A24 has nabbed U.S. rights to “The Death of Robin Hood,” one of the hottest packages at this year’s Cannes. The Sherwood Forest-set film stars Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer and is directed by Michael Sarnoski, the filmmaker behind the critically acclaimed “Pig” and this summer’s “A Quiet Place: Day One.”
According to the official logline, the film will find Robin Hood “grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder.” Instead of the merry outlaw seen in certain previous versions of the story, like the one portrayed by Errol Flynn, this Robin Hood is “a battle-worn loner [who] finds himself gravely injured and in the hands of a mysterious woman, who offers him a chance at salvation.” Production on “The Death of Robin Hood” is set to begin in 2025. A24 will release the film theatrically. Negotiations were highly competitive with several potential buyers circling the film.
According to the official logline, the film will find Robin Hood “grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder.” Instead of the merry outlaw seen in certain previous versions of the story, like the one portrayed by Errol Flynn, this Robin Hood is “a battle-worn loner [who] finds himself gravely injured and in the hands of a mysterious woman, who offers him a chance at salvation.” Production on “The Death of Robin Hood” is set to begin in 2025. A24 will release the film theatrically. Negotiations were highly competitive with several potential buyers circling the film.
- 5/21/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)
"'The Mummy' isn't really trying to scare you – it's trying to entertain you." This is what /Film's Chris Evangelista lovingly wrote of 1999's "The Mummy" in 2021. Directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Brendan Fraser as the swashbuckling Rick O'Connell, the film became a somewhat unexpected hit, so much so that it ended up being one of the highest-grossing films of 1999 overall. Critics were a bit mixed on it in its day. It was an action/adventure film, the likes of which Hollywood had released many times before. Be that as it may, a film designed purely to entertain (rather than to scare) resonated with audiences in a big way. It was pulpy lightning in a bottle.
Universal had, for years,...
"'The Mummy' isn't really trying to scare you – it's trying to entertain you." This is what /Film's Chris Evangelista lovingly wrote of 1999's "The Mummy" in 2021. Directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Brendan Fraser as the swashbuckling Rick O'Connell, the film became a somewhat unexpected hit, so much so that it ended up being one of the highest-grossing films of 1999 overall. Critics were a bit mixed on it in its day. It was an action/adventure film, the likes of which Hollywood had released many times before. Be that as it may, a film designed purely to entertain (rather than to scare) resonated with audiences in a big way. It was pulpy lightning in a bottle.
Universal had, for years,...
- 5/11/2024
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
Exclusive: Production, finance, and sales company Panorama Motion Pictures will make its Cannes market debut with a slate of projects from Catalyst Studios and other independent producers.
First up the company is producing ambitious project The Sea Hawk, an IP based on Raphael Sabatini’s book, which was most famously adapted into a hit feature by legendary producer Howard Koch and starring Errol Flynn for Warner Bros. in 1940.
The story follows an English gentleman through the changing tides of fortune and fate, who becomes a galley-slave and ultimately the most famous barbary pirate in the Mediterranean Sea. It will be produced by Panorama CEO Mark Pennell and Armyan Bernstein (Air Force One) of Beacon Pictures. Bernstein was most recently an EP on the Kevin Costner western Horizon, which is premiering in Cannes.
Producers are currently shopping for a director with casting targeted before the end of the year.
Pennell, a writer and producer,...
First up the company is producing ambitious project The Sea Hawk, an IP based on Raphael Sabatini’s book, which was most famously adapted into a hit feature by legendary producer Howard Koch and starring Errol Flynn for Warner Bros. in 1940.
The story follows an English gentleman through the changing tides of fortune and fate, who becomes a galley-slave and ultimately the most famous barbary pirate in the Mediterranean Sea. It will be produced by Panorama CEO Mark Pennell and Armyan Bernstein (Air Force One) of Beacon Pictures. Bernstein was most recently an EP on the Kevin Costner western Horizon, which is premiering in Cannes.
Producers are currently shopping for a director with casting targeted before the end of the year.
Pennell, a writer and producer,...
- 5/8/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Jeannie Epper, the peerless, fearless stunt performer who doubled for Lynda Carter on Wonder Woman and swung on a vine across a 350-foot gorge and propelled down an epic mudslide as Kathleen Turner in Romancing the Stone, has died. She was 83.
Epper died Sunday night of natural causes at her home in Simi Valley, her family told The Hollywood Reporter.
Just one member of a dynasty of stunt performers that Steven Spielberg dubbed the “Flying Wallendas of Film” — starting with her father, John Epper, there have been four generations of Eppers in show business since the 1930s — she worked on 150-plus films and TV shows during an astounding 70-year career.
In 2007, Epper received the first lifetime achievement honor given to a woman at the World Taurus Awards and ranks among the greatest stuntwomen of all time.
Known for her agility, horse-riding skills and competitiveness, the 5-foot-9 Epper also stepped in...
Epper died Sunday night of natural causes at her home in Simi Valley, her family told The Hollywood Reporter.
Just one member of a dynasty of stunt performers that Steven Spielberg dubbed the “Flying Wallendas of Film” — starting with her father, John Epper, there have been four generations of Eppers in show business since the 1930s — she worked on 150-plus films and TV shows during an astounding 70-year career.
In 2007, Epper received the first lifetime achievement honor given to a woman at the World Taurus Awards and ranks among the greatest stuntwomen of all time.
Known for her agility, horse-riding skills and competitiveness, the 5-foot-9 Epper also stepped in...
- 5/6/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
One of the most popular fictional characters of all time, Robin Hood, has been at the center of numerous adaptations. From the early days when Errol Flynn played the legendary outlaw to modern adaptations starring big names such as Sean Connery or Kevin Costner (there is even an animated adaptation by Disney), Robin Hood has been an inspiration for filmmakers and it seems that a new movie that will tackle the story is going to be released relatively soon. The Death of Robin Hood will start production next year and will tell the story of an older, guilt-ridden Robin Hood, and as we know now, Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer have signed on to star in the movie.
Not much is known about the project, as there is still a long way to go until filming starts, but the film is in the pre-production phase now, and we do have...
Not much is known about the project, as there is still a long way to go until filming starts, but the film is in the pre-production phase now, and we do have...
- 5/5/2024
- by Arthur S. Poe
- Fiction Horizon
Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer are heading to Sherwood Forest for one last hurrah.
The “Wolverine” star and the “Killing Eve” actress are attached to star in “The Death of Robin Hood,” a cheery-sounding new film from Michael Sarnoski, the director of the critically-acclaimed “Pig” and this summer’s “A Quiet Place: Day One.”
According to the official logline, the film will find Robin Hood “grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder.” Instead of the merry outlaw seen in certain previous versions of the story like the one portrayed by Errol Flynn, this Robin Hood is “a battleworn loner [who] finds himself gravely injured and in the hands of a mysterious woman, who offers him a chance at salvation.” It sounds reminiscent of Richard Lester’s elegiac take on the popular story, “Robin and Marian,” a 1976 film starring Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn as a middled-aged Robin Hood and Maid Marian.
The “Wolverine” star and the “Killing Eve” actress are attached to star in “The Death of Robin Hood,” a cheery-sounding new film from Michael Sarnoski, the director of the critically-acclaimed “Pig” and this summer’s “A Quiet Place: Day One.”
According to the official logline, the film will find Robin Hood “grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder.” Instead of the merry outlaw seen in certain previous versions of the story like the one portrayed by Errol Flynn, this Robin Hood is “a battleworn loner [who] finds himself gravely injured and in the hands of a mysterious woman, who offers him a chance at salvation.” It sounds reminiscent of Richard Lester’s elegiac take on the popular story, “Robin and Marian,” a 1976 film starring Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn as a middled-aged Robin Hood and Maid Marian.
- 5/3/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Comedian and writer Julian Clary (Julian Clary: Live – Lord of the Mince) will play the title role in this festive season’s London Palladium pantomime Robin Hood, with singer and travel show presenter Jane McDonald (Cruising with Jane McDonald) topping the bill as Maid Marion.
The annual Palladium show, now in its ninth consecutive season, has become an eagerly awaited staple in the West End’s calendar. It runs from December 7 through January 12, 2025. Priority booking opens 10 Am (GMT) April 25.
