by Nick Taylor
Today is the 75th anniversary of Come to the Stable, which has to rank among the most inoffensive, featherweight films to earn seven nominations from Thee Academy Awards. The story of two nuns, Sister Margaret (Loretta Young) and Sister Scholastica (Celeste Holm), who travel all the way from France to a wintry New England township so they can build a hospital. “Why do they go all the way to New England” you might ask, but who cares!
Specific details about why things happen are not the draw of Come to the Stable. A musician/landlord named Bob does not want the nuns to build their new hospital on a hill he owns for some reason, which doesn’t stop them from securing a plot of land and importing two dozen of their Sisters from France. At one point the nuns sneak into a gangster’s suite and...
Today is the 75th anniversary of Come to the Stable, which has to rank among the most inoffensive, featherweight films to earn seven nominations from Thee Academy Awards. The story of two nuns, Sister Margaret (Loretta Young) and Sister Scholastica (Celeste Holm), who travel all the way from France to a wintry New England township so they can build a hospital. “Why do they go all the way to New England” you might ask, but who cares!
Specific details about why things happen are not the draw of Come to the Stable. A musician/landlord named Bob does not want the nuns to build their new hospital on a hill he owns for some reason, which doesn’t stop them from securing a plot of land and importing two dozen of their Sisters from France. At one point the nuns sneak into a gangster’s suite and...
- 7/27/2024
- by Nick Taylor
- FilmExperience
When Disney purchased the 20th Century Fox library in 2019, it caused some consternation among cineastes. The Fox catalog was vast and impressive, containing tons of indelible classics and even more titles waiting deep inside the studio's archive. 20th Century Fox was formed in 1935 and quickly became one of the "big five" studios that dominated the film industry for decades. Fox hadn't seen a shake-up this dramatic since 1985 when ultra-conservative media mogul Rubert Murdoch bought a controlling share of the company from Marvin Davis.
When Disney made its purchase, many film fans wondered if Fox's old classics would be made more widely available through the about-to-launch Disney+. When the streaming service debuted with a paltry 500 titles, cineastes were aghast. Why buy all those Fox titles if you're not going to distribute them?
That, however, was merely the end of the road for Fox. For its 83-year life, the studio went through many massive,...
When Disney made its purchase, many film fans wondered if Fox's old classics would be made more widely available through the about-to-launch Disney+. When the streaming service debuted with a paltry 500 titles, cineastes were aghast. Why buy all those Fox titles if you're not going to distribute them?
That, however, was merely the end of the road for Fox. For its 83-year life, the studio went through many massive,...
- 4/21/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
At the inaugural Academy Awards in 1929, native Pennsylvanian Janet Gaynor made history as the first American-born performer to win an Oscar by taking the Best Actress prize for her body of work in “7th Heaven,” “Street Angel,” and “Sunrise.” Over the subsequent 95 years, 215 more thespians originating from the United States won the academy’s favor, meaning the country has now produced 68.1% of all individual acting Oscar recipients. Considering the last decade alone, the rate of such winners is even higher, at 70.3%.
At this point, 96.8% of American-born acting Oscar victors have hailed from one of 34 actual states. Of those constituting the remainder, three originated from the federal District of Columbia, while four were born in the territory of Puerto Rico. New York (home to 49 winners) is the most common birth state among the entire group, followed by California (34), Illinois (13), Massachusetts (11), and Pennsylvania (11).
Bearing in mind our specific birthplace focus, the 16 states...
At this point, 96.8% of American-born acting Oscar victors have hailed from one of 34 actual states. Of those constituting the remainder, three originated from the federal District of Columbia, while four were born in the territory of Puerto Rico. New York (home to 49 winners) is the most common birth state among the entire group, followed by California (34), Illinois (13), Massachusetts (11), and Pennsylvania (11).
Bearing in mind our specific birthplace focus, the 16 states...
- 3/18/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Turner Classic Movies will turn 30 on April 14, 2024. That’s right: It’ll be 30 years since Ted Turner flipped the switch — flanked by Old Hollywood legends Arthur Hiller, Arlene Dahl, Jane Powell, Celeste Holm, and Van Johnson — right in the middle of Times Square to turn the network “on.”
Also with Turner that day was the man who’d become TCM’s longtime host, Robert Osborne, then just 61. A veteran columnist for The Hollywood Reporter, Osborne had become known as a close friend to many of the surviving stars of yesteryear ever since he was photographed kissing Bette Davis’s hand during a Golden Globes broadcast in the late ’70s. He’d go on to host the intros and outros for most of TCM’s primetime lineup for close to 23 years after that launch date, until he died in March 2017 at 84.
For so many TCM fans, Robert Osborne was the network.
Also with Turner that day was the man who’d become TCM’s longtime host, Robert Osborne, then just 61. A veteran columnist for The Hollywood Reporter, Osborne had become known as a close friend to many of the surviving stars of yesteryear ever since he was photographed kissing Bette Davis’s hand during a Golden Globes broadcast in the late ’70s. He’d go on to host the intros and outros for most of TCM’s primetime lineup for close to 23 years after that launch date, until he died in March 2017 at 84.
For so many TCM fans, Robert Osborne was the network.
- 3/14/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Since 2018 (and in 63% of all years since 1937), Oscar voters have consistently favored supporting actresses who deliver shorter performances than their male counterparts. Indeed, the average screen time gap between the last six pairs of featured acting winners is 28 minutes and 14 seconds, with reigning male champ Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) having been lauded for a performance three times larger than that of his triumphant female cast mate, Jamie Lee Curtis. At just 17 minutes and 15 seconds, hers falls within the shortest quarter of all Best Supporting Actress-winning turns.
Curtis’s performance is the fifth longest in her movie, with non-Oscar nominee James Hong directly outpacing her by two minutes and 22 seconds. A full 25 minutes separate her from fellow supporting actress Stephanie Hsu, who she defeated at both the Screen Actors Guild and Academy Awards. Considering all 87 featured female performances that have won Oscars, hers is the 20th shortest in terms of physical time,...
Curtis’s performance is the fifth longest in her movie, with non-Oscar nominee James Hong directly outpacing her by two minutes and 22 seconds. A full 25 minutes separate her from fellow supporting actress Stephanie Hsu, who she defeated at both the Screen Actors Guild and Academy Awards. Considering all 87 featured female performances that have won Oscars, hers is the 20th shortest in terms of physical time,...
- 2/28/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Years after his death in 2003, two-time Oscar-winning director Elia Kazan remains both an influential and controversial figure, respected and reviled in equal measure. Let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Kazan started his career as a stage actor, soon transitioning into directing. He mounted several landmark productions, including the original run of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Throughout his career he received three Tony awards for Best Director of a Play: “All My Sons” in 1947, “Death of a Salesman” in 1949, and “J.B.” in 1959.
He transitioned into filmmaking with “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” (1945). Two years later, he won his first Oscar for Best Director for “Gentleman’s Agreement” (1947), which also took home Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress (Celeste Holm). A taboo-shattering drama about antisemitism, the film established Kazan as a director drawn towards contemporary, hot-button topics.
Kazan scored his second Best Director...
Kazan started his career as a stage actor, soon transitioning into directing. He mounted several landmark productions, including the original run of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Throughout his career he received three Tony awards for Best Director of a Play: “All My Sons” in 1947, “Death of a Salesman” in 1949, and “J.B.” in 1959.
He transitioned into filmmaking with “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” (1945). Two years later, he won his first Oscar for Best Director for “Gentleman’s Agreement” (1947), which also took home Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress (Celeste Holm). A taboo-shattering drama about antisemitism, the film established Kazan as a director drawn towards contemporary, hot-button topics.
Kazan scored his second Best Director...
