To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Columbia Pictures, the municipality of Cannes is presenting a free photographic exhibition titled “Lighting the Way: From the Torch Lady to Leading Ladies.” The exhibit was inaugurated Friday by Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group president Sanford Panitch, who was introduced by Cannes Deputy Mayor Thomas de Pariente on the newly refurbished Cours Félix Faure.
Also in attendance were Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire co-writer and producer Jason Reitman as well as Sony Pictures Classics chiefs Michael Barker and Tom Bernard.
Related: Sony’s Tom Rothman Fetes Columbia Pictures Centennial, Talks Quentin Tarantino, Streaming & How To Bring Young Audiences Back To Movie Theaters
Among the photos (scroll through our exclusive gallery below) are snaps highlighting legendary actresses from Hollywood’s Golden Age and beyond including Katherine Hepburn, Deborah Kerr, Claudette Colbert, Ann-Margret, Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Julia Roberts, Michelle Yeoh and Rita Hayworth. A restored version of...
Also in attendance were Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire co-writer and producer Jason Reitman as well as Sony Pictures Classics chiefs Michael Barker and Tom Bernard.
Related: Sony’s Tom Rothman Fetes Columbia Pictures Centennial, Talks Quentin Tarantino, Streaming & How To Bring Young Audiences Back To Movie Theaters
Among the photos (scroll through our exclusive gallery below) are snaps highlighting legendary actresses from Hollywood’s Golden Age and beyond including Katherine Hepburn, Deborah Kerr, Claudette Colbert, Ann-Margret, Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Julia Roberts, Michelle Yeoh and Rita Hayworth. A restored version of...
- 5/17/2024
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
An iconic woman needs an apt setting.
So, to mark its 100th anniversary, Columbia Pictures has teamed with the Municipality of Cannes to put the studio’s instantly recognizable Torch Lady and roster of legendary actresses on full display as part of a free photographic exhibit in the historic city’s town square, just off the Croisette and with the Palais and Mediterranean Sea serving as a backdrop.
The exhibit, dubbed “Lighting the Way: From the Torch Lady to Leading Ladies,” includes outdoor installations emblazoned with Columbia’s longstanding symbol as well as more than 30 rare photographs from the studio’s archive spanning Hollywood’s Golden Age through present day, The photographs include ones of Katherine Hepburn, Deborah Kerr, Claudette Colbert, Ann-Margret, Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Julia Roberts, Michelle Yeoh, and, naturally, “Gilda” star Rita Hayworth. A restored version of that film is screening this year as part of the festival’s Cannes Classics program.
So, to mark its 100th anniversary, Columbia Pictures has teamed with the Municipality of Cannes to put the studio’s instantly recognizable Torch Lady and roster of legendary actresses on full display as part of a free photographic exhibit in the historic city’s town square, just off the Croisette and with the Palais and Mediterranean Sea serving as a backdrop.
The exhibit, dubbed “Lighting the Way: From the Torch Lady to Leading Ladies,” includes outdoor installations emblazoned with Columbia’s longstanding symbol as well as more than 30 rare photographs from the studio’s archive spanning Hollywood’s Golden Age through present day, The photographs include ones of Katherine Hepburn, Deborah Kerr, Claudette Colbert, Ann-Margret, Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Julia Roberts, Michelle Yeoh, and, naturally, “Gilda” star Rita Hayworth. A restored version of that film is screening this year as part of the festival’s Cannes Classics program.
- 5/17/2024
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety Film + TV
Frank Capra was a three-time Oscar winner who dominated the box office throughout the 1930s with his populist fables, nicknamed “Capra-corn.” Yet how many of these titles remain classics? Let’s take a look back at 12 of Capra’s greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1897 in Siciliy, Italy, Capra came to the United States with his family in 1903. His work often reflected an idealized vision of the American dream, perhaps spurned by his own experiences as an immigrant. Depression-era audiences lapped up his sweetly sentimental screwball comedies, which often centered on the plight of the common man.
He earned his first Oscar nomination for directing “Lady for a Day” (1933), and his loss was infamously embarrassing: when presented Will Rogers opened the envelope, he said, “Come up and get it, Frank!” Capra bounded to the stage, only to learned that Frank Lloyd (“Cavalcade”) has won instead.
No matter, because...
Born in 1897 in Siciliy, Italy, Capra came to the United States with his family in 1903. His work often reflected an idealized vision of the American dream, perhaps spurned by his own experiences as an immigrant. Depression-era audiences lapped up his sweetly sentimental screwball comedies, which often centered on the plight of the common man.
He earned his first Oscar nomination for directing “Lady for a Day” (1933), and his loss was infamously embarrassing: when presented Will Rogers opened the envelope, he said, “Come up and get it, Frank!” Capra bounded to the stage, only to learned that Frank Lloyd (“Cavalcade”) has won instead.
No matter, because...
- 5/10/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Columbia Pictures, the municipality of Cannes will present a free photographic exhibition titled “Lighting the Way: From the Torch Lady to Leading Ladies.” The photos will be on display for the general public on Cours Félix Faure in Cannes from May 13 to June 10.
Led by Columbia Pictures’ iconic Lady with the Torch, the exhibition will consist of over 30 rare photographs from Columbia’s archive and highlighting legendary actresses from Hollywood’s Golden Age and beyond, including Katherine Hepburn, Deborah Kerr, Claudette Colbert, Ann-Margret, Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Julia Roberts, Michelle Yeoh and Rita Hayworth. A restored version of Hayworth’s Gilda is screening as part of the Cannes Film Festival’s Cannes Classics program this year.
Said Tom Rothman, Chairman & CEO of Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group, “Columbia Pictures may have been founded by men, but women have always been vital to its growth and impact.
Led by Columbia Pictures’ iconic Lady with the Torch, the exhibition will consist of over 30 rare photographs from Columbia’s archive and highlighting legendary actresses from Hollywood’s Golden Age and beyond, including Katherine Hepburn, Deborah Kerr, Claudette Colbert, Ann-Margret, Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Julia Roberts, Michelle Yeoh and Rita Hayworth. A restored version of Hayworth’s Gilda is screening as part of the Cannes Film Festival’s Cannes Classics program this year.
Said Tom Rothman, Chairman & CEO of Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group, “Columbia Pictures may have been founded by men, but women have always been vital to its growth and impact.
- 5/10/2024
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Every filmmaker and actor, and literally every other person somehow related to the world of cinema is getting extremely nervous when the Oscars season comes around. While there are definitely several movies that are considered to be chosen as best pictures in advance, still the hope is something that can’t be taken away from anybody.
Winning an Academy Award is very prestigious and is literally the highest honor for work done in the movie industry. But can you imagine the happiness and overall excitement that an Oscar sweep can bring to a team?
Winning 5 major nominations is probably every creative team's dream, but there were only three films that managed to make the dream come true. Let's take a look at the movies that took home Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay all at once.
It Happened One Night (1934)
Frank Capra's film was the one that,...
Winning an Academy Award is very prestigious and is literally the highest honor for work done in the movie industry. But can you imagine the happiness and overall excitement that an Oscar sweep can bring to a team?
Winning 5 major nominations is probably every creative team's dream, but there were only three films that managed to make the dream come true. Let's take a look at the movies that took home Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay all at once.
It Happened One Night (1934)
Frank Capra's film was the one that,...
- 5/6/2024
- by info@startefacts.com (Rachel Bailey)
- STartefacts.com
Terry Carter, who portrayed Pvt. Sugie Sugarman on The Phil Silvers Show, the sidekick of Dennis Weaver’s character on McCloud and Colonel Tigh on the original version of Battlestar Galactica, has died. He was 95.
Carter died Tuesday at his home in Manhattan, his son, Miguel Carter DeCoste, told The New York Times.
Carter appeared three times on Broadway early in his career and produced and directed a documentary on jazz legend Duke Ellington for PBS’ American Masters series in 1988.
The Brooklyn native appeared on all four seasons (1955-59) of CBS’ The Phil Silvers Show (also known as Sgt. Bilko) as Pvt. Sugarman. He then played Sgt. Joe Broadhurst alongside Weaver’s Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud on NBC’s McCloud from 1970-77 and Tigh in the 1978 Battlestar Galactica movie and 1978-79 ABC series.
