-Ireland box office, as one of a selection of genre choices available to audiences on the pre-Halloween weekend.
Opening in 609 cinemas through Universal, Five Nights At Freddy’s is adapted from Scott Cawthon’s videogame franchise of the same name. The film stars Hunger Games actor Josh Hutcherson as a security guard at an abandoned entertainment venue, who discovers that its animatronic mascots move and kill anyone still there after midnight.
Directed by Emma Tammi, the film is produced by horror...
- 10/27/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
In the early 1940s, a young Lena Horne began an engagement at an intimate L.A. club called Little Troc, where her silken voice — with her perfect enunciation and her sophisticated interpretation of the lyrics — dazzled the likes of Marlene Dietrich, Cole Porter, Lana Turner and Greta Garbo. Among the many eyes that observed her during her run were those of the astute, sensitive Roger Edens, who was an integral member of the Freed Unit at MGM Studios. Led by innovative producer Arthur Freed, the unit consisted of musical artists who created many of MGM’s great musicals from the golden age: It had recently produced Babes in Arms (1939) and would strike gold with An American in Paris (1951), Singin’ in the Rain (1952) and Gigi (1958).
Within the Freed Unit, Edens stood out as a highly respected composer, arranger and associate producer who eventually won three Academy Awards. After seeing Lena perform,...
Within the Freed Unit, Edens stood out as a highly respected composer, arranger and associate producer who eventually won three Academy Awards. After seeing Lena perform,...
- 10/12/2023
- by Donald Bogle
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
According to Deadline, Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter is developing a feature-film adaptation of A Murder in Hollywood: The Untold Story of Tinseltown’s Most Shocking Crime, which deals with the “deadly love affair between screen legend Lana Turner and her gangster boyfriend, Johnny Stompanato.“
A Murder in Hollywood was written by bestselling author Casey Sherman and will be published through Sourcebooks early next year. Terence Winter will write the script for the movie and will also produce through his Cold Front Pictures production company alongside Rachel Winter through her Tangerine Pictures banner.
Lana Turner was one of the biggest actresses of the 1940s, best known for her role in The Postman Always Rings Twice. She later caught the attention of Johnny Stompanato, an enforcer for gangster Mickey Cohen and the Cohen crime family, who pursued her relentlessly. What followed was a turbulent love affair full of violent arguments and...
A Murder in Hollywood was written by bestselling author Casey Sherman and will be published through Sourcebooks early next year. Terence Winter will write the script for the movie and will also produce through his Cold Front Pictures production company alongside Rachel Winter through her Tangerine Pictures banner.
Lana Turner was one of the biggest actresses of the 1940s, best known for her role in The Postman Always Rings Twice. She later caught the attention of Johnny Stompanato, an enforcer for gangster Mickey Cohen and the Cohen crime family, who pursued her relentlessly. What followed was a turbulent love affair full of violent arguments and...
- 10/4/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Terence Winter, the master of the gangster genre known for his work on The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire and more, is teaming with Academy Award-nominated producer Rachel Winter (Dallas Buyers Club) to develop a feature adaptation of A Murder in Hollywood: The Untold Story of Tinseltown’s Most Shocking Crime.
A Murder in Hollywood scribe Casey Sherman
Marking the latest work of non-fiction from New York Times bestselling author Casey Sherman, the book optioned by the Winters chronicles the deadly love affair between screen legend Lana Turner and her gangster boyfriend, Johnny Stompanato. It’ll be published through Sourcebooks early next year. Terence Winter will script the screen adaptation and produce through his Cold Front Pictures banner, alongside Rachel Winter through her Tangerine Pictures shingle.
The option marks just the latest high-profile deal for the prolific Sherman, whose bestseller 12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady’s Fight for Redemption,...
A Murder in Hollywood scribe Casey Sherman
Marking the latest work of non-fiction from New York Times bestselling author Casey Sherman, the book optioned by the Winters chronicles the deadly love affair between screen legend Lana Turner and her gangster boyfriend, Johnny Stompanato. It’ll be published through Sourcebooks early next year. Terence Winter will script the screen adaptation and produce through his Cold Front Pictures banner, alongside Rachel Winter through her Tangerine Pictures shingle.
The option marks just the latest high-profile deal for the prolific Sherman, whose bestseller 12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady’s Fight for Redemption,...
- 10/4/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
At 5’2, Mickey Rooney may have been small in stature, but he had a huge personality and was one of the biggest stars in the heyday of the Golden Era of Hollywood. He had one of the longest careers of any entertainer, with a body of work that spans nine decades in the industry, including vaudeville, films, television, radio and the stage.
Rooney was born Joe Yule, Jr. on September 23, 1920, in Brooklyn, New York. At 17 months old, he made his stage debut in his parent’s vaudeville act, and made his motion picture debut in 1926. In 1927, he starred in the first of several short films in the “Mickey Maguire” series, and adopted the stage name “Mickey Rooney.” He made 78 of these comedies, and also received great notices in films such as “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (1935). Then in 1937, he made the film that would establish his star status. “A Family Affair” was...
Rooney was born Joe Yule, Jr. on September 23, 1920, in Brooklyn, New York. At 17 months old, he made his stage debut in his parent’s vaudeville act, and made his motion picture debut in 1926. In 1927, he starred in the first of several short films in the “Mickey Maguire” series, and adopted the stage name “Mickey Rooney.” He made 78 of these comedies, and also received great notices in films such as “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (1935). Then in 1937, he made the film that would establish his star status. “A Family Affair” was...
- 9/14/2023
- by Susan Pennington, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner had one of Hollywood’s most explosive marriages. The pair’s romance began as an affair and remained just as drama-filled until their divorce. They separated often, and during one of their off-periods, Sinatra came home to find Gardner in the house. A screaming match ensued, and Sinatra ultimately threw a douche filled with water at Gardner and Lana Turner.