- 9/1/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
It was the battle of the Stephens at the 27th annual Tony Awards telecast March 25, 1973 on ABC from the Imperial Theatre. In one corner was Stephen Sondheim’s glorious and exquisite romantic musical “A Little Night Music” based on Ingmar Bergman’s 1955 comedy “Smiles of a Summer Night.” And in the other corner, 25-year-old Stephen Schwartz’s hip, cool, Fosse Fosse Fosse musical “Pippin.”
“A Little Night Music,” which featured song memorable tunes as “Send in the Clowns” and “A Weekend in the Country,” waltzed into the ceremony hosted by Rex Harrison and Celeste Holm and co-hosted by Sandy Duncan and Jerry Orbach with 12 nominations including best musical, best original score, best book for Hugh Wheeler, best direction of a musical for Harold Prince, best performance by a leading actress in a musical for Glynis Johns, leading actor in a musical for Len Cariou, featured actress in a musical for...
“A Little Night Music,” which featured song memorable tunes as “Send in the Clowns” and “A Weekend in the Country,” waltzed into the ceremony hosted by Rex Harrison and Celeste Holm and co-hosted by Sandy Duncan and Jerry Orbach with 12 nominations including best musical, best original score, best book for Hugh Wheeler, best direction of a musical for Harold Prince, best performance by a leading actress in a musical for Glynis Johns, leading actor in a musical for Len Cariou, featured actress in a musical for...
- 4/5/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Four years after “Black Panther” became the first Oscar-winning film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” cast member Angela Bassett has made history as the first person to achieve academy recognition for an MCU performance. Included among the numerous actors with whom she reunites in the 2022 sequel is Lupita Nyong’o, who first played her role of Nakia four years after earning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for “12 Years a Slave.” If Bassett ends up prevailing in the same category this year, Nyong’o will be the 16th woman to have acted in a film that won the same Oscar she previously received.
Until this year, “12 Years a Slave” was the only acting Oscar-nominated film Nyong’o had appeared in. Two of her cast mates in the 2014 Best Picture winner – Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender – respectively competed for the male lead and supporting prizes but eventually...
Until this year, “12 Years a Slave” was the only acting Oscar-nominated film Nyong’o had appeared in. Two of her cast mates in the 2014 Best Picture winner – Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender – respectively competed for the male lead and supporting prizes but eventually...
- 3/7/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
The Best Supporting Actor Oscar category is seeing double yet again. Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan received nominations as expected for their turns in Martin McDonagh‘s “The Banshees of Inisherin” on Tuesday, marking the fourth consecutive year a film has received double bids in the category.
“Banshees” is the 22nd film to achieve this, but most remarkably, five of them have occurred in the last six years after a 26-year dry spell. “Bugsy” (1991) produced noms for Harvey Keitel and Ben Kingsley, but the category went without co-star nominees until McDonagh’s “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (2017) yielded bids for Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson. After none the following year, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci garnered comeback noms for “The Irishman” (2019). Two years ago, Oscar voters shocked us all by nominating Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield — you know, they who played the title characters in that two-hander “Judas and the Black Messiah” — in supporting.
“Banshees” is the 22nd film to achieve this, but most remarkably, five of them have occurred in the last six years after a 26-year dry spell. “Bugsy” (1991) produced noms for Harvey Keitel and Ben Kingsley, but the category went without co-star nominees until McDonagh’s “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (2017) yielded bids for Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson. After none the following year, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci garnered comeback noms for “The Irishman” (2019). Two years ago, Oscar voters shocked us all by nominating Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield — you know, they who played the title characters in that two-hander “Judas and the Black Messiah” — in supporting.
- 1/24/2023
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
When Michelle Williams entered the Best Actress Oscar race for “The Fabelmans,” that put Steven Spielberg in line to become the fifth person to direct Oscar winners in all four acting categories. That, of course, is still possible, but someone else may beat him to that quartet set this season: Martin McDonagh.
“The Banshees of Inisherin” is looking increasingly strong to nab four acting nominations for lead Colin Farrell and supporting players Kerry Condon, Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan. All four earned Golden Globe and Critics Choice bids last week. At the Oscars, McDonagh needs Farrell to win Best Actor and Condon to win Best Supporting Actress to complete his collection as he previously directed “Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri” (2017) stars Frances McDormand to a Best Actress prize and Sam Rockwell to a Best Supporting Actor statuette.
If that happens, McDonagh will join William Wyler, Elia Kazan, Hal Ashby and Martin Scorsese,...
“The Banshees of Inisherin” is looking increasingly strong to nab four acting nominations for lead Colin Farrell and supporting players Kerry Condon, Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan. All four earned Golden Globe and Critics Choice bids last week. At the Oscars, McDonagh needs Farrell to win Best Actor and Condon to win Best Supporting Actress to complete his collection as he previously directed “Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri” (2017) stars Frances McDormand to a Best Actress prize and Sam Rockwell to a Best Supporting Actor statuette.
If that happens, McDonagh will join William Wyler, Elia Kazan, Hal Ashby and Martin Scorsese,...
- 12/22/2022
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
It took a little longer than we thought after her initial surge in October, but Jamie Lee Curtis has finally infiltrated the top five in the Best Supporting Actress Oscar odds. The “Everything Everywhere All at Once” star has jumped from sixth to third place, even leapfrogging over her own co-star Stephanie Hsu.
Curtis’ rise isn’t surprising after she earned Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards nominations this week and is one of three people — the others being Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) and Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) — who was shortlisted at both in the still very messy but very fun supporting actress race. The Golden Globe category was rounded out by Dolly de Leon (“Triangle of Sadness”) and Carey Mulligan (“She Said”), while Critics Choice’s six-person field also included Hsu, Jessie Buckley (“Women Talking”) and Janelle Monáe (“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”).
See...
Curtis’ rise isn’t surprising after she earned Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards nominations this week and is one of three people — the others being Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) and Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) — who was shortlisted at both in the still very messy but very fun supporting actress race. The Golden Globe category was rounded out by Dolly de Leon (“Triangle of Sadness”) and Carey Mulligan (“She Said”), while Critics Choice’s six-person field also included Hsu, Jessie Buckley (“Women Talking”) and Janelle Monáe (“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”).
See...
- 12/16/2022
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Ever since “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (2017) ended a 26-year drought, double Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominees from one film have been all the rage. And this season, the category could very well tread new territory with a double set of double nominees.
“The Fabelmans” and “The Banshees of Inisherin” are both vying to field two supporting actor nominees — Paul Dano and Judd Hirsch for the former, and Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan for the latter. Three of them are in the current top five in the odds and all four are in the top six. Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) leads the way in first place, followed by Gleeson, Ben Whishaw (“Women Talking”), Dano, Hirsch and Keoghan.
Should all four get in, this would be the second time in Oscar history in which two films score double nominations in the same acting category and the first time in supporting actor.
“The Fabelmans” and “The Banshees of Inisherin” are both vying to field two supporting actor nominees — Paul Dano and Judd Hirsch for the former, and Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan for the latter. Three of them are in the current top five in the odds and all four are in the top six. Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) leads the way in first place, followed by Gleeson, Ben Whishaw (“Women Talking”), Dano, Hirsch and Keoghan.
Should all four get in, this would be the second time in Oscar history in which two films score double nominations in the same acting category and the first time in supporting actor.
- 12/1/2022
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Best Actress, the most stacked Oscar race of the year, got even more competitive last week when Michelle Williams opted to campaign in the lead category for Steven Spielberg‘s “The Fabelmans” instead of supporting. If she prevails in March, Spielberg will become just the fifth person to have directed Oscar winners in all four acting categories.
