Sundance 2019: ‘Sonja: The White Swan’Review by Peter BelsitoSonja Henie (8 April 1912–12 October 1969) was a Norwegian figure skater and film star.
She was a three-time Olympic Champion(1928, 1932, 1936) in Ladies’ Singles, a ten-time World Champion (1927–1936) and a six-time European Champion (1931–1936). Henie won more Olympic and World titles than any other ladies’ figure skater.
At the height of her acting career, Sonja Henie was one of the highest-paid stars in Hollywood and starred in a series of box-office hits, including Thin Ice (1937), My Lucky Star (1938), Second Fiddle (1939) and Sun Valley Serenade (1941)
When the Norwegian figure skater arrived in Hollywood, she was a talent the industry had never seen before, or since — a three-time Olympic ladies’ singles champion (a record she continues to hold) whose chipper, if chilly romantic comedy hits kept Twentieth Century-Fox solvent in the build-up to World War II, in part because she phoned up her pal Joseph...
She was a three-time Olympic Champion(1928, 1932, 1936) in Ladies’ Singles, a ten-time World Champion (1927–1936) and a six-time European Champion (1931–1936). Henie won more Olympic and World titles than any other ladies’ figure skater.
At the height of her acting career, Sonja Henie was one of the highest-paid stars in Hollywood and starred in a series of box-office hits, including Thin Ice (1937), My Lucky Star (1938), Second Fiddle (1939) and Sun Valley Serenade (1941)
When the Norwegian figure skater arrived in Hollywood, she was a talent the industry had never seen before, or since — a three-time Olympic ladies’ singles champion (a record she continues to hold) whose chipper, if chilly romantic comedy hits kept Twentieth Century-Fox solvent in the build-up to World War II, in part because she phoned up her pal Joseph...
- 2/19/2019
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
How much do you know about Sonja Henie? The answer to that question may dictate to what degree you’ll enjoy the biopic Sonja – The White Swan. Directed by Anne Sewitsky and starring Ine Marie Wilmann, the film tells the story of a unique star within a standard structure. As a child in Norway, young Sonja learns how to skate with her brother. Quickly we jump into adulthood, our lead now a European sensation, ice skating to packed venues.
When she and her father (Anders Mordal) get the offer to expand the scope of Sonja’s celebrity from Arthur Wirtz (Malcolm Adams), it’s an easy decision. They move to Hollywood and are in the office of Darryl Zanuck (Aidan McArdle) before long. The studio mogul makes one offer. Sonja demands a bigger one. And she gets what she wants. Cut to a reenacted dance sequence from One in a Million,...
When she and her father (Anders Mordal) get the offer to expand the scope of Sonja’s celebrity from Arthur Wirtz (Malcolm Adams), it’s an easy decision. They move to Hollywood and are in the office of Darryl Zanuck (Aidan McArdle) before long. The studio mogul makes one offer. Sonja demands a bigger one. And she gets what she wants. Cut to a reenacted dance sequence from One in a Million,...
- 2/4/2019
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Highly pedigreed Sundance alum Anne Sewitsky returns to the festival with a Hollywood bombshell story you haven’t heard.
“Sonja – The White Swan” tells the true story of acclaimed athlete and architect of modern figure skating Sonja Henie. The Norwegian celebrity traveled to Los Angeles in 1936 to embark on a film career, armed with sharp wit and ambition to spare. She would land a studio contract after only a year of knocking on show business doors, and wound up in a feature that sold the most tickets at the domestic box office in 1937. Watch the film’s trailer, exclusive to Variety, above.
Ine Marie Wilmann stars in the titular role. Sewitsky’s 2011 debut feature “Happy, Happy” won the festival’s grand jury prize in the world cinema drama category. She would return to Park City in 2015 with “Homesick,” also starring Wilmann.
The director has several projects lined up, including an...
“Sonja – The White Swan” tells the true story of acclaimed athlete and architect of modern figure skating Sonja Henie. The Norwegian celebrity traveled to Los Angeles in 1936 to embark on a film career, armed with sharp wit and ambition to spare. She would land a studio contract after only a year of knocking on show business doors, and wound up in a feature that sold the most tickets at the domestic box office in 1937. Watch the film’s trailer, exclusive to Variety, above.
Ine Marie Wilmann stars in the titular role. Sewitsky’s 2011 debut feature “Happy, Happy” won the festival’s grand jury prize in the world cinema drama category. She would return to Park City in 2015 with “Homesick,” also starring Wilmann.
The director has several projects lined up, including an...
- 1/29/2019
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Before there was Michael Jordan or Serena Williams, before there was Cher or Madonna, Hollywood had a female sports star on its hands who pretty much dictated what she wanted, when she wanted and how she wanted it, even more so than contemporaries Bette Davis or Joan Crawford. And, arguably, it was Sonja Henie‘s hits that kept a major movie studio, 20th Century Fox, afloat for years on end.
Continue reading An Ice Princess Rules Hollywood In ‘Sonja: The White Swan’ [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading An Ice Princess Rules Hollywood In ‘Sonja: The White Swan’ [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.
- 1/26/2019
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
When Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie zipped into Hollywood, she was a talent the industry had never seen before, or since — a three-time Olympic ladies’ singles champion (a record she continues to hold) whose chipper, if chilly romantic comedy hits kept Twentieth Century-Fox solvent in the build-up to World War II, in part because she phoned up her pal Joseph Goebells to make sure her pictures played in Nazi Germany.
Was Henie a Nazi? No, says Anne Sewitsky’s shiny biopic “Sonja: The White Swan.” Henie was simply an opportunist, and a variety of other expletives depending on who you ask. Take, say, Fox head Darryl F. Zanuck, who here barges into Henie’s backyard to call her a “man-eating nymphomaniac.” That scene stretches credulity, but with a soundtrack that bops between ’80s rocker Billy Squier and the synthesizers that greet the snow queen’s arrival in L.
Was Henie a Nazi? No, says Anne Sewitsky’s shiny biopic “Sonja: The White Swan.” Henie was simply an opportunist, and a variety of other expletives depending on who you ask. Take, say, Fox head Darryl F. Zanuck, who here barges into Henie’s backyard to call her a “man-eating nymphomaniac.” That scene stretches credulity, but with a soundtrack that bops between ’80s rocker Billy Squier and the synthesizers that greet the snow queen’s arrival in L.