An only child, John Everett DeCoste was born in Brooklyn on Dec. 16, 1928. He graduated from Stuyvesant High...
Carter died Tuesday at his home in Manhattan, his son, Miguel Carter DeCoste, told The New York Times.
Carter appeared three times on Broadway early in his career and produced and directed a documentary on jazz legend Duke Ellington for PBS’ American Masters series in 1988.
The Brooklyn native appeared on all four seasons (1955-59) of CBS’ The Phil Silvers Show (also known as Sgt. Bilko) as Pvt. Sugarman. He then played Sgt. Joe Broadhurst alongside Weaver’s Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud on NBC’s McCloud from 1970-77 and Tigh in the 1978 Battlestar Galactica movie and 1978-79 ABC series.
An only child, John Everett DeCoste was born in Brooklyn on Dec. 16, 1928. He graduated from Stuyvesant High...
- 4/23/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Since the inception of the Academy Awards, the U.S.-based organization behind them has always strived to honor worldwide film achievements. Their extensive roster of competitive acting winners alone consists of artists from 30 unique countries, three of which first gained representation during the 2020s. The last full decade’s worth of triumphant performers hail from eight countries, while 42.1% of the individual actors nominated during that time originate from outside of America.
The academy’s history of recognizing acting talent on a global scale dates all the way back to the inaugural Oscars ceremony in 1929, when Swiss-born Emil Jannings (who was of German and American parentage) won Best Actor for his work in both “The Last Command” and “The Way of All Flesh.” Over the next three years, the Best Actress prize was exclusively awarded to Canadians: Mary Pickford (“Coquette”), Norma Shearer (“The Divorcee”), and Marie Dressler (“Min and Bill...
The academy’s history of recognizing acting talent on a global scale dates all the way back to the inaugural Oscars ceremony in 1929, when Swiss-born Emil Jannings (who was of German and American parentage) won Best Actor for his work in both “The Last Command” and “The Way of All Flesh.” Over the next three years, the Best Actress prize was exclusively awarded to Canadians: Mary Pickford (“Coquette”), Norma Shearer (“The Divorcee”), and Marie Dressler (“Min and Bill...
- 3/18/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Just 30 minutes after final voting for the Screen Actors Guild Awards wrapped up, I made a last-minute switch in my best actress prediction — from Lily Gladstone in “Killers of the Flower Moon” to Emma Stone in “Poor Things.” Let this be a lesson: Second-guessing yourself is seldom a good idea.
Lily Gladstone made history as the first Native American and Indigenous person to clinch an individual SAG Award for her portrayal of Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman, in Martin Scorsese’s gripping crime saga. With a lead actress (drama) Golden Globe and a SAG Award now under her belt, Gladstone’s award-season momentum continues to be formidable. Historically, only seven performers have failed to win the Oscar after winning the unique combination of Globe and SAG:
1995: Lauren Bacall (“The Mirror Has Two Faces”) lost to Juliette Binoche 2001: Russell Crowe (“A Beautiful Mind”) lost to Denzel Washington (“Training Day...
Lily Gladstone made history as the first Native American and Indigenous person to clinch an individual SAG Award for her portrayal of Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman, in Martin Scorsese’s gripping crime saga. With a lead actress (drama) Golden Globe and a SAG Award now under her belt, Gladstone’s award-season momentum continues to be formidable. Historically, only seven performers have failed to win the Oscar after winning the unique combination of Globe and SAG:
1995: Lauren Bacall (“The Mirror Has Two Faces”) lost to Juliette Binoche 2001: Russell Crowe (“A Beautiful Mind”) lost to Denzel Washington (“Training Day...
- 2/25/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Frank Capra’s 1934 charmer helped to set the foundation for the genre with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert bickering and flirting their way into film history
“I was just wondering what makes dames like you so dizzy.” So queries Peter (Clark Gable), a crafty if unemployed newspaper writer, in It Happened One Night. He’s speaking to Ellie (Claudette Colbert), the missing heiress and potential story serving as his traveling companion, and he doesn’t get a definitive answer.
For that matter, Ellie isn’t particularly dizzy on the scale of screwball dames of the 1930s. She’s a little spoiled, sure, not especially wise to the ways of waiting in line with the common folk, and by her own admittance never before alone with a man. But within those parameters, she’s relatively levelheaded and frequently resourceful – she knows her way around hitchhiking, anyway – and Peter’s question seems especially rhetorical.
“I was just wondering what makes dames like you so dizzy.” So queries Peter (Clark Gable), a crafty if unemployed newspaper writer, in It Happened One Night. He’s speaking to Ellie (Claudette Colbert), the missing heiress and potential story serving as his traveling companion, and he doesn’t get a definitive answer.
For that matter, Ellie isn’t particularly dizzy on the scale of screwball dames of the 1930s. She’s a little spoiled, sure, not especially wise to the ways of waiting in line with the common folk, and by her own admittance never before alone with a man. But within those parameters, she’s relatively levelheaded and frequently resourceful – she knows her way around hitchhiking, anyway – and Peter’s question seems especially rhetorical.
- 2/23/2024
- by Jesse Hassenger
- The Guardian - Film News
“It Happened One Night,” which premiered at Radio City Music Hall on Feb. 22, 1934, helped usher in the screwball romantic comedy, changed the careers of stars Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, director Frank Capra and screenwriter Robert Riskin and transformed the Poverty Row Columbia Pictures into a major player. And let’s not forget, “It Happened One Night” also made Oscar history winning five major Oscars: picture, director, adapted screenplay and both actor and actress. It would be 41 years before “One Flew of the Cuckoo’s Nest” would accomplish the same feat at the Academy Awards.
Based on the short story “Night Bus,” the smart, endearing road movie focuses on spoiled rotten Ellie Andrews (Colbert) who has gone against her wealthy father’s (Walter Connelly) wishes by marrying the gold-digging King Westley (Jameson Thomas). Before their wedding night, her father whisked her away to his yacht in Florida. She manages to...
Based on the short story “Night Bus,” the smart, endearing road movie focuses on spoiled rotten Ellie Andrews (Colbert) who has gone against her wealthy father’s (Walter Connelly) wishes by marrying the gold-digging King Westley (Jameson Thomas). Before their wedding night, her father whisked her away to his yacht in Florida. She manages to...
- 2/20/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Clockwise from top left: Notting Hill (Universal Pictures), Love & Basketball (New Line Cinema), Amelie (20th Century Fox),Say Anything (Ugc-Fox Distribution)Graphic: The A.V. Club
Running through the airport to stop a lover’s flight. Making a big speech in front of a crowd of strangers. Picking the perfect song for a serenade.
Running through the airport to stop a lover’s flight. Making a big speech in front of a crowd of strangers. Picking the perfect song for a serenade.
- 2/12/2024
- by Mary Kate Carr, Gabrielle Sanchez, and Saloni Gajjar
- avclub.com
This weekend, Amazon introduced us to the world of Expats. The series featuring Nicole Kidman is about the intersecting lives of expatriates in Hong Kong. Along with Kidman, the six-part series stars Sarayu Blue, Ji-young Yoo, Brian Tee, and Jack Huston. It’s a bold work from the acclaimed novel “The Expatriates” by Janice Y.K. Lee, one that is impressively brought to life by filmmaker Lulu Wang. Wang, who directed the fantastic The Farewell, is a perfect fit to get Expats off the page.
Jack Huston and Brian Tee are both terrific in the series. And having interviewed Mr. Huston a few times before, it was delightful to chat with him again. The two talked about taking on this series, working with Lulu Wang, and their connection with the source material. Jack also discussed trusting the filmmaker to create a compelling and emotional role.
Happily, it didn’t end with the charming Huston and Tee.
Jack Huston and Brian Tee are both terrific in the series. And having interviewed Mr. Huston a few times before, it was delightful to chat with him again. The two talked about taking on this series, working with Lulu Wang, and their connection with the source material. Jack also discussed trusting the filmmaker to create a compelling and emotional role.
Happily, it didn’t end with the charming Huston and Tee.