The two-time Best Director champ would follow in the footsteps of William Wyler, Elia Kazan, Hal Ashby and Martin Scorsese. Thus far, Spielberg has directed 15 nominated performances, yielding three wins, and perhaps most remarkably, all three have occurred in the last decade. Daniel Day-Lewis became the first performer to win for a Spielberg film when he garnered his record-breaking third Best Actor Oscar for “Lincoln” (2012). Spielberg then watched Mark Rylance pull off a Best Supporting Actor upset for “Bridge of Spies” (2015) and Ariana DeBose sweep the season in Best Supporting Actress for last year’s “West Side Story.
The two-time Best Director champ would follow in the footsteps of William Wyler, Elia Kazan, Hal Ashby and Martin Scorsese. Thus far, Spielberg has directed 15 nominated performances, yielding three wins, and perhaps most remarkably, all three have occurred in the last decade. Daniel Day-Lewis became the first performer to win for a Spielberg film when he garnered his record-breaking third Best Actor Oscar for “Lincoln” (2012). Spielberg then watched Mark Rylance pull off a Best Supporting Actor upset for “Bridge of Spies” (2015) and Ariana DeBose sweep the season in Best Supporting Actress for last year’s “West Side Story.
- 9/27/2022
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Every truly great film has to start with a great story, and "All About Eve" is no exception. The 1950 film follows the feud between a veteran actress and the titular protege who tries to steal her career — and succeeds in nearly every way that matters. The premise was lifted from a short story written by Mary Orr, "The Wisdom of Eve," which was published in Cosmopolitan in 1946. That too was a juicy story, filled with twists, turns, and no shortage of acerbic wit. And it essentially sells itself, especially for an adaptation on film.
In the late '40s, the story was making the rounds with every major studio in Hollywood — catching the eye of future "All About Eve" director Joseph L. Mankiewicz — but it took three long years to drum up genuine interest in adapting it. It may sound ridiculous now, but "The Wisdom of Eve" was virtually radioactive in its original form,...
In the late '40s, the story was making the rounds with every major studio in Hollywood — catching the eye of future "All About Eve" director Joseph L. Mankiewicz — but it took three long years to drum up genuine interest in adapting it. It may sound ridiculous now, but "The Wisdom of Eve" was virtually radioactive in its original form,...
- 9/19/2022
- by Lyvie Scott
- Slash Film
There’s a limited series based on Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella in the works from Jennifer Lopez‘s Nuyorican Productions, Skydance Television, and Concord Originals. The project is an original take on the musical to be written by Rachel Shukert who will also executive produce and serve as showrunner.
This marks the first project under the previously announced deal between the companies to develop a slate of original projects based on Concord’s vast catalog of musicals.
Lopez, along with partners Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Benny Medina, will executive produce for Nuyorican Productions. David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Bill Bost will executive produce for Skydance, alongside Sophia Dilley, Senior Vice President of Development and Production at Concord Originals, and Concord CEO Scott Pascucci.
“The story of Cinderella is as timeless now as ever,” said Bill Bost, President of Skydance Television. “This aspirational story of romance, unconventional families,...
This marks the first project under the previously announced deal between the companies to develop a slate of original projects based on Concord’s vast catalog of musicals.
Lopez, along with partners Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Benny Medina, will executive produce for Nuyorican Productions. David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Bill Bost will executive produce for Skydance, alongside Sophia Dilley, Senior Vice President of Development and Production at Concord Originals, and Concord CEO Scott Pascucci.
“The story of Cinderella is as timeless now as ever,” said Bill Bost, President of Skydance Television. “This aspirational story of romance, unconventional families,...
- 5/11/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
The journalist and podcaster talks about some of her favorite cinematic grifters and losers with Josh and Joe.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Nightmare Alley (1947) – Stuart Gordon’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
The Third Man (1949) – George Hickenlooper’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
All About Eve (1950)
The Hot Rock (1972) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Die Hard (1988)
Sunset Boulevard (1950) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
The Producers (1967) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
Panic In The Streets (1950) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
The Music Man (1962)
My Fair Lady (1964)
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s review
The Band Wagon (1953) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
The Wizard Of Oz (1939) – John Badham’s trailer commentary
A Night At The Opera (1935) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
The Cocoanuts (1929)
Animal Crackers (1930) – Robert Weide...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Nightmare Alley (1947) – Stuart Gordon’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
The Third Man (1949) – George Hickenlooper’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
All About Eve (1950)
The Hot Rock (1972) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Die Hard (1988)
Sunset Boulevard (1950) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
The Producers (1967) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
Panic In The Streets (1950) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
The Music Man (1962)
My Fair Lady (1964)
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s review
The Band Wagon (1953) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
The Wizard Of Oz (1939) – John Badham’s trailer commentary
A Night At The Opera (1935) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
The Cocoanuts (1929)
Animal Crackers (1930) – Robert Weide...
- 12/14/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Best Supporting Actress has always been the Oscar acting category that’s kindest to having multiple nominees from the same film. There have been 35 instances of one film scoring more than one bid in the category, compared to 20 in Best Supporting Actor, 12 in Best Actor and just five in Best Actress. The category is also the only one of the four that has ever featured two pairs of double bids in the same year — and that could just happen again this year.
A long 72 years ago, in the 1949-50 race, the Oscars nominated four women from two films: Ethel Barrymore and Ethel Waters from “Pinky,” and Celeste Holm and Elsa Lanchester from “Come to the Stable.” The fifth nominee was “All the King’s Men” star Mercedes McCambridge, who won the supporting actress award and whom you could argue benefited from the double vote-split (“All the King’s Men” also won Best...
A long 72 years ago, in the 1949-50 race, the Oscars nominated four women from two films: Ethel Barrymore and Ethel Waters from “Pinky,” and Celeste Holm and Elsa Lanchester from “Come to the Stable.” The fifth nominee was “All the King’s Men” star Mercedes McCambridge, who won the supporting actress award and whom you could argue benefited from the double vote-split (“All the King’s Men” also won Best...
- 12/8/2021
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Going once. Going twice. Sold!
Timotheé Chalamet’s costume he wore to play Harry Styles on “Saturday Night Live” has sold for $4,725 during Christine Baranski’s celebrity auction on Wednesday for The Actors Fund.
The action raised close to $140,000 for the entertainment industry non-profit.
Other big sellers included a monkey music box from “The Phantom of the Opera, Celeste Holm’s Golden Globe for her work in 1947’s “Gentleman’s Agreement”, a dress donated by Dolly Parton, Hugh Jackman’s leather Wolverine jacket and boots, jeans and a t-shirt worn by Bruce Springsteen. “Hamilton” boots used by Lin-Manuel Miranda went for $9,450.
Ahead of the auction, Baranski told Variety, “People just had to go into their closet or into a drawer and pick something out to donate. Everyone has been so generous.”
The auction was conducted by Doyle Auctioneers & Appraisers. Chalamet’s Styles costume was donated by “Saturday Night Live” boss Lorne Michaels,...
Timotheé Chalamet’s costume he wore to play Harry Styles on “Saturday Night Live” has sold for $4,725 during Christine Baranski’s celebrity auction on Wednesday for The Actors Fund.
The action raised close to $140,000 for the entertainment industry non-profit.
Other big sellers included a monkey music box from “The Phantom of the Opera, Celeste Holm’s Golden Globe for her work in 1947’s “Gentleman’s Agreement”, a dress donated by Dolly Parton, Hugh Jackman’s leather Wolverine jacket and boots, jeans and a t-shirt worn by Bruce Springsteen. “Hamilton” boots used by Lin-Manuel Miranda went for $9,450.
Ahead of the auction, Baranski told Variety, “People just had to go into their closet or into a drawer and pick something out to donate. Everyone has been so generous.”
The auction was conducted by Doyle Auctioneers & Appraisers. Chalamet’s Styles costume was donated by “Saturday Night Live” boss Lorne Michaels,...