Frank Sinatra once threw a douche at Ava Gardner
During one of Sinatra’s performances, Gardner believed he was singing to another woman in the audience. As a result, she stormed out, put her wedding ring in an envelope for him, and left the city. After several weeks apart, they reconciled, albeit briefly.
A few days into their reunion, the couple got into another argument. When Gardner told Sinatra to get out, he responded, “Okay, baby, I’ll get out. You can find me in Palm Springs.
Frank Sinatra once threw a douche at Ava Gardner
During one of Sinatra’s performances, Gardner believed he was singing to another woman in the audience. As a result, she stormed out, put her wedding ring in an envelope for him, and left the city. After several weeks apart, they reconciled, albeit briefly.
A few days into their reunion, the couple got into another argument. When Gardner told Sinatra to get out, he responded, “Okay, baby, I’ll get out. You can find me in Palm Springs.
- 9/11/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra had a passionate and volatile relationship. While they loved each other deeply, they fought viciously and often. While they divorced in 1957, Gardner knew for a time that the relationship was too explosive to last. Still, she remained in the romance for years. She shared the Nsfw reason why.
Ava Gardner shared why she stayed in her relationship with Frank Sinatra
Gardner and Sinatra met while he was still married to his first wife, Nancy Barbato. News of their affair went public in 1950, landing a punishing blow to Sinatra’s marriage and public image. He struggled to find acting roles, and his music career stalled. Still, Gardner stayed with him and, ultimately, helped resuscitate his career.
Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner | Library of Congress
While she loved him enough to support him through this struggle, they fought often. They frequently had public screaming matches or broke things during fights.
Ava Gardner shared why she stayed in her relationship with Frank Sinatra
Gardner and Sinatra met while he was still married to his first wife, Nancy Barbato. News of their affair went public in 1950, landing a punishing blow to Sinatra’s marriage and public image. He struggled to find acting roles, and his music career stalled. Still, Gardner stayed with him and, ultimately, helped resuscitate his career.
Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner | Library of Congress
While she loved him enough to support him through this struggle, they fought often. They frequently had public screaming matches or broke things during fights.
- 9/11/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
What’s so inspiring and energizing about Steven Spielberg is that he isn’t just one of the greatest filmmakers ever, he’s an eclectic cinephile who talks about his favorite films with the boyish enthusiasm of a fan.
So he was a natural fit, alongside Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson, for the advisory panel that came together in June to support Turner Classic Movies. As part of that role, he’s recorded his first “Spielberg’s Picks” video, a recommendations list of his personal faves from the September 2023 TCM lineup. Watch the video above, an IndieWire exclusive, for not just his choices, but his incisive comments.
For his debut picks, he chose Vincente Minnelli’s “Meet Me in St. Louis” (1944), Douglas Sirk’s “Imitation of Life” (1959), Gordon Douglas’s “Them!” (1954), Minnelli’s “The Bad and the Beautiful” (1952), and Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Wrong Man” (1957). Scorsese and Anderson’s own picks are forthcoming,...
So he was a natural fit, alongside Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson, for the advisory panel that came together in June to support Turner Classic Movies. As part of that role, he’s recorded his first “Spielberg’s Picks” video, a recommendations list of his personal faves from the September 2023 TCM lineup. Watch the video above, an IndieWire exclusive, for not just his choices, but his incisive comments.
For his debut picks, he chose Vincente Minnelli’s “Meet Me in St. Louis” (1944), Douglas Sirk’s “Imitation of Life” (1959), Gordon Douglas’s “Them!” (1954), Minnelli’s “The Bad and the Beautiful” (1952), and Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Wrong Man” (1957). Scorsese and Anderson’s own picks are forthcoming,...
- 8/30/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
A familiar face is back in the Riverdale universe on Riverdale Season 7 Episode 17.
Josie McCoy, leader of Josie and The Pussycats, unveiled her 1955 counterpart in true Hollywood fashion. In this case, she's an award-winning Hollywood and Broadway star.
Her arrival to town was filled with big screens and big stage performances. But was the episode a grand return to form?
"Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Four: A Different Kind of Cat" was an enjoyable chapter that hit Riverdale 1955's campy flair. However, not much has changed in the trend of Riverdale Season 7.
Plenty of flash and fun references for the time, but there was no concrete or consistent plot tying everything together.
For instance, Josie's arrival in Riverdale for her movie project. It's another standalone story that breaks up any potential for an overarching plot.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to see Ashleigh Murray, who plays Josie, return and get her screen time.
Josie McCoy, leader of Josie and The Pussycats, unveiled her 1955 counterpart in true Hollywood fashion. In this case, she's an award-winning Hollywood and Broadway star.
Her arrival to town was filled with big screens and big stage performances. But was the episode a grand return to form?
"Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Four: A Different Kind of Cat" was an enjoyable chapter that hit Riverdale 1955's campy flair. However, not much has changed in the trend of Riverdale Season 7.
Plenty of flash and fun references for the time, but there was no concrete or consistent plot tying everything together.
For instance, Josie's arrival in Riverdale for her movie project. It's another standalone story that breaks up any potential for an overarching plot.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to see Ashleigh Murray, who plays Josie, return and get her screen time.
- 8/3/2023
- by Justin Carreiro
- TVfanatic
At first glance, Sleeping Beauty seems among the Disney Princess films least likely to live up to the modern era of feminist storytelling. The titular character, Princess Aurora, has so little agency in the film that falling into a cursed sleep seems like a continuation of her early years. Aurora never gets a chance to choose her own destiny. So how could anyone make a case for this as a feminist film?