- 1/26/2019
- by Amy Nicholson
- Variety Film + TV
Indie producers usually don’t have the luxury, or inclination, to adapt a Disney theme park ride or Marvel comic into a film. Their closest to sure box office bets, aside from low-budget horror fare, now appear to be projects with pre-sold themes and subjects that are often based on celebrities — the indie world’s version of brands. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Sundance’s biggest 2018 doc hits and many famous names in its 2019 lineup.
On the heels of last year’s indie hits about Mr. Rogers, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the Ku Klux Klan, this year’s doc slate features such well-known (and sometimes infamous) subjects as alleged sex offenders Michael Jackson and Harvey Weinstein, Trump’s infamous mentors Roy Cohn and Steve Bannon, David Crosby, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Halston, Miles Davis, Mike Wallace, Leonard Cohen, Anton Yelchin, Toni Morrison, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Apollo 11, the Satanic Temple and...
On the heels of last year’s indie hits about Mr. Rogers, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the Ku Klux Klan, this year’s doc slate features such well-known (and sometimes infamous) subjects as alleged sex offenders Michael Jackson and Harvey Weinstein, Trump’s infamous mentors Roy Cohn and Steve Bannon, David Crosby, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Halston, Miles Davis, Mike Wallace, Leonard Cohen, Anton Yelchin, Toni Morrison, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Apollo 11, the Satanic Temple and...
- 1/23/2019
- by Gregg Goldstein
- Variety Film + TV
Leading Norwegian company Maipo is developing “Fortress,” an ambitious dystopian thriller, and is preparing the second season of “State of Happiness” (“Lykkeland”), the historical series which is competing this week at Canneseries.
“Fortress” is created and penned by two high-profile Norwegian screenwriters: John Kåre Raake, whose track record includes Nordic blockbusters such as “The Wave,” Roar Uthaug’s disaster movie, and “Ragnarok, a family film based on Viking mythology;” and Linn-Jeanethe Kyed, who notably co-wrote “Børning” and “Børning 2,” a action-comedy movie franchise set in the world of illegal sports car racing, and Benjamin Ree’s critically acclaimed documentary feature about the Norwegian chess prodigy, Magnus Carlsen.
“Fortress” takes place in a near future in Norway which is now secluded from the rest of the world by a wall built by the nationalistic government. Norwegians live in absolute sovereignty, relying only on their own homegrown resources and caring solely about national affairs.
“Fortress” is created and penned by two high-profile Norwegian screenwriters: John Kåre Raake, whose track record includes Nordic blockbusters such as “The Wave,” Roar Uthaug’s disaster movie, and “Ragnarok, a family film based on Viking mythology;” and Linn-Jeanethe Kyed, who notably co-wrote “Børning” and “Børning 2,” a action-comedy movie franchise set in the world of illegal sports car racing, and Benjamin Ree’s critically acclaimed documentary feature about the Norwegian chess prodigy, Magnus Carlsen.
“Fortress” takes place in a near future in Norway which is now secluded from the rest of the world by a wall built by the nationalistic government. Norwegians live in absolute sovereignty, relying only on their own homegrown resources and caring solely about national affairs.
- 4/9/2018
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Other Nordic works-in-progress presentations include Anne Sewitsky’s Sonja Henie biopic and Anna Magnusson’s new Bergman documentary.
Source: TriArt
‘Untitled Anna Odell project’
Provocative Swedish artist and filmmaker Anna Odell (The Reunion) unveiled footage from her forthcoming as-yet-untitled feature as part of the works in progress presentations at Goteborg’s Nordic Film Market.
The idea for the project has been mostly under wraps, except that it was to star the director with Mikael Persbrandt. Frida Bargo and Matthias Nohrborg of Sweden’s B-Reel produce and New Europe has come on board to handle international sales. The feature is editing now could be ready for summer/autumn. TriArt will release in Sweden.
Read more: Gabriela Pichler’s ‘Amateurs’ wins Goteborg’s Dragon Award
“I worked with a mix of reality and fiction and what people believe about Mikael Persbrandt, who is Sweden’s most famous male actor, and what people think about me as an artist known for doing...
Source: TriArt
‘Untitled Anna Odell project’
Provocative Swedish artist and filmmaker Anna Odell (The Reunion) unveiled footage from her forthcoming as-yet-untitled feature as part of the works in progress presentations at Goteborg’s Nordic Film Market.
The idea for the project has been mostly under wraps, except that it was to star the director with Mikael Persbrandt. Frida Bargo and Matthias Nohrborg of Sweden’s B-Reel produce and New Europe has come on board to handle international sales. The feature is editing now could be ready for summer/autumn. TriArt will release in Sweden.
Read more: Gabriela Pichler’s ‘Amateurs’ wins Goteborg’s Dragon Award
“I worked with a mix of reality and fiction and what people believe about Mikael Persbrandt, who is Sweden’s most famous male actor, and what people think about me as an artist known for doing...
- 2/5/2018
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
17 projects selected for festival showcase.
A strong crop of works in progress projects are set to be presented at Goteborg’s Nordic Film Market, which runs Feb 1-4.
Source: Maipo Film
Queen Of Ice
The selection includes new films from Benedikt Erlingsson (Of Horses and Men), Michael Noer (R), and Anne Sewitsky (Happy Happy).
Presentations of clips by the directors/producers will be made to the industry attendees in Goteborg.
Erlingsson will present his new film Woman At War, an “arthouse action film” about an Icelandic woman on an environmental mission. Noer will discuss his new Danish period drama A Better Life starring Jesper Christensen as an 1850s farmer. Sewitsky will unveil footage of her Sonja Henie biopic Queen Of Ice.
The 17 projects are:
Swoon, dir Mans Marlind and Björn Stein, prod Kristina Aberg (Swe) Bergman, dir Jane Magnusson, prods Mattias Nohrborg, Fredrik Heinig, Cecilia Nessen (Swe) Happy People, dir Samanou Acheche Sahlstrøm, prod Jakob Høgel (Den...
A strong crop of works in progress projects are set to be presented at Goteborg’s Nordic Film Market, which runs Feb 1-4.