Last year’s production, Peter Pan, with comedy legend Jennifer Saunders making her pantomime debut as Captain Hook, and with Clary playing Seaman Smee, was a sold-out success, playing 56 performances -often two a day – to an audience of more than 123,000 at the 2,200 capacity variety house.
When tickets went on sale, there was a moment when 90,000 people were in the queue, waiting their turn to book seats.
The annual Palladium show, now in its ninth consecutive season, has become an eagerly awaited staple in the West End’s calendar. It runs from December 7 through January 12, 2025. Priority booking opens 10 Am (GMT) April 25.
Last year’s production, Peter Pan, with comedy legend Jennifer Saunders making her pantomime debut as Captain Hook, and with Clary playing Seaman Smee, was a sold-out success, playing 56 performances -often two a day – to an audience of more than 123,000 at the 2,200 capacity variety house.
When tickets went on sale, there was a moment when 90,000 people were in the queue, waiting their turn to book seats.
- 4/21/2024
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
For over 25 years, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival called the Castro Theatre home. With the iconic theater now closed for a year-plus-long renovation, Sfsff has relocated to the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, located in a beautiful park created for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition at the north edge of the Presidio. The auditorium, primarily a performance space, seats nearly a thousand and features a spacious foyer where passholders could visit and relax between shows (particularly useful on chilly weekends).
Sfsff prides itself on mixing landmark productions and audience favorites with rediscoveries, revelations, and rarities, often recently uncovered and restored. And for its 27th edition this year, the festival presented 20 features and six short films over five days, all with live musical scores by some of the finest silent film accompanists in the world.
The opening night film, Albert Parker’s 1926 swashbuckler The Black Pirate, certainly qualifies as both landmark and favorite.
Sfsff prides itself on mixing landmark productions and audience favorites with rediscoveries, revelations, and rarities, often recently uncovered and restored. And for its 27th edition this year, the festival presented 20 features and six short films over five days, all with live musical scores by some of the finest silent film accompanists in the world.
The opening night film, Albert Parker’s 1926 swashbuckler The Black Pirate, certainly qualifies as both landmark and favorite.
- 4/20/2024
- by Sean Axmaker
- Slant Magazine
Spoilers for "X-Men '97" to follow.
The latest episode of "X-Men '97," "Remember It," took us to mutant haven Genosha (before it all went to Hell anyway). The island turned out to be a treasure trove of cameos; the Genoshan ruling council included Hellfire Club leaders Emma Frost and Sebastian Shaw, Morlock leader Callisto, the Irish mutant Banshee, Professor X's old flame Moira MacTaggert, and former Goblin Queen Madelyne Pryor. The streets of Genosha were filled with other mutants whom "X-Men" comics fans may recognize, from Pixie to Dazzler to Marrow to Exodus.
The best mutant cameo of all, though, is the blue-skinned Bavarian Kurt Wagner, aka Nightcrawler. His voice actor, Adrian Hough, joins the ranks of those who've reprised their roles from the 1992 "X-Men" cartoon.
Kurt shows up in the episode's title sequence doing some sword fighting with Gambit. In the episode itself, he escorts Rogue and Gambit...
The latest episode of "X-Men '97," "Remember It," took us to mutant haven Genosha (before it all went to Hell anyway). The island turned out to be a treasure trove of cameos; the Genoshan ruling council included Hellfire Club leaders Emma Frost and Sebastian Shaw, Morlock leader Callisto, the Irish mutant Banshee, Professor X's old flame Moira MacTaggert, and former Goblin Queen Madelyne Pryor. The streets of Genosha were filled with other mutants whom "X-Men" comics fans may recognize, from Pixie to Dazzler to Marrow to Exodus.
The best mutant cameo of all, though, is the blue-skinned Bavarian Kurt Wagner, aka Nightcrawler. His voice actor, Adrian Hough, joins the ranks of those who've reprised their roles from the 1992 "X-Men" cartoon.
Kurt shows up in the episode's title sequence doing some sword fighting with Gambit. In the episode itself, he escorts Rogue and Gambit...
- 4/11/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
“Shōgun” is a rare sort of television adaptation. It’s based on a book (which previously inspired an Emmy-winning limited series in 1980) that fictionalizes real history, creating a compelling blend of history, fiction, and fantasy. The thrilling TV tale makes for a fun jumping-off point to get into 17th century Japanese history, and now that we’re at the midpoint of the season, it makes sense to check up on some of the show’s biggest unanswered questions.
Did Lord Tokugawa (the “real” Toronaga) actually escape a hostage situation by pretending to be a woman?
No. But Lord Ishida, the equivalent of Ishido, did! Historically, Ishida and Tokugawa’s beef was every bit as spicy as their counterparts in “Shōgun,” up to and including the assassination attempt at Osaka Castle in 1600 When the assassination failed, Ishida got out of dodge by dressing in drag and riding in a palanquin — without...
Did Lord Tokugawa (the “real” Toronaga) actually escape a hostage situation by pretending to be a woman?
No. But Lord Ishida, the equivalent of Ishido, did! Historically, Ishida and Tokugawa’s beef was every bit as spicy as their counterparts in “Shōgun,” up to and including the assassination attempt at Osaka Castle in 1600 When the assassination failed, Ishida got out of dodge by dressing in drag and riding in a palanquin — without...
- 3/27/2024
- by Alexis Nedd
- Indiewire
“That movie was the President’s idea, not mine, but it was a demand, not a suggestion.”
The speaker was Jack Warner in a 1947 foreshadowing of his Donald Trumpian style. I recalled his remarks this week as I drove onto the Warner Bros lot, the fabled arena where Warner long reigned.
In his heyday, Warner was a Trump pre-clone in terms of temperament and rhetoric – a man who boasted about his mental acuity yet, to Hollywood’s power players, seemed occasionally unhinged.
I was visiting Warner Bros this week to spend some time with David Zaslav, a figure who, in temperament and politics, is the mirror opposite of Warner but whose empire is nonetheless a product of Warner’s erratic vision. Some believe that Zaslav’s studio – Hollywood in general – might still glean some insight from its founder’s idiosyncrasies.
A career maverick, Warner promoted gangster movies like Public Enemy...
The speaker was Jack Warner in a 1947 foreshadowing of his Donald Trumpian style. I recalled his remarks this week as I drove onto the Warner Bros lot, the fabled arena where Warner long reigned.
In his heyday, Warner was a Trump pre-clone in terms of temperament and rhetoric – a man who boasted about his mental acuity yet, to Hollywood’s power players, seemed occasionally unhinged.
I was visiting Warner Bros this week to spend some time with David Zaslav, a figure who, in temperament and politics, is the mirror opposite of Warner but whose empire is nonetheless a product of Warner’s erratic vision. Some believe that Zaslav’s studio – Hollywood in general – might still glean some insight from its founder’s idiosyncrasies.
A career maverick, Warner promoted gangster movies like Public Enemy...
- 3/7/2024
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Austin Butler has been raising his game in the past few years as his recent performances have impressed critics and audiences. His choice of films and projects that he associates himself with is a testament to his desire to branch out as an actor and show his versatility, He started to gain traction among audiences with his scene-stealing short role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Austin Butler was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in 2022’s Elvis
Butler transformed himself and became Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrman’s sprawling musical film that catapulted his career to new heights. 2024 seems to be his year as Masters of the Air and Dune: Part Two have become big successes. His menacing performance in the latter has led to some comparing him to Heath Ledger’s Joker. However, many do not agree with that comparison.
Fans Claim Austin...
Austin Butler was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in 2022’s Elvis
Butler transformed himself and became Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrman’s sprawling musical film that catapulted his career to new heights. 2024 seems to be his year as Masters of the Air and Dune: Part Two have become big successes. His menacing performance in the latter has led to some comparing him to Heath Ledger’s Joker. However, many do not agree with that comparison.
Fans Claim Austin...
- 3/4/2024
- by Rahul Thokchom
- FandomWire
Richard Lewis
Screenshot: 20th Century Fox
Richard Lewis was always around in the early ’90s. Between guest spots on Letterman and the slew of stand-up specials and clips that ran on HBO and Comedy Central, one could find Richard Lewis pulling his hair out on stage at any time of the day.