The answer to that, dear readers, is that the film isn’t about Princess Aurora at all. The film isn’t about supposed hero Prince Philip. It’s about an epic struggle between good fairies and an evil one. The Disney version of Sleeping Beauty is about a political divide in the world of fairies: those that bestow their blessings on humanity, and those who consort with monsters. And all of the major players in this struggle are women.
The answer to that, dear readers, is that the film isn’t about Princess Aurora at all. The film isn’t about supposed hero Prince Philip. It’s about an epic struggle between good fairies and an evil one. The Disney version of Sleeping Beauty is about a political divide in the world of fairies: those that bestow their blessings on humanity, and those who consort with monsters. And all of the major players in this struggle are women.
- 6/27/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
John Legend is writing the score to a stage adaptation of the 1959 film Imitation of Life.
The musical, which is in development and aiming for Broadway, features a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage (Sweat, Ruined) and direction by Liesl Tommy, who directed Danai Gurira’s Eclipsed on Broadway. The production held a private industry reading at the end of April.
Universal Theatrical Group and Get Lifted Film Co, a production company led by Legend, as well as producer Mike Jackson and Friends at Work CEO Ty Stiklorius, are producing the musical.
Imitation of Life, which originated as a 1933 novel written by Fannie Hurst, follows Delilah Johnston, a Black woman and mother living in Atlantic City in the 1920s with her daughter Peola, who passes as white. Johnston forms a friendship and business partnership with Bea Pullman, a white woman who is a widow, and must navigate the...
The musical, which is in development and aiming for Broadway, features a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage (Sweat, Ruined) and direction by Liesl Tommy, who directed Danai Gurira’s Eclipsed on Broadway. The production held a private industry reading at the end of April.
Universal Theatrical Group and Get Lifted Film Co, a production company led by Legend, as well as producer Mike Jackson and Friends at Work CEO Ty Stiklorius, are producing the musical.
Imitation of Life, which originated as a 1933 novel written by Fannie Hurst, follows Delilah Johnston, a Black woman and mother living in Atlantic City in the 1920s with her daughter Peola, who passes as white. Johnston forms a friendship and business partnership with Bea Pullman, a white woman who is a widow, and must navigate the...
- 6/26/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A stage musical adaptation of the Fannie Hurst novel Imitation of Life and its film versions is under development at Universal Theatrical Group, with Lynn Nottage writing the book and John Legend handling the music and lyrics. Liesl Tommy is attached to direct.
Following a private industry reading that took place April 24-28 in New York City, Universal Theatrical Group — the live theater division of Universal Pictures — announced the further development of the project today.
Liesl Tommy
Imitation of Life will be produced for the stage by Universal Theatrical Group and Get Lifted Film Co. The musical is being developed for Broadway.
The novel originally was published in 1933, with Universal Pictures producing two film adaptations — the first directed by John Stahl in 1934 and starring Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers, and the second in 1959, with stars Lana Turner and Juanita Moore directed by Douglas Sirk. The 1934 film was Oscar-nominated, and the...
Following a private industry reading that took place April 24-28 in New York City, Universal Theatrical Group — the live theater division of Universal Pictures — announced the further development of the project today.
Liesl Tommy
Imitation of Life will be produced for the stage by Universal Theatrical Group and Get Lifted Film Co. The musical is being developed for Broadway.
The novel originally was published in 1933, with Universal Pictures producing two film adaptations — the first directed by John Stahl in 1934 and starring Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers, and the second in 1959, with stars Lana Turner and Juanita Moore directed by Douglas Sirk. The 1934 film was Oscar-nominated, and the...
- 6/26/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
One need only look at the marketing strategy for 1934’s Imitation of Life to see how woefully inept Hollywood was unable to soberingly deal with the racist realities of American culture. The various taglines would have one believe the film is a tawdry tale about a single mother and her daughter falling in love with the same man, completely ignoring the searing backbone of the narrative regarding the toxic yoke of colorism dividing a Black mother and her daughter irrevocably.
Clearly undermining the intention of Fannie Hurst’s novel, from which it was adapted, there’s still no denying the dramatic imbalance between the juxtaposed pair of white and Black characters, a reality also readily apparent in Douglas Sirk’s more famous 1959 remake (and his swan song), which starred Lana Turner and netted Jaunita Moore an Academy Award nomination.…...
Clearly undermining the intention of Fannie Hurst’s novel, from which it was adapted, there’s still no denying the dramatic imbalance between the juxtaposed pair of white and Black characters, a reality also readily apparent in Douglas Sirk’s more famous 1959 remake (and his swan song), which starred Lana Turner and netted Jaunita Moore an Academy Award nomination.…...
- 6/14/2023
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Actor Sharon Stone looked forward to being cast in a project about the late Lana Turner. But when Michael Douglas’ wife Catherine Zeta-Jones nabbed the project instead, Stone couldn’t help express her disappointment in the outcome.
Sharon Stone was considered to play late actor Lana Turner in a biopic Sharon Stone | Robert Smith/Patrick McMullan / Getty Images
Stone may have been in the running once to play late actor Lana Turner. According to TCM, Turner was an actor on the rise in the late 30s, having made her small silver screen debut in the feature They Won’t Forget.
From there, Turner’s career experienced even higher heights in the 40s. The 40s saw her starring in notable features like Honky Tonk and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, further growing her celebrity.
Deep in the 40s and 50s, Turner was already an established star and an A-lister in her own right.
Sharon Stone was considered to play late actor Lana Turner in a biopic Sharon Stone | Robert Smith/Patrick McMullan / Getty Images
Stone may have been in the running once to play late actor Lana Turner. According to TCM, Turner was an actor on the rise in the late 30s, having made her small silver screen debut in the feature They Won’t Forget.