Source: Maipo Film
Queen Of Ice
The selection includes new films from Benedikt Erlingsson (Of Horses and Men), Michael Noer (R), and Anne Sewitsky (Happy Happy).
Presentations of clips by the directors/producers will be made to the industry attendees in Goteborg.
Erlingsson will present his new film Woman At War, an “arthouse action film” about an Icelandic woman on an environmental mission. Noer will discuss his new Danish period drama A Better Life starring Jesper Christensen as an 1850s farmer. Sewitsky will unveil footage of her Sonja Henie biopic Queen Of Ice.
The 17 projects are:
Swoon, dir Mans Marlind and Björn Stein, prod Kristina Aberg (Swe) Bergman, dir Jane Magnusson, prods Mattias Nohrborg, Fredrik Heinig, Cecilia Nessen (Swe) Happy People, dir Samanou Acheche Sahlstrøm, prod Jakob Høgel (Den...
- 1/18/2018
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
From triumphant triple axels to heartbreaking falls, there are a number of reasons figure skating is arguably the most emotional sport at the Winter Olympics. Ever since it became a permanent part of the Winter Games in 1924, the sport has created memorable moments that live beyond the rink. Who could forget when 16-year-old Sarah Hughes won the gold medal at the 2002 Olympics, or when Nancy Kerrigan took the ice for the first time after her attack? In honor of the 2018 Winter Olympics, here's a roundup of 10 of the most emotional figure skating moments in Olympic history. 1. 11-year-old Sonja Henie repeatedly stops her performance to ask her coach for advice at the 1924 Games Sonja Henie...
- 1/18/2018
- E! Online
Majority of production loans have gone to female directors.
New projects from Neil Jordan, Neasa Hardiman (both pictured) and John Butler are among those supported by the Irish Film Board in its latest round of funding decisions.
In an apparent nod to recent pledges by the Ifb to commit to gender parity in its funded projects, three of the four production loans in this quarter were given to films with female directors.
Filmmaker Neasa Hardiman, whose television credits include Happy Valley and Tracy Beaker Returns, will make her feature directorial debut with Sea Fever, which has been given a provisional offer of commitment by the Ifb.
The film, centred on a science student who becomes isolated from her superstitious trawler crew as they struggle to overcome a deadly parasite in their water supply, was also written by Hardiman and will be produced by Fantastic Films.
The End of Romance, written and directed by Trish McAdam, based on the...
New projects from Neil Jordan, Neasa Hardiman (both pictured) and John Butler are among those supported by the Irish Film Board in its latest round of funding decisions.
In an apparent nod to recent pledges by the Ifb to commit to gender parity in its funded projects, three of the four production loans in this quarter were given to films with female directors.
Filmmaker Neasa Hardiman, whose television credits include Happy Valley and Tracy Beaker Returns, will make her feature directorial debut with Sea Fever, which has been given a provisional offer of commitment by the Ifb.
The film, centred on a science student who becomes isolated from her superstitious trawler crew as they struggle to overcome a deadly parasite in their water supply, was also written by Hardiman and will be produced by Fantastic Films.
The End of Romance, written and directed by Trish McAdam, based on the...
- 1/31/2017
- ScreenDaily
Queen of Ice
Director: Anne Sewitsky
Writer: Mette M. Bølstad & Andreas Markusson
Norwegian director Anne Sewitsky (who won top World Dramatic Narrative prize in Sundance for 2010’s Happy, Happy) tackles her highest profile project yet with Queen of Ice, a biopic on the famous yet controversial 1930s figure skater Sonja Henie.
Continue reading...
Director: Anne Sewitsky
Writer: Mette M. Bølstad & Andreas Markusson
Norwegian director Anne Sewitsky (who won top World Dramatic Narrative prize in Sundance for 2010’s Happy, Happy) tackles her highest profile project yet with Queen of Ice, a biopic on the famous yet controversial 1930s figure skater Sonja Henie.
Continue reading...
- 1/4/2017
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Exclusive: Maipo Film is now readying the third film in the animated Louis & Nolan franchise, Louis & Nolan: Mission To The Moon.
The film is now in production for release in 2018. Rasmus A Sivertsen again directs from a screenplay by Karsten Fullu. Cornelia Boysen and Synnove Horsdal produce, and the co-producers are Qvisten Animation and The Kari and Kjell Aukrust Foundation. The plot will see the titular hedgehog and magpie try to save the moon from commercialization. Sola Media will again handle sales.
The second film in the puppet animation trilogy, Louis & Nolan: The Big Cheese Race, is competing in the Generation Kplus section here after already becoming a box-office hit at home in Norway.
Maipo is also planning an April shoot for another family film, live action The Ash Lad: In The Hall Of The Mountain King. Horsdal told Screen that the project is based on classic Norwegian mythology and is “an action adventure with humour in it.” The...
The film is now in production for release in 2018. Rasmus A Sivertsen again directs from a screenplay by Karsten Fullu. Cornelia Boysen and Synnove Horsdal produce, and the co-producers are Qvisten Animation and The Kari and Kjell Aukrust Foundation. The plot will see the titular hedgehog and magpie try to save the moon from commercialization. Sola Media will again handle sales.
The second film in the puppet animation trilogy, Louis & Nolan: The Big Cheese Race, is competing in the Generation Kplus section here after already becoming a box-office hit at home in Norway.
Maipo is also planning an April shoot for another family film, live action The Ash Lad: In The Hall Of The Mountain King. Horsdal told Screen that the project is based on classic Norwegian mythology and is “an action adventure with humour in it.” The...
- 2/16/2016
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Anne Sewitsky’s anticipated Sonja Henie project, Queen Of Ice, is edging closer to an August 2016 shoot after confirming Norwegian Film Institute funding of €1.6m last week.
Henie was a Norwegian figure skating champion who became a famed Hollywood actress, signed to a contract with Fox by Darryl Zanuck.
Further financing is ongoing for the €8.4m Maipo Film production, which is produced by Synnove Horsdal. Horsdal tells Screen the project is likely being set up as a co-production between Norway, Germany and Spain. The team will apply for Eurimages funding in early 2016
A location in Spain will stand in for Henie’s house in Beverly Hills, although some shooting will also be done in the Us. The production will also shoot briefly in Rio, where Henie moved when she left Hollywood.