Screenshot: 20th Century Fox
Richard Lewis was always around in the early ’90s. Between guest spots on Letterman and the slew of stand-up specials and clips that ran on HBO and Comedy Central, one could find Richard Lewis pulling his hair out on stage at any time of the day.
- 2/29/2024
- by Matt Schimkowitz
- avclub.com
Micheline Presle, the French actress whose controversial Devil in the Flesh role was the start of a career that included starring opposite John Garfield, Tyrone Power, Errol Flynn and Paul Newman, has died at 101.
Presle died Wednesday in the Paris suburb of Nogent-sur-Marne, her son-in-law, Olivier Bomsel, told Le Figaro.
Presle portrayed a nurse having an affair with a student (Gérard Philipe) in the World War I drama Devil in the Flesh (1947), which the National Board of Review voted as one of the 10 best films of the year.
She was soon signed by 20th Century Fox, which changed her surname to Prelle and cast her as a café owner who falls in love with a crooked jockey (Garfield) in Jean Negulesco’s Under My Skin (1950). She also starred with Power in the Technicolor war film American Guerilla in the Philippines (1950), and in The Adventures of Captain Fabian (1951).
She would appear...
Presle died Wednesday in the Paris suburb of Nogent-sur-Marne, her son-in-law, Olivier Bomsel, told Le Figaro.
Presle portrayed a nurse having an affair with a student (Gérard Philipe) in the World War I drama Devil in the Flesh (1947), which the National Board of Review voted as one of the 10 best films of the year.
She was soon signed by 20th Century Fox, which changed her surname to Prelle and cast her as a café owner who falls in love with a crooked jockey (Garfield) in Jean Negulesco’s Under My Skin (1950). She also starred with Power in the Technicolor war film American Guerilla in the Philippines (1950), and in The Adventures of Captain Fabian (1951).
She would appear...
- 2/22/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Micheline Presle, the standout French actress who starred in the controversial Devil in the Flesh before making a foray into Hollywood that included roles opposite John Garfield, Tyrone Power, Errol Flynn and Paul Newman, has died. She was 101.
Presle died Wedneday in the Paris suburb of Nogent-sur-Marne, her son-in-law Olivier Bomsel told Le Figaro.
Presle came to international attention when she portrayed a nurse having an affair with a student (Gérard Philipe) in the World War I drama Devil in the Flesh (1947), which the National Board of Review voted as one of the 10 best films of the year.
Because it featured a woman who took a lover while her husband was away at war, it generated a great deal of discussion.
In 1949, Presle met American actor William Marshall, who had been married to another French star, Michèle Morgan, and followed him to America. They would wed that year in Santa Barbara.
Presle died Wedneday in the Paris suburb of Nogent-sur-Marne, her son-in-law Olivier Bomsel told Le Figaro.
Presle came to international attention when she portrayed a nurse having an affair with a student (Gérard Philipe) in the World War I drama Devil in the Flesh (1947), which the National Board of Review voted as one of the 10 best films of the year.
Because it featured a woman who took a lover while her husband was away at war, it generated a great deal of discussion.
In 1949, Presle met American actor William Marshall, who had been married to another French star, Michèle Morgan, and followed him to America. They would wed that year in Santa Barbara.
- 2/22/2024
- by Rhett Bartlett and Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
They’ve done alphabetical. They’ve tried chronological. And now, for Turner Classic Movie‘s 30th celebration of Academy Award-winning and nominated films, the classic movie network is going categorical for 31 Days of Oscar 2024. Over one month (starting February 9), fans get to savor 348 of Hollywood’s finest dramas, comedies, musicals, and documentaries, grouped into one of 19 Oscar categories. Daytime offers a mix of winners and nominees; nighttime, it’s winners only, starting with costume design honorees. Day 1 kicks off with Errol Flynn’s Adventures of Don Juan (6am/5c), a 1948 release that had been delayed several years, in part due to a postwar clothing materials shortage. The swashbuckling flick would eventually require several thousand costumes, good enough to earn Oscar gold in the color film category. (Black-and-white titles got their own trophy until the awards were permanently combined in 1967.) Don Juan is followed by the 1957 nominee Raintree County (8am...
- 2/8/2024
- TV Insider
Those who fought in World War II are considered the Greatest Generation. And executive producers Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Gary Goetzman paid homage to these young men who risked life and limb during the global conflict in their award-winning 2001 HBO series “Band of Brothers” and 2010’s “The Pacific.” And now they’ve taken to the not-so-friendly skies in their latest World War II series, Apple TV +’s “Masters of the Air.”
Created by John Shiban and John Orloff, “Masters of the Air” is based on the 2007 book: “Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the War Against Nazi Germany,” the series starring Austin Butler focuses on the 8th Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group stationed in England. It was known as the “Bloody Hundredth” because of the high causalty rate.
Watching the series, one can’t help but remember the numerous bombardier films produced by Hollywood...
Created by John Shiban and John Orloff, “Masters of the Air” is based on the 2007 book: “Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the War Against Nazi Germany,” the series starring Austin Butler focuses on the 8th Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group stationed in England. It was known as the “Bloody Hundredth” because of the high causalty rate.
Watching the series, one can’t help but remember the numerous bombardier films produced by Hollywood...
- 2/5/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Update: A memorial service for Norma Barzman will be held tomorrow from 10 Am-1 Pm at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary in Los Angeles.
Norma Barzman, a prominent screenwriter who was blacklisted due to her involvement with the American Communist Party, died Sunday at her Beverly Hills home, according to a social media post from her daughter Suzo Barzman. She was 103.
Barzman wrote the original story for Never Say Goodbye (1947) starring Errol Flynn with husband Ben Barzman. She was an uncredited writer on The Locket (1946) starring Laraine Day and Robert Mitchum. She wrote Finishing School (1952) and on the TV series Il triangolo rosso (1967). She also appeared as an actress in Theatre 70 (1970) and Pajama Party (2000) as the “Groovy Grandma.”
Barzman was unapologetic about her involvement with the Communist party from 1943-49. In a 2014 interview with the L.A. Times, she maintained that “one should be proud to have been a member...
Norma Barzman, a prominent screenwriter who was blacklisted due to her involvement with the American Communist Party, died Sunday at her Beverly Hills home, according to a social media post from her daughter Suzo Barzman. She was 103.
Barzman wrote the original story for Never Say Goodbye (1947) starring Errol Flynn with husband Ben Barzman. She was an uncredited writer on The Locket (1946) starring Laraine Day and Robert Mitchum. She wrote Finishing School (1952) and on the TV series Il triangolo rosso (1967). She also appeared as an actress in Theatre 70 (1970) and Pajama Party (2000) as the “Groovy Grandma.”
Barzman was unapologetic about her involvement with the Communist party from 1943-49. In a 2014 interview with the L.A. Times, she maintained that “one should be proud to have been a member...
- 12/19/2023
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Screenwriter Norma Barzman, who got her start during the Golden Age of Hollywood and was blacklisted with her husband during the McCarthy era, died Sunday in Beverly Hills, her son Paolo confirmed. She was 103.
Barzman and her husband, fellow screenwriter Ben Barzman, moved to Europe as did many other Hollywood progressives who came under McCarthy’s scrutiny. The couple and their seven children lived in London, Paris and Mougins, France between 1949 and 1976. Ben Barzman died in 1989.
Norma Barzman was also active in getting credits restored for blacklisted writers whose films were released with a “front” name, such as her film “The Locket.” In 1999, her writing credit was restored on the 1953 film “Luxury Girls,” which had carried the name of the front Ennio Flaiano.
Barzman spoke out in protest when Elia Kazan, who was a witness before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, was given an honorary Oscar in 1998, and was...
Barzman and her husband, fellow screenwriter Ben Barzman, moved to Europe as did many other Hollywood progressives who came under McCarthy’s scrutiny. The couple and their seven children lived in London, Paris and Mougins, France between 1949 and 1976. Ben Barzman died in 1989.
Norma Barzman was also active in getting credits restored for blacklisted writers whose films were released with a “front” name, such as her film “The Locket.” In 1999, her writing credit was restored on the 1953 film “Luxury Girls,” which had carried the name of the front Ennio Flaiano.