From there, Turner’s career experienced even higher heights in the 40s. The 40s saw her starring in notable features like Honky Tonk and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, further growing her celebrity.
Deep in the 40s and 50s, Turner was already an established star and an A-lister in her own right.
- 5/3/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
So, did you ever wonder why Carol Burnett always tugs her ear? It was a way she could say “hi” to her beloved grandmother. The first time she did it was when she made her TV debut at 22 on the Dec. 17, 1955 episode of the popular “The Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney Show.” She played the girlfriend of the woody dummy. “The first song I sang on TV was ‘Over the Rainbow’ to Jerry Mahoney,” she noted in a 2016 L.A. Times interview with me. “I remember I called my grandmother to tell her I was going to be on television. Nanny said say hello to me. That’s when we came up with pulling my ear.”
Nearly seven decades later, Burnett is still tugging at her ear, singing and making people laugh And on April 26th, which is her 90th birthday, NBC is throwing her a celebration “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love.
Nearly seven decades later, Burnett is still tugging at her ear, singing and making people laugh And on April 26th, which is her 90th birthday, NBC is throwing her a celebration “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love.
- 4/24/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Almost an entire generation can talk about their favorite primetime soap opera. The ’70s and ’80s had a fair share of these shows, offering plenty to talk about around the water cooler. One such primetime soap was Falcon Crest. It was popular in its day, with a lineup of big-name appearances. Now that Falcon Crest has been off the air for over 30 years, which cast members are still alive?
‘Falcon Crest’ was the most popular TV show in 1981 The ‘Falcon Crest’ Season 1 cast on Jan. 29, 1982 | CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images
Falcon Crest was an American soap opera that aired for nine seasons between 1981 and 1990. It revolved around the powerful and wealthy Gioberti family. The Giobertis owned a large vineyard and winery in California’s fictional Tuscany Valle.
Angela Channing, played by Jane Wyman, is the family matriarch. She is determined to maintain control of the family business and keep her clan together.
‘Falcon Crest’ was the most popular TV show in 1981 The ‘Falcon Crest’ Season 1 cast on Jan. 29, 1982 | CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images
Falcon Crest was an American soap opera that aired for nine seasons between 1981 and 1990. It revolved around the powerful and wealthy Gioberti family. The Giobertis owned a large vineyard and winery in California’s fictional Tuscany Valle.
Angela Channing, played by Jane Wyman, is the family matriarch. She is determined to maintain control of the family business and keep her clan together.
- 3/18/2023
- by Sarah Ruszkowski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
On March 12, once the curtain comes down on the 95th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre, the must-stop afterparty will just be getting started for Oscar nominees — winners and losers alike. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the Governors Ball, but it wasn’t always a coveted invitation — or even a tradition. The first Academy Awards statuettes were handed out in 1929 at a banquet in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, but the annual banquet was discontinued during the war years and, by 1958, the ceremony had migrated farther down Hollywood Boulevard to the Pantages Theatre. This meant that once the show was over, the stars were left to fend for themselves. So that year, the Academy charged actor and future California senator George Murphy with chairing a post-Oscars dinner dance, which would take place at the Beverly Hilton hotel. Its venue has changed over the years, but...
- 3/12/2023
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lana Turner Book ‘A Murder in Hollywood’, From Casey Sherman, In The Works As Series From Jake Crane
Exclusive: Lana Turner’s mobster boyfriend Johnny Stompanato was allegedly stabbed to death in her house by her daughter Cheryl Crane in 1958.
This incident is the basis for Casey Sherman’s next true crime thriller; A Murder in Hollywood, and it’s also heading to the small screen.
Jake Crane, no relation, who wrote the screenplay for Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell-fronted Korean War feature Devotion, directed by J.D. Dillar, has optioned the rights to the book and will adapt.
A Murder in Hollywood is Sherman’s 16th book and follows tomes such as The Finest Hours, which was adapted into a film by Disney starring Chris Pine, and Boston Strong, which was adapted into Patriots Day starring Mark Wahlberg.
It chronicles the fatal stabbing of screen legend Turner’s gangster boyfriend Stompanato inside her Beverly Hills mansion in the late 1950’s. Crane was exonerated after a coroner...
This incident is the basis for Casey Sherman’s next true crime thriller; A Murder in Hollywood, and it’s also heading to the small screen.
Jake Crane, no relation, who wrote the screenplay for Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell-fronted Korean War feature Devotion, directed by J.D. Dillar, has optioned the rights to the book and will adapt.
A Murder in Hollywood is Sherman’s 16th book and follows tomes such as The Finest Hours, which was adapted into a film by Disney starring Chris Pine, and Boston Strong, which was adapted into Patriots Day starring Mark Wahlberg.
It chronicles the fatal stabbing of screen legend Turner’s gangster boyfriend Stompanato inside her Beverly Hills mansion in the late 1950’s. Crane was exonerated after a coroner...
- 3/6/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Jean Veloz, the innovative Lindy Hop dancer who dazzled in Swing Fever and other Hollywood musicals of the 1940s, has died. She was 98.
Veloz died Sunday at her home in Los Angeles, her friend, agent and manager Rusty Frank told The Hollywood Reporter. Frank co-produced the 2010 event A Tribute to the Groovie Movie, which celebrated Veloz and her contribution to dance.
“Jean innovated a style of swing dance that was admired around the world,” Frank said. “It was silky smooth and greatly contrasted the more jitterbug style prevalent during the 1930s-’40s.”
Generations of dancers idolized her.
In MGM’s Swing Fever (1943), Veloz whirled with servicemen portrayed by Lennie Smith and Don Gallagher in the high-octane number “One Girl and Two Boys,” accompanied by Kay Kyser’s band and sandwiched between Marilyn Maxwell’s singing.