- 1/30/2024
- by JimmyO
- JoBlo.com
Clark Gable is the Oscar-winning matinee idol who starred in dozens of films before his untimely death in 1960, but how many of those titles are classics? Let’s take a look back at 12 of Gable’s greatest movies, ranked worst to best.
After appearing in bit parts in a number of films, Gable shot to stardom with his performance in “A Free Soul” (1931) as a gangster who bewitches a young woman (Norma Shearer) whose attorney father (Lionel Barrymore) helped him beat a murder rap. From there forward, the actor’s persona as a raffish leading man who’s every guy’s best friend and every gal’s dream became cemented in a number of subsequent roles.
He won an Oscar just three years later for Frank Capra‘s screwball classic “It Happened One Night” (1934), in which he played a newspaper reporter traveling with a spoiled socialite (Claudette Colbert). The film...
After appearing in bit parts in a number of films, Gable shot to stardom with his performance in “A Free Soul” (1931) as a gangster who bewitches a young woman (Norma Shearer) whose attorney father (Lionel Barrymore) helped him beat a murder rap. From there forward, the actor’s persona as a raffish leading man who’s every guy’s best friend and every gal’s dream became cemented in a number of subsequent roles.
He won an Oscar just three years later for Frank Capra‘s screwball classic “It Happened One Night” (1934), in which he played a newspaper reporter traveling with a spoiled socialite (Claudette Colbert). The film...
- 1/26/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
The dust still hasn’t settled on the 96th annual Academy Award nominations due to the uproar over the “Barbie” snubs for Best Actress for Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig for Best Director. They still earned Oscar nominations for the cultural phenomena that was the No. 1 film of 2023 with an international box office of $1.4 billion. Robbie and Gerwig received noms as producer for the Best Picture nominee and Gerwig also was garnered a nomination for co-writing the adapted screenplay. But the film is about female empowerment, so it’s beyond ironic it was Ken (Ryan Gosling), not Barbie, who received Oscar recognition.
Gosling wasn’t happy: “Against all odds with nothing but a couple of soulless, scantily clad, and thankfully crotchless dolls, made us laugh, they broke our hearts, they pushed the culture and made history. Their work should be recognized along with the other very deserving nominees.”
America Ferrera,...
Gosling wasn’t happy: “Against all odds with nothing but a couple of soulless, scantily clad, and thankfully crotchless dolls, made us laugh, they broke our hearts, they pushed the culture and made history. Their work should be recognized along with the other very deserving nominees.”
America Ferrera,...
- 1/25/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
For the second time in six years, the Best Actress category looked to be on track to feature nominees from films nominated for Best Picture. But just like six years ago, it came up short — and it once again involved Margot Robbie.
Annette Bening (“Nyad”), Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Sandra Hüller (“Anatomy of a Fall”), Carey Mulligan (“Maestro”) and Emma Stone (“Poor Things”) made the Best Actress cut on Tuesday. Every film but “Nyad” is nominated for Best Picture. Gladstone, Hüller, Mulligan and Stone were all expected to get in, but Bening was in seventh place in the odds. Now a five-time nominee, she made it in over Robbie, who was in fifth place in the odds and headlines Best Picture nominee “Barbie” (Robbie is nominated as producer).
Six years ago, it was the reverse situation with Robbie. She earned her first career Oscar nomination for her...
Annette Bening (“Nyad”), Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Sandra Hüller (“Anatomy of a Fall”), Carey Mulligan (“Maestro”) and Emma Stone (“Poor Things”) made the Best Actress cut on Tuesday. Every film but “Nyad” is nominated for Best Picture. Gladstone, Hüller, Mulligan and Stone were all expected to get in, but Bening was in seventh place in the odds. Now a five-time nominee, she made it in over Robbie, who was in fifth place in the odds and headlines Best Picture nominee “Barbie” (Robbie is nominated as producer).
Six years ago, it was the reverse situation with Robbie. She earned her first career Oscar nomination for her...
- 1/24/2024
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Annette Bening, the guest on this episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, is one of the most talented and admired actresses of her generation. Vanity Fair has called her “a leading lady from the old school,” who “epitomizes the wit and glamour of modern Hollywood.” The Los Angeles Times has said she “brings to mind such Golden Age actresses as Bette Davis, Claudette Colbert and Barbara Stanwyck — sassy, ready-for-anything heroines a half-step ahead of their man.”
Over the course of some 35 years in the business, Bening has given standout performances in films like 1990’s The Grifters, 1991’s Bugsy, 1995’s The American President, 1999’s American Beauty, 2004’s Being Julia, 2010’s The Kids Are All Right, 2016’s 20th Century Women and 2017’s Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool. Most recently, she starred in 2023’s Nyad, in which she portrays Diana Nyad, a woman who spent years of her...
Over the course of some 35 years in the business, Bening has given standout performances in films like 1990’s The Grifters, 1991’s Bugsy, 1995’s The American President, 1999’s American Beauty, 2004’s Being Julia, 2010’s The Kids Are All Right, 2016’s 20th Century Women and 2017’s Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool. Most recently, she starred in 2023’s Nyad, in which she portrays Diana Nyad, a woman who spent years of her...
- 1/23/2024
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Indie producer Harry Cohn, brother Jack and their associate Joe Brandt created the CBC Film Sales Company in 1918. And on Jan. 10, 1924, the trio formed the Poverty Row studio, Columbia Pictures. According to Enclyclopedia.com, by the mid-20s “Cohn had gained reputation as one of the industry’s toughest businessmen.” That’s putting it mildly.
Though “B” movies and series such as The Three Stooges, “Blondie” and “The Lone Wolf” were the bread and butter of the studio, Cohn slowly attracted top talent and directors and turned such newcomers as Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, William Holden and Kim Novak into stars.
Frank Capra changed the fortunes of the studio. Signing with Columbia in 1928, he made 25 films for Columbia. His optimistic, common man movies attracted critics and audiences alike during the Depression. His 1934 screwball comedy “It Happened One Night,” penned by Robert Riskin and starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, swept the Oscars winning five.
Though “B” movies and series such as The Three Stooges, “Blondie” and “The Lone Wolf” were the bread and butter of the studio, Cohn slowly attracted top talent and directors and turned such newcomers as Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, William Holden and Kim Novak into stars.
Frank Capra changed the fortunes of the studio. Signing with Columbia in 1928, he made 25 films for Columbia. His optimistic, common man movies attracted critics and audiences alike during the Depression. His 1934 screwball comedy “It Happened One Night,” penned by Robert Riskin and starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, swept the Oscars winning five.
- 1/8/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
If Hollywood truly suffers from a leadership malaise, as some charge, would the return of Monroe Stahr resuscitate the system? Filmmakers respect his judgment, stars his panache and investors his discipline, so Stahr’s return may ignite a new Irving Thalberg-like era.
Whoops — he’s not available.
The manic and manipulative hero of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Last Tycoon ruled MGM in its ‘30s heyday, but Stahr’s fictional reign was short-lived. So was Fitzgerald’s brilliant but never completed 1939 novel, which modeled Stahr after Thalberg.
Having achieved literary stardom with The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald’s decision to write a Hollywood novel, while simultaneously working as a script doctor, plunged the novelist into alcoholic paralysis. He never managed to finish his book and even his screenplays were unrealized.
The Last Tycoon briefly flickered back to life as a movie thanks to the great Elia Kazan, who cast Robert De Niro,...
Whoops — he’s not available.
The manic and manipulative hero of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Last Tycoon ruled MGM in its ‘30s heyday, but Stahr’s fictional reign was short-lived. So was Fitzgerald’s brilliant but never completed 1939 novel, which modeled Stahr after Thalberg.
Having achieved literary stardom with The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald’s decision to write a Hollywood novel, while simultaneously working as a script doctor, plunged the novelist into alcoholic paralysis. He never managed to finish his book and even his screenplays were unrealized.
The Last Tycoon briefly flickered back to life as a movie thanks to the great Elia Kazan, who cast Robert De Niro,...