Barzman spoke out in protest when Elia Kazan, who was a witness before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, was given an honorary Oscar in 1998, and was...
- 12/19/2023
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
Norma Barzman, Screenwriter Who Was Among the Last Survivors of the Hollywood Blacklist, Dies at 103
Norma Barzman, an admired screenwriter of 1940s films whose career was derailed by the Hollywood blacklist and who was one of its last survivors, died Sunday. She was 103.
Barzman died of natural causes, surrounded by family, at her home in Beverly Hills, her daughter Suzo Barzman told The Hollywood Reporter.
Born Norma Levor in New York City on Sept. 15, 1920, and raised between the U.S. and Europe, Barzman moved to Hollywood on her 21st birthday. By that time, she had already attended Radcliffe for two years before dropping out and had spent a year living in Princeton, New Jersey, as the young bride of Claude Shannon — later known as “the father of information theory” — before their divorce in 1941.
Out west, Barzman was enrolled by her older cousin, a writer, at the left-leaning School of Writers. In 1942, after a fateful meeting at a Halloween party, she married the up-and-coming screenwriter Ben Barzman,...
Barzman died of natural causes, surrounded by family, at her home in Beverly Hills, her daughter Suzo Barzman told The Hollywood Reporter.
Born Norma Levor in New York City on Sept. 15, 1920, and raised between the U.S. and Europe, Barzman moved to Hollywood on her 21st birthday. By that time, she had already attended Radcliffe for two years before dropping out and had spent a year living in Princeton, New Jersey, as the young bride of Claude Shannon — later known as “the father of information theory” — before their divorce in 1941.
Out west, Barzman was enrolled by her older cousin, a writer, at the left-leaning School of Writers. In 1942, after a fateful meeting at a Halloween party, she married the up-and-coming screenwriter Ben Barzman,...
- 12/19/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Martin Campbell's "The Mask of Zorro" is one of the most rousing adventure films of the 1990s, a bracing throwback to old-school Errol Flynn swashbucklers that dazzles with masterfully staged sword fights. Perhaps most importantly, it's powered by an emotionally resonant narrative that raises the stakes sky-high, leading to a breathtaking climax that had audiences cheering all three times I saw the film theatrically.
Antonio Banderas is absolute perfection as Alejandro Murrieta, a rakish outlaw who becomes the unlikely successor to Anthony Hopkins' Don Diego de la Vega, aka Zorro. Murrieta also falls for Catherine Zeta Jones' beautiful and feisty Elena Montero, who does not know that her father, the evil Don Rafael Montero, stole her as an infant from de la Vega and his wife Esperanza (Julieta Rosen).
That Elena does not know her true lineage winds up being the heartfelt counterpart to the film's rollicking action. Indeed,...
Antonio Banderas is absolute perfection as Alejandro Murrieta, a rakish outlaw who becomes the unlikely successor to Anthony Hopkins' Don Diego de la Vega, aka Zorro. Murrieta also falls for Catherine Zeta Jones' beautiful and feisty Elena Montero, who does not know that her father, the evil Don Rafael Montero, stole her as an infant from de la Vega and his wife Esperanza (Julieta Rosen).
That Elena does not know her true lineage winds up being the heartfelt counterpart to the film's rollicking action. Indeed,...
- 12/12/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Martin Scorsese is famous for his collaborations with Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, and the first feature-length film with all three, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” has become a critical and commercial success. It’s not unusual for a director to find a “favorite” actor and form a successful relationship. In fact, this practice goes back to the beginning of the industry.
In 1912, pioneering filmmaker D.W. Griffith cast 18-year-old Lillian Gish in his short film “An Unseen Enemy,” and the two worked on more than 40 short and feature-length productions over the next decade. One of the most famous scenes from the silent era is in their film “Way Down East,” in which Gish floats unconscious on an ice floe; she had lifelong nerve damage in several fingers as a result of her performance in that scene.
SEEMartin Scorsese movies: All 26 films ranked worst to best
During the Golden Age of Hollywood,...
In 1912, pioneering filmmaker D.W. Griffith cast 18-year-old Lillian Gish in his short film “An Unseen Enemy,” and the two worked on more than 40 short and feature-length productions over the next decade. One of the most famous scenes from the silent era is in their film “Way Down East,” in which Gish floats unconscious on an ice floe; she had lifelong nerve damage in several fingers as a result of her performance in that scene.
SEEMartin Scorsese movies: All 26 films ranked worst to best
During the Golden Age of Hollywood,...
- 11/18/2023
- by Susan Pennington and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Martin Scorsese is famous for his collaborations with Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, and the first feature-length film with all three, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” has become a critical and commercial success. It’s not unusual for a director to find a “favorite” actor and form a successful relationship. In fact, this practice goes back to the beginning of the industry.
In 1912, pioneering filmmaker D.W. Griffith cast 18-year-old Lillian Gish in his short film “An Unseen Enemy,” and the two worked on more than 40 short and feature-length productions over the next decade. One of the most famous scenes from the silent era is in their film “Way Down East,” in which Gish floats unconscious on an ice floe; she had lifelong nerve damage in several fingers as a result of her performance in that scene.
During the Golden Age of Hollywood, there were quite a few famous collaborations,...
In 1912, pioneering filmmaker D.W. Griffith cast 18-year-old Lillian Gish in his short film “An Unseen Enemy,” and the two worked on more than 40 short and feature-length productions over the next decade. One of the most famous scenes from the silent era is in their film “Way Down East,” in which Gish floats unconscious on an ice floe; she had lifelong nerve damage in several fingers as a result of her performance in that scene.
During the Golden Age of Hollywood, there were quite a few famous collaborations,...
- 11/18/2023
- by Susan Pennington, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
Steven Spielberg first met Marvel star Tom Hiddleston for his World War 1 film War Horse. And according to Hiddleston, collaborating with the filmmaker was an experience he isn’t likely to forget.
Tom Hiddleston almost cried after his conversation with Steven Spielberg
Hiddleston and Spielberg first worked together on the 2011 feature War Horse. The movie was based on a novel of the same name. It centered around a horse named Joey that was purchased by the British Army during World War I, leading to a grand adventure.
Hiddleston ended up playing one of the captains who ended up buying the horse. Like many actors, Hiddleston grew up as a fan of Spielberg at the time. So when Spielberg personally contacted the actor for War Horse, he was both understandably nervous and excited.
“I’ll never forget it – time slowed down,” Hiddleston once said according to HuffPost. “I got a call...
Tom Hiddleston almost cried after his conversation with Steven Spielberg
Hiddleston and Spielberg first worked together on the 2011 feature War Horse. The movie was based on a novel of the same name. It centered around a horse named Joey that was purchased by the British Army during World War I, leading to a grand adventure.
Hiddleston ended up playing one of the captains who ended up buying the horse. Like many actors, Hiddleston grew up as a fan of Spielberg at the time. So when Spielberg personally contacted the actor for War Horse, he was both understandably nervous and excited.
“I’ll never forget it – time slowed down,” Hiddleston once said according to HuffPost. “I got a call...
- 10/17/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Tyrannical and brilliant, director Michael Curtiz created film legends out of mere stars, and turned movies into myth. Here are some of his greatest films.
When movie enthusiasts think of legendary director Michael Curtiz, the first thing that pops into their mind is Casablanca (1942), consistently named to, and occasionally topping, lists of the greatest films of all time. Although if we’re being honest, most people think of it as a Humphrey Bogart movie. The same could be said of Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). These are known for their stars, James Cagney, and Errol Flynn, the latter of whom Curtiz put on the map with Captain Blood (1935). In the director’s hands, actors and characters merged into a mythology which exceeded mere signature roles, becoming universal symbols.
Curtiz worked in the motion picture business from its infancy, but began in the theater, graduating Budapest’s...
When movie enthusiasts think of legendary director Michael Curtiz, the first thing that pops into their mind is Casablanca (1942), consistently named to, and occasionally topping, lists of the greatest films of all time. Although if we’re being honest, most people think of it as a Humphrey Bogart movie. The same could be said of Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). These are known for their stars, James Cagney, and Errol Flynn, the latter of whom Curtiz put on the map with Captain Blood (1935). In the director’s hands, actors and characters merged into a mythology which exceeded mere signature roles, becoming universal symbols.