- 4/29/2021
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
The Academy Awards celebrated its 25th anniversary on March 19, 1953 by being telecast for the first time in its history. Bob Hope hosted the celebration for NBC at the Rko Pantages Theater in Hollywood while Conrad Nagel had the Mc duties at the NBC International Theatre in New York. And the show captured the largest single TV audience at the time.
The Best Picture nominees were Fred Zinnemann’s thrilling Western “High Noon,” MGM’s lavish epic “Ivanhoe,” John Huston’s dazzling biopic on Toulouse Lautrec “Moulin Rouge,” John Ford’s warm hug of an Irish romantic comedy “The Quiet Man” and Cecil B. DeMille’s penultimate film as a director, “The Greatest Show on Earth.”
The surprise winner was “The Greatest Show on Earth,” which was the box office champ of the year earning $14 million domestically and $36 million worldwide. Critics were not so kind to his cotton-candy colored melodrama set...
The Best Picture nominees were Fred Zinnemann’s thrilling Western “High Noon,” MGM’s lavish epic “Ivanhoe,” John Huston’s dazzling biopic on Toulouse Lautrec “Moulin Rouge,” John Ford’s warm hug of an Irish romantic comedy “The Quiet Man” and Cecil B. DeMille’s penultimate film as a director, “The Greatest Show on Earth.”
The surprise winner was “The Greatest Show on Earth,” which was the box office champ of the year earning $14 million domestically and $36 million worldwide. Critics were not so kind to his cotton-candy colored melodrama set...
- 4/6/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
A Wolverine jacket donated by Hugh Jackman, a pair of Elton John’s eyeglasses, boots and jeans from Bruce Springsteen and Bette Midler’s glittery black Halloween 2014 gown are just a few of the items that will be auctioned off in April in an unprecedented collaboration between The Actor’s Fund, Doyle Auctioneers & Appraisers and actress Christine Baranski.
While a portion of proceeds from Doyle’s entire Stage & Screen auction will benefit the Actor’s Fund, all proceeds from a collection of Broadway and Hollywood items curated by Baranski, including those mentioned above, will go to the arts and entertainment nonprofit support organization. The actress personally donated three gowns she wore at the Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards and Kennedy Center Honors.
“I asked my friends and colleagues of stage and screen to lend support to this meaningful auction and the response has been extraordinary,” said Baranski in a statement.
While a portion of proceeds from Doyle’s entire Stage & Screen auction will benefit the Actor’s Fund, all proceeds from a collection of Broadway and Hollywood items curated by Baranski, including those mentioned above, will go to the arts and entertainment nonprofit support organization. The actress personally donated three gowns she wore at the Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards and Kennedy Center Honors.
“I asked my friends and colleagues of stage and screen to lend support to this meaningful auction and the response has been extraordinary,” said Baranski in a statement.
- 3/31/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
With a screen time total of 18 minutes and 36 seconds, Laura Dern’s 2020 Best Supporting Actress-winning performance in “Marriage Story” was noted for its brevity. However, it ranks as the 24th shortest to ever win in the Oscar category, proving the academy’s particular and everlasting fondness for smaller supporting female roles. Here is a look at the 10 winners with the least amount of screen time. (And here’s the equivalent list for Best Supporting Actor.)
10. Jo Van Fleet (“East of Eden”)
15 minutes, 4 seconds (12.82% of the film)
After a decade of stage acting, Tony winner Jo Van Fleet earned an Oscar for her film debut as child abandoner and brothel operator Kate Ames. Many of the votes she received were likely in honor of her body of work in 1955, since she also had roles in two other Oscar-nominated films that year (“I’ll Cry Tomorrow” and “The Rose Tattoo”). Her few scenes in “East of Eden,...
10. Jo Van Fleet (“East of Eden”)
15 minutes, 4 seconds (12.82% of the film)
After a decade of stage acting, Tony winner Jo Van Fleet earned an Oscar for her film debut as child abandoner and brothel operator Kate Ames. Many of the votes she received were likely in honor of her body of work in 1955, since she also had roles in two other Oscar-nominated films that year (“I’ll Cry Tomorrow” and “The Rose Tattoo”). Her few scenes in “East of Eden,...
- 12/22/2020
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Boasting a 15-year career as a set decorator, Matthew Flood Ferguson found his first major TV design job in Netflix miniseries Hollywood, on which he took a deep dive into the minutiae of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the starry drama is set in Post-World War II Tinseltown, following a group of actors and filmmakers who will do whatever it takes to realize their dreams. Spotlighting biases toward race, gender and sexuality that exist to this day, it considers what might have happened, had inequality in entertainment been addressed decades ago.
First working with Murphy on the 2006 film Running with Scissors, Ferguson subsequently joined the prolific creator on a number of projects, including The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, getting one of his first opportunities in production design on the upcoming Ratched. “Judy Becker, the production designer, had to leave to do another project,...
Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the starry drama is set in Post-World War II Tinseltown, following a group of actors and filmmakers who will do whatever it takes to realize their dreams. Spotlighting biases toward race, gender and sexuality that exist to this day, it considers what might have happened, had inequality in entertainment been addressed decades ago.
First working with Murphy on the 2006 film Running with Scissors, Ferguson subsequently joined the prolific creator on a number of projects, including The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, getting one of his first opportunities in production design on the upcoming Ratched. “Judy Becker, the production designer, had to leave to do another project,...
- 8/12/2020
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Wonder Woman, the beloved 1970s live-action television series starring Lynda Carter, has been remastered and is coming to Blu-ray! Wonder Woman: The Complete Collection arrives from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on July 28, 2020.
Save the world? That’s a man’s job. Then along comes star-spangled Wonder Woman with her bullet-deflecting bracelets and golden lariat to set everyone straight. With Lynda Carter staring as the title character, Season One features adventures in Wonder Woman’s original World War II era, while Seasons Two and Three whoosh forward to the disco-loving ‘70s. Times change. The need to smash evil, calamity and injustice does not.
The Wonder Woman: The Complete Collection Blu-ray box set comes complete with all 59 episodes, plus the treasured pilot movie, across 10 discs. Bonus features include:
Audio commentary of the pilot movie by Lynda Carter & executive producer Douglas S. Cramer Audio commentary by Lynda Carter on the episode, “My Teenage Idol is Missing” Featurette – Beauty,...
Save the world? That’s a man’s job. Then along comes star-spangled Wonder Woman with her bullet-deflecting bracelets and golden lariat to set everyone straight. With Lynda Carter staring as the title character, Season One features adventures in Wonder Woman’s original World War II era, while Seasons Two and Three whoosh forward to the disco-loving ‘70s. Times change. The need to smash evil, calamity and injustice does not.
The Wonder Woman: The Complete Collection Blu-ray box set comes complete with all 59 episodes, plus the treasured pilot movie, across 10 discs. Bonus features include:
Audio commentary of the pilot movie by Lynda Carter & executive producer Douglas S. Cramer Audio commentary by Lynda Carter on the episode, “My Teenage Idol is Missing” Featurette – Beauty,...
- 7/17/2020
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
One Smackdown done, eight (gulp) more to go in our double-sized season! This thursday (May 28th) we're talking 1947. To maximize your enjoyment of these special events we recommend watching the films in question before the event and voting. To vote email us your ballot by May 27th with "1947" in the subject line and each performance ranked from 1 (weak) to 5 (perfect) hearts. Only vote on the performances you've seen but you still have time to see them all; there's only 4 movies this time around.
Ethel Barrymore in The Paradine Case - stream for free on Vimeo or YouTube Gloria Grahame in Crossfire - just $1.99/$6.99 to rent/buy on Amazon Celeste Holm And Anne Revere in Gentleman's Agreement - rent on Amazon/iTunes Marjorie Main in The Egg and I -rent on Amazon/iTunes
And Icymi -- Meet The Panel
Pssst. 2002 is our next Smackdown and that's coming quickly on June 16th...