- 1/4/2024
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Alice Walker published her acclaimed novel “The Color Purple” in 1982. It sold five million copies; Walker became the first Black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize and she also received the National Book Club Award. Three years later, Steven Spielberg directed the lauded film version which made stars out of Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover. It earned 11 Oscar nominations. The story revolves around a young woman who suffers abuse from her father and husband for four decades until she finds her own identity. Not exactly the stuff of a Broadway musical.
But the 2005 tuner version received strong reviews, ran 910 performances and earned ten Tony nominations, winning best actress for Lachanze. The 2015 production picked up two Tonys for best revival and actress for Cynthia Erivo. The movie musical version opened strong Christmas Day with $18 million and is a strong contender in several Oscar categories especially for Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks.
But the 2005 tuner version received strong reviews, ran 910 performances and earned ten Tony nominations, winning best actress for Lachanze. The 2015 production picked up two Tonys for best revival and actress for Cynthia Erivo. The movie musical version opened strong Christmas Day with $18 million and is a strong contender in several Oscar categories especially for Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks.
- 1/2/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
The current Oscar frontrunners for Best Actor and Best Actress according to the combined predictions of Gold Derby users are Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”) and Emma Stone (“Poor Things”). However, they both face serious competition from the stars of “Maestro,” Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan. If the co-stars both win, “Maestro” would be the first film since “As Good As It Gets” to win both lead acting Oscars.
SEEBradley Cooper (‘Maestro’) makes Critics Choice Awards history
“Maestro” chronicles the decades-long relationship between conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein (Cooper) and actress Felicia Montealegre (Mulligan). Their love story spans over 30 years from the time they met at a party in 1946 and continuing through their quarter-century marriage. But winning matching Oscars isn’t easy. To date only seven films have won both lead acting awards. They are:
“It Happened One Night” (1934) – Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975) – Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher...
SEEBradley Cooper (‘Maestro’) makes Critics Choice Awards history
“Maestro” chronicles the decades-long relationship between conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein (Cooper) and actress Felicia Montealegre (Mulligan). Their love story spans over 30 years from the time they met at a party in 1946 and continuing through their quarter-century marriage. But winning matching Oscars isn’t easy. To date only seven films have won both lead acting awards. They are:
“It Happened One Night” (1934) – Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975) – Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher...
- 12/27/2023
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
A convincing romantic and erotic attraction, we can all agree, is one of the keys to a good rom-com. Do you believe these two people love each other? Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell definitely have that in “Anyone but You.” It begins with the simple fact that both are such splendid camera objects. She, with her goldfish eyes and pout of self-possession, looks like a more wised-up, no-nonsense Brigitte Bardot, while he, with his squinty eyes and killer grin, resembles Tom Cruise with a weird touch of the young Dustin Hoffman’s geek glamour. These two have “mega movie stars of tomorrow” written all over them, though not merely because they look so good. Both are lightning-fast actors, delivering the spiked screwball banter and — important for this movie — the toxic insults with airy aplomb.
For, of course, the history of romantic comedy is also powered by another dynamic, one nearly as important as love.
For, of course, the history of romantic comedy is also powered by another dynamic, one nearly as important as love.
- 12/21/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
“We didn’t need dialogue. We had faces,” proclaimed former silent film queen Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) in Billy Wilder’s 1950 masterwork “Sunset Boulevard.” One of the greatest faces of the era belonged to French actor Albert Dieudonne who starred in Abel Gance’s breathtaking 1927 epic “Napoleon.” With this dark eyes, distinct nose and rock star style hair, Dieudonne channels the infamous French military leader and emperor who conquered most of Europe in the early 19th century until his disastrous 1812 invasion of Russia. Exiled to Elba in 1814, he emerged once again and suffered a massive defeat at Waterloo in 1815. He died in exile six years later at the age of 51.
Dieudonne commands the 5 ½ hour film restored by Kevin Brownlow which features the jaw-dropping triptych finale that is as exciting now as it was 96 years ago. BFI states that the film is “monumental and visionary, the story’s chapters play out...
Dieudonne commands the 5 ½ hour film restored by Kevin Brownlow which features the jaw-dropping triptych finale that is as exciting now as it was 96 years ago. BFI states that the film is “monumental and visionary, the story’s chapters play out...
- 12/1/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Vivien Leigh was the two-time Oscar winner who made only a handful of films before her untimely death in 1967 at the age of 53. Yet several of those titles remain classics. Let’s take a look back at 10 of her greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in British India, Leigh appeared in a number of roles on both the stage and screen in England, including a production of “Hamlet” opposite her husband, Laurence Olivier.
She came to international attention after landing the coveted role of Scarlet O’Hara in David O. Selznick’s massive adaptation of Margaret Mitchell‘s bestseller “Gone with the Wind” (1939). Leigh was far from the first choice to embody the headstrong Southern belle who pines after a married man (Leslie Howard) while wedding another (Clark Gable) against the backdrop of the Civil War. Yet the relatively unknown thespian beat out the likes of Bette Davis, Claudette Colbert,...
Born in British India, Leigh appeared in a number of roles on both the stage and screen in England, including a production of “Hamlet” opposite her husband, Laurence Olivier.
She came to international attention after landing the coveted role of Scarlet O’Hara in David O. Selznick’s massive adaptation of Margaret Mitchell‘s bestseller “Gone with the Wind” (1939). Leigh was far from the first choice to embody the headstrong Southern belle who pines after a married man (Leslie Howard) while wedding another (Clark Gable) against the backdrop of the Civil War. Yet the relatively unknown thespian beat out the likes of Bette Davis, Claudette Colbert,...
- 10/28/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Who can forget the delightful hitchhiking scene in It Happened One Night, or Clarence the angel earning his wings in It’s a Wonderful Life, or Mr. Smith collapsing in the midst of his epic filibuster in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington?
Those black and white moments and the films they’re a part of are deeply embedded in our collective cultural memory, all crafted by an unlikely cinematic author: Frank Capra, a diminutive immigrant from Sicily, born to uneducated parents, who appeared destined not for a life in the dream factory of Hollywood, but a faceless working stiff’s existence.
Frank Capra in 1937
Capra not only achieved great success as a director, winning three Academy Awards, but his films managed to capture a basic Americanness, bedrock qualities the mass of people wanted to believe about themselves in the 1930s and ‘40s – resilient, altruistic, and optimistic despite enormous hardships.
Frank Capra: Mr.
Those black and white moments and the films they’re a part of are deeply embedded in our collective cultural memory, all crafted by an unlikely cinematic author: Frank Capra, a diminutive immigrant from Sicily, born to uneducated parents, who appeared destined not for a life in the dream factory of Hollywood, but a faceless working stiff’s existence.
Frank Capra in 1937
Capra not only achieved great success as a director, winning three Academy Awards, but his films managed to capture a basic Americanness, bedrock qualities the mass of people wanted to believe about themselves in the 1930s and ‘40s – resilient, altruistic, and optimistic despite enormous hardships.
Frank Capra: Mr.
- 9/1/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
He is best remembered as the affable dad on the long-running television series “My Three Sons” and for his good-natured characters in a string in Disney films. But Fred MacMurray had a rich and varied career that spanned over half a century.
Frederick Martin MacMurray was born on August 30, 1908, in Kankakee, Il. His father was a concert violinist, and young Fred initially followed his father steps into the music business. He worked as a saxophonist and vocalist to pay his way through college, eventually moving to Los Angeles and joining the California Collegians vocal ensemble. This led him cross-country to Broadway, where he was discovered by a Paramount scout, who brought him back to L.A. and film stardom.
MacMurray is widely considered one of the most underrated actors of the Golden Age of Hollywood. He held his own against some of the industry’s most talented actresses, including four...
Frederick Martin MacMurray was born on August 30, 1908, in Kankakee, Il. His father was a concert violinist, and young Fred initially followed his father steps into the music business. He worked as a saxophonist and vocalist to pay his way through college, eventually moving to Los Angeles and joining the California Collegians vocal ensemble. This led him cross-country to Broadway, where he was discovered by a Paramount scout, who brought him back to L.A. and film stardom.
MacMurray is widely considered one of the most underrated actors of the Golden Age of Hollywood. He held his own against some of the industry’s most talented actresses, including four...