Ine Wilmann will play Henie and further casting is underway now, in particular for the roles of Henie’s brother Leif and her last husband.
As Horsdal...
Henie was a Norwegian figure skating champion who became a famed Hollywood actress, signed to a contract with Fox by Darryl Zanuck.
Further financing is ongoing for the €8.4m Maipo Film production, which is produced by Synnove Horsdal. Horsdal tells Screen the project is likely being set up as a co-production between Norway, Germany and Spain. The team will apply for Eurimages funding in early 2016
A location in Spain will stand in for Henie’s house in Beverly Hills, although some shooting will also be done in the Us. The production will also shoot briefly in Rio, where Henie moved when she left Hollywood.
Ine Wilmann will play Henie and further casting is underway now, in particular for the roles of Henie’s brother Leif and her last husband.
As Horsdal...
- 11/18/2015
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Hedy Lamarr: 'Invention' and inventor on Turner Classic Movies (photo: Hedy Lamarr publicity shot ca. early '40s) Two Hedy Lamarr movies released during her heyday in the early '40s — Victor Fleming's Tortilla Flat (1942), co-starring Spencer Tracy and John Garfield, and King Vidor's H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941), co-starring Robert Young and Ruth Hussey — will be broadcast on Turner Classic Movies on Wednesday, November 12, 2014, at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Pt, respectively. Best known as a glamorous Hollywood star (Ziegfeld Girl, White Cargo, Samson and Delilah), the Viennese-born Lamarr (née Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler), who would have turned 100 on November 9, was also an inventor: she co-developed and patented with composer George Antheil the concept of frequency hopping, currently known as spread-spectrum communications (or "spread-spectrum broadcasting"), which ultimately led to the evolution of wireless technology. (More on the George Antheil and Hedy Lamarr invention further below.) Somewhat ironically,...
- 11/2/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Shirley Temple, and Oscar movies: Library of Congress’ March 2014 screenings (photo: Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote in ‘Capote’) Tributes to the recently deceased Shirley Temple and Philip Seymour Hoffman, and several Academy Award-nominated and -winning films are among the March 2014 screenings at the Library of Congress’ Packard Campus Theater and, in collaboration with the Library’s National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, The State Theatre, both located in Culpeper, Virginia. The 1934 sentimental comedy-drama Little Miss Marker (March 6, Packard) is the movie that turned six-year-old Shirley Temple into a major film star. Temple would become the biggest domestic box-office draw of the mid-1930s, and, Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, Sonja Henie, Don Ameche, Loretta Young, and Madeleine Carroll notwithstanding, would remain 20th Century Fox’s top star until later in the decade. Directed by Alexander Hall (Here Comes Mr. Jordan, My Sister Eileen), Little Miss Marker — actually, a Paramount...
- 2/21/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
It's that time of year again -- or what used to be that time of year. NewFest is here (September 6-11). Yes, the celebration of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and what-have-you cinema is back for its 25th anniversary. The main venue will be the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater, considered by some to be the best cinema in Manhattan, one that boasts a truly superior sound system.
(Anyone who ever attended NewFest when it was held at the New School with its second-rate visuals and third-rate resonance will rejoice.)
In the past, this deliciously raucous event has screened a mixed bag of semi-brilliant to much-less-so offerings, many you'll never ever get to see anywhere else on a "big" screen whether you reside in the Big Apple or in Idaho. On the plus side, watching a woefully dreadful movie with a roomful of knowing Glbtq cinephiles is often a hoot.
(Anyone who ever attended NewFest when it was held at the New School with its second-rate visuals and third-rate resonance will rejoice.)
In the past, this deliciously raucous event has screened a mixed bag of semi-brilliant to much-less-so offerings, many you'll never ever get to see anywhere else on a "big" screen whether you reside in the Big Apple or in Idaho. On the plus side, watching a woefully dreadful movie with a roomful of knowing Glbtq cinephiles is often a hoot.
- 8/26/2013
- by Brandon Judell
- www.culturecatch.com
Esther Williams: Swimwear-garbed star of MGM Technicolor musicals dead at 91 Esther Williams, known for her swimming skills and ability to smile and keep her makeup and coiffure intact underwater in several MGM Technicolor aqua-musicals of the ’40s and ’50s, died in her sleep earlier today at her Beverly Hills home. Williams, who in recent decades launched a successful swimwear line, was 91. (Photo: Esther Williams publicity shot ca. 1945.) Born on August 8, 1921, in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood, Esther Williams began honing her swimming skills at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Following several victories in swimming competitions, she looked forward to taking part in the 1940 Olympics. World War II, however, interfered. In the early ’40s, she was reportedly discovered by an MGM scout while appearing as a "bathing beauty" at the World’s Fair in San Francisco. The swimming champion would write in her 1999 autobiography The Million Dollar Mermaid that...
- 6/6/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Esther Williams, the professional swimmer who parlayed her skills in the pool into a successful career in films, has died. She was 91. On screen, Williams helped popularize the so-called "aquamusicals," which paired musical numbers with synchronized swimming. Throughout the 1950s, she was a witty, vivacious and chlorinated presence who was never too far from the diving board in films with titles that positively dripped, like "Million Dollar Mermaid" and "Dangerous When Wet." She became a top box-office draw and was seen by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as its answer to Sonja Henie, the Olympic...
- 6/6/2013
- by Brent Lang & Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Los Angeles — Esther Williams, the swimming champion turned actress who starred in glittering and aquatic Technicolor musicals of the 1940s and 1950s, has died. She was 91.
Williams died early Thursday in her sleep, according to her longtime publicist Harlan Boll.
Following in the footsteps of Sonja Henie, who went from skating champion to movie star, Williams became one of Hollywood's biggest moneymakers, appearing in spectacular swimsuit numbers that capitalized on her wholesome beauty and perfect figure.
Such films as "Easy to Wed," `'Neptune's Daughter" and "Dangerous When Wet" followed the same formula: romance, music, a bit of comedy and a flimsy plot that provided excuses to get Esther into the water.
The extravaganzas dazzled a second generation via television and the compilation films "That's Entertainment." Williams' co-stars included the pick of the MGM contract list, including Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Red Skelton, Ricardo Montalban and Howard Keel.
