Beth Peters, an actor and singer who had a recurring role on “General Hospital,” died on March 14 in central Florida after a short illness. She was 92.
In the early 1980s, Peters appeared in eight episodes of the popular ABC soap opera as the character Mrs. Whitaker. In an obituary for Peters provided to Variety by her son, her character description reads, “The motherly Mrs. Whitaker dispensed country wisdom from her farm kitchen in Beecher’s Corners, serving as a surrogate mother to Laura Spencer, played by Genie Francis, as the teenager’s story arc saw her fall in love with Luke Spencer, portrayed by Anthony Geary.”
Peters started her acting and singing career as a teenager in coastal New Jersey. In 1955, she appeared on Broadway for the first time as an extra for the play “Inherit the Wind,” later taking on the role of Mrs. Brady in the last months of the show’s production.
In the early 1980s, Peters appeared in eight episodes of the popular ABC soap opera as the character Mrs. Whitaker. In an obituary for Peters provided to Variety by her son, her character description reads, “The motherly Mrs. Whitaker dispensed country wisdom from her farm kitchen in Beecher’s Corners, serving as a surrogate mother to Laura Spencer, played by Genie Francis, as the teenager’s story arc saw her fall in love with Luke Spencer, portrayed by Anthony Geary.”
Peters started her acting and singing career as a teenager in coastal New Jersey. In 1955, she appeared on Broadway for the first time as an extra for the play “Inherit the Wind,” later taking on the role of Mrs. Brady in the last months of the show’s production.
- 3/18/2024
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
Ava Gardner was one of the great movie stars of the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s, Her smouldering good looks often cast her in the role of seductress. And her three high-profile marriages only reinforced that public perception of the actress.
After a number of bit parts for MGM in the early 1940s, Gardner broke through with a sensational performance in 1946’s “The Killers” which truly launched her film stardom. As her craft evolved over the years, she became an esteemed actress, earning a Best Actress Oscar nomination for 1953’s “Mogambo” and a Golden Globe nom for 1964’s “The Night of the Iguana,” as well as four BAFTA nominations.
So let’s celebrate her life by looking back at and ranking the 12 greatest films of Gardner. Our photo gallery also includes “Showboat,” “The Killers” plus the movies mentioned in this article. Which one do you think is in our #1 overall spot?...
After a number of bit parts for MGM in the early 1940s, Gardner broke through with a sensational performance in 1946’s “The Killers” which truly launched her film stardom. As her craft evolved over the years, she became an esteemed actress, earning a Best Actress Oscar nomination for 1953’s “Mogambo” and a Golden Globe nom for 1964’s “The Night of the Iguana,” as well as four BAFTA nominations.
So let’s celebrate her life by looking back at and ranking the 12 greatest films of Gardner. Our photo gallery also includes “Showboat,” “The Killers” plus the movies mentioned in this article. Which one do you think is in our #1 overall spot?...
- 12/15/2023
- by Tom O'Brien, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Villa Collina, a Mediterranean Revival masterpiece nestled in the hills of Los Feliz in the shadow of Griffith Observatory, has a historic Hollywood pedigree stretching back almost a century. Designed by architect Henry Harwood Hewitt in 1927, the four-bedroom, four-bath estate was built for Olympian Clement E. Smoot, who was part of the 1904 gold medal-winning golfing team. A later resident was Artur Rodzinski, famed Polish conductor of the LA Philharmonic.
But Villa Collina became famous as the home of legendary English director James Whale in the 1930s. Whale reportedly lived at the Villa with his longtime partner David Lewis, despite rampant homophobia in Hollywood. According to Behind the Screen: How Gays and Lesbians Shaped Hollywood, when agent Phil Berg asked Whale if he “had” to live with Lewis, Whale replied: “I don’t have to. I want to.”
One of the most prolific directors of the decade, Whale — portrayed by Ian McKellen...
But Villa Collina became famous as the home of legendary English director James Whale in the 1930s. Whale reportedly lived at the Villa with his longtime partner David Lewis, despite rampant homophobia in Hollywood. According to Behind the Screen: How Gays and Lesbians Shaped Hollywood, when agent Phil Berg asked Whale if he “had” to live with Lewis, Whale replied: “I don’t have to. I want to.”
One of the most prolific directors of the decade, Whale — portrayed by Ian McKellen...
- 11/15/2023
- by Hadley Meares
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Donald Bogle, who teaches at the University of Pennsylvania and New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, is one of the pioneering film scholars on the subject of Black representation onscreen. For 50 years his work has explored how the images we see reflect and reinforce narratives in the culture at large, and he has given a spotlight to Black images onscreen since the time when few others in academia or film criticism were willing to do so.
IndieWire is honored to present this excerpt from his latest book for Running Press and in partnership with Turner Classic Movies, “Lena Horne: Goddess Reclaimed,” about a trailblazer whose fraught relationship with Hollywood typified the industry’s relationship to Blackness for decades. After Horne’s one star turn in 1943’s “Cabin in the Sky,” MGM relegated her to small walk-on parts in musicals, appearing in just one scene at a time,...
IndieWire is honored to present this excerpt from his latest book for Running Press and in partnership with Turner Classic Movies, “Lena Horne: Goddess Reclaimed,” about a trailblazer whose fraught relationship with Hollywood typified the industry’s relationship to Blackness for decades. After Horne’s one star turn in 1943’s “Cabin in the Sky,” MGM relegated her to small walk-on parts in musicals, appearing in just one scene at a time,...
- 10/27/2023
- by Donald Bogle
- Indiewire
Watch any classic movies, and there’s a good chance you’ll see someone who got famous down the line. A future pop star appeared as a dancer in Elvis Presley’s Viva Las Vegas. That was far from the end of her career on the big screen.
‘Mickey’ singer Toni Basil danced to a Ray Charles song in Elvis Presley’s ‘Viva Las Vegas’
Toni Basil is a dancer and choreographer who’s most known for her No. 1 single “Mickey.” In a 2014 Facebook post, she discussed her experiences on the set of Viva Las Vegas. “Over the months of rehearsing with Anne-Margret and Elvis Presley, [choreographer] David Winters and I became close friends with them,” she recalled.
“David the choreographer and I worked on many musical numbers for this film,” Basil added. “Here’s ‘What’d I Say’ where I got to be the girl with the red dress on.
‘Mickey’ singer Toni Basil danced to a Ray Charles song in Elvis Presley’s ‘Viva Las Vegas’
Toni Basil is a dancer and choreographer who’s most known for her No. 1 single “Mickey.” In a 2014 Facebook post, she discussed her experiences on the set of Viva Las Vegas. “Over the months of rehearsing with Anne-Margret and Elvis Presley, [choreographer] David Winters and I became close friends with them,” she recalled.
“David the choreographer and I worked on many musical numbers for this film,” Basil added. “Here’s ‘What’d I Say’ where I got to be the girl with the red dress on.
- 9/17/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Broadway actor Chris Peluso, known for his work in productions such as Mamma Mia and Wicked, died Wednesday, August 15, his family confirmed to Playbill. He was 40.
A cause of death has not been revealed. His sudden passing came a year after he announced he would be stepping away from acting to seek treatment for a schizoaffective disorder, Playbill reported.
An alum of the University of Michigan Theatre Department, Peluso became known as a respected understudy on Broadway, first covering The Balladeer in the 2004 Tony-winning revival of Assassins, as Louis and Nicolas in Elton John’s Lestat , and all three leading male roles in Beautiful The Carole King Musical.
He played Sky in the 2008 Broadway production of Mamma Mia. He also starred and covered the role of Fiyero in the touring company of Wicked, and he starred in Off Broadway’s The Glorious Ones.
In London’s West End, he appeared...
A cause of death has not been revealed. His sudden passing came a year after he announced he would be stepping away from acting to seek treatment for a schizoaffective disorder, Playbill reported.
An alum of the University of Michigan Theatre Department, Peluso became known as a respected understudy on Broadway, first covering The Balladeer in the 2004 Tony-winning revival of Assassins, as Louis and Nicolas in Elton John’s Lestat , and all three leading male roles in Beautiful The Carole King Musical.