She also did the jitterbug in Where Are Your Children? (1943), starring Jackie Cooper; danced with...
Veloz died Sunday at her home in Los Angeles, her friend, agent and manager Rusty Frank told The Hollywood Reporter. Frank co-produced the 2010 event A Tribute to the Groovie Movie, which celebrated Veloz and her contribution to dance.
“Jean innovated a style of swing dance that was admired around the world,” Frank said. “It was silky smooth and greatly contrasted the more jitterbug style prevalent during the 1930s-’40s.”
Generations of dancers idolized her.
In MGM’s Swing Fever (1943), Veloz whirled with servicemen portrayed by Lennie Smith and Don Gallagher in the high-octane number “One Girl and Two Boys,” accompanied by Kay Kyser’s band and sandwiched between Marilyn Maxwell’s singing.
She also did the jitterbug in Where Are Your Children? (1943), starring Jackie Cooper; danced with...
- 1/17/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
One of the biggest names to come out of Hollywood's Golden Age is Clark Gable. The actor starred in several top-earning films, earned three Academy Award nominations for best actor, and won an Oscar for best actor in 1935. At the height of his popularity from the '30s through the '50s, Gable predominantly appeared in romantic comedies and dramas, capitalizing on his raw machismo, good looks, and boyish charisma. More than just a romantic lead, Gable commanded the screen with a presence ranging from charmingly easygoing to fiercely intense.
With an acting career spanning over three decades, Gable not only starred in some of the biggest movies during his heyday but practically defined Hollywood's Golden Age of cinema through his acclaimed performances. Here are the 14 best Clark Gable movies from the award-winning actor's extensive filmography. Let's dive into his most iconic feature film roles and overlooked classics that showcase...
With an acting career spanning over three decades, Gable not only starred in some of the biggest movies during his heyday but practically defined Hollywood's Golden Age of cinema through his acclaimed performances. Here are the 14 best Clark Gable movies from the award-winning actor's extensive filmography. Let's dive into his most iconic feature film roles and overlooked classics that showcase...
- 1/11/2023
- by Samuel Stone
- Slash Film
Kirk E. Kelleykahn’s heartfelt documentary “A Star Without a Star: The Untold Juanita Moore Story” builds the case for Moore — the director’s grandmother and an Oscar nominee, whose work spans eight decades — to be recognized on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Made over the course of 19 years, the labor of love includes the insights and testimonials of actors such as Sidney Poitier and Louise Fletcher, who died before the film was completed. Despite a structure that briefly wanders in the movie’s later stages, the doc makes a very strong argument for Moore’s contributions.
Nowadays, films like “Hidden Figures” and “The Woman King” have widened the scope of screen roles available for Black performers. But “A Star Without a Star” occupies a different Hollywood, one where parts for Black female actors were largely limited to chorus girls and mammies. The film juxtaposes examples of Hollywood’s overtly...
Nowadays, films like “Hidden Figures” and “The Woman King” have widened the scope of screen roles available for Black performers. But “A Star Without a Star” occupies a different Hollywood, one where parts for Black female actors were largely limited to chorus girls and mammies. The film juxtaposes examples of Hollywood’s overtly...
- 1/5/2023
- by Bill Edelstein
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Dr. Ronald Dante, a hypnotist and scam artist who was Lana Turner’s seventh and last husband, is to be the subject of the next Chameleon podcast.
Campside Media, which is behind the anthology series that started with the story of the Hollywood con queen, and Sony Music Entertainment are launching Dr. Dante on January 9.
It will tell Dante’s story of being a prodigiously talented hypnotist, and not an actual doctor, whose mind-bending schemes spanned decades. Dante worked the smoke-filled nightclubs of 1960s Hollywood and rode the self-help craze of the 1980s and 90s, hypnotizing women out of their fortunes, taking out hits on his rivals and opening up one of the biggest fake universities in history.
He was convicted of a variety of crimes including mail fraud and died in 2013.
Sam Mullins, the journalist and comedian who hosted Chameleon: Wild Boys, tracks Dante through yacht clubs, prison cells,...
Campside Media, which is behind the anthology series that started with the story of the Hollywood con queen, and Sony Music Entertainment are launching Dr. Dante on January 9.
It will tell Dante’s story of being a prodigiously talented hypnotist, and not an actual doctor, whose mind-bending schemes spanned decades. Dante worked the smoke-filled nightclubs of 1960s Hollywood and rode the self-help craze of the 1980s and 90s, hypnotizing women out of their fortunes, taking out hits on his rivals and opening up one of the biggest fake universities in history.
He was convicted of a variety of crimes including mail fraud and died in 2013.
Sam Mullins, the journalist and comedian who hosted Chameleon: Wild Boys, tracks Dante through yacht clubs, prison cells,...
- 12/15/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
As this is written, the interested public is still waiting for something, anything, from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences or its movie museum by way of response to their latest crisis.
Said crisis was provoked over the weekend by a detailed column in the San Francisco Chronicle claiming that the late Sacheen Littlefeather, recently celebrated and apologized to by the Academy for her onstage Native American activism and the backlash thereto, was not a Native American at all.
Related Story Sacheen Littlefeather, Native American And Oscars Protest Icon, Was An ‘Ethnic Fraud’ – Report Related Story Student Academy Award Reveals 2022 Medalists Related Story As Scotus Tackles Affirmative Action, The Film Academy Should Keep A Wary Eye Out
Rather, said the column, citing documents and interviews with Littlefeather’s two surviving sisters, she was of European and Mexican-American extraction, with little or no Indian blood. What she did have,...
Said crisis was provoked over the weekend by a detailed column in the San Francisco Chronicle claiming that the late Sacheen Littlefeather, recently celebrated and apologized to by the Academy for her onstage Native American activism and the backlash thereto, was not a Native American at all.