When hard...
Williams died early Thursday in her sleep, according to her longtime publicist Harlan Boll.
Following in the footsteps of Sonja Henie, who went from skating champion to movie star, Williams became one of Hollywood's biggest moneymakers, appearing in spectacular swimsuit numbers that capitalized on her wholesome beauty and perfect figure.
Such films as "Easy to Wed," `'Neptune's Daughter" and "Dangerous When Wet" followed the same formula: romance, music, a bit of comedy and a flimsy plot that provided excuses to get Esther into the water.
The extravaganzas dazzled a second generation via television and the compilation films "That's Entertainment." Williams' co-stars included the pick of the MGM contract list, including Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Red Skelton, Ricardo Montalban and Howard Keel.
When hard...
- 6/6/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles, Calif. - Esther Williams, the swimming champion turned actress who starred in glittering and aquatic Technicolor musicals of the 1940s and 1950s, has died. She was 91.
Williams died early Thursday in her sleep, according to her longtime publicist Harlan Boll.
Following in the footsteps of Sonja Henie, who went from skating champion to movie star, Williams became one of Hollywood's biggest moneymakers, appearing in spectacular swimsuit numbers that capitalized on her wholesome beauty and perfect figure.
Such films as "Easy to Wed," ''Neptune's Daughter" and "Dangerous When Wet" followed the same formula: romance, music, a bit of comedy and a flimsy plot that provided excuses to get Esther into the water.
The extravaganzas dazzled a second generation via television and the compilation films "That's Entertainment." Williams' co-stars included the pick of the MGM contract list, including Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Red Skelton, Ricardo Montalban and Howard Keel.
Williams died early Thursday in her sleep, according to her longtime publicist Harlan Boll.
Following in the footsteps of Sonja Henie, who went from skating champion to movie star, Williams became one of Hollywood's biggest moneymakers, appearing in spectacular swimsuit numbers that capitalized on her wholesome beauty and perfect figure.
Such films as "Easy to Wed," ''Neptune's Daughter" and "Dangerous When Wet" followed the same formula: romance, music, a bit of comedy and a flimsy plot that provided excuses to get Esther into the water.
The extravaganzas dazzled a second generation via television and the compilation films "That's Entertainment." Williams' co-stars included the pick of the MGM contract list, including Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Red Skelton, Ricardo Montalban and Howard Keel.
- 6/6/2013
- by CP
- Huffington Post
Los Angeles (AP) — Esther Williams, the swimming champion turned actress who starred in glittering and aquatic Technicolor musicals of the 1940s and 1950s, has died. She was 91. Williams died early Thursday in her sleep, according to her longtime publicist Harlan Boll. Following in the footsteps of Sonja Henie, who went from skating champion to movie star, Williams became one of Hollywood's biggest moneymakers, appearing in spectacular swimsuit numbers that capitalized on her wholesome beauty and perfect figure. Such films as "Easy to Wed," ''Neptune's Daughter" and "Dangerous When Wet" followed the same formula: romance, music, a...
- 6/6/2013
- by Bob Thomas (AP Staff)
- Hitfix
Esther Williams, the swimming champion turned actress who starred in glittering and aquatic Technicolor musicals of the 1940s and 1950s, has died. She was 91.
Williams died early Thursday in her sleep, according to her longtime publicist Harlan Boll.
Following in the footsteps of Sonja Henie, who went from skating champion to movie star, Williams became one of Hollywood’s biggest moneymakers, appearing in spectacular swimsuit numbers that capitalized on her wholesome beauty and perfect figure.
Such films as Easy to Wed, Neptune’s Daughter, and Dangerous When Wet followed the same formula: romance, music, a bit of comedy and a flimsy plot that provided excuses to get Esther into the water.
The extravaganzas dazzled a second generation via television and the compilation films That’s Entertainment. Williams’ co-stars included the pick of the MGM contract list, including Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Red Skelton, Ricardo Montalban and Howard Keel.
When hard times signaled the end of big studios and costly musicals in the mid-’50s, Williams tried non-swimming roles with little success. After her 1962 marriage to Fernando Lamas, her co-star in Dangerous When Wet, she retired from public life.
Williams died early Thursday in her sleep, according to her longtime publicist Harlan Boll.
Following in the footsteps of Sonja Henie, who went from skating champion to movie star, Williams became one of Hollywood’s biggest moneymakers, appearing in spectacular swimsuit numbers that capitalized on her wholesome beauty and perfect figure.
Such films as Easy to Wed, Neptune’s Daughter, and Dangerous When Wet followed the same formula: romance, music, a bit of comedy and a flimsy plot that provided excuses to get Esther into the water.
The extravaganzas dazzled a second generation via television and the compilation films That’s Entertainment. Williams’ co-stars included the pick of the MGM contract list, including Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Red Skelton, Ricardo Montalban and Howard Keel.
When hard times signaled the end of big studios and costly musicals in the mid-’50s, Williams tried non-swimming roles with little success. After her 1962 marriage to Fernando Lamas, her co-star in Dangerous When Wet, she retired from public life.
- 6/6/2013
- by Associated Press
- EW - Inside Movies
Photos of two of the monsters in Pacific Rim, a shirtless Liam Hemsworth in Paranoia, the cast of The Grandmaster, Reese Witherspoon in Devil's Knot, the cast of This Is The End, and heaps of new photos from The Wolverine.
Posters for Kick-Ass 2, Hercules 3D, The Conjuring, Mystery Road, The World's End, Maniac, The Lone Ranger, Pacific Rim, Zulu, Girl Most Likely, Getaway, Blue Jasmine, Aint Them Bodies Saints, character art for Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, a motion poster for Carrie, and character posters for Turbo.
"The first trailer for the 'Insidious' sequel is slated to premiere online on Tuesday June 4th…" (full details)
"Joe Cornish is said to be one of several contenders to take the helm of a third 'Star Trek' film…" (full details)
"K Rocco Shields has been hired to direct 'Rites of Passage' for Iconic Productions. The rom-com follows a...