He played Sky in the 2008 Broadway production of Mamma Mia. He also starred and covered the role of Fiyero in the touring company of Wicked, and he starred in Off Broadway’s The Glorious Ones.
In London’s West End, he appeared...
- 8/18/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Elvis Presley‘s Viva Las Vegas is one of his most famous films. Despite this, it didn’t have a proper soundtrack until the 2010s. The director of Viva Las Vegas explained why Colonel Tom Parker prevented this from happening.
Elvis Presley’s movie ‘Viva Las Vegas’ was designed to rejuvenate his career
George Sidney was an Old Hollywood director known for films such as Annie Get Your Gun, Show Boat, and Bye Bye Birdie. During an interview with the Directors Guild of America, he discussed his opinions on filmmaking. “You can’t teach directing,” he said. “There are no rules in making pictures. It’s just your particular instinctual feeling for what it is.”
Sidney was asked to helm the 1964 film Viva Las Vegas, which was supposed to give the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll‘s career more life. Notably, The Beatles had taken some of the spotlight away from Elvis at that point.
Elvis Presley’s movie ‘Viva Las Vegas’ was designed to rejuvenate his career
George Sidney was an Old Hollywood director known for films such as Annie Get Your Gun, Show Boat, and Bye Bye Birdie. During an interview with the Directors Guild of America, he discussed his opinions on filmmaking. “You can’t teach directing,” he said. “There are no rules in making pictures. It’s just your particular instinctual feeling for what it is.”
Sidney was asked to helm the 1964 film Viva Las Vegas, which was supposed to give the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll‘s career more life. Notably, The Beatles had taken some of the spotlight away from Elvis at that point.
- 8/6/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Out of all the winners (and also-rans) in the 26 competitive categories at the 2023 Tony Awards, 34 results stand out as particularly noteworthy when considered in the context of history. So what were this year’s most interesting facts, records, and milestones? Check out the complete list of winners here.
1. The productions that received multiple Tony nominations, but went home empty-handed were “& Juliet,” “Ain’t No Mo’,” “Between Riverside and Crazy” “Camelot,” “A Christmas Carol,” “Cost of Living,” “Death of a Salesman,” “A Doll’s House,” “Fat Ham,” “Into the Woods,” “Kpop,” and “The Piano Lesson.”
2. This year marked the first time a Broadway production of “Into the Woods” didn’t win a single Tony. The original won three awards in 1987 for Best Lead Actress in a Musical (Joanna Gleason), Best Book of a Musical (James Lapine), and Best Original Score (Stephen Sondheim). The 2002 remounting won two for Best Revival of a Musical...
1. The productions that received multiple Tony nominations, but went home empty-handed were “& Juliet,” “Ain’t No Mo’,” “Between Riverside and Crazy” “Camelot,” “A Christmas Carol,” “Cost of Living,” “Death of a Salesman,” “A Doll’s House,” “Fat Ham,” “Into the Woods,” “Kpop,” and “The Piano Lesson.”
2. This year marked the first time a Broadway production of “Into the Woods” didn’t win a single Tony. The original won three awards in 1987 for Best Lead Actress in a Musical (Joanna Gleason), Best Book of a Musical (James Lapine), and Best Original Score (Stephen Sondheim). The 2002 remounting won two for Best Revival of a Musical...
- 6/12/2023
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
The defamation lawsuit Paradise Square producer Garth Drabinsky filed against Actors’ Equity has been dismissed with prejudice.
In the lawsuit, filed in October 2022 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Drabinsky sued the union, claiming defamation, after it placed him on its “Do Not Work” list following his production of Paradise Square. Actors’ Equity, as well as other unions and workers on the production, have separately sued Drabinsky for what they claim is thousands of dollars in owed payments, wages and health contributions.
The musical Paradise Square ran on Broadway from March 15, 2022 through July 17 of that year.
Upon its closure, Drabinksy was placed on the “Do Not Work List,” which effectively bars him from working on Broadway or other professional productions, after company members spoke out about their experience on the production, alleging that the producer had “had withheld benefits and pay from many company members,...
In the lawsuit, filed in October 2022 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Drabinsky sued the union, claiming defamation, after it placed him on its “Do Not Work” list following his production of Paradise Square. Actors’ Equity, as well as other unions and workers on the production, have separately sued Drabinsky for what they claim is thousands of dollars in owed payments, wages and health contributions.
The musical Paradise Square ran on Broadway from March 15, 2022 through July 17 of that year.
Upon its closure, Drabinksy was placed on the “Do Not Work List,” which effectively bars him from working on Broadway or other professional productions, after company members spoke out about their experience on the production, alleging that the producer had “had withheld benefits and pay from many company members,...
- 4/14/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s time for “Smash” to be your star. Ten years after the cult-favorite musical drama wrapped its two seasons on NBC, a “Smash” musical is headed to Broadway for the 2024–2025 season.
Director Susan Stroman is attached to helm the production with lead producers Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron and Steven Spielberg.
Bringing back much of the series’ original creatives, Marc Shaiman is handling the music; lyrics will be by Shaiman and Scott Wittman; the musical’s book will be written by Rick Elice and Bob Martin; and the show will feature choreography by Joshua Bergasse.
“Smash is near and dear to my heart, and it was always my hope that a musical inspired by the show would eventually come to the stage,” Spielberg, whose original idea led to the NBC series, said in a statement. “We now have an incredible creative team, and I’m looking forward to completing the...
Director Susan Stroman is attached to helm the production with lead producers Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron and Steven Spielberg.
Bringing back much of the series’ original creatives, Marc Shaiman is handling the music; lyrics will be by Shaiman and Scott Wittman; the musical’s book will be written by Rick Elice and Bob Martin; and the show will feature choreography by Joshua Bergasse.
“Smash is near and dear to my heart, and it was always my hope that a musical inspired by the show would eventually come to the stage,” Spielberg, whose original idea led to the NBC series, said in a statement. “We now have an incredible creative team, and I’m looking forward to completing the...
- 3/22/2023
- by Benjamin Lindsay
- The Wrap
Smash is finally heading to Broadway.
In an announcement long awaited by fans of the 2012 NBC series, a stage musical adaptation is planned to arrive on Broadway during the 2024-25 season, with a lead producing team of Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron and Steven Spielberg. A top flight creative team is attached, including director Susan Stroman, composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, book writers Rick Elice and Bob Martin, and the TV series’ choreographer Joshua Bergasse.
Spielberg, whose original idea led to the NBC series, said in a statement, “Smash is near and dear to my heart, and it was always my hope that a musical inspired by the show would eventually come to the stage. We now have an incredible creative team, and I’m looking forward to completing the Smash journey which began with my producing partners over ten years ago.”
In addition to new music, the stage version...
In an announcement long awaited by fans of the 2012 NBC series, a stage musical adaptation is planned to arrive on Broadway during the 2024-25 season, with a lead producing team of Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron and Steven Spielberg. A top flight creative team is attached, including director Susan Stroman, composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, book writers Rick Elice and Bob Martin, and the TV series’ choreographer Joshua Bergasse.
Spielberg, whose original idea led to the NBC series, said in a statement, “Smash is near and dear to my heart, and it was always my hope that a musical inspired by the show would eventually come to the stage. We now have an incredible creative team, and I’m looking forward to completing the Smash journey which began with my producing partners over ten years ago.”
In addition to new music, the stage version...
- 3/22/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
If Jane Austen were alive today, and if for some baffling reason she wrote film criticism instead of brilliant novels, she'd probably say it is a truth universally acknowledged that a film that makes a fortune must be in want of a sequel.
Sure enough, no matter how much the industry changes, the desire to capitalize on a hit film by making another one just like it, rubber-stamped for audience familiarity, must be overwhelming. The history of cinema is littered with sequels and for each one that audiences remember — for better or worse — there's at least one that's almost completely forgotten, even if they're the sequel to a film that won Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
Indeed, there are more forgotten Best Picture sequels than you might expect. George C. Scott reprised his Oscar-winning role as General George S. Patton 16 years later, in the TV movie "The Last Days of Patton.