Ethel Barrymore in The Paradine Case - stream for free on Vimeo or YouTube Gloria Grahame in Crossfire - just $1.99/$6.99 to rent/buy on Amazon Celeste Holm And Anne Revere in Gentleman's Agreement - rent on Amazon/iTunes Marjorie Main in The Egg and I -rent on Amazon/iTunes
And Icymi -- Meet The Panel
Pssst. 2002 is our next Smackdown and that's coming quickly on June 16th...
- 5/22/2020
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Warning: Do not read this story until you have seen the final episode of “Hollywood.”
For its first six episodes, Ryan Murphy’s “Hollywood” mixed reality and fiction in its portrait of the movie business in the years after World War II. But there’s a good reason why the final episode is titled “A Hollywood Ending” – because it uses the Oscars of March 1948 to paint a picture of Hollywood growing more tolerant, more open to minorities and gays and more embracing of the kind of films that in reality were nearly impossible to make at the time or for decades later.
Like the ending of Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,” the episode veers into a kind of wish-fulfillment fiction that is the whole point of its existence.
So we’re not really fact-checking when we look at the show’s depiction of the 20th Academy Awards ceremony.
For its first six episodes, Ryan Murphy’s “Hollywood” mixed reality and fiction in its portrait of the movie business in the years after World War II. But there’s a good reason why the final episode is titled “A Hollywood Ending” – because it uses the Oscars of March 1948 to paint a picture of Hollywood growing more tolerant, more open to minorities and gays and more embracing of the kind of films that in reality were nearly impossible to make at the time or for decades later.
Like the ending of Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,” the episode veers into a kind of wish-fulfillment fiction that is the whole point of its existence.
So we’re not really fact-checking when we look at the show’s depiction of the 20th Academy Awards ceremony.
- 5/13/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
After years of making a name for himself in New York theater, Mark Ruffalo was on the cusp of breaking in to high-profile movie roles when television came calling.
In 1999, Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson had been handed a 13-episode order from Upn for a cop drama “The Beat.” Fontana and casting director Alexa Fogel had been impressed by Ruffalo’s work on stage and recruited him to co-star in the series as the hotheaded ladies-man New York City beat cop Zane Marinelli.
Fontana and Levinson’s track record with NBC’s indelible “Homicide: Life on the Street” and HBO’s arresting “Oz” lent credibility to “The Beat.” The show promised to be envelope-pushing, if only because nobody was watching Upn anyway. The pilot was directed by Levinson. Ruffalo had more than a few shirtless scenes in the early episodes.
“Tom had seen me in plays and was a fan.
In 1999, Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson had been handed a 13-episode order from Upn for a cop drama “The Beat.” Fontana and casting director Alexa Fogel had been impressed by Ruffalo’s work on stage and recruited him to co-star in the series as the hotheaded ladies-man New York City beat cop Zane Marinelli.
Fontana and Levinson’s track record with NBC’s indelible “Homicide: Life on the Street” and HBO’s arresting “Oz” lent credibility to “The Beat.” The show promised to be envelope-pushing, if only because nobody was watching Upn anyway. The pilot was directed by Levinson. Ruffalo had more than a few shirtless scenes in the early episodes.
“Tom had seen me in plays and was a fan.
- 4/15/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
1968: Agnes Nixon's One Life to Live premiered on ABC."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1940: On The Guiding Light, Rose Kransky (Ruth Bailey) and Charles Cunningham had dinner together after a chance meeting on the street.
The episode opened with the following narration: "Where we are free to act, we are also free to refrain from acting. And where we are able to say no, we are also able to say yes. And yet it seems so strange that so many times what we will to be,...
― Anselm Kiefer
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1940: On The Guiding Light, Rose Kransky (Ruth Bailey) and Charles Cunningham had dinner together after a chance meeting on the street.
The episode opened with the following narration: "Where we are free to act, we are also free to refrain from acting. And where we are able to say no, we are also able to say yes. And yet it seems so strange that so many times what we will to be,...
- 7/15/2019
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
“Bill’s thirty-two. He looks thirty-two. He looked it five years ago, he’ll look it twenty years from now. I hate men. “
All About Eve plays at The Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar in St. Louis) Monday July 15th as part of the ‘Classics on the Loop’ series. Showtimes are 4pm and 7pm. Admission is $7.
A publicity still from the 1950 Academy Award®-winning drama “All about Eve” features (left to right): Gary Merrill, Bette Davis, George Sanders, Anne Baxter, Hugh Marlowe and Celeste Holm. “All about Eve” received a record 14 Academy Award nominations and won six Oscars®, including Best Picture. Restored by Nick & jane for Dr. Macro’s High Quality Movie Scans Website: http:www.doctormacro.com. Enjoy!
It is almost impossible to find fault in the performances in
All About Eve . Bette Davis is in her element as Margo Channing and Anne Baxter is great as the cunning, if not slightly deranged,...
All About Eve plays at The Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar in St. Louis) Monday July 15th as part of the ‘Classics on the Loop’ series. Showtimes are 4pm and 7pm. Admission is $7.
A publicity still from the 1950 Academy Award®-winning drama “All about Eve” features (left to right): Gary Merrill, Bette Davis, George Sanders, Anne Baxter, Hugh Marlowe and Celeste Holm. “All about Eve” received a record 14 Academy Award nominations and won six Oscars®, including Best Picture. Restored by Nick & jane for Dr. Macro’s High Quality Movie Scans Website: http:www.doctormacro.com. Enjoy!
It is almost impossible to find fault in the performances in
All About Eve . Bette Davis is in her element as Margo Channing and Anne Baxter is great as the cunning, if not slightly deranged,...
- 7/9/2019
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Hollywood takes a hard look at the mundane horrors of mental asylums, and Olivia de Havilland scores another career high with her portrayal of a housewife experiencing a nervous breakdown. Some people found the show scary and a few felt it was tasteless, but Ms. de Havilland’s performance is riveting, 71 years later. Anatole Litvak’s intense direction makes good use of expressionistic visual devices, without veering into dippy Salvador Dalí psycho-surrealism.
The Snake Pit
Region B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1948 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 108 min. / Street Date April 22, 2019 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £15.99
Starring: Olivia de Havilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn, Celeste Holm, Glenn Langan, Helen Craig, Leif Erickson, Beulah Bondi, Lee Patrick, Natalie Schafer, Ruth Donnelly, Katherine Locke, Minna Gombell, Ann Doran, Jacqueline deWit, Betsy Blair, Queenie Smith, Virginia Brissac, Marie Blake, Isabel Jewell, Celia Lovsky, Mae Marsh, Doro Merande, Mary Newton, Inez Palange, Mary Treen, Minerva Urecal.
Cinematography:...
The Snake Pit
Region B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1948 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 108 min. / Street Date April 22, 2019 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £15.99
Starring: Olivia de Havilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn, Celeste Holm, Glenn Langan, Helen Craig, Leif Erickson, Beulah Bondi, Lee Patrick, Natalie Schafer, Ruth Donnelly, Katherine Locke, Minna Gombell, Ann Doran, Jacqueline deWit, Betsy Blair, Queenie Smith, Virginia Brissac, Marie Blake, Isabel Jewell, Celia Lovsky, Mae Marsh, Doro Merande, Mary Newton, Inez Palange, Mary Treen, Minerva Urecal.
Cinematography:...
- 6/1/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Since the supporting acting awards were introduced at the 9th Oscars in 1937, 34 films have pitted two featured actresses against each other. The latest of these is “The Favourite,” with both Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz vying for Best Supporting Actress at the 2019 Academy Awards. Both women already have Oscars on their mantles. Weisz won this same category 13 years ago for “The Constant Gardener” while Stone collected the Best Actress prize for “La La Land” two years ago.