Posters for Kick-Ass 2, Hercules 3D, The Conjuring, Mystery Road, The World's End, Maniac, The Lone Ranger, Pacific Rim, Zulu, Girl Most Likely, Getaway, Blue Jasmine, Aint Them Bodies Saints, character art for Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, a motion poster for Carrie, and character posters for Turbo.
"The first trailer for the 'Insidious' sequel is slated to premiere online on Tuesday June 4th…" (full details)
"Joe Cornish is said to be one of several contenders to take the helm of a third 'Star Trek' film…" (full details)
"K Rocco Shields has been hired to direct 'Rites of Passage' for Iconic Productions. The rom-com follows a...
- 5/28/2013
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Sex, Lies, & Biopic: Soderbergh Bids Adieu With Sincere, Compelling Flair
In what will reportedly be director Steven Soderbergh’s last directorial effort in the film realm, Behind the Candelabra stands as a superb high note. Premiering at Cannes in the Main Competition, the HBO Films production was actually made for the affluent cable channel, where it will see its worldwide release shortly after. While tongues will initially ponder its position in the illustrious auteur’s impressive filmography, Soderbergh’s swan song (we’ll have to wait and see if it indeed remains so) will come to be remembered as something so much more than just that in the annals of cinema. An intriguing and recuperative tell-all about one of the world’s most famous entertainers and his not very well concealed sexuality, this lavishly and wonderfully mounted film is of a higher caliber than a majority of mainstream American theatrical releases,...
In what will reportedly be director Steven Soderbergh’s last directorial effort in the film realm, Behind the Candelabra stands as a superb high note. Premiering at Cannes in the Main Competition, the HBO Films production was actually made for the affluent cable channel, where it will see its worldwide release shortly after. While tongues will initially ponder its position in the illustrious auteur’s impressive filmography, Soderbergh’s swan song (we’ll have to wait and see if it indeed remains so) will come to be remembered as something so much more than just that in the annals of cinema. An intriguing and recuperative tell-all about one of the world’s most famous entertainers and his not very well concealed sexuality, this lavishly and wonderfully mounted film is of a higher caliber than a majority of mainstream American theatrical releases,...
- 5/22/2013
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Behind the Candelabra, Steven Soderbergh’s backstage drama about Liberace, the fur-and-sequin-clad, ivory-tickling kitsch maestro of “wonderful” entertainment, and his relationship with Scott Thorson, the dewy hunk who became his romantic partner in the late 1970s, is a movie that I’ve been eager to see for many months. Nevertheless, when it was announced that the film wouldn’t just be playing at Cannes, but that it would be part of the hallowed roster of films shown in competition here, it raised my eyebrows.
Unless I’m mistaken, this is the first time that a movie set to premiere on American television — in this case,...
Unless I’m mistaken, this is the first time that a movie set to premiere on American television — in this case,...
- 5/21/2013
- by Owen Gleiberman
- EW - Inside Movies
We know what you’re thinking: how could anyone conclusively pick the top 25 hottest Olympians of all time? There have been literally thousands of athletes spanning well over a century! We completely agree, but with all the love we’ve been giving the men and women of the 2012 Games via our Top 50 Hottest Olympians Blazing London This Summer, we wanted to give a shout out to those who came before them in the Olympics‘ long, proud history of talented babes. From Muhammad Ali to Pete Sampras, Sonja Henie to Kristi Yamaguchi, it turns out being incredibly fit and profoundly talented never goes out of style. Their clothes and haircuts, however…look, few people could pull off what Flo Jo pulled off, okay? It was the late ’80s to early ’90s. Things were different back them. So enjoy ogling our 25 Hottest Olympians of All Time, and holler at us if we forgot your favorite Olympic babe.
- 8/3/2012
- by Halle Kiefer
- TheFabLife - Movies
"Special From Next Avenue"
By Leah Rozen
Hollywood has long carried an Olympic torch for the Games and their charismatic champions
Before he wore a loincloth as Tarzan and yodeled while swinging across movie screens on a vine, Johnny Weissmuller was an Olympic swimming champ.
The strapping Weissmuller -- 6-foot-5, 190 pounds -- power-splashed his way to five gold medals in the 1924 and ‘28 Olympic Games. Recognizing a marketable hunk when it saw one, Hollywood snapped him up.
"It was like stealing," Weissmuller (1904-1984) once said of his Tarzan career, which included a dozen films between 1932 and ‘48. "There was swimming in it, and I didn't have much to say. How can a guy climb trees, say ‘Me Tarzan, you Jane,’ and make a million?"
I was a sucker for Weismuller’s Tarzan films -- as a kid, I used to watch the scratchy prints that repeatedly aired on Saturday afternoon TV.
In fact,...
By Leah Rozen
Hollywood has long carried an Olympic torch for the Games and their charismatic champions
Before he wore a loincloth as Tarzan and yodeled while swinging across movie screens on a vine, Johnny Weissmuller was an Olympic swimming champ.
The strapping Weissmuller -- 6-foot-5, 190 pounds -- power-splashed his way to five gold medals in the 1924 and ‘28 Olympic Games. Recognizing a marketable hunk when it saw one, Hollywood snapped him up.
"It was like stealing," Weissmuller (1904-1984) once said of his Tarzan career, which included a dozen films between 1932 and ‘48. "There was swimming in it, and I didn't have much to say. How can a guy climb trees, say ‘Me Tarzan, you Jane,’ and make a million?"
I was a sucker for Weismuller’s Tarzan films -- as a kid, I used to watch the scratchy prints that repeatedly aired on Saturday afternoon TV.
In fact,...
- 7/29/2012
- by Kristen Stenerson
- Huffington Post
As Divas no Brasil / Divas in Brazil In As Divas no Brasil / Divas in Brazil, Brazilian author Evânio Alves narrates numerous little-known stories — some tragic, some humorous, some downright bizarre — about international film, music, stage, and even opera and ballet (female) stars during their visit to the South American nation. According to Alves, the reasons for the divas' visits to Brazil have been varied. For instance, Madonna's reasons for dropping by have been professional (record-breaking shows a few years ago), personal (she was dating Brazilian model Jesus Luz), and socially conscious (as a representative of the Ngo "Success for Kids"). Eleonora Duse and Vivien Leigh performed The Lady of the Camellias on the Rio de Janeiro stage; the former in the mid-1880s, the latter in the early 1960s. Margot Fonteyn danced at Rio's Teatro Municipal, while Marlene Dietrich performed a cabaret act that, as attested by images found in Divas in Brazil,...