Sure enough, no matter how much the industry changes, the desire to capitalize on a hit film by making another one just like it, rubber-stamped for audience familiarity, must be overwhelming. The history of cinema is littered with sequels and for each one that audiences remember — for better or worse — there's at least one that's almost completely forgotten, even if they're the sequel to a film that won Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
Indeed, there are more forgotten Best Picture sequels than you might expect. George C. Scott reprised his Oscar-winning role as General George S. Patton 16 years later, in the TV movie "The Last Days of Patton.
- 3/11/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
Robert Donat snagged an Oscar for this sentimental crowdpleaser, a Best Picture nominee in Hollywood’s ‘Golden Year’ of 1939. The genteel chemistry between Donat’s shy schoolteacher and the charming personality Greer Garson broke hearts, and made Ms. Garson one of MGM’s top names for the next decade. It’s one of the studio’s English productions, filmed in the shadow of the coming war. A glowing new digital restoration redeems 70 years of not-so-good TV prints.
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1939 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 115 min. / Street Date January 24, 2023 / Available at Amazon.com/ 21.99
Starring: Robert Donat, Greer Garson, Terry Kilburn, John Mills, Paul Henreid, Judith Furse.
Cinematography: Freddie Young
Art Director: Alfred Junge
Film Editor: Charles Frend
Original Music: Richard Addinsell
Written by R.C. Sherriff, Claudine West, Eric Maschwitz from the novel by James Hilton
Produced by Victor Saville
Directed by Sam Wood
No, it’s not about the terrible Chips Ahoy!
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1939 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 115 min. / Street Date January 24, 2023 / Available at Amazon.com/ 21.99
Starring: Robert Donat, Greer Garson, Terry Kilburn, John Mills, Paul Henreid, Judith Furse.
Cinematography: Freddie Young
Art Director: Alfred Junge
Film Editor: Charles Frend
Original Music: Richard Addinsell
Written by R.C. Sherriff, Claudine West, Eric Maschwitz from the novel by James Hilton
Produced by Victor Saville
Directed by Sam Wood
No, it’s not about the terrible Chips Ahoy!
- 2/11/2023
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Royal fans are remembering Queen Elizabeth II’s musical taste following her death at 96.
Tributes have been pouring in from around the world after Her Majesty passed away in Balmoral on Thursday.
The days after her death have seen well-wishers look at some of the things in life that brought her great joy - and music was among them.
The Queen was a big musical theatre fan and, perhaps surprisingly, she even enjoyed some Gary Barlow.
In 2016, the Queen’s cousin Lady Elizabeth Anson said that the monarch was “a fantastic dancer” with “great rhythm”.
Speaking on BBC Radio documentary Our Queen: 90 Musical Years, she explained: “The Queen loves the theatre and musicals like Showboat, Oklahoma! and Annie Get Your Gun.
“These were the tunes that remained in one’s head and were very danceable to.”
Others told the documentary that her taste was “mainstream”, with “no airs and graces...
Tributes have been pouring in from around the world after Her Majesty passed away in Balmoral on Thursday.
The days after her death have seen well-wishers look at some of the things in life that brought her great joy - and music was among them.
The Queen was a big musical theatre fan and, perhaps surprisingly, she even enjoyed some Gary Barlow.
In 2016, the Queen’s cousin Lady Elizabeth Anson said that the monarch was “a fantastic dancer” with “great rhythm”.
Speaking on BBC Radio documentary Our Queen: 90 Musical Years, she explained: “The Queen loves the theatre and musicals like Showboat, Oklahoma! and Annie Get Your Gun.
“These were the tunes that remained in one’s head and were very danceable to.”
Others told the documentary that her taste was “mainstream”, with “no airs and graces...
- 9/11/2022
- by Isobel Lewis
- The Independent - Music
The Academy Museum’s Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971 is not to be missed. Not only does the exhibition celebrate Black representation in film, it serves as an important reminder and lesson about the contributions of Black filmmakers and stars to the world of cinema.
Opening Aug. 21, seven galleries make up the exhibit exploring Oscar Micheaux’s low-budget dramas in the silent-film era to the works of Melvin Van Peebles.
The exhibition also introduces audiences to stars largely unknown to mainstream moviegoers — Ralph Cooper, Clarence Brooks and Francine Everett — alongside iconic screen legends Paul Robeson, Josephine Baker, Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier and Lena Horne.
Poiter’s Oscar for “Lillies of the Field” is just one of the many artifacts on display in this historic exhibition. Alongside the award are tap shoes worn by the Nicholas Brothers and one of Louis Armstrong’s trumpets.
Cowboy Boots worn by Herb Jeffries in 1937’s...
Opening Aug. 21, seven galleries make up the exhibit exploring Oscar Micheaux’s low-budget dramas in the silent-film era to the works of Melvin Van Peebles.
The exhibition also introduces audiences to stars largely unknown to mainstream moviegoers — Ralph Cooper, Clarence Brooks and Francine Everett — alongside iconic screen legends Paul Robeson, Josephine Baker, Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier and Lena Horne.
Poiter’s Oscar for “Lillies of the Field” is just one of the many artifacts on display in this historic exhibition. Alongside the award are tap shoes worn by the Nicholas Brothers and one of Louis Armstrong’s trumpets.
Cowboy Boots worn by Herb Jeffries in 1937’s...
- 8/19/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay and Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Originally called “Sala de Parejas,” “Caso Cerrado” started as a court show that focused primarily on the arbitration of marital problems between litigants. Over the years, the Telemundo-produced show expanded beyond marital issues; including other disputes and matters such as violence and child abuse. At its peak, “Caso Cerrado” drew an average of 1,455,000 viewers daily and was the number one Spanish program in the 4 Pm time slot. The show also did well with younger demographics, with viewers aged 18 to 34 making up 39 of the total viewing audience.
Fans are puzzled about what happened to the show. Has it been canceled? Was it moved to a different slot? Is it still available on-demand?
Keep reading as we answer all the pressing questions regarding “Caso Cerrado.”
Has “Caso Cerrado” Been Canceled?
First airing on April 2, 2001, the show ran for two decades. It propelled Cuban-American lawyer Ana María Polo to stardom across Latin America.
Fans are puzzled about what happened to the show. Has it been canceled? Was it moved to a different slot? Is it still available on-demand?
Keep reading as we answer all the pressing questions regarding “Caso Cerrado.”
Has “Caso Cerrado” Been Canceled?
First airing on April 2, 2001, the show ran for two decades. It propelled Cuban-American lawyer Ana María Polo to stardom across Latin America.
- 5/10/2022
- by Buddy TV
- buddytv.com
Kathryn Hays, who played Kim Hughes on the CBS soap opera “As the World Turns,” from 1972 to 2010, died on March 25 in Fairfield, Connecticut at the age of 87, TVLine reported.
No cause of death was shared. Her reps did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In a statement, actor Don Hastings, who played her character’s husband, Bob Hughes, on the long-running soap said, “Our relationship as Bob and Kim was as close as Kathryn and my relationship, except we were not married. We were more like brother and sister and we were great friends. Our biggest squabble was that she always wanted to rehearse and I wanted to take a nap. This is a huge loss to all who knew her.”
Besides her iconic role on “As the World Turns,” Hays had a memorable turn in the 1968 “Star Trek” episode “The Empath” as Gem, a mute alien who must...
No cause of death was shared. Her reps did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In a statement, actor Don Hastings, who played her character’s husband, Bob Hughes, on the long-running soap said, “Our relationship as Bob and Kim was as close as Kathryn and my relationship, except we were not married. We were more like brother and sister and we were great friends. Our biggest squabble was that she always wanted to rehearse and I wanted to take a nap. This is a huge loss to all who knew her.”
Besides her iconic role on “As the World Turns,” Hays had a memorable turn in the 1968 “Star Trek” episode “The Empath” as Gem, a mute alien who must...
- 4/8/2022
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Kathryn Hays, who played Kim on CBS’ As the World Turns for 38 years, died on March 25 in Fairfield, Conn. She was 87.
No cause of death has yet been stated.
More from TVLineS.W.A.T. #100 Sneak Peek: Hondo Watches Himself Commit Murder (?!)S.W.A.T. Renewed for Season 6TVLine Items: Timeless Vet Leads CBS Pilot, With Love Renewed and More
Hays’ career began in the early 1960s, with roles on series such as Hawaiian Eye, Dr. Kildare, Route 66, Bonanza and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. In 1966, in The Road West, she landed the role of Elizabeth Reynolds,...