- 8/25/2023
- by Susan Pennington, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
“That’s not art. A striptease isn’t art. It’s too direct. It’s more direct than art.”
That line from Akira Kurosawa’s “Ikiru” sums up a lot of feelings people seem to have about nudity in film. The history of painting and sculpture is full of nude portraiture, which is regularly and comfortably classified as art. But the nude scene in movies is rarely discussed alongside a Canova marble statue or Manet’s “Olympia.” Movies blur the boundaries between “real life” and artistic indirection so thoroughly that people discuss nude scenes in movies as practically everything but art. It’s “content” that deserves an “advisory,” or something akin to “porn,” however the Supreme Court is classifying that these days.
As many have noted, the very nature of the actor’s job demands the audience look at them. So when nudity enters the (literal) picture, it complicates the relationship between viewer and viewed.
That line from Akira Kurosawa’s “Ikiru” sums up a lot of feelings people seem to have about nudity in film. The history of painting and sculpture is full of nude portraiture, which is regularly and comfortably classified as art. But the nude scene in movies is rarely discussed alongside a Canova marble statue or Manet’s “Olympia.” Movies blur the boundaries between “real life” and artistic indirection so thoroughly that people discuss nude scenes in movies as practically everything but art. It’s “content” that deserves an “advisory,” or something akin to “porn,” however the Supreme Court is classifying that these days.
As many have noted, the very nature of the actor’s job demands the audience look at them. So when nudity enters the (literal) picture, it complicates the relationship between viewer and viewed.
- 6/28/2023
- by Alison Foreman and Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
John Legend is writing the score to a stage adaptation of the 1959 film Imitation of Life.
The musical, which is in development and aiming for Broadway, features a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage (Sweat, Ruined) and direction by Liesl Tommy, who directed Danai Gurira’s Eclipsed on Broadway. The production held a private industry reading at the end of April.
Universal Theatrical Group and Get Lifted Film Co, a production company led by Legend, as well as producer Mike Jackson and Friends at Work CEO Ty Stiklorius, are producing the musical.
Imitation of Life, which originated as a 1933 novel written by Fannie Hurst, follows Delilah Johnston, a Black woman and mother living in Atlantic City in the 1920s with her daughter Peola, who passes as white. Johnston forms a friendship and business partnership with Bea Pullman, a white woman who is a widow, and must navigate the...
The musical, which is in development and aiming for Broadway, features a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage (Sweat, Ruined) and direction by Liesl Tommy, who directed Danai Gurira’s Eclipsed on Broadway. The production held a private industry reading at the end of April.
Universal Theatrical Group and Get Lifted Film Co, a production company led by Legend, as well as producer Mike Jackson and Friends at Work CEO Ty Stiklorius, are producing the musical.
Imitation of Life, which originated as a 1933 novel written by Fannie Hurst, follows Delilah Johnston, a Black woman and mother living in Atlantic City in the 1920s with her daughter Peola, who passes as white. Johnston forms a friendship and business partnership with Bea Pullman, a white woman who is a widow, and must navigate the...
- 6/26/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A stage musical adaptation of the Fannie Hurst novel Imitation of Life and its film versions is under development at Universal Theatrical Group, with Lynn Nottage writing the book and John Legend handling the music and lyrics. Liesl Tommy is attached to direct.
Following a private industry reading that took place April 24-28 in New York City, Universal Theatrical Group — the live theater division of Universal Pictures — announced the further development of the project today.
Liesl Tommy
Imitation of Life will be produced for the stage by Universal Theatrical Group and Get Lifted Film Co. The musical is being developed for Broadway.
The novel originally was published in 1933, with Universal Pictures producing two film adaptations — the first directed by John Stahl in 1934 and starring Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers, and the second in 1959, with stars Lana Turner and Juanita Moore directed by Douglas Sirk. The 1934 film was Oscar-nominated, and the...
Following a private industry reading that took place April 24-28 in New York City, Universal Theatrical Group — the live theater division of Universal Pictures — announced the further development of the project today.
Liesl Tommy
Imitation of Life will be produced for the stage by Universal Theatrical Group and Get Lifted Film Co. The musical is being developed for Broadway.
The novel originally was published in 1933, with Universal Pictures producing two film adaptations — the first directed by John Stahl in 1934 and starring Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers, and the second in 1959, with stars Lana Turner and Juanita Moore directed by Douglas Sirk. The 1934 film was Oscar-nominated, and the...
- 6/26/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Cleopatra is one of the most iconic and famous people in the world. There is no doubt that the former female ruler of Ancient Egypt was one of the most influential in history, and that influence is something that is still recognized in the modern era.
There have been a number of films to have been made about her, with many of them having gone on to achieve plenty of success. When it comes down to trying to work out the best 10 films to have featured her, it can become rather tricky. While the sheer number of them makes it difficult, it is also important to recognize that there are many that are simply brilliantly put together, and the actresses that portrayed the former empress did a stellar job.
What are the 10 best Cleopatra films?
When trying to think of the 10 best Cleopatra films to have ever been released, it...
There have been a number of films to have been made about her, with many of them having gone on to achieve plenty of success. When it comes down to trying to work out the best 10 films to have featured her, it can become rather tricky. While the sheer number of them makes it difficult, it is also important to recognize that there are many that are simply brilliantly put together, and the actresses that portrayed the former empress did a stellar job.
What are the 10 best Cleopatra films?
When trying to think of the 10 best Cleopatra films to have ever been released, it...
- 4/25/2023
- by Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Hedy Lamarr starred in Jack Conway’s Boom Town with Spencer Tracy, Claudette Colbert, Clark Gable, and Frank Morgan (in the exhibition) Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Hedy Lamarr: Actress. Inventor. Viennese is an impressive exhibition curated by Danielle Spera (director of the Jewish Museum Vienna from 2010 - 2022) and designed by Stefan Fuhrer (Fuhrer Vienna) at the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York. You can watch scenes from Georg Jacoby”s Money on the Street with Heinz Rühmann, Carl Boese’s No Money is Needed, Gustav Machatý Ecstasy, John Cromwell’s Algiers (1938), Georg Misch’s Calling Hedy Lamarr (2004), and Hedy Lamarr – An Ingenious Mind (2022).
Danielle Spera with Anne-Katrin Titze on the KaDeWe Group Lamarr building, Rem Koolhaas and his Oma partners: “Ellen van Loon is the architect and she is great to work with …”
Hedy’s beauty was an inspiration for Walt Disney’s Snow White, Batman co-creator Bob Kane’s Catwoman,...
Hedy Lamarr: Actress. Inventor. Viennese is an impressive exhibition curated by Danielle Spera (director of the Jewish Museum Vienna from 2010 - 2022) and designed by Stefan Fuhrer (Fuhrer Vienna) at the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York. You can watch scenes from Georg Jacoby”s Money on the Street with Heinz Rühmann, Carl Boese’s No Money is Needed, Gustav Machatý Ecstasy, John Cromwell’s Algiers (1938), Georg Misch’s Calling Hedy Lamarr (2004), and Hedy Lamarr – An Ingenious Mind (2022).
Danielle Spera with Anne-Katrin Titze on the KaDeWe Group Lamarr building, Rem Koolhaas and his Oma partners: “Ellen van Loon is the architect and she is great to work with …”
Hedy’s beauty was an inspiration for Walt Disney’s Snow White, Batman co-creator Bob Kane’s Catwoman,...
- 4/7/2023
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Comedy has been a popular genre for generations of film audiences seeking an escape from everyday troubles. Although these films often do well at the box office, the Academy is not always quick to reward lighter fare. However, there have been a few competitive acting wins over the past nine decades, and here we rank the 30 funniest of all time in the photo gallery above to wish you a Happy April Fools’ Day.
Out of these 30, there are five for Best Actor, including Jack Nicholson, who holds the record for male acting nominations, and 10 for Best Actress, including Barbra Streisand‘s win for her film debut in “Funny Girl,” which also resulted in a rare tie. Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert are included for their wins for “It Happened One Night,” which also holds the distinction of being the first of only three films to win the “Big Five”.
SEEOscar...