Weisz has the edge over Stone in that she is coming off a win at the BAFTA Awards. However, to collect her bookend Oscar, she will have to get past Regina King (“If Beale Street Could Talk”) who has led this race all awards season long. That made her snub by the BAFTAs even more of a puzzle.
If either Weisz or Stone prevail they will be defying not just this year’s odds but Oscar history.
Weisz has the edge over Stone in that she is coming off a win at the BAFTA Awards. However, to collect her bookend Oscar, she will have to get past Regina King (“If Beale Street Could Talk”) who has led this race all awards season long. That made her snub by the BAFTAs even more of a puzzle.
If either Weisz or Stone prevail they will be defying not just this year’s odds but Oscar history.
- 2/24/2019
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
While it is a common complaint that there aren’t enough good roles for women in films nowadays, “The Favourite” had the reverse problem in that it had almost too many good roles for actresses. The film offers Oscar caliber roles for three performers as it tells the tale of Queen Anne and two women who compete to be her “favourite.” The film inspired a lot of debate in the early days of the Oscar derby as to what categories the film would campaign its three actresses. Ultimately it was decided to place Olivia Colman in Best Actress and Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz in Best Supporting Actress. All three were nominated, thus placing Stone and Weisz in direct competition with each other. In taking a look back on Oscar history since the supporting categories were introduced at the 9th ceremony, are Stone and Weisz in danger of splitting the vote?...
- 2/10/2019
- by Robert Pius
- Gold Derby
The first 15 years of the Academy Awards were banquet held at various swanky hotels in Los Angeles from the Blossom Room at the Hollywood Roosevelt, the Cocoanut Grove and Fiesta Room at the Ambassador and the Sala D’Doro and the Biltmore Bowl at the Biltmore.
Because the ceremony had grown in attendance and importance, the Oscars finally graduated its 16thyear on March 2, 1944 moving to the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, which then had a capacity of 2,258.
When the ranks of academy members grew two-fold, the Oscars moved to the Shrine Auditorium for the 19thand 20thceremonies. The Shrine was so big-it holds 6,700 seats-the general public was even invited to buy tickets.
But everything changed with the 21stceremony which took place on March 24, 1949. The studio decided to withdraw financial support for the Academy Awards “in order to remove rumors that they had been trying to exert their influence on votes,” explained Robert...
Because the ceremony had grown in attendance and importance, the Oscars finally graduated its 16thyear on March 2, 1944 moving to the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, which then had a capacity of 2,258.
When the ranks of academy members grew two-fold, the Oscars moved to the Shrine Auditorium for the 19thand 20thceremonies. The Shrine was so big-it holds 6,700 seats-the general public was even invited to buy tickets.
But everything changed with the 21stceremony which took place on March 24, 1949. The studio decided to withdraw financial support for the Academy Awards “in order to remove rumors that they had been trying to exert their influence on votes,” explained Robert...
- 1/29/2019
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Ethan Hawke is this awards’ season critical darling earning several best actor nods from critic’s groups including the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. and New York Film Critics Circle for his powerful performance as a troubled clergyman haunted with his past and the future in Paul Schrader’s “First Reformed.”
Hawke, who also won the Gotham Awards honor for best actor, is also nominated for a Critics Choice and a Film Independent Spirit Award but was snubbed in the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.
But Hawke, who has received four previously Oscar nominations including for supporting actor for 2014’s “Boyhood,” shouldn’t give up the faith about a fifth nomination. Over the years, the academy has embraced actors and actresses who played members of the clergy with six wins and upwards of two dozen nominations.
Predict the Oscar nominations now; change them until January 22
Both Spencer Tracy...
Hawke, who also won the Gotham Awards honor for best actor, is also nominated for a Critics Choice and a Film Independent Spirit Award but was snubbed in the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.
But Hawke, who has received four previously Oscar nominations including for supporting actor for 2014’s “Boyhood,” shouldn’t give up the faith about a fifth nomination. Over the years, the academy has embraced actors and actresses who played members of the clergy with six wins and upwards of two dozen nominations.
Predict the Oscar nominations now; change them until January 22
Both Spencer Tracy...
- 1/2/2019
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
This article marks Part 3 of the Gold Derby series reflecting on films that contended for the Big Five Oscars – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay (Original or Adapted). With “A Star Is Born” this year on the cusp of joining this exclusive group of Oscar favorites, join us as we look back at the 43 extraordinary pictures that earned Academy Awards nominations in each of the Big Five categories, including the following 11 films that scored a pair of prizes among the top races.
At the 4th Academy Awards ceremony, “Cimarron” (1931) made Oscar history as the first motion picture to ever score nominations in the Big Five categories. On the big night, the western took home the top prize in Best Picture, as well as the Oscar in Best Adapted Screenplay (Howard Estabrook). Not as successful were the picture’s director, Wesley Ruggles, topped by Norman Taurog (“Skippy”), and the leads,...
At the 4th Academy Awards ceremony, “Cimarron” (1931) made Oscar history as the first motion picture to ever score nominations in the Big Five categories. On the big night, the western took home the top prize in Best Picture, as well as the Oscar in Best Adapted Screenplay (Howard Estabrook). Not as successful were the picture’s director, Wesley Ruggles, topped by Norman Taurog (“Skippy”), and the leads,...
- 10/11/2018
- by Andrew Carden
- Gold Derby
Elia Kazan would have celebrated his 109th birthday on September 7, 2018. Years after his death in 2003, the two-time Oscar-winning director remains both an influential and controversial figure, respected and reviled in equal measure. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Kazan started his career as a stage actor, soon transitioning into directing. He mounted several landmark productions, including the original run of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Throughout his career he received three Tony awards for Best Director of a Play: “All My Sons” in 1947, “Death of a Salesman” in 1949, and “J.B.” in 1959.
He transitioned into filmmaking with “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” (1945). Two years later, he won his first Oscar for Best Director for “Gentleman’s Agreement” (1947), which also took home Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress (Celeste Holm). A taboo-shattering drama about antisemitism, the film established...
Kazan started his career as a stage actor, soon transitioning into directing. He mounted several landmark productions, including the original run of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Throughout his career he received three Tony awards for Best Director of a Play: “All My Sons” in 1947, “Death of a Salesman” in 1949, and “J.B.” in 1959.
He transitioned into filmmaking with “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” (1945). Two years later, he won his first Oscar for Best Director for “Gentleman’s Agreement” (1947), which also took home Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress (Celeste Holm). A taboo-shattering drama about antisemitism, the film established...
- 9/7/2018
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
1968: Agnes Nixon's One Life to Live premiered on ABC."All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."
― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1940: On The Guiding Light, Rose Kransky (Ruth Bailey) and Charles Cunningham had dinner together after a chance meeting on the street.
The episode opened with the following narration: "Where we are free to act, we are also free to refrain from acting. And where we are able to say no, we...
― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1940: On The Guiding Light, Rose Kransky (Ruth Bailey) and Charles Cunningham had dinner together after a chance meeting on the street.
The episode opened with the following narration: "Where we are free to act, we are also free to refrain from acting. And where we are able to say no, we...
- 7/15/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
In October, the entertainment industry lost a powerful friend, Richard Barclay, a celebrated singer/actor and producer/director who passed away after an eight-month battle with pancreatic cancer. On May 26, Richard Skipper is presenting a celebration of Barclay's life and reuniting two soap opera legends in the progress. The Richard Barclay Memorial show will feature Frank Basile, Julie Budd, Eileen Fulton, Richard Holbrook, Ilene Kristen sharing memories and musical entertainment, led by musical director Rolf Barnes.
The Saturday night show will start at 8 p.m. at Don't Tell Mama in New York (343 W 46th St). There is a $25.00 cover charge and a 2 drink minimum per person. Proceeds will benefit Career Bridges. Reservations can by made after 4 p.m. daily at (212) 757-0788 after 4 Pm or online at donttellmamanyc.com.