No cause of death has yet been stated.
More from TVLineS.W.A.T. #100 Sneak Peek: Hondo Watches Himself Commit Murder (?!)S.W.A.T. Renewed for Season 6TVLine Items: Timeless Vet Leads CBS Pilot, With Love Renewed and More
Hays’ career began in the early 1960s, with roles on series such as Hawaiian Eye, Dr. Kildare, Route 66, Bonanza and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. In 1966, in The Road West, she landed the role of Elizabeth Reynolds,...
- 4/8/2022
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
In what can be called movie geek comfort food, Battle: Los Angeles and Krull have become cult favorites over the years. Why? You can watch either movie while doing other things keeping an extra eye on the screen, have devout fans who can recite the dialogue verbatim and will defend both movies to the end. Guilty pleasures, yes, cult status, definitely.
Even HBO Max has it listed as such.
The 2011 sci-fi and 1982 fantasy films have come to HBO Max and are available to stream now.
“Marines don’t quit.”
Battle: Los Angeles, starring Aaron Eckhart, and from director Jonathan Liebesman (Wrath Of The Titans), is the exciting story of a squad of U.S. Marines who become the last line of defense against a global invasion. It gets the military right than most war movies. Numerous Marine units assisted in filming and the movie contains some awesome scenes with Black Hawks,...
Even HBO Max has it listed as such.
The 2011 sci-fi and 1982 fantasy films have come to HBO Max and are available to stream now.
“Marines don’t quit.”
Battle: Los Angeles, starring Aaron Eckhart, and from director Jonathan Liebesman (Wrath Of The Titans), is the exciting story of a squad of U.S. Marines who become the last line of defense against a global invasion. It gets the military right than most war movies. Numerous Marine units assisted in filming and the movie contains some awesome scenes with Black Hawks,...
- 4/3/2022
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The return of fan-favorite shows, auteurs tackling new original series, new documentaries and more headline what’s new on HBO Max in April 2022.
Top of the list is the HBO Max original series “The Flight Attendant,” which returns for its second season on April 21. Then there’s the long-awaited return of Bill Hader’s “Barry” on April 24 on HBO and HBO Max, as well as Season 3 of “The Black Lady Sketch Show” on April 8.
In terms of new originals, “The Wire” and “The Deuce” creator David Simon is back with the new series “We Own This City” on April 25, which chronicles the rise and fall of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force. Michael Mann executive produces and directs the first episode of the neo-noir “Tokyo Vice,” which premieres on April 7. And Ben Foster stars as Holocaust survivor Harry Haft in the HBO Original Film “The Survivor,” which...
Top of the list is the HBO Max original series “The Flight Attendant,” which returns for its second season on April 21. Then there’s the long-awaited return of Bill Hader’s “Barry” on April 24 on HBO and HBO Max, as well as Season 3 of “The Black Lady Sketch Show” on April 8.
In terms of new originals, “The Wire” and “The Deuce” creator David Simon is back with the new series “We Own This City” on April 25, which chronicles the rise and fall of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force. Michael Mann executive produces and directs the first episode of the neo-noir “Tokyo Vice,” which premieres on April 7. And Ben Foster stars as Holocaust survivor Harry Haft in the HBO Original Film “The Survivor,” which...
- 4/1/2022
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
April is about to be a good month for returning HBO and HBO Max properties.
HBO Max’s list of releases for April 2022 features three hotly anticipated seasons of television. The Flight Attendant, which helped launch HBO Max as a viable spot for good dramedy in 2020, premieres its second season on April 21. That will be followed by another go-around for the sci-fi comedy Made for Love on April 28. Of course, the big ticket item this month is something that HBO Max inherited from its cable cousin. Barry season 3 will continue the story of hitman-turned-actor Barry Berkman (Bill Hader) on April 24.
The TV offerings run much deeper than just returning shows this month. April 7 sees the arrival of Tokyo Vice, a sprawling crime drama with some episodes directed by Michael Mann. The series stars Ansel Elgort as an American journalist embedding himself in Tokyo’s criminal underground in the late ’90s.
HBO Max’s list of releases for April 2022 features three hotly anticipated seasons of television. The Flight Attendant, which helped launch HBO Max as a viable spot for good dramedy in 2020, premieres its second season on April 21. That will be followed by another go-around for the sci-fi comedy Made for Love on April 28. Of course, the big ticket item this month is something that HBO Max inherited from its cable cousin. Barry season 3 will continue the story of hitman-turned-actor Barry Berkman (Bill Hader) on April 24.
The TV offerings run much deeper than just returning shows this month. April 7 sees the arrival of Tokyo Vice, a sprawling crime drama with some episodes directed by Michael Mann. The series stars Ansel Elgort as an American journalist embedding himself in Tokyo’s criminal underground in the late ’90s.
- 4/1/2022
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
“This picture is perfect, end of review.” That may not be 100 true, but Leo McCarey’s unabashed leap into romantic Nirvana really hasn’t been bettered, although his color & ‘scope remake is very good. Never was smart adult dialogue this winning — Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer’s cinematic courtship is a highlight of the Big Studio years. And Maria Ouspenskaya’s performance will send you out to pamper the nearest grandmother. The restoration for this one is a revelation, as the show has looked terrible for sixty years- plus. Serge Bromberg and Farran Smith Nehme make the extras especially valuable.
Love Affair
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1114
1939 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 88 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date February 15, 2022 / 39.95
Starring: Irene Dunne, Charles Boyer, Maria Ouspenskaya, Lee Bowman, Astrid Allwyn, Maurice Moscovitch, Ferike Boros, Scotty Beckett, Bess Flowers, Harold Miller, Dell Henderson, Frank McGlynn, Sr., Joan Leslie.
Cinematography: Rudolph Maté
Art Director: Van Nest Polglase,...
Love Affair
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1114
1939 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 88 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date February 15, 2022 / 39.95
Starring: Irene Dunne, Charles Boyer, Maria Ouspenskaya, Lee Bowman, Astrid Allwyn, Maurice Moscovitch, Ferike Boros, Scotty Beckett, Bess Flowers, Harold Miller, Dell Henderson, Frank McGlynn, Sr., Joan Leslie.
Cinematography: Rudolph Maté
Art Director: Van Nest Polglase,...
- 2/26/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Six years before his death in 1996, “Rent” composer Jonathan Larson began performing a solo semi-autobiographical musical “Tick, Tick…Boom!” about a young struggling composer named Jon who fears that he has made the wrong career choice. After his death, Larson’s show was expanded into a three-person piece by David Auburn that ran in London, off-Broadway, and as a national tour. Now it is an acclaimed new Netflix movie directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda (who appeared in a Encores production of the musical in 2014) and starring Andrew Garfield.
The composer bio movie genre has long been a favorite of Hollywood, especially during its Golden Age. But these bio-pics played fast and loose with the facts. The Production Code prevented these films from exploring the fact that Cole Porter and Lorenz Hart were gay. And some of these composers and/or their families were still alive and wanted a certain image presented on the big screen.
The composer bio movie genre has long been a favorite of Hollywood, especially during its Golden Age. But these bio-pics played fast and loose with the facts. The Production Code prevented these films from exploring the fact that Cole Porter and Lorenz Hart were gay. And some of these composers and/or their families were still alive and wanted a certain image presented on the big screen.
- 12/7/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Racial passing occurs when a member of one racial group is either believed to be or accepted as a member of another. In the U.S., it generally means someone who is Black or of multi-racial heritage, “passing” as a White person. It’s the subject of Rebecca Hall’s well-received directorial debut “Passing,” currently streaming on Netflix. Hall, who is the daughter of the late director Peter Hall and opera singer Maria Ewing is of Dutch, Native American, African American and Scottish heritage. She adapted Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel about two African American friends: one (Tessa Thompson) is married to a prominent doctor and the other (Ruth Negga) has passed for white for years and is married to a wealthy racist (Alexander Skarsgard). Hall was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize dramatic at Sundance; “Passing” currently is nominated for five Gotham Awards including Best Picture and Breakthrough Director.
Racial...
Racial...