Out of these 30, there are five for Best Actor, including Jack Nicholson, who holds the record for male acting nominations, and 10 for Best Actress, including Barbra Streisand‘s win for her film debut in “Funny Girl,” which also resulted in a rare tie. Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert are included for their wins for “It Happened One Night,” which also holds the distinction of being the first of only three films to win the “Big Five”.
SEEOscar...
- 4/1/2023
- by Susan Pennington and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
“Murder Mystery,” a cheeky pasteboard detective thriller-meets-middle-aged romance that became a popular hit for Netflix four years ago, had the inspiration to team Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston as Nick and Audrey Spitz, a dweeby-sweet New York couple — he was a cop trying, and failing, to get promoted to detective; she was a hairdresser — whose marriage-on-auto-pilot needed a dose of shock therapy. They got it when they went on the European getaway that Nick, a compulsive cheapskate, had been promising to Audrey for 15 years. The two wound up on a yacht, at the party for a geezer aristocrat, which turned out to be his death sentence the moment he cut everyone there out of his will.
“Murder Mystery 2,” like “Murder Mystery” before it, is an agreeably slapdash casserole. The first film was an Agatha Christie knockoff, a kind of “Murder on the Idiot Express” with the two married American...
“Murder Mystery 2,” like “Murder Mystery” before it, is an agreeably slapdash casserole. The first film was an Agatha Christie knockoff, a kind of “Murder on the Idiot Express” with the two married American...
- 3/31/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Creating timeless comedies is a truly remarkable accomplishment for filmmakers. It’s no secret that all movie genres have the potential to age poorly, but comedy, especially, has an expiration date due to its contextual and individualistic nature. What’s funny today might not make sense in the future, and what tickles some people may leave others cold.
When it comes to picking the best comedy movies of all time, durability must be taken into account. How well does this film hold up now? Will it still be hilarious years from now?
After intense research, we’ve found the ten highest-rated comedy films that represent laugh-out-loud hilarity and will stand the test of time. We can’t guarantee these will elicit uproarious laughter from everyone – then again, if they don’t…maybe you should take a step back and reassess your comedic sensibilities – or at least vote for your favorite comedy on IMDb.
When it comes to picking the best comedy movies of all time, durability must be taken into account. How well does this film hold up now? Will it still be hilarious years from now?
After intense research, we’ve found the ten highest-rated comedy films that represent laugh-out-loud hilarity and will stand the test of time. We can’t guarantee these will elicit uproarious laughter from everyone – then again, if they don’t…maybe you should take a step back and reassess your comedic sensibilities – or at least vote for your favorite comedy on IMDb.
- 3/30/2023
- by Buddy TV
- buddytv.com
After spending a couple awards cycles on the sidelines, A24 reemerged this year with more Oscar nominations than any other studio–18 between six films: “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “The Whale,” “Aftersun,” “Causeway,” “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” and “Close.” The arthouse label is positioned to set an even more staggering record, though. If Oscar night, as it did in 2022, repeats both the SAG and DGA Awards–in other words, if “Eeaao” takes Best Actress (Michelle Yeoh), Best Supporting Actor (Ke Huy Quan), Best Supporting Actress (Jamie Lee Curtis), Best Director (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), and Best Picture, while Best Actor goes to “The Whale” (Brendan Fraser)–A24 will become the first studio in history to make a clean sweep of the top categories.
See Ke Huy Quan (‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’) on a comeback 30 years in the making: ‘I don’t take for granted for a second,...
See Ke Huy Quan (‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’) on a comeback 30 years in the making: ‘I don’t take for granted for a second,...
- 3/2/2023
- by Ronald Meyer
- Gold Derby
Before Frank Capra directed the 1946 classic, It’s a Wonderful Life, he made 1934’s It Happened One Night. It’s a romantic comedy that made Hollywood history as the first movie to perform a “clean sweep” at the Oscars‘ top five categories – Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Director, and Best Writing, Adaptation. Here’s why the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the right choice.
‘It Happened One Night’ revolutionized the rom-com genre L-r: Clark Gable as Peter Warne and Claudette Colbert as Ellie Andrews | Donaldson Collection/Getty Images
The rom-com genre goes all the way back to the days of William Shakespeare, which continues to find its way into contemporary takes on the genre. His plays inspired movies such as 2002’s 10 Things I Hate About You, 2006’s She’s the Man, and 2013’s Warm Bodies.
Buster Keaton’s 1924 classic film,...
‘It Happened One Night’ revolutionized the rom-com genre L-r: Clark Gable as Peter Warne and Claudette Colbert as Ellie Andrews | Donaldson Collection/Getty Images
The rom-com genre goes all the way back to the days of William Shakespeare, which continues to find its way into contemporary takes on the genre. His plays inspired movies such as 2002’s 10 Things I Hate About You, 2006’s She’s the Man, and 2013’s Warm Bodies.
Buster Keaton’s 1924 classic film,...
- 2/28/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Oscar-winning actor Clark Gable earned the name of “The King of Hollywood” thanks to his expansive career that spanned more than three decades and several genres. He wasn’t shy when it came to winning an award, but he also had a refreshingly unique take on the meaning behind such an accomplishment. Gable gave away the only Oscar he ever won to a child to teach them a lesson.
Clark Gable won an Oscar for ‘It Happened One Night’ Clark Gable | Getty Images
Gable won his first, and only, Oscar for the romantic comedy called It Happened One Night. The Frank Capra-directed film hit theaters in 1934, which was written by Robert Riskin based on Samuel Hopkins Adams’ short story.
The story follows a spoiled young woman named Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert), who suddenly marries a sketchy King Westley. In response, her father (Walter Connolly) sends her away on his yacht,...
Clark Gable won an Oscar for ‘It Happened One Night’ Clark Gable | Getty Images
Gable won his first, and only, Oscar for the romantic comedy called It Happened One Night. The Frank Capra-directed film hit theaters in 1934, which was written by Robert Riskin based on Samuel Hopkins Adams’ short story.
The story follows a spoiled young woman named Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert), who suddenly marries a sketchy King Westley. In response, her father (Walter Connolly) sends her away on his yacht,...
- 2/27/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
With the Academy Awards just a month away, it’s the perfect time to look at fun facts, trivia and tidbits for both this year and historically.
John Williams, who just turned 91, reaped his 53rd Oscar nomination for scoring Steven Spielberg’s movie memoir “The Fabelmans.” Three of his five Oscar wins are for Spielberg films. His first Oscar nomination was for Best Music for 1967’s “Valley of the Dolls” and his first win was for Best Music (scoring adaptation and original song score) for 1971’s “Fiddler on the Roof.” And what was the first film he scored? The long-forgotten 1958 Aip release 1958 “Daddy-o.”
In terms of nominations, Williams is second only to Walt Disney. During his 40-plus year film career, he received 26 Oscar — 22 of those were competitive — and a staggering 59 bids. At the 5th Oscars, he won an honorary Oscar for creating Mickey Mouse, while winning the Academy Award for...
John Williams, who just turned 91, reaped his 53rd Oscar nomination for scoring Steven Spielberg’s movie memoir “The Fabelmans.” Three of his five Oscar wins are for Spielberg films. His first Oscar nomination was for Best Music for 1967’s “Valley of the Dolls” and his first win was for Best Music (scoring adaptation and original song score) for 1971’s “Fiddler on the Roof.” And what was the first film he scored? The long-forgotten 1958 Aip release 1958 “Daddy-o.”
In terms of nominations, Williams is second only to Walt Disney. During his 40-plus year film career, he received 26 Oscar — 22 of those were competitive — and a staggering 59 bids. At the 5th Oscars, he won an honorary Oscar for creating Mickey Mouse, while winning the Academy Award for...
- 2/15/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
The Oscar front-runner for Best Picture, “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” got a massive boost on nominations morning when it reaped a leading 11 bids. Among those many citations was one for lead actress contender Michelle Yeoh, her first ever after working in the business for decades. Should “Everything Everywhere” go on to win Best Picture and Best Actress, it would become the 13th film in Oscar history to achieve such a feat.