Curtiz worked in the motion picture business from its infancy, but began in the theater, graduating Budapest’s...
- 9/27/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
At 5’2, Mickey Rooney may have been small in stature, but he had a huge personality and was one of the biggest stars in the heyday of the Golden Era of Hollywood. He had one of the longest careers of any entertainer, with a body of work that spans nine decades in the industry, including vaudeville, films, television, radio and the stage.
Rooney was born Joe Yule, Jr. on September 23, 1920, in Brooklyn, New York. At 17 months old, he made his stage debut in his parent’s vaudeville act, and made his motion picture debut in 1926. In 1927, he starred in the first of several short films in the “Mickey Maguire” series, and adopted the stage name “Mickey Rooney.” He made 78 of these comedies, and also received great notices in films such as “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (1935). Then in 1937, he made the film that would establish his star status. “A Family Affair” was...
Rooney was born Joe Yule, Jr. on September 23, 1920, in Brooklyn, New York. At 17 months old, he made his stage debut in his parent’s vaudeville act, and made his motion picture debut in 1926. In 1927, he starred in the first of several short films in the “Mickey Maguire” series, and adopted the stage name “Mickey Rooney.” He made 78 of these comedies, and also received great notices in films such as “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (1935). Then in 1937, he made the film that would establish his star status. “A Family Affair” was...
- 9/14/2023
- by Susan Pennington, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
Spoilers for "Star Trek: Lower Decks" follow.
At the beginning of the second episode of the fourth season of "Star Trek: Lower Decks," called "I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee," senior officers Commander Ransom (Jerry O'Connell) and Lieutenant Shaxs (Fred Tatasciore) are working out in the gym of the U.S.S. Cerritos. They mention that to explore the galaxy and counter tyranny, they must remain flexible. Shaxs grunts and strains, while the frustratingly fit Ransom goads him on. They engage in unusual stretching maneuvers, employing some kind of bizarre futuristic yoga into their routine. Most unsettling are their outfits. Ransom wears a blue body stocking with a purple one-piece swimsuit over it. The swimsuit has cutouts in the chest area to accentuate his pecs. Shaxs wears a forest green body stocking with a burgundy singlet stretched on top. His pecs, too, are allowed a little "window" for accentuation.
At the beginning of the second episode of the fourth season of "Star Trek: Lower Decks," called "I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee," senior officers Commander Ransom (Jerry O'Connell) and Lieutenant Shaxs (Fred Tatasciore) are working out in the gym of the U.S.S. Cerritos. They mention that to explore the galaxy and counter tyranny, they must remain flexible. Shaxs grunts and strains, while the frustratingly fit Ransom goads him on. They engage in unusual stretching maneuvers, employing some kind of bizarre futuristic yoga into their routine. Most unsettling are their outfits. Ransom wears a blue body stocking with a purple one-piece swimsuit over it. The swimsuit has cutouts in the chest area to accentuate his pecs. Shaxs wears a forest green body stocking with a burgundy singlet stretched on top. His pecs, too, are allowed a little "window" for accentuation.
- 9/8/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
[Editor’s Note: The following article contains spoilers for “What We Do in the Shadows” Season 5, including the finale.]
Initiations are a delicate dance. If the welcome party is too genial, too forthcoming, or too needy, they can come across desperate, phony, or otherwise off-putting. But if greeters go the other way, it can feel like draconian hazing (at best) or outright hostility (at worst). The Guide, Kristen Schaal’s part-time vampiric player promoted to series fang-ular in Season 5, faces the latter version when she moves into a dilapidated Staten Island mansion occupied by four long-term roommates. Excluded, forgotten, and derided, The Guide takes her licking week after week, until Episode 9, “A Weekend at Morrigan Manor,” when she tricks her housemates into an impromptu vacation, then locks Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) in silver-lined cages and forces them to answer for their abominable behavior.
“They use the documentary style in...
Initiations are a delicate dance. If the welcome party is too genial, too forthcoming, or too needy, they can come across desperate, phony, or otherwise off-putting. But if greeters go the other way, it can feel like draconian hazing (at best) or outright hostility (at worst). The Guide, Kristen Schaal’s part-time vampiric player promoted to series fang-ular in Season 5, faces the latter version when she moves into a dilapidated Staten Island mansion occupied by four long-term roommates. Excluded, forgotten, and derided, The Guide takes her licking week after week, until Episode 9, “A Weekend at Morrigan Manor,” when she tricks her housemates into an impromptu vacation, then locks Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) in silver-lined cages and forces them to answer for their abominable behavior.
“They use the documentary style in...
- 9/5/2023
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
She received five Academy Award nominations in ten years, winning for Best Actress twice. She was the spunky heroine to Errol Flynn’s dashing adventurer. She was Melanie, the sweet, compassionate counterpart to the spoiled, passionate Scarlett. And she became one of the oldest-living survivors of the Golden Age of Hollywood until her death at age 104 in 2020.
Olivia de Havilland was born July 1, 1916, in Tokyo, Japan, to British parents. Her sister, actress Joan Fontaine, was born 15 months later. Her parents divorced when the girls were young, and her mother eventually settled in California with her two daughters. Growing up, de Havilland enjoyed performing in amateur stage productions. Although she originally planned to become a teacher, a role in one of those amateur productions, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, changed her fate. She was discovered, eventually cast in the Hollywood Bowl production of that play, and then in the 1935 film adaptation.
Although...
Olivia de Havilland was born July 1, 1916, in Tokyo, Japan, to British parents. Her sister, actress Joan Fontaine, was born 15 months later. Her parents divorced when the girls were young, and her mother eventually settled in California with her two daughters. Growing up, de Havilland enjoyed performing in amateur stage productions. Although she originally planned to become a teacher, a role in one of those amateur productions, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, changed her fate. She was discovered, eventually cast in the Hollywood Bowl production of that play, and then in the 1935 film adaptation.
Although...
- 6/24/2023
- by Susan Pennington, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
It’s not every day that Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Thomas Anderson team up. But IndieWire has learned they will today: The three directors have scheduled an emergency call with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav about the layoffs of Turner Classic Movies’ top brass.
The network laid off much of its leadership yesterday, including executive VP and general manager Pola Changnon; senior VP of programming and content strategy, Charles Tabesh; VP of brand creative and marketing Dexter Fedor; VP of enterprises and strategic partnerships Genevieve McGillicuddy, who also served as the director of the annual TCM Film Festival; and VP of studio production Anne Wilson.
These people were responsible for everything from curating lineups, to shooting intros and outros, and for creating original shows, documentaries, and video essays that serve as major contributions to American cultural history.
Scorsese has often said he has Turner Classic Movies on...
The network laid off much of its leadership yesterday, including executive VP and general manager Pola Changnon; senior VP of programming and content strategy, Charles Tabesh; VP of brand creative and marketing Dexter Fedor; VP of enterprises and strategic partnerships Genevieve McGillicuddy, who also served as the director of the annual TCM Film Festival; and VP of studio production Anne Wilson.
These people were responsible for everything from curating lineups, to shooting intros and outros, and for creating original shows, documentaries, and video essays that serve as major contributions to American cultural history.
Scorsese has often said he has Turner Classic Movies on...
- 6/21/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
He was one of the biggest screen icons and one of the most colorful real-life characters in Hollywood history. Still considered the king of swashbucklers more than 60 years after his death, Errol Flynn’s success was a combination of happenstance, luck and his ability to charm.
Errol Leslie Flynn was born on June 20, 1909, in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia to an affluent family. A natural born rascal, he was thrown out of several private schools, and eventually wandered, working odd jobs. He fell into acting quite by chance when he won the role of Fletcher Christian in the Australian film “In the Wake of the Bounty” (1933). There are conflicting stories of how he landed this part, but it is the film that piqued his interest in acting, and eventually caught the attention of Warner Bros. executives.
In Hollywood, a combination of luck and Flynn’s athleticism and charm landed him the lead...
Errol Leslie Flynn was born on June 20, 1909, in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia to an affluent family. A natural born rascal, he was thrown out of several private schools, and eventually wandered, working odd jobs. He fell into acting quite by chance when he won the role of Fletcher Christian in the Australian film “In the Wake of the Bounty” (1933). There are conflicting stories of how he landed this part, but it is the film that piqued his interest in acting, and eventually caught the attention of Warner Bros. executives.