- 11/24/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
From “Show Boat” through “Ship of Fools” to “Titanic,” if a certain strain of Hollywood melodrama has taught us anything, it’s that all of human life is to be found on a passenger boat — our dreams and desires and social differences somehow made clearer at some distance from dry land. Bangladeshi filmmaker Kamar Ahmad Simon applies much the same philosophy to his delightful documentary “Day After …,” albeit with the accompanying glamour removed. Boarding a creaky, century-old paddle steamer for a two-day river commute from the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka to the country’s Khulna region, .
The loose, entertaining result is equal parts leisurely travelogue, observational social study and droll real-life comedy of errors, and premiered in competition at IDFA to an enthusiastic audience reception. Arriving nine years after Simon’s last theatrical documentary, “Are You Listening!” — a study of a community recovering from ruinous flooding that won top honors...
The loose, entertaining result is equal parts leisurely travelogue, observational social study and droll real-life comedy of errors, and premiered in competition at IDFA to an enthusiastic audience reception. Arriving nine years after Simon’s last theatrical documentary, “Are You Listening!” — a study of a community recovering from ruinous flooding that won top honors...
- 11/24/2021
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Paradise Square, the new Broadway-bound musical from producer Garth H. Drabinsky set during the history-making New York Draft Riots of the 1860s, will arrive at the Barrymore Theatre in February with several news songs added since its 2019 West Coast incarnation, including an anthemic new musical number that can’t help but summon thoughts of the galvanizing response to recent racial discord: The new number is called “Breathe Easy.”
In this new music video, debuting on Deadline, listeners can hear what Broadway audiences have in store.
The musical features a book by Christina Anderson, Marcus Gardley, Craig Lucas and Larry Kirwan, and a score by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen, with additional material provided by Masi Asare and Kirwan. The new song was written by Howland (music) and Tysen & Asare (lyrics).
In the video, recorded at New York City’s Seer Sound, the number – which includes lines like “In your...
In this new music video, debuting on Deadline, listeners can hear what Broadway audiences have in store.
The musical features a book by Christina Anderson, Marcus Gardley, Craig Lucas and Larry Kirwan, and a score by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen, with additional material provided by Masi Asare and Kirwan. The new song was written by Howland (music) and Tysen & Asare (lyrics).
In the video, recorded at New York City’s Seer Sound, the number – which includes lines like “In your...
- 9/17/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
All products and services featured by IndieWire are independently selected by IndieWire editors. However, IndieWire may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Broadway is back! September 14 marks the return of “The Lion King,” “Hamilton,” “Wicked,” and more fan favorite stage productions. The long-awaited Broadway revival comes a year and a half after the pandemic forced theaters to close their doors. As actors and audiences gear up for the return of the Great White Way, we put together a list of gifts that are perfect for lovers of musical theater.
Whether you’re a certified theater geek or not, giving up live entertainment for the last year has been pretty challenging. Thankfully, a lot of Broadway plays have been adapted into movies that you can stream on Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and more platforms.
Broadway is back! September 14 marks the return of “The Lion King,” “Hamilton,” “Wicked,” and more fan favorite stage productions. The long-awaited Broadway revival comes a year and a half after the pandemic forced theaters to close their doors. As actors and audiences gear up for the return of the Great White Way, we put together a list of gifts that are perfect for lovers of musical theater.
Whether you’re a certified theater geek or not, giving up live entertainment for the last year has been pretty challenging. Thankfully, a lot of Broadway plays have been adapted into movies that you can stream on Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and more platforms.
- 9/14/2021
- by Latifah Muhammad
- Indiewire
In Schmigadoon!, Mayor Menlove’s doting wife Florence is a woman of very few words — but that didn’t make the role any less desirable for Broadway veteran Ann Harada.
“I thought she was hysterical,” the Avenue Q alum tells TVLine. “It’s one of those characters [where] the dialogue is normal, but you know she’s not. There’s something inside of her, and that’s the most interesting [type of] character to play.”
More from TVLine'Schmigadoon!' Episode 1: EPs Detail How the 'Oklahoma!'-Inspired Opening Number Came Together'Schmigadoon!' Episode 2: Cecily Strong on Embracing Her Inner Musical Theater...
“I thought she was hysterical,” the Avenue Q alum tells TVLine. “It’s one of those characters [where] the dialogue is normal, but you know she’s not. There’s something inside of her, and that’s the most interesting [type of] character to play.”
More from TVLine'Schmigadoon!' Episode 1: EPs Detail How the 'Oklahoma!'-Inspired Opening Number Came Together'Schmigadoon!' Episode 2: Cecily Strong on Embracing Her Inner Musical Theater...
- 7/23/2021
- by Ryan Schwartz
- TVLine.com
Years in the making! The glory of MGM on parade! Enough studio resources to film twenty pictures were expended on this paean to showman Florenz Ziegfeld. It’s really Metro Goldwyn Mayer’s Technicolor valentine to itself, showing off the studio’s enormous stable of musical talent, along with various of its comic performers. Arthur Freed and Louis B. Mayer’s notion of ‘something for everyone’ results in weird stack of grandiose musical numbers and mostly weak comedy. The biggest draw is the incredible color cinematography that peeks through in three or four jaw-droppingly elaborate musical spectacles. The picture is a workout to find the artistic limits of the Technicolor system.
Ziegfeld Follies
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1945 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 117 110 min. / Street Date June 15, 2021 / 21.99
Starring: (alphabetically): Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Lucille Bremer, Fanny Brice, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Lena Horne, Gene Kelly, Victor Moore, Red Skelton, Esther Williams. Also...
Ziegfeld Follies
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1945 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 117 110 min. / Street Date June 15, 2021 / 21.99
Starring: (alphabetically): Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Lucille Bremer, Fanny Brice, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Lena Horne, Gene Kelly, Victor Moore, Red Skelton, Esther Williams. Also...
- 7/20/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Big Red Machine — the collaborative project of the National’s Aaron Dessner and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon — have released a new song, “Latter Days,” from their upcoming album, How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?, out August 27th via Jagjaguwar/37d03d.
“Latter Days” is a plaintive piano ballad filled with atmospheric and textural touches, with lead vocals provided by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell. On the chorus, Mitchell’s voice melds with Vernon’s falsetto as they sing together, “I recall it all forever/How it found us...
“Latter Days” is a plaintive piano ballad filled with atmospheric and textural touches, with lead vocals provided by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell. On the chorus, Mitchell’s voice melds with Vernon’s falsetto as they sing together, “I recall it all forever/How it found us...
- 6/29/2021
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
“Havoc,” an action thriller starring Tom Hardy and Forest Whitaker, has rounded out its cast.
In addition to the previously announced Hardy and Whitaker, the Netflix movie will also feature Timothy Olyphant, “Training Day” and “The Umbrella Academy” actor Justin Cornwell, star of the upcoming Edgar Wright horror film “Last Night in Soho” Jessie Mei Li and Malaysian actress Yeo Yann Yann. Supporting cast members include Quelin Sepulveda, “Boogie Nights” and “Magnolia” actor Luis Guzmán, “Headshot” star Sunny Pang, and UFC mixed martial artist Michelle Waterson.
“Havoc” takes place after a drug deal gone wrong and centers on a bruised detective who must fight his way through a criminal underworld to rescue a politician’s estranged son, while unraveling a deep web of corruption and conspiracy that ensnares his entire city.
Gareth Evans is writing and directing the movie as part of his recently announced deal to produce and direct...
In addition to the previously announced Hardy and Whitaker, the Netflix movie will also feature Timothy Olyphant, “Training Day” and “The Umbrella Academy” actor Justin Cornwell, star of the upcoming Edgar Wright horror film “Last Night in Soho” Jessie Mei Li and Malaysian actress Yeo Yann Yann. Supporting cast members include Quelin Sepulveda, “Boogie Nights” and “Magnolia” actor Luis Guzmán, “Headshot” star Sunny Pang, and UFC mixed martial artist Michelle Waterson.
“Havoc” takes place after a drug deal gone wrong and centers on a bruised detective who must fight his way through a criminal underworld to rescue a politician’s estranged son, while unraveling a deep web of corruption and conspiracy that ensnares his entire city.
Gareth Evans is writing and directing the movie as part of his recently announced deal to produce and direct...