Related Story Sacheen Littlefeather, Native American And Oscars Protest Icon, Was An ‘Ethnic Fraud’ – Report Related Story Student Academy Award Reveals 2022 Medalists Related Story As Scotus Tackles Affirmative Action, The Film Academy Should Keep A Wary Eye Out
Rather, said the column, citing documents and interviews with Littlefeather’s two surviving sisters, she was of European and Mexican-American extraction, with little or no Indian blood. What she did have,...
- 10/24/2022
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
The BFI London Film Festival will present nine new feature films and documentaries by UK-based filmmakers at its third annual Works-in-Progress showcase. Scroll down for the lineup.
This year, the showcase, which forms part of the festival’s industry program, will be an in-person event screening extracts from each project introduced by their producer to an invited audience of international buyers and festival programmers.
The nine projects are either in production, post-production, or near completion. Clips from each project will also be available online from 8-9 October via a secure platform to a wider pool of invited international industry professionals. The in-person showcase will take place on Saturday 8 October as part of the Festival’s UK Talent Days.
Two projects from last year’s in-progress lineup are set to screen during this year’s Lff. Pretty Red Dress, written and directed by Dionne Edwards, and Medusa Deluxe, written and directed by Thomas Hardiman.
This year, the showcase, which forms part of the festival’s industry program, will be an in-person event screening extracts from each project introduced by their producer to an invited audience of international buyers and festival programmers.
The nine projects are either in production, post-production, or near completion. Clips from each project will also be available online from 8-9 October via a secure platform to a wider pool of invited international industry professionals. The in-person showcase will take place on Saturday 8 October as part of the Festival’s UK Talent Days.
Two projects from last year’s in-progress lineup are set to screen during this year’s Lff. Pretty Red Dress, written and directed by Dionne Edwards, and Medusa Deluxe, written and directed by Thomas Hardiman.
- 9/20/2022
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
The BFI London Film Festival’s annual Works-in-Progress showcase, now in its third edition, will present nine new feature films and documentaries by U.K.-based filmmakers.
The showcase, which is part of the festival’s U.K. Talent Days focus, will be an in-person event on Oct. 8 screening extracts from each project introduced by their producer to an invited audience of international buyers and festival programmers. The projects are either in production or post-production. Clips will also be available online via a secure platform to a wider pool of invited international industry professionals.
The annual Buyers & Sellers event returns as an in-person fixture at which international sales agents can meet with U.K. buyers, and Network@Lff will host masterclasses and events for 12 U.K.-based writers, directors and producers to interact with international filmmakers and industry executives at the festival.
Festival director, Tricia Tuttle, said: “Connecting independent filmmakers...
The showcase, which is part of the festival’s U.K. Talent Days focus, will be an in-person event on Oct. 8 screening extracts from each project introduced by their producer to an invited audience of international buyers and festival programmers. The projects are either in production or post-production. Clips will also be available online via a secure platform to a wider pool of invited international industry professionals.
The annual Buyers & Sellers event returns as an in-person fixture at which international sales agents can meet with U.K. buyers, and Network@Lff will host masterclasses and events for 12 U.K.-based writers, directors and producers to interact with international filmmakers and industry executives at the festival.
Festival director, Tricia Tuttle, said: “Connecting independent filmmakers...
- 9/19/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The world was at war 80 years ago. The United States was grieving over the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 by the Japanese military and the defeat of our forces that month at Wake Island. And then the beloved Carole Lombard, her mother, servicemen and the crew perished in a plane crash west of Las Vegas on January 16, 1942. She was returning to Hollywood after raising 2 million in a war bond drive in Indianapolis.
How would Hollywood and audiences respond to World War II? They certainly didn’t shy away from the war. If you look at the top 10 films of the year, there are some escapist films but also movies dealing with the global conflict.
In fact, the No. 1 film of the year William Wyler’s “Mrs. Miniver” broke records at Radio City Music Hall in New York playing 10 weeks. Production began on the stirring, sentimental drama about a British...
How would Hollywood and audiences respond to World War II? They certainly didn’t shy away from the war. If you look at the top 10 films of the year, there are some escapist films but also movies dealing with the global conflict.
In fact, the No. 1 film of the year William Wyler’s “Mrs. Miniver” broke records at Radio City Music Hall in New York playing 10 weeks. Production began on the stirring, sentimental drama about a British...
- 9/18/2022
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Old Hollywood actor and activist Marsha Hunt has died at the age of 104.
Best known for her roles in films such as These Glamour Girls, Pride and Prejudice and Raw Deal, Hunt fell into obscurity after being blacklisted from the industry during the McCarthy communist witchhunts.
Roger C Memos, the writer and director of the 2014 documentary Marsha Hunt’s Sweet Adversity, confirmed news of her death to The Hollywood Reporter.
Hunt died of natural causes at her home in Sherman Oaks, California.
She started her career as a model, before being signed to Paramount Pictures studio at the age of 17.
Her breakthrough came in MGM’s These Glamour Girls in 1939, in which she featured opposite Lana Turner.
A number of other well-received roles followed, including in Anthony Mann’s Raw Deal in 1948.
Hunt’s career took a turn in 1947, when she and her second husband, screenwriter Robert Presnell Jr, joined...
Best known for her roles in films such as These Glamour Girls, Pride and Prejudice and Raw Deal, Hunt fell into obscurity after being blacklisted from the industry during the McCarthy communist witchhunts.
Roger C Memos, the writer and director of the 2014 documentary Marsha Hunt’s Sweet Adversity, confirmed news of her death to The Hollywood Reporter.
Hunt died of natural causes at her home in Sherman Oaks, California.
She started her career as a model, before being signed to Paramount Pictures studio at the age of 17.