In Hollywood, a combination of luck and Flynn’s athleticism and charm landed him the lead...
- 6/17/2023
- by Susan Pennington, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Face front, true believers! Here’s an interesting lil’ tidbit about the current cinema landscape. Just who has been the major part of several huge box office hits over the last fifteen years? Well, we’re not talking about an actor, or a filmmaker, or a studio exec. Oh, and he left the planet almost five years ago. Okay, you got it, I’m talking about the comic book writing superstar who co-created almost the entire staple of Marvel superheroes. And he became a fun bit of business in the screen adaptations of those characters by popping up in brief cameo roles (I made it a game with my nephews to nudge me when he flashed that big grin). He’s been profiled by several TV newsmagazine shows and mini-bios, but now he’s getting the full feature-length documentary treatment with the simply titled Stan Lee. Excelsior!
After a brief...
After a brief...
- 6/16/2023
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“Stan Lee” — a documentary on the man who, along with Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, created Spider-Man, X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther and many other iconic Marvel characters —
selectively focuses on the comic book legend’s career and, to a much lesser extent, his personal life, pruning considerable information about his other ventures and legal disputes as seen on Wikipedia. It’s co-produced by Marvel Studios, so the film, which receives its world premiere at Tribeca Festival and streams on Disney Plus on June 16, expectedly sings his praises.
Lee himself posthumously supplies the first-person voiceover narration, albeit indirectly through various archival interviews and speeches given over the years, which filmmaker David Gelb (“Jiro Dreams of Sushi”) has carefully spliced together based on the chronology of seminal events in his lifetime. To illustrate the narration, Gelb has employed conventional archival footage and photos as well as not-so-conventional comic strips and clay figures.
selectively focuses on the comic book legend’s career and, to a much lesser extent, his personal life, pruning considerable information about his other ventures and legal disputes as seen on Wikipedia. It’s co-produced by Marvel Studios, so the film, which receives its world premiere at Tribeca Festival and streams on Disney Plus on June 16, expectedly sings his praises.
Lee himself posthumously supplies the first-person voiceover narration, albeit indirectly through various archival interviews and speeches given over the years, which filmmaker David Gelb (“Jiro Dreams of Sushi”) has carefully spliced together based on the chronology of seminal events in his lifetime. To illustrate the narration, Gelb has employed conventional archival footage and photos as well as not-so-conventional comic strips and clay figures.
- 6/11/2023
- by Martin Tsai
- The Wrap
Academy Award-winner Adam McKay’s Hyperobject Industries and Sony Music Entertainment today announced Death on the Lot, a new eight-episode podcast series that will spotlight the untimely deaths of the biggest stars in 1940s and 1950s Hollywood, launching Thursday, June 1. Developed and hosted by McKay, Death on the Lot will dive into the cultural transformation of Post-war America and Hollywood’s fabrication of a new American dream, as well as Hollywood unions and labor strikes. The trailer is available now and all eight episodes will be available on The Binge on June 1.
In each episode, McKay will focus on the story behind one celebrity’s tragic death and the cultural implications that upended their life. The podcast will cover the deaths of gangster Willie Bioff, method actor John Garfield, teenage idol James Dean, Superman actor George Reeves, first Black Academy Award winner Hattie McDaniel, swashbuckling star Errol Flynn, and western legend John Wayne.
In each episode, McKay will focus on the story behind one celebrity’s tragic death and the cultural implications that upended their life. The podcast will cover the deaths of gangster Willie Bioff, method actor John Garfield, teenage idol James Dean, Superman actor George Reeves, first Black Academy Award winner Hattie McDaniel, swashbuckling star Errol Flynn, and western legend John Wayne.
- 6/1/2023
- Podnews.net
How do you compress 100 years of boundary-pushing filmmaking, behind-the-scenes drama and technological advancements into four hour-long installments?
This was the challenge laid out before Leslie Iwerks and her new documentary “100 Years of Warner Bros: The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of.” Iwerks, an unparalleled documentary filmmaker who is responsible for Disney’s wonderful “The Imagineering Story,” tasked Morgan Freeman with narrating the tale of a small studio that would soon conquer Hollywood and its ever-evolving filmmaking slate, which allowed for people to escape into another world or hold a mirror up to our own.
TheWrap spoke to Iwerks about how she whittled a massive, century-long story of Hollywood mythmaking into highly digestible episodes, focusing on the storytelling rather than the corporate upheaval and what her favorite Warner Bros. movie is (hint: it’s not a doc). Iwerks was in Cannes at the time, where the film was debuting out of competition.
This was the challenge laid out before Leslie Iwerks and her new documentary “100 Years of Warner Bros: The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of.” Iwerks, an unparalleled documentary filmmaker who is responsible for Disney’s wonderful “The Imagineering Story,” tasked Morgan Freeman with narrating the tale of a small studio that would soon conquer Hollywood and its ever-evolving filmmaking slate, which allowed for people to escape into another world or hold a mirror up to our own.
TheWrap spoke to Iwerks about how she whittled a massive, century-long story of Hollywood mythmaking into highly digestible episodes, focusing on the storytelling rather than the corporate upheaval and what her favorite Warner Bros. movie is (hint: it’s not a doc). Iwerks was in Cannes at the time, where the film was debuting out of competition.
- 5/30/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
When Twa Flight 3, a twin-engine DC-3 concluding its cross-country route from Indiana to Burbank, California, slammed into Potosi Mountain just outside of Las Vegas in the early evening of January 16, 1942, the movies lost its greatest screwball comedienne.
Carole Lombard was 33 years old, and had just weathered a run of tepidly received dramas to reclaim her stature as one of Hollywood's most dependably hilarious performers via Alfred Hitchcock's "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." She was about to receive another round of critical acclaim for her turn as the Polish theater diva Maria Tura in Ernst Lubitsch's masterful "To Be or Not to Be." She was married to Rhett Butler himself, Clark Gable, and had committed herself to the war effort (she'd been in her home state of Indiana to host a war bond rally). Lombard was as beloved and consequential an actor as there was in the industry, and, just like that,...
Carole Lombard was 33 years old, and had just weathered a run of tepidly received dramas to reclaim her stature as one of Hollywood's most dependably hilarious performers via Alfred Hitchcock's "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." She was about to receive another round of critical acclaim for her turn as the Polish theater diva Maria Tura in Ernst Lubitsch's masterful "To Be or Not to Be." She was married to Rhett Butler himself, Clark Gable, and had committed herself to the war effort (she'd been in her home state of Indiana to host a war bond rally). Lombard was as beloved and consequential an actor as there was in the industry, and, just like that,...
- 5/13/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Los Angeles – Bonhams is delighted to present the collection of Olivia de Havilland, the Oscar-winning actress who starred in dozens of movies throughout the 1930s to the 1970s. De Havilland was the last surviving actress of Hollywood’s Golden Age, best known for her role as Melanie Hamilton Wilkes in David O. Selznick’s Civil War epic, Gone with the Wind (1939), believed by many to be the greatest movie ever made. Bonhams will be selling her collection in two sales. Running online from May 13-23, Bonhams Los Angeles will offer memorabilia from Hollywood and mementos from co-stars, directors, and celebrity friends like Bette Davis, Vivien Leigh, Stanley Kramer, Errol Flynn, and more. This will be followed by a sale of decorative arts, furniture, and paintings from her Parisian townhouse at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris this October. A portion of the proceeds from the sale will be donated...
- 5/11/2023
- by Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Gisèle Galante recalls a recent evening in which she and her husband first watched Dodge City, the 1939 Michael Curtiz-directed western starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. As de Havilland’s daughter, born 17 years after that film’s premiere, Galante was struck equally by her mother’s beauty and her performance: “I had never seen it before, but she was so, so pretty,” she tells The Hollywood Reporter. “And even though it wasn’t what you would call a meaty role, she was excellent. There’s still so much for me to discover, more of my mother’s films that I have not seen.”
For many classic-film fans, de Havilland’s death in July 2020 at the age of 104 signified the end of an era, the passing of perhaps the last great star of Hollywood’s golden years. Galante notes that she’s had those fans in mind while planning...