- 6/28/2021
- by Rebecca Rubin and Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Karla Burns, an actress and singer whose acclaimed performance as Queenie in the musical Show Boat earned an Olivier Award and a Tony Award nomination, died June 4 in Wichita, Kansas, following a series of strokes. She was 66.
Her death was confirmed by her sister, Donna Burns-Revels, in a New York Times obituary.
In winning London’s Olivier Award in 1991, Burns became the first Black performer to do so.
Born, raised and educated in Wichita, Burns sang in church choirs growing up, later studying music and theater at Wichita State University. She soon won the role that would become her signature – Show Boat‘s Queenie – in regional productions, and in 1982 joined the Houston Grand Opera’s national tour of the Kern-Hammerstein classic.
She played the role on Broadway in 1983, scoring the Best Featured Actress Tony nomination. She reprised the role in London’s West End for a 1991 Royal Shakespeare Company production,...
Her death was confirmed by her sister, Donna Burns-Revels, in a New York Times obituary.
In winning London’s Olivier Award in 1991, Burns became the first Black performer to do so.
Born, raised and educated in Wichita, Burns sang in church choirs growing up, later studying music and theater at Wichita State University. She soon won the role that would become her signature – Show Boat‘s Queenie – in regional productions, and in 1982 joined the Houston Grand Opera’s national tour of the Kern-Hammerstein classic.
She played the role on Broadway in 1983, scoring the Best Featured Actress Tony nomination. She reprised the role in London’s West End for a 1991 Royal Shakespeare Company production,...
- 6/15/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Paradise Square, the original musical from a creative team that includes Moisés Kaufman, Bill T. Jones, Craig Lucas and Black 47 singer Larry Kirwan, will begin Broadway previews at the Shubert Organization’s Barrymore Theatre on February 22, 2022, with an opening night set for Sunday, March 20.
Producer Garth H. Drabinsky announced the dates today, along with the new casting of Joaquina Kalukango, currently Tony-nominated for her performance in Slave Play.
As previously reported, the production will arrive on Broadway directly from a five-week Chicago engagement.
The musical’s creative team includes director Moisés Kaufman and choreographer Bill T. Jones, with a book by Christina Anderson, Marcus Gardley, Craig Lucas and Larry Kirwan. Graciela Daniele will provide musical staging, in collaboration with Kaufman and Jones.
The score of Paradise Square is by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen, with additional material provided by Masi Asare and Kirwan. The musical features original songs as well...
Producer Garth H. Drabinsky announced the dates today, along with the new casting of Joaquina Kalukango, currently Tony-nominated for her performance in Slave Play.
As previously reported, the production will arrive on Broadway directly from a five-week Chicago engagement.
The musical’s creative team includes director Moisés Kaufman and choreographer Bill T. Jones, with a book by Christina Anderson, Marcus Gardley, Craig Lucas and Larry Kirwan. Graciela Daniele will provide musical staging, in collaboration with Kaufman and Jones.
The score of Paradise Square is by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen, with additional material provided by Masi Asare and Kirwan. The musical features original songs as well...
- 6/7/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Paradise Square, the original musical from a creative team that includes Moisés Kaufman, Bill T. Jones, Craig Lucas and Black 47 singer Larry Kirwan, will begin a limited, month-long pre-Broadway engagement in Chicago on Nov. 2.
Casting and details about a Broadway engagement will be announced shortly.
The musical, set in the notorious Civil War-era Lower Manhattan Five Points slum, is produced by Garth H. Drabinsky, marking a return of the once ubiquitous Canadian theater executive following years of legal and financial woes around his former company Livent. Drabinsky, whose previous Broadway productions included Kiss of the Spider Woman, Show Boat, Ragtime and Fosse, is teamed on Paradise Square with longtime colleague Peter LeDonne, who co-produces.
Paradise Square will be the first major pre-Broadway show to open in Chicago after the pandemic shutdown. The musical will play from Nov. 2 – Dec. 5 at Broadway In Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre.
As described by the production,...
Casting and details about a Broadway engagement will be announced shortly.
The musical, set in the notorious Civil War-era Lower Manhattan Five Points slum, is produced by Garth H. Drabinsky, marking a return of the once ubiquitous Canadian theater executive following years of legal and financial woes around his former company Livent. Drabinsky, whose previous Broadway productions included Kiss of the Spider Woman, Show Boat, Ragtime and Fosse, is teamed on Paradise Square with longtime colleague Peter LeDonne, who co-produces.
Paradise Square will be the first major pre-Broadway show to open in Chicago after the pandemic shutdown. The musical will play from Nov. 2 – Dec. 5 at Broadway In Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre.
As described by the production,...
- 5/18/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Ted Chapin, the President and Chief Creative Officer of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization for the past 40 years, will step away from the post at the end of his current contract this month, Scott Pascucci, CEO of Concord, announced today.
“It’s astonishing to me just how fast time passes when you love what you do,” Chapin said in a statement. “I can’t help but feel that, over the course of our time together, this incredible organization and I have helped each other grow and flourish in ways that could never have been anticipated 40 years ago.”
Chapin is credited with expanding what was a family business into the company responsible for management of the significant copyrights created by Richard Rodgers and/or Oscar Hammerstein II and others. On Chapin’s watch, new major productions of Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals on Broadway have won eight Tony Awards for Best Musical Revival, including On Your Toes,...
“It’s astonishing to me just how fast time passes when you love what you do,” Chapin said in a statement. “I can’t help but feel that, over the course of our time together, this incredible organization and I have helped each other grow and flourish in ways that could never have been anticipated 40 years ago.”
Chapin is credited with expanding what was a family business into the company responsible for management of the significant copyrights created by Richard Rodgers and/or Oscar Hammerstein II and others. On Chapin’s watch, new major productions of Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals on Broadway have won eight Tony Awards for Best Musical Revival, including On Your Toes,...
- 5/17/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
In 2002, when Halle Berry won the Oscar for her performance in “Monster’s Ball,” becoming the first African American to take home the Academy Award for best actress, after 30 seconds of convulsive tears she said, “This moment is so much bigger than me. This moment is for Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Diahann Carroll…And it’s for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance, because this door tonight has been opened.” To achieve something by standing on the shoulders of others is a profound feeling. And what Halle Berry’s speech hit home is that where those earlier performers had allowed her to become a giant, they were giants too — more than contemporary audiences often know.
“How It Feels to Be Free” is a documentary, at once sobering and enchanting, that interweaves portraits of six legendary stars, all of them Black women, telling the story of the trails they blazed,...
“How It Feels to Be Free” is a documentary, at once sobering and enchanting, that interweaves portraits of six legendary stars, all of them Black women, telling the story of the trails they blazed,...
- 4/18/2021
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
By Tim McGlynn
“What does he care if the land ain’t free?”
The Warner Archive has done itself proud with their new release of MGM’s splendid 1951 production of Showboat. This Technicolor spectacular is actually the third film version of the Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein classic, which is based on a novel by Edna Ferber. The Freed unit at MGM pulled out all the stops for this effort and cast Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ava Gardner, Joe E. Brown, Agnes Moorehead, Marge and Gower Champion and William Warfield in this turn- of -the last century story set in the deep South.
Cap’n Andy and his wife Parthy use their paddle Wheeler, the Cotton Blossom, to put on shows up and down the Mississippi River. Their daughter, Magnolia, dreams of playing a part but is discouraged by her strict mother. One day a charming, but down and out gambler...
“What does he care if the land ain’t free?”
The Warner Archive has done itself proud with their new release of MGM’s splendid 1951 production of Showboat. This Technicolor spectacular is actually the third film version of the Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein classic, which is based on a novel by Edna Ferber. The Freed unit at MGM pulled out all the stops for this effort and cast Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ava Gardner, Joe E. Brown, Agnes Moorehead, Marge and Gower Champion and William Warfield in this turn- of -the last century story set in the deep South.
Cap’n Andy and his wife Parthy use their paddle Wheeler, the Cotton Blossom, to put on shows up and down the Mississippi River. Their daughter, Magnolia, dreams of playing a part but is discouraged by her strict mother. One day a charming, but down and out gambler...
- 3/9/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Tim McGlynn
“What does he care if the land ain’t free?”