Her breakthrough came in MGM’s These Glamour Girls in 1939, in which she featured opposite Lana Turner.
A number of other well-received roles followed, including in Anthony Mann’s Raw Deal in 1948.
Hunt’s career took a turn in 1947, when she and her second husband, screenwriter Robert Presnell Jr, joined...
- 9/10/2022
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
Marsha Hunt, a star of MGM and Paramount beginning in the 1930s who was blacklisted in Hollywood in the ’50s during Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s Communist witch hunt, died Wednesday at age 104.
Roger Memos, who directed a documentary about Hunt’s life, confirmed the news.
A former model, Hunt was a standout in such films as John Wayne’s 1937 Western “Born to the West”; 1939’s “The Glamour Girls,” opposite Lana Turner; 1940’s “Pride and Prejudice” and 1948’s beloved noir “Raw Deal.” In 1945, she joined the board of the Screen Actors Guild.
Also Read:
Bernard Shaw, Legendary CNN Anchor, Dies at 82
But her career unraveled after she and her second husband, screenwriter Robert Presnell Jr., joined a Hollywood group that questioned McCarthy’s efforts to root out Communists in American society, including in Hollywood. In 1950, the right-wing publication Red Channels named her as a potential Communist and she was asked to...
Roger Memos, who directed a documentary about Hunt’s life, confirmed the news.
A former model, Hunt was a standout in such films as John Wayne’s 1937 Western “Born to the West”; 1939’s “The Glamour Girls,” opposite Lana Turner; 1940’s “Pride and Prejudice” and 1948’s beloved noir “Raw Deal.” In 1945, she joined the board of the Screen Actors Guild.
Also Read:
Bernard Shaw, Legendary CNN Anchor, Dies at 82
But her career unraveled after she and her second husband, screenwriter Robert Presnell Jr., joined a Hollywood group that questioned McCarthy’s efforts to root out Communists in American society, including in Hollywood. In 1950, the right-wing publication Red Channels named her as a potential Communist and she was asked to...
- 9/10/2022
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
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Marsha Hunt, the bright-eyed starlet who stood out in such films as These Glamour Girls, Pride and Prejudice and Raw Deal before her career came unraveled by the communist witch hunt that hit Hollywood, has died. She was 104.
She died Wednesday of natural causes at her Sherman Oaks home, where she had lived since 1946, Roger C. Memos — writer-director of the documentary Marsha Hunt’s Sweet Adversity — told The Hollywood Reporter.
Hunt also appeared opposite Mickey Rooney in the best picture Oscar nominee The Human Comedy (1943) during a period in which she was known as “Hollywood’s Youngest Character Actress.”
A former model who signed with Paramount Pictures at age 17, the Chicago native made her first big splash as a suicidal co-ed opposite Lana Turner in MGM’s These Glamour Girls (1939).
Playing Walter Brennan’s sweetheart in Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the...
Marsha Hunt, the bright-eyed starlet who stood out in such films as These Glamour Girls, Pride and Prejudice and Raw Deal before her career came unraveled by the communist witch hunt that hit Hollywood, has died. She was 104.
She died Wednesday of natural causes at her Sherman Oaks home, where she had lived since 1946, Roger C. Memos — writer-director of the documentary Marsha Hunt’s Sweet Adversity — told The Hollywood Reporter.
Hunt also appeared opposite Mickey Rooney in the best picture Oscar nominee The Human Comedy (1943) during a period in which she was known as “Hollywood’s Youngest Character Actress.”
A former model who signed with Paramount Pictures at age 17, the Chicago native made her first big splash as a suicidal co-ed opposite Lana Turner in MGM’s These Glamour Girls (1939).
Playing Walter Brennan’s sweetheart in Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the...
- 9/10/2022
- by Maureen Lee Lenker
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“These three films, they’re all masterful. They’re extraordinary films, and they’re actually quite different.” It’s mid-July in Switzerland and Todd Haynes is talking melodrama: “The three masterworks for me, and to see them at a festival like Locarno, which is very rare, are Written on The Wind, Imitation of Life, and All That Heaven Allows.” Perhaps more than even the cinema of Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Todd Haynes’ films have so often intertwined with those of the late Douglas Sirk, a director whose peerless studio work from the 1940s and 1950s have been a rich source of aesthetic and emotional inspiration, most clearly seen in Haynes’ 2002 masterpiece Far From Heaven.
“Imitation of Life is a film of such remarkable resonance,” Haynes explains on a warm summer morning in the Hotel Belvedere. “I think its themes of race and pretending, of passing, and misperceptions of what you are and who you are,...
“Imitation of Life is a film of such remarkable resonance,” Haynes explains on a warm summer morning in the Hotel Belvedere. “I think its themes of race and pretending, of passing, and misperceptions of what you are and who you are,...
- 8/31/2022
- by Rory O'Connor
- The Film Stage
The legendary Judy Garland, one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century, would have celebrated her 100th birthday on June 10. Help us celebrate this landmark occasion with our photo gallery looking back at her greatest film performances.
Known as the little girl (she was only 4’11) with the big voice, Garland was a rare true triple threat, holding her own with such great dancers as Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, twice receiving Oscar nominations in acting categories, as well as leaving behind a legacy of record-breaking concerts, a Grammy-winning gold album and recordings of iconic songs that no one else has ever been able to capture in quite the same way.
Born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids Minnesota, Garland was the youngest of three girls. They would eventually form the vaudeville act “The Gumm Sisters” when baby Frances was only two years old. After almost a decade of touring with her sisters,...
Known as the little girl (she was only 4’11) with the big voice, Garland was a rare true triple threat, holding her own with such great dancers as Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, twice receiving Oscar nominations in acting categories, as well as leaving behind a legacy of record-breaking concerts, a Grammy-winning gold album and recordings of iconic songs that no one else has ever been able to capture in quite the same way.