Yeoh takes on the role of laundromat owner Evelyn Quan Wang in the multi-dimensional adventure flick directed by The Daniels (aka Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert). Her competitors in the Best Actress category are Cate Blanchett (“Tár”), Ana de Armas (“Blonde”), Andrea Riseborough (“To Leslie”) and Michelle Williams (“The Fabelmans”). So far this awards season, Yeoh has claimed the Comedy Golden Globe while Blanchett has taken home the Drama Golden Globe and the Critics Choice Award. Next up...
Yeoh takes on the role of laundromat owner Evelyn Quan Wang in the multi-dimensional adventure flick directed by The Daniels (aka Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert). Her competitors in the Best Actress category are Cate Blanchett (“Tár”), Ana de Armas (“Blonde”), Andrea Riseborough (“To Leslie”) and Michelle Williams (“The Fabelmans”). So far this awards season, Yeoh has claimed the Comedy Golden Globe while Blanchett has taken home the Drama Golden Globe and the Critics Choice Award. Next up...
- 1/25/2023
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
John M. Stahl’s superior melodrama is a focus point for the study of African-Americans in Hollywood. Businesswoman Claudette Colbert a housekeeper Louise Beavers raise their daughters together for a story that expresses the racial divide in simple terms. Determined to pass for white, Beavers’ daughter Fredi Washington rejects her mother outright. The tale of motherly sacrifice is in some ways more honest than later ‘social justice’ films about race, yet it sticks closely to Hollywood’s segregationist rules.
Imitation of Life
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1167
1934 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 110 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date January 10, 2023 / 39.95
Starring: Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Louise Beavers, Fredi Washington, Rochelle Hudson, Ned Sparks, Juanita Quigley, Alan Hale, Henry Armetta, Hattie McDaniel, Paul Porcasi, Teru Shimada, Madame Sul-Te-Wan, Jane Withers, Dorothy Black.
Cinematography: Merrit Gerstad
Costumes: Travis Banton
Art Director: Charles D. Hall
Film Editor: Philip Cahn, Maurice Wright
Original Music: Heinz Roemheld...
Imitation of Life
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1167
1934 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 110 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date January 10, 2023 / 39.95
Starring: Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Louise Beavers, Fredi Washington, Rochelle Hudson, Ned Sparks, Juanita Quigley, Alan Hale, Henry Armetta, Hattie McDaniel, Paul Porcasi, Teru Shimada, Madame Sul-Te-Wan, Jane Withers, Dorothy Black.
Cinematography: Merrit Gerstad
Costumes: Travis Banton
Art Director: Charles D. Hall
Film Editor: Philip Cahn, Maurice Wright
Original Music: Heinz Roemheld...
- 1/17/2023
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
One of the biggest names to come out of Hollywood's Golden Age is Clark Gable. The actor starred in several top-earning films, earned three Academy Award nominations for best actor, and won an Oscar for best actor in 1935. At the height of his popularity from the '30s through the '50s, Gable predominantly appeared in romantic comedies and dramas, capitalizing on his raw machismo, good looks, and boyish charisma. More than just a romantic lead, Gable commanded the screen with a presence ranging from charmingly easygoing to fiercely intense.
With an acting career spanning over three decades, Gable not only starred in some of the biggest movies during his heyday but practically defined Hollywood's Golden Age of cinema through his acclaimed performances. Here are the 14 best Clark Gable movies from the award-winning actor's extensive filmography. Let's dive into his most iconic feature film roles and overlooked classics that showcase...
With an acting career spanning over three decades, Gable not only starred in some of the biggest movies during his heyday but practically defined Hollywood's Golden Age of cinema through his acclaimed performances. Here are the 14 best Clark Gable movies from the award-winning actor's extensive filmography. Let's dive into his most iconic feature film roles and overlooked classics that showcase...
- 1/11/2023
- by Samuel Stone
- Slash Film
Considering all 10 TV acting Golden Globe categories, the widest age range of the year involves the Best Comedy Actress nominees. 51 years separate reigning champ Jean Smart (71) of HBO Max’s “Hacks” from first-timer Jenna Ortega (20) of Netflix’s “Wednesday,” while the gaps in the other categories range from 27 to 47 years. Smart is looking to break her own record as the all-time oldest recipient of this lead award, but she faces a formidable challenge from Ortega, who could set a new precedent as the youngest winner in this category and second youngest performer to snag a TV Golden Globe of any kind.
Rounding out the 2023 Best Comedy Actress lineup are Selena Gomez, Quinta Brunson, and Kaley Cuoco, making for an average age of 38. Ortega, who would be the first TV acting Golden Globe winner born during the 21st century, is the second youngest contender in this category’s history, after 19-year-old Patty Duke.
Rounding out the 2023 Best Comedy Actress lineup are Selena Gomez, Quinta Brunson, and Kaley Cuoco, making for an average age of 38. Ortega, who would be the first TV acting Golden Globe winner born during the 21st century, is the second youngest contender in this category’s history, after 19-year-old Patty Duke.
- 1/6/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
In 2019, 74-year-old Michael Douglas triumphed on his first Best TV Comedy Actor Golden Globe bid for “The Kominsky Method” and thus became the oldest person ever honored by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for lead acting on a continuing series. Last year, “Only Murders in the Building” star Steve Martin almost broke this record by two years, but ultimately came up short against Jason Sudeikis. With the reigning champ currently out of contention, Martin now has a second chance to make Golden Globes history.
Martin’s Best TV Comedy Actor bid for the second season of Hulu’s “Only Murders” already makes him the oldest man to ever compete in the category. He surpasses Wilfrid Hyde-White, who was eight months younger than Martin is now when he unsuccessfully vied for the prize as the star of “The Associates” in 1980. He lost to Alan Alda (“M*A*S*H”), who was...
Martin’s Best TV Comedy Actor bid for the second season of Hulu’s “Only Murders” already makes him the oldest man to ever compete in the category. He surpasses Wilfrid Hyde-White, who was eight months younger than Martin is now when he unsuccessfully vied for the prize as the star of “The Associates” in 1980. He lost to Alan Alda (“M*A*S*H”), who was...
- 1/6/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
It's very difficult to imagine anyone other than Bette Davis playing Margo Channing, the aging, acid-tongued theater star that finds her life being stolen out from under her in "All About Eve." Before production began on the 1950 film, however, director Joseph L. Mankiewicz and producer Darryl F. Zanuck were doing just that. While names like Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, and Barbara Stanwyck were considered, comedy queen Claudette Colbert eventually won the role — but she eventually lost it after suffering an injury on the set of "Three Came Home."
There's no doubt that Colbert would have done a fine job in "All About Eve." She was a fantastic actress, having risen to fame in the '30s playing sly, smart women, each with an unshakable degree of class. She was 47 when she was cast in the Mankiewicz picture, and, not unlike Margo herself, Colbert was struggling to reconcile her age in...
There's no doubt that Colbert would have done a fine job in "All About Eve." She was a fantastic actress, having risen to fame in the '30s playing sly, smart women, each with an unshakable degree of class. She was 47 when she was cast in the Mankiewicz picture, and, not unlike Margo herself, Colbert was struggling to reconcile her age in...
- 1/5/2023
- by Lyvie Scott
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
Diane McBain, whose career playing spoiled rich girls included turns as the yacht owner Daphne Dutton on the ABC crime show Surfside 6 and an author stalking Elvis Presley in Spinout, has died. She was 81.
McBain died Wednesday morning at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills after a battle with liver cancer, her friend and writing partner, Michael Gregg Michaud, told The Hollywood Reporter.
McBain also guest-starred on four episodes of ABC’s Batman, first as a hat shop assistant who’s in cahoots with David Wayne’s Mad Hatter in 1966 and then as stamp company proprietor Pinky Pinkston — she wore only pink and had a pink dog — on the memorable 1967 installment that featured The Green Hornet (Van Williams) and Kato (Bruce Lee).
In her first film, McBain appeared with Richard Burton in Vincent Sherman’s Ice Storm (1960), then...
Diane McBain, whose career playing spoiled rich girls included turns as the yacht owner Daphne Dutton on the ABC crime show Surfside 6 and an author stalking Elvis Presley in Spinout, has died. She was 81.
McBain died Wednesday morning at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills after a battle with liver cancer, her friend and writing partner, Michael Gregg Michaud, told The Hollywood Reporter.