- 3/30/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
A few years ago the Austin Film Society showed the 1941 film Sun Valley Serenade as part of an anniversary series. Usually the programming director introduces the films, but this time it was one of the founders of Afs, Richard Linklater. This was a side of Mr. Linklater that I had not previously seen: the film buff who wants to tell you some interesting things about an obscure romantic comedy that isn't available on DVD. For the most part, this is a goofy featherweight movie about a big band that decides to adopt a little WWII orphan for publicity purposes ... who turns out to be Sonja Henie. They all end up in the Sun Valley resort in Idaho and hilarity ensues. The Glenn Miller Orchestra is the big band in question, which adds a bit of swing to the proceedings.
But Linklater told us that the most fascinating part of the...
But Linklater told us that the most fascinating part of the...
- 1/13/2010
- by Jette Kernion
- Cinematical
Tyrone Power, wife Deborah Ann Minardos on the set of Solomon and Sheba. Power suffered a fatal heart attack during filming. Tyrone Power VI: Lana Turner, Sonja Henie, Janet Gaynor Why do you think that Tyrone Power isn’t as well-remembered today as, say, Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, John Wayne, Gregory Peck, and several other top stars of the studio era? I love this question because it’s such bunk. That’s nothing against you — I understand why it was asked, but it’s not true. If you go out on the street and ask any twenty-something about any of these people, they’ll tell you they don’t know who any of them are. I have a friend who is a voice teacher who just [...]...
- 12/6/2009
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Annabella, Tyrone Power, Annabella’s daughter Anne, whom Power adopted Tyrone Power V: Sexual Orientation Rumors Janet Gaynor, Sonja Henie, Norma Shearer, Lana Turner — were those romances for real, or were they (or some of them) just publicity stunts? What were his marriages to actresses Annabella and Linda Christian (right) like? Tyrone Power told Sonja Henie, when he wrote to her while she was out of town, that the studio asked him to escort Janet Gaynor around; whether he was telling her the truth or not, I don’t know, because Sonja had her hooks into him big time. They had sex all the time in her dressing room, and as one of the scriptwriters on Thin Ice said, when they would [...]...
- 12/6/2009
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
DVD Playhouse—May 2009
Paramount Centennial Collection Paramount Studios releases two more classic titles from its library on special edition DVD: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is John Ford’s last masterpiece (although he would go on to direct two more very good films) from 1962: about an Eastern lawyer (James Stewart) who travels west only to find primal brutality in the form of sadistic bandit Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin, great as always) and pragmatic brutality in local rancher Tom Doniphon (John Wayne), each two sides of a coin that represent a way of life slowly dying out as Stewart’s modern brand of civilization tames the West. A perfect film, period. Howard Hawks’ El Dorado is essentially a remake of his earlier classic Rio Bravo, with John Wayne, Robert Mitchum and a young James Caan as lawmen joining forces against corrupt cattle barons. Great fun. Two disc sets.
Paramount Centennial Collection Paramount Studios releases two more classic titles from its library on special edition DVD: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is John Ford’s last masterpiece (although he would go on to direct two more very good films) from 1962: about an Eastern lawyer (James Stewart) who travels west only to find primal brutality in the form of sadistic bandit Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin, great as always) and pragmatic brutality in local rancher Tom Doniphon (John Wayne), each two sides of a coin that represent a way of life slowly dying out as Stewart’s modern brand of civilization tames the West. A perfect film, period. Howard Hawks’ El Dorado is essentially a remake of his earlier classic Rio Bravo, with John Wayne, Robert Mitchum and a young James Caan as lawmen joining forces against corrupt cattle barons. Great fun. Two disc sets.
- 5/12/2009
- by Allen Gardner
- The Hollywood Interview
Click for more Beijing Olympics news
Sure, Michael Phelps has racked up more medals than any other Olympian in history, but turning his gold into Madison Avenue or Hollywood cash will be far trickier.
The advertising world has long had an ambivalent relationship with Olympic athletes; though coverage is saturated during the Games, interest in the quadrennial competition fades once its torch is extinguished.
And Hollywood, once a natural next stop for successful Olympic athletes, has become a remote detour.
So despite endless exposure, athletic dominance and a boy-next-door likability, one of the best athletes the U.S. has ever produced might be a ho-hum story when he climbs out of the pool.
"If anyone can transcend the limited shelf life of Olympians, it's Phelps," said Bob Dorfman, a vp at San Francisco-based shop Baker Street Partners, which compiles an annual list of sports-star endorsements. "But there are still a lot of problems."
After the 2004 Athens Olympics, Disney signed Phelps -- then coming off a performance that saw him win six gold medals -- to a multicity swimming tour. He also became a celebrity spokesman for Hong Kong electronics maker Matsunichi, inking a four-year deal worth about $4 million.
The dreams are bigger this year for Phelps and Peter Carlisle, his rep at sports agency Octagon, which handles many Olympic athletes. (Phelps has no Hollywood agent, though it's possible that a sports-minded shop could soon be making overtures.) Phelps' habit of breaking world records and the attention on the Games makes him an attractive candidate; Visa already has created new spots around his Olympic performance, and he has deals in place with PowerBar and Speedo.
But the fact that the Summer Olympics take place every four years has proved a huge obstacle. And, apart from frequency issues, the Games may run into a more fundamental problem with consumers. "It's always been an impediment to these folks going on because the glory is (supposed to be) enough," marketing consultant Robert Passikoff said. "Isn't that the Olympic tradition?"
Even for Olympians, gold medals don't always translate directly into marketing dollars. Two of the most marketable U.S. Olympic athletes in modern times, gymnast Mary Lou Retton and decathlete Bruce Jenner, won a comparatively small number of golds -- just two and one, respectively. By contrast, a nine-time gold medalist, swimmer Mark Spitz, and a five-time champion, speedskater Bonnie Blair, have had far fewer endorsements.
In Beijing, Phelps is proving that he has not only unparalleled swimming chops but broad commercial appeal.