Born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids Minnesota, Garland was the youngest of three girls. They would eventually form the vaudeville act “The Gumm Sisters” when baby Frances was only two years old. After almost a decade of touring with her sisters,...
- 6/10/2022
- by Susan Pennington and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
“Mr. Ziegfeld says, if I don’t watch my figure, no one else will.”
James Stewart and Judy Garland in Ziegfeld Girl (1941) will be available on Blu-ray June 7th from Warner Archive. It can purchased at the Warner Archive Amazon Store
An amazing all-star cast came together for this beloved classic drama about love and fame, set against the backdrop of the legendary Ziegfeld Follies. Judy Garland, Lana Turner, and Hedy Lamarr–three of the screen’s most glamorous leading ladies-star with James Stewart as young hopefuls seeking fame as a Ziegfeld Girl. Garland portrays Susan Gallagher, who leaves her vaudevillian father to climb the ladder of stardom. Turner portrays Sheila Regan who drops her loyal beau Gilbert Young (James Stewart) for a wealthy suitor, forcing Young to resort to bootlegging to earn the money to win Sheila back, and Hedy Lamarr is the exotic Sandra Kolter. whose quest for...
James Stewart and Judy Garland in Ziegfeld Girl (1941) will be available on Blu-ray June 7th from Warner Archive. It can purchased at the Warner Archive Amazon Store
An amazing all-star cast came together for this beloved classic drama about love and fame, set against the backdrop of the legendary Ziegfeld Follies. Judy Garland, Lana Turner, and Hedy Lamarr–three of the screen’s most glamorous leading ladies-star with James Stewart as young hopefuls seeking fame as a Ziegfeld Girl. Garland portrays Susan Gallagher, who leaves her vaudevillian father to climb the ladder of stardom. Turner portrays Sheila Regan who drops her loyal beau Gilbert Young (James Stewart) for a wealthy suitor, forcing Young to resort to bootlegging to earn the money to win Sheila back, and Hedy Lamarr is the exotic Sandra Kolter. whose quest for...
- 5/19/2022
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
In just her fourth American movie the Swedish import Ingrid Bergman proves herself the most sensual creature in Hollywood, running away with Spencer Tracy and Victor Fleming’s remake of Mamoulian’s pre-Code classic. The morals are cleaned up and the sex angle tamed down (except for Fröken Bergman) and the acting is less stylized — overall it’s a fine show. Ingrid learned quickly how things were done at MGM — she swiped the film’s plum role from Lana Turner.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1941 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 113 min. / Available at Amazon.com / General site Wac-Amazon / Street Date May 17, 2022 / 21.99
Starring: Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman, Lana Turner, Donald Crisp, Ian Hunter, Barton MacLane, Sara Allgood.
Cinematography: Joseph Ruttenberg
Art Director: Cedric Gibbons
Film Editor: Harold F. Kress
Original Music: Franz Waxman
Written by John Lee Mahin from a novella by Robert Louis Stevenson
Produced and Directed...
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1941 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 113 min. / Available at Amazon.com / General site Wac-Amazon / Street Date May 17, 2022 / 21.99
Starring: Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman, Lana Turner, Donald Crisp, Ian Hunter, Barton MacLane, Sara Allgood.
Cinematography: Joseph Ruttenberg
Art Director: Cedric Gibbons
Film Editor: Harold F. Kress
Original Music: Franz Waxman
Written by John Lee Mahin from a novella by Robert Louis Stevenson
Produced and Directed...
- 5/14/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
“Now, what sort of a gentleman doesn’t like to help a pretty girl?”
Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner and Ingrid Bergman in Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1941) will be available on Blu-ray May 17th from Warner Archive. It can be preordered at the Warner Archive Amazon Store
Laurence Olivier once observed that he “learned more about acting from watching [Spencer] Tracy than in any other way.” Undertaking the dual title role in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Victorian science-fiction thriller, Tracy fulfilled that compliment by abandoning his characteristic down-to-earth image for the most terrifying portrayal of his career. Also cast “against type” are “Sweater Sweetheart” Lana Turner as Jekyll’s fiancée and Ingrid Bergman, who plays Hyde’s victimized Cockney mistress. Tracy and director Victor Fleming (Gone with the Wind) decided to break with convention by interpreting Hyde from a Freudian perspective instead of portraying him as the usual physically grotesque monster, and...
Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner and Ingrid Bergman in Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1941) will be available on Blu-ray May 17th from Warner Archive. It can be preordered at the Warner Archive Amazon Store
Laurence Olivier once observed that he “learned more about acting from watching [Spencer] Tracy than in any other way.” Undertaking the dual title role in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Victorian science-fiction thriller, Tracy fulfilled that compliment by abandoning his characteristic down-to-earth image for the most terrifying portrayal of his career. Also cast “against type” are “Sweater Sweetheart” Lana Turner as Jekyll’s fiancée and Ingrid Bergman, who plays Hyde’s victimized Cockney mistress. Tracy and director Victor Fleming (Gone with the Wind) decided to break with convention by interpreting Hyde from a Freudian perspective instead of portraying him as the usual physically grotesque monster, and...
- 5/2/2022
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Academy Award winners Spencer Tracy and Ingrid Bergman star with Lana Turner in the 1941 adaptation of Robert Lewis Stevenson’s classic horror tale Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and the Warner Archive Collection will be bringing the classic movie to Blu-ray this coming May. Victor Fleming‘s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde enters the Warner Archive […]
The post 1941’s ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ Coming to Blu-ray from Warner Archive appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
The post 1941’s ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ Coming to Blu-ray from Warner Archive appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
- 4/1/2022
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
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