Barclay was more than a great artist ... he was a kind, compassionate, and generous mentor.
Richard Barclay started his long career in...
The Saturday night show will start at 8 p.m. at Don't Tell Mama in New York (343 W 46th St). There is a $25.00 cover charge and a 2 drink minimum per person. Proceeds will benefit Career Bridges. Reservations can by made after 4 p.m. daily at (212) 757-0788 after 4 Pm or online at donttellmamanyc.com.
Barclay was more than a great artist ... he was a kind, compassionate, and generous mentor.
Richard Barclay started his long career in...
- 5/3/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
It’s the dream of most actors and actresses to receive an Oscar nomination and, if they’re lucky, to win. But what happens when you’re up against a co-star from the same movie? Does one triumph or do they split the vote? Click through our photo gallery above of all the times this has happened throughout Academy Awards history.
Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson both scored Best Supporting Actor nominations for their work in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” It has been 26 years since Harvey Keitel and Ben Kingsley were both nominated for “Bugsy” (1991). Unfortunately for the duo they split their support and Jack Palance won for “City Slickers,” ironically a former victim of vote-splitting against his “Shane” co-star Brandon De Wilde (they lost to Frank Sinatra, “From Here to Eternity”).
See 2018 Oscar Best Picture predictions by experts: ‘Three Billboards’ pulls into tie with ‘The Shape of Water’ as voting ends Feb.
Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson both scored Best Supporting Actor nominations for their work in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” It has been 26 years since Harvey Keitel and Ben Kingsley were both nominated for “Bugsy” (1991). Unfortunately for the duo they split their support and Jack Palance won for “City Slickers,” ironically a former victim of vote-splitting against his “Shane” co-star Brandon De Wilde (they lost to Frank Sinatra, “From Here to Eternity”).
See 2018 Oscar Best Picture predictions by experts: ‘Three Billboards’ pulls into tie with ‘The Shape of Water’ as voting ends Feb.
- 2/27/2018
- by Amanda Spears
- Gold Derby
The 75th anniversary ceremony for the Academy Awards almost didn’t happen as scheduled. When America led an invasion of Iraq that weekend, broadcast network ABC pleaded with producer Gil Cates and Academy president Frank Piersen to move the event back a week. The duo claimed it would be too expensive to make the switch and that the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood would be unavailable.
On March 23, 2003, the ceremony went live on ABC as scheduled, hosted by comedian, actor, and writer Steve Martin, with the Best Picture proclaimed to be “Chicago.” However, several presenters such as Cate Blanchett, Jim Carrey, and Will Smith cancelled their appearances. That day’s events also caused several past winners to bail out on appearing in the Oscars family album slated for late in the show. Similar to a segment five years early for the 70th anniversary show (read more on the link above), the...
On March 23, 2003, the ceremony went live on ABC as scheduled, hosted by comedian, actor, and writer Steve Martin, with the Best Picture proclaimed to be “Chicago.” However, several presenters such as Cate Blanchett, Jim Carrey, and Will Smith cancelled their appearances. That day’s events also caused several past winners to bail out on appearing in the Oscars family album slated for late in the show. Similar to a segment five years early for the 70th anniversary show (read more on the link above), the...
- 1/19/2018
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
"The Furniture" is our weekly series on Production Design. You can click on the images to see them in magnified detail. Here's Daniel Walber...
[Part One Of Our Celeste Holm Centennial Series]
On paper, 1973’s Tom Sawyer might be the oddest project of Celeste Holm’s entire career. It was her first big screen appearance in six years. She’d been splitting her time between TV and theater, making guest appearances on shows like The Fugitive and leading the national tour of Mame. And while it’s not unexpected that her return would come via an independent production, the company in question may surprise you.
Tom Sawyer was made by Reader’s Digest, during the company’s six year foray into the industry. This was their first feature, the accompanying risk of which might explain the bizarre product placement. Child star Johnny Whitaker is actually credited as appearing “through the courtesy of Elder Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of Tom Sawyer wearing apparel for boys.
[Part One Of Our Celeste Holm Centennial Series]
On paper, 1973’s Tom Sawyer might be the oddest project of Celeste Holm’s entire career. It was her first big screen appearance in six years. She’d been splitting her time between TV and theater, making guest appearances on shows like The Fugitive and leading the national tour of Mame. And while it’s not unexpected that her return would come via an independent production, the company in question may surprise you.
Tom Sawyer was made by Reader’s Digest, during the company’s six year foray into the industry. This was their first feature, the accompanying risk of which might explain the bizarre product placement. Child star Johnny Whitaker is actually credited as appearing “through the courtesy of Elder Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of Tom Sawyer wearing apparel for boys.
- 4/24/2017
- by Daniel Walber
- FilmExperience
The first quarter is done. Wheeee. We didn't escape the post-Oscar malaise that hits every year just after all that golden hoopla so we spent most of the month obsessing over Feud and Big Little Lies but hopefully we'll be roaring back to creative life in April. Here are a dozen highlights from March in case you missed any of them.
Grease 2 (1982) random thoughts on a bad movie we love
RuPaul's Drag Race goes Gaga
Three Billboards Frances McDormand slays in the trailer
The Glass Menagerie the classic reinvented, new Broadway run
Animated Tease will it be a rough year for Animated Features?
Interview: Melissa Leo on playing 'the most hated woman'
Beauty & The Beast (1991) ranking the songs
Buffy's 20th Manuel's instagram project
Three Fittings: The Pirate (1948) a hallucinatory musical
Interview: Celine Sciamma on her rich coming-of-age screenplays
The Furniture: The Love Witch (2016) a cohesive vision
Barry Jenkins...
Grease 2 (1982) random thoughts on a bad movie we love
RuPaul's Drag Race goes Gaga
Three Billboards Frances McDormand slays in the trailer
The Glass Menagerie the classic reinvented, new Broadway run
Animated Tease will it be a rough year for Animated Features?
Interview: Melissa Leo on playing 'the most hated woman'
Beauty & The Beast (1991) ranking the songs
Buffy's 20th Manuel's instagram project
Three Fittings: The Pirate (1948) a hallucinatory musical
Interview: Celine Sciamma on her rich coming-of-age screenplays
The Furniture: The Love Witch (2016) a cohesive vision
Barry Jenkins...
- 4/1/2017
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
In the first of a new series, Peter Bradshaw explains why the 1947 drama about a journalist exploring antisemitism by posing as a Jew remains a sharp and high-minded watch
In 1947, the Oscar for best picture went to Gentleman’s Agreement, starring Gregory Peck as the campaigning journalist on a mission. Awards for best director also went to Elia Kazan and best supporting actress to Celeste Holm. At first glance, it looks like a rather worthy “issue movie” of the 40s, the sort of film that the Academy felt it had to honour. Yet Gentleman’s Agreement is still a riveting movie, intriguing, a little exasperating, alternately naive and very sharp, fascinating for what it puts in and leaves out.
It is about the antisemitism of prosperous postwar America and the insidious way that Jews were excluded from upscale social clubs, vacation resorts and of course jobs. There were no official bans,...
In 1947, the Oscar for best picture went to Gentleman’s Agreement, starring Gregory Peck as the campaigning journalist on a mission. Awards for best director also went to Elia Kazan and best supporting actress to Celeste Holm. At first glance, it looks like a rather worthy “issue movie” of the 40s, the sort of film that the Academy felt it had to honour. Yet Gentleman’s Agreement is still a riveting movie, intriguing, a little exasperating, alternately naive and very sharp, fascinating for what it puts in and leaves out.
It is about the antisemitism of prosperous postwar America and the insidious way that Jews were excluded from upscale social clubs, vacation resorts and of course jobs. There were no official bans,...