When he lined up to compete for his fourth gold, in the 200-meter butterfly, just after 10 p.m. Et on Tuesday night, NBC saw ratings spike 23% to 39.1 million viewers for the half-hour. As one wag put it, if every one of those extra 8 million who tuned in went to see a movie he was in, Phelps would have a boxoffice hit (at the right budget).
But like Madison Avenue, the Hollywood reality is hardly that simple.
In a pre-endorsement age, Hollywood would scour the Olympics for athletes and slot them into movies, as they did with Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie and U.S. swimmers Buster Crabbe and Johnny Weissmuller.
"Once upon a time studios would find these beautiful creatures and put them in movies," Hollywood publicity guru Tony Angellotti said. "And if someone isn't that facile with the English language, like Weissmuller, well, you just make him Tarzan."
In the modern age, the path is far more checkered for athletes looking to cross over. Retton has done a host of walk-on parts as herself in movies or shows such as "The Naked Gun" and "Baywatch," but attempts at larger casting have been tricky -- just ask anyone who saw Jenner in "Can't Stop the Music" or the near-Olympian Kurt Thomas in "Gymkata."
While studios seek what they call "pre-awareness," that idea has them putting in a rap star in supporting roles, not athletes.
Hollywood still could be key if Phelps is to overcome the fragile celebrity of most Olympians. Branding experts say that placing him in reality shows -- either his own, like skateboarder Ryan Sheckler on MTV, or in venues like "Dancing With the Stars" -- is essential. "The key is to create content that keeps him out there," Dorfman said.
But even that might not be enough, either to drive ratings or goose endorsements.
"The challenge for Olympic athletes has always been to be able, after the post-game hype, to translate that into big marketing and endorsement deal dollars," Starcom's Tom Weeks said.
And Phelps could fade even within the Olympics, which still has another week left after the athlete kicks through his last breaststroke Saturday. "There's no question that Michael is an important driver of interest in the Olympics," NBC research chief Alan Wurtzel said. "But the Olympics turn out to be more than Michael Phelps."...
Sure, Michael Phelps has racked up more medals than any other Olympian in history, but turning his gold into Madison Avenue or Hollywood cash will be far trickier.
The advertising world has long had an ambivalent relationship with Olympic athletes; though coverage is saturated during the Games, interest in the quadrennial competition fades once its torch is extinguished.
And Hollywood, once a natural next stop for successful Olympic athletes, has become a remote detour.
So despite endless exposure, athletic dominance and a boy-next-door likability, one of the best athletes the U.S. has ever produced might be a ho-hum story when he climbs out of the pool.
"If anyone can transcend the limited shelf life of Olympians, it's Phelps," said Bob Dorfman, a vp at San Francisco-based shop Baker Street Partners, which compiles an annual list of sports-star endorsements. "But there are still a lot of problems."
After the 2004 Athens Olympics, Disney signed Phelps -- then coming off a performance that saw him win six gold medals -- to a multicity swimming tour. He also became a celebrity spokesman for Hong Kong electronics maker Matsunichi, inking a four-year deal worth about $4 million.
The dreams are bigger this year for Phelps and Peter Carlisle, his rep at sports agency Octagon, which handles many Olympic athletes. (Phelps has no Hollywood agent, though it's possible that a sports-minded shop could soon be making overtures.) Phelps' habit of breaking world records and the attention on the Games makes him an attractive candidate; Visa already has created new spots around his Olympic performance, and he has deals in place with PowerBar and Speedo.
But the fact that the Summer Olympics take place every four years has proved a huge obstacle. And, apart from frequency issues, the Games may run into a more fundamental problem with consumers. "It's always been an impediment to these folks going on because the glory is (supposed to be) enough," marketing consultant Robert Passikoff said. "Isn't that the Olympic tradition?"
Even for Olympians, gold medals don't always translate directly into marketing dollars. Two of the most marketable U.S. Olympic athletes in modern times, gymnast Mary Lou Retton and decathlete Bruce Jenner, won a comparatively small number of golds -- just two and one, respectively. By contrast, a nine-time gold medalist, swimmer Mark Spitz, and a five-time champion, speedskater Bonnie Blair, have had far fewer endorsements.
In Beijing, Phelps is proving that he has not only unparalleled swimming chops but broad commercial appeal.
When he lined up to compete for his fourth gold, in the 200-meter butterfly, just after 10 p.m. Et on Tuesday night, NBC saw ratings spike 23% to 39.1 million viewers for the half-hour. As one wag put it, if every one of those extra 8 million who tuned in went to see a movie he was in, Phelps would have a boxoffice hit (at the right budget).
But like Madison Avenue, the Hollywood reality is hardly that simple.
In a pre-endorsement age, Hollywood would scour the Olympics for athletes and slot them into movies, as they did with Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie and U.S. swimmers Buster Crabbe and Johnny Weissmuller.
"Once upon a time studios would find these beautiful creatures and put them in movies," Hollywood publicity guru Tony Angellotti said. "And if someone isn't that facile with the English language, like Weissmuller, well, you just make him Tarzan."
In the modern age, the path is far more checkered for athletes looking to cross over. Retton has done a host of walk-on parts as herself in movies or shows such as "The Naked Gun" and "Baywatch," but attempts at larger casting have been tricky -- just ask anyone who saw Jenner in "Can't Stop the Music" or the near-Olympian Kurt Thomas in "Gymkata."
While studios seek what they call "pre-awareness," that idea has them putting in a rap star in supporting roles, not athletes.
Hollywood still could be key if Phelps is to overcome the fragile celebrity of most Olympians. Branding experts say that placing him in reality shows -- either his own, like skateboarder Ryan Sheckler on MTV, or in venues like "Dancing With the Stars" -- is essential. "The key is to create content that keeps him out there," Dorfman said.
But even that might not be enough, either to drive ratings or goose endorsements.
"The challenge for Olympic athletes has always been to be able, after the post-game hype, to translate that into big marketing and endorsement deal dollars," Starcom's Tom Weeks said.
And Phelps could fade even within the Olympics, which still has another week left after the athlete kicks through his last breaststroke Saturday. "There's no question that Michael is an important driver of interest in the Olympics," NBC research chief Alan Wurtzel said. "But the Olympics turn out to be more than Michael Phelps."...
- 8/15/2008
- by By Steven Zeitchik and Paul J. Gough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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