McBain also guest-starred on four episodes of ABC’s Batman, first as a hat shop assistant who’s in cahoots with David Wayne’s Mad Hatter in 1966 and then as stamp company proprietor Pinky Pinkston — she wore only pink and had a pink dog — on the memorable 1967 installment that featured The Green Hornet (Van Williams) and Kato (Bruce Lee).
In her first film, McBain appeared with Richard Burton in Vincent Sherman’s Ice Storm (1960), then...
- 12/21/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 1982 Oscar-winner is known for its farcical hijinks but it’s the focus on weightier issues that helped it stay the course
The classic American screwball comedies of the late 30s and 40s are revered for their sparkling dialogue, their intricate plotting and their mixing-and-matching of glamorous, witty Golden Age icons like Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, Barbara Stanwyck and Claudette Colbert. But one of the important, under-appreciated qualities of those movies – what made Adam’s Rib, Bringing Up Baby, The Lady Eve, His Girl Friday, and others really pop – is there was something serious at stake. These romcoms were not all meet-cutes and gimmicks, but cultural arenas for a battle of the sexes that was being waged off screen, too. Happy endings were achieved through intense negotiations.
There was something in the water 40 years ago when Tootsie, a self-conscious and ingenious throwback to the screwball era, was released...
The classic American screwball comedies of the late 30s and 40s are revered for their sparkling dialogue, their intricate plotting and their mixing-and-matching of glamorous, witty Golden Age icons like Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, Barbara Stanwyck and Claudette Colbert. But one of the important, under-appreciated qualities of those movies – what made Adam’s Rib, Bringing Up Baby, The Lady Eve, His Girl Friday, and others really pop – is there was something serious at stake. These romcoms were not all meet-cutes and gimmicks, but cultural arenas for a battle of the sexes that was being waged off screen, too. Happy endings were achieved through intense negotiations.
There was something in the water 40 years ago when Tootsie, a self-conscious and ingenious throwback to the screwball era, was released...
- 12/17/2022
- by Scott Tobias
- The Guardian - Film News
Last winter, Steve Martin received his first Golden Globe nomination in a quarter century as one of the stars of the Hulu comedy series “Only Murders in the Building.” Just like his five preceding film acting bids, however, this one was unsuccessful, as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association decided instead to give Jason Sudeikis a second consecutive Best TV Comedy Actor award for “Ted Lasso.” Now that the current Golden Globe eligibility window is closing and Sudeikis is essentially out of the picture, Martin is, according to Gold Derby, the odds-on favorite in his category. Will he finally take the gold on his lucky seventh try?
On “Only Murders in the Building,” Martin plays the role of Charles-Haden Savage, a reclusive actor who teams up with his neighbors to solve untimely deaths that occur within his New York City apartment building. Included among his most serious challengers in this year...
On “Only Murders in the Building,” Martin plays the role of Charles-Haden Savage, a reclusive actor who teams up with his neighbors to solve untimely deaths that occur within his New York City apartment building. Included among his most serious challengers in this year...
- 11/4/2022
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
A relic from the Golden Age of Hollywood was found in the unlikeliest of places this weekend, as a special Oscar given for the 1935 Clark Gable classic “It Happened One Night” was placed in a donation box to a food pantry in Covington, Kentucky.
Cincinnati newspaper CityBeat reported that the Oscar was included in a box for Be Concerned, a community food pantry that also operates a thrift shop. The organization’s executive director Andy Brunsman said that they received the award this past summer and have had it sitting on their shelves for sale seemingly unnoticed.
“Some generous donor rang the back doorbell, gave us a box of what we like to call treasures – could be junk, could be good stuff. We didn’t really know what [the statuette] was, so it went up with the trinkets and knick-knacks on the shelf for a bit,” he said.
Also Read:
Academy CEO...
Cincinnati newspaper CityBeat reported that the Oscar was included in a box for Be Concerned, a community food pantry that also operates a thrift shop. The organization’s executive director Andy Brunsman said that they received the award this past summer and have had it sitting on their shelves for sale seemingly unnoticed.
“Some generous donor rang the back doorbell, gave us a box of what we like to call treasures – could be junk, could be good stuff. We didn’t really know what [the statuette] was, so it went up with the trinkets and knick-knacks on the shelf for a bit,” he said.
Also Read:
Academy CEO...
- 10/30/2022
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
In 2000, three-time film acting Golden Globe winner Jack Lemmon received his only TV prize from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for his work in a Showtime production of “Inherit the Wind.” At 74, he became the oldest person to ever win a lead TV acting Golden Globe, breaking the record set in 1987 by Loretta Young (“Christmas Eve”) by a margin of 324 days. Now, after holding this distinction for almost a quarter century, Lemmon may soon be displaced by newly installed “The Crown” cast member Jonathan Pryce, who turned 75 in June and is seeking this year’s Best TV Drama Actor award.
Pryce is set to appear on the final two seasons of “The Crown” as Prince Philip, who was married to Queen Elizabeth II for 73 years. The British royal family patriarch was previously played for two seasons each by Matt Smith and Tobias Menzies, the latter of whom was nominated for...
Pryce is set to appear on the final two seasons of “The Crown” as Prince Philip, who was married to Queen Elizabeth II for 73 years. The British royal family patriarch was previously played for two seasons each by Matt Smith and Tobias Menzies, the latter of whom was nominated for...
- 10/27/2022
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Bette Davis was in the twilight of her career when she landed the part of the tempestuous and aging starlet Margo Channing in "All About Eve." Even though she seems like the obvious choice for the role in hindsight, a burned bridge with the chief of 20th Century Fox made her an unlikely pick. In fact, when she first got the offer, Davis thought that one of her friends was pulling a fast one on her.
"All About Eve" was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck, one of the most prominent execs at Fox in studio-era Hollywood. The producer is credited with discovering Davis after casting her in "The Man Who Played God," in which she made a breakout performance as Grace Blair.
The producer and actress suffered a major rift in 1941 when Davis was appointed as the president of the Academy. The powerful board members included her longtime boss at Fox,...
"All About Eve" was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck, one of the most prominent execs at Fox in studio-era Hollywood. The producer is credited with discovering Davis after casting her in "The Man Who Played God," in which she made a breakout performance as Grace Blair.
The producer and actress suffered a major rift in 1941 when Davis was appointed as the president of the Academy. The powerful board members included her longtime boss at Fox,...
- 9/16/2022
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
Dir: Ol Parker. Starring: George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Kaitlyn Dever, Maxime Bouttier, Billie Lourd, Lucas Bravo. 12A, 104 minutes.
It’s a joy to watch Julia Roberts and George Clooney fall in love. It’s an even greater joy to watch them bicker. As embittered exes in Ticket to Paradise, flying to Bali in order to stop the whirlwind nuptials of their daughter (Kaitlyn Dever) to a local seaweed farmer (Maxime Bouttier), the duo have been provided a full buffet of snappish asides. They’re heirs to that great screwball tradition. Think back to Claudette Colbert, hitching a car ride with a coquettish flash of the leg in order to tease Clarke Gable in It Happened One Night. Or to Cary Grant at wit’s end in the face of Katharine Hepburn’s scatterbrained antics in Bringing Up Baby.
Here, when Georgia (Roberts) and David (Clooney) are – incidentally – sat next to...
It’s a joy to watch Julia Roberts and George Clooney fall in love. It’s an even greater joy to watch them bicker. As embittered exes in Ticket to Paradise, flying to Bali in order to stop the whirlwind nuptials of their daughter (Kaitlyn Dever) to a local seaweed farmer (Maxime Bouttier), the duo have been provided a full buffet of snappish asides. They’re heirs to that great screwball tradition. Think back to Claudette Colbert, hitching a car ride with a coquettish flash of the leg in order to tease Clarke Gable in It Happened One Night. Or to Cary Grant at wit’s end in the face of Katharine Hepburn’s scatterbrained antics in Bringing Up Baby.
Here, when Georgia (Roberts) and David (Clooney) are – incidentally – sat next to...
- 9/15/2022
- by Clarisse Loughrey
- The Independent - Film
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.