For many classic-film fans, de Havilland’s death in July 2020 at the age of 104 signified the end of an era, the passing of perhaps the last great star of Hollywood’s golden years. Galante notes that she’s had those fans in mind while planning...
- 5/11/2023
- by Laurie Brookins
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There is something fitting about the fact that a charming adventure story about a boy that never grows up who leads a cadre of children wishing to remain similarly youthful and carefree forever gets remade in one form or another every decade or so. It speaks to the fact that the desire to avoid adulthood and remain unmoored and childlike forever remains as strong as ever, if not stronger. At the same time, it reveals our seeming inability to understand fully why the story is so resonant. Every time the story is told, you can feel the creator struggling with the material, wrestling with its meaning, imparting in the story their own beliefs and fears.
Director David Lowery, who has spent the last decade building an aesthetically and thematically similar but tonally diverse oeuvre, is a perfect modern match for this material. His works have explored heartache and loneliness and...
Director David Lowery, who has spent the last decade building an aesthetically and thematically similar but tonally diverse oeuvre, is a perfect modern match for this material. His works have explored heartache and loneliness and...
- 4/28/2023
- by Brian Roan
- The Film Stage
For all of its faults and imperfections over the years, part of what makes "Star Wars" such an enduring franchise is its ability to keep capturing the imaginations of kids everywhere. For original trilogy fans, the lightsaber duel between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi or Luke's trench run through the Death Star were reenacted over and over again on countless playgrounds. Inspired by "Flash Gordon" adventure serials and samurai movies, George Lucas went back to his own childhood to tap into something timeless, and his original vision is still resonating with millions of people around the globe.
For Samuel L. Jackson, wielding his trademark purple lightsaber as Mace Windu -- the fiercest blade on Coruscant -- in "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith" finally allowed the actor to live out a childhood fantasy of his own. Primarily known for more dialogue-heavy roles, Jackson had rarely been given...
For Samuel L. Jackson, wielding his trademark purple lightsaber as Mace Windu -- the fiercest blade on Coruscant -- in "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith" finally allowed the actor to live out a childhood fantasy of his own. Primarily known for more dialogue-heavy roles, Jackson had rarely been given...
- 4/15/2023
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
The Cannes Film Festival has confirmed that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will get its world premiere on May 18 at the festival.
Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore, Mads Mikkelsen and director James Mangold will tread the red carpet to a John Williams soundtrack, the festival said Monday.
Related Story Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers Of The Flower Moon’ Officially Confirmed For Cannes Film Festival Related Story International Insider: Regulation Nation; Wild Bunch Rebrand; Bad Week For BFI; BBC Finance Woes Related Story Peter Bart: Contrasting The Leading-Man Life From Keanu, Cruise & Harrison Ford To Sean Connery & Seminal Swashbuckler Errol Flynn
The movie will then release in theaters June 28 in France and June 30 in the U.S.
The festival will also host a career tribute to Ford 15 years after it debuted Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore, Mads Mikkelsen and director James Mangold will tread the red carpet to a John Williams soundtrack, the festival said Monday.
Related Story Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers Of The Flower Moon’ Officially Confirmed For Cannes Film Festival Related Story International Insider: Regulation Nation; Wild Bunch Rebrand; Bad Week For BFI; BBC Finance Woes Related Story Peter Bart: Contrasting The Leading-Man Life From Keanu, Cruise & Harrison Ford To Sean Connery & Seminal Swashbuckler Errol Flynn
The movie will then release in theaters June 28 in France and June 30 in the U.S.
The festival will also host a career tribute to Ford 15 years after it debuted Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
- 4/3/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
“I never set out to play the hero, but since I’m usually cast as one I want to be the best paid hero.”
That’s what Sean Connery said at a moment when he was re-negotiating his James Bond deal. As a serious actor, Connery admitted he never understood what traits audiences wanted from their movie heroes and his confusion would be shared by studio mavens today.
Related Story Peter Bart: Quentin Tarantino’s Movie About A Film Critic May Be A Parting Shot To A Fading Species Related Story Keanu Reeves "Stripped" 'John Wick: Chapter 4' Of Dialogue So That He Only Says 380 Words In Nearly Three Hours Related Story How Did 'John Wick: Chapter 4' Day & Date Theatrical Release With Russia Surface Amid Studios' Boycott?
Even long-in-the-tooth leading men can find a second wind.
Keanu Reeves is drawing record box office in John Wick: Chapter 4,...
That’s what Sean Connery said at a moment when he was re-negotiating his James Bond deal. As a serious actor, Connery admitted he never understood what traits audiences wanted from their movie heroes and his confusion would be shared by studio mavens today.
Related Story Peter Bart: Quentin Tarantino’s Movie About A Film Critic May Be A Parting Shot To A Fading Species Related Story Keanu Reeves "Stripped" 'John Wick: Chapter 4' Of Dialogue So That He Only Says 380 Words In Nearly Three Hours Related Story How Did 'John Wick: Chapter 4' Day & Date Theatrical Release With Russia Surface Amid Studios' Boycott?
Even long-in-the-tooth leading men can find a second wind.
Keanu Reeves is drawing record box office in John Wick: Chapter 4,...
- 3/30/2023
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
You probably know more about Ronald Reagan from U.S. History than Film Studies. Make no mistake. Before Reagan ever ran for office, he was an actor. The 40th U.S. president started his entertainment career as "Dutch" Reagan, a radio sports announcer in Des Moines, Iowa. Reagan honed his storytelling chops by recreating Chicago Cubs games with nothing but a slip sent to him by telegraph. The 26-year-old dreamed of big-screen stardom, so he joined the Cubs for spring training in Southern California — to snag a screen test with Warner Brothers. The WB studio suits liked what they saw, and film actor Ronald Reagan was born.
While Reagan had a better Hollywood career than most, he never became a bonafide movie star. Throughout Reagan's political career, opponents and detractors slandered him as a "B-movie actor." However, Reagan was a B-movie actor. No, he wasn't starring in the 1940s equivalent...
While Reagan had a better Hollywood career than most, he never became a bonafide movie star. Throughout Reagan's political career, opponents and detractors slandered him as a "B-movie actor." However, Reagan was a B-movie actor. No, he wasn't starring in the 1940s equivalent...
- 3/26/2023
- by Hunter Cates
- Slash Film
Norman Steinberg, the Emmy-winning screenwriter who teamed with Mel Brooks on Blazing Saddles and My Favorite Year and wrote for the Michael Keaton-starring Mr. Mom and Johnny Dangerously, has died. He was 83.
Steinberg died March 15 at his Hudson Valley home in upstate New York, his family announced.
Steinberg also wrote Yes, Giorgio (1982), starring Italian opera star Luciano Pavarotti in his feature acting debut, and co-wrote Funny About Love (1990), directed by Leonard Nimoy and starring Gene Wilder and Christine Lahti.
The Brooklyn native and former lawyer won his Emmy very early in his career, for his work on a Flip Wilson variety show.
His TV résumé also included developing Marlo Thomas’ 1974 landmark kids special, Free to Be … You & Me (he brought Brooks in on that); serving as a writer and executive producer on the first two seasons of CBS’ Cosby; and creating the short-lived CBS sitcoms Doctor, Doctor and Teech.
Steinberg died March 15 at his Hudson Valley home in upstate New York, his family announced.
Steinberg also wrote Yes, Giorgio (1982), starring Italian opera star Luciano Pavarotti in his feature acting debut, and co-wrote Funny About Love (1990), directed by Leonard Nimoy and starring Gene Wilder and Christine Lahti.
The Brooklyn native and former lawyer won his Emmy very early in his career, for his work on a Flip Wilson variety show.
His TV résumé also included developing Marlo Thomas’ 1974 landmark kids special, Free to Be … You & Me (he brought Brooks in on that); serving as a writer and executive producer on the first two seasons of CBS’ Cosby; and creating the short-lived CBS sitcoms Doctor, Doctor and Teech.