The Warner Archive has done itself proud with their new release of MGM’s splendid 1951 production of Showboat. This Technicolor spectacular is actually the third film version of the Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein classic, which is based on a novel by Edna Ferber. The Freed unit at MGM pulled out all the stops for this effort and cast Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ava Gardner, Joe E. Brown, Agnes Moorehead, Marge and Gower Champion and William Warfield in this turn- of -the last century story set in the deep South.
Cap’n Andy and his wife Parthy use their paddle Wheeler, the Cotton Blossom, to put on shows up and down the Mississippi River. Their daughter, Magnolia, dreams of playing a part but is discouraged by her strict mother. One day a charming, but down and out gambler...
“What does he care if the land ain’t free?”
The Warner Archive has done itself proud with their new release of MGM’s splendid 1951 production of Showboat. This Technicolor spectacular is actually the third film version of the Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein classic, which is based on a novel by Edna Ferber. The Freed unit at MGM pulled out all the stops for this effort and cast Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ava Gardner, Joe E. Brown, Agnes Moorehead, Marge and Gower Champion and William Warfield in this turn- of -the last century story set in the deep South.
Cap’n Andy and his wife Parthy use their paddle Wheeler, the Cotton Blossom, to put on shows up and down the Mississippi River. Their daughter, Magnolia, dreams of playing a part but is discouraged by her strict mother. One day a charming, but down and out gambler...
- 3/9/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
MGM’s remake of the grand musical can’t be ignored — the restored transfer is stunning, demonstrating the studio’s technical skill at full tilt. There are good aspects to this version, even if it’s mostly a missed opportunity more notable for production backstories than for itself. It’s Kathryn Grayson’s high water mark at MGM, and Howard Keel does yeoman’s work on his side. MGM’s musical arrangements of the Hammerstein / Kern songbook is as good as ever. Most critics in 1951 thought it superior because it was in Technicolor; and it was one of the top $ money earners of the year.
Show Boat
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1951 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 108 min. / Street Date February 23, 2021 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel, Joe E. Brown, Marge Champion, Gower Champion, Robert Sterling, Agnes Moorehead, Leif Erickson, William Warfield, Regis Toomey, Adele Jergens, Owen McGiveney,...
Show Boat
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1951 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 108 min. / Street Date February 23, 2021 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel, Joe E. Brown, Marge Champion, Gower Champion, Robert Sterling, Agnes Moorehead, Leif Erickson, William Warfield, Regis Toomey, Adele Jergens, Owen McGiveney,...
- 3/2/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
MGM’s remake of the grand musical can’t be ignored — the restored transfer is stunning, demonstrating the studio’s technical skill at full tilt. There are good aspects to this version, even if it’s mostly a missed opportunity more notable for production backstories than for itself. It’s Kathryn Grayson’s high water mark at MGM, and Howard Keel does yeoman’s work on his side. MGM’s musical arrangements of the Hammerstein / Kern songbook is as good as ever. Most critics in 1951 thought it superior because it was in Technicolor; and it was one of the top $ money earners of the year.
Show Boat
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1951 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 108 min. / Street Date February 23, 2021 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel, Joe E. Brown, Marge Champion, Gower Champion, Robert Sterling, Agnes Moorehead, Leif Erickson, William Warfield, Regis Toomey, Adele Jergens, Owen McGiveney,...
Show Boat
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1951 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 108 min. / Street Date February 23, 2021 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel, Joe E. Brown, Marge Champion, Gower Champion, Robert Sterling, Agnes Moorehead, Leif Erickson, William Warfield, Regis Toomey, Adele Jergens, Owen McGiveney,...
- 3/2/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Ava Gardner and Howard Keel in Show Boat (1951) will be available on Blu-ray February 23rd from Warner Archive. Oredring info can be found Here
From novel (by Edna Ferber) to Broadway smash (by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II) to three film versions to stage revivals. Like Ol’ Man River, Show Boat just keeps rollin’ along. Produced by Arthur Freed and directed by George Sidney, this 1951 version of the saga of riverboat lives and loves has glorious stars in Technicolor® radiance, a made-from-scratch 170-foot paddle wheeler, timeless songs and an equally timeless outcry against racial bigotry. “This was music that would outlast Kern’s day and mine,” Ferber said in recalling her first reaction to hearing “Ol’ Man River.” She was right as rain.
Special Features: Commentary by Director George Sidney; “Till the Clouds Roll By – Show Boat” (1946) Sequence; “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man” and “Bill” Ava Gardner Audio-only...
From novel (by Edna Ferber) to Broadway smash (by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II) to three film versions to stage revivals. Like Ol’ Man River, Show Boat just keeps rollin’ along. Produced by Arthur Freed and directed by George Sidney, this 1951 version of the saga of riverboat lives and loves has glorious stars in Technicolor® radiance, a made-from-scratch 170-foot paddle wheeler, timeless songs and an equally timeless outcry against racial bigotry. “This was music that would outlast Kern’s day and mine,” Ferber said in recalling her first reaction to hearing “Ol’ Man River.” She was right as rain.
Special Features: Commentary by Director George Sidney; “Till the Clouds Roll By – Show Boat” (1946) Sequence; “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man” and “Bill” Ava Gardner Audio-only...
- 2/5/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Oscar winner and multiple Emmy winner Cloris Leachman, best remembered as the delightfully neurotic Phyllis Lindstrom on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and her own subsequent sitcom, died of natural causes on Tuesday in Encinitas, Calif. She was 94.
“It’s been my privilege to work with Cloris Leachman, one of the most fearless actresses of our time,” her longtime manager Juliet Green said. “There was no one like Cloris. With a single look she had the ability to break your heart or make you laugh ’till the tears ran down your face. You never knew what Cloris was going to say or do and that unpredictable quality was part of her unparalleled magic.”
The daffy, self-absorbed Phyllis, a character she claimed was close to her own persona, brought the actress two Emmys as a featured actress in a series during the mid-’70s and made Leachman a household name.
Leachman...
“It’s been my privilege to work with Cloris Leachman, one of the most fearless actresses of our time,” her longtime manager Juliet Green said. “There was no one like Cloris. With a single look she had the ability to break your heart or make you laugh ’till the tears ran down your face. You never knew what Cloris was going to say or do and that unpredictable quality was part of her unparalleled magic.”
The daffy, self-absorbed Phyllis, a character she claimed was close to her own persona, brought the actress two Emmys as a featured actress in a series during the mid-’70s and made Leachman a household name.
Leachman...
- 1/27/2021
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
The three-time Tony nominee and wife of actor Danny Burstein Rebecca Luker dies at 59 after battling Als (Atrophic Laeral Serosis) a nervous system disease that weakens muscles and impacts physical function.
Rebecca Luker, the Broadway actor who earned Tony nominations for “Mary Poppins,” “The Music Man” and “Show Boat,” died on Wednesday at a hospital in Manhattan, just 10 months after revealing to the public that she was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. She was 59.
Rebecca Luker had posted in her official website "Hello friends. I have some tough news. Late last year I was diagnosed with Als. I have the best medical care in the world and the greatest support. My dear husband Danny has been an angel. I will get well. In the meantime, we fight and go forward. Keep us in your thoughts."
Recently Rebecca Luker and Sally Wilfert in an ode to female friendship release All the Girls Album.
Rebecca Luker, the Broadway actor who earned Tony nominations for “Mary Poppins,” “The Music Man” and “Show Boat,” died on Wednesday at a hospital in Manhattan, just 10 months after revealing to the public that she was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. She was 59.
Rebecca Luker had posted in her official website "Hello friends. I have some tough news. Late last year I was diagnosed with Als. I have the best medical care in the world and the greatest support. My dear husband Danny has been an angel. I will get well. In the meantime, we fight and go forward. Keep us in your thoughts."
Recently Rebecca Luker and Sally Wilfert in an ode to female friendship release All the Girls Album.
- 12/24/2020
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
Rebecca Luker, a three-time Tony Award nominee and one of Broadway’s most acclaimed and popular musical actresses, died today at a New York City hospital following a nearly yearlong battle with Als, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. She was 59.
Her death was confirmed to The New York Times by her agent Sarah Fargo. Luker was married to Broadway actor Danny Burstein (Moulin Rouge!).