- 2/15/2017
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
The character setup in this classy noir potboiler couldn't be better, with Ida Lupino a sensation as the mountain lodge chanteuse who knows her way around men. For its first two acts the show is all but perfect. Road House Blu-ray Kl Studio Classics 1948 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 95 min. / Street Date September 13, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring Ida Lupino, Cornel Wilde, Celeste Holm, Richard Widmark, O.Z. Whitehead, Robert Karnes, George Beranger, Ian MacDonald, Ray Teal. Cinematography Joseph Lashelle Film Editor James B. Clark Original Music Cyril J. Mokridge Written by Edward Chodorov, Margaret Gruen, Oscar Saul Produced by Edward Chodorov Directed by Jean Negulesco
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
For the first two-thirds of Jean Negulesco's Road House I thought I was seeing one of the best films noirs of the late 1940s, and even when it sagged at the end it came up with a pretty good score.
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
For the first two-thirds of Jean Negulesco's Road House I thought I was seeing one of the best films noirs of the late 1940s, and even when it sagged at the end it came up with a pretty good score.
- 8/15/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Born in St. Louis on May 27, 1911, iconic actor Vincent Price retained a special fondness for his place of origin, and that love was reciprocated with Vincentennial, a celebration of his 100th birthday in his hometown back in May of 2011 (for summary of all the Vincentennial activities go Here). One of the guests of honor at Vincentennial was Vincent Price’s daughter Victoria Price. Because of their close relationship and her access to his unpublished memoirs and letters, Victoria Price was able to provide a remarkably vivid account of her father’s public and private life in her essential book, Vincent Price, a Daughter’s Biography, originally published in 1999. .In 2011, her biography of her father was out of print. but now it’s been re-issued and Victoria will be in St. Louis this weekend (October 9th – 10th) for three special events. In addition to the biography, she will also be signing...
- 10/6/2015
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Debbie Reynolds ca. early 1950s. Debbie Reynolds movies: Oscar nominee for 'The Unsinkable Molly Brown,' sweetness and light in phony 'The Singing Nun' Debbie Reynolds is Turner Classic Movies' “Summer Under the Stars” star today, Aug. 23, '15. An MGM contract player from 1950 to 1959, Reynolds' movies can be seen just about every week on TCM. The only premiere on Debbie Reynolds Day is Jerry Paris' lively marital comedy How Sweet It Is (1968), costarring James Garner. This evening, TCM is showing Divorce American Style, The Catered Affair, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, and The Singing Nun. 'Divorce American Style,' 'The Catered Affair' Directed by the recently deceased Bud Yorkin, Divorce American Style (1967) is notable for its cast – Reynolds, Dick Van Dyke, Jean Simmons, Jason Robards, Van Johnson, Lee Grant – and for the fact that it earned Norman Lear (screenplay) and Robert Kaufman (story) a Best Original Screenplay Academy Award nomination.
- 8/24/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Like so many great American films of the era, A Letter to Three Wives has a touch of trash at its core. Writer/director Joseph L. Mankiewicz crafts well-rounded characters, thoughtful explorations of class via small-town postwar America, and snappy dialogue to spare. But this is still a story that really kicks off when three women receive a letter from another claiming to have run off with one of their husbands, timed to a daylong excursion where she knows they can’t do a damned thing about it. Not that there’s anything wrong with that at all.
The bulk of the movie takes place in flashback, as each woman reflects on the more tumultuous moments in their relationships, and why each husband would be motivated to abandon ship for the highly-desirable Addie Ross. Addie seems to have gotten around often enough to have gotten around to those same husbands in some capacity.
The bulk of the movie takes place in flashback, as each woman reflects on the more tumultuous moments in their relationships, and why each husband would be motivated to abandon ship for the highly-desirable Addie Ross. Addie seems to have gotten around often enough to have gotten around to those same husbands in some capacity.
- 7/30/2015
- by Scott Nye
- CriterionCast
'Father of the Bride': Steve Martin and Kimberly Williams. Top Five Father's Day Movies? From giant Gregory Peck to tyrant John Gielgud What would be the Top Five Father's Day movies ever made? Well, there have been countless films about fathers and/or featuring fathers of various sizes, shapes, and inclinations. In terms of quality, these range from the amusing – e.g., the 1950 version of Cheaper by the Dozen; the Oscar-nominated The Grandfather – to the nauseating – e.g., the 1950 version of Father of the Bride; its atrocious sequel, Father's Little Dividend. Although I'm unable to come up with the absolute Top Five Father's Day Movies – or rather, just plain Father Movies – ever made, below are the first five (actually six, including a remake) "quality" patriarch-centered films that come to mind. Now, the fathers portrayed in these films aren't all heroic, loving, and/or saintly paternal figures. Several are...
- 6/22/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Yesterday I had a thought – which I do have on occasion.
I have always considered myself a “socially conscious” comics writer. This means that, if you look over my body of work, you will notice that I have told stories that, in one way or another, reflect “real world” events and the consequences of those events on my characters. Notably, of course, in my 1986 Lois Lane mini-series about child abduction and abuse, “When It Rains, God is Crying” (coincidentally edited by ComicMix’s Robert Greenberger when we were both working for DC, he an editor and me a freelancer), but also as far back as “Moon River,” my first story in New Talent Showcase, an admittedly tyro effort to portray the outcome of a closed, dictatorial society on an individual. And of course there was “Chalk Drawings,” which I co-wrote with George Pérez for Wonder Woman, which was a story about suicide.
I have always considered myself a “socially conscious” comics writer. This means that, if you look over my body of work, you will notice that I have told stories that, in one way or another, reflect “real world” events and the consequences of those events on my characters. Notably, of course, in my 1986 Lois Lane mini-series about child abduction and abuse, “When It Rains, God is Crying” (coincidentally edited by ComicMix’s Robert Greenberger when we were both working for DC, he an editor and me a freelancer), but also as far back as “Moon River,” my first story in New Talent Showcase, an admittedly tyro effort to portray the outcome of a closed, dictatorial society on an individual. And of course there was “Chalk Drawings,” which I co-wrote with George Pérez for Wonder Woman, which was a story about suicide.
- 1/12/2015
- by Mindy Newell
- Comicmix.com
Martha Stewart: Actress / Singer in Fox movies apparently not dead despite two-year-old reports to the contrary (Photo: Martha Stewart and Perry Como in 'Doll Face') According to various online reports, including Variety's, actress and singer Martha Stewart, a pretty blonde featured in supporting roles in a handful of 20th Century Fox movies of the '40s, died at age 89 of "natural causes" in Northeast Harbor, Maine, on February 25, 2012. Needless to say, that was not the same Martha Stewart hawking "delicious foods" and whatever else on American television. But quite possibly, the Martha Stewart who died in February 2012 -- if any -- was not the Martha Stewart of old Fox movies either. And that's why I'm republishing this (former) obit, originally posted more than two and a half years ago: March 11, 2012. Earlier today, a commenter wrote to Alt Film Guide, claiming that the Martha Stewart featured in Doll Face, I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now,...
- 11/11/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Neil Patrick Harris to host Oscar 2015 ceremony Stage, film, and television actor Neil Patrick Harris will host the 2015 Oscars, aka the 87th Academy Awards ceremony, Oscarcast producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today, October 15, 2014. This will be Neil Patrick Harris' first time hosting the show, which in the United States will air live on ABC on Sunday, February 22. As quoted in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences press release, Zadan and Meron are "thrilled" to have Harris host their show, adding that "we have known him his entire adult life" and "to work with him on the Oscars is the perfect storm." As to be expected, Harris' statement reads that “it is truly an honor and a thrill" to be invited to host the 2015 Academy Awards ceremony Now, Neil Patrick Harris is an experienced awards-show host. His credits in the field include hosting the 61st and 65th Primetime Emmy Awards,...
- 10/16/2014
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
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