- 3/22/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Star Wars franchise boasts a whole lot of rogues, from Han Solo (Harrison Ford) to Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), but none can hold a candle to Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) in the charm department. From the first moment we meet him in "Star Wars: Episode V -- The Empire Strikes Back," the man oozes charisma from every pore. Part of it is Williams' natural charisma (which was carried on beautifully with Donald Glover's portrayal in "Solo: A Star Wars Story"). Part of it is the delivery of lines like, "Everything you've heard about me is true." A very big part of it is that cape he always has on. Williams swirls that thing around and wears it like he was born in it.
For a quick refresher -- not that anyone could forget Lando -- this gambler and con man-turned General of the Rebellion met Han Solo...
For a quick refresher -- not that anyone could forget Lando -- this gambler and con man-turned General of the Rebellion met Han Solo...
- 3/12/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
Oscar-nominated actress Amy Irving is ready to release her first album.
The performer tells The Hollywood Reporter that Born In a Trunk, featuring 10 cover songs pulled from her life and career, will be released digitally on April 7. “Why Don’t You Do Right?” — the first single which Irving sang as Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit — will be available on digital platforms on March 3.
Irving, 69, made her film debut in Brian De Palma’s Carrie in 1976 and two years later was in supernatural thriller The Fury. Her role in Yentl earned her an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress and she scored best actress Golden Globes nominations for Crossing Delancey and Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna. She also has a number of stage credits, earning an Obie Award for her off-Broadway performance in a production of The Road to Mecca.
Born In a Trunk also features Irving covering songs...
The performer tells The Hollywood Reporter that Born In a Trunk, featuring 10 cover songs pulled from her life and career, will be released digitally on April 7. “Why Don’t You Do Right?” — the first single which Irving sang as Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit — will be available on digital platforms on March 3.
Irving, 69, made her film debut in Brian De Palma’s Carrie in 1976 and two years later was in supernatural thriller The Fury. Her role in Yentl earned her an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress and she scored best actress Golden Globes nominations for Crossing Delancey and Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna. She also has a number of stage credits, earning an Obie Award for her off-Broadway performance in a production of The Road to Mecca.
Born In a Trunk also features Irving covering songs...
- 2/15/2023
- by Mesfin Fekadu
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Lady from Shanghai
Blu-ray
Kino Lorber
1946 / B&w / 1.33: 1
Starring Orson Welles, Rita Hayworth, Everett Sloane
Written by Orson Welles
Directed by Orson Welles
To those who know him, Michael O’Hara “… has got a lot of blarney in him.” That also applies to Orson Welles, the man who created that smooth-talking Irishman and plays him in The Lady from Shanghai, a labyrinthine guessing-game written and directed by Welles in 1946. Welles’s enigmatic co-stars include Everett Sloane as Arthur Bannister, “the world’s greatest lawyer or the world’s greatest criminal”, and Rita Hayworth as Bannister’s wife, an unknowable beauty hiding behind a plutonium hairdo.
Hayworth is not the only one wearing a disguise—like any noir, everyone has two or more personas, but Welles’s film is no ordinary noir, and for better and for worse, The Lady from Shanghai is no ordinary movie. The film, both haphazard...
Blu-ray
Kino Lorber
1946 / B&w / 1.33: 1
Starring Orson Welles, Rita Hayworth, Everett Sloane
Written by Orson Welles
Directed by Orson Welles
To those who know him, Michael O’Hara “… has got a lot of blarney in him.” That also applies to Orson Welles, the man who created that smooth-talking Irishman and plays him in The Lady from Shanghai, a labyrinthine guessing-game written and directed by Welles in 1946. Welles’s enigmatic co-stars include Everett Sloane as Arthur Bannister, “the world’s greatest lawyer or the world’s greatest criminal”, and Rita Hayworth as Bannister’s wife, an unknowable beauty hiding behind a plutonium hairdo.
Hayworth is not the only one wearing a disguise—like any noir, everyone has two or more personas, but Welles’s film is no ordinary noir, and for better and for worse, The Lady from Shanghai is no ordinary movie. The film, both haphazard...
- 2/4/2023
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Welcome to the Brenaissance -- or Brendanaissance, whatever you want to call it!
Brendan Fraser is enjoying a long-overdue comeback thanks to his gut-wrenching performance in The Whale.
Though he's most famous for goofy roles and being beautiful in 1990s rom-coms, Fraser has an exceptional range that often gets overlooked, particularly as he has matured and taken on a wider variety of roles in diverse projects.
Fraser has starred alongside some cinematic heavy hitters and taken all sorts of risks -- indie films, big-budget studio flicks, and television -- he's done it all.
Here are some examples of his best work, including some of his biggest hits and some underrated gems.
The Mummy (1999)
Fraser channels Errol Flynn and Indiana Jones as Rick O'Connell in The Mummy, his most commercially successful and enduring hit.
It's got everything -- thrills, romance, action, horror. Fraser and co-star Rachel Weisz have terrific chemistry as...
Brendan Fraser is enjoying a long-overdue comeback thanks to his gut-wrenching performance in The Whale.
Though he's most famous for goofy roles and being beautiful in 1990s rom-coms, Fraser has an exceptional range that often gets overlooked, particularly as he has matured and taken on a wider variety of roles in diverse projects.
Fraser has starred alongside some cinematic heavy hitters and taken all sorts of risks -- indie films, big-budget studio flicks, and television -- he's done it all.
Here are some examples of his best work, including some of his biggest hits and some underrated gems.
The Mummy (1999)
Fraser channels Errol Flynn and Indiana Jones as Rick O'Connell in The Mummy, his most commercially successful and enduring hit.
It's got everything -- thrills, romance, action, horror. Fraser and co-star Rachel Weisz have terrific chemistry as...
- 1/23/2023
- by Mary Littlejohn
- TVfanatic
Film actor of the 1950s and 60s who went from early Italian roles to become an international star
The actor Gina Lollobrigida, who has died aged 95, was one of the great film stars of the 1950s and 60s, and an icon of Italian cinema who became known as “the most beautiful woman in the world”.
The movie that launched her as a sex symbol was Altri Tempi, an anthology film directed by Alessandro Blasetti, in which Vittorio De Sica was the lawyer who defends the honour of a woman (Lollobrigida) accused of being too sexy. She was signed up the following year to play opposite Errol Flynn in Crossed Swords and in what was to become a cult movie, John Huston’s tongue-in-cheek adventure yarn Beat the Devil, in which she co-starred with Humphrey Bogart and Jennifer Jones.
The actor Gina Lollobrigida, who has died aged 95, was one of the great film stars of the 1950s and 60s, and an icon of Italian cinema who became known as “the most beautiful woman in the world”.
The movie that launched her as a sex symbol was Altri Tempi, an anthology film directed by Alessandro Blasetti, in which Vittorio De Sica was the lawyer who defends the honour of a woman (Lollobrigida) accused of being too sexy. She was signed up the following year to play opposite Errol Flynn in Crossed Swords and in what was to become a cult movie, John Huston’s tongue-in-cheek adventure yarn Beat the Devil, in which she co-starred with Humphrey Bogart and Jennifer Jones.
- 1/16/2023
- by John Francis Lane
- The Guardian - Film News
With her large, limpid brown eyes, statuesque figure, and seductively deep voice, she was one of the world’s best-known actresses and sex symbols in the 1950s and 1960s, especially in evergreen classics like “Come September” – but Gina Lollobrigida, who passed away at 95 on Monday, made waves beyond her onscreen prowess in other fields too, and figured in the headlines long after she walked off-stage.
And she had an Indian connection too.
Termed the “Mona Lisa of the 20th Century” and “The Most Beautiful Woman in the World”, Gina Lollobrigida was also more informally called “La Lollo” – a nickname also later adopted by Indian actress Karisma Kapoor.
And while the theme of one of her most famous films continues to strike a chord with Indians of the right age and can still be heard at weddings, Gina nearly became part of Bollywood’s first attempt at an international hit.
Tipped...
And she had an Indian connection too.
Termed the “Mona Lisa of the 20th Century” and “The Most Beautiful Woman in the World”, Gina Lollobrigida was also more informally called “La Lollo” – a nickname also later adopted by Indian actress Karisma Kapoor.
And while the theme of one of her most famous films continues to strike a chord with Indians of the right age and can still be heard at weddings, Gina nearly became part of Bollywood’s first attempt at an international hit.
Tipped...
- 1/16/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
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