The actress announced in February that she’d been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, tweeting: “Hello friends. I have some tough news. Late last year I was diagnosed with Als. I have the best medical care in the world and the greatest support. My dear husband Danny has been an angel. I will get well. In the meantime, we fight and go forward. Keep us in your thoughts.”
Luker’s Als announcement was met with an outpouring of support from colleagues and fans alike — from Betty Buckley...
Her death was confirmed to The New York Times by her agent Sarah Fargo. Luker was married to Broadway actor Danny Burstein (Moulin Rouge!).
The actress announced in February that she’d been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, tweeting: “Hello friends. I have some tough news. Late last year I was diagnosed with Als. I have the best medical care in the world and the greatest support. My dear husband Danny has been an angel. I will get well. In the meantime, we fight and go forward. Keep us in your thoughts.”
Luker’s Als announcement was met with an outpouring of support from colleagues and fans alike — from Betty Buckley...
- 12/23/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Rebecca Luker, the enchanting Broadway actress and singer who received Tony nominations for her performances in revivals of Show Boat, The Music Man and Mary Poppins, has died. She was 59.
According to The New York Times, Luker died Wednesday in a Manhattan hospital after announcing in February that she had been diagnosed with Als late last year. Her death was confirmed by her agent, Sarah Fargo.
Survivors include her second husband, Danny Burstein, like his wife a beloved Broadway performer. The seven-time Tony nominee wrote two columns for THR this year about his recovery from Covid-19 and how Luker helped him get past the ...
According to The New York Times, Luker died Wednesday in a Manhattan hospital after announcing in February that she had been diagnosed with Als late last year. Her death was confirmed by her agent, Sarah Fargo.
Survivors include her second husband, Danny Burstein, like his wife a beloved Broadway performer. The seven-time Tony nominee wrote two columns for THR this year about his recovery from Covid-19 and how Luker helped him get past the ...
- 12/23/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Marge Champion, a dancer who achieved nationwide television fame in the 1950s with her husband and dance partner Gower Champion and even then had already contributed to cinema history as a movement model for three classic Walt Disney animated films, died Wednesday in Los Angeles. She was 101.
Her death was announced by her son Gregg Champion. A cause was not specified.
The daughter of a Hollywood dance coach, Champion was already performing in public when she was recruited by Disney to serve as the movement model for the lead character in 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the same year she entered a three-year marriage to Disney animator Arthur Babbitt. Champion would also provide the movements for the Blue Fairy in 1940’s Pinocchio and the ballet-dancing hippos in 1940’s Fantasia.
But if her work had already been seen by millions, Champion didn’t become recognizably famous until the late 1940s,...
Her death was announced by her son Gregg Champion. A cause was not specified.
The daughter of a Hollywood dance coach, Champion was already performing in public when she was recruited by Disney to serve as the movement model for the lead character in 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the same year she entered a three-year marriage to Disney animator Arthur Babbitt. Champion would also provide the movements for the Blue Fairy in 1940’s Pinocchio and the ballet-dancing hippos in 1940’s Fantasia.
But if her work had already been seen by millions, Champion didn’t become recognizably famous until the late 1940s,...
- 10/22/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Marge Champion, a dancer and actress known for “Show Boat” and “Give a Girl a Break,” as well the model used by Walt Disney animators for the dancing in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” has died. She was 101.
Champion died Wednesday in Los Angeles while quarantined with her son Gregg Champion, who confirmed her death to the New York Times.
At 14, Champion, born Marjorie Celeste Belcher, was hired as a model by Walt Disney Studios, dancing the part of Snow White so that animators could model her movements and enhance the realism of what would be Disney’s first animated feature film. Disney would later use her as a model for the Blue Fairy in “Pinocchio” (1940) and the hippo with twinkle toes in “Fantasia” (1940).
You can see a video of Belcher dancing to one of the songs from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” below alongside the final footage of the film.
Champion died Wednesday in Los Angeles while quarantined with her son Gregg Champion, who confirmed her death to the New York Times.
At 14, Champion, born Marjorie Celeste Belcher, was hired as a model by Walt Disney Studios, dancing the part of Snow White so that animators could model her movements and enhance the realism of what would be Disney’s first animated feature film. Disney would later use her as a model for the Blue Fairy in “Pinocchio” (1940) and the hippo with twinkle toes in “Fantasia” (1940).
You can see a video of Belcher dancing to one of the songs from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” below alongside the final footage of the film.
- 10/22/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Marge Champion, a dancer and actor who served as the real-life model for Disney’s 1937 animated classic “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” died on Wednesday in Los Angeles, according to The New York Times. She was 101.
Champion and her husband, Gower Champion, also had great success as dance partners and choreographers for Broadway musicals, films and television shows. Champion won an Emmy award in 1975 for choreographing the television movie “Queen of the Stardust Ballroom.”
Marge and Gower Champion most notably danced together in multiple MGM musicals, including the 1951 remake of “Show Boat” starring Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson and Ava Gardner.
In addition to “Snow White,” Champion’s elegant dance moves served as the inspiration for the Blue Fairy in “Pinocchio” and the tutu-wearing hippo ballerinas in the “Dance of the Hours” number in “Fantasia.”
The Champions danced across television screens in the late 1940s and 1950s, first appearing in...
Champion and her husband, Gower Champion, also had great success as dance partners and choreographers for Broadway musicals, films and television shows. Champion won an Emmy award in 1975 for choreographing the television movie “Queen of the Stardust Ballroom.”
Marge and Gower Champion most notably danced together in multiple MGM musicals, including the 1951 remake of “Show Boat” starring Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson and Ava Gardner.
In addition to “Snow White,” Champion’s elegant dance moves served as the inspiration for the Blue Fairy in “Pinocchio” and the tutu-wearing hippo ballerinas in the “Dance of the Hours” number in “Fantasia.”
The Champions danced across television screens in the late 1940s and 1950s, first appearing in...
- 10/22/2020
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Marge Champion, who served as the real-life model for Snow White, then teamed with her husband and dance partner, Gower Champion, for Broadway musicals, television shows and movies, has died. She was 101.
Champion, who won an Emmy for choreographing the acclaimed 1975 telefilm Queen of the Stardust Ballroom, died Wednesday in Los Angeles, dance instructor Pierre Dulaine told The Hollywood Reporter.
Survivors include a step-daughter, actress Katey Sagal, and her son, producer-director Gregg Champion.
Marge and Gower Champion danced together in several MGM musicals, perhaps most memorably in George Sidney’s 1951 remake of Show Boat, which starred Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson and Ava Gardner. Their ...
Champion, who won an Emmy for choreographing the acclaimed 1975 telefilm Queen of the Stardust Ballroom, died Wednesday in Los Angeles, dance instructor Pierre Dulaine told The Hollywood Reporter.
Survivors include a step-daughter, actress Katey Sagal, and her son, producer-director Gregg Champion.
Marge and Gower Champion danced together in several MGM musicals, perhaps most memorably in George Sidney’s 1951 remake of Show Boat, which starred Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson and Ava Gardner. Their ...
- 10/22/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Marge Champion, who served as the real-life model for Snow White, then teamed with her husband and dance partner, Gower Champion, for Broadway musicals, television shows and movies, has died. She was 101.
Champion, who won an Emmy for choreographing the acclaimed 1975 telefilm Queen of the Stardust Ballroom, died Wednesday in Los Angeles, dance instructor Pierre Dulaine told The Hollywood Reporter.
Survivors include a step-daughter, actress Katey Sagal, and her son, producer-director Gregg Champion.
Marge and Gower Champion danced together in several MGM musicals, perhaps most memorably in George Sidney’s 1951 remake of Show Boat, which starred Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson and Ava Gardner. Their ...
Champion, who won an Emmy for choreographing the acclaimed 1975 telefilm Queen of the Stardust Ballroom, died Wednesday in Los Angeles, dance instructor Pierre Dulaine told The Hollywood Reporter.
Survivors include a step-daughter, actress Katey Sagal, and her son, producer-director Gregg Champion.
Marge and Gower Champion danced together in several MGM musicals, perhaps most memorably in George Sidney’s 1951 remake of Show Boat, which starred Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson and Ava Gardner. Their ...
- 10